RENEWED

R-E-T-R-E-A-T, this seven letter word was such a long wait. The very moment we stepped on our Retreat place, Saloma sa Kinaiyahan, I uttered a promise to my self "I HAVE TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY. I NEED A BREAK AND THIS IS IT!"
I learned and realized many things. I was caught off-guard. Imagine those moments that I never showed love and understanding to my self. I had been to busy. I had been too preoccupied to notice the wonders of life. I had been swayed by my negative views. Like a speeding bullet, realizations came over and it hit me right into my heart. The words of Father Ariel Garcia made me not just teary-eyed but overwhelmed.
There were many events that happened into my life that I took for granted. There were many roadblocks that I permitted to swallow my self. If not because of the retreat, I could not realize how far I had been. How selfish can I get, when in fact my parents, family, friends, classmates and teachers were there extending their support and patience.
W-O-A-H. I really enjoyed the feeling of being so close to nature and close to God. There I cried so hard pouring out my deepest sentiments and problems. There I confessed my unworthy sins. There I asked forgiveness. There I felt God's love and embrace. As I was enjoying my climbing moments at the top of the Durian tree, I really felt so free! Free from the stressors in life, family, school and others. Nonetheless, I learned to value my time, my self and my relationship with God and my family.
Heavens, I felt like I am back to the same old Lesly who once showed a sweet smile, a warm mood and a friendly gestures. If not because of this retreat, I could be the monster looking so stressed and pressured. And now I can attest that
I am R-E-N-E-W-E-D!
Praise God!

PROCESS V. PRODUCT

As we end our Mid-term lessons, I was caught off guard with this particular topic that discusses the importance of process and product. It is only through this Edtech2 class that my conviction between these two important elements in learning was strengthened. I admit that I was more particular on the product for this is the basis for any graded outputs. But throughout the lesson, I was able to put up a different point of view with regards to process vs. product.

I learned that the inquiry-based or discovery approach is given importance in resource-based projects. This would mean that the “actors & actresses” in every learning path is the students themselves. This requires that the students, individually or cooperatively with members of his group, relate gathered information to the ‘real world’ which in return produce a more dynamic learner. How magical and essential is that?

Moreover, it is nice to note that the process is given more importance than the project product. It doesn’t matter for example if each group comes up with a different answer to the problem. What matters are the varied sources of information, the line of thinking and the ability to agree in defense of their answers and it’s something to discern especially for us, future educators. Let’s put into our minds and hearts that we are the key to every success of our students. How about putting aside our judgements and expectations and dwell more on the idea of teaching, touching and transforming the hearts and minds of the young’s? The challenge is ours to take!

Lead on prime movers!

NO to PASSIVITY!

HOTS! This four letter word encompasses knowledge in its most effective sense. But one may not like HOTS questions as an effective assessment. More often than not, students would surely complain when a teacher would apply this in most of its test and quizzes.
Personally, my negative perception about HOTS changed. I learned to outdo my passiveness in learning. HOTS provide a higher learning outcome with the help of IT integrated lessons. I learned to become more open minded that a new challenge has arisen for today’s learners.
As an ALS Instructional Manager, I was able to view learning in its greater perspective. It affirmed my conviction that teaching is not simply to achieve learning objectives. Teaching is not just about laying down the lessons in the table. It is more on how the teacher facilitates the class especially when assessing the students learning path. Today, I am greatly convinced that assessment makes a teacher a true teacher.
Moreover, SPOON FEEDING is a NO. We have all the resources around us if we only exert effort in learning and become more adept in technology. IT is here to aid us to become more creative and productive with the help of the methods proposed by the use of computer-based as an integral support to higher thinking skills. Indeed, IT encourages the development of students who can do more than receive, recall, recite and apply the knowledge they have acquired.
In the end, as future educators, we must put into our minds and hearts that learning is an active process and that today’s students are expected to be not only cognitive, but also flexible, analytical and creative. It’s better to be HOTS than just to be passively COLD in dealing with the opportunities in this journey for learning.

A Must: Cooperative Learning in Computer Integrated Class

As the old adage says that “No man is an island” so is my conviction that no student can learn without others. Thus, cooperative learning strategies help students work together specially when integrated with technology.

Sharing one keyboard, one mouse, and one screen is one common scenario in computer classes or computer laboratories here in the Philippines. Reality could never be hidden that schools lack of the appropriate number of computers in the classroom. However, I believe that this disadvantage can be turned into an advantage one when cooperative learning with the computer approach is observed.

Personally I like this kind of approach where I could be in a group. When I work together with my peers, it enables me to experience better acquisition, retention and integration of the lesson. Cooperative learning really promotes self-esteem, positive peer to peer relationships and offers a lighter ambiance especially when it comes to technology lessons. In dealing with technology, we students often need each other's help. Computers can generate a lot of excitement especially to those who find it easy to manipulate it. But as future educators, I guess it would be best if we consider those who find computer, software and program very difficult to deal with. It would surely bring about some anxiety among the students and cooperative learning is the answer to that problem.

The Reporter's Point of View (prelim)

“WOW! Sa AVR ta mag class karon?!
H-A-Y-A-H-A-Y!”

- - - I was extra jubilant when I said this to my classmates. It’s not every day that we’re given the chance to have a class in a very cosy atmosphere. Laptops, Projector, QOMO Interactive Board, Centralized Air-condition Unit, name it the SMC Audio Visual Rom has it. Nothing beats the leisure brought by technology and I personally experienced this and I’m lucky. How nice it is to enjoy these state of the art facilities!

As I was having my report on my EdTech 2 subject, I was able to view learning in a modernized process. Aside from affirming to my discussion about “State-of-the-Art ET Application Practices” I eventually learned many things about technology and modernization in education. My topic made me realize that there were hundreds of roadblocks that really measured me as a student on how far I can go with it. I realized that it is only when I fully appreciate the role of computers in the teaching-learning scene that I will be able to become competent in today’s call of time.

Which is Which: Traditional Teaching or IT Integrated Teaching?

Which is Which: Traditional Teaching or IT Integrated Technology
As I undergo the process of learning I realized that knowledge is not entirely fixed and transmittable but is something that all of us individuals, students, teachers and adults alike, actively construct. Thus, the most important thing a student should learn is how to learn”
Students nowadays follow the modern and diverse society wherein we aim to accomplish many goals. We demand for better learning for we want to be equally competent in the future. There are multiple choices of teachers and they can become overwhelming unless teachers can focus their teaching goals. The ultimate purpose of teaching is to assist students to become independent and self regulated learners. Now, the question is HOW do teachers make their learners competent and effective?
Traditional Teaching goes into the arena of choices. However, we students somehow viewed this as an antagonistic approach. The moment we hear the term “traditional teacher/ing” we immediately put into our minds the negative scenes we usually viewed in barrios and far flung areas. Now it’s about time to take some breather. Yes, traditional teaching could be an old style but I believe it still promotes effective learning. Teachers make sure everything they taught were understood by the student. Teachers teach using the blackboard, explained, asks students to copy and made sure students paid attention and listen.
On the other hand, IT Integrated Teaching is a real deal for teachers and students who views learning as an actively continuous process. Technology is used making the discussion more interesting, visual and updated. IT Integration aims at giving the students a holistic instead of a fragmented outlook on his studies. Thus the topics can be presented in a more meaningful way.
Indeed, there is no BEST TEACHING METHOD for the best teaching method is the one that yields good results. Let us embrace technology but we should not set aside the basics of traditional teaching.

_LAB ^^ _

EdTech 2: Moving Forward Towards Technology Enhancement

The memoirs of EdTech 1 were still vivid in my mind. It was with that course that I was able to learn and master the use of technologies and on how to apply it in teaching. Much to my learning was the making of power point presentations with all the desired designs and animations. Now as I step my foot forward to EdTech 2 I come to the point of asking myself “What’s it this time?”

   Since Educational Technology 2 is much concerned with integrating technology into teaching and learning, I’m looking forward to an adventure that will surely cater my curiosity and passion to learn more skills and apply it in a greater sense of ease and confidence. I expect it to be cool and enjoyable just like making this first blog of mine. You see how technology brings about our ideas and opinions. You might take a grasp in reading this blog or might find this boring but hey this is what technology is. I may choose to leave it all behind my emails or word doc but we’re into the world of blogging now. See the difference? Feel the thrill?

            Moreover, I wish to update my knowledge of what educational technology bring about and how will it produce “magic” inside the classroom. Yes, this would mean that it involves a deeper sense of understanding the computer as well as a hands-on application of computer skills. Will it be so scary and hard? I wish it wouldn’t.

            Indeed we are bombarded with the pressures of using technology and upgrading it but we, as education student should never be afraid of taking up the steps in enhancing our knowledge for this is our preparation for a tougher future that waits. So come on, leave your worries behind and together lets unravel this thing one at a time.

To end this up, I would like to share my reading from “The Last Book That You Will Ever Read” by Frank Ogden. It says there, “Changes in technology will alter the way we live, the way we love, the way we think, the way we dream, the way we create. We are moving from a lowly state as worker caterpillars into creative and beautiful butterflies. Working our way out of the chrysalis is like escaping from a dark crypt. After a momentous struggle, what emerges is not what existed before.” M y dear classmates, we are like butterflies but let’s put into our mind and our heart that a butterfly doesn’t operate like a caterpillar and is not grounded by gravity. Like the emerging butterfly, we have left our formative stage. It’s about our time to fly and learn more by putting our commitment and expectations into a vision that would be transformed into a reality provided we do our thing in this EdTech 2 journey.