Thoughts on Mother Tongue Based - Multilingual Education Training for Teachers and Librarians

It is very timely that I am running a book sale of the Bulilit Books-PROJECT LEARN Series as fundraiser for our eldest’s endeavors in music. I will use these books as one of the three samples for a session on writing and producing materials for a training-workshop on Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education in Cagayan De Oro next week. Having done preliminary research on MTB-MLE reports and best practices I have information on the relatively small literature of mother tongue based instruction in the country today. I am excited to do this workshop with friends from the National Library of the Philippines, nonetheless. I will be meeting a new community of learners.

Miyawing Kuting, Beybi Bibe, Magbilang Tayo Filipino versions

I recall the teacher training sessions I had in the past six months. One in Albay and one in Oriental Mindoro. The learning and insights I learned in Albay and in Mindoro are factored in this new module I have designed for public school teachers, school librarians and public librarians of Cagayan De Oro. One new thing I have added is a role clarification activity. Do we expect teachers to write stories in the mother tongue? Why not? But to what purpose? Where is pedagogy in the creation of stories? Why is there a learning resource management database and why give the task of managing the database to a licensed librarian? How effective are writing competitions in the growth and development of mother tongue materials? Is there documentation of all our mistakes and success stories? If there is, what does it tell us? If none at all, how do we make one?

The Cebuano versions of the Bulilit Books-PROJECT LEARN Series

I was invited as a writer of children’s books to run the workshop, but I am first of all, a librarian and a teacher who loves storytelling and believes in the power of narratives. I am challenged, yet confident enough to show MTB-MLE from different lenses: as librarian, teacher, storyteller and writer.

It is a journey that excites and  frustrates me interchangeably because writing didn’t come to me in a dream nor was it a gift from the muses. I did not breathe out a full story upon waking up. No. Writing, for me, has always been a struggle. The reasons are many. But I persist. It is a lot of hard work. 

The Hiligaynon versions of the Bulilit Books-PROJECT LEARN Series

 I will tell the story why and how it is so in the session on writing the Bulilit Books-PROJECT LEARN Series.

Darrel Marco, Xi Zuq and Tinsley Garanchon, keeping you all in mind when I run the workshop in CDO next week! 🙏🏾💕