Spark a Reading Revolution Bundle: Life Skills Focusing on Study Skills

 

Storytelling Workshop: Imagine! Play! Wonder!

Imagine! Play! Wonder!
Storytelling for Growth and Healing
A Workshop in Developing Literacy Skills and Life Skills

Workshop Facilitator: 
Zarah C. Gagatiga

Blogger. Librarian. Author. Storyteller. Teacher.

 Date and Time:
 December 2, 2017
Saturday, 9AM - 3PM

Venue:
Lampara House Showroom
Sto. Domingo, Quezon City
Landmarks: Sto. Domingo Church and Angelicum College

WORSHOP DESCRIPTION:

Storytelling opens up opportunities that stretch the imagination,  the provision for play, and develops in the listener, a sense of wonder! It is through imagination, play and wonder  where children, even adults, learn at their best.  Imagination, play and wonder develop creativity and compassion.

The workshop is latched on three themes namely, Imagination, Play and Wonder. Three concepts on storytelling will further be taken up in relation to the three themes. These are:

a. Storytelling idea 1: Storytelling follows a sequence of order and organization.
b. Storytelling idea 2: Storytelling fosters dramatics and the performing arts.
c. Storytelling idea 3: Storytelling is creative learning!

A workshop kit and a storytelling starter packet will be given out to the participants of the workshop.

Participants: Open to all interested; students in Senior High School and College levels; Maximum of 50 pax, minimum of 30 pax.

Fee: 600 for adults; 400 for students

Contact information: lamparapublishinghouse@gmail.com / zarahg815@gmail.com

*This workshop is partly sponsored by Lampara Books.  To book Zarah Gagatiga for workshops, talks and consultancy, get in touch with her via zarah.gagatiga@gmail.com and/ or 09209672884.

The Lighthouse Diary Entry 2: Desires, Passions and the World's Greatest Need

No PPT slides. It was trad. But it worked!

Unlce Iroh, one of my favorite characters in the hit cartoon show, The Avatar, the Last Airbender, quotes in one episode, "Follow your passion and life will reward you!" It sounds so simple yet so true. For when we know what we are truly passionate about and when we pursue it, life gives back a hundred fold. I suppose this is a natural law of the universe for it calls to each and everyone to do good. However, knowing one's passion is another quest in the journey of living a meaningful life. And yes, how one pursues this passion is another story.

Two weeks ago, on a Friday, the weekend before the Academy opened its doors to its Griffins, new and returning, the faculty was fortunate to have Mr. Robert "Bobbit" Suntay for an inspirational talk. Mr. Suntay is one of the members of the Board of Trustees and it is not often that we see him on campus. He would visit, once in a while for BOT purposes and that's it. So, his brief but engaging talk was a welcome surprise to many. Like Uncle Iroh, he talked about one's search for happiness, the heart's truest desire, the journey of finding it and what happens when this inner desire is affirmed and actualized. Happiness is achieved because, this deepest desire meets the world's greatest need.

Aren't we all a part of a bigger something? Don't we all need to belong in some greater scheme? Even the traditional introvert searches for an endeavor that would make him whole.

That Friday, my materials for Library Orientation were all prepared. Our bulletin boards have been set up, usernames and passwords of our online subscriptions have been updated, and brochures and library bookmarks were all sorted out. My assistant, Flynn, and I were ready for the opening of of Academic Year 2017-2018. However, Mr. Suntay's talk left a dent in my heart and in my mind that over the weekend, I reviewed my plans and changed it entirely.

I thought of going for what I am truly passionate about. Books. Reading. Media and Information Literacy. Working with Students. Helping teachers. Bridging gaps. Going the extra mile even when it hurts. These are the things that matter to me. And these were the things I shared with our Griffins last Monday, July 31st, the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola. The birth date of Harry Potter, the boy who lived.

Four classes on MIL last week! YAY!

It was the first time I got a round of applause from the seniors (probably because there is no Book Quota this year?). The juniors tried their best to behave and to listen given the number of new students in the batch. The year 10s jumped in the task given to them right away. No qualms. They were ready to engage despite themselves. And the year 9s, what a frisky bunch!

During the in-service, HOS (head of school) reminded us of our thrust for this academic year. Back to teaching. I think, with Mr. Suntay's sharing of his life journey, I need to go back to my passions that has kept me all these years working in a school alongside teachers and school leaders and helping students find their own path. Operations and administrative work will always be important. Then again, the head and the hand will not function well if the heart isn't in it.

It was an amazing first week. There will be peaks and valleys but I hold on to my passions because, I am positive, as I have seen it happen before, these will all turn into my life's mission.

So, Life, let's do this!

Reading Guidance: Study Skills and Work Habits

At the start of the Academic Year, we encourage everyone to read books and borrow from the BA Library. Our Griffins follow a book quota to complete throughout the school year. The book quota is a reading challenge activity wherein students meet a number of books to read and borrow in a school year. The numbers to meet for each grade level are as follows:meet a number of books to read and borrow in a school year. The numbers to meet for each grade level are as follows:

Grade 9 - 20 books

Grade 10 - 30 books

Grade 11 - 40 books

Grade 12 - 50 books

This year, to guide our Griffins through the reading challenge, they were given an infographic that identifies topics and genre of books to read. 

To start them off with book recommendations, the BA Library put together a list of books on study skills. This was routed and shared to the advisers so that they may be able to inspire their advisees to read and direct themselves to better study skills and work habits.

Infographic: Study Habits

This infographic is made using the web app easel.ly. Graphics are from clipart.com.

IASL 2013: Day 2 Concurrent Sessions: Learning Commons & Virtual Spaces

Last Tuesday, August 27, 2013 I attended Ross Todd's session and Lesley Farner's.

Ross Todd presented his research on Collaborative Inquiry in Digital Environments: Cognitive, personal and interpersonal dynamics. The title is a mouthful, I know. And in classic Ross Todd fashion, the whole paper was impressive. He is also very emphatic and passionate when presenting. This man truly loves what he is doing. I often use his studies and research (Rutgers University) for my workshops and training sessions. His work on the school library's role in student achievement is one document I've used over and over again to push for library advocacy initiatives and in developing programs and services in the school library. Needless to say, research has a function in amplifying sound library practice. Practice, in return, fortifies research if not, lead researches to test data once again. It is a cycle of creating and communicating information and it is a fascinating one!

So what brought me to his session last Tuesday? Ross Todd himsel. Yep. I am a fan.

Ross Todd has been to Manila for a lecture. He loves the dried mangoes of Cebu.

 Fan girl mode aside, I was intrigued at the results of the research. While knowledge construction is important in collaborative group work, and one that is valued by students involved in the assigned work, social justice is another aspect of collaboration and cooperation relevant to students. Diversity of view points is valued as well by students, but the struggle to accept and to come to terms with differences is another issue. The discussions and responses that came from the floor were infused with energy. There was engagement.

I sat there and thought about what the research finding has to do with my work as a librarian. For one thing, I am keen on looking at how students build knowledge to construct meaning out of this. The library then should function as a learning commons where students can collaborate not just with their peers but with their teacher librarian. And learning commons is not just about physical or virtual space. More on this in another blog post.

Another session of interest to me was Dr. Farmer's Issues in Teen Technology Use to Find Health Information. My take away from this session is that, libraries can set up reliable virtual spaces where teens can seek information pertaining to health issues and conditions. Librarians can work with counselors, health care professionals to establish a baseline or a context to latch the content on health and well being issues.

I think this online health guide may prove to be a good companion to the Life Skills Collection (aka Bibliotherapy) I'm working on.