The Lighthouse Diary #34: The Research Design Cycle 2022

The second semester is research season. 

We kicked off Research Season this month of February with a day devoted for the Extended Essay and Senior Project. Students in grade 11 had orientation sessions while grade 12 students had a write-shop. The library, being an integral component of the research process in general, and a valuable learning support system for senior high school students in academic writing is always given a schedule to introduce the Research Process and library services in support of research.

This year, I had the joy of presenting the Research Design Cycle to our cohort of grade 11 students. The RDC is based from the Design Cycle, a framework used in Design class when planning and implementing projects in the arts, humanities and the sciences. The RDC is a product of one of our Professional Development activities in school.

This is how the RDC looks like. There are four phases or stages namely, Inquire, Develop, Create and Evaluate. The steps in the research process are incorporated in each phase.

Over the years, I have reflected on the continuous development of our research journey. Here are links to blog posts about research and the never ending search for meaning and learning.

Research as Thinking and Visualizing Information

 Pedagogical Support for the EE

Reflections on the Extended Essay

Guideposts and Cornerstones in Research

Cornerstones of Research

Let's see what this season has in store for us!

Becoming A Reading Companion

Thank you very much MUNPARLAS Library Association Inc. (MLAI) and the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) for taking me in as a workshop facilitator during the week when the country celebrated National Children’s Book Day (NCBD). The workshop at National Bookstore Cubao with MLAI and the Baguio Central School with PBBY were well attended by young librarians and teachers eager to know and learn about Bibliotherapy. I learned a lot too! When one teachers, one learns.

I learned that good stories, well told and carefully crafted will stand the tests of time. In both workshops, participants recognize Augie Rivera’s book, Alamat ng Ampalaya as an endearing story of fairness and justice. But with the books I brought and the ones available in the store and on sale at the workshop venue, participants were exposed to more books with stories written for the young and the young at heart.

Teachers and librarians in Baguio Central School read and talked about books.

Teachers and librarians love to read children’s books. We kept saying in the children’s book industry that the books we create and distribute are for children and yet, I often see many adults in bookish events for kids. When can we put kids and adults together to enjoy books, stories and play? I can only think of the Komikon and the Komiket where the divide in ages and stages do not exist. 

Children’s literature is the literature of childhood as much as it is the literature for young people. It is hope and all the dreams we wish to fulfill. I will always keep this in mind.

Librarians making their mood boards, an exercise on creativity and spontaneity.

For my future workshops on Bibliotherapy, I will begin with the self and yes, I will do activities on creativity, play and wonder. I will also introduce and re-introduce children’s books to teachers, librarians and adults who work with and for children. We can get information from books and stories. Reading them also fills the emptiness in our souls. Be it a child or a grown-up, either will need a reading companion.

Teachers and librarians, let’s be reading companions! Let’s do Bibliotherapy!