The Lighthouse Diary Entry #88: Persistence and Designing a Flap Book

This year, I had the opportunity to supervise two Grade 10 students and journey with them in the accomplishment of their Personal Project. A few weeks ago, they presented their work, and for the first time, I saw the product of their blood, sweat, and tears. Also, the joy on their faces and the bright spark of confidence in their eyes were unmistakable.

Who would have thought they were both going through uncertainty and stress last November? The struggle to finish a 15-page report last March weighed them down, too. I kept telling them to trust the process and persevere.

Mistakes happened, of course. Some plans went awry. But my supervisees pushed on. Showing up every time was an entirely new experience. More than the mark, there is character to strengthen and nurture. This is how we learn.

I’m sharing this photo of a flap book, which my student fought for as a Personal Project. Because, in our first meeting, I told her that form follows function, further explaining that flap books as a form serve a purpose in relaying a message and facilitating communication. I recommended books on design right after.

And she persisted. Her flap book on matcha, its origins, and the process of making tea was well made! Yes, she got good marks, too!

Ah! The things I learn from my students are among the best rewards I get as a teacher.

Diversity and Inclusivity in Teaching and Learning

This is an interview I did for Teacher Lani who based in Japan before the quarantine. She and I met in 2015 in Kyoto where I had an enjoyable day walking under blossoming sakura. We keep in touch and recently talked about teaching ang learning in the IB Programs. 

In February, she sent me some questions for an online workshop she was attending for the IB Primary Years Program. It is on assessment and learners' diversity. Here is the transcript of the interview.

How do you unpack or connect to the diversity of students you teach?

I think the unpacking and the connecting is based on two things: the learner and the curriculum. These inform pedagogy. Assessment in the admissions level is also essential for academic leaders and teachers to know if the student can perform and meet the learning goals of the curriculum and if he/she needs accommodation and differentiation. It is meeting half way and parents must cooperate. The school and the parents have to work together.

I also think that differentiation in instruction is a given in an inclusive classroom. Regardless of students’ background, teachers need to be aware of diversity and different learning styles.

What kind of learning engagements do you use?

Lately I have been using some visible thinking strategies, like the see-think-wonder. I also use collaborative techniques like the think-pair-share and the jigsaw. I have always believed in the learning center approach and blended learning.

When teaching writing, I make use of the KWL and the model-feedback-guide-release strategy. Over the years, I think I have learned to use a variety of teaching approaches, methods and techniques.

How do you differentiate learning opportunities for your students? Based on what?

Students have assessment record and this is provided by the academic team and guidance counselors. When students move up the grades teachers gather and discuss profiles of students so that teachers are informed of students learning styles, behavior and profile. This is information to help the teacher plan and design the learning environment.

How,when,and why does this change?

Learning is dynamic.

How do you adjust your learning engagements based on student need?

Adjustments are made when there is a need to change it. Changes like accommodations in learning must be informed by assessment through instruction.

How does this compare to how you get to know your students?

I think this is an ecosystem of teaching and learning and many factors on student development come into play.

The Lighthouse Diary #18: Volcanic Eruption and E-Learning

Where we live and work is 27-40 km from Taal, Batangas. The eruption of the volcano has left many of us afraid, insecure, nervous, unsure and “shookt”. Leadership and School Administration are up and about mitigating clean up of campus, checking on members of the community and setting up of an area to relocate students so that learning continues. Somewhere in the midst of the chaos, we are all striving to bring back a sense of permanence into our lives. 

One of the many decisions we made as a learning community last week was to use e-learning and distance education with face-to-face sessions among our junior and senior high school students. We are making use of several e-learning platforms and social media tools to facilitate teaching and learning. Life has to go on. 

As the Teacher Librarian, my role now as content curator and e-learning resource person comes into play more than ever. My staff and I began identifying library administrative work that can be converted into a virtual platform. Right now, I am in touch with school librarians in the south and in the Makati area seeking support and activating networks for learning. If there is one thing I learned from facing natural disasters, it is to look at it straight in the face, roll with the punches and fight back when it is not looking.

I cannot help but pause and think back on the many e-learning experiences I had in the past. How do I channel this experience as concrete actions to further help and support colleagues? Technology is evolving but, a common thread or pattern can be found in its matrix. It’s time to read and do some research and development. 

So here are links on e-learning and Blended Learning which I discovered and trawled online. Expect a part two of this post or a series. 

Let’s begin with e-learning and why it matters  The link is a chapter from an ebook that discuss e-learning basics, history, pedagogy and applications in business and in the corporate world. For the full e-book, follow this link Introduction to e-Learning. The ebook is available for download in PDF format. There is a chapter on Blended Learning with discussions on ways  to use it as an approach with tools for classroom instruction.

Scholastic has a blog article where in different models of Blended Learning are described. Education Elements has a video showing why it is necessary to rethink traditional teaching and where Blended Learning come into play as an instructional innovation. The role of the teacher changes too. From a sage on the stage to a guide on the side, a mentor who is a companion of the learner or an architect of learning environments, the teacher, at this juncture needs to collaborate with different departments in the learning community to reach a sense of fulfillment and succeed in some measure. This natural disaster leaves everyone with no other choice but to face these challenges and work together. 

I am ending this post with an infographic on Blended Learning. There is going to be a part two of this post. Definitely. 

Dear Ms. Z: Literature and Lifelong Learning (1 of 2)

Teacher Twinkle Caro, a friend from PBBY and the teaching community sent me this questions a few months back. She was then preparing for a radio interview and I was in Singapore attending a workshop. Much of our conversation happened in Messenger so technology bridged the geographical distance.

How has being literate and being exposed to different forms of literature (books, newspapers, magazines, etc.) helped you in terms of your work and continuous lifelong learning?

This was my reply:

Reading helps me to be kind. When reading fact or fiction, I discover truths not only of my own beliefs but of others too. I realize I am not alone. There is the endless possibility to learn from others in reading.

Going back to our conversation now, I feel, and think, that I have not fully answered her question. There is an aspect of library work or librarianship I wish I had told her. Thanks to blogging, again - another format of technology, I can revisit and continue the process of thinking through such a question that matters to me and to my colleagues.

I will be posting part 2 of my reply to Teacher Twinkle. Continuing on this exercise has relevance in the way we use information and the formats of literature.

The FALAKASTALAS Forum 2017 at the Philippine Normal Univeristy

My professor in college, Prof. Ruth Alido, is now the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Letters at the Philippine Normal University (PNU). When I received her invitation to be a panelist in the annual Panayam (dubbed as FALAKASTALAS), I said yes. How can I say no to my Alma Mater and to Prof. ALido who introduced me to Nick Joaquin, Paz Marquez Benitez, Estrella Alfon and Ninotchaka Rosca. What made this speaking engagement equally meaningful is that, I gave the little knowledge I know about language learning through library services to students of education majoring in Literature, Language (English and Filipino), Music, Speech and the Arts.

L-R: Sir Joel, Ka Heber, Prof. Alido, Zarah G., Sir Noel and Bebang Siy

I hope that this little knowledge multiplies having interacted with 500 PNU students!

That day of the forum was World Read Aloud Day. So, I began with a read aloud of the book, Library Mouse (Kirk, Scholastic). I had to read the book since the audience choose to. I have a copy of the e-book, but the PNU students prefer seeing a live read aloud session. Another highlight of the morning of the was my tandem telling of Juan and the Rice Pot with Jude, a music education major. I told the story in Filipino. Jude told it in his mother tongue, Cebuano.

It was an enjoyable session and I did learn and gather insights from the rest of the panelists.

Pinoy Zines

Bebang Siy shared, showed and told stories about self publishing and Zines, pamphlet like reading materials of a story or stories produced using a photocopying machine. In this day and age, writing and literature are taking a movement towards mass readership. Think Wattpad, Amazon self publishing platforms and yes, Zines. If librarians pay attention enough on Zines, we can bring our readers closer to resources that will inspire them to create their own stories. Sir Noel Taylo of CCP's Tanghalang Pilipino emphasized the importance of research when creating art with different peoples and communities. Ka Heber Bartolome remains to be a force to reckon with. Here is a man who has seen the rise and fall of leaders and the changing of the guards. His love for country is still very muc evident in his music.

I wish I could have stayed the rest of the day at PNU to visit old haunts, friends and the library. But, work awaited in Binan. So, there is reason for me to go back.

Fruits of IAFOR ACAH & LibrAsia 2015

IAFOR Results: A book I am a part of

Two weeks ago, I received news on the acceptance of a paper I am writing with Darrel Marco and MJ Tumamac. This good news came from the organizers of the International Academic Forum (IAFOR) in Kobe, Japan. We are thrilled, of course, but presenting in person in Kobe is giving us a lot of challenge to face. As of writing, we are still trying to figure out ways and means to participate in the IAFOR 2017.

Being in the middle of this challenge made me weigh in the advantages and disadvantages of presenting in the IAFOR ACAH this year. I am pretty much an optimist so I tend to look at the advantages weighing heavily more than the disadvantages. If there is one thing that prevents us from going, it is the cost of airfare and registration to the conference.

For now, I can only look at the happy memories I had in Nagoya, Osaka and Kyoto.

It is in the IAFOR in 2015 where I met wonderful people in the company of amazing friends in the LIS profession. Colleagues in the field of international librarianship were all praises on the paper presentations of Team Filipino Librarians. We participated in a Haiku workshop by a Haiku Master. We saw the sights, not as tourist but as travelers, and met old friends and made new ones too. It was my first foray into comparative librarianship thus, meeting and establishing linkages with Dr. Patrick Lo of Tsukuba University and his colleagues.

From the IAFOR ACAH and LibrAsia 2015 forum, we've kept in touch for a research project on different school library practices in the Asia-Pacific region. The product of the research is a book that Dr. Lo hopes to see published this quarter of 2017. If all goes to plan, he will be presenting this research and book in the International Association of School Libraries Annual Conference in Longbeach, California in August 2017.

Sometimes, we look at the money we give out for professional development activities and look for the exact or equal pay back. Food. Conference kits. Number of participants in attendance. All elements that quantify and measure success or learning give us a sense of security or stability. But learning is lifelong and the rewards often take a long time to be felt and to be seen.

Online Readings: Curiosity and Teaching with Technology

Did you ask a good question today? This idea may be the only sure way to educational reform, so "they" say. Read Curiosity Here There Everywhere

Connect. Create. Explore. Steps to global education begin with connectedness Global Connections.

Sound pedagogy, admin support and a strong IT backbone remain the awesome threesome in successfully integrating tech in instruction. Be a 21st century teacher by being a 21st century learner

Happy reading! Happy weekend!

The Flipped Classroom

Created by Knewton and Column Five Media

Goodbye Textbooks!

Courtesy of: Schools.com