From the Archives: #KwentoRP612 2016

I don't know what to write for this year's #KwentoRP612. 

I don't even know if I can participate this year, because, my plate is already pretty full. In fact, there are days when I don't know what task or work to prioritize. I feel spent and spread out thinly sometimes. 

But I believe in #KwentoRP612. I have great faith in the Filipino artist. I think artists and creatives need to continue to use the power of social media to influence and inspire others. 

For now, here's a rundown of the flash fiction and poetry I wrote for last year's #KwentoRP612.

The Little Sparrow - inspired by a real life event when Zoe and Papadoms found a bird that fell from its nest. I love birds and I see them as a good metaphor for freedom.

Papa Mia - Bullying and social adaptation hinders a child's growth and freedom to express one's self. Play can be a means to bounce back from challenges and helps children deal with difficult emotions. Play, either structured or free, eases many burdens. Play sets us free! It is also one of the ten basic rights of a child.

Midnight Monologue - is a poem about leave taking and how one's independence can be a personal responsibility.

Untitled - on exclusivity and how it enslaves and limits people.

Tay, Inom Tayo! - a father and son share a few beers to settle on a decision to leave the country for better opportunity abroad.

Not bad. 

Let's see what I can harvest this year.

#KwentoRP612 2017

Erica Gonzales has set up #KwentoRP612 over at Facebook. #KwentoRP612 is the celebration and commemoration of Philippine Independence by Filipino writers and creatives. Last year, it focused on flash fiction but, this year the social media campaign extends its reach and width to other art forms.

Below are the details of this year's #KwentoRP612:

Event: #KwentoRP612 2017

Dates: June 10-12 (Saturday 12am to Monday 12mn), 2017
Content: FB-length and Twitter-length fiction,poetry,art,and komiks (both original and fan-type), as long as they are Filipino in theme

Genre: All are accepted! (literary,romance,speculative in all stripes, parody, comedy,etc etc)
Feel free to post whatever you have here, or to hashtag so we can share it (remember to set the individual post to 'public' so we can all see).

It's that time of year again when we tell the world through good art and literature that (even with everything going on around us that we disagree with), we are proud to be Filipino. Please share the word.

*shares of material made for RP612fic is perfectly okay, btw. This place just helps to be a safe space for all, especially writers.

Update on Book Project: Bulilit Books 2017

I posted on the blog last April 2017 a slide presentation on a new book project with the Nutrition Center of the Philippines Publishing Corporation (NCPPC). Click the link to recall and view the cover pages again.

The project, dubbed by NCPPC as Project LEARN, is aimed at rewriting and revising the Bulilit Books, a series of books for children and their parents, that were published back in the late 70s and early 80s. There are more than a dozen books in the series that cover themes of good nutrition, Filipino values, arts, culture and history. For this installment, three books from the series were picked for revision, namely: Beybi Bibe; Miyawing Kuting; and Magbilang Tayo. 

Three things make this book project special.

1. The new series include books translated in Cebuano and Hilgaynon by the award winning author, MJ "Xi Zuq" Tumamac.

2. All three books went through a process of research and development, consultations and Focused Group Discussions with readers and the intended audience of the series. That is why, there are activities included in each book for teachers and parents. These activities are applicable to the classroom setting and homeschooling learning experiences.

3. The new series is a collaborative effort by the creative team of writers, illustrator and NCPPC. Working with Darrel Marco on this book project has been a delight as he lent new perspectives to the revision process.  NCPPC has been very supportive of the project too. Respecting our creative and artistic freedom and trusting our working styles for the success of the project. Tinsley Garanchon is the illustrator of this installment of the series.

As lead of the creative team, I have seen the proofs and the dummy books. Beautiful! They are off to the printer now and we hope to see the books launched in July. And personally, I hope the children we wrote it for would love the books as much as we put our love into making it.

Convo on Makerspaces 3 of 3

Here is the last installment of my convo with Micaela Ramos of Big Pond Enterprises on Makerspaces.

MR: Kung may time po ako baka pwede po ako bumisita sa library niyo ma'am para makita ko yung Makerspace niyo in action  kasi kadalasan po iniisip 3d printers agad or complicated tech pag gagawa ng makerspace sainyo po simple lang, replicable, doable  kaya po ako na-attract.

ZG: Sure pero, vacation na namin.

MR: Will you continue it po sa next school year?

ZG: Yes. Mga STEM practitioners kase ang nag start ng makerspace

MR: Totoo po.

ZG: Public Librarians adapted it in their services and programs to help promote STEM and make the library a hub for learning. School librarians adapted it also. Kase, makerspace is perfect instructional tool for K-12 learners.

MR: Bakit po siya naging perfect ma'am dahil po sa skill set na na-dedevelop? Or as a "practice-ground?" for students?

ZG: Yes. As well as independence and ownership of one's learning. It is also a form of play. We learn a lot thru play, especially for students learning STEM concepts.

MR: True po.

ZG: I also believe in contextualization (of learning).

MR: Ano po ang ibig sabihin niyo sa contextualization Ma'am?

ZG: Context ng learner.

MR: I see po.

ZG: Contextualize learning activities and experiences based on learners needs and modalities

MR: Parang ang Makerspace po ang venue para po doon? tama po ba?

ZG: Yes. It's not the Makerspace that's the bida. It's the learner.

MR: Very good point po.

ZG: So the design of the Makerspace must be contextual to the learner's exeperiences. That's how I see it. That's how I do it.

MR: Nabago po ang understanding ko sa Makerspace thanks to you Ma'am. Very good points po. Siguro po kasi masaydo po akong nakafocus sa Makerspace itself rather than the real purpose of the space. Ma'am thank you very much po for engaging in a conversation with practically a stranger. Salamat po for entertaining my questions and for your invaluable insights. I hope we could collaborate in the future! Now I have another way of looking at Makerspaces.

ZG: Small thing. Welcome!

To follow is a write up on the Makerspaces I set up in our school library.

The 2017 Philippine Children's Book Summit: Program Information

The 2017 Philippine Children's Book Summit: Storytelling Festival

Convo on Makerspace 2 of 3

Here is Part 2 of the Makerspace convo I had with Micaela Ramos of Big Pond Enterprises.

MR:I see Ma'am. Napakaganda po ng efforts po ninyo. I would like to help encourage po sana other libarians to follow your example. Kailan niyo po nalaman yung concept ng "makerspace"?

ZG: Maganda ang layon mo. I am so busy that all I can do is blog about my activities, projects and programs. 2013 ko pa nalaman (ang tungkol sa Makerspace). Actually, ang Makerspace is not a new concept. It is similar to Learning Centers Approach to teaching and learning.

MR: Wow, i-research ko po iyan.

ZG: Knowledge is not contained in one discipline. If we look at a Makerspace as a new innovation, we are constructing our way of knowing and understanding the concept of learning and experiential teaching.

MR: Tama po kayo ma'am. I am trying to understand the concept more.

ZG: You look at the principles and philosophy behind a Makerspace. Then you can be more creative in setting up Makerspaces. The hardcore practitioners of Makerspaces may not approach its planning and implementation the way I do. I am weird hahah. And sometimes, unorthodox

MR: You make perfect sense to me ma'am. It means you truly understand the basics.

ZG: Simple lang ang buhay. Besides, it's short too.

MR: I agree po!

ZG: Keep it simple and short! But look at connections and patterns.

MR: Ma'am, thank you for your invaluable insights. If ever po, will you be willing to be interviewed for our company blog or perhaps conduct a seminar?  Continue po ma'am. Im' really interested in your POV.

Part 3 will be about the contextualization of Makerspaces in libraries.

Zarah

Convo on Makerspaces 1 of 3

I am sharing this exchange of conversation I had with Micaela Ramos of Big Pond Enterprises over at Messenger. Our topic is about Library Makerspaces.

Micaela Ramos: Hi Ms. Zarah! I read your blog on the makerspace you created in your library. Naimpress po talaga ako! I'm also a librarian from UPD but now working in a publishing company. Interested po akong malaman kung kamusta na po yung makerspace niyo ngayon? mas naggrow po ba? Thank you  po for your time!

Zarah Gagatiga: Same reception. Nagdagdag ako ng DIY Zen Garden this time. Nagustuhan rin ng mga students.

MR: Wow Ma'am ang galing niyo naman po. Mas involved na po ba yung faculty sa pagbuo ng makerspace or efforts niyo lang po lahat?

ZG: I think a makerspace is more successful if it is integrated in a subject area or content. Hindi pa rin sila involved.

MR: Ano po mga efforts niyo to get them involved? resistant po ba sila or busy lang?

ZG: I think initiatives like this need deliberate planning with faculty. Yung ginawa ko kase, under student services. Yung guidance counselor namin ang mas involved. What she did was to refer students to the stress buster table so they can make the art. And everyone is welcome to do it.

MR: Ma'am paano po kayo nagpropose sa student services? kinailangan niyo pa po ba ijustify? or sarili niyo na lang initiative tapos nagwork na lang kayo with the library's budget?

ZG: I didn't propose anymore. I know the thrusts and programs of the school, both academics and students services so, I plan my programs around it.

Part 2 of this convo is about the principles and pedagogy of Makerspaces.

Librarians as Community Developers

I started a read aloud demo.

Last week, I was a witness to the important role librarians and libraries play in building community. The story begins like this.

In March 2017, DepEd Cabuyao Superintendent Jonathan Forelo Bernabe wrote a letter to the Philippine Librarians Association Inc., (PLAI) requesting for a workshop on library development. The letter reached PLAI President Mike Pinto in mid-April. Mr. Pinto, through PLAI Secretariat, got in touch with DepEd Cabuyao with a recommendation to contact Mr. Rene Manlangit, current regional representative of PLAI Southern Tagalog Region Librarians Council. These two gentlemen, once they established linkage, immediately worked together to set up a three day training workshop for teachers on school library development.

DepEd Cabuyao took charge of all logistics, operational costs, DepEd requirements and the mandate of having 91 K-12 teachers and principals present in the workshop. PLAI STRLC made sure to create and design a training workshop on school library development 101. When Mr. Manlangit got in touch with me on this endeavor, it was too difficult to turn down.

I remember what I wrote in the blog about librarians and libraries building communities of learners and readers back in 2015 :

For librarians who are helping teachers, community developers and people in Non-government organizations set up libraries, remember to begin with the knowledge of the community and their experience of libraries. We are creating learning spaces and avenues of thinking. The books and formats of information we organize must be contextualized to a philosophy and a culture. That culture and philosophy is in part found in the community to which the library belongs to.

My participation in the 3-day workshop was to conduct a four hour storytelling workshop with the participants. But, I included activities in my workshop that would help teachers look at the bigger role of libraries as community centers where learning and thinking takes place.

Sharing time: I like listening to insights of teachers.

I reflect on this experience and if I get involved in another workshop like this, I will:

a. Consider, first and foremost, the context of the K-12 teachers as builders of knowledge through by facilitating critical and creative thinking skills activities;

b. Apply differentiated activities for participants, especially for K-12 teachers as they are teaching learners from different stages of development;

c. Conduct more reading into writing activities that focus on the creation and communication of knowledge and ideas;

d. Use local knowledge and history as resources for workshop activities.

And so, I pray for good health and a kind and forgiving heart. I feel I have so much more to do for others. I know I will get by with a little help from my friends.

Storytelling Workshop at DepEd Cabuyao

My storytelling workshop with teachers and principals of DepEd Cabuyao last week was another engaging encounter. For four hours, participants listened, joined in the games, worked in groups, created story flashcard and told stories! Here are some photos of the fun we had!

During the workshop, teachers illustrated their own story flashcards.

Selfie and photobombers!

Happy teachers at work!

Teachers told stories during the workshop using story flashcards which they made earlier.

I thank the organizers of the workshop, DepEd Cabuyao and the Philippine Librarians' Association Inc., Southern Tagalog Region Librarians Council (PLAI STRLC) for putting together this training session for teachers. We hope to see their efforts and initiative grow in the near future.

The 2017 Philippine Children's Book Summit: Illustrators' Fair

#milclicks Reading List: Media Literacy and Media Education

My participation in the MIL MOOC of UNESCO and Athabasca University prompts me to read further on Media Literacy. The unit where Media Literacy is discussed has clear definitions of the concept but I feel I need to brush up on my knowledge on media education. 

I am sharing resources on media education and Media Literacy that I found online.

The Center for Media Literacy has a list of readings about Media Literacy beginning from its basic definition to curricular programs and best practices gathered from media educators and practitioners. Articles and reports, case studies and lesson plans are included in the  list as well. What I am keen on reading is the framework for teaching Media Literacy in the digital age.

Media Smarts is Canada's center for the teaching of Media Literacy. It has resources for teachers in integrating Media Literacy with Media Education. There is a section for parents where tips and strategies in raising kids in the digital age are collated and put together. It has book recommendations and reviews of websites to help parents understand media better. The section on Research is also a treasure trove of readings on media use and digital citizenship.

Lastly, the  UNESCO Media Education Kit provides teachers, parents and media practitioners with lesson plans, activities and programming strategies for the instruction of media education. The kit is a PDF and can be downloadable for free.

To become media literate, one needs to be educated about media and the technology used to make it. 

Laging Bago ang Mundo ng Libro

Teacher and School Librarian Collaboration: Search Strategies for Grade 9 (2 of 2)

Research Packets: MLA and APA Citation Guides

Understanding the teacher's unit plan or lesson plan helps me identify areas for information literacy skills integration. When I read the unit plan of my co-teacher, I had a clearer understanding of her learning objectives, target work study and research skills (for this instance IB calls it ATL - approaches to learning), the coverage of the concepts and skills to be learned, as well as the context of students. As I wrote in a previous blog post, our grade 9 students are gearing up for the Personal Project. The English unit plan tackles on skills in finding topics for PP, thus, the need to know basic search strategies (Boolean), note taking, bibliography and citations.

Using the unit plan, I wrote down the specific skills I can facilitate. I then met with the English teacher to establish connections and clarify scope of topics I would cover during the 30 minute library session. I made a lot of discoveries: tips and tricks to search sources in Google; worksheets that are appropriate for the students; additional sources for citation guides. I recalled past Information Literacy skills activities I had and there I found basic concepts on search strategies that helped me improve my plan. I reviewed the search functionality of our database subscriptions.

Wolfram Alpha Computes Knowledge for You

 Apparently, the English teacher and I were looking for ways to break apart a cognitive activity and repack it in a way that is easier to grasp and use. We both know that we are teaching thinking skills -- critical and creative thinking. And so, I sent her samples of worksheets I found online as well as suggestions in helping students understand their own process when conducting research at its initial stage. I shared with her search engines I found that show numeric data (Wolfram Alpha, well, it's not a search engine, really) and semantic map (InstaGrok). I suggested that students create a visual map of the task. Mapping one's thoughts help in visualizing thinking and seeing the process at work. I like visual maps and mind maps because both are techniques to metacognition.

In research, and in teaching Information Literacy, it is important for students to know where they are in the process, how they plan to meet goals and answer their research questions, and find ways to overcome road blocks. More importantly, they need to be assured that they have companions in their research.

On the day of the session, the grade 9s, eager beavers they are, were able to use the search strategies taught to them. They used the library OPAC, Googled for internet sources and, because they have bibliographic note cards, located information with in sources. It was a productive session, in general. After a week or so, students come to the library to complete the note taking task that the English teacher gave them. As a summative, they made a visual map or a mind map of their initial journey in researching for topics for their PP.

My new favorite search engine is InstaGrok!

I still have to get back to the English teacher as well as the PP Coordinator, because, I am interested to see how the students arrived at choosing a topic. So, yeah... more about research and IL posts in the future!

Learning From Peers: Observing Classes this Academic Year

Class observations are a regular practice in the Academy. In my six years of stay here, I have visited classrooms of my co-teachers and colleagues and have seen them teach in action. Here is a blog post from 2014 where I write about insights I gained from a Theory of Knowledge (TOK) class I observed back then. 

This academic year, I have been to three classrooms and have been invited by the Business Management (BM) teacher in a class presentation of case studies. I have seen a variety of instructional strategies that my co-teachers employ as well as responses from their students.

I enjoyed listening to students' discussion during an English class. How the teacher gave them confidence to tackle and talk about issues that affected themselves and the world in general. Ursula Le Guin has good stories and essays to bring this out from students, but it is the English teacher's trust on her students that amazed me. The material was chosen well; the instructions to read the material was given ahead of time, with pointers on literary elements for students to pay particular attention to; and students were taught how to take notes at the beginning of the term. So, at Harkness Table, the discussion was very rich. Hope for this country floats!

In Economics, students work in groups accessing and selecting sources for their commentary. This is a senior class and I was glad to see the independence of the students at work. What impressed me more was the way a group helped a classmate who appeared to be lagging behind with the required work for the period. It was like a study group where students learn from each other. All the while, the Econ teacher supervised by observing class dynamics, lending consultations when student asked for it, and managing the time with the objectives in mind.

In the BM class, the seniors presented their case studies. There were revisions to be made, especially in the investigation of the case studies. Nonetheless, students came prepared with their presentations, dressed like young professionals ready for the world.

Looking back at these experiences, I realize how teachers in the high school and senior high school levels assume the role of coaches, counselors and mentors. It is in the design of teaching and learning experiences that makes a lot of difference. They appear to be having a ball but, really, the role is not an easy one to play. Knowing their students and where to bring them to is another factor for meaningful instruction and teaching practice. Being adept at teaching one's subject matter is one thing, but understanding the context and the learning conditions of learners is another.

Lastly, I realized how important feedback can be for students starting out in the IB Program. When I sat in the class of the Design teacher, she had all her reflection question ready for the students to think through. Her class, bright eyed and ready wrote on their worksheets. The writing activity helped students assess their progress in a month long project that prepared them for more challenging tasks in the coming year. Their reflections were helpful in facilitating feedback where the teacher assumed the role of a mentor guiding them through the entire process. Indeed, the students came out of the class with choices and possibilities to mull over on future academic endeavors.

Such observations and insights provide me with information I can use to improve the design of the library's programs and services. My co-teachers are designing learning environments with the students at the forefront of their instructional design. This approach has a lot to tell me about the behavior and attitude of teachers and students towards the use of information and media. Definitely, like our students learning from each other, teachers are also learning from peers.

Book Spine Poetry Festival: The Best of 2017

Announcing the best Book Spine Poems of 2017!

Book Spine Poetry Best of 2017 from Zarah Gagatiga

#milclicks of the Week: Think Before You Click

This is a photo of our library bulletin board for nearly two academic school years.

We decided to have it up way before my involvement with the national round table discussion on Media and Information Literacy. At the time me and my staff were thinking of what to display on our bulletin board, I was already concerned with the online behavior of kids, mine and my students, in social media. With the national elections closing in last May 2016, we didn't bother changing it at all.

While there are more ways to create an impact in the promotion, campaign and teaching of Media and Information Literacy, information service through announcements, infographics, fliers and brochures aid in awareness building. A variation of this bulletin board can be done through a checklist or graphic organizer. The material changes from a public service announcement to a teaching aid that prompts reflection and evaluation of content that is available in social media.

It may simply look like this:



If you think the bulletin board display and the worksheet is useful, drop a comment. Let me know what you think!

Call for Papers: The Rizal Library International Conference 2017

Fifty years ago, when the Rizal Library first opened, students were required to remain completely silent inside the premises, research was done by searching typewritten 3x5 cards and print indexes, and there were no computers on campus.

Fifty years later, the Rizal Library allows students to hold group discussions in designated areas, research can be done using print and electronic resources, and assignments can be written and printed on PCs and Macs.

The Rizal Library—along with other libraries in the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and the rest of the world—has changed with the times during the past five decades but its mission remains the same: to
facilitate learning.

This year, the Rizal Library International Conference, with “Click!” as its theme, aims to cultivate discourses on librarians' roles in expanding their network within the larger community, through culture and society, and in the field of communication and technology.

CALL FOR PAPERS

On its 50th anniversary, the Rizal Library invites librarians, professors, and enthusiasts to submit papers that explore the enrichment of library management and experience in Southeast Asia and
the rest of the world.

Suggested topics include:

Community: institutional collaborations, library partnerships,
librarian empowerment and capacity building, knowledge development

Culture and History: Southeast Asian studies and libraries, evolution
of cultures in literary texts, reading customs and practices

Communication and Technology: social media, source preservation,
accessibility, big data, data mining

Proposals should include the following:

Author/s
Title
Topic (choose from those enumerated above)
Paper abstract (maximum of 250 words)
Curriculum vitae with photo (indicate achievements and/or publications
within the last 5 years)

Please email proposals to rl.internationalconference@gmail.com  by 15 May 2017.

Please see the call for papers below and/or the website: http://rizal.library.ateneo.edu/7rlic/public/.

Important dates

15 May 2017 - Submission of paper proposals
15 June 2017 - Notification of accepted proposals
1 September 2017 - Submission of full paper
30 September 2017 - Deadline for early bird registration
16-18 November 2017 - Conference proper

For more information you may contact the following

Engracia S. Santos
Conference Chair
Ateneo de Manila University
 +[632] 4266001 ext. 5559/5564
 esantos@ateneo.edu

Rosalyn Santos
Conference Co-Chair
Ateneo de Manila University
 +[632] 4266001 ext. 5559/5564
 rsantos1@ateneo.edu

Kareen Banal
Head, Promotions Committee
Ateneo de Manila University
 +[632] 4266001 ext. 5554
 kbanal@ateneo.edu

#ReadingWithoutWalls (2 of 2)

Last week at school, I sent the Dean of Student Services and our Guidance Counselors an email requesting for their support in our Summer Reading Program.

One of my favorite authors, Richard Peck, once said that we (readers) can find ourselves in the pages of a book. Reading, like writing, may appear to be a solitary experience but, it is actually a shared encounter between the reader, the text and those who created the book. I believe that the book is a safe place where, apart from discovering ourselves in it, we as readers can open up to different worldviews of others. In many instances, it leads us to spaces where we can think, ask questions and seek the truth.

I wish to share this belief, which has become an advocacy, first to our students and hopefully to anyone willing to open a book and discover that it is one of the safest place to be one's self and encounter adventures, challenges and risks in life. Thus, our theme for this summer's reading program is #readingwithoutwalls. 

Comfort Zone by Gene Luen Yang and a display of books promoting inclusivity, diversity and empathy

We are recommending books about inclusivity, diversity and empathy. We can also work together in identifying books that meet the academic and developmental needs of our Griffins. Kindly help us spread the word.

After setting up a spread of books for recommendation and putting up our library bulletin board campaigning for #readingwithoutwalls, the email was the next step in the process. By next week, I will be making an announcement during the school Assembly on the Summer Reading Program for 2017.

Reading Programs are best implemented with the help of the community. Remember, it takes a village to raise a child.