World Read Aloud Day 2015

World Read Aloud Day 2015

The Writing Process by Jonathan the Blogger

Extended Essay Journey: The Research Question and the Annotated Bibliography

Citation Concepts for High School Students

Posting some slides from a PPT I use to teach citation to my high school students. I have used this presentation last year, in August, when we opened school. This term, I will be doing a research lesson with grade 10 students. I will use these slides as springboard. Apart from these, I will also use a graphic novel to teach research concepts.

Poetry Reading: Awit ng Pag-ibig XX

We started school today with poetry reading of selected poems by Pablo Neruda translated in English, Filipino and Mandarin. Here is a video of me with one of our English teachers, Mr. Lui Morano, reading aloud the poem Tonight I Can Write.

Ronnie del Carmen and the Risk of Making Mistakes

Last Tuesday, I was fortunate to be invited to listen to Ronnie del Carmen. He is an animator and film director at Pixar Animation Studios. If you visit his Twitter account, he has a very cool description of what he does and what he is. He is a Quantum Temporal Continuity Engineer. Simply put, he is a storyteller.

For forty five minutes, he talked about his history as a creative and the back stories of the works he has done in the Pixar and Disney studios. It sounds like ordinary stuff, something that can easily be accessed, but what made his presentation meaningful was his talking points about the creative process. Here are snippets or "sound bites" I got from his talk:

* You felt it. You experienced it. That is storytelling.
* You need to hear from your storytelling brothers and sisters to know what is working and what is not.
* Creativity thrives in exploration.
* Prepare to be wrong.
* Storytelling and creativity are valued in any industry.

By the time he was at the Q and A part, I was already welling with pride to be a part of the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY), because, our current effort in promoting quality children's literature and young adult literature has been very creative. The attempt to try out new things and innovate began with the National Children's Book Awards of 2010. It is not perfect. It presents many challenges. But the process of instituting this new mechanism of raising the bar in children's book publishing in the country involves collaboration (particularly with the NBDB), a lot of mistakes and a tremendous courage to take risks. As far as my experience goes, limited as it is, we have kept our ears on the ground. True creativity begins when one listens, empathizing with people who are at the battle field.

I look inward.

There is nothing else to do but to go back to the origin of things.

My what if: research plays a big role in the creative process. Introduce and present research writing as a way of telling a story. After all, what is personal touches on the universal.

The Little Reader

Maligayang araw ng mga puso! Ang biyaya ng pagbabasa ay dulot ng pagmamahal!

Here is a short film by Inshallah Montero about a boy, a street kid, who was taught how to read by his mother. The Little Reader, the film's title, is one of the ten finalists in the Tropfest SEA in Malaysia. The Tropfest is a film festival of short films that showcase entries from film creators all over the world. Web link - http://tropfest.com/sea/

Inshallah's film is still in the running for Audience Choice Award. Voting ends on Feb 16.  Watch the film here - https://www.viddsee.com/video/the-little-reader/ilbqs

I am doing this for her mother, Maricel Montero, a cultural worker, literacy advocate and a good friend of mine.

Enjoy the film!

Books on Love: 50 Shades of Grey

On the eve of Valentine's Day, I think about love, of course, and the romance books I have read over the past couple of years. I have an initial list to post in the blog and it is quite a long one. I will save it all for tomorrow, but for now, here are some thoughts I have on 50 Shades of Grey by EL James, a very controversial book, that has a movie adaptation. Apparently, the movie is opening in cinemas today in Manila.

Critics heavily bashed the book as a poorly written piece. When we hear or come across such reviews, we immediately think of the effective use of grammar and language by the author. This is true since grammar, when used properly moves the reader to a better understanding of the story or the literature being read. In the grammar and langauge department, 50 Shades of Grey fall short of many a critics standards. But grammar mistakes and lapses abound in many novels. Grammarly has created an infographic that illustrates this argument.



At the end of the infographic, readers are asked to give 50 Shades of Grey a break. In this case, I will give it a break too for the reason that the book was written as an online fanfiction. In that realm, stories do not go through an editing and revision process. If readers like it, then commercial demand for it to be printed out as a book surfaces. A publishing house who is out there to cash in some earnings will capitalize on this demand. Fanfiction and the writing of online stories have changed the book publishing game.

And, there is the sex. It sells.

Now for my own humble opinion on the book. Is it poorly written? My answer is yes. The characters are underdeveloped; the plot is disjointed; the concept of love is misconstrued; there is no sound exploration of the psychological bases of one's desire for power manifested in sex and lust. There is a better way of using the Cinderella archetype as well as the naive-ingenue falling for the experienced rich and handsome guy trope.

What do I recommend as a well written romance and contemporary romance-erotic novel then? Visit the blog tomorrow for my list! For now, go back to the infographic and review, relearn and rethink a thing or two on correct use of grammar. That's what I will doing too.

On Blogging and Getting Income From It

I am sharing another email convo between myself, Tarie Sabido and Neni Sta. Romana Cruz on blogging. The context of the conversation came from Ms. Neni's Author Visit in a school where a middle grades student asked her these questions: How does one start blogging? How does one get income from blogging?

My replies:

How does one start from blogging?

There are easy to learn blogging web apps, no fees to pay, like Blogger and Wordpress. I learned by doing :). With new stuff cropping up online every now and then, I am still learning. Along the way, I met a group of Pinoy bloggers: Dean and Nikki Alfar; Von Totanes; Connie Veneracion who became my "role models". But what makes blogging fulfilling for me is the articulation of my purpose and goal. It gives me direction as well, on thinking, of themes and concepts to blog about. From there, I can organize and set my content for writing blog entries for a week or a month.

How does one earn from blogging?

Yes. There is such a thing as problogging, professional+blogging. I know some bloggers who attended workshops before they plunged into the money/entrepreneurial aspect of blogging. I also know many writers, PR officers, communication arts people, academicians, even librarians  who sideline as probloggers. But they know better to understand the rules of the game before going professional. Probloggers need to monitor their blog traffic regularly.

When I did freelance work for two years, I earn through blogging via adds and link exchanges. Nothing big. Just enough to pay my internet subscription at the time. I stopped when I was offered full time work. I think I earn from blogging but not through monetary gain. I get invited to library workshops and literacy talks by different organizations and they say they "discovered" me online.

I think blogging credibility and integrity is built over time. Maybe that student can be successful in her age group or demographic. My kids subscribe to blogs of online celebrities and you tube sensations. I do not know who these people are but my horizon expands when my kids tell me about them: a young Swedish you tube comedian specializing in black comedy and satire; Mikey Bustos' Pinoy tutorials; musicians from Korea... Ang dami!

I suppose blogs, and other online media are things we need to take a closer look at since our kids are engaged in them. Their thinking are also shaped in this environment. It is a good thing that, that student asked a question from a responsible adult. I respect my kids' and students' online experiences but I also want to be part of that world.

Share Your Love of Books

Visit the website, Book Giving Day and you will find wonderful bookmarks. What activities have you planned for International Book Giving Day? My library is giving away boxes and boxes of books to our adopted public school in the locality.

How to Promote Reading in Scenarios with No Books

The title of the blog entry came from a query by Neni Sta. Romana Cruz. I few months back, as she was preparing for a teacher training workshop, she sent an email to all her contacts who are involved in literacy education. As I am one of the recipients of the email, I replied to her several times to answer the question and give some tips. A few weeks after, I found my  name in an (How To Love To Read Without Books ) article written by her in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. She wrote about her experience of facilitating the workshop among public school teachers in Marikina. It was an inspiring piece.

I am posting in the blog the specific points and tips I sent her in the hope that many more teachers and librarians find encouragement in designing environments that promote literacy.

Maybe you can start with speaking and listening activities, then transition to writing and reading activities. I do this a lot in my storytelling workshops: Ask participants about local stories of and about their province or city. I have always wondered why there is no Alamat ng Sapatos from Marikina :) Stories of local heroes, origins of places, urban legends, ghost stories, disaster stories (like floods, and the Marikina fault line) are story prompts. Have them think about these stories for 10 mins. I use background music while they think and recall stories. Then, each member of the group will simply tell the story from memory while the rest listen. No judgment on grammar or language rules. The objective is simply to recall a story, tell it and listen to others tell theirs.

A wonderful thing happens when some participants would write down their story of choice and read from their "codigo". 

I would then ask participants to write their stories. For those who wrote their stories ahead of the others, they edit and polish. Later in the workshop, they go back to the written stories, work in pairs to make books or story flashcards. Of course, the final presentation is reading aloud and storytelling :) At the end of the session, they have instructional materials produced for classroom use. 

 Here are not really foolish things you may consider putting in your workshop:

-have participants look around the workshop venue and list words that begin with letter A or any particular letter of the alphabet. 

- arrange the words in alphabetical order / put on an Alphabet Wall 

-or put the words together in dictionary/pictionary format

- if there are no books, then newspapers or old magazines perhaps are available? 

- cut out words and pictures and create mini-booklets with themes like: Mga Gamit sa Paaralan / Ang Aming Bahay / Mga Alagang Hayop / Mga Paboriti Kong Pagkain

-what about reading from mobile phones? Have a session simply on reading text messages and the contexts of these messages passed on to another. 

I think, with little books or none at all, the opportunity to create them so that reading can happen presents itself.

Extended Essay Journey: Progress Chart

Since the start of the Extended Essay Journey two weeks ago, I have set up a tracking mechanism for students. Our initial conversations about the topics they wish to investigate on had been purposeful and interesting. For one, many of the juniors see the EE as a ticket to college. A good and well written EE is proof that the student is ready for academic writing and in scholarly work, in general.  To some, the EE is a requirement to graduate from high school. Either way, the students writing the EE must have a purpose in doing it and that his or her perspective of it is clear. Writing a research paper is not an easy task, especially for students who are being introduced into the experience for the first time.

The EE Progress Chart is meant to help me, as EE Coordinator, guide the students through the process of choosing a topic, crafting a research question, preliminary research, outlining a structure for writing and initial writing of the Introduction and the Methodology. The chart is also a means to remind students where they are in the process. I keep reminding myself that the whole exercise demands competence, stamina and skill from students. A lot of thinking is put into this first stage of the process. Some students do well. Some falter.

In times when students express a difficulty at this stage, I look at the learning support structures in place in school. I recognize the individuality of each student; that there is no one way of learning; that there are varied ways to solve problems; and that, as a teacher of research, I too have my own limitations. In times like this, collaboration is essential.

KUTING Induction of New Members

Don't we all look solemn in the photo?

I had the honor of inducting seven KUTINGs last Saturday, January 31, 2015 at the residence of the organization's current President, Dang Bagas. I have had the pleasure of "mentoring" them by conducting a talk and workshop on Young Adult Literature and Reading Choices of Teens last November 2013. In 2014, I was one of the four readers in the workshop.

I couldn't help but recall my own journey in the probationary membership process. How I wanted to write! A lot of things have happened to me since my membership in KUTING began in 2004. All I can say is this, that I have found true friends, writing companions and champions of Philippine Children's Literature in just a decade.

Cheers to children's books! To writing! To coffee and to more meaningful years of advocating Philippine Children's Literature!

Call for Entries for the 2015 PBBY-Alcala Prize

The Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) is now accepting entries for the 2015 PBBY-Alcala Prize.

The winner shall be given a cash prize of P25,000.00, a gold medal, and an opportunity to be published. Prizes will be awarded in an appropriate ceremony to be held during the celebration of National Children’s Book Day on July 21, 2015.

Contest Rules:

The contest is open to all Filipino citizens except those who are related to any PBBY member up to the third degree of consanguinity.

Entries must be based on the 2015 PBBY-Salanga Prize honorable mention winning story, The Missing Blanket by Cheeno Marlo Sayuno.

Copies of these stories may be requested from the PBBY Secretariat or downloaded from the PBBY website (www.pbby.org.ph). All entries must be original unpublished illustrations that have not won in any previous contest. All entries must consist of three (3) illustrations that are of the same size and medium. Entries do not have to be based on consecutive spreads/parts of the text. A contestant may send in more than one (1) entry.

Each entry must be signed by a pen name only, preferably on a small piece of paper pasted on the back of each artwork.  Entries with a signature or any identifying marks are automatically disqualified. Together with each entry, contestants must submit a separate envelope, on the face of which only the pen name of the contestant shall appear.  The envelope must contain the contestant’s full name, address, contact numbers, short description of background, and notarized certification vouching for the originality of the entry and for the freedom of the organizers from any liability arising from the infringement of copyright in case of publication.

All entries must be sent to the PBBY Secretariat, c/o Adarna House, 109 Scout Fernandez cor. Scout Torillo Sts., Quezon City by April 10, 2015.

Winners will be announced no later than May 12, 2015.  Non-winning entries must be claimed no later than June 13, 2014, after which they will no longer be the responsibility of the organizers.

For more details, interested parties may contact PBBY by calling 3526765 local 203 or emailing  HYPERLINK "mailto:pbby@adarna.com.ph" pbby@adarna.com.ph.

UPLB Instructor wins Honorable Mention at 2015 Salanga

The Philippine Board on Books for Young People declared Cheeno Marlo Del Mundo Sayuno  as the lone honorable mention winner of the 2015 PBBY-Salanga.  No one was declared as grand prize winner for the PBBY-Salanga this year. Sayuno’s winning story is entitled, “The Missing Blanket.”

Sayuno is an instructor at the University of the Philippines Los Banos where he is also taking masteral studies in Communication Arts. He has a mass communications degree from Cavite State University where he also became editor-in-chief of The Gazette.

Sayuno will be awarded during the celebration of National Children’s Book Day in July 2015.

For inquiries about the contest, contact the PBBY Secretariat at telephone number 352-6765 loc. 203 or e-mail pbby@adarna.com.ph.

Extended Essay Journey: Choosing a Topic

Research Season Begins

Last Monday, our school had breakout sessions that focused on research, in general. The grade 9s had a scavenger game at the library. The grade 10s talked with their supervisors on the current progress of their Personal Projects. The grade 11s kicked off their Extended Essay journey and the grade 12s had focused group discussions on the different research and outreach projects they have done so far.

As librarian, my participation involved the preparation of activities for the scavenger hunt. I also explained to this year's grade 9s the mechanics of the game. We did this last year and it had been a success. A good number of the grade 10s this year are more aware of the use of the library OPAC. I often tell myself that if students access library resources through an OPAC until they reach college and later on life as they progress in their academic careers, then I have done my job.

On to the next one.

As Extended Essay Coordinator, I met the grade 11s to facilitate the brainstorming session on their choice of topic for their Extended Essay. We are ending one cohort's journey on the Extended Essay as this new batch begins theirs.

Filipino Librarian of the Month: Willian San Andres Frias

Willian San Andres Frias is in her 20th year of being a librarian. She finished her bachelor’s (1992) and master’s (2002) degrees in Library Science in UP Institute of Library Science, now School of Library and Information Studies. She has worked in several positions in De La Salle University Libraries, namely: periodicals librarian, collection development librarian, technical services coordinator, public programs librarian, assistant director for support services, and currently, head of DLSU’s Law Library. Her strength as a librarian lies in collection management, particularly collection assessment. She has produced close to 30 assessment studies that were instrumental in developing collection development programs of different academic libraries. She has also been invited as resource speaker by PAARL, PLAI-STLRC, PNULISAA, SMEC, and the like. She is now focused in honing her skills in law librarianship and sharing her advocacy, which is sharing collection management skills with fellow librarians.

What's your lib story? Describe how you made the choice of majoring in LIS and what was college life like for you as a LIS major. You can cite challenging stories and success stories while studying the course.

Being a librarian was never an option for me when I was young. In fact, I spent most of my idle time in high school sleeping inside the library instead of doing research and observing how librarians provide service to their students. That's why I got used to the "why's" of my former classmates when I tell them I am a librarian.

I started college in Leyte (Visayas State College of Agriculture, now Visayas State University) taking up Bachelor of Science in Experimental Statistics. But due to health reasons, I was forced to go home to Muntilupa and transferred to UP Diliman, where I was offered three possible courses, Public Administration, Mass Communication and Library Science. A typical promdi that I was, I chose the course which did not entail facing people that much – which is library science.  I planned to shift back to Statistics after a year, which did not happen, because I fell in love with my teachers who treated their students like their own children, my classmates who became life-long friends and my course, which promised a lot of possibilities during that time .  The passing of RA 6966 made my final decision to finish the course and become a librarian.

In college I was just a typical UP student. I joined rallies (anti-US bases was very active then), watched frat wars, engaged in organizational activities, and the like. I was helpful in UPLISSA activities especially in fund-raising activities like selling flowers on Valentines' Day and playing Bingo before Christmas Party. I was not able to join most of the students' activities because I had to go home to Muntinlupa every single day of my student life. Maybe that was why I often used the maximum number of absences per class and was always ready to miss the final exams if my tentative grade would at least be 2.5 - I believed it was enough for me to pass for I do not know what to make use of the rest -aanhin ko pa ang sobra? (This is a self-philosophy which is well-kept from my children). It was also the reason why I was already on my last semester in UP when I enjoyed being a college scholar.

I was a summer graduate of 1992, a semester late in taking the first librarian licensure examination.  Thus, I worked without having a license at first. It only took a referral letter from Dr. Ursula Picache for me to be accepted in De La Salle University as an assistant librarian.  Whatever Dr. Picache wrote in her referral letter must have impressed Ms. Perla Garcia, then the DLSU Library Director, to accept me, even without experience, with not-so-outstanding grades, and dressed with the typical tattered jeans during the interview.

Because I know I have to redeem myself, for Dr. Picache and for the rest of the faculty and staff in ILS, I tried my very best to be a good librarian.

Photo source: P Rex M. Molina

What has been the greatest challenge you've faced so far as a licensed and working librarian? Why do you say it's a challenge? 

I could say that my road to professional career had been smooth. I successfully passed LLE without enrolling for a review class, while master’s degree was handed to me like a silver platter via DLSU’s nomination for a fellowship grant from DOST.

Being an information professional for 20 years, I have been through many challenges – job rotation, being an administrator, program/project/committee headship, etc. But I think it is only now that I am facing the greatest challenge in my career: the shift from being a traditional service-oriented information specialist to a full-fledge research professional.  As DLSU shifts to being a research university, we, DLSU librarians, have to go with the flow – and thread our way towards scholarship by conducting and writing researches.

This is a challenge because we do not just do research overnight. Research is a skill that we hone as days pass by. Added to it, we, librarians, are paid to primarily to do library service and not to conduct researches. Meaning, we have to perform our librarian duties first, and do research after office hours.

What is your area of expertise in LIS? 

I spent about 8 years of my professional career as a collection development librarian. I started as such even when college classes for collection development were still called “Selection and Acquisition”. In fact, I could claim that I am the first full time collection development librarian in the country.  I would say that my expertise (I got goosebumps using the word expertise) is a part of my work as collection development librarian – Collection Assessment.

I love conducting collection assessment. In fact, I have accepted some consultancy and outreach work (with my superior’s blessings, of course) on assessing collection.  Through it, I get to know the collection strengths of the libraries, assess, and gauge their capabilities in providing for the information needs of its clients. Through collection assessment, I get the chance to recommend various strategies in strengthening weak collections, and maintaining the strength of those already strong. And because it involves working with quantitative and qualitative data, collection assessment gives me a chance to get closer to my first love, which is statistics.  

What do you think are the requirements and preparations necessary for becoming a LIS professional? 

Aside from innate service-oriented quality and knowledge in LIS, additional/advanced knowledge in IT should give an LIS professional an edge.  Reading is also a basic requirement, because reading broadens knowledge on the field, and prepares one to tackle what lies ahead.  An LIS professional should also be flexible and willing to reinvent professional self, for there are so many possibilities the profession can offer. Lastly, in the midst of ASEAN integration, an LIS professional should be research-oriented.

What rewards have you reaped from being a LIS professional?

I reap rewards everyday as an LIS professional. The “thank you” of every client, commendations from faculty members, and even just the nod of appreciation of DLSU administrators are the rewards I reap everyday.  

But the more tangible rewards that I reaped were the (1) nomination for fellowship grant which led to earning my master’s degree in 2002, (2) written commendation letters from big bosses which I usually receive once a year; (3) research incentives that I usually receive once a year; (4) attendance to conferences and trainings; and recently, (6) my nomination and election to PAARL office (I am the 2015 PAARL Secretary-elect). I know my good performance as an LIS professional made it possible for me to reap such rewards.

January 30 is National Day of Mourning

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_man_table

 

 

FALLEN SOLDIER TABLE

by Jon M. Nelson

The rose stands for the family with faith and love for those who serve,
They're held with the highest respect for that's what they deserve.

A yellow ribbon is for the loyalty waiting for those serving abroad,
As we pray that they're watched over and kept close to God.

An inverted glass represents that the fallen can no longer toast,
They cannot be an honored guest or such a gracious host.

A lemon wedge represents the bitter loss of the fallen soldier's life,
That causes so much pain like the sharp edge of a knife.

The salt is put in place for all the loved ones' shedding tears,
For the soldier is no longer present to help calm our fears.

The candle stands tall for the blood that the soldier shed,
It holds a place of honor and represented in red.

The empty chair symbolizes the missing comrade who isn't here,
Now it stands alone for the voice that we can't hear.

What the Pope Has Shown Me

Back in October 2014, during the Rizal Library's 6th International Conference, Fr. Ben Nebres SJ in his closing keynote challenged the participants of the conference with questions on what libraries can show the world and how librarians are capable of showing it to readers and clients. As I remember it, he talked about technology and our use of a language that is foreign to our context and culture that the purpose and the message for which we create and communicate information becomes unclear. And because he is a Jesuit, he connected this premise to the Papal visit and the current relief operations in Tacloban. It makes a lot of sense but it is difficult to understand everything in one sitting. Just like your typical Jesuit, he left and bestowed points for reflection.

My take away from his closing keynote was, as a librarian, I hold a responsibility to show my community the real and the ideal; that it is my role to help them think through, with care and creativity, which information is worth keeping and worth thrashing away. Isn't this the crux of Information Literacy?

When the Pope spoke about information overload, I connected the dots. Two Jesuits have shown me the way towards my mission as a librarian.

On a personal level, the Pope's visit gave me so much to be grateful for. Once again, I am reminded how important one's personal relationship is with God; that the God we meet in prayer and in the routines of every day is a god who knows how it is to be human. Despite the anit-Pope articles that circulated in social media right after he boarded the plane for Rome, I keep my reverence and respect for Pope Francis because, as I have experienced God in my life, I saw how the Pope would meet his parishioners where they are at. Dissing the prepared speech; being silent and offering one's mere presence; reassuring that Jesus is constant companion in life; embracing the mystery of suffering; falling into vulnerability on questions we could not answer.

So human, yet divine. This is the God I know. This is the God who surprises me.