What to look forward to for this Batang Pera Henyo Roadshow?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ja ne, till the next Special Education Philippines‘ post.

If you find this post useful and worth sharing, you can find the social media buttons on the left side of the post to help you share it. Happy sharing!

This graduation speech was delivered by a La Sallian engineer in one of the graduation ceremonies at the UP College of Engineering.

“Ngayong araw na ito, sa ating pagtatapos, mayroon akong dalang Transcript of Record. Ang estudyanteng may-ari ng transcript na ito ay nag-aral sa De La Salle University. Sa unibersidad na ito, kapag ikaw ay isang undergraduate, may ID number ka na nagsisimula sa “94”at pataas, kung lumipas ang isang buong school year at umabot ka sa 15 units na bagsak, masisipa ka sa paaralan.

Ang transcript na hawak ko ay mayroong 27 units ng bagsak. 12 sa mga ito ay tinamo ng estudyante sa iisang schoolyear lang. Ang isang subject ay kadalasang may bigat na 3 units. Kung iisiping mabuti, isang subject na bagsak na lang ay pwede na masipa ang estudyanteng may-ari ng transcript na ito.

Ang speech na ito ay hindi ko ginawa para i-acknowledge ang paghihirap ng ating mga magulang sa pagpapaaral satin. Hindi ko din ito ginawa para maghayag ng political statement,o kumbinsihin kayo na huwag umalis sa bansa at tulungan itong makaahon. Ang speech na ito ay para sa mga normal na estudyante na kagaya ng may may-ari ng transcript na hawak ko, dahil madalas, wala talagang pakialam ang unibersidad sa mga achievements nila. May mga awards na gaya ng “Summa Cum Laude”, “Best Thesis Award” at “Leadership Award.” Pero ni minsan, hindi pa ako nakakakita ng unibersidad na nagbigay ng “Hang-on and managed to graduate despite nearly getting kicked-out during his academic stay” award.

Maaaring isang malaking kagaguhan ang konseptong ito para sa karamihan. Bakit mo pararangalan ang isang estudyanteng bulakbol, bobo, tamad o iresponsable? Hindi ba dapat isuka ito ng unibersidad? Ito yung mga tipo ng estudyanteng walang ia-asenso sa buhay, hindi ba?

Ayun. Natumbok niyo. Iyun na nga ang dahilan. Madalas, pag ang isang estudyante ay may pangit na marka sa paaralan, lalong lalo na sa kolehiyo, nakakapanghina ito ng loob. Nandiyan yung tatamarin ka mag-aral, nandyan yung iisipin mo “Ano pa kayang trabaho ang makukuha ko? Call center na naman o clerical? Ba’t kasi ang bobo ko. Kung matalino lang ako, sana, sa Proctor and Gamble ako, o kung saang sikat na kumpanya.”

Mas mahirap ang dinadaanan ng mga estudyanteng bumabagsak. Kahit na sabihin mong kasalanan nilang bumabagsak sila, hindi ninyo alam kung ano ang pakiramdam ng ganun. Madaling sabihin na “Kaya mo yan, mag-aral ka lang,” pero alam ba natin talaga ang sinasabi natin?

Kapag ang isang estudyante ay bumabagsak sa unibersidad, nandiyan yung tatawanan niya lang yan. O di kaya naman, ipagmamalaki niya pang “TAKE 5 NA KO!!!” o “Pare, magpi-PhD na ako sa Anmath3/ Calculus/etc.” Pero hindi alam ng mga isang Summa Cum Laude kung ano ang nasa isip ng isang normal na estudyante sa tuwing matutulog ito at alam niyang pag-gising niya, kailangan niya na namang ulitin ang isang subject na nakuha niya na sa susunod na term.

Kaya ngayong graduation, ang speech na ito ay inaaalay ko parasa mga estudyanteng lumagpak, muntik-muntikan nang masipa o yung sa lahat ng paraang pwede,ginawa na para lang makatapos. Gagawin kong patas ang mundo para sa inyo kahit isang araw lang. Kahit ano pa ang sabihin ng ibang tao, kesyo kasalanan mo man na pangit ang marka mo o muntik ka nang makick-out, saludo ako sa hindi mo pagtigil sa pag-aaral. Saludo ako na may lakas ka ng loob na harapin pa rinang mundo kahit alam mong hindi ito magiging patas sa iyo. Saludo ako na kahit pangit ang transcript mo, taas noo ka pa rin ngayong graduation at proud na proud sa sarili mo.

Ano ngayon ang mangyayari sa mga graduates pagkatapos nitong graduation? Ayoko nang puntahan yung pwedeng mangyayari sa mga Cum Laude. Baduy. Alam mo namang may patutunguhan ang buhay nila e. Pero dun sa mga lumagpak, ano ang meron?

Maaring makakuha kayo ng mediocre na trabaho lang. Pwede ka rin swertehin, baka makapagtrabaho ka sa magandang kumpanya. Madami pang pwedeng mangyari. Huwag kayong mawalan ng pag-asa. Kung nung college, nagtiyaga kayo e ba’t titigilan niyo yung pagti-tiyaga ngayon?

Pwede ring ganito: Mag-aral ka ulit. Ipakita mo sa kanila na kung sisipagin ka lang, malayo ang mararating mo. Subukan mong patunayan sa kanila na kapag pinilit mo, kaya mo ring abutin yung naabot nila. Na hindi ka bobo, kundi tinamad ka lang.

Baka sabihin ninyo, drowing lang ako.

I’ve been on both sides. Naranasan ko na ring lumagpak, at muntikan na din akong masipa. Naranasan ko na ang umulit ng 4 na beses sa iisang subject. Naranasan ko na ang masumbatan ng magulang, kapatid at kung sino-sino pang propesor na walang pakialam sa pakiramdam ng estuyante.

Naranasan ko nang hindi makatulog ng maraming gabi sa pagiisip kung paano ko na naman sasabihin sa magulang ko na maybagsak na naman ako. Kaya alamko ang pakiramdam ninyo.

Akin ang transcript na ito.

Pagkagraduate ko ng college, ano ang ginawa ko? Eto. Nagtrabaho muna ng konti, taposaral ulit. Kuha ng Masteral sa kurso ko. Hindi para sa trabaho o kung ano man. Kundi para patunayan sa sarili ko na noong mga panahong bumabagsak ako, tinatamad lang ako.

This is a rebellion. I raise my middle finger to every professor, over-achiever, naysayer and detractor THAT TOLD ME THAT I CAN’T MAKE IT. I raise my middle finger to every valedictory or graduation speech that only gratifies the university, those who were achievers in school or those who gratify the country when it’s supposed to be the graduate’s moment of glory. You are supposed to acknowledge EVERYONE. Even those who failed many times.
Kaya sa inyong mga graduates na medyo hindi maganda ang marka, para sa inyo ito. Kung kinaya ko ito, kaya niyo rin to. Imposibleng hindi.”

Ja ne, till the next Special Education Philippines‘ post.

If you find this post useful and worth sharing, you can find the social media buttons on the left side of the post to help you share it. Happy sharing!

Talking to DLSAA President, Mr. Johnny during the press conference for this entrepreneurial seminar, he said that DLSAA wish to extend its hand not only to its senior members but also to the younger ones especially those who will be graduating soon. As such they have identified one of their needs which is career enrichment.

And enriched it truly is! DLSAA has invited two very aspiring businessmen to share their humble beginnings and how they finally made it big in business. Listening to these Filipino entrepreneurs is so empowering it makes you feel like you can do it yourself. So to share their message to the DLSU students and the attendees of the entrepreneurship expo, let’s give a round of applause to Mekenis’ Pruds Garcia and Chatime and French Baker’s Johnlu Koa.

How Mekeni came to be?

Mr. Pruds Garcia is one of the five sons of Felix “Tatang” Garcia who is the founder of Mekeni. The Garcia family lives at Porac Pampanga. After the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, Tatang wrote a heartfelt letter to his sons urging them to go home and leave their work abroad to help their fellow Kapampangans. The brothers agreed and started building the Mekeni.

Now, exploring The Mind Museum can go further. This summer, you’re kids can experience a different kind of fun by enrolling in three different 2013 summer programs of The Mind Museum.

Tell me more about The Mind Museum 2013 Summer Programs…

1. CSI 101 is open to ages 14 to 17 years old. The TMM staff will only provide guidance for each activity. CSI 101 participants will be grouped into teams and will conduct the scientific investigations on their own.  The activities will consist of laboratory training, crime scene investigation, and evidence analysis. The participants will also be trained in safety in the laboratory.

2. Survival Science is open to ages 14 to 17 years old. The TMM staff will only provide guidance for each activity. Survival Science participants will be encouraged to independently apply the knowledge and skills learned in the program.

IMPORTANT: For CSI 101 and Survival Science, it has to be noted that although the Mind Museum encourages learning for all ages, the activities for both programs have been designed specifically for students in high school or approaching college. Thus, applicants must be of the appropriate age on the start date of the program.

3. The Junior Mind Mover Program is open to kids ages 10 to 17 years old. It will consist of a series of exercises and workshops that are designed to help familiarize the JMMs with the Mind Mover’s responsibilities: specifically, explaining science in a simple yet creative way during spiels and performing experiments, as well as interacting and adjusting to different audiences. It is basically learning how to make learning.

How do I enroll my child to the The Mind Museum 2013 Summer Programs?

To enroll your child to any of The Mind Museum 2013 Summer Programs, you only need to follow these simple steps:

1. Send an email to inquiry@themindmuseum.org with the following details:

a. Subject of email: (Name of the The Mind Museum 2013 Summer Program you wish to enroll your child e.g.  CSI 101, Survival Science or Junior Mind Mover) Sign-up

b. Personal Details

b.1 Name of participant/s:

b.2 Age of participant/s:

b.3 Contact number and email of participant/s:

b.4 Name of parent/guardian:

b.5 Contact number and email of parent/guardian:

2. After the Mind Museum staff has received your inquiry, they will send you an online registration form. Payment details will also be enclosed. Registration and payment for the program must be completed on or before April 8, 2013.

3. Once your payment has been confirmed, The Mind Museum will send you an email that will provide further details about the program. A succeeding email with reminders will also be sent a week before the program proper.

IMPORTANT: For the Junior Mind Mover Program, TMM requires participants to send a 500-word (max) essay on why he/she wants to join the Junior Mind Mover Program.

Honestly, I have my eyes on the CSI 101 program but my child is too young to join and I am afraid I’m too old to. I was joking with one of the subscribers of Special Education Philippines Facebook page who asked if The Mind Museum was offering the same program to adults. I said we could just apply as assistant instructors instead. Still, I think if TMM do have plans to extend it in the future, it will be a good idea for a bonding activity even for young adults or families. (Hint hint)

Curious about the details of these Science summer programs?

I sent an inquiry to The Mind Museum by e-mailing them at inquiry@themindmuseum.org to give me more details. They actually sent me an FAQ for each program. I’d like to share some items in the FAQ which I think are very relevant for those who are really interested to enroll their child.

1. How much is the program? Are there refunds? Can I join on a per-day basis?

a. CSI 101 P2,000.00

b.  Survival Science P3,000.00

c. Junior Mind Mover P4,000

There will be no refunds once you are enrolled. Participants are highly encouraged to take the full program.

2. What is the schedule of activities per program? Are meals included?

a. CSI 101 –  The program will last for 3 days (April 5-7, 2013), and will run from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM each day.  It is advisable for the child to be within the premises at least 30 minutes prior for registration. The program also includes meals. The participants will be given an hour-long lunch break as well as a 30-minutes break within the day.

b. Survival Science program will last for 3 days (April 12-14, 2013), and will run from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM for Day 1 and 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM for Day 2 and 3. Since Survival Science is also a camp, it will include meals when the kids go to Subic. For days 2 and 3 in the jungle, participants will experience cooking and hunting for food in the outdoors.

Day 1 activities will be conducted in the Mind Museum. The program will begin precisely at 8:00 AM. It is advisable for the child to be within the premises at least 30 minutes prior for registration.

Day 2 and 3 activities will be conducted in Jungle Environmental Survival Training (JEST) Camp. Participants must be at the Mind Museum Canopy Plaza at 5:30 AM. The bus will depart for Subic at exactly 6:00 AM. On Day 3, participants will depart from JEST Camp at 1:00 PM and is expected to arrive at the Mind Museum at 4:00 PM.

c.  The Junior Mind Movers program will last for 4 weeks from April 16 to May 17, 2013. It will be given a 6-hour, 3-day work schedule. They will have to report every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Meals are not included for this program. Participants are encouraged to bring their own lunch and snacks.

3. How can I pay for the program? Can I send payment via bank deposit?

Payment can be settled through two (2) ways:

a. The Mind Museum Cashier Counter – Go to The Mind Museum and fill out and submit the registration form of the program you chose. Payment is done at the cashier counter.

b. Bank Deposit

Branch: BPI BGC Branch

Account Name: Bonifacio Art Foundation Inc.

Savings Account Number: 1923-1245-58

Branch: BDO Paseo de Roxas Branch

Account Name: Bonifacio Art Foundation Inc.

Savings Account Number: 1700-2029-50

After paying, send a scan of your deposit slip to inquiry@themindmuseum.org

If you want the complete FAQ for the three The Mind Museum Science Summer Programs, feel free to send your email to The Mind Museum. I have repeated the email address several times in this post.

Ja ne, till the next Special Education Philippines‘ post.

If you find this post useful and worth sharing, you can find the social media buttons on the left side of the post to help you share it. Happy sharing!

The expo featured discussions by renowned Filipino entrepreneurs who are proven successful in their own businesses. Its mission is to build awareness and harp on the novelty of the Bullseye Expo which was attended by students, DLSU alumni and the general public. DLSAA believes that they could contribute to nation building directly to its members through entrepreneurship.

So why Bullseye?

The event head for this DLSAA entrepreneurship expo, Mr. Herbert Tuazon, explained that “just like a bullseye, you set your sight on the target”.

For this entrepreneurial seminar for students, what is the target? I think there will be different targets for each individual. Still, this is why DLSAA thought that there is a need for an Entrepreneurship Expo, so that students, especially the graduating ones, should not feel alone if they venture into business. During the event, students were exposed to more than 25 franchisors and people from top corporations. They were able to listen to stories of leading entrepreneurs in the country, among them, Mekenis’ Pruds Garcia and Chatime and French Baker’s Johnlu Koa who shared their stories of challenges and success”.

The speakers for this expo Mr. Pruds Garcia and Mr. JohnLu Koa were very engaging and inspiring. That is why I am dedicating a separate post to summarize their messages to our students. Part of the expo is also a forum where several business owners were invited to talk about their business and challenges. Ideally, these businessmen were supposed to answer questions from the audience but due to limited time, none of the students or anybody in the audience were able to ask their questions. The only questions the speakers were able to answer where those received via sms. Still, I would hope that in the next similar expo of DLSAA we will be able to hear what the students in the audience were really thinking.

There were too many speakers during the forum and I think that consumed a lot of time. Hopefully next time, the organizers might want to lessen the number of speakers and give a time limit for answering questions. This is to avoid turning a response to a mini-speech. Nonetheless, all of the businessmen and women were amazing resource speakers. I must say that the lessons they shared to the audience is like a mini-MBA lecture. I really applaud DLSAA for giving this kind of opportunity to DLSU students and the general public who attended the event.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the businessmen and women who spoke during the forum:

Learning does not end in college. When I was in college I don’t read any books outside of the textbooks. Now I read so many books. Never stop learning. – CEO Ink All You Can

Success is only for those who want it more. – Ramon Lopez of Go Negosyo

Educate yourself more. Be totally different and ahead. Learn about the Blue Ocean and the Purple Cow. Ms. Rosanna/CEO of Ahead Inc.

Break the paradigm. Start small. Dream Big. – Mr. Voltaire

For this event, DLSAA partnered with different business groups namely:

1. Go Negosyo is the advocacy of the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE), a non-stock, non-profit organization that advocates for a change in MINDSET and ATTITUDE. This group believes that Filipinos can address poverty in the country by engaging in entrepreneurship and developing an optimistic, passionate, creative and innovative, resourceful, diligent and persevering character. They also encourage everyone to take charge and make the most of their resources and abilities by utilizing and transforming these into viable enterprises. Through caravans, Negosems, multi-media (TV and web) campaigns and books, Go Negosyo hopes to demystify entrepreneurial success and popularize entrepreneurship as an alternative to unemployment, job-seeking or migration. They can serve as a partner in improving entrepreneurship education, and in providing a marketplace of ideas, innovations, business models and best practices. They also aim to catalyze the development of entrepreneurship in the country. An entrepreneurial culture would lead to an entrepreneurial nation and, consequently, to improved economy for the country. Go Negosyo does not endorse a particular kind of business or franchise. Instead, they provide links to partner entrepreneurs’ businesses, to business opportunities, to entrepreneurship-related training programs, and to funding sources. Hoping to generate competitive Filipino entrepreneurs, they seek to be the institution that brings together all key stakeholders and enablers of different entrepreneurship programs.

2. The Association of the Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI) is the Philippines’ prime trade organization committed to promoting responsible micro small medium enterprise businesses through franchising. It consists of Filipino corporate presidents, CEOs, and prominent businessmen who recognize the competitive potential of the local franchising industry in the global market. Duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the association serves as a governing body that safeguards the interest of its members and innovates ways to further its advocacies.

3. The Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) is a voluntary self-regulating governing body for franchising in the Philippines. It is the country’s pioneer and largest franchise association with members ranging from micro to large, both home-grown and international involved in food, retail, services and other types of businesses. PFA members are bound by the Fair Franchising Standards (FFS). By adhering to this Code of Franchising Ethics, the PFA members commit themselves to respect and to apply fair set of provisions in the conduct of sale of their franchises. They commit to the promotion of franchising as a tool for economic development and nation-building, through enterprise development and employment generation. Their vision is to make the Philippines as the “Center for Franchise Development in Asia” by providing the gateway to the entry and export of world class-quality brands, products and services from Asia to the rest of the world and vice versa. They are also committed to creating programs that will open opportunities for the expansion of Philippine franchises domestically and overseas by assisting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), including the development of incubation centers where highly franchiseable concepts can be introduced to the mainstream market.

Attending “Bullseye! Ignite your Business Animo” was a well-spent morning for me both as a teacher and a student. I could be sleeping late on a Saturday morning but the experience that I had and the knowledge I received by listening to these pool of successful Filipino entrepreneurs is a trade I will never regret doing so.

Ja ne, till the next Special Education Philippines‘ post.

If you find this post useful and worth sharing, you can find the social media buttons on the left side of the post to help you share it. Happy sharing!

There were four artists who attended the talk namely: Goldie Poblador (Philippines); John Romero (Philippines); Sutthirat Supaparinya (Thailand); and Nguyen The Son (Vietnam). They were also joined by Claro Jr. Ramirez (curator from Philippines), Mr. Tran Luong (art curator from Vietnam) and Ms. Almuth Meyer-Zollitscg (Director of the Goethe-Institut Vietnam).

The talk began by each artist talking about the creation of their projects including their inspiration, their vision and reason for creating their project. While listening to these diverse people talk about how a river shaped their lives, I was also wondering at how a particular river is shaping my life. You see I live near a very influential river here in the Philippines. This river is called the Pasig River. Hearing how these artists were moved by the rivers in their respective areas made me think, “How do I see the rivers in my life?”

Profound thoughts of rivers and life lead me to one question I have for the artists and curators in this art talk, “If your Riverscapes In Flux art is to be used as an educational tool, what lesson should students take from it?”

Each artist, as expected, had their own take…

Painter, Glass Sculptor and Installation Artist, Goldie Poblador, said that her art, dubbed “The Fragrance of the Marikina River”, is an interactive art that makes use of the sense of smells. Her project incorporates scents where she created “three perfumes to express the situation of the people who live beside the river.”

For Filipino musician and artist, John Romero, his project called “Sound Bridge” is a sound installation that allows the environment, human and art to connect. By touching the metal bars and waterway of the installation, you can produce sounds that can bring you to “sonic possibilities”.

For video and installation Thai artist, Sutthirat Supaparinya, she said we can focus on the lesson about dikes. Her project called “My Grandpa’s Route Has Been Forever Blocked” depicts the historical route of Ping River.

Nguyen The Son is an artist and a former teacher at the Vietnam Academy of Fine Arts. His installation called “Mountain Links with Mountain, River Links with River” is one of my favorite installations in the exhibit. The writings reminded me of the displays I see in Chinese families’ homes. Honestly, I didn’t know that Vietnam and China shared the Red River. He also talked about the importance of this river to the Vietnamese people living near it. For me, this installation achieved that message for me.

The curator from Philippines is multimedia artist, Claro Jr. Ramirez. He said that we should focus on the color changes in the landscape – from natural to unnatural. He also advised that as teachers we should encourage our students to observe the environment. He said, “When children see plastic bottles what do they see? Do they see only trash or can they view it as something more? Can they make art out of it?” He said we can also focus on colors and what they mean to the students. In the end, we let them connect their basic lessons in art (colors, shapes, etc) in the things they can see at Met Museum.

Even the Director of the Goethe-Institut Vietnam,  Ms. Almuth Meyer-Zollitscg, also had this advise for teachers visiting the Riverscapes exhibit at Met Museum Manila. She used the installation of Cambodian artist, Than Sok, as an example to illustrate her point. The installation called “Middle Ground” shows scarecrows of different sizes. Some of the scarecrows look like adults while there are some that look like children. She said that when bringing children in the museum we can ask them, “What do you see? What does this (art) remind you of?” From these simple questions, we (teachers) can connect social issues. Coming from the example of scarecrows, you can ask if the child can still find scarecrows nowadays. Most children will say “no” and this can be our opportunity to share with them the issue of losing our agricultural lands because of the polluted rivers. We can say that the scarecrows are here to remind us that once we had healthy rivers to swim and fertile lands to toil. To expound further, we can challenge our students to think of ways we can use to preserve our natural resources.

Finally, Met Museum Manila Director, Ms. Sandra Palomar, also has message for educators, parents and children visiting the Met Museum of Manila. “The Museum environment brings the natural environment. As a museum, it evolves with the art form. Hence, the showcase of contemporary art is in support with this evolution.” To my understanding, what Ms. Sandra is saying is that this is one of the opportune times were we can witness the natural environment in the comfort of a beautiful museum. Since the Riverscapes In Flux art displayed is classified as contemporary art it makes use of interactive displays which alloys one to experience the environment using different senses based from varied perspectives.

Before leaving the talk, I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Alma of the Lopez Museum who told me that my question can be answered by just a few words “art across the curriculum”. This means that we use art to teach different subjects like Math, Science, Language, etc. She invited me to visit her exhibit which I hope to do so this summer given the opportunity.

At the end of the day, I realized that my background as a teacher dominated how I processed my thoughts about river and life. In relation to this, I’d like to address an issue.  I have heard and seen some online news of parents petitioning to remove field trips in the school activities here in the Philippines. I think it will be a big mistake if the Department of Education will agree to this petition. I think that learning by experiencing is one opportunity children nowadays can use to maximize and make sense of the things they are taught in school. It goes way beyond multi-sensory learning because not only do you learn about the things you perceive but it also gives you a chance to have a glimpse of how other people perceive these things (vicarious learning). So far, no 2D or Powerpoint presentation can re-create the beautiful artifacts and mind-boggling installations you can find at Met Museum Manila.

To bring you more great news, The Met Museum in partnership with Goethe-Institut welcomes children and students to the Riverscapes IN FLUX ART WALK. Experience the artworks on exhibit and interact with one of the participating artists and event facilitator Goldie Poblador.

Discover the life and issues along the river as well as concerns on climate change, disasters and protection of our environment.

Riverscapes IN FLUX is participated by 17 young artists from Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia and Philippines. Artworks are varied: multimedia installations and photo series,videos and object installations. Exhibition will run until April 15 and will move to its last destination in Jakarta.

For reservation, please call 708-7829 /0922.8769534 or email: marketing@metmuseum.ph Reserve to avail COMPLIMENTARY ADMISSION.

Source: Metmuseum Manila (Excerpt from: Riverscapes IN FLUX exhibit catalogue)

Ja ne, till the next Special Education Philippines‘ post.

If you find this post useful and worth sharing, you can find the social media buttons on the left side of the post to help you share it. Happy sharing!

What did I learn from this Language Arts Workshop for teachers?

This seminar-workshop allowed me to discover more about the art of storytelling and I was able to acquire basic techniques to develop my own storytelling skills. The trainor gave us a lot of demonstrations and exercises to build up our knowledge and to learn better. Reading stories is a great way to improve interpersonal relationships, develop thinking skills in children, as well as stimulate creativity.

The difference between storytelling and story reading was also discussed and it says that there is evidence to show that telling stories to children is even more valuable in developing some aspects of literacy such as comprehension compared to reading aloud of picture books. However, I believe that these two can be helpful and can go hand in hand in preschool. Research also showed that stories without pictures elicits inferences,  develops a child’s imagination and intellect and allows them also to read between the lines. There are various benefits that can be gained from storytelling such as intellectual development, language and literacy, social, emotional and cultural heritage/knowledge. Storytelling is adaptable; it can vary depending on the audience’s reaction, age of your audience, race, interest, and topic or theme. In storytelling, you also create your own style because you have to use your own words in telling the story.

I believe that everyone can be a storyteller, even a preschooler can be a storyteller since they can communicate to other people, what they saw, what they heard, what they think of. This is not at all surprising. In the olden times, old people  educated other people through storytelling. Storytelling has helped us pass on survival skills and values; build strongly bonded families and communities and learn how to live together in peace. Also, storytelling is a good way to exercise our brain. Because of this activity, the different areas of the brain are stimulated.  Most of the stories we hear also affect our lives. It affects every human and  we can relate to every story we hear and that is why we need to restore it. Storytelling is not just about reading books but more on retelling a story verbally, eye to eye, without a book. It comes from the heart, the way you understood the story, how you deliver it, and that is what matters most.

Profile of Ms. Sheila Wee 

Sheila Wee has been a full time professional storyteller since 1999 and has been described as a Godmother of Singapore storytelling. She co-founded Singapore’s first storytelling circle and its first professional storytelling company. She has taught or mentored most of the storytellers now active in Singapore and is the President of the Storytelling Association (Singapore).

Sheila can tell stories in a variety of styles and she has a wide repertoire of stories. Her storytelling has been described variously as warm, engaging, elegant and captivating.

Sheila’s work in Singapore includes performances for museums, schools, conference openings, community events and storytelling skills courses and workshops for adults, teens and children. She also conducts workshops that cover a wide range of storytelling applications, including storytelling for intergenerational bonding, language and literacy development, special needs education, character education, and leadership in organisations.

Sheila is enthusiastic about passing on her skills and her highly practical and inspirational workshops have garnered consistently high ratings from participants. A major focus of her work has been in schools, working with both teachers and students to inspire them to want to tell stories and to give them the skills to do so.

As well as working with educational and cultural organisations and in the wider community in Singapore, Sheila also works internationally, and has been a featured storyteller and speaker at many festivals and conferences and workshops in Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the UK.

In her international work, Sheila has conducted workshops for the Society for Storytelling (UK), The Malaysian International Storytelling Festival and the Hong Kong Bureau of Education. She has performed at the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, the Australian National Storytelling Contest, the Malaysia International Storytelling Festival, the Skye and Lochalsh Storytelling Festival and at various schools and community venues throughout the UK.

Source: Storywise

This review of the Art of Storytelling Seminar-Workshop is written by Teacher Regina Marie R. Lu. Teacher Regz as her students call her, is a preschool teacher in a private school in Marikina. She’s currently taking her graduate studies at St. Joseph College Quezon City and taking up MA ECE-SPED. She loves attending seminars for her professional growth and has really the passion for teaching young children.

According to Mique International Conference and Event Planners (MICEP), the educational seminars they organized this April is in response to the unique needs of the K12 classroom. Thus,  their 2013 summer language arts workshops focuses on the needs of teachers in early grades and the special needs classroom.

Conducted by Ms. Sheila Wee, the seminar workshops are designed to give teachers practical and ready to use strategies in harnessing the language skills in young children and children with special needs.

Who is Ms. Sheila Wee?

Ms. Sheila Wee is a world-recognized guru in the art of storytelling and has conducted workshops and seminars for language, early childhood and special education teachers all-over Asia and Europe. She has consistently been invited to present at education and storytelling conferences world-wide.

Here are the workshop offerings this coming April 2013.

A.   DID I HEAR YOU WRITE?

Storytelling to Support Creative Writing in Learners

24 April 2013     8:00 am – 12:00 nn

The Elements @Centris Function Room

Quezon Avenue cor EDSA, Quezon City

Many children enjoy listening to stories, telling stories, reading stories, but too few enjoy writing them. Discover how you can harness that enthusiasm for stories and channel it into creative writing. This workshop will show how speaking, listening and reading activities can be woven into the writing process, to engage pupils in a holistic language learning environment.

This workshop is suitable for primary school language teachers, or anyone working with improving the language skills of learners at different levels.

Outline:

Ø  How storytelling can be used to enhance students creative writing.

Ø  Activities that that can be used in classrooms to bridge the oral and written forms of the language and improve both.

Ø  Types of stories that would lend themselves to the creative writing process.

B.   THE STORY BASKET

Prop & Participation Stories for Teachers of Young Children

24 April 2013     2:00 pm – 6:00 pm

The Elements @Centris Function Room

Quezon Avenue cor EDSA, Quezon City

In this highly practical, fun workshop you will learn easy-to-tell participation stories, discover how you can use simple props to tell stories and play story games that will nurture the development of children’s language skills and creativity. You will leave with a wealth of ideas that you can put straight into use. An absolute MUST for preschool and early grade teachers.

Outline:

Ø  Demonstrations and hands-on practice with:

·         Simple easy-to-tell stories prop stories

·         Simple easy-to-tell stories participation stories

Ø  How to add  participation to any story

Ø  Storytelling games and activities

C.    TELLING TOGETHER

Interactive Storytelling for Children with Special Needs

25 April 2013     2:00 pm – 6:00 pm

The Elements @Centris Function Room

Quezon Avenue cor EDSA, Quezon City

Storytelling is a powerful teaching tool that can engage and stimulate young minds; improve language abilities andfoster social and emotional skills. This practical session outlines an approach to using storytelling in the special needs classroom and demonstrates how to create successful interactive storytelling experiences for groups of children with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities.

Note: The approach used in this workshop is suitable for use with children with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities. It may not be suitable for all children with ASD.

Outline:

Ø  Demonstration of the interactive storytelling style suitable for use with children with intellectual disabilities.

Ø  How to choose a suitable story for telling to children with intellectual disabilities.

Ø  Adding sensory and interactive elements to a story.

Ø  How to learn any story effectively without having to memorise the words.

Special discounts are offered for group registrations of 10 or more.  Special rates are also offered to participants who register for at least 2 workshops. Below is the guide of workshop rates for your guidance.

MICEP Contact Details:

For questions or concern, contact Mique International Conference and Event Planners at (02) 666-0162 / (0915)743-9938 or email at miqueseminars@gmail.com

Ja ne, till the next Special Education Philippines‘ post.

If you find this post useful and worth sharing, you can find the social media buttons on the left side of the post to help you share it. Happy sharing!

First, let’s give credit to Ms. Maria Teresita P. Filipinia M.A. Ed of Advocata (a.ka. Teacher Tere) for covering this topic during one of Advocata’s seminar.

What is the difference among modification, accommodation and assistance?

There are actually different levels of modification, accommodation and assistance a teacher can provide during a test.

In Level 1:

In the first level of modification of tests, changes can be made in the font size, font type and spacing of words in the test. There can also be changes in the alignment of choices from horizontal to vertical. However, there are no tasks modifications for the test yet.

In accommodation, there is extended time for taking the test but the test should be finished within the day only.

When providing Level 1 assistance in tests,  there are also no task modifications except for direction and clarifications. Minimum assistance is given such as one-on-one assistance or behavior prompting once or twice per task per day.

Example of Level 1 items you can modify in a test:

1. Test directions

2. Test lay-out

A Level 1 environmental modification can be done by pull-outs within the room or in another room. Preferential seating can be arranged and there is no ceiling grade thus the student is still a candidate for academic awards.

Level 2:

In the second level of modification, there is still no task modification which means you cannot lessen the number of steps in a task. However, the teacher can shorten tasks to a minimum of three but the task should include all skills necessary to perform the task. You can also rephrase the directions to make the student understand it better by changing possible difficult words to those the child will understand easily. For emphasis, the teacher can underline or highlight key words.

In accommodation, there is still extended time for test but the test should be completed within the day only. The teacher can divide the task into two parts. To do this, the teacher can introduce the tasks by sets and limiting them to same or similar tasks. Also, the teacher can read the directions to the students and there are no penalties on errors. If need be, the teacher can reschedule the task.

When providing assistance, oral test can be given to students e.g. children with dyslexia. Moderate assistance can be given such as one-on-one assistance or behavioral prompting of up to 3 to 5 times per task per day.

In Level 2 environmental modification, pull-outs can be done within the room or in another room. Preferential seating can also be given. However, the ceiling grade when modification is given is 95%.

Example of Level 2 items you can modify in a test:

1. Presentation of Multiple choice items

2. Change of words from “which is not true” to “which is wrong”

3. Modification of test formats in matching type and identification

Level 3:

When modifying at this level, tasks can be reduced, changed or eliminated.

Accommodation at this level means there is extended time for test wherein the test can be divided in to two parts. If needed, test can be rescheduled but one task should be completed per day. You can also read the directions to students.  There are no penalties for errors.

For the third level of assistance, the teacher can use pictures or visual aids. For example, a picture box for new vocabulary. Maximum assistance is given which includes one-on-one assistance or behavioral prompting of up to 6 or more per task per day. Verbal instructions are given as well as hand over hand assistance (HOHA).

For the last level of environmental modification, pull outs within or outside the room can be done as well as preferential seating. The ceiling grade you can give the student is 90%.

Example of Level 3 items you can modify in a test:

1. Instead of Fill In the Blanks you can give a Matching Type test

2. In Math, provide grids with the problem for the child to solve.

3. In Math also you can provide the formula for solving the math problem. Also you can give guide questions to break down the parts of the solution so that the child can have partial points for giving e.g. what is given, what is the formula, what is the solution, what is the final answer.

If you find this post helpful then just imagine how happy I am to hear it first hand from the speaker. Teacher Tere has been in the business of teaching students with special need for years now. I tell you attending the actual seminar is so much better than just the handout because it gives you the opportunity to discuss with the speaker. Also Teacher Tere incorporated activities during the seminar for us to apply our skills in modification.

If you are interested in Advocata‘s activities and seminars, you can contact them in their Facebook Page just follow the hyperlink.

Ja ne, till the next Special Education Philippines‘ post.

If you find this post useful and worth sharing, you can find the social media buttons on the left side of the post to help you share it. Happy sharing!

Enjoy reading. Thanks to Teacher Robi Marapao of Pinoy Teachers for sharing this to the group.

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant.

It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X’s and then putting a big “F” at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child’s past records and she put Teddy’s off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy’s first grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners… he is a joy to be around..”

His second grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.”

His third grade teacher wrote, “His mother’s death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn’t show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren’t taken.”

Teddy’s fourth grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is withdrawn and doesn’t show much interest in school. He doesn’t have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class.”

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy’s. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper That he got from a grocery bag Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume.. But she stifled the children’s laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to.” After the children left, she cried for at least an hour.

On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her “teacher’s pets..”

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling* her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he’d stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor’s degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer…. The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.

Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear, “Thank you Mrs. Thompson for* believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.”

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, “Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”

(For you that don’t know, Teddy Stoddard is the Dr. at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)

Warm someone’s heart today. . . pass this along. I love this story so much, I cry every time I read it. Just try to make a difference in someone’s life today? tomorrow? Just “do it”.

Ja ne, till the next Special Education Philippines‘ post.

If you find this post useful and worth sharing, you can find the social media buttons on the left side of the post to help you share it. Happy sharing!