My Perspectives in Learning and Teaching

Enrolling in the Professional Teacher Certification(PTC) program of the University of the Philippines posed a lot of challenges on my part. I juggled family, work, social life and learning. It reminds me that time is a limited resource that we should optimize the use of it. This is my second term at the UP Open University and for this term I am taking up two courses, EDS 103(Theories of Learning) and EDS 111 (Principles of Effective Teaching).  I acknowledge that I am truly gaining a lot and I have put into practice some of my learnings.  Credits should be given to our professors who squeezed the best in us. Despite my more than a decade of teaching experience in the tertiary level, there are still fresh realizations and insights that I gained while taking up the courses. These realizations and insights have affirmed my previous perspectives while others have totally altered my previous schemas concerning teaching and learning process.

      One requirement, of the course EDS103, is the creation of a blog site for expressing insights and realizations derived from each module. It makes me uncomfortable at first because I am really a novice when it comes to blog writing and I am a bit apprehensive in expressing my perspectives in a public media like the Internet. The guide questions, however, provided me good bases to express what I have learned from each module of the course. After several posts and with the comments of my classmates and also after reading their posts, I gained courage and confidence to post my insights and realizations freely. If given more time, I will still engage and continue with this blog and to consider also other fields. The blog, particularly my reflections and realizations, heightened my self-awareness when it comes to teaching and learning. Self-awareness then leads to change and to the improvement of my learning and teaching practices. It provided me a clearer picture on what to be changed and what is to be retained in my method of teaching and learning.

     One of my realizations is that time management is very important in taking an online degree. Life is full of surprises as they say, every now and then, there are job-related and family activities that we need to prioritize together with the different activities and requirements in the course. Priorities vis-à-vis with my internal goal of finishing the program and my yearning to teach better spurred me to continue and move on despite the hectic schedules. One strategy I used is planning ahead of time considering the activities, time frame/allotment and expected output. The level of accomplishment of the activities is properly monitored.  Adjustments are then performed whenever necessary, with the most imperative activities given paramount priority. My previous belief on time management as essential tool in learning and in life in general has been affirmed by this undertaking.

    Metacognition and deep processing are new terms and honestly it was my first time to come across these words. Unaware of it, I am employing metacognition in my studies and in learning as well. I have the habit of assessing myself if I have fully understood a topic and then review again the material when I am not satisfied with my level of understanding. One concept that perplexed me, however, is deep processing, as the most important factor in learning as I watched the video of Dr. Chew. At first I was very hesitant to accept the idea, but as I read Module 8(Information Processing Theories) coupled with the comment of one of my classmates in my blog, my myopic view was totally altered. This technique has been integrated to my means of acquiring knowledge, that now deep process received information for faster recall. I also employ this in my way of teaching and even shared the video in the Facebook group of my students. Information theory identifies three important processes in human learning as: Information is received, stored and retrieved (Stanrock, 2011 as cited in Module 8). As information is received we must deeply process it to efficiently encode it in our memory using the different techniques (association, clustering, organization, use of mnemonics, etc.) to facilitate the better recall of the information when needed.  Therefore, the deep processing of information as it is received is an important factor in learning. Encoding the information is critical in the processing of information as it has great impacts on the retrieval. This can be also applied in the way we teach. We can use the different techniques previously enumerated for our students to be successful in studying.

     The course further proves to me that I am not that good at multi-tasking. When I go online there are always temptations to connect to my friends using social media, play the games I am used to and to trade stocks online. This off-task behavior often causes distractions and in turn diverts my focus in learning. The divided attention also delays the processing of information when I am reading the modules. I think this is where self-regulation comes in as well. Focusing on our goal and performing the activities towards the attainment is necessary.  Multi-tasking is even not good enough for computers, try to open process-hungry applications simultaneously ( i.e., Adobe Photoshop, AutoCad and Matlab) and for sure it will take a lot of time to enter inputs and commands and display an output. This is also true for the human mind, that we are unable to effectively process simultaneously tasks requiring similar mental functions.

     The discussion forums as guided by the open-thread discussion questions allowed me to reflect and gain insights on the ideas and experiences of my classmates. For me, asynchronous discussions allow us to prepare/rehearse and ponder on what to express and how to express it, unlike in traditional discussions that we have to answer at the instant a question is raised.  It is an avenue to make things clearer through my active participation wherein my ideas are either affirmed or validated. It was such a fruitful exchange of ideas, that through it new ideas especially when it comes to teaching spontaneously emanate- that is the essence of constructivist theory as well. As we, learners, share our own ideas and experiences and interact with one another, we gain better understanding of certain concepts.  It was collaboration at its best.

      I can say that I have improved as a learner. Assessing the quality and timeliness of my outputs- from the FMA’s to the participation in the discussion threads, I can say that there are indeed changes in my knowledge, skills and values particularly in learning. I have further developed metacognition and self-regulation as I continuously evaluate my learning which then served as my feedback loop. I have improved because during the first two weeks of classes as I stated in my blog on time management, I have difficulty adjusting because of the two activities in the course( open-thread discussion and e-journal entry), but after that it was a comfortable ride as I have adjusted both mentally on the course content and socially to my classmates. I have improved my learning skills as I put into practice the different theories: constructivist theory( participation to forum discussions/reflections on experiences), behaviorist (thinking of the internal and external  rewards of finishing the course), information processing (minimized distractions and multitasking) and schema (learning by previous knowledge).

      My way of teaching has improved as well as part of my evolution towards becoming an effective teacher. Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences has altered my practice and belief as I come to realize that we must not belittle and discriminate other students because of their poor academic performance in some subjects. Instead, we must guide them where they can excel and perform better. And that is what I am currently doing. I provided variety of activities (problem-solving, writing, creating/designing, projects) not only to facilitate their complex thinking skills but also for them to become conscious of their forte.

       Another error that I have committed in teaching is, frequently using my own learning style for my students to learn. I often employ methodologies that fit my learning style, which should not be the case. That also makes me a prescriptive teacher. I usually tell my students, this is what you need to do and this is how to do it. I violated the enhancement of their complex thinking skills in this case as they no longer have the freedom to seek solutions. These practices hampered the learning of my students and upon realization of the negative effects of these practices, I drastically changed my style to being learner-centered and advocated freedom in the classroom atmosphere-at the surprise of my previous students who are taking the subject again because of failure. And even for just more than a month of implementation, I have seen the impact as my students developed liking of my subject, instead of aversion. They now actively participate in class discussions and approach me whenever they encounter difficulties.

      Being enrolled in EDS 103 presented a lot of challenges but in the end, it has refreshed and renewed my perspectives towards the complex learning and teaching processes. This journal enabled me to develop self-awareness on several issues, making me realize my mistakes in teaching and devise ways how to correct and consequently improve myself. It caused many changes both in my way of learning and teaching.

“Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.”-Albert Einstein

         When I was in the secondary and tertiary levels, I am hesitant to raise questions for me to clarify points that I did not understand. Partly, I exhibit this behavior because I was afraid that the question might be thrown back to me since the teacher might think I am just evaluating his/her knowledge on the topic. Asking questions during discussion clarifies things, not only for the person concerned but for the whole class as well. There are times that no matter how expert a teacher is, there are things that he/she might miss. Hence, it is an opportunity to improve comprehension and eventually complex thinking among the students.

      I enhance my critical thinking skills by constantly reading and reflecting on what I have read. Asking ourselves constantly, how, why, what needs to be done can stir our imaginations deeply. Not being satisfied with the status quo and engaging in mind-challenging activities where we analyze and solve problems can nurture complex thinking skills. Engaging in games where we need to strategize can also enhance our ability to process information logically. In teaching and learning we should be very careful not to oversimplify things, as Albert Einstein said, “Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.” We should always leave a space for us think deeper and rehearse complex thinking.

     To foster critical thinking among my students, I require novel outputs whether ideas or products.  For instance, when I am handling Calculus and my students are taking up BS Computer Science, I require them to create a code of their choice to solve problems of Calculus or solutions of real-life problems employing the concepts gained.

     Because of my realization on the benefit of raising questions, I also have the habit of asking questions at the midst of a discussion. This is not only to evaluate if they understood the topic but also to make them think more deeply. Also, I encourage them to raise questions and on my part I tried my best to answer their questions.

     In terms of the assessment and evaluation, I emphasize the upper echelons of thinking as identified by Bloom. I give more points to items requiring them to synthesize, apply, analyze, evaluate and create new ideas. Also most of the items, should asses the higher-order thinking skills.

   I also give problems based on real-life scenarios. No matter how abstract a concept is if we relate it to real-life situations, the topic can be simplified and be more comprehensible to the students. In employing this strategy, problem-solving is practiced and that the deliberate practice serves as a rehearsal that can be applied in day-to-day problems.

   Some of my teaching methods meet the goals of critical thinking but I am aware that there is still room for improvement. I must admit there are also failures on my part, particularly during the period when I am not yet enrolled in the PTC program. One thing I need to improve on is open-mindedness, at times I tend to reject my students’ ideas right away by not thinking out of the box. I insist that my solution is the quickest possible way and that is hindrance on the part of my students since I have oppressed their complex thinking. This I think is the area I need work on. Though I observed progress on the students’ critical thinking ability after finishing a subject I handled, there are still some who have underdeveloped thinking skills and that can be attributed to several factors, probably one is because of their genetic make-up. Like intelligence, I believe complex thinking is also innate however can also be nurtured.

     One way to determine if my students are employing critical thinking is looking at the statistics of the result of my assessment instruments since I give more points to items on the higher order thinking skills. Another is their ability to perform wise and timely judgments/decisions based from the available facts. When they can arrive at an accurate conclusion after careful evaluation of the available facts, then I may say that the students are using critical thinking.

     Another one is that when their analysis for a certain situation is just skin-deep then we may conclude that they are not utilizing complex thinking. We can judge that based on their output whether it is a quiz, exam or a project. For example, if we are studying the use of trend lines to predict the stock price movement of San Miguel Corporation(SMC) and that a student predicted it to increase 15% within the next two days because of the uptrend then his/her analysis is very superficial. However, if he/she stated that the price spike is due to the breaking of the resistance line coupled with high volume, then he analyzed the problem in a deeper perspective using critical thinking.

      It is very essential for complex thinking to be nurtured to develop our students apply it on new situations, for them to formulate new ideas and create new products. The ability to perform complex thinking also helps the individual solve real life problems because he/she has the ability to process information based from concepts gained and apply previous experiences. It also enhances the decision-making ability of the individual since she/he can evaluate properly the choices or available options. It is safe to state that, “complex thinking is essential in the survival of an individual and of the society as a whole”.

Collaboration: Sharing and Learning

              As a high school student then, I feel that I may not have optimized collaborative learning because of my inferiority complex. I am always looking forward to having the class dismissed ahead of time. Competition was also very stiff and that everybody is aiming for the top rank. During group activities, I do not actively participate and that I only performed what is assigned to me. Superiority complex of some of my classmates pushed me farther towards the other end. Taking into consideration these conditions I failed during my high school days in terms of constructivist learning. I do not possess the social capacity to express my ideas and contribute to the construction of group consensus because it was outrightly suppressed by my superior classmate and besides some just want to stand out for the purpose of competing. I think the teachers did not facilitate well the group activities. Rubrics should be constructed which include the assessment of how the output was formed as a team effort and how well the stand out students acted as MKOs. Teachers should be aware of these situations and facilitate properly group activities since others simply want to impress and stand out.

           College was a different story. My confidence improved and my schema concerning my cognitive skills has undergone assimilation. My self-valuation has been altered as I am now leading groups since my classmates believe on my capabilities. This time I have fully utilized collaboration with my classmates as I can now freely express my ideas and opinions without prejudice and destructive criticism. I also played the role of MKO unconsciously, since I am mentoring peers when it comes to lessons.

                    As a teacher, I intend to provide more guided group activities for my students to foster collaboration not only in the classroom setting but in practice. I shall facilitate well however, to avoid negative effects such as over dependence and low-confidence on the part of the “Less Knowledgeable Others”. The ability to collaborate nowadays is essential as we are gearing towards globalization especially with the advent of technology.

“Presidents Don’t Need Those Stupid Protocols Anyway

“Presidents Don’t Need Those Stupid Protocols Anyway”

               One strategy that I employed during my review for the Electronics Engineering Licensure Examination is the use of mnemonics. I used mnemonics to memorize lists and groups. “Presidents Don’t Need Those Stupid Protocols Anyway”, is the mnemonic I used to recall faster the Layers of the OSI Model of a Computer Network, “P stands for the Physical Layer, D stands for Data link Layer, N stands for Network Layer, T stands for Transport Layer, S stands for Session Layer, P stands for Presentation Layer and A stands for Application Layer. The technique is very effective since I have not forgotten the layers even for more than a decade now. In this technique, memory stores information on associative networks, thereby facilitating recall.

            Realizing its effectiveness, I also impart this strategy to my students and sometimes adding “spice”  and novelties help them memorize significant information.

Human Brain Vs. the Computer

        The human brain is more sophisticated than any high-end computer that passed the manufacturing line so far. It can perform complex calculations and most of all is the brain’s ability to process emotions, capacity to learn, adapt and adjust and process stimuli from the environment. The computer depends mainly on the inputs of the operator or external sensors while our brain is prewired to learn.

       One weakness of the human brain in terms of information processing is the “distortion of Information”, for instance we may use the same language but we interpret a certain sentence differently. Another is that in some cases we tend to be forgetful, while in a computer, chunks of information can be stored permanently in physical storage devices such as in a hard disk for immediate retrieval at faster speeds.

            Another good thing in a computer is the ability to delete files which are no longer needed at the click of a mouse button. We may have the ability to do that but it takes more time. Selective attention is present, but I am not sure if selective forgetting can be done also. We cannot just forget what we deliberately want to forget. If we can perform that, then we can forget bad experiences which might have negative effects on our personality.

        Human memory is highly dynamic, and its complexity cannot be fully captured by any existing information processing model (Passer, 2009).  Human memory and the brain’s information processing capacity are really complex concepts which cannot be explained in a single context.

Back Track

        My first academic teacher is Mrs. Fortunata Agasen, a strict but a very caring teacher. When I am absent, she even makes follow up or even visit at home. Her dedication towards teaching is really admired. She checks the nails of each pupil before the class starts. The classroom is organized and clean and on top of the board are the 26 letters of the alphabet. Long desks were used where we have to share with a classmate or two. Way back then, spanking is still allowed at school as my other classmates experienced it but I cannot remember if I am spanked as well. Probably, I have not experienced that because I was sickly that time and I am the youngest in class so she might be more lenient on me.

      In terms of recalling those experiences and events, the semantic network model is used. As I recall my teacher, associated secondary memories entered my mind like the classroom arrangement and some experiences associated with it. I associated such memories with my teacher.

Reference:

Passer, M. & Smith, R. (2009). Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behavior.4^th ed. McGraw Hill Companies:New York

An Important Behavior

        One of the most important behaviors that a distance education learner should possess is self-regulation. In this mode of instruction delivery, the teacher is not always present to give orders and manage the learning environment. Most of the time, the student controls the way how he/she will learn the concepts in his/her own pace. Lack of self-regulation could lead to the failure of attaining the learning goals of each course. As there are unexpected and unforeseen events in the lives of the learners, which might interfere in their schedule, they must properly adjust and adapt to the situation. Hence, self-regulation is very essential as part of the students’ arsenal to be successful.

       One strategy for us to acquire self-regulation is we can look for a model among our classmates. As we notice in our courses, there are students who frequently visit the DF’s and post their comments, post their answers with punctuality and interacts very often. As all of us are busy juggling our family, work, study and social life, some have managed to still be on time performing the requirements. They can serve as our models as well and pattern our behavior on them. Being motivated to finish the course is another strategy towards self-regulation. Considering our goals in every step of the way will surely help us in our learning process.

Models and Mentors in My Life

Models and Mentors in My Life

Santrock.Online Learning Center.
http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/education/edpsych/santrocked02/ch07a_sa.html

Having positive role models and mentors can make an important difference in whether individuals develop optimally and reach their full potential. First, evaluate the role models and mentors who have played an important part in your life. Second, think about the type of role model you want to be for your students. Third, give some thought to how you will incorporate other models and mentors in your students’ lives. Fourth, explore who your education mentor might be.

My Models and Mentors
List the most important role models and mentors in your life. Then describe what their positive modeling and mentoring have meant to your development.

Role Models and Mentors	Their Contributions
Parents	Modeled essential values such as honesty and sense of responsibility
My sister	Modeled determination and perseverance to go against the odds. She also served as my model for academic success.
Prof. Sabrina Estacio	Modeled discipline and adherence to policies
Engr. Jay de Vera	Served as my mentor during my teaching career. Persuades me to perform well in teaching.
Engr. Eduardo Crisostomo	My model in academic excellence.
Dr. Editha T. Vasay	Shown excellence both in teaching and leadership.

The Type of Role Model I Want to Be for My Students.
Describe which characteristics and behaviors you believe are the most important for you to model for your students.

Discipline Academic Excellence Honesty Leadership Determination

 

How I Will Incorporate Models and Mentors in My Classroom?
Describe a systematic plan for bringing models and mentors into your students’ lives in one or more domain(s) you plan to teach, such as math, English, science, music, and so on

I can bring my models into my student’s lives by giving my students the assignment to interview them. This is to be done in the introductory part of the subject, for them to realize the significance of Mathematics. My live models for this activity will be Engr. Jay de Vera and Engr. Eduardo Crisostomo. Getting their biography and ideas would be facilitated through the use of online media and devices. They can easily narrate the significance of Mathematics in their jobs and to their success in general. The activity will provide my students realizations on Mathematics and how they can use it as a vehicle for success. As my models have transferred important traits to me, I will do the same thing for my students. I can also serve as their live model in the day-today meetings.

Who Will Be My Education Mentor? What Would My Ideal Education Mentor Be Like?
Do you have someone in mind who might serve as an education mentor when you become a teacher? If so, describe the person. What would your ideal education mentor be like?

My ideal education mentor should look into my pedagogical content knowledge and consequently give suggestions on how I can improve on it. This feedback component is important for me to become an effective teacher. He/she is an expert not only in his field but also in the teaching profession. He/she should have teaching, industry and administrative experience as a qualification. The experience is significant for me to gain more insights on the three areas and in turn for me to impart it to my students. However, in real life conditions we can seldom find these characteristics from a single individual, hence we can have several persons for us to have our academic mentors.