Bridging the GAP for Transformation Towards Higher Horizons

“If you can align yourself with what you are passionate in doing, you are creating a change in the world.”

Starting it up @ the University of Makati for the Academic Year 2017-2018, everyone is enjoined to strive for a higher range of vision with this year’s Annual University Conference Theme: “UMAK 2017 and Beyond: Transforming Towards Higher Horizons”

Should anyone ever felt the message and the advocacy of UMak’s President, Professor Tomas B. Lopez Jr., you would end up asking yourself, “What direction should I personally take to make a marked change that would aid transformation and beyond?”

During his Talk, President & CEO of Serbisyo Filipino Inc., Group of Companies/Career Center, Mr. Luis Alberto A. Anastacio II cited the truth that only 40% out of the 1000 applying candidates would pass job interviews. Sadly, most people would be going home with broken souls because they cannot fit themselves in the job that they’re expecting to be in.  In a recent study for Career Readiness, The Philippine Talentmap Initiative Comparative Result in April 2017 revealed that: [1] Problem Sensitivity, [2] Decision Making, [3] Planning & Organizing, [4] Innovation and [5] Creative Problem Solving are the competencies which we need to address in  the NCR area and even in the entire Philippines. University of Makati’s Talentmap Result show that the Top 5 Skills of students are the following: [1] Multitasking; [2] English Functional; [3] Math Functional; [4] Workplace Ethics and [5] English Comprehension. Low 5 Skills, however, are: [1] Creative Problem Solving; [2] Innovation; [3] Planning and Organizing; [4] Decision Making and [5] Teamwork.

Now, what does such result imply?

Our students may be able to exhibit basic communication skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening; they may also be capable of setting priorities in the present time with such an ease; — yet, they have mild to moderate level of difficulty in executing higher-order thinking skills that are involved in challenging the status quo since they tend to be reserved in all, if not most of their dealings that require divergent thinking.

Mr. President & CEO of Serbisyo Filipino Inc. highlighted the following Implications of such Talentmap result:

• the need to develop higher-order thinking and socio-emotional/affective skills of the students;
• the need for evidence-based career development services and programs to develop the knowledge, skills, and values of the programs to develop the knowledge, skills, and values of the students that are required by the world of work;
• the need for curriculum review/mapping and/or curriculum integration to highlight foundational workplace competencies; and
• the need to capacitate the faculty in teaching and contextualizing workplace competencies in their lessons and learning activities.

Unfortunately, we are quite far from the reality of what is ideal and expected.

There is a workforce skills gap!

We should find what that GAP is. 

Perspectives and possibilities … what is it that we should really find?

If we are in the business of educating people because our greatest asset in the workforce is these people,  should we not be bothered to help our students in finding their worth as they strive to mobilize and progress to the battlefield?

Something should be done to bridge the academe and the industry.  So, what direction should we take then, to fill in such GAP?

While pondering intently and taking into account by heart the advocacy of  President Tomas B. Lopez Jr and his unique mind, I personally came up with some directions based on the inputs of Mr. Anastacio II in his talk,  and on my own contemplations.  Whether you’re a UMak educator or not and you happen to bump into this article, I intend to share these thoughts with you here, hoping that  in one way or another, we may find it very significant to create a passage en route for higher horizons:

 ASSESS! We should go back to the basics of looking into what’s within every being — first and foremost that of our OWN.  We can humbly strive to do SELF-ASSESSMENT for us to be reminded of our BIG WHY — not just to earn a living but to serve the deep purpose of our existence as an EDUCATOR.

WORK ON YOUR OWN COMPETENCIES. We can never give what we don’t have. The 21^st Century Skills Framework that should be fulfilled in our students should prominently be the same competencies that we should strive to work up for ourselves. We need to reorient ourselves and to learn how to think outside of the box.

photo credits https://content.dodea.edu/teach_learn/professional_development/21/interactives/21st%20Century%20Skills%20-%20Storyline%20output/story_html5.html

DECIDE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF YOUR STUDENTS.  Once you have empowered yourself with such competencies, the next BIG THING is to make way that those Values and Ethics should be embedded in the curriculum.  Planning and Assessments on how we are going to include measures to improve these skills in our curriculum are, by all means, A MUST!

DEVELOP CAREER PATHWAYS that are based on assessments so as to address the Talentmap Results. Collaborate with the academe  –- so that by the time they leave our custody,  they already have the Employability Skills that would equip them elsewhere as they work for their career development.

EMPOWER YOUR STUDENTS. Train them to be SELF-DIRECTED in developing HIGHER ORDER THINKING SKILLS aside from the help and assistance that they get from their mentors.  Help them identify the basics of leadership so that they could be more ARTICULATE and confident in presenting themselves in the industry. Encourage them to DREAM BIG and become persistent in executing their plans for their own growth.

BE A CAREER ADVOCATE.  Preparation for Professional route should have started in Kindergarten.  Yet, not many of our students were guided accordingly that’s why most of them don’t really clearly know their passion; they cannot identify what they truly love doing. In our own special ways, we could intently point them to their “true north” by providing them with significant activities that would define their goals and opportunities.   This Career Development Framework could be of great help:

photo credits: http://www.peelschools.org/students/myblueprint/PublishingImages/Pages/default/career%20and%20life%20planning%20bubble.png

If only we could exert utmost effort for these sense of purpose, we would eventually realize that what would bridge the academe and the industry is actually our personal commitment not only to fulfill our purpose as an educator but to give the most we could to help people FIND THEIR WORTH.

If only we would strive to undertake alterations and modifications in the delivery in our educational system, we could positively respond to the challenge given to us by Executive Vice President Dr. Raymundo P. Arcega:

“We should know where we are in making our students complete at the end of the semester of his stay in UMak.”

We could also take action towards the mandate to us by Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Elexzur C. Ramos:

“We’ve got to love what we are doing because it’s our purpose. A man has responsibility; not merely power!”  

If only we can align ourselves with what we are passionate about, only then, could we create a change in the world  — when we could bring ourselves beyond the limits of higher horizons.  #trendingprofgailmontero

 

 

 

 

Early Childhood Education — A Moral Issue?

Some business leaders in an International report contended that “Investing in Early Childhood Education is one of the wisest things we can make!”  

Considering the fact that “Children from 0 to 5 can’t fight for themselves to get a better start at life,” they say that this is not just an economic issue, but the moral justice issue of our time.

To align with the promotion of Universal Kindergarten, the Philippine Educational System instigated the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) program. Supported by UNICEF, such program intends to deliver the best start for all children and to contribute to the Global platform for Primary Education. Collaborations have been in occurrence with government & private associates to promote a holistic approach to early learning and to bring in, series of actions for each child’s progress. Parental Involvement is also enhanced, in coordination with educational advocates, so as to appropriately aid the children in their first five years’ crucial development.

However, despite the investment of time, treasure and effort towards the emerging Four Themes in Early Childhood Education, it turns out that we are still facing major issues that need to be addressed amidst pressing times in terms of: [1] the ethic of social reform, [2] the importance of childhood, [3] transmitting values and [4] a sense of professionalism.

On [1] Ethic of social reform, we are currently experiencing inequities & mediocre child care. There is still the deep need for social justice since the goal of closing the achievement gap between disadvantaged and minority pupils have not been realized as of yet.

On [2] The Importance of childhood, sad to say, children of today have no choice but endure “an endangered childhood” because there is so much emphasis on survival, while kids are chaotically exposed to reality and adult experiences. Families, where they belong are under different forms of stress such as restoration of relationships, too busy working parents who rarely have quality time with them, parents who are working their way to the edge just to fight poverty, and the likes.

On [3] Transmitting values, adults as we are: parents and stakeholders, we more often than not forget that “Early learning is powerful!” In a majority of instances, we are caught unaware by our own reactions and viewpoints along with the confronts of media’s exposure of violence, tragedy & social diversity – with which, children are subconsciously developing some kind of behavior, if not deep scar or trauma, especially if we’ve reacted unconstructively.

On [4] Professionalism, not many of our stakeholders are persistent in an advocacy of passionately fulfilling “a better start at life” service in the field of early childhood. Teachers are not given proper and significant training to help them deal with children when differences arise between the cultural patterns of the home, community and those of the school’s.

Fantasy and reality in the minds of young kids are not separate things. Innocent as they are, they have that strong expectation that adults will respond to what they need – in which case, we’ve got to harness the discrepancies between their make-believe and reality, otherwise, we are not giving them THE BEST START that they should get. However, being confronted with the above-mentioned matters in reality, wouldn’t we worry that we may disappoint the youngs of our time? Would you agree that this is more of a moral justice issue rather than economic?

Being both A FACILITATOR OF LIFE and a CURRICULARIST, would it then still be wise to Invest in Early Childhood Education? Please share your idea.

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If we are not prepared, we are going to spend the rest of our time REPAIRING!

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PhotoCredits: http://www.livequotes.online/library/quotes/quotes-on-education-for-all/quotes-on-education-for-all-12.jpg

Resources:

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/teaching-preschool/104635-trends-in-early-childhood-education/

https://mymission.lamission.edu/userdata/bazikyi/docs/COC/15_GordonBrowne9e%20PPT.pdf

http://www.delmarlearning.com/companions/content/1418011339/resources/Ch1.asp

http://voxglobal.com/2013/05/top-trends-and-issues-in-education-takeaways-from-the-education-writers-association-ewa-conference-2013/

How Should we Transfer what We Should?

What’s up with us now?

Chaos here and there … there has been a lot which we need to unlearn from the archives of our past.  There should be a lot which we need to learn & re-learn from the scenarios of our present.

Adult as we are, we may not identify which is which to learn and unlearn at this point in time — How much more a child would?

Everything now is at stake! – don’t you think so?

If we ever intend to “map-out” a good journey for our children’s future, there are “Windows of opportunity” which we need to look into; yet we vaguely are able to ascertain which and what and how.

 

Children Learn What They Live; Children Live What They Learn

Children learn what they live

Children live what they learn

Teach them the way to love in their hearts

They will find love in the world.

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn,

If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.

If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.

If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient,

If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence,

If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate,

If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.

If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith,

If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself,

If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,

he learns to find love in the world.

— taken from Les Crane Desiderata album

How a child learns and develops is very critical!

UNAWARE as we possibly are, children would even learn even those that we do not teach.

This fact makes it even more DANGEROUS — for we are not so sensible of the things and actions that children may capture.

Now the thing is, WHAT is it that WE SHOULD TRANSFER to each child? and HOW should we transfer what we should? [please expound your idea through AN ARTICLE of your own, with your own title.]

In this Millennial Age, if we ever want to make REAL TRANSFORMATION, we have to see children in a new light!  They are not ours to just keep, they are our RESPONSIBILITY TO NURTURE – and most importantly, they could be THE CHANGE that we could be OPTIMISTIC ABOUT!

photo credits: http://www.debbierossi.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Children-live-what-they-learn.jpg

 

What do you Tend to Forget?

“Man, a Being that Forgets”???

ANTHROPOLOGY, being the study of mankind and all its aspects is one of the Foundations of Education for it looks into the distinct characteristics, way of thinking, feeling & acting of the SEEKER OF KNOWLEDGE.  

Being exposed to various circumstances, Sir Edward Talylor, an Idealist Philosophical Scholar of Plato articulated that a certain “complex whole” is being cultivated until man makes himself “belong” to social practices — thus the so called CULTURE: “cultura”/”cultus” = care – where man is eventually faced with the issues of “freewill” and the relationship between rightness and goodness.

Anthropologists contend that it is “human nature” to “gradually accept shared beliefs and values of group through ENCULTURATION & SOCIALIZATION, both LEARNING PROCESSES which eventually tribe people to a complete package of a certain culture called RACE.

Dealing with the origin, nature, and destiny of human beings,

WHAT IS IT then in ANTHROPOLOGY that we need to regard significant?

What is it then that MAN TENDS TO FORGET?

What do you, as a person then as a teacher tend to disregard?

How will you use Anthropology to affect our generation in the future?

PART 2.  ANTHROPOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION
Diff ERAS, Nature & Dev of Nationalism
Week 9 Output

Reference/Credits to:

http://hottopos.com/convenit2/lauren.htm

http://www.catholiceducation.org/en/religion-and-philosophy/the-human-person/why-a-christian-anthropology-makes-a-difference.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_anthropology

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Edward_Taylor

What’s in your Toolbox?

 

“In the eyes of a child, there is joy, there is laughter,

There is hope, there is trust

For the lessons of life, there is no better teacher

Than the look in the eyes of a child.”

Credits to this Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI5kV69UxKg

With that child looking at you each day without you noticing much …

With that person whom you’re unmindfully getting acquaintances …

With those many or several insignificant glances you’ve made with one and all …

With those eyes you’ve never met and seen such speck of joy and laughter, hope and trust — YOU COULD HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO SHAPE THE FUTURE!

Many stories could have been touching only if told and a lot of life’s long hidden meaning could have been explored!

Dreams should have been identified during youth and plans could have already been in progress even then — SHOULD YOU HAVE MATCHED THE HIDDEN FEELINGS with whatever it is that you have RIGHT THERE – just WITHIN YOUR REACH!

TEACHER as you are or even if NOT practicing AS OF YET, so long as you CARE ABOUT THE FUTURE and so long as you enjoy CONNECTIVITY THRU SOCIAL MEDIA & other means, you have all the opportunity to learn THE LESSONS OF LIFE from each look in the eye of a child!

Much more that you are enrolled in this course, what could be your edge?

What has PEDAGOGY to do with the raging technology which is generously giving us all the options to promote quality of performances both of the teacher and of the students … and even of their parents in collaboration?

ON PURPOSE, what should you do then to LIVE-UP to that “thrill to achieve” which lies and lives deep within you?

If you are to design your own life, what purpose will you be DRIVEN at — for you to  MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the future?

“You’ve found the place to walk the path you’ve chosen

You’ll never miss the world you left behind

When life gives life, it’s happiness unbroken

When you give love, it’s love you’ll find!”

Enrichment Activity on:                                                                                                                                                                                         Learning Through Design & Technology, Principles of Designing Educational Technology, Steps in Designing ICT-Based Instruction, Factors to Consider in Selecting Instructional Method, Matching Pedagogy with ICT, Modes of Using ICT, Evaluating the Results of Instruction.

What’s the “WHY”?

Selfies, status posts, tweets, blogs, #hugotlines, captured vids and the likes — name it, the Social Media contain variations and a lot more! Whatever there are, one and all would always be excited to keep on going back to their posts and see how many likes, reactions & hits they’ve got!

Exciting, isn’t it? — but it’s all somewhere OUT THERE!

YET, THE IRONY! — deep within each show-offs are actually searching souls. Lonesome SOMEWHERE “IN THERE”! — longing deep within!

Such a vast world with interconnected connections — yet, VOID OF MEANING! And yes, for the longest time of existence of Facebook, Instagram, You Tube, Tweeter, Google, Linkedin, Tumbler, Blogger and the likes, that same longing for affirmations still go on and on and on …

Technology has all been set, Apps keep on growing in variations; sometimes we no longer even know what alternative would best fit our convenience, yet still, some vastness remain not-filled-in!

But what do you think is the “WHY”?

What is there that we actually need to evaluate?

How do you give meaning to a meaningless world?

What message should come across?

What should be your technology? … How would you INSPIRE through it?

What’s YOUR CALL?  🙂

If you were a Cup…

BLOG POST 1. Week 3 Output

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Given the chance to choose among assortments:

porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal …

plain looking, expensive, exquisite …

Would you consciously choose for yourself the best cup? Which cup would you choose for a blend of coffee?

In some instance, we may be judged for wanting only the best for ourselves.  While others may consider that the cup adds no quality to the coffee.  What’s your take on this?

If “Life is the Coffee”, and the jobs, money & position in society are the cups which are just tools to hold and contain life , would your type of cup matter?

If they say “life is like a cup of coffee”,                           

how would your cup make sense?

Bring it up here, if you were a cup, let this piece of thought be an avenue to tell the world — foremost to your “SELF” how THE WHO THAT YOU ARE could make a difference – not actually among the assortments – but for a BLEND OF COFFEE called “life”! #sunset

 

 

 

 

 

What’s Along the Timeline?

From 1908 to 1936 to 1982, to 1987 to 1991 to 2003 … and now we’re already in 2015.

Will we ever GET THERE?

From Civic to Non-Formal, from policies and memorandums; to Republic Acts and Presidential Decrees — and now we’re already in 2015!

The TIMELINE  HAS LONG BEEN SET YEARS BACK!

… and RIGHT THERE, WE BEGUN “DREAMING” … and HOPING … and ANTICIPATING!

Many did DREAM that some souls would COME IN RESCUE.

Innocent children waited … are still waiting as of yet… THAT SOON, SOMEBODY WOULD HELP “MAKE THEM WHAT THEY SHOULD BECOME”!

YET, what was there along the TIMELINE?

Have we really started as much as History gives us the trace?

What do we have at present in REALITY?  What’s our say about the current Literacy Situation in our beloved Philippines aided by those Legal Basis of Alternative Learning System?

And considering the Philosophy: that SPARK OF HOPE, the Vision, Mission, Nature & Goals of such System where everything started, WOULD WE GET SOME ANSWER: “WILL WE EVER GET THERE?”

Along the LINES, with the important events that brought us where we are and what we have right now, could it be that: we may not have really considered LOOKING INTO THE HEART OF THE MATTER? Yet, if so, what is it that we haven’t gazed our “hearts on” after all?

And, should it be enough that we, being INTO THE MAINSTREAM of the 21st Century Education, would just keep on clicking #LIKE, sharing our dreamers’ status into our own timeline and posting our comments into theirs? What then, do you FEEL should be YOUR CALL?

Interconnectedness!

Why Care for something which is not yours?

Who would GET INTERESTED if after all the “claiming for what belongs to us”, we would soon end up shrugging our shoulders that we don’t really own anything at all?

Silly, right?

BUT here we are, in this course on Management!

Within the whole Semester, we would be talking about “managing” School Plant and Property — which isn’t OURS!

BUT WHY?

SURELY, you wouldn’t be wasting your time, thriving for the 18 Saturdays of your life,  only to end-up not knowing your PURPOSE! — not really that you don’t have a choice than to be here because you could actually mention all the reasons in the world to justify your every absence in class! [*grins*]

SO THEN — WHY still DEAL ON MANAGEMENT besides any point?

Why would you care for something which is NOT YOURS?

What would it take for you to be able to DO IT WELL?

What is there to LOOK FORWARD TO after all?

Sense of Accountability