Bon appétit 

My family’s financial economic distress was the main reason why I had to study very well. It had been my essential acumen to finish a course, work and have a good life. A good life not just for myself but for my generations to come because being poor is truly a struggle.

Lucky indeed, I studied in a high-standardized school where I needed to pursue the depth of studies. My teacher didn’t need to push me what were the things I had to finish. I always made sure that I submit the tasks on time. I regularly went to the library to research, did extra readings, joined several extra-curricular activities, got knowledge through observational learning, being active to any activities inside and outside the school —- without waiting from someone tell me to do so. Even though there was no adult to yell at me “Study well!”, I learned to study by myself. As much as possible, learn a lot of things – jack of all trade – from the meanest skill to a tough one. Being the owner of my learning, I made it possible through my curiosity, will power and endurance. To tell you the truth, I graduated elementary, high school and college – with no parents, family and friends beside me except that one Franciscan nun who assisted me during my baccalaureate. Remembering my struggles as a student, with my parents who were far from me – kumbaga sa tagalog, I was the kind of ‘’gumapang sa lusak’’ or ‘’hahamakin ang lahat, makamit ka lamang.” I never lose hope and surrender. Strength and perseverance were in my veins. There is only One whom I always depend on especially at the lowest point of my life – God. I just can say ‘’thanks’’ for that was my destiny.  I can no longer shed a tear and sentiment at this moment, my heart had long been hurt and became strong, but I never regret anything even if it happened to me. I am now enjoying the fruits of my hardship.  Whereas to be a constructivist, I just loved learning! That is the main thing!

As a teacher

In my 14 years of private tutorials and being a More Knowledgeable One, little I knew, I had been a constructivist. My main tasks are to teach them, assess if they understood the lesson, give them examinations and practices, check their school’s summative & formative assessments and evaluate their final grades – from Math, English, Science, Computer, Arabic, Social Studies – all the subjects, from zero English to Upper Level.

There are many differences of tutorials and traditional classroom teacher; there is no lesson plan, no assorted activities, no techniques and methods, not a huge class – but there is only one aim – Teach them to be learners of their own. I never spoonfeed them, I never answer their homeworks. I only give clues and guide them “how, what and when’’ to study. I do help them to become independent, active, and responsible students. I can only assist them until they reach Grade 7. From that point, they were matured and responsible enough to study by themselves. I let them go once I learned that they can fish by themselves. At the moment, most of my students are getting good marks in their respective universities.  It was a pleasure learning their success. My identity as ‘’good constructivist’’ flew throughout Jeddah by referrals. For longer years, I had 45 Saudi students and currently have 9 Saudi students. After this course I do hope, I will still be a constructivist in a real classroom, in sha Allah. Thank you, EDS 103 for employing this course in me.

See these related posts:

The lavish, exuberant lifestyle nowadays has many reasons. Allahumdulillah! (Praise be to Allah). First, enjoying the fruits of perseverance, patience and hardwork. Second, rewarding the self from passing the tests of life and lastly, fulfilling the insufficiency from the time I was born. Insufficiency? Yes. In layman’s term, POVERTY.

https://rowenaprax.home.blog/2019/01/26/insufficiency-not-a-hindrance/

Being persistent, efficient and an effective teacher was a task that was assigned to me to produce responsible, excellent, and competitive students. My purpose was to let them excel in their own madrasas – school, understand and apply what they learn, and show a pleasing report card to their parents.

https://rowenaprax.home.blog/2019/01/30/the-mastery-of-different-assessments/

Native ability without
education is like a tree without fruit.

Theodore Roosevelt

The capacity to process information gradually progresses, thus allowing learners to increasingly acquire knowledge and skills.

(Santrock, 2011)

Thanks to EDS 103. At first I was quite upset as I browse the modules.  I just want to have a proper certificate in order to teach in a real classroom then while all of a sudden I have to study the mind and the behaviour. Why Psychology was involved? Little I knew, these modules granted me wider scope and idea how to become an effective teacher (though I am) and extended my knowledge not just mentoring one or two students but as a whole of it. Imagine having minimum 25 different minds in one classroom, so a challenge called me in! In this journal, consider that I am the teacher.

A teacher needs not to monopolize the teaching engagement. It is so exciting to impart the knowledge or convey the subject matter to the students but a teacher must put herself in the shoes of the student. These are the things to consider based on what the teacher requires to apply to have an effective teaching/learning engagement.

The cognitive load of theory.  Overloading materials in one time will result to dilemma. Only important learning information needs to convey so as to intercalate into long-term memory.

Modality Effect. Explanation of any information has little effect to infuse into working memory, so a teacher should use a ‘’model’’ such as pictures, structure, videos, and alike. The visual works with the audio system effectively.

Schema. A teacher must have an idea of the previous knowledge of the students so as to assess whether the more complex information can be successfully established into their minds so as to form into additional schema.

Split-Attention Effect. A teacher should get the attention of the students by taking out any extraneous sources that obviously splits the focus of the students.

Problem Space. Proper schedule and proper pacing is the best solution to inject important information to the students.  The teacher should not cram the students but break the learning into parts.

Mnemonic. Learning materials are enormous. The teacher must help the students learn how chunk, priming, cluster, organize, associate, and other strategies.

Blooms Taxonomy. The teacher should also implement the levels from lower-thinking to higher-thinking so as to produce an effective learning. Indulging the students into ‘’deep processing’’ will pave them into learning by their own.

These are the Cognitive Theories of Learning essential inputs a passionate teacher must put into practice.

Therefore, as a teacher, let them show how immense the ocean is. Let the students drench slowly so as they learn how to swim steadily by themselves. – rowenapraxEDS103

Looking for the stars in the middle of a stormy night, finding the trail in the vast and thick forest area, analyzing the main idea of a 200 pages story is just like setting a goal to finish the course!

‘’I don’t stop learning!’’ echoes every now and then. Numerous TIDS, journals and tough assignments will not discourage my determination to pursue. The brain needs to get exercised! Cognitive abilities have to be sharpen! Work with diligence on every task. And remember:  Laziness is a sickness!

Though there are times, you seem to feel surrendering –NOPE! Not a cup of my tea!

 I just take a little break, treat myself with an ice-cream and the show must go on!

NO! NO! NO! Don’t cry. Just do it!  There is no room for doubt and despair. Cause soon, there will be smile!

Strong self-efficacy is already rooted in my senses.  It is always a reality that life is not always a smooth road to drive on. LEARNING IS NO EXEMPTION. Just remember: correct every mistake, improve after each fail and don’t attempt to fall. Persevere and do your best.  I always believed that in the end, rewards await!

Looking on the people who are the inspirations, if they can – why can’t I? Remember, the prestige? I am not talking about the recognition. I am pertaining to the prestige! A prestige of having importance! This is the highest form of your needs. Self-actualization. Oh, so good to have it!! Just imagine: Stretching your hands while on the top of the mountain looking towards the sun beneath the sky? Oh, God! What a feeling!

The success is no longer a span away. It is already at the tip of our fingers. Together, we must finish the race.

Surrendering? No, thanks a lot!

I am the captain of my soul! And so INVICTUS!

-rowenapraxEDS103

EDS 103 prepared a battleground for the teachers-to-be. A battleground wherein a course designed not just to read, comprehend, discuss a lesson but to deepen the analysis and create some innovations.

Assignment 1 My Emergent Theory of Intelligence causes to sprout some new ideologies regarding learning and intelligence. Though there is still a need for more defenses and evidences in the innovations to make it reliable and useful, it becomes an eye opener to the newbies.

There is still no evidence how to measure the general or over-all intelligence of a certain person. Though based from certain practices, there is only a certain factor which can be measured using the Intelligent Quotient (IQ) by Spearman. These factors includes only the cognitive ability.  Passing the IQ with an average grade or even above than that, doesn’t give an assurance of the over-all ability, talents and skills of a person. However, having IQ good results shows that the person is better from the other contemporaries. There are many advantages of taking IQ examinations. It assesses if the person has mental disorders or incapacity, it challenges the person to develop which areas of studies he is weak, it recognizes the person’s strengths, among others. I just wanted to raise a voice against Spearman’s IQ purported, “People who performed well on one cognitive test tended to perform well on other test, while those who scored badly on one test tended to score badly on others.” As I had mentioned earlier, IQ tests deal only with a portion of intelligence. So, I doubt how Spearman concluded it that way.

Spearman’s idea became an opener to other theorists to spur their own understanding of intelligence with supporting evidences and examples. The users of the intelligence theories such as the school may or may not use these theories that, of course, depend on their intention and purpose. Generally, most people don’t totally agree with the results of some intelligence examinations since mostly believe that some intelligence cannot be quantified with numbers. The main concern of the person is how his intelligence is being used for the benefit of himself or for others.

Learning and intelligence correlate to each other. To sharpen any intelligence needs an efficient learning and practice. And to have an effective learning needs some sort of intelligence. Intelligence doesn’t work out only because of hereditary, but also with external factors; the environment compliments the intelligence.

Intelligence is a complex issue and still a controversy until now. It has a variety of initiatives available maybe now or maybe in the future. It doesn’t fix the understanding limited to the practiced theories of well-known theorists.

Perhaps, through a sharpen intelligence that we have and through the continual learning that we exercise and practice, we may able to suggest or defend a new innovative theories of intelligence.

I don‘t dream about becoming a theorist – but who knows, why not?

-rowenapraxEDS103

I always believe that intelligence can be acquire. First, from the formation of the brain. Second, from the genetic formation. Third, from the environment that surrounds you.

It was always been said that “Luckily are the ones who came from a family of scholars and geniuses.” The proper formation of the brain and the genetic formation contribute a great aspect on intelligence. A person who possesses the former finds no hardships in dealing with regular activities and learning. Based from researches, studies and my own observations — there is no doubt about that.

But what makes difference is when a person acquires the knowledge through his environment. More challenges lie ahead. Survival speaks the most.

I had a middle-class neighbor. I worked for him during summer days doing errands at the young age of 12. And I usually called him “Genius”. He was a teacher, became a college dean, then became a college president, then now happily retired writing novels. Lately, I had learned, he graduated Magna Cum Laude in his bachelor. He is Dr. Santos Orobia.

At the onset of the morning until early hours of the night, I always heard the click-clack of the typewriter. I curiously asked him. “You are a teacher. Is this what the teacher does? TAK-TAK-TAK everyday?” He smiled and answered, “I don’t stop studying.” I was like, “Ah!” wondering. “He is a teacher and yet still studying.”

His line, “I don’t stop studying” became my fortress. I studied as much as I could. I incredibly acquired intelligence partly from my heredity and mostly from the environment. Challenges, hard work and perseverance helped me to nourish the intelligence I had. Continuous learning satisfied my crave to learn many things as much as possible. (See my related posts – Learning: A Perspective – what I had learned for 43 years of my life)

Survival – seeing my neighbor being well-off and I had none, I challenged myself to study a lot and find ways to survive. I remembered my teacher told me, “Ikaw ang batang maparaan.” ( I asked some waste bond papers from xerox centers and made them as my notebook.) Seeing the problem and giving them a brilliant solution adds up to intelligence just to survive in any cases.

Challenge – he became rich because of his hard work. I instilled hard work and passion in every tasks I had to do so that in the end, I will become rich. And I can testify, “that is true!” Hard work pays off.

Being Poor doesn’t mean you are Dumb – The economic family status became a ground to persevere and became wise. The situation forced me to handle works out of my league but, perhaps, the good thing was — it taught me to become wise.

Continual – after I learned a thing, I study a new thing. “I DON’T STOP LEARNING.” It made me bored when I just sit on my couch, sip a cup of coffee, watch film, then sleep. My life doesn’t make sense if I just it let become lousy.

Self-actualization and self-gratification as I can describe, is the peak of my success. I hate learning things and owning it my own. I need to share it to others. At least, I am imparting knowledge and becoming a responsible human being. The shares I made pushed me to get refresh again.

Without further ado, I therefore conclude, most intelligence can be acquired outside our biological aspect. The environment around you contributes massively to the development of your intelligence.

So don’t get dismay, as long as you can identify the correct colors, count until 100’s, name yourself, practically no brain damages – anyone can be intelligent – JUST KEEP ON LEARNING!

–rowenapraxEDS103

” I never knew how joyous life could be until I saw your face.
My heart leaps like a hummingbird in flight every time I see you.
This is something I have never felt before, and it is you that inspires it.”

Love Letter – there is a feeling of excitement upon hearing the postman, the softness of handling it upon touching your bare hands, smelling the sweet scent of roses even before opening it, printed in an old calligraphy style perhaps of Victorian Era, the curiosity on mysterious sender— Oh! What an indescribable feeling!

The same feeling when you have feedback! Feedback is a kind of love letter of both teacher and students, either way around. It can be a powerful tool to connect with students in a positive way and see them incorporate learning expectations into their own goals.

Feedback is not just an information the teacher needs to give to the students for the intention of improving the student’s learning approaches. It must be a two-way round.

THE FIRST ROUND – Teacher’s Feedback

In every teacher and student engagement, the teacher is perceived by the students as ALWAYS the Superior, the Leader, the Boss. The teacher’s feedback towards his students may result to affect their learning engagement – it maybe lightly or intensely. Some reacts to the feedback as lightly as a sort of a ‘’hint’’ only. Some even take it personal that seem to strike their ‘’ego’’. But some, positively consider it as a ‘’friendly’’ message.

Why the need of the teacher’s feedback?

The teacher in his daily routine has many tasks to do. Most teachers spend the majority of their time in the classroom or preparing for classroom activities. Even when they are outside the classroom, their tasks are described as an integral part of the job. Tasks, that sometimes so impossible to accomplish on target due dates. To mention, preparing the lesson plan, classroom preparation, teaching the lesson, grading students’ work, administration, personal attention to the student, interaction with parents and even coaching extra-curricular activities. To add more, preparing the assessments and feedbacks to students.

As a teacher, giving feedback to students can be an additional bulk of the workload. Is the payoff worth the immense effort? John Hattie noted that feedback is “one of the most powerful influences on learning and achievement”, so if the teacher likes to increase student achievement in his classroom, feedback can be the key to making it happen.

The teacher’s feedback gives an information to the student how he works out in the classroom activities, if he is improving or needs to focus on certain areas, which activity interest them, and among others. Simply implying,

The goal of feedback is to provide students with insight that helps them to improve their performance.

In pursuing the Formative Feedback, it will be effective on following grounds:

• Specific
  The teacher should be specific in his feedback. It should not be vague and confusing. It should give a crystal clear information for the students to set goals for themselves and learn become more independent learners.

• Positive
  Addressing a positive feedback give a great impact on the relationship to both parties. Keeping some feedback comments focused on things that your students are able to do well will give them confidence as learners as well as knowledge of what skills they can build on. But remember, compliment them not praise them.

• Immediate
  Feedback given during the learning experience can deepen students’ understanding and ensure they don’t reinforce incorrect ideas or habits. Immediate feedback show greater increases in performance and understanding compared to feedback the following day.
• specific outcomes
  When comments are targeted to the learning outcome goals shared at the start of a learning cycle, students can set clear expectations for themselves and participate in the discussion about improving the quality of their work.

• time to process and revise work
  Time for reflection helps students to incorporate feedback and consolidate their learning.  Students are even more willing to read feedback if there is NO grade assigned along with it!

SECOND ROUND – Student’s Feedback

It’s easy to assume you already know what students think about your class, how well they’re handling the workload, what activities they like the most. Yes, it’s possible you know best.

Why the need of the student’s feedback?

If you’ve never asked students for serious, honest feedback, you’re missing something. If you ask the right questions and give students the time and encouragement to supply quality answers, student feedback can benefit you in so many ways.

THE BENEFITS

1. Increasing Student Engagement: By finding out what learning activities students like the most and least about your class, you’ll get better at designing lessons that really engage them. if some methods of delivery are better received than others, then they’re likely to result in greater learning gains as well.

2. Preventive Discipline: Learning more about each student’s experience in your class can go a long way toward improving the relationship you have with them. And that can go a long way toward improving classroom management.

3. Differentiation: Grades and test scores don’t tell the whole story. A student who is getting excellent grades might be accomplishing that only with tremendous effort and hours of work at home. Conversely, a student who consistently turns in mediocre work might actually want more of a challenge. By asking students how well the work fits their abilities, you can adjust your instruction to better meet their needs.

FINALLY, ACT ON THE FEEDBACK.

Gathering information is useless if you do nothing with it. Here are some ways you can respond to student feedback:

• Talk. Then talk some more. Written feedback should be considered the first step. Once you’ve read the forms, follow up with individual students about their comments, and talk to the whole class about what you plan to do in response to what you learned. A few weeks later, check back with students to see if the changes are working for them.
• Look for patterns. A complaint from one student is worth noting. Do many students say they don’t like silent reading? Even if it’s something you want to keep doing, a whole-class discussion can help you figure out ways to improve it.
• Dig into the mysteries. Students may put cryptic things on their surveys that are just the tip of the iceberg. If there’s anything on the form you don’t understand, don’t brush it off. Pull the student aside and ask her about it.
• Solve the easy problems. One of the best things about getting this feedback is that it can alert you to a problem that’s easy to fix. If a student mentions that the draft from the window bothers her, just move her. There. You just made the rest of the school year better for that kid.
• Watch your ego. Reading even a little bit of negative feedback is no fun for anyone, so be aware that your first reaction to criticism will probably be defensive. That’s natural, but it won’t solve the problem. Remind yourself that the student took a risk by telling you, so take the problem seriously and resolve to calmly and constructively find ways to solve it.
• Notice the positives. If the criticisms are getting you down, go back through and notice all the good things students said — those things matter. Figure out what you’re doing right, then do more of it.

So, how’s the feeling again of reading the love letter?

https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/student-feedback/