Sunday, June 30, 2013

Manila Ocean Park


When my family woke up, I ate some breakfast and we went to Kids Inn and after that we went to (Manila) Ocean Park with kuya JC. First, we went to the Sea Lion Show. Second, we went to Oceanary with lots of fish. Third, we went to the Fish Spa. Fourth, we went to the Antartica with lots of penguins. Fifth, we went to the slide and snow then we went to the Penguin Talk show. Then we travelled all the way home.

Thanks Tito Remir and Tita Bles for the free tickets!

Friday, June 28, 2013

Ang Kartograpo

For our lesson in map-making, Zek was asked to choose two places and make a complete road map with legends. He chose Malolos City to Paranaque City, his most frequented places in the past months. After scribbling for around 15 minutes, the result was really great with full of details.


Eskala

Everytime Zek makes an honest and open remark about his lessons, it never fails to put a smile on our face. 

Below is a sample when the book asked him to make a face to show his feeling about the "kahalagahan ng paggamit ng eskala" and his answer was straight-faced expression and the remark " nahihirapan ako sa panggamit ng eskala" (I find it difficult to use the scale).

Honesty is the best policy.
Always :)

Friday, June 14, 2013

CFA - Anointing Day 2013


Yesterday morning, I went to church to listen to the priest. Then after the church, I ate my snacks before I played Bingo, Chess and Monopoly with my classmates. Then, we went to Reyes Bangus for lunch. Then, we went to Toyota Alabang. I watched Transformers and Iron Man, then we went to Tita Shirley's house. I played with kuya Gelo and kuya Pao then we all go home.

Last Friday June 14, the Catholic Filipino Academy held its Anointing Day to usher in the new school year. And as early as 8:30 am, excited kids and their equally excited parent-teachers flocked to the Chapel of the Lay Formation Center in San Carlos Seminary, Guadalupe, Makati, bringing with them their snacks, creative name tags, art materials, game boards.

At 9:00am, the holy mass started where the parents and their student-kids were prayed over and re-committed themselves to the principles of homeschooling. Bro. Bo Sanchez gave a short inspirational talk and introduced this year’s set of administrators and parent-coaches for each grade level. A hearty potluck snacks followed before the different group activities started.

Students of kinder up to Grade 2 were treated to an art lesson activity.  Grades 3 up to Grade 6 enjoyed each other with all the board-games they can join into. The high-schoolers, on the other hand, underwent a separate but short lecture. Special gifts were also handed outs to those who came with their creative name tags. On the sidelines, the parents had group sharing, welcoming the first-timers and sharing their joys and challenges of homeschooling.

The past days have seen cloudy skies with heavy downpours brought by the tail-end of typhoon. But that has failed to dampen the high-spirits of the parents and children who participated on that day and who look forward to another fruitful, love-filled learning experience with each others.


Truly, it was an anointed day from above. - Daddy Rowin

Thursday, June 13, 2013

4th Grade - Homeschool Made


by Mom Menchie

In preparation for this school year, we put a sticker chalk mat on one side of our wall to serve as our board lesson. It was divided into two parts. The upper part is being used for our math equations or other subjects while the lower part is for the imagination-unlimited scribbles of Aim, our two year-old son. This keeps him busy so Zek, our incoming fourth-grader, can focus on his lessons. Unavoidable as it may, Zek’s interruptions becomes productive as well since he engages himself in making drawings for his brother’s entertainment,  just like some figures on his coloring books.  

In addition to, Zek really loves his LEGOs since he was a toddler so we prepared his Lego Star Wars theme this year by printing out his book tags and his Journal book with lego mini figure pages that he can draw on to his favorite famous series lego characters whenever he needs a timeout (for his event story-writing to be transferred in his e-journal posting http://readyaimzek.blogspot.com/ ).

At the beginning of each week, we sing the national anthem – Lupang Hinirang on Mondays and we follow it with morning calisthenics and a hearty fruit, rice and choco-drink breakfast. Then we give Zek the printed worksheets of LEGO math, practice for reading comprehensions and spelling from http://www.superteacherworksheets.com before we slowly introduce him again the formal CFA textbooks. Admittedly, Zek gets easily bored and his focus has been our main concern ever since so we have to stay away from the books as much as possible and put the daily lessons into some other materials just to make them “attractive” or else it will be a whole day of struggle and mind setting mood for us.

Homeschooling our eldest son for 4 years in CFA now is really not an easy task with all the challenges and even emotionally-draining dramas in some occasions. We almost gave up the past two years, even requesting for recommendation letter with certification of good moral character, in our attempts to enroll Zek into one of the traditional schools. But we still end up with homeschooling upon realizing that this is still the BEST SCHOOL for him after all and that with more patience and creativity from me and my husband as parents-teachers, his learning environment and pattern will be better. The most important for us is that our family is learning and growing in love as we spend priceless time together, which traditional schools will simply “robbed” away from us. 

May this year be a more fruitful learning one for all of us. More than following the academic standards and lesson plans, we do need to follow our own children’s path of learning and to make our Lord as the great teacher who will lead us and guide us according to His divine will. 

God bless us all.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Stella Maris


We go to Kid's Inn and I practice with my friends. Then we all enter the first mass and pray and sing a lot of songs. There were 4 priests. After the mass, we eat some adobo and rest for 5 minutes. Then we start to sing again in the second mass and there is only 1 priest. After the mass, we all go home.

(Rowin: Last June 8 was the nationwide simultaneous consecration of the Filipino people to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It was a con-celebrated mass at Edsa Shrine and the Kid's Inn Choir in which Zek is an active member since last year was given the honor to sing during the mass. The render their newly-learnt song "Stella Maris" during the communion song)

7 Reminders for the New School Year

As a professor and educational psychologist, I am asked the same questions every year. I have also observed patterns in behavior. Here are a few reminders to parents, teachers and students. (See also “Eureka!”)

1. Hard work is good, but it is not the only factor.

Hard work is important and, in most cases, the simple solution to a problem. I believe in hard work. But if your kid has spent hours on a subject for an examination and still cannot accomplish what other kids can do in less time, please spare your children further frustration.

Children are not born equal.  Some are brighter, others are slower. Genetics is not fair, same with intelligence.

Parents, try to appreciate your child’s strengths and remedy his/her weaknesses. Do not add to your kid’s misery by demanding that he/she  become like other children.

2. School is not the be-all and end-all.
Some parents desperately want their kids to get into “brand schools.” By hook or by crook, they send their kids to a  particular school because so and so endorses it  or it is   a status symbol. Never mind the distance or the cost.

Sadly, many of these schools, like designer bags, are a facade. Or, worse, fake! The content is more important than the bag. An exorbitant price does not always translate to excellence.

Being with rich kids all the time is not the best kind of education. We do not want kids to become spoiled brats—
narcissistic, entitled and unaware of the larger and harsher world.

Exposing kids to peers from different social economic strata will teach them respect, tolerance, gratitude and compassion.

The school can never replace the family nor substitute for the parents. Irresponsible parents cannot expect a responsible school to do what they should be doing. The school is not a rehabilitation center. Character formation starts at home.

3. Teachers are not supposed to be tyrants but neither are they slaves.

A survey asked kids who had just started school whom they feared most. The answer was “teachers.” More than monsters or ghosts, kids feared teachers. Yes, teachers—even the best ones—are not usually appreciated.

But serious teachers do not have to be tyrants, scaring off students by abusing their authority. Neither should they be slaves, constantly and blindly following fads and whims dictated by administrators and parents.

As one teacher in a very expensive school said, “We are not the glamorized yaya of these rich kids.”

Parents should not ingratiate themselves with their child’s teachers and should not look down on teachers, even if they are younger or poorer.

Teachers should maintain professional distance, have self-respect and carry the integrity of the profession.
As for principals, you should realize that teachers, who are your best assets, have a clear job to do. Love them and keep them!

4. Prevention is always better than cure.

Class management and home management mean setting rules and communicating them well. It is always best to set limits first to prevent problems later. Rules have to be clear, reasonable and enforceable. Principles are few; foremost are respect and responsibility. If these two are instilled in students, we can expect an easier, lighter load as teachers and parents.

Prevention means preparation. Anticipate problems. Be proactive. Begin with the end in mind. Many failures in schools—of teachers and students—stem from overconfidence and laziness that make one believe he/she can bluff through an exam or a lecture.

Parents should nip in the bud mischief or bullying behavior the moment they see it.  Denying, prolonging or defending it will make it worse.

5. Consequences are required for students, teachers and parents.
In a country or a school that does not do a very good job of enforcing rules and demanding consequences, citizens and constituents are wary of rules and become experts in finding excuses.

Behaviors are shaped by consequences. Many of our best professors, even at state universities, are not reprimanded nor penalized for their absences or for not submitting grades on time, if at all.

I am dismayed at teachers who grant extensions to students unable to beat the deadline. This encourages students not to take their professors seriously and to procrastinate, cram, deceive, cheat or find an alibi for irresponsible behavior. 

Parents who write false excuse slips should also be ashamed of themselves.

6. Learning is its best motivation.

Parents often ask if it is OK to reward kids with material things. My answer? No. Extrinsic rewards are short-lived, not universally appreciated, can become manipulative and may stifle real learning.

Learning is intrinsically motivating if it arouses curiosity, is novel, shows progress, encourages mastery, and widens one’s view. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi teaches about “flow” when, in doing something, one loses one’s sense of time and space.

This happens when our optimal skills match optimal tasks, so that our attention is fully invested and our skills fully utilized. We can see immediate feedback and feel in us the “flow” of being in the zone.

Problems happen when a task is either too easy for someone with higher skills or too hard for one with lower skills. 

One becomes bored in the former case and anxious in the latter. When one loves learning for its own sake, the goal is to learn, not just to get good grades.

I encourage parents to “buy experiences rather than material things.” Traveling, not a branded bag, facilitates further learning.

7. Buy books, not notebooks.

Two weeks before school opening, television news is all about buying notebooks and uniforms! If the station uses last year’s footage, no one will know the difference. Does education boil down to notebooks and uniforms?

People now go to bookstores to buy anything but books.  When I see a book I’ve purchased abroad in a local bookstore or book fair, I excitedly inform my students.  But they complain that books are expensive. Yet they spend money on fancy stationery or expensive gadgets.

Students and teachers who do not read should not be in schools and universities. I am appalled by the lack of reading among my students who are training to be teachers. And if they do read, their sources and titles (if they do remember) are way below what are expected of scholars.

There is a  saying: “Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” What are our students reading? Where and with what do they spend time building and using their minds?

I endorse the Great Book Approach. This movement, found in many great universities, requires a student to read at least five to 10 of the best literature (from a list drawn by the General Education or Liberal Arts program) to be eligible for graduation.

On the first day of several of my classes—all graduate level—I ask my students to list down the books they have read. If they cannot come up with 10, the assignment for the next meeting is to list down what they will read in the next three to four years. This is my advocacy.

There is no excuse for knowledge workers not to read considering that many books are now in public domain and downloadable. If only they know how to make better use of their gadgets!


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Monday, June 10, 2013

How to focus while studying

By 


 67 160 72
This school year, resolve to focus on what you are learning.  Neither intelligence nor talent ensures school success. Focus, concentration and perseverance are essential.

1. Start fresh. If you are tired or stressed, you will not accomplish much. Take a nap (for 20-30 minutes), have a snack or deal with personal problems first. Learn to distinguish between what is important and what is not.

2. Avoid procrastination.  Students tend to postpone studying by busying themselves with other things. Make sure you have everything you need.  If you have to interrupt your studies often to get something, then you will not be as productive.
Are the books you need at hand? How about notes, paper, calculator? By all means, sharpen the pencil before doing mathematics exercises, but going to the bookstore to buy a plastic cover for the science book is not a wise way to spend your time, especially if your homework is due the next day.

3. Prepare a study schedule. Think about what, when and where you are going to study. Research shows that a regular time and place psychologically prepare students for learning. Choose a quiet place, with few or no distractions, and stick to a schedule as regularly as possible. Ensure that there is enough light in the study area to avoid eye strain and headaches.

If your home has too many distractions, then study in the library. Students seldom use the library for research these days, but it is still the ideal place to gather your thoughts and focus your efforts.

If studying is not going the way you want, do not shout or snap at people who make noise. Politely ask them to tone down and/or tell them you need to focus for a difficult test. If you still cannot have the peace and quiet you need (especially if you are  in the dormitory or student activity center), then go to the library.

4. Coordinate schedules with family and friends. Inform them of your study schedule and ask if they have anything planned during those times. This way you will not miss significant gatherings. Remember that family demands come first.

A study schedule also makes it easier to minimize distractions. If a friend tweets or texts you, reply to the message later. If you have already planned a study session, say from
4-8 p.m., then tell your friends not to disturb you during that time. It will be easier to stick to your resolve and to ignore their invitations to chat.

5. Minimize distractions, especially electronic ones. Turn off cell phones, computers, television, radio and other gadgets for a couple of hours. Do not check your Facebook or Twitter account. You will not be missing much if you log off for a time. Eliminating temptation is much easier than resisting it.

Research has also shown that multitasking does not work. If you try tackling many things simultaneously (typing a paper, watching television, chatting with friends), the quality of every single task is adversely affected. Be honest: If you have six or more windows open on the computer at any one time, even if they are for research purposes, how much concentration can you really devote to the paper you are writing?

6. Focus on the most complex subject first. It is not practical to study five or more subjects every day because there is simply not enough time and you do not have enough energy to do so. Choose the subject you find most difficult and concentrate on that first. You have more energy when you begin and you need more effort on the most challenging topic.

Some students find math the hardest and prefer to answer exercises while they are at their most productive. Other students find essay writing the most taxing and prefer to expend the most energy at this task. Still others instinctively shy away from memorization. But for certain subjects, this is still essential, so it would be wise to start study time by doing mnemonics or even oral memorization when you can still focus.

7. Study smart.  When going through the lesson, ask yourself: What are the most fundamental parts? Which are the most important points?  What questions may be expected? This will help you focus on the essentials (need-to-know) vis-à-vis the peripherals (good-to-know) and keeps you on track.

Underline key words and phrases. Do not be afraid to mark your books—if you are finicky, write notes on Post-it sheets and attach them to corresponding pages.

If you have no idea how to structure your study session, you will most likely go through the entire lesson over and over, again and again, in a vain effort to grasp as much as possible, all the while feeling more anxious and frustrated. Many students complain that they study for hours, only to flunk the test.  While they study hard, they do not study smart.

8. Prioritize studies over extracurricular activities. Unless you are confident you can juggle everything, do not run for the Student Council, devote hours to varsity, plan a money-making venture for your club, while loaded with 18 units a semester.

Extracurriculars are important and help make student life memorable, but academics is still top priority. You may be the most valuable player in basketball or football, but if you do not focus on your studies, you may not be able to stay in school long enough to represent it in tournaments of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.


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Getting Ready for Grade 4

We just got our books yesterday and we are excited to do our lessons again, learning together for our 5th year of formal homeschooling with Catholic Filipino Academy http://catholicfilipinoacademy.com/ . I am so blessed to do this with my husband ever since for it is not easy, its getting harder every year. We pray that our children be responsive to our teachings and that we may be always guided by our God. Have FUN to all and enjoy homeschooling. May the Holy Spirit be with us all!