Learning for Success or Success for Learning (EDS 103 #4)

I have mentioned this idea a few times in my previous discussions. Our parents made us attend school, learn, and ultimately become professionals and be successful in life. They believed that getting a degree equates “success” in their definition.

In grade and high school, my friends called me a “GC” or Grade Conscious. I wanted to be always the highest scorer, if not the perfect one. The grade was my ultimate goal in studying. Wanting to be on top of the class was essential to me because I knew it was important to my parents.

But all of these changed when I went to college. Our teachers challenged us not to memorize what was written in the books but explain things using our own words and apply these concepts into real experience or situation that we knew. I started to enjoy learning the daily lessons we had. Nonetheless, I still was able to get fair grades.

The only difference is that I can still remember more lessons I had back in college than the ones I memorized word for word in high school. Looking into this situation now, I realized that Cattel‘s theory of fluid and crystallized intelligence was playing a big part in my cognitive journey.

Grade School, High School, University

I am now having a heated discussion inside my head as I am trying to finish this e-journal. Maybe, my grade and high school learning prepared me to adjust to the college educational situation accordingly.

The good thing about the learning environment in undergraduate and undergraduate studies is that there is no specific right or wrong answer. The classroom was like a stage where everyone can perform and influence other people to also believe in what you deem right. It is a very different arena compared to grade school and high school learning environments.

But thinking about it now, this type of learning may not apply to kids. Remember Jean Piaget‘s various stages of cognitive development? How would it be like if children 5-7 years old will discuss how the primary colors red, blue, or yellow are better than the secondary colors green, violet, and orange? It may be a funny example, but the point I am making is that there is a reason why younger children are taught differently.

Beyond the Classrooms

But then again, what is the right or wrong way of teaching and learning? The environment plays a vital role in defining how children react to learning stimuli. I believe that there can never be one perfect intelligence theory that can apply to all.

I am sure everyone is still aware that schools had to close down in March due to the pandemic. However, since people naturally yearn for further knowledge and self-development, we learned to adapt to a new teaching and learning mode.

Within a few months, teachers and students had to learn and be adept with various system applications and technology. And people will always be able to adapt, as can be explained by Sternberg‘s theory of analytical, creative, and practical intelligence. A person’s cognitive success can be achieved through voluntary acclimatization and the shaping of the environment that is significant to our lives.

What Tomorrow May Bring

I believe that if another kind of global crisis happens, and I hope there will be none, education will once again be able to adjust and adapt. As long as there are things to learn, skills to acquire, or knowledge to pursue, people will always find some ways to get them.

Fourth post for EDS 103, October 2, 2020

Cramming is Real (EDS103 #3)

So I wasn’t able to plan my whole week to allocate time for all my school tasks accordingly. And now, I am still working on this e-Journal at 11 pm to ensure that I can submit it before midnight tonight.

After reading the module, materials, and thoughts of other students, I can say that I am learning my lessons well. I should manage my time better this coming week. Whatever the consequence of this cramming may be, there was one idea that got stuck in my mind about learning. It is after reading, “What is learning? A definition and discussion.” It talked about education as being a PRODUCT and a PROCESS. But what is learning actually?

Learning as a Product

Is learning a product that we can make as our possession, like buying a new car? This concept treats learning as something external or remote to the person. It may be too blunt to define the acquisition of knowledge only as a product. But in the real sense of it, we pay for our children’s education, don’t we?

We, as parents, understand the importance of structured and guided learning our kids get from schools. I don’t know how I can deal with my two kids if I have to provide homeschooling for them. That is why I have great respect for our modern-day teachers who are doing their best and trying to cope with the intricacies of technology.

Going back to my discussion, taking learning as a product is not so bad, after all. The challenge is how to instill in our kids’ minds that there is more beyond the texts and photos they see – that these things are mere constructs to guide them as they move forward in life.

Learning as a Process

Now this concept of learning gives more meaning to word learning. It defines learning as “an effect of experience on behavior.” More people would love to have this definition rather than the previous one. There is even a saying that goes, “Experience is the best teacher.”

This idea makes learning more personal. It means that even if we read the same books, its impact will not be the same between you and me. Because your past and present experiences that influence how you learn and understand things are different from mine.

Finally, there was this concept in the material that I read, which mentioned that “young brains are more flexible and make more new connections.” Now, this got me thinking. If this is the case, then what is more important to young kids then? Should they be exposed to structured learning at a very young age or more on exploratory type of education?

Maybe I will discuss more on these unanswered questions in the next posts. For now, I better get some sleep since I still have a parents’ meeting to attend tomorrow morning. Oh, and yes! I also need to prepare for the next modules for my classes. I don’t want to cram again next weekend.

References:

https://infed.org/learning-theory-models-product-and-process/

Learning Theory by M.K. Smith (1999)

CAN I? (EDS103 #2)

There was this particular air of excitement when I sent my application for the PTC program at the UPOU via LBC in the early part of 2020. Do you know that feeling that you feel goosebumps and your heart starts pounding like you are about to get the best news in your life? Maybe this thrill is because it has been more than a decade since I last enrolled in a university.

And now that the trimester has officially started and I have seen all the modules and activities I have to do each day, it has dawned on me that this is a serious matter. Reading all the discussions and comments from the 200+ students made me realize that what I know is just a drop of water in a bucket compared to these people.

Don’t get me wrong. I look at the situation as an opportunity to learn and grow. I have been in the same crowd for so many years that being with a diverse group of people is a breath of fresh air.

The first activity we had to do in one of the courses, aside from introducing ourselves, was to define what learning is. We didn’t have to look for its meaning in a dictionary, but it should be the first words that came into our minds. There were tons of impressive definitions given by other students, but here are the three that caught my attention (I wouldn’t divulge their names here for the privacy of identity).

1. Learning is Food

It is so simple, yet very meaningful on the way this student compared learning to food. Additionally, it is one of the best ways of saying that knowledge is an essential thing for our body, or mind, to grow and live. It made me think that we treat knowledge the same way as we treat our food.

It is just like when looking for a new book to read, if the title interests us, we pick it up. Then, we read the summary, which for me, just like smelling your “ulam” before having a taste. Next, we look at who the author is, the same way that we ask who cooked the food that we are about to it. Finally, if everything else falls in their proper places, we go and buy the book and read it as soon as we get home.

Since food is something we cannot live without, learning will be a “never-ending process” (another definition given by a different student). Seeking knowledge is something everyone does for the rest of our lives, even if we are unaware of it.

2. Trial and Error

I couldn’t agree more with this definition. For me, the best teacher in life is experience. If we fail, do it again, but this time, wearing the armor of what we have learned. The things experience teaches us cannot be found in any book. Each learning will be different for each person since we get to come across things in different time and situation. However, it all boils down to the same objective – knowledge.

3. Treasure

This idea I can never ignore. This reminds me of our late Mama. She used to say this to us, always! She said that education is the only treasure she could leave as her “pamana.” She also told us that education is a treasure that no one can take away from us. We can impart and share it, but nobody can take it and claim that as theirs.

So do you think I can survive this first trimester? I certainly hope so. Not because I want to brag about it, but because I want to get a glimpse of the discussion fora of new concepts and ideas in the next trimester. Although many ideas sometimes flood my brain that I do not know which one to digest first, it makes my mind feel 18 years old again, and I love the feeling!

Second post for EDS 103, September 22, 2020

My New Journey to Distance Learning (EDS103 #1)

Having an inquisitive mind is innate to human beings. It is natural for the human brain to learn new things every day. However, people tend to think that we can only learn from schools and universities. But during the declaration of Enhanced Community Quarantine in the Philippines, I realized that there are much more beyond the four walls of classrooms.

I have always wanted to enroll at UPOU and desired to go back to my alma mater. I first tried to apply in 2016, but the workloads I had back then prohibited me from completing the documentary requirements. But in January of 2020, when I decided to be a full-time nanay of two kids and wife of one man, I made sure that I’d complete all application requirements and do my best to be admitted. That is the reason why I got so excited when I got my UPOU acceptance email just two weeks ago.

However, when I started exploring the MyPortal page where all modules, activities, assignments, and course-related materials are posted, it daunted me that this is serious work. Distance learning is very different from traditional or online learning that my kids are doing right now via meeting apps.

At UPOU, you will need the following to succeed:

1. Time Management

I don’t know if it is just me or it is natural for people to procrastinate. I need now to veer away from the attitude of working on things only when the due is near. With my online work, being a full-time mom and housewife, helping our two kids with their online schooling, and taking care of a small business, I need to allocate my time accordingly. Oh! I need to do our family schedule now, quick!

2. Open-Mindedness

With hundreds of students with whom you can openly discuss ideas, it is very tempting to respond to all posts and comments you read, especially if it is something you disagree with. However, respecting the views and opinions of others is something everyone must practice under distance learning. One can politely say their piece without being disrespectful. It entails discipline and good manners to know when and where the boundaries of educational discussions must be kept.

3. Passion for Learning

Lastly, one’s love for learning should always be there. Being and remaining interested in new ideas, skills, knowledge is something you cannot teach a person. Crazy as it may seem, but after the UPOU orientation and reading what other students shared in the portal, I am already thinking of another course to take when I finish the PTC. Well, that is still months ahead. I better do my other assignments and online work first before thinking about it.

Good luck to me and all other UPOU students enrolled this trimester. It is a new journey, which I am so excited to tread along with nothing but positivity and hope that it can make me a better person and citizen.

My first post for EDS 103, September 20, 2020

Online Learning as Part of the New Normal

An Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) has been in effect in Luzon since March 15 to last until April 30 this year. However, today, April 24, the President of the Philippines extended the ECQ in Metro Manila and other “high-risk” areas nationwide, including our province of Rizal until May 15. And, according to Spox Harry Roque, the new normal is the General Community Quarantine (GCQ). It means that even if the government lifts the ECQ, we can still expect limited movements of people, especially for non-essential activities.

For parents like me who have active and growing kids who are required to stay at home during this time, we need to think of creative activities to keep up with their energy. Also, the ECQ extension made me think about solutions on how to make every hour count for our kids while at home. Thus, I decided to give alternative modes of learning a try.

For a work-from-home mom, this alternative mode means choosing one or a combination of tutoring, traditional, online, and home education, whatever we may deem most effective. However, I find online learning a bit more convenient and easy to use. If you are thinking of trying online learning for your kids, here are the other benefits, which might encourage you to do so:

Convenience and Comfort

Just the thought that I won’t have to prepare school uniforms and bags every morning makes me smile a lot. Kids will need to listen to lectures wearing comfortable clothes without having to face the daily commute, heavy traffic, and city pollution. Further, you won’t have to worry about your child sitting on an uncomfortable chair for hours. It also means that children can complete and submit assignments and activities electronically while being with the family.

However, parents need to ensure that there is a balance of school commitments and family time in this kind of setup. Also, kids must not be too comfortable that they would think that it is okay to join online video lessons in their pajamas. Proper decorum and etiquette must still be encouraged for our youngsters to observe.

Responsibility and Self-Motivation

Online teachers expect students to be more independent by learning on their own. Since a limited number of hours will be spent on actual lectures, children are supposed to devote more time to reading their lessons individually. Studying online encourages more self-motivation and time management; thus, making our kids more responsible. But, parents must always be there to give a little push when it seems like your kids’ learning interest is starting to dwindle.

Flexibility and Self-Paced Learning

One of the best things about online learning is that your kids can smoothly go back to topics which they had a difficult time understanding the first time. Asking teachers to repeat vague points during ongoing lectures is not that easy to do in a traditional classroom environment. But with the online method, you can help your kids work through all the lessons at their own pace. You can also make them fully understand a specific topic first before going to the next one.

Added Technical Skills

This one may not be something new since our children are just naturally born tech-savvy. However, online learning exposes our kids to many applications, aside from Facebook, TikTok, and You, that can improve their technical skills. Learning how to use online collaboration through Skype, zoom, Dropbox, google docs, and other learning management is necessary. Required group projects may need sharing files and status updates, which may necessitate the use of project management and online communication tools. Plus, you will also be able to get additional technical learning at the same time that your kids are learning them.

My kids started to use Lumosity for additional learning activities.

Whatever you may choose for your kid’s education when ECQ is still in effect, the most important thing is that we, as parents, are always there to guide our children. Proper supervision, support, and of course, a lot of love and compassion are very much needed in this time of altered normalcy.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Luzon_enhanced_community_quarantine

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1096614

https://elearningindustry.com/5-advantages-of-online-learning-education-without-leaving-home

https://oedb.org/ilibrarian/10-advantages-to-taking-online-classes/http://online.illinois.edu/articles/online-learning/item/2017/06/05/5-benefits-of-studying-online-(vs.-face-to-face-classroom)

BSB, Dynamite D, and Hubby

I have always been an avid fan of Backstreet Boys since college. I was living in Florida when they released their first album “Backstreet Boys” with the two first singles We’ve Got It Goin’ On in 1995 and Get Down in 1996. No one will argue if I say that Nick Carter is just my ultimate crush (though my hubby likes Kevin more).

I totally missed their “In a World Like This Tour” concert at the Mall of Asia Arena in 2015, considering that our office back then was located at the PICC in Pasay City! Thus, when I heard that my beloved BSB would be having their DNA concert in 2019, I made sure that I was fully ready.

When the ticket reservation for the 2019 BSB DNA concert opened on April 28, at precisely 12:00 noon, I was already in front of my laptop with my credit card at hand. No one could stop me from getting those VIP tickets now!

These boys looked like they were really happy that I was able to successfully reserve my tickets on April 28, 2019, at exactly 1:59 p.m.

I wouldn’t let this chance slip away. I immediately went to SM on May 4, 2019, to pay for and claim my precious tickets. Hubby was busy with something else, so even without a companion, I bravely swiped my Citibank card just to be able to see these five pretty boys.

And now, all I could do is wait for October 28 to come.

October 28 came, and the long wait was over! Being a Monday, I had to report for work at the earliest possible time to be able to leave early. Of course, I wouldn’t want to be late for Nick!

I clocked out at 2:00 p.m., and of course, I wouldn’t go see Nick Carter looking like an office girl. Time for an outfit change now.

Hubby and I came early at the MOA Arena. We decided to grab some of our favorite Auntie Anne’s cinnamon nuggets and a cup of mojito for each one of us first. People were already lining up to get inside the concert venue. We decided to take some pictures before going inside the hall.

8:00 p.m. arrives, I could feel the thrill inside the concert hall, and when BSB came out, I couldn’t help but scream! I have waited for this moment for so long, and when it finally arrived, the boys didn’t disappoint. I had the most fabulous time ever! We didn’t even get to use the chair since my husband and I were standing, singing, and screaming the whole time (or was it only me?)

The Boys sang a total of 33 songs, starting off with a Black and Blue track “Everyone.” Even if I didn’t know the whole lyrics, I just belted out the words I knew. The first DNA track they sang was Nobody Else. Although they didn’t sing all songs in full during the concert, I still enjoyed singing along with everybody else present.

To cap off the night, we bumped into Dynamite Danny Siegle at the parking lot’s elevator. It was a superb night. BSB, Dynamite Danny, plus the hubby as my escort, I just couldn’t ask for more.

EMBRACING THE PRESENT

November has just begun, but blessings have already started pouring down on me. I believe that this November is my luckiest month for 2019. Not only it is my birth month, but in less than two weeks, I have already received five blessings.

November 4, 2019

Full-Day at Home: It was my first day of being a professional stay-and-work-at-home mom. I was able to make two articles, which I posted on my first blog site created the following day. The first time that I felt complete satisfaction in doing what I love to do – write. But this time, I wrote things which matter to me, which did not feel as tasks at all. It was also the day when our youngest daughter showed her complete excitement, learning that I would be there to see them off to school and would be waiting for them when they come home. No amount of money could ever replace those sweet smiles.

November 6, 2019

First Day of “Work-at-Home” Job: It is the day I got my first “work-at-home” freelance writing job. I want to share a part of the message I received about it. 

“Okay! First of all, Welcome to the team. You are my 24th writer, and I am looking forward to working with you… If you don’t have a BPI account, please state the name of the bank and your account number. Moving on, our payments are every 15th and last day of the month. Cutoffs are 10th and 25th. I sometimes pay my writers earlier to avoid bank downtime due to congestion…”

November 8, 2019

Felt all the Love: It had been a few days since I went on leave from work. This day was my first time to drop by the office to sort some papers. Seeing my colleagues gave me this feeling of joyfulness and familiarity. But what surprised me was the sincere smiles and the warm hugs they gave me after a few days of not seeing me at work. I never thought that seeing and talking to them would give me this feeling of contentment and belongingness.

November 11, 2019 (8:30 a.m.)

Father of Philippine Documentary Films. Even in heaven, our late Papa Bining still gave us something to be proud of. The Municipality of Rodriguez (Montalban) gave a posthumous award to our father, Benedicto Pinga, as the Father of Philippine Documentary Films. It had always been his dream, to be recognized for what he loved to do – filmmaking. We can never be more proud to carry the “Pinga” name.

November 11, 2019 (11:00 a.m.)

Smart Spellers: My two girls, together with their Grade 3 teammate, got a perfect score in the Spelling Quiz Bee joined by 20 different private schools in Rodriguez, Rizal, and actually won! I didn’t expect them to know how to spell the word “boutonniere” when I don’t even know what it means. They will be representing Montalban in the Rizal Private Schools Association spelling contest this November 13.

I can never thank the Lord enough for looking after my family and me every day. I don’t know what good act I have done to deserve these blessings. It humbles me to know that a simple Nanay like me would be able to experience all this happiness and love.

New Beginnings

New Things Scare Us

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.

— Oscar Wilde.

This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.

My New Nook

These past few days, people have been asking me why I would be quitting my job. And I have been answering the same things over and over again to different persons. I know you have experienced the same at least once in your life wherein you thought you should have just recorded one of your previous conversations and then play and replay the recording to all the other persons who would be asking it again.

Though I cannot blame them, my resignation letter came as a surprise to almost everyone, except myself. I have been coming to the Office every day, Mondays through Fridays, and there were times even on weekends and Holidays, staying and working from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., and at times up to 9:30 p.m., which is basically more than 12 hours a day. I have been spending more time at the office than at home, which after giving it some thought, I came to realize that it isn’t healthy anymore!

I became aware that I am working for my family and that I should know my priorities. And it hit me! I asked myself, “What do I really want in life? Is it money? Is it the position?” With family on the first in my list, I told myself, I have to do something now; otherwise, I would be stuck in this “grind” for a really long time and then find out that it is all a little too late.

That is when I decided to put my job on hold, take a leave of absence, and submit my letter of resignation. I have to set my priorities straight right at that moment. People would be saying, “Don’t do that, sayang”. But I do not see my decision as a waste. It actually is a “new” opportunity for me to explore the other things I can do beyond office-works. I have been working in the government since 1998. I haven’t tried anything else aside from government service in the past 21 years. This is the first time that I will not be considered as an “office girl.” Maybe that is what they consider as “sayang”… the 21 years I have worked for as a public servant.

But I have no regret at all. When a person embarks on a new career path, people always have this look on their faces, which says, “You sure you can do that?” It is human nature, to have doubts when something new is about to happen, new things scare most of us. And it did scare me a bit for a while, giving up on my monthly fixed salary and allowances and facing each day not knowing if I will have extra money and income or not. But I looked beyond these material things. I focused on my goal, which is to spend more quality time with my kids and make sure that I will be there all the time they would need me, not to hover but to be just available.

This made it all easier for me, thinking about my kids and their future. Being able to contribute even just a little for them to grow up as good persons and obedient Filipino citizens means so much more than the bonuses I have received my entire 21 working years. And that my friends, erases all fears and puts a smile on my face, knowing that I made the right decision, not just for me but for my entire family.

Who am I?

I get tired, too

Hi everyone! Pilar Pinga Cruz here, or Nanay Ping would be better. This is my first blog site. In short, I am a newbie! I am a mother of two pretty kids and a happy wife, I may say. I have just shifted career, from being a full-time working girl to a full-time wifey and mom. This is my second day, to be exact, not being caught in the daily hustle and bustle of the corporate world, and I am, in fact, enjoying it. Well, let’s give it some more time, shall we?

I am hoping that this blog site, aside from looking as if it is my own personal journal, will connect with all women out there who have been doubting themselves in any way possible, be it in a career, family, or personally. I am no expert; I am no psychiatrist; I am just an ordinary woman, experiencing the same things all other women are experiencing. And this what makes it more fun, knowing that more others would be able to understand and possibly share the same thoughts and emotions.

And who knows? This blog site might be able to help me as I go along this new path of staying and working at home, through all the strong and beautiful women out there who are willing and ready to move along this journey with me.

Happy reading and sharing!

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