Back to School Safety Tips for Drivers (and a Good Reminder for Passengers as Well!)

PANUGYAN SA MGA MOTORISTA!

As schools re-open for face-to-face classes, our roads and streets will no doubt be filled with more vehicles and pedestrians than they've been over the past two and a half years. 

Many of these will be children and parents who will be adjusting to navigating our streets. Also, with the increase in the price of almost all basic necessities, it will not be surprising if more children and adults will choose to bike or walk to school or their places of work.

As more road power bears more responsibility, drivers of motorized vehicles should keep the safety of our children their top priority.

Here are helpful tips to keep in mind:

1. DRIVE SLOW. Hinay-hinay lang.

Keep speed limits to 30kph. When within school and residential zones, turn this speed limit down to 20kph. This helps to ensure that you will have time to come to a full stop and avoid road crashes in case a child unexpectedly crosses the street.

2. LET PEDESTRIANS CROSS FIRST. Paunaha ang nagatabok.

When approaching a pedestrian lane (and especially if there are no traffic lights or traffic enforcers) and pedestrians are attempting to cross, slow down and come to a full stop before the crossing. Always give priority to vulnerable road users like PWDs, pregnant women, elderly, active mobility users, and those with children.

3. GIVE PRIORITY TO BIKE USERS. Paunaha ang naga-bisikleta.

Unfortunately, many schools have yet to provide proper spaces for pick up and drop off of students. If you absolutely need to pick up or drop off passengers on the side of the road, please be mindful of bike and active transport (EKS, skateboard, etc.) users on the bike lanes. Let them pass through and do not encroach on this space.

4. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD. Mata sa karsada.

RA 10913 or the Anti-Distracted Driving Act (ADDA) is a law that prohibits a person who is driving a motor vehicle from holding and using mobile communication devices and electronic entertainment gadgets. It only takes a split second of distraction for a road crash to happen. Do not risk it.

5. BE PATIENT. Kalmahi.

This reminder is for both drivers and passengers! Traffic will be worse than usual. Please be more patient than usual, too. Pedestrians, active transport users, and drivers/passengers of slow-moving vehicles are just trying to get to their destination in the same way that you are. Please be more patient in dealing with them. Heightened emotions will often lead to poor decisions, which often lead to road crashes. Take slow, deep breaths when you are starting to feel agitated on the road.

These are all basic rules of the road, but it is always worth reminding motorists just how much responsibility they have in ensuring our streets are safe enough for children and other vulnerable road users.

Ang mas may kabaskog sa karsada, dapat mas dako ang kabalaka.

Ano pa gid ang mga safety tips FOR DRIVERS nga luyag niyo idugang? Comment lang sa dalom!

Halong gid pirmi, mga ka-iBIKERS!

#MovePeopleNotCars

#BetterByBicycle

#ActiveMobility

Mga Pwede Ubrahon Sa Balay

This project is in collaboration with Aklat Alamid. I'm so excited to see my first storybook collaboration with them, hopefully in time for National Children's Month this year!

(Text by Early Sol Gadong; Art by Ara Villena; Layout by Eric Nebran)

The Pedagogy of the New Normal

An On-going Conversation on

The Pedagogy of the New Normal

Jonevee Amparo, Early Sol Gadong, Jessie Labiste Jr., Donne Jone Sodusta

Div. of Professional Education - UPHSI, College of Arts and Sciences

UP Visayas

The Germ of an Idea

Many, if not all, of us were caught by surprise when the enhanced community lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic was put in place in March 2020 --- first in the nation’s capital, and then the whole of Luzon. Iloilo City and the Province of Iloilo, where two of the three campuses of UP Visayas are located, soon followed. 

A lot of questions have been raised since, particularly those in the context of our role as an academic institution.

Our team has decided to initiate this conversation to help us move forward and fulfill the Prof. Ed.’s mission to set the pace and standards for teacher education in the region.

Through a series of interactive webinars, these conversations aim to create a framework for the Pedagogy of the New Normal by exploring current or emerging educational and pedagogical assumptions, approaches, and assessment schemes. 

Using a bottom-up approach, we expect the framework to be inclusive and evolving by integrating the experiences of different stakeholders from different contexts.

What Do We Talk About?

Participants in the webinar are engaged to:

Ø reflect on the educational and pedagogical assumptions, approaches, and assessment schemes before the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ);

Ø explore the current or emerging educational and pedagogical assumptions, approaches, and assessment schemes during and after the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ); and

Ø articulate personal or professional thoughts and practices that one thinks need to stop, start, continue, or tweak given our recent collective experience.

After a brief talk on the proposed analytical framework, participants are then asked to fill up a template that aims to generate ideas in further developing the tentative framework.

Assumptions		Remarks
The Old Normal (Before April 2020)	The New Normal (April 2020 and beyond)	Reasons/ Observations/ Sources of Your Opinion
The purpose of education and pedagogy was…	The purpose of education and pedagogy will now be…
The teacher’s role was…	The teacher’s role will now be…
The learners were viewed was…	The learners were viewed will be…
The values that education and pedagogy will were focused on before were…	The values that education and pedagogy will be focused on now will be…

Approaches		Remarks
The Old Normal (Before April 2020)	The New Normal (April 2020 and beyond)	Reasons/ Observations/ Sources of Your Opinion
Teaching happened when…	Teaching now happens when…
Learning happened when…	Learning could now happen when…
The place where teaching and learning happens was…	The place where teaching and learning now happens is…
The most useful tools and resources for teaching were…	The most useful tools and resources for teaching now are…

Assessment		Remarks
The Old Normal (Before April 2020)	The New Normal (April 2020 and beyond)	Reasons/ Observations/ Sources of Your Opinion
Learning was assessed by…	Learning is now assessed by…
The means of learning assessment that teachers used were…	The means of learning assessment that teachers will now use are…
The most important consideration or aspect that teachers need to consider when conducting assessment were…	The most important consideration or aspect that teachers need to consider when conducting assessment are now…
What assessment valued were…	What assessment now values are…

The Conversation, So Far

Two initial runs of the webinar have been conducted in the past week.

The first one was held with a number of teachers from the UP High School in Iloilo (20 April 2020). Interestingly, the open forum and workshop part of the webinar became a venue for faculty members to express their difficulties during this crisis, and their willingness to be involved also in addressing educational issues.

The second run of the webinar was participated in by mid-level faculty administrators from UPV (24 April 2020).

Participants’ concerns included the following:

l feasible grading requirements and assessment methods;

l additional requirements to be complied with during the ECQ; and

l safety and mental health.  

Both sessions revealed an inconvenient truth: many of us are still trying to manage current problems using the mindset from the Old Normal, and are therefore mentally and psychologically unprepared to handle the situations that we are faced with in the New Normal.

The Conversation Continues

Research show that the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic manifest in many aspects of our lives. Yet there is a nagging feeling that learning institutions expect us to come back and resume regular learning experiences as if nothing overwhelming has happened and continue happening to us.

Many eyes are on the University of the Philippines as state universities and colleges, as well as other higher education institutions, await the adjustments nad policies that we will be setting in response to what is happening.

In particular, UP Visayas should be taking the lead in shaping the state of education in Western Visayas and beyond.

As such, future conversations aim to answer the following questions, and more:

Are schools now ready to think and plan for the New Normal? What aspects of the Old Normal would be difficult for us to let go as an academic community? Should we insist on reaching the remaining goals imposed by the Old Normal today, despite our current conditions? If so, how?

Power UP! stint

Prof. Early Sol A. Gadong of UP High School in Iloilo (UPHSI) and graduate faculty of the Division of Professional Education emphasized the need to understand the nature of 21st century learners in the classroom to ultimately make these learners learn during her session in Contextualizing Learning and Instruction for the 2019 In-Service Training for Teachers, dubbbed as POWER UP, of Cawayan National High School, Carles, Iloilo, May 28 - 30, 2019.

POWER UP is the public service program of the Division of Professional Education, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas.

Taking the Reins for TECH-KNOW-KASYON 2016

This year, I was assigned as Chairperson for TECH-KNOW-KASYON 2016. 

TECH-KNOW-KASYON is a lecture-forum spearheaded by the Division of Professional Education - UPHSI of UP Visayas.

It will be held on Wednesday, 24 February 2016, at the Graduate and Continuing Education Building (GCEB) Training Rooms, UP Visayas, Iloilo City.

In this whole-day event a total of 12 speakers will talk on various topics on the theme "The Use of Technology in Spreading Knowledge and Improving the Quality of Education for the K to 12 Curriculum."

Expanding last year's event, there will be parallel sessions this year: (1) Science and Mathematics and (2) Communication Arts and Social Studies.

Session A1 - Training Room 1

1.  A Model of Integrating Form and Function in Teaching Grammar in the English K-12 Curriculum – Prof. Ma. Joji Tan

2.  El Fili bilang Panganinawan ng Lipunan: Paglapit at Paglapat ng Teksto batay sa Disenyong OBTL sa K+12 na Kurikulum – Prof. Joel Labos

3.  Let’s Be SMARTER Than This: Towards Value-Added Assessment for Learning and Active Democracy in Philippines K-12 Social Studies – Prof. Donne Jone Sodusta

Moderator: Ms. Aileen Chong

1.  Students’ Conceptual Difficulties in Algebra – Prof. Giabelle Saldaña

2.  Physics’ Goals and Students’ Individualized Learning Plan – Prof. Raphael Belleza

3.  The Tinubok: Using Old Technology to Contextualize Mathematics Instruction – Ms. Aprilyn Seidel

Moderator: Prof. Anelyn Yabillo 

1.  Internet Addiction: A Challenge to K to 12 Learners – Prof. Leopoldo Ayukil III

2.  Epic Measures: The Use of Local Lore to Teach and Learn Measurement in the K to 12 Curriculum – Prof. Early Sol Gadong

3.  Teachers’ Experiences and Trainings to Handle Bullying Cases in the Grades V to X of Iloilo City – Prof. Giabelle Saldaña

Moderator: Ms. Trina Duremdes

1.  Making Connections: Iloilo City as a Museum – Mr. Rene Trance

2.  Playing the Play: Teacher and Students Interact World Drama – Prof. Alfredo Diaz

3.  Asug bilang Oralidad, Birhen bilang Sulat – Prof. John Barrios, Ph. D.

Moderator: Prof. Evelyn Alobba

Prof. Celia Parcon, Chair of the Division of Professional Education, will open the event with a Keynote Address while Prof. Lourdes Zamora will share a Plenary Talk on "Teacher Education Support for K to 12 Implementation."

E-Learning in My Biostatistics Class

E-Learning in My Biostatistics Class

By: Early Sol A. Gadong

When I look back to my “favorite teachers,” a common denominator that they have is that they all taught me in ways that benefitted my future undertakings, whether in my chosen career as an educator, or in life in general. I believe that if my 31 year old self came back to the short, spunky student that I was 20, 15, or 10 years ago, I’d probably tell past-me, “Pay attention. You will use this in real life.”

This is one of my motivations for incorporating e-learning in my biostatistics class last semester with my UP Visayas Public Health students. I imagined them as medical professionals, researchers, teachers, or even actors[1] a decade or so in the future and I’d like for them to think back to a time in 2014 when they took up PH 141 Lab and say, “Hey, I may not remember the statistics anymore but that was one relevant learning experience.”

Technology is an important aspect of our lives and unless we find ways to incorporate it in the educational environment aside from the usual GMG (Google Mo, Gwapo[2]!) principle, then we may just find ourselves pitifully left behind and losing an extremely beneficial opportunity for innovative pedagogy.

In a broad sense, e-learning utilizes all modes of instruction delivered by way of electronic media. This would include the Internet, audio-video tapes/CD’s/DVD’s, social networking sites, and mobile apps. These electronic devices and materials are readily available both to students and teachers and it would be almost a sin to not use them since it looks like they are meant to stay in one form or another for many years to come. Moreover, educational theorists provide sufficient support for an effective theoretical framework for e-learning[3].

To put this undertaking in context, laboratory classes in UP translate one teaching unit to three contact hours. Since the class was for two teaching units, I was required to hold six straight hours of statistics lessons for 18-20 year olds on Saturday mornings. Not only would I be ruining their Saturdays, I would have to feel the brunt of being in a class that starts at seven in the morning[4].

Thus, with their permission, we decided to meet only for three hours on Saturday and to make up for the other three hours, we would have to set up a platform where they would be required to respond to discussion prompts that are given every week[5]. They had to give three responses on three different days to each of these prompts. That is, two or more responses given on the same day would count as one response only[6]. I also made it clear that at least 70% of the content of their response should be their own words and that they had to cite their sources whenever necessary.

Personal biases aside, I found the experiment[7] to be mildly successful. All in all, we had a total of 16 discussion prompts over a four month period. I designed the online platform so that it will only be available to those who were given permissions to view them. Each of the seven official discussion weeks were actively participated in by the class, with only two to four absences some weeks. Not only were students responding to the discussion prompts I posted, they also responded to their classmates’ responses. I found this to be extremely satisfying because it was like a lively discussion with everyone’s voices being heard[8].

Normally, I would give discussion prompts that would give students a heads-up on what we would be taking up the coming Saturday. Some prompts would require them to do practice exercises on which their classmates could comment on, or pose questions on how they got them. A great number of students did well on whatever discussion or hands-on laboratory exercises that they needed to participate in during the Saturday meetings. More importantly, their final outputs of a mini-mini research were impressive.

As for students’ reactions to the online discussion, these were among the things that they said:

“In my opinion, the best thing about having an online discussion was the fact that we were still able to learn even within in the confines of our home. I would recommend online discussions for other classes as it did help a lot in my learning for this subject, so perhaps it would do the same for other subjects.” – Student A

“I actually found the online discussion to be enjoyable. But, there are times when I can't post comments because I can't access the internet at the UPV dorm.” – Student B

“…prompts require effort in three consecutive days, if you want to finish it earlier. So the essence of prompt is trimmed down a bit because you are racing with time just to finish the requirement, and you partially forget some of what you have posted.” – Student C

“I found the online prompts to be useful and much more convenient replacement… Online discussions requires a hourly/daily checking of the site. Another thing was that, internet is not an easy access here in our dorm... Nevertheless, it was fun interacting with all of our classmates which happens rarely on a classroom basis.” – Student D

It is at this point where I feel that I must state the obvious: there is no one template for effective instruction. As a first attempt, I am giving this enterprise a grade of 6 out of 10. Clearly, there are many things that have to be worked out with this system. I should mention that I felt comfortable engaging them in an online platform (something that would have required a computer, an internet connection, and, therefore, financial resources) because they were mostly Bracket A-B[9] students with smartphones that they brandished about before our classes start. Despite this consideration, most cons-reactions to the exercise was attributed to the difficulty of being connected online while they were in Miag-ao[10].

            In conclusion, there is no escaping the reality that technology is an important ingredient in the teaching-learning recipe. If UPV is hell-bent on keeping with the ASEAN University Network (AUN) Quality Standards, then investigations on similar technology-centered instruction should have started as far back as ten years ago[11]. This coming semester, I will be replicating this system, with the necessary improvements and revisions[12]. Hopefully, this will provide the necessary empirical evidence supporting the need for e-learning to be an imperative requirement in instruction.

---

[1] Clovers kids are very pleasing to the eyes!

[2] Gwapo was used in place of a more profane G-word.

[3] John Dewey’s (1916) and Lev Vygotsky’s (1978) respective work on collaborative and social constructivism propose that meaning-making in a relevant environment with a community is key to learning.

[4] I don’t even wake up at seven in the morning on a Saturday!

[5] One to three prompts per week.

[6] Naturally, these responses were to be part of their grades. Shut up, Paolo Freire.

[7] In the loosest sense of the word.

[8] I used to hate it when I mumbled a response in my seat and my teacher would not hear it, and then someone else would say it out louder and that classmate would get the grade, or worse, the teacher’s approving nod or recognition. [Remind me to deal with my unresolved studenthood issues in another article.]

[9] Bracket A - 8; Bracket B – 11; Bracket C – 1; Bracket D – 2

[10] So much for UPV’s AUN dreams.

[11] Of course, in a sense, distance learning has actually been going on in the university for decades. *wink*wink*

[12] For comments, suggestions, and a chance at collaboration, do email me at early(dot)sol(at)gmail(dot)com.