The BAKIT List of WONDER & WANDER

An essay by Teacher Maybele L. Roa of Nangka High School, Nangka, Marikina City

Even as a child, my older siblings always told me that I’m always curious, a wonder kid, always asking why this and why that, earning my monicker, the Bakit girl in the house. “Are all ladybugs red only?”, “Why we get weak when we don’t eat?, “What happens when we drink softdrinks?” were some questions asked by a five-year old me, that left my family also wondering if I AM really just a kid then. Perhaps, just a “smart” egg among the brood, they say.

Fast forward to high school, my interests go merely beyond the Streptococcus, valence electrons, black hole, and acceleration I heard of. Thanks to my Science (Biology) teacher who shook the life in me, no pun intended. By college, I become a certified Bio-kid, what my block mates used to call ourselves, being Biology majors. A medical degree flew in a farther distance, dragged by financial constraints. Education dropped by to say hello, stayed for good, promised adaptability, therefore, license was on the line. English subject was my first love, but Science became my great constant, so I pursued the latter. Years later as a teacher, seeing the curious, “scientific” looks in my learners brought back the memories of probably how I looked like then. Knowing that my students learn, ask questions, smile after the answers, and that crumpled look of asking question again about the why’s, the wonders, and when they can wander the world, made me realized that I got my career right- being a Science teacher.

 

Teaching STEM, specifically Science in the Philippines is quite challenging. Motivations are always chased and nurtured, while goals are listed and gazed upon, up until its fruition. Lack of resources improved my creativity. Students’ comprehension is a standard to meet, therefore, unpacking of misconceptions are laid on the table, and labeled for its applications in life.

Our education system may still be experiencing “birth pains” when it comes to Science and Technology, but I’m optimistic that we are getting there. I’m using this optimism to at least deliver my daily teaching goals to the best I can and I have. My current environment is both enabling and limiting. Enabling in such a way it pushes me to seek, collaborate, and engage to other Science teachers for other effective teaching strategies. Somehow, creating professional connections are bonus. I make use of the available resources that we have or resort to alternatives. And whenever I saw that my students appreciated my effort for preparation and learned very well, everything is so worth it. I’m always looking forward to every single day of teaching. Every moment of my teaching life is also a learning experience for me. I emphasized to my students that I, too, can learn from them as well. And more than the topics we are discussing, I want to impart valuable lessons and life-long skills they can practically use. Those are, I think, enough motivations for me to be an educator.

 

On the other hand, my environment can be limiting too. First, a family support at my students’ end is quite challenging. Most of them come from poor families, living in slum areas, where majority of the people did not finish their studies. I have stories of abuse that hamper my student’s concentration while studying, lest her safety. It’s also very common to have working students, that greatly affect my student’s performance in school, because he is either too tired from work; or no salary, hence, no fare or baon. I accepted that these are way beyond my control, but I always assure them that they can count on me, to whatever help they need, in a way that I can. My students can depend on me giving encouraging words, up to sharing my food or materials with them whenever possible. Second challenge that I encounter is I guess the dilemma of any Science teacher: exposure to international standards of teaching Science along with the equipment and place needed to execute such lessons. Simple trip to planetarium or field study, or anything that needs to go beyond the four-sided classroom are met by various requirements. Mind you, in our school’s population of at least 2,000, we only have one laboratory room, cramped with materials. And we are not yet talking about a space supposedly for, say, specimen collection, or area for Investigatory Project. But I will not lose hope, and I will try to work out some things one at a time. Third, it’s about our curriculum, specifically in Senior High School. I’m not sure if there is duration for the curriculum to change in certain number of years, but I just hope that our education department thoroughly consider the teachers’ evaluation of topics. We, the teachers, are the so-called front liners in delivering the lesson; therefore, we have the say which topics should be emphasized to attain the learning competencies for effective learning. And whenever these challenges are coming up, I just look at my students or to their outputs and remember the precious learning time that we had and will have.  

 

My dream for every Filipino STEM teachers is worldwide collaboration and opportunity, and flexible curriculum. Our society is changing so fast that we need to cope up, much more, to the demands of the world. Filipinos’ ingenuity, diligence, open-mindedness are already there, but we need a ground for exploration of what we can do more, what we can achieve more.  STEM teachers never run out of Bakit list themselves, for example, “why am I still teaching?” or “what on Earth am I here for?” Just kidding . And in order to address a thousand and one why’s of their learners, STEM teachers should be steadfast in upholding the wonder of curiosity, and wander on everything around them, which they can pass on to their learners who look upon them like constellations in the sky.

Hypothetically, I will choose myself to be my loved ones’ science teacher. Modesty aside, I see myself as one happy, energetic teacher. And I guess the universe conspire me to be such. I believe in the power of positivity in a learning space. I throw some hugot lines every now and then, or thoughts to ponder, and relate it to our lesson. Your crush is not an axis, thus, your world should not rotate only for them. Or, life is like a tide, it has its high and low. Some laughs won’t hurt a bit if placed accordingly. Of course attaining the learning objectives is very important, but I also accentuated values and practical applications. I just want my students to see Science as fun, useful, and memorable.

 

As any ordinary educator, I still have my low points, if that’s what you called it. I’m being meticulous to students’ outputs because I want to accelerate their capabilities which sometimes they are not aware of. I’m particular to timeliness, because time is so precious to do other important things which can lead them to a greater distance. I still have a fair share of sermon, because a diamond needs sharpening in order for its brilliance to shine.

 

I’m lucky enough to have my ikigai: I love teaching, and I’m passionate about teaching and learning Science which I believe I’m good at. What the world needs is a compassionate teacher which I maintain to be. I have a stable profession, a fulfilling vocation that make my life more meaningful, probably answering my previous why I’m still teaching. Yes, I’m far from being a perfect teacher, and I guess no one will be, but I will be just a perfect me for my learners.

The Science of Dreams

An Essay by Teacher Lorenz James R. Diamante of Eduardo Cojuangco National Vocational High School, Paniqui, Tarlac

Oneirology. It is the scientific study of dreams. This new branch of science is daring, yet realistic. People dream as they sleep, but I for one learned that dreams are not just exclusive when you are sleeping. They can happen anytime, anywhere. But most of the times, a dream starts within the four corners of a classroom.


Science came from the Latin word “Scientia” which happens to be synonymous to the very reason why I was inspired to teach—knowledge. As early as a Grade 2 pupil, I already adored the idea of learning. Knowing that knowledge can be passed on to the next generation, and that it is a lifelong process and I can be part of it? That enkindled the educator in me; it was my “Eureka!” moment. A moment when I realized that this is it, this is the profession that I hope to fulfill until the last day of my life. But, that inspiration grew deeper as my adoration for the idea of learning and sharing it to other people evolved into something way more important—dreams. Our generation and perhaps the generation before this one was taught with the same idea when it comes to dreams; dream high! However, as a stepped in to the public education system of the Philippines and started my first day as a teacher, the dreamer in me was challenged by the realities the system is facing. My motivations as a teacher, and once as a province boy who always wanted to become a teacher and explore the world helped me to power through the day-to-day challenges of teaching. There are days that I get to lose my grip on my “why”, but I always get through it through one motivation—the dreams of my students. Sometimes, it is hard to keep on finding meaning to what you are doing especially if you already achieved your own dream. To stay motivated despite the feeling of having lost in the void, like the universe, definitely is no easy task. But, everything changed when my mind set changed as well, the moment I started to dream with my students, that is the time I was also able to see the path I must head on, just like how stars align and form a constellation. And I must say it is nothing but beautiful.

With this I get to concretize my motivation: I want to serve as one of the pillars that will support my students’ journey throughout their lifetime. I want to continue to learn together with them, especially in the world of Science and bring out the scientists in them. There is no perfect learning environment. At least, that is what I strongly believe in. But there are however environments that will enable or limit a child’s learning, and my school here in Paniqui, Tarlac is not an exception to those. Our learning environment is both enabling and limiting to some extent. Enabling in a sense that students are encouraged to invest on their education, but limiting to strive only within the borders of our province. Although many teachers and parents encourage their kids to learn as much as they can in school, it is unfortunately not as strong as the encouragement teachers and parents endorse to students on studying outside our province. As STEM students, they are supposed to be immersed with opportunities where they can explore and learn things that are related to their future. Unfortunately, we barely have doors of opportunity for STEM students to get inspiration from and at least experience learning, hands-on. This is one of the many challenges that STEM teachers in the Philippines face, especially those who are in the provinces. There is not as much opportunity for students to actually go into after they finish senior high school. Also, there are barely tertiary education schools who offer science or math-related programs where students can vie for.


To add to this fact, there is also a challenge on how to conjure a strong intrinsic motivation to students for them to pursue science-related programs in college. Except that there are not many schools who actually offer science-related programs, only prestigious once, students are struggling to find resources to support their studies, more depressingly their futures. For example, not many students have the luxury to afford review centers for college admission tests. In our school, there are only few students who actually apply for science or engineering programs (even STEM students), or to be more accurate take the liberty to even apply for it, due to the lack of access to quality books and materials for review. We have to face the fact that not everything is learned inside the classroom, that is why I and my co-teacher rolled out a program named: S.U.C.C.E.E.D. Program - Students Upgrading Competencies for College Examinations and Educational Development. The program aimed to help aspiring STEM students, but was later on opened to other strands a chance to review for upcoming college entrance tests (CETs) and even for scholarship programs such as the DOST scholarship  program.  The program mainly focused on Science, Math, and English Proficiency. What we saw in the students was promise, a potential that can be honed to its utmost quality, a coal that can be turned into a diamond someday. When we saw such gap between the students’ willingness to learn more, and their lack of access, we cannot help but do something, thus the implementation of the program. STEM teachers need support in these kinds of programs in order to provide both technical learning, but more importantly to instil life skills to these young scientists and mathematicians.


I fully understand that not all these challenges are solvable, after all, the entire problem in the Philippine education system is a wicked problem—there is no single solution. We cannot solve the problem of poverty in our students. Never. But what we were able to gauge is their willingness to risk whatever they can for the sake of their dreams. The bearable problems include: lack of books, and resources, laboratory facilities and equipment Why? Because science teachers and scientists share a common attitude—resourcefulness. These problems can be tackled, but what are worrisome are problems such as lack of vision on someone’s dream because of scarce opportunity. Everyone is a dreamer, and one everyone is a dreamer, everyone should work hard to achieve their goals, but sadly not everyone can actually do it, but this is when a teacher or better yet an educator is needed the most.


The strengths I would share to my colleagues out there are the following: patience, grit, and passion. Patience to continue the vision of turning little kids to scientists, chemists, engineers, doctors and to have the fortitude to never give up on their attitudes and potentials no matter what. To have grit to help the students become the best version of themselves. Lastly, to share their passion to their students enabling them to be inspired enough to chase for their dreams. The weakness I would hope to improve on is to better address how the students and teachers can bridge the enormous gap between the students learning of basic scientific and mathematical knowledge, in a way that students’ mental health would not be as compromised as it is today. I hope to make learning as a safe space for my students to discover themselves and realize the potentials they possess. Ultimately, I hope to serve as one of the educators who happen to be enablers of students’ passion and love for science and math.

Dream big! Aim high! This has always been a thought that was etched in my mind ever since when I had my “Eureka!” moment and realize my aspiration to become an educator. But I say otherwise to my students; I say: dream deep. Dreaming high is pointless for there will always be gravity which will pull you down. There will always be pressure which might break you down. I say to them, dream deep because only in going deep beneath your heart you will find the core of your true desire as a person. A burning core that will keep the flame of motivation blazing. In this way, students are not pressured to dream high, just like their peers, but they are encouraged to follow whatever passion they want. Be it high, or low, as long as this is the genuine desire of their hearts. In light of all the uncertainties and challenges that a Filipino youth faces today, I solemnly believe that every Filipino child deserves an adult who will believe in them, and will put their trust upon them, that someday they will be turning their dreams into reality. And I know that I am not alone in this belief. The best time to be become believers of young scientists’ dreams is today. This is how I turn my dreams into science— the science of my dreams.

21st Century STEM Educators: Alchemists of the Present

An essay by Teacher Guiarmiya M. Haron of Sultan Mastura National High School (Calsada, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao)

“Each day is a different experience, and getting to see my students grow, and learn to improve themselves is a very satisfying thing.”

As a young girl I always dreamed about becoming a teacher because my teachers were able to make learning so much fun. As I got older, school was not as easy for me but my teachers always took the time to help me understand what was being taught. My teachers fostered within me a desire to learn, challenge myself and explore. I would like to share this passion with my students. I believe that I can encourage children to explore their world and learn about all the interesting things going on around them.

Another reason I would like to teach science is that I would like to make learning fun. Teaching science will give me many opportunities to capture my student's attention. I believe I can make science an interesting and fun subject for our future generations. If you know science thoroughly, then you are the best for science teacher job in any school. High school is the first place where you can particle your science concepts. The growing mind of a high school student is full of enthusiasm and curiosity that creates a fertile place of science study. High school is the staring steps to implement core concepts and theory. Students in high school become quite matured to understand the complexity of science. They are stable enough to handle different chemical and other lab instruments. If you have good command on science as well as an impressive teaching style and zeal to teach then the high school will be the best place for you.

The love of science and learning new things will be the main goal in my classroom. Hopefully, I will prepare my students for future academic learning and promote a lifetime of learning for them. Anytime I get discouraged, I will remember my past teachers and how much their support meant to me. The state of science education for students is at an important crossroads.

As the first decade of the 21st century comes to a close, we are faced with enormous scientific challenges that the youth of today will have to confront. Some of these issues include the expanding HIV/AIDS pandemic, global climate change, world hunger, space exploration, and the development and implementation of alternative sources of energy. Whereas the need for scientific advances is at its peak, student learning about science in school is facing critical challenges

            In my years of teaching this field, I was able to deliver my goals as their science teacher precisely. I designed my over-all evaluation with twin goals in mind. One is to provide in-depth, formative evaluation of the program (not of the mentors and mentees) for the project staff and those involved in the program’s effectiveness. And the other is to promote reflection and sharing of progress, learning, and experiences among all learners within the program. As a long time science teacher, I must say that the educational system and the school environment don’t limit my capacities and capabilities to pursue my teaching goals in a way. But, some of my complex issues in the field of science education include the availability of appropriate textbooks and classroom resources; the preparation and training of science teachers (including both pre-service training and in-service professional development); political and religious opposition to cutting-edge science instruction; the need to meet standards and to prepare students for standardized examinations; and the dramatically increasing use of the internet as a source of information. Given these and other issues, it is extremely important to understand, acknowledge, and build upon the abilities of adolescent learners, while at the same time tailoring instruction to address the unique challenges that I faced. On the contrary, some of these challenges and hindrances specifically the availability of appropriate textbooks and classroom resources were figured out and unraveled by the school administration and the DepEd and also by me. I resolved this problem through our modern technology. We all know that technology has also paved way for more accessible information about such science instruction.

            More than just changing the curriculum, the government needs to invest in teachers and facilities to improve the competency of Filipino students and encourage them to enter science and technology professions, according to education reform advocates. In my opinion, what we, science teachers, really need is we need higher salaries and benefits for teachers. If the salaries are too low, then you can’t expect to hire the best ones for the job. K-12 would be rendered meaningless if basic science teaching is not improved.

            “Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.” People who know their strengths are likely to build on and make use of them, while those who know of their weaknesses may take extra steps to overcome them. For me, an understanding of strengths is especially important. I am aware of what I’m good at and what could use improvement may also be better qualified to help my students do the same.

            I believe that life is a learning experience and being able to recognize our own strengths and weaknesses can help us become better individuals, whether it is positive abilities and skills that can help achieve our goals or negative personal areas that need improvement. I’ve always loved technology, and I am the first person to download a new app and give feedback to coworkers about which tech tools and gadgets work best in the classroom, and which are a waste. In fact, I recently started a small newsletter in which I review teaching software, programs and apps for other teachers. I encourage my students to use technology, and have noticed that they engage more if they can do it with their tools. One more strength that I can share to my fellow science teachers is being passionate, passionate to educate young ones. Science teachers must manifest this attitude and character in order to see the development of the students. We also need to instill to ourselves to love the STEM Education even more. With this, you’ll bear the fruit of your labor, you’ll harvest your hard works and sacrifices and see the bright side of your success. I felt that the strengths I was given reflected me well. Overall, I think that they show that I try and see the best aspects of everyone and want them all to be heard and seen. I think that they show how much I want to learn and connect the world around me and help others do the same. All of these strengths will be vital in my classroom so I can help my students come together to learn and grow. It is my job to use my strengths to find the strengths in others. My weakness is that I can be too critical of myself, often thinking I could have done my academic tasks better, leading to burnout and negative self-talk. Seeing the growth and progress of my own students, I have been inspired to develop my teaching skills. The desire to become more myself so that I can better help others is at the heart of my passion for science education. I just love science and learning about how things in our world come about.

             Challenges and weaknesses could either make our break us but we know we always embody the power of turning lead into gold. At the end of the day, it boils down to how we pull together despite our differences. We, STEM Educator, are alchemists of our own kind. We are much tougher with our backs against the wall. Regardless of how this challenges burns us to the ground, we will rise from our ashes and rebuild the empire that our country has always been.

[WEBINAR] Navigating the New Normal: Strategies for Crafting Assessments

Navigating the New Normal: Strategies for Crafting Assessments

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SUBTOPICS:
1. Definition of Assessment by Prof. Elmer Mojica (Pace University, New York)
2. Accessibility by Prof. Jocelyn P. Lanorio (Illinois College, Illinois)
3. Assessment Integrity by Prof. Aurea Chu (Baylor University, Texas)
4. Assessment Delivery and Design by Prof. Patrisha Bugayong (Benedictine College, Kansas)
5. Alternative Assessment Tools/Strategies by Prof. Michele Lansigan (American University, Washington DC)

Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0qd-Ggpj4pEt0QUgjmB_xkLXwS-swWurrA

Brought to you by Filipino Science Hub and Kapisanang Kimika ng Pilipinas - Southern Tagalog (KKP-ST). The session will be streamed live on FilSciHub's Official YouTube Channel:

https://youtu.be/qnjaRDSwNCY 

PAASE Webinars on Technology Commercialization

Curious ba kayo kung paanong ang mga science discoveries at technologies ay pinagmumulan ng mga malalaking kumpanya na tumutulong sa pag-papaunlad ng bansa? The The Philippine-American Academy of Science and Engineering is hosting a series of FREE webinars featuring leading Filipinos in the areas of technology commercialization and entrepreneurship! Join us tomorrow, August 8 (8-10:30 AM, Manila).

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FilSciHub's Poster-Slogan Contest FINALS: Battle of the Vlogs

Here’s how you can vote for your favorite entry on YouTube:

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Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Here are the TOP 12 FINALISTS and their vlogs (in no particular order):

Patricia Meryl J. Tiongson

Christian School International

Los Banos, Laguna

POSTER-SLOGAN FINALIST: Patricia Meryl J. Tiongson (Christian School International) - Los Banos, Laguna

Aliyah Sam Apanay

Holy Spirit Academy of Malolos

Malolos, Bulacan

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Vince Villanueva

Laguna State Polytechnic University - Sta. Cruz Main Campus

Liliw, Laguna

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Rexter Etang

Bayuhan National Comprehensive High School

Agusan del Sur, CARAGA Region

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Ysabella Rempone

Bacoor National High School - Molino Main

Bacoor, Cavite

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Ayessa Agustin

Holy Angel University

Angeles City

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Gabriel Aglibot

Binan Integrated National High School

Binan, Laguna

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Wendel Torato

Padapada National High School

Tarlac

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Yelka Yap

Saint Agnes’ Academy

Legazpi, Albay, Bicol

POSTER-SLOGAN FINALIST: Yelka Yap - St. Agnes' AcademyLegazpi, Albay, Bicol

Jherken Florendo

Nagulian National High School

Naguilian, La Union

POSTER-SLOGAN FINALIST: Jherken Florendo - Nagulian National High School-Naguilian, La Union

Piolo Rosario

Addition Hills Integrated School

Mandaluyong City, NCR

POSTER-SLOGAN FINALIST: Piolo Rosario - Addition Hills IIntegrated School, Mandaluyong City

FINALISTS: FilSciHub's Poster-Slogan Competition for Filipino High School Students

Filipino Science Hub proudly announces the FINALISTS of its inaugural Poster-Slogan Competition for Filipino High School Students. Cast your votes now!

50 entries from Filipino High School Students were screened!

Filipino Science Hub proudly announces the TOP 12 FINALISTS of its inaugural Poster-Slogan Competition for Filipino High School Students. Cast your votes now!

Criteria for selection of TOP 3 WINNERS:

The TOP 3 WINNERS will be decided based on the following criteria:

•FilSciHub Judge Score   – 50%

•YouTube Vlog Views   – 30%

•Facebook Photo Likes   – 20%

To VOTE via Facebook

To vote for your favorite entry via Facebook, visit the Filipino Science Hub Page and click on the photo’s “Like” button.

  • Voting Closes: August 14, 2020

To VOTE via YouTube

To vote for your favorite entry on FilSciHub’s Official YouTube Channel. vlogs for each entry will be posted on August 3, 2020 (PH). Video views will be counted as “YouTube votes.”

  • Video viewing ends: August 14, 2020

Cast your votes now!!!