FilSciHub compiled a collection of online videos that can be used for teaching science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses. Specifically, here are some videos for teaching Newton’s Laws of Motion to your PHYSICS class.
UFLI Virtual Teaching Hub - Teacher Tech Tutorials : Tech Tutorials
Teachers here is a link to the UFLI Virtual Teaching Hub - Teacher Tech Tutorials (Tech Tutorials)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1C8oLYz0JdN1CFsTCFDQOOZlSafHDnvADbJOxsUP6wWE/htmlview
List of Topics:
FREE ONLINE RESOURCES on ACCESSIBILITY by Prof. Jocelyn Pineda Lanorio (Illinois College, Illinois, USA)
❏ Know your students:
❏ Survey questions: https://admin.panoramaed.com/hidoe/survey/demo_templates/52201
❏ Day-to-day class survey:
❏ Do you want an automatic copy of the survey I used last semester? Warning: Please make sure that you are logged on to your Google Drive account so you will automatically have a copy on your Google Drive
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1xKgUBG9YPzUc5miO29vhETdiwmbuQaeiDhD6I0ucWyU/copy
❏ Visual guide for online conversations:
❏ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aye6easFaxGPLyltm0b7cr8egbYTDdEU/view?usp=sharing
❏ iPad and iPhone screen recording instructions: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10lxN8s0oVWOOexZJ20njMrf855_OCIK2/view?usp=sharing
❏ Combining multiple photos into pdf file:
❏ https://youtu.be/Cv4KMv9Ke0M - video
❏ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XXzghrvmgzDwBCGIj1XtSqkJzEnqf2D5/view?usp=sharing - in picture and/or pdf file
How Important is Accessibility in Delivering Assessments During the New Normal? by Prof. Jocelyn Lanorio (Illinois College, Illinois, USA)
How Important is Accessibility in Delivering Assessments During the New Normal? by Prof. Jocelyn Lanorio (Illinois College, Illinois, USA)
Below is the slide deck Professor Lanorio presented during her webinar on August 22, 2020.
Step by Step Instructions for Creating Assessments in Google Classroom
Dear Teachers, here a tutorial on how to write assessments in GOOGLE CLASSROOM
Google Classroom can be accessed though the URL: https://classroom.google.com/
To start, click on the “Join Class/Create Class” button.
3. Create a class and fill out the pop-up window with the needed information.
From the main window, click on the “Classwork” tab and then pick the task you need to create (e.g., assignment, questions, etc.)
The assessment can be written as a Google Form.
Resources for Assessment Design and Delivery (Prof. Patrisha Bugayong, Benedictine College, Kansas, USA)
Below is a compilation of online resources teachers can use for assessment design and delivery. Thanks to Prof. Patrisha Bugayong (Benedictine College, Kansas, USA) for putting these resources together!
WRITING GOALS and OBJECTIVES
https://www.slu.edu/cttl/resources/designing-courses/part-five-identifying-learning-objectives.php
https://teaching.cornell.edu/resource/learning-outcomes-review-checklist
DESIGNING ASSESSMENTS
https://teaching.berkeley.edu/resources/assessment-and-evaluation/design-assessment
https://www2.ed.gov/teachers/assess/resources/toolkit/index.html
TIPS in MAKING GOOD EXAMS
https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/assesslearning/creatingexams.html
https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/writing-good-multiple-choice-test-questions/
OFFLINE OPTION RESOURCES
FilSciHub Essay GRAND WINNER: Feed the Mind While Nourishing the Heart
An essay by Teacher Jumar R. Velasco of Ragay Science and Math Oriented High School, Ragay, Camarines Sur.
I am a product of public school system, literally honed by modern day heroes despite the crowded classroom, and scarcity of teaching and learning resources. My teachers were able to accomplish a herculean task by nourishing my full potentials and by using the free education to break the cycle of poverty. They basically taught me to dream big and I am now returning the favor.
I have been teaching high school mathematics for 17 years but unlike others, my teaching career in the field of numbers was quite unplanned. Eager to land a job after college and passing the board, I applied in a barangay high school wherein the available item was for a mathematics teacher. Since I believed that learning was organic that could grow exponentially or could go free-fall once unleashed, I accepted the challenge and took the opportunity. I received my baptism of fire and taught the subject for the first time, no testing of waters at all. At first, I was really struggling to deliver every single lesson each day but with the help of colleagues and regular trainings being offered by the Department of Education I was able to gradually learn the content and pedagogical aspects of teaching mathematics. I started to hone young math enthusiasts in that barangay high school to participate in math competitions. Initially, they barely obtained a score of 2 in a 50-item test in the MTAP elimination round but due to their persistence and dedication manifested during weekend review sessions they eventually made it to the MTAP Division Finals.
Richard Feynman, an American physicist, once said “If you want to master something, teach it.”. MTAP training sessions and teaching the subject greatly helped to improve my mathematical skills. Aware of the problems being experienced by my students during our discussion on exponential functions, compound interest, exponential decay and other topics that required scientific calculators, I launched a venture dubbed as Donate-a-Calculator project. This project aimed to provide students with scientific calculators during our discussion on the topics that were virtually impossible to comprehend without the aid of such technological teaching tool by soliciting from my friends, former classmates, brethren, and individuals who were willing to be part of this undertaking. The project generated 60 scientific calculators. In July, 2014, eleven years after serving in that barangay high school, I decided to request for transfer in Ragay Science and Math Oriented High School, a municipal science high school, to explore greater challenges and opportunities. I didnt know, perhaps I was just eager to share my never ending thirst for knowledge and to use education as I did to break the cycle of poverty. This has been the driving force for me to continue teaching and hope to inspire students as I never failed to instill positive outlook towards life in every discussion we had.
Considering that I would be teaching intellectually-inclined students from what was once dubbed as “the cradle of the most brilliant minds of the municipality of Ragay”, I was forced to raise the bar by devoting extra time and effort learning more about mathematics. In 2016, I applied for the DepEd-MTAP scholarship for MA in Curriculum Design, Development and Supervision, major in Mathematics, and passed the qualifying exam. I was on study leave for one year. To me, the most challenging aspect of teaching mathematics is not the content or the target competencies prescribed by the education department because all these can be acquired through scholarships or regular trainings, but the instilling and honing of the affective domain of education and teaching them to dream big. In the prelude of DepEd’s Vision it is vividly envisioned that our students should learn the desirable values and competencies for them to realize their full potentials. The framers of this Vision intentionally focused values formation first before learning the competencies. The driving force must come from within. It is really a challenge for us to teach and inculcate the love for numbers among our students. These can be done by utilizing technological teaching aids for better grasping the content. Unlike in barrio high school, my current station has almost enough teaching aids such as multimedia projectors, scientific calculators and laboratories among others. Asking for help from our colleagues whenever we’re in uncharted waters also helps a lot. Furthermore, information is just a click away nowadays. One can now access Facebook pages or groups devoted to help science and mathematics teachers.
One of my best practices perhaps is incorporating technology such as Geogebra and scientific calculator with time-tested teaching strategies. I am a huge fan of explicit way of teaching, conceivably the most effective way to teach mathematics although some might disagree because there’s no such thing as one size fits all in teaching students with varied learning styles. Explicit teaching basically operates using I do, We do, and You do stages of teaching and learning process. For instance in discussing the concepts of Conics, I do the introduction of the new lesson, making meaningful connections of concepts to real life and supply the necessary skills for them to do the related task by modeling the step-by-step process. Next step is providing guided practice and asking thought-provoking questions that will synthesize bits of learning to become a bigger chunk of wisdom. All exercises in this stage are done by pair or in trio thus, giving way to share each student’s thought on how to solve the problem at hand. Finally, allowing the students to generalize the whole concept by working independently in the succeeding exercises.
I believe that the students should take part in the assessment of learning, thus, I have been giving them the chance to compute their grades through Portfolio Assessment since day 1. The summary sheet of their quizzes, activity sheets and major exams contains the computation of their temporary grades and should be signed by their parents. In this way, I think, I am promoting trust on classroom assessment among parents and students alike. Also, this helps in monitoring their progress in different components of assessment of learning.
In a single instance, a certain child has failed to submit her portfolio on time which resulted to 83% final rating for that quarter. To inculcate the virtue of time management and fairness, I refused to accept her portfolio even if there was an attempt to submit it right at my doorstep after the stipulated deadline. She was frustrated and her mother was irate, complaining that her child might be eliminated from the STE program of the school because of her grade. The child that failed to submit the requirement was my very daughter. She’s one of the reasons why I requested to transfer because I wanted to teach her personally. As to my weakness as a math teacher, I would like to improve my understanding on higher mathematics such as calculus, pre-calculus and statistics since I am almost a self-taught teacher with no formal training on these fields during my college years.
[WEBINAR] Science Research Ideas: Brainstorming with Experts.
FilSciHub proudly brings you its inaugural webinar on Science Research, titled "Science Research Ideas: Brainstorming with Experts."
This webinar focuses on strategies and best practices for formulating research ideas suited for high school- and college-level research teachers and students. Certificates will be issued to all participants.
Register to this FREE ZOOM EVENT via: https://forms.gle/sHD4bhZCBy1GKzF88
YouTube Livestream link: https://youtu.be/hkfb-qO3CcA
This event features three scientists and covers three topics:
1. High School and Community-Based Research Ideation Strategies by Mr. John Marty Mateo (University Researcher and Head of the Analytical Service Laboratory at the Institute of Plant Breeding, University of the Philippines - Los Baños (UPLB))
2. College-level Research Idea Generation by Mr. Jay Pee Ona (Doctoral student in Catalysis, Laboratory of Industrial Chemistry and Reaction Engineering at Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland), and
3. Biases and Best Practices (Experience-Based Sharing) - Dr. Jeffrey Camacho Bunquin (FilSciHub Founder).
BATTLE OF THE VLOGS (For a Cause) 2020
Official video announcement:
Details and Mechanics
FilSciHub's Poster-Slogan Contest: GRAND WINNER
CONGRATULATIONS to FilSciHub's Poster-Slogan Contest GRAND WINNER (Php 5,000 Cash Prize): PATRICIA MERYL J. TIONGSON of Christian School International, Los Banos, Laguna
Outstanding work, Patricia!
FilSciHub's Poster-Slogan Contest: 2nd PLACER
CONGRATULATIONS to FilSciHub's Poster-Slogan Contest 2nd PLACER (Php 2,500 Cash Prize): Wendel Acierto Torato of Padapada National High School, San Juan de Mata, Tarlac City
Excellent job, Wendel!
FilSciHub's Poster-Slogan Contest: 3rd PLACER
Congratulations to our 3rd place winner (Php 1,500 Cash Prize): Aliyah Sam Apanay, Holy Spirit Academy of Malolos, Bulacan
Amazing work, Sam!
FilSciHub's Poster-Slogan Contest: 4th PLACER
Congratulations to our 4th place winner: Gabriel Kenneth C. Aglibot, Biñan Integrated National High School, Biñan City, Laguna Province
Great job, Gabriel!
FilSciHub's Poster-Slogan Contest: 5th PLACER
Congratulations to our 5th place winner: Vince M. Villanueva, Laguna State Polytechnic University Sta. Cruz Main Campus, Brgy. San Isidro Liliw Laguna
Great job, Vince!
GMA News Feature: Pinoy scientist creates free online platform to aid STEM students, teachers
The organization also wants to help and empower teachers in the country, especially those in far-flung areas.
“In terms of the education sector, sila ’yung nasa frontline … Gusto din namin paabot sa kanila na there are people out there like us who appreciate what they do. We care for them and we are here to provide them with the support that we can actually offer in our simple little way,” said Bunquin.
A Filipino scientist residing in the United States has created an online platform to help students and teachers enhance their knowledge and skills on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
According to chemist Jeffrey Bunquin, he created Filipino Science (FilSci) Hub in 2012 as an online community to help teachers on science research.
FilSci Hub is accessible on both Facebook and YouTube.
When the pandemic began, Bunquin expanded the online platform to help STEM teachers teach lessons better through webinars and lectures.
“We provide webinars relevant to online teaching, so ’yung strategy paano ba gumawa ng online modules, strategy kung paano ’yung tamang mode ng evaluation, since this time na walang face to face interaction between teachers and students,” Bunquin told GMA News Online in an interview.
“It’s disservice on our end kung hindi namin iho-hone, kung hindi kami magpro-produce ng mga batang papalit sa mga pwesto namin ngayon, so napaka-exciting niya,” Bunquin said.
To read the full news feature, click HERE: Pinoy scientist creates free online platform to aid STEM students, teachers
Kuya Germs VS. The STEM Pipeline Metaphor
An essay written by Teacher Harley Monteclaro Rodriguez of Allen National High School, Brgy. Lipata, Allen, Northern Samar
KUYA GERMS VS. THE STEM PIPELINE METAPHOR
I have realized that germs do not make us sick. These microorganisms have long roamed the planet for millions of years and yet, people are anxious and scared of them. True sickness occurs when we are weak and left vulnerable from something we do not fully understand – in other words, ignorance. Being complacent and not doing the right course of action will result in sickness. Born in a family of educators, we fight in dispelling ignorance. We live in the near end between the coastal areas and hillsides of Allen, Northern Samar in Eastern Visayas – a tiny barangay called Lipata. Growing close to nature made me appreciate the science subject more; we often catch tambalukso when it is low tide, climb the mango tree in our neighbor’s backyard, and share the nights with friends and family under the moonlit sky. Now, school science came into formation when I first entered my first-grade class with Mrs. Grande. With the help of my science teachers, I was able to learn through the years that tambalukso belonged to the fish sub-class under the classification of animals, that to quickly climb a tree one has to consider his weight to mass ratio, and that the other planets’ satellites can also be called moon. Education and science are worlds filled with information. Information so fascinating that by the age of twenty, I claimed the best of both worlds.
I inspire and educate children to be a part of the science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) workforce. This is my story on how I am fighting the staggering increase in students’ disinterest in science and decline in STEM enrollment - the phenomenon known as the STEM pipeline metaphor.
I teach at a public Senior High School in my hometown. Remember how ignorance makes us anxious and scared especially in unfamiliar situations? That is what I felt like before the start of classes so I turned to Lemov’s Teach Like a Champion and Wongs’ First Days of School. Unfortunately, I always find my students either occupied talking with each other or using their smartphones whenever I enter the classroom. I thought it was a challenge. I am not the most experienced teacher, however, I am not the most inexperienced one, either. The ideas that I have read from Lemov and Wongs’ were manifested in the form of bellworks. My students busy themselves in answering the bellwork than being occupied with trivial matters while I prepare my teaching materials. I used this strategy for every class and I found it effective. Indeed, the best teaching strategy is the one that works.
I had different classes and subjects to teach every semester except for section Germany because we have their specialized subject General Physics 1 and 2 throughout the year. Now, this subject alone is very challenging if the lessons are inclined on its calculus-integration, what more if you are expected to teach it as a neophyte in the field? Initially, I focused on mathematical computations, however, I always see my students being confused than they previously were at the end of every class. It was frustrating on my part to see my students tsk-ing and huh-ing from my explanations. But, I took it as a challenge. The subject is physics, not mathematics. Although we cannot separate mathematics from the subject, I needed to find a connection that we can all relate to – something concrete rather than abstract. Physics is an adventure; it is more concrete that I never realized it has the most interesting examples. I focused on that perspective and I was delivering the lesson well. Eventually, my students and I met in the middle.
“Intawon, kaduroto pa san amon Special Science teacher! Irog lat kami sun san una pero mapapagal ka ta sun pag-abot san panahon (Our Special Science teacher is very hardworking! We are also just like you in the beginning but someday, you’ll get tired doing that).” One of my colleagues said that to me. Perhaps, that is our reality. Sadly, we give so much of ourselves that by the age of thirty we have little to no sense of self-worth. We are expected to act like everybody else and it is this major challenge that took its toll on me. I cannot promise what I will do in the future but I can promise the things I know I can do at the moment. True to the saying ‘actions speak louder than words’, I spearheaded the very first school science fair in the district. Filipino science fairs are done mostly in the division or national levels; this one is at the school level. I sacrificed some of my savings and professional time to purchase resources for the event, experienced sleepless nights with the students, and heard snide remarks from people who believed I cannot turn this idea into reality. Nevertheless, it was not all too bad considering I get to spend a lot more time with the students, to realize they’re quite persistent in solving each problem of the project, and to perceive a sense of ownership as they explain their projects to the judges. I get to see them grow. It was not the most imaginative idea but it served as a culmination of all my efforts and attestation of what I can do. I chose not to become like everybody else.
I made change happen. And you know for sure it is going to stick, maybe not forever but just until your students affiliate you in their memories for that one thing that also culminated their senior years as a high school student. Maybe that is how I want my section Germany to remember me by – their Kuya Germs and his school science fair. Comprehensively, it was more of a fight of their Kuya Germs with the current STEM pipeline. For STEM teachers to solve this, I realized we need three individual opportunities (1) to practice and hone our skills, (2) to learn an in-depth mastery of what we are teaching, and (3) to always have the attitude to seek personal and professional betterment. In short, a real opportunity to be experts in our chosen fields granted the easiest way possible.
I take any chance to get better. That is why if I were to be a science teacher to my loved ones, I would gladly volunteer myself as their teacher. It is not a matter of confidence but a matter of perspective because no matter how leery I am with my skills at the moment, how limited my knowledge is with the content, or how capricious my thoughts and attitudes are I will fail myself to be called a teacher if I will not have the courage to take that challenge. If I succeed, I get to teach much better. And unless I take that chance, I will never know.
I implore STEM teachers to keep on going no matter how hard or small our efforts may seem, know it will make a difference. It is not about the entire challenge; it is about the challenge that lies in front of us. Who knows how long it will take us to have the change that we’ve always dreamed of? I pray for a day that whenever a neophyte enters the real teaching world he will not be forced to think that he cannot make a difference for our so-called educational system. Why do you think there is always a 0.01% germ remaining after the cleansing? Allegorically, it is because even a fraction is enough to change the world. For the rest, they can be just like everybody else.
I hope you will not be swayed.
FilSciHub POSTER-SLOGAN Contest: Online Voting Closes TODAY, Aug 14, 2020 at 7 PM (Manila). Cast your votes NOW!
FilSciHub POSTER-SLOGAN Contest: Online Voting Closes TODAY, Aug 14, 2020 at 7 PM (Manila). Cast your votes NOW!
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.
FilSciHub Gives Back... SOON!
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.