PURPOSEFUL WRITING

This section will focus more on creative writings like various essays, reflection papers, reaction papers, critique papers, business writings, and many more.

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ESSAY:

TEACHING AS A LIFELONG LEARNING

Teaching is a lifelong learning process. There is always new information that can be found to aid professional development; thus, the system is ever changing, along with the curriculum and educational technology. If we are willing to go that extra mile to learn, students will be inspired to do the same. In these changing of times, modern teachers are required to become an expert on the subject matter they teach to the learners and to have a profound 21st century skills are a requisite one. Despite the enormous number of adversities that a teacher can experience, he/she will need to accept the task and embrace change along the way. Some people would say that most of the 21st century teachers today are not yet ready and doesn’t embody the characteristics of being a technologically literate teacher; however, due to the demand of the curriculum and the ceaseless abrupt adaptation from face to face learning to blended learning, teachers must be pliable enough to incorporate their lessons with the use of online media platforms that would reach the students.

As a college student, and in my own viewpoint, we need to be evolving to the change that is happening around in the educational system. Though some teachers today are not that into the used of technology, but they don’t have a choice. Hence, they will need to actively participate in this changing world. To become a modern teacher is not an easy job as its requisite teachers to introduce themselves in the real world, a world of accepting a ton of hardships and juggling from one responsibility to another is never an easy job. You will be called as a modern teacher if you are a well-verse when it comes to the use of technology and is comfortably part of being a digital citizenship. In this day and age, the presentation of skills is way significant to impart to the learners. As a future educator, there are a bunch of new skills to apprehend in order to become a more efficient communicator. According to Sharon Kim, Mahjabeen Raza & Edward Seidman (2019), “The education delivery system has a substantial impact on the way in which 21st-century skills develop in learners. Pedagogy, curriculum, school rules and climate, assessments, and benchmarking skill acquisition are all key factors in the way 21st-century skills develop and are monitored. Nevertheless, the classroom is the primary environment where the aforementioned factors culminate to bring knowledge acquisition and skills development.” Indeed, the classroom setting is the actual place where students observe the modeling of these skills by their teachers and can practice themselves to do the same; however, it is also vital to prepare and to train teachers in not only the acquisition of 21st-century skills but also the dissemination of these skills to the learners. Measuring the classroom processes and teacher practices that are enabling and supporting the development of 21st-century skills in the classroom can serve as a significant first step.

Many teachers today, however, are encouraged to adapt and adopt new practices that acknowledge both the art and science of learning. They understand that the essence of education is a close relationship between a knowledgeable, caring adult and a secure, motivated child. They grasp that their most important role is to get to know each student as an individual in order to comprehend his or her unique needs, learning style, social and cultural background, interests, and abilities (Lanier, 1997). Additionally, teachers today must be prepared and be permitted to intervene at any time and in any way to make sure learning occurs to the learners. Rather than see themselves solely as keen masters of the subject matter such as history, math, or science; thus, teachers need to increasingly comprehend that they must also inspire a love of learning inside and outside the classroom setting.

In general, to effectively become a modern teacher, we need to push ourselves beyond our capability. We need to accept the challenges and accept the criticisms of other people because this is the way we learn better personally and professionally. As was mentioned earlier, the classroom is the space where learners observe the modeling of skills by their teachers. If teachers don’t know how to identify a ton of teaching practices; therefore, they will certainly will not know how to model them. This is a critical issue not only for observational training but also for feedback and for professional development of teachers and a fundamental reason why identifying culturally relevant manifestations of teaching practices are necessary.

References:

Kim, S., Raza, M., & Seidman, E. (2019). Improving 21st Century Teaching Skills: The Key to Effective 21st Century Learners. Research in Comparative and International Education: Sage Journals. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1745499919829214

Lanier, J.T. (1997). Redefining the Role of the Teacher: It’s a Multifaceted Profession. Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/redefining-role-teacher

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Reflection:

EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Educational technology had influenced the conventional roles in education system and it had opened a ton of new areas of teacher functions such as the management of resources and the management of learning. With the changing of times, specifically today, educators have a range of media to assist and supplement the instructional work to give to the students. Through the help of technology that plays a vital role in shaping and building the educational system across the globe, I believed it develop and succeed their classes to the learners conveniently and comprehensively. Thus, teachers now became more on the use of technology in manifesting and making their lessons and output and with that being said, educational technology has provided practices and strategies that help teachers to teach according to the individual differences of the learners.

Somewhat educational technology serves all the purposes for modern education. The education today can’t go far without the help of educational technology and this is so evident. The innovations of technology in the field of education have done wonders to educational process. It has not only maintained the structure but also improved the nature of the educational process.

In what I have been perceived about the concepts of technology, it really gives people the best benefit to constantly connect and get information easily. Now a days, a ton of people are using technology in the right way but then we couldn’t deny the fact that most of the time, people make use of it in an immoral way. Hence, technology is somewhat a broad aspect that people encountered with, most of the time we are using technology to our basic needs. I reckon technology is the use of science to answer and/or cater the society’s needs. Thus, using technology will make the life more convenient and is accessible to all mankind. We must use technology in a right way and also, there are ton of things to keep in mind that we should always think before we click because people nowadays are caught of being so judgmental, of being so racist, or what not. So, to avoid these things online, we should always be careful because internet is a huge place. Although it may seem safe, you must be cautious enough as there are always threats and scams that you need to be aware of.

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Critique Paper:

ICT policies in teaching-learning and the safety issues in ICT regarding Freedom of Expression and Censorship

With the undergoing amelioration of technology, the notable development in the social use of ICTs and its enormous impact is an aspect that cannot go unnoticed in the world of education. Let me ask you this, “How is educational technology integrated in the teaching and learning process?” Although it is clearly taken that educational technology is somehow broad but at the end of the day as a future educator we need to locate quick ways to incorporate technology into the classroom setting. Similarly, ICT is already becoming an essential tool for new teachers and 21st century students in the classroom setting. The utilization of ICT has been so universal and educators must ensure that they take advantage of what they can bring to the learners; however, as a future teacher we need to teach them consciously and with security.

I reckon through the constant use of the ICT, students would be able to adopt an enormous amount of knowledge and skills that are very vital in the 21st century learning. People are so into the used of technology and through the help of the educators, in some way it will help them build a much comprehension about a ton of things and personal development is highly possible. Nowadays, many higher education institutions are implementing the tools in order to promote e-learning teaching and improve education through the use of technologies (Rodriguez, 2013). Moreover, there are a ton of brilliant developers out there who are belong into the special and social groups that are responsible for creating educational related applications that are so helpful for students to mandate the use of technology. The development of information technologies has an impact in the educational system since then. At times, through the vast expanse of the influence of technology some people are willing to adjust; although, it may be hard for the beginning of the process, I reckon they will be able to overcome the hardships that they will pass through in the technological process. As a college student and a member of the college of education it is possible to incorporate technology into the classroom setting and these are as follows; teach students how to properly use the internet; implement computer science classes; use multimedia for creative class presentations; target small group learning via online programs and a lot more. Among many others, with the availability of the educational resources, it will be so easier for the teacher to teach them on hand and it will possibly improve the learning of the students because of its wide influence.

Schools use a diverse set of ICT tools to communicate, to create, to disseminate, to store, and to manage information. In some contexts, ICT has also become integral to the teaching-learning interaction, through such approaches as replacing chalkboards with interactive digital whiteboards, using students’ own smartphones or other devices for learning during class time, and the “flipped classroom” model where students watch lectures at home on the computer and use classroom time for more interactive exercises (Beilefeldt, 2012). Indeed, through the advancement of technology, teachers can able to make changes the way they facilitate the students in the classroom setting. Often times it requires for teachers to be more pliable because if you are a devoted teacher you need to adjust and you need to be more open for the new areas of learning. Meanwhile, when teachers are digitally literate and trained to use ICT, technological approaches can lead to higher order thinking skills, and can provide creativity for the learners.

ICT integration in education generally means technology-based teaching and learning process that closely relates to the utilization of learning technologies in schools. Due to the fact that students are familiar with technology, they will learn better within technology-based environment, the issue of ICT integration in schools, specifically in the classroom is vital (Ghavifekr & Rosdy, 2015). In addition, technology-based teaching and learning can make many changes in school that requires for proper planning and for policy making; however, at some point, the issues of ICT integration are also at present. These are some of the key issues and challenges found to be significant in using ICT tools by teachers were: limited accessibility and network connection, limited technical support, lack of effective training, limited time and lack of teachers' competency.

In conclusion, the very first stage of ICT execution must be so efficacious to make sure that, teachers and learners are able to make the best use of it. Hence, preparations of a technology-based teaching and learning begin with proper administration and supports by the school top management. If the implementation process of technology integration in schools take place judiciously from the very beginning stage and the continuous maintenance are adequately provided, therefore ICT integration in schools will result in an immense impact of success and well-being for both teachers and students.

Reference:

Beilefedlt, T. (2012). Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Education. Learning Portal. Retrieved from https://learningportal.iiep.unesco.org/en/issue-briefs/improve-learning/curriculum-and-materials/information-and-communication-technology-ict

Ghavifekr, S. & Rosdy, W.A.W. (2015). Teaching and learning with technology: Effectiveness of ICT integration in schools. International Journal of Research in Education and Science (IJRES), 1(2), 175-191. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1105224.pdf

Rodriguez, R.M. (2013). Implementation Process of Technology in Education: The Case of Blackboard 9.2 in the University of Manchester. Retrieved from https://www.scielo.sa.cr/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1409-47032013000300007

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Reflection Paper:

K to 12 New Educational System in the Philippines

K to 12 has been a game changer for all students included in this new curriculum. As a member of the first batch of the newly implemented curriculum, it theoretically requires a ton of effort and of juggling from one responsibility to another is systematically not a joke. I am so thankful for my teachers, classmates, friends, and of course the Holy Cross community in general as it molds me to become a person of what I am today.

Senior high school was really a challenging phase and was a depressing moment at the same time, in a way that we’d performed to the best of our ability to meet the curriculum demands. To be honest, I somehow hate the curriculum, and not the teachers; thus, we became robots, a human robot to be exact. We barely slept any because of the dreadful workloads that we need to finish as soon as possible. The curriculum, however, was good but due to the extent that we had a 10-classes to be taken within a day was not a best idea. We were introduced and welcomed with a disastrous class schedules that somehow was very unhealthy. At times, I was questioned by my older sister of what I was doing because I arrived late at home. But, speaking to my experienced, it was really a bumping roller-coaster-ride. Sometimes, we were at an unswerving road aiming for personal development, and at times we were at a trench of despondency that triggers our anxiety. Senior high school really prepared me before entering in college. I am so beholden because despite the number of workloads we faced every day, the teachers were there physically and mentally present to us, and they were actively guiding and helping us achieve the things that we were capable of.

In general, although the educational curriculum of k to 12 is really demanding; however, I have learned a ton of topics before admitting in college. We were exposed to a more collegiate type of environment. This proves that the new curriculum is doing what it thought it is capable of doing. Hence, it is to train, to educate, and to expose secondary students more in preparation for the tertiary education.

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EXPOSITORY ESSAY

Online Education and Its Effective Practice

By: Michael A. Motas

Online education has been the new and very convenient educational strategy for people to learn and educate themselves despite of the global crisis. This is, however, very evident because of the prevailing COVID-19 we have experience way back last year and up until now. At formal institutions like colleges and universities, online learning is delivered via a Learning Management System (LMS) that allows instructors to make and add content, assignments, and school activities that students can access with an Internet connection on a computer or mobile device. Similarly, the students are flowing into the virtual classes seeking opportunity to learn more from anywhere at any time.

Online education is an effective way for students to learn better and become proficient in their different authentic tasks. I reckon that through online education, the main purpose of this is to educate people while utilizing the different technological tools available on the Internet like the widespread use of Google meet, Zoom meetings, Google slides, Google forms, PowerPoint Presentations, blogs, online journal writings, and a lot more. Through with this, the online education makes it easier for teachers to impart the topics and concepts to the learners. In online education, teachers are also incorporating different teaching strategies, methods, and styles for student’s development. Most of us know that students are different, they possessed one or even more than two types of intelligences; so, as the role of the teacher, he/she must be intellect and is pliable to any adaptations of the changes in the curriculum.

In online education, there is also different types of learning strategies and let me share at least one of the most efficient idea and that is the collaborative learning. Collaborative learning is an educational approach involving joint intellectual effort by students, and teachers together. Usually, students are working in groups of two or more, mutually searching for comprehension, solutions, or creating a particular product. Through collaborative learning process like group discussions, students actively exchange, debate and negotiate their ideas within their groups, and this results in increase of students’ interest in learning. Moreover, by engaging in discussion and taking responsibility for their learning, students are encouraged to become critical thinkers. Many researches showed that students working in small groups tend to learn more of what is being taught. Hence, they retain the information longer and also appear more satisfied with their classes.

According to an international study conducted by Tuan Nguyen (2015), “One reason why there is so much discussion around online learning is that there are many purported benefits and uses of online education. Some of the most important ones are: its effectiveness in educating students, its use as professional development, its cost-effectiveness to combat the rising cost of postsecondary education, credit equivalency at the postsecondary level, and the possibility of providing a world class education to anyone with a broadband connection. Indeed, there is the hope that online learning will be able to provide a world class education to anyone, anywhere, and anytime as long as they have access to the Internet; however, online learning is a story that is still being written, and how it progresses will likely depend on the present.

In the Philippine context of education, according to Ronnie E. Baticulon MD, Jinno Jenkin Sy, et.al. (2021), medical students in the Philippines confronted several interrelated barriers as they tried to adapt to online learning. Most frequently encountered were difficulty adjusting learning styles, having to perform responsibilities at home, and poor communication between educators and learners. By implementing student-centered interventions, medical schools and educators play a significant role in addressing these challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.” Consequently, online education is not substantial due to the low performance of the Internet providers and their services aren’t seen as effective. At some point, it affects the educational performance of the students and it is very an awful experience for them because they need to adjust and they just tend to accept the unhappy scenario they face today.

In general, online education is effective to some developing countries, but if we compare the performance of online learning here in the Philippines, there are a ton of things that need to be addressed like the low performance of the internet connection. Though, some other countries are still on the verge of adjustments, I believe that someday, they can adapt to the new educational set-up we have today. I discerned that, through having a good access of the Internet, it can improve the quality of education in many ways. In the era of digitalization, the scope of online education increases even more and will be beneficial for students, for professionals and for the different educational institutions.

References:

Baticulon, R.E., Sy, J.J., et.al. (2021). Barriers to Online Learning in the Time of COVID-19: A National Survey of Medical Students in the Philippines. Medical Science Educator. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40670-021-01231-z

Nguyen, T. (2015). The Effectiveness of Online Learning: Beyond No Significant Difference and Future Horizons. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. Vol. 11, No. 2. Retrieved from https://jolt.merlot.org/Vol11no2/Nguyen_0615.pdf

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CRITICAL ESSAY:

ENGLISH CURRICULUM IN THE PHILIPPINES

The curriculum in English has been so useful for students to hone their skills technically and systematically. Preferably, in most cases, English has always been evolving and expanding that includes more complicated writing and reading comprehension. As what I could perceived in the curriculum in English, it’s literally untidy and topsy-turvy. But then, if we critically look in its educational content, and learning objectives, they are really so helpful for students to learn better and become well verse in the English language.

If we can cast around and look for the Curriculum Guide in English, we can eventually say that some of its learning competencies are redundant. This is, however, very true and its quite consuming a lot of time for teachers to look and to browse on the CG. Similarly, if we look on its positive outcomes, students take mandatory English classes because they are anticipating to enhance their own analytical skills. Hence, classes generally revolve around reading a ton of novels, crafting different subjects of essays and other forms of literature, and it also require students to analyze, to interpret and to dissect written material in order to compare, contrast and discuss elements like theme, characters and plot. When it comes to the grammatical rules of English, the learning competencies doesn’t revolve around grammars; thus, it goes around in its opposite, most often, the learning competencies are centralizing on different literature studies that are so beneficial and so practical in shaping students to become triumphant in the upcoming future.

In general, I reckon that the English Curriculum Guide should be revised because

English is a comprehensive learning, combining the five skills of language arts in order to understand literature and its own value. Although, we cannot argue the fact that learning this second language is so dense but then later on, we can acknowledge that one language sets you in a corridor for life. In lieu with this, learning English language seems too stressful and we could feel any burnt outs learning years by years on it, yet we should instill to our minds that this language and its educational competencies have been so impressive and well-valued by most people. With learning new language like English, we are at home anywhere.