Learning to have a new friend

        When I was a child, i really love to have a close friend wherever I go. When I go to church I have best-friend, when I go to school I have another best-friend, and within our village as well. And I called them, my best-friends. I really love my childhood best-friends but when we grew up, things change so differently, we have separate lives, betrayal happened, I lost them all, no seeing each other and no communication at all. I cried a lot, and felt that I was abandon, neglected, not respected as a person. And that is why, I said to myself, best-friends will gone. So, after losing them when i was high school, I don't want to have close friends anymore. They will just betray me and influence me negatively.
         Last week, my classmate Xenia and I had time together after our class. We went to papemelroti to canvass gifts for next week school tour. Xenia is a charming, loving, and very friendly girl. She has a good character to share,(i bet her parents raised her well). I learn a lot every time we are together.
        At that time, i learned so many things. firstly, people are different, I could not generalize all people as not good friends and may hurt me again. Secondly, I learn that my past wounds are already healed and starting to open, and trust other people and can freely say, she's my new friend. Thirdly and last, there are many people who are really good, we just have to appreciate them and of course to appreciate them, we have to learn how to forget and forgive the past.

Introspect Assessment

Last week, I heard of a message entitled "The Misuse of Tongue" by Ed Lapiz. He mentioned one of the dilemmas of people when they are angry and that is the outburst anger. As a person it is really hard and frustrating to tame our tongue when we are angry, but Ed Lapiz challenged the listener to fight from our natural or flesh being particularly Christians. We are not to follow the world's pattern but the pattern of Jesus, to be the light and salt of the earth.
Today, I experienced the things Ed Lapiz mentioned about the consequences of outburst anger. The people around you even if you have a point think that you are loser, not educated and not professional. It exposes of who you are. I've learned that it is not needed to say everything even if you are right and to say something because in the end you will become wrong. As I journey with this world, Indeed its really hard...

Find New Ways

The facilitators in daily church' activities usually use songs as opening and song as closing to open and close the event. Same thing with prayer, there must be an opening prayer and closing prayer. After knowing the purpose and different kinds of opener and ender in TMT class last Saturday, I realized that there are so much activities than the usual songs and prayers for the church.

The function of Opener is to gather students and to create a good atmosphere. Also, it creates a first and last impression of the class so the teacher must be sensitive in imposing or creating a healthy learning environment for the session.  This could be a form of game, song, poem, joke, story, exercise etc. While the Ender is placed before the class ends or after application. This is to wrap up the whole learning, challenge and inspire the learners to go beyond the application into their daily lives and trying to pass something when they go home. This could be in a form of quotations, video clip, story, announcement, and others.

For me, Opener and Ender will be a successful only if the teacher is sensitive and creative. Definitely, Yes, it will just be a waste if the teacher will not incorporate these two in using Opener and Ender. The teacher must not just use a usual way, but always finding new ways for the learners!  

Learning with fun

There are things we do in our life that we don’t enjoy much even if it makes sense in our daily lives. Maybe because our interest isn’t there. Last Saturday we had our learning markets and of course using demonstration method. My classmates demonstrated their interest and it were really interesting thing to do, and to be develop as own skill. I appreciate my classmates more with their hidden skills.  In one session I learned a lot from my classmates. And most of all I enjoy learning while doing in application. I realized that as a teacher demonstration method is very important, to capture student’s interest at the same time to stir ones interest and developing skills. Learning market is a holistic approach where cognitive, affective, social, most of all psycho-motor and not only that even the spiritual aspect. In this method trading of ideas is very prominent. So what then? As teacher, we must consider or try this kind of method for a holistic approach and in knowing and appreciating more our students.

Thanks to my classmates who share their interest and skills last week. My turn next week.

reflection from today's message

       The Japanese speaker during chapel service today speaks of Jacobs life-- It was so encouraging to be fruitful and to share our fruits to others.

                       “Joseph is a fruitful vine,
                      a fruitful vine near a spring,
                whose branches climb over a wall.
                            (Gen. 49: 22).

        Out of these passages he came out of three principles for us to be fruitful this year 2014 mainly;
(1) our life is a fruitful vine like Joseph, we just have to have dreams in life. And that dream must be discover within ourselves. (2) we are fruitful vines which near the spring,and that spring could be our friends, family, and Jesus who help us along our journey to be fruitful. (3) branches climb over the wall, which means if we are fruitful vine and we have spring near us, the out flowing of fruit will follow. So, there's no way out but to share it to other people.

These principles are very true for all the people, God gave us almost everything we just have to discover it. and once we discover it, we must continually cultivate it and eventually share to other people. The principles that Jesus Christ wanted us to stretch our hands  for other people.

A blessed afternoon to all!

Still on the process

I am used of making my lesson plan in the format of seven steps of planning by Jane Vella. As an educator I know that there are lots of format or style in making lesson plans. And one of those was introduced in my Masteral course, the 4As style. Each of us in the class was assigned to demonstrate a teaching using 4a’s style focused on Teaching Methods and Techniques. And I find it hard to really grasp what to do though our professor already provided everything. And I’m thankful that it was not yet my turn for teaching demo, though it was not yet my turn I feel the intense struggle of my classmates in using 4a’s format however they still performed well.

I have learned during that demo teaching day were; (1) the teacher must be familiarized with 4as most especially on how to use it in order to execute learning; (2) there are many methods and techniques of teaching but as educator we must know how to use and when to use those to really hit the target; and last (3) the role of a teacher is so big!

These learning is still on the process with me. It is very challenging especially for me as beginner.

4A's style is surely the teacher's Ace

            I learned today the 4A's experiential learning cycle; Activity, Analysis, Abstraction, and Application. If some educators are tired and bored using HBLT (hook-book-look-took), W7 (who-why-what for-what-when-where-how) and the Ubd (understanding by design) here's another way to design your lesson plan in a creative way and yet the learning-process is really from the beginning part until the end of the class. 
            This 4A's style that i am mentioning will be the ace of the teachers in their teaching. What do i mean by ace is that the teacher is surely able to meet the desired objectives using the template of 4A's from the activity, analysis, abstraction, and application in facilitating learning all through out the class session. But of course be reminded as well that teachers should be equip in using this style or else it will not be effective. The consideration of methodology in each A's is very important!