RICA - Reading Instruction Competence Assessment

Why?

I think it's because the state wants to know if an aspiring teacher knows how to teach reading. Reading is a skill, in contrast with listening and speaking, it's not organic to learn it, as a contrast to crawling, standing up, and walking. Yet eventually most people learn how to read and write. Reading has to be taught explicitly as well as implicitly and the methods vary by culture and age level of the students.

The RICA is nothing like CBEST (California Basic Educational Skills Test) or CSET (California Subject Examinations for Teachers), because it doesn't ask questions that would yield definite, hard-fact answers. For example, You know that there is a specific and definite answer to the question, "What do you call a note whose length is typically equal to four beats?", the answer is a whole note. Now a RICA question could be something like this: A boy is reading at a second grade level. What do you do if you are his fifth grade teacher? That is of course on top of my head and not a RICA question but you can imagine that there are several ways to answer this and there might be times when all of the four possible answers, when properly implemented, might help a student reach the desired reading level.

What would be helpful is to think about what kind of answers are expected. One's answers should be conservative and balanced. You, as the aspiring teacher, are expected to know that reading instruction depends on both the teacher and the student. Like, you give 50 percent and the kid gives his half. You already know how to give your half, the trick is to persuade the students to put effort in learning to read. There may be times when you feel strongly about a certain way of teaching, but please reserve it for when you get your own classroom and a set of borrowed children ;-)

The RICA tests in five domains:

1.      Assessment

2.      Phonemic Awareness

3.      Fluency

4.      Vocabulary

5.      Comprehension

These five domains are what you would need to focus on. I suggest you forget the whole thing about the content areas, because they are under these domains anyway and on the test results these are what they focus on.

IF- Then

Remember that the format of the questions is always If-Then. IF the child is like this, THEN I will do this. In this review session I will go by domains starting with Domain 2, Phonemic Awareness. I will try to discuss the activities that promote each domain. The format will be as follows:

·         Definition of Domain focus

·         Tasks

·         Assessment

·         Instruction

o   Teach Explicitly

o   Teach Implicitly

·         Notes

 

Please comment and let me know what you think of this type of review. I would really like to know if this is helpful or not.

Lizzie McGuire

 

Lizzie: Ronnie broke up with me.

Gordo: He's a loser.

Lizzie: No Gordo, I'm the loser. Okay? He likes another girl. She's probably prettier than me and she's probably smarter than me and she's probably a lot more fun than I am.

Gordo: No, she's not.

Lizzie: How do you know?

Gordo: Because there's nobody prettier than you, or more fun to be with.

Lizzie: You forgot smarter.

Gordo: Yeah, well, I was including myself in that one.

Lizzie: You're such a good friend, Gordo. 

Jellyfish

LOVE. LONGING. MAGIC

Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen’s 2007 entry to the Cannes Film festival proved to be worthy of its Camera D’ Or. In fact, I think it should have won an Oscar too. I am not kidding. I so love this film that I entreat everyone who can read subtitles or at least speak Hebrew to watch this film, especially if you are a Filipino.
We first see the newly single Batya in an akward goodbye scene with her ex-boyfriend. She looked sad but she wasn’t crying and she didn’t ask him to stay. In this film the stories of three women intersect at a Tel Aviv Wedding. Batya worked as a waitress; Joy, a Filipina a caregiver for an elderly woman; and the bride who sprained her ankle, ruining her dream honeymoon.
The actress who played Batya hardly spoke but her eyes and movements say it all. I am thankful that the role of Joy was given to a relatively . Keren the bride is the character I liked least because she seemed so demanding and spoiled by her dotting husband.
I was intrigued at first as to why they would include a story about a Filipino OCW in their film. I transcribed an interview of Shira Geffen and Etgar Keret which surprised me and made me admire them even more:

“Because of the harsh political reality in Israel, most of the social issues have been forgotten. Both in the representation in art but also in everyday life, and there is something about the Filipino people that in a sense they are almost invisible. You see many of them walking down streets taking care of the elderly but basically when people go in the street, they look through them; they do not exist. Shira was fascinated with the story because there was something ironic with the fact that the Filipinos leave their children behind to come and take care of some elderly person instead of their children. So it’s like a circle; you neglect your own child so you can take care of somebody else’s parent because his child doesn’t want to take care of him. And because she experience such a relationship between her grandmother and a Filipino woman took care of her became good friends with her and also changed the grandmother’s attitude to life it was very natural for Shira to chose this story and I felt was an important story to tell.” (Etgar Keret)

Oh and the kid, of course! Batya found a child by the beach wearing a lifesaver around her waist. I thought it was amusing, seeing that the kid had red hair and doesn't speak, maybe she is Irish and doesn't understand Hebrew, funny how the other people didn't ask her in English. Lost in translation once again. On another hand, I may just be generalizing and that is not good either. The kid seem to be a guide for Batya, and led her to Malka who somehow helped her get in touch with her childhood memories.

One criticsm though: I just thought it was impractical of Joy to bring the giant ship back home to the Philippines as a carry on luggage, but that's just me.

Obviously I really love this film and I give it a grade of 93. See the trailer below.

Lesson Plan: Math- Multiplication

Enduring understanding:
Students will learn that two factors will always yield the same product even when they are in different order.
Content Standards that are the target of Student Learning
(List the complete text of the relevant parts of each standard)
2.2 Solve Problems involving simple number patterns.
3.1 Use repeated addition, arrays and counting by multiples to do multiplication.

English Language development (ELD) standards (if applicable)
Make oneself understood when speaking by using consistent Standard English grammatical forms and sounds.
Learning Objectives (both content and language)
By the end of this lesson students will be able to identify that the products are the same even when the factors are written in a different order.
Formal and Informal Assessments:

Students will be called to recall their prior knowledge on repeated addition and multiplication.

Instructional Strategies and learning tasks to support Student learning (what you and the students will be doing)

Phase I: Structured Practice.
I will state the California Content Standards we will be reaching today.

We will work on the problem of the day. Before we start, there will be pair names from now on. The taller person will be red and the other one yellow. Our pair names are red and yellow.

Write the Problem of the Day in the board:

314 – 79 = ; 139 + 478 = ; 410 - 386


Work on these problems by yourselves. (10 minutes)
(Rationale of the Problem of the Day: The students learned about subtracting and adding three-digit numbers. I want my students to always line up the numbers when adding and subtracting three-digit numbers because I believe this skill will help them when they multiply and divide bigger numbers.)

Phase II: Guided practice:

You have learned how to build and use arrays to write multiplication sentences. Today we will explore how to write multiplication sentences with the same numbers but in different order.

We will be using counters.

Yellow, make sure your counters are showing the yellow side.

Red, make sure your counters are showing the red side.

We learned about making arrays. Arrays have equal rows. Can someone show me the row in this array? (Show the fish array)
When we do our activity, remember
______ x _____ = ____
Rows #/row product

Yellow, make an array that shows 3 x 2
Red help yellow count all the counters.
How many do you have? Write it on the handout
Red, make an array that shows 2 x3
Yellow help red count all the counters.
How many do you have? Are they the same? Write it on the handout.

Lets try another one:
Yellow: 3x 4
Red: 4x 3

What did you notice? Talk to your partners. Yellow tell first. If you have the same idea, Red should say “I agree with you”.



Phase III: Independent Practice:

The students will answer the exercises on p.536 - 538. Students need to work with partners.

Assessment:

I will know that they have learned when I see that they are writing the products correctly and they are not confused about changing the order.

Rubric

3 – The student is able to understand that in multiplication, the order of the factors are irrelevant and correctly answer most of the questions in the handouts.
2 – The student is able to see the pattern yet some answers were not correct.
1 - The student did not see the pattern and did not attempt the exercises.

Question of the day

Would he love the city as much if you weren't part of it?

- The Capybara

I can't seem to make you mine - Clientele

I’ve been listening to this song “I can’t seem to make you mine” by Clientile, and at first I was swooning because it was on the OST of The Lake House (one of my favorite movies of all time!). The melody made me think of autumn or spring nights when it rains at night. How comforting it is when I’m at home, freshly showered and sipping on a cup of tea, or coffee. Reminds of the 70s too, not that I lived in that decade (born in the 80's baby!).I searched it on youtube to see if I can get a version with the lyrics, and this is just one of those songs that made me go, huh? There is a strong hint of surrealism in the figurative language used here. All that just to say "I can't seem to make you mine".

Absence

I have scarcely left you
When you go in me, crystalline,
Or trembling,
Or uneasy, wounded by me
Or overwhelmed with love, as
when your eyes
Close upon the gift of life
That without cease I give you.

My love,
We have found each other
Thirsty and we have
Drunk up all the water and the
Blood,
We found each other
Hungry
And we bit each other
As fire bites,
Leaving wounds in us.

But wait for me,
Keep for me your sweetness.
I will give you too
A rose.

Pablo Neruda

...

“ The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves and then we shall save our country. “ – Abraham Lincoln, December 1862

A song of Despair

The memory of you emerges from the night around me.
The river mingles its stubborn lament with the sea.

Deserted like the dwarves at dawn.
It is the hour of departure, oh deserted one!

Cold flower heads are raining over my heart.
Oh pit of debris, fierce cave of the shipwrecked.

In you the wars and the flights accumulated.
From you the wings of the song birds rose.

You swallowed everything, like distance.
Like the sea, like time. In you everything sank!

It was the happy hour of assault and the kiss.
The hour of the spell that blazed like a lighthouse.

Pilot's dread, fury of blind driver,
turbulent drunkenness of love, in you everything sank!

In the childhood of mist my soul, winged and wounded.
Lost discoverer, in you everything sank!

You girdled sorrow, you clung to desire,
sadness stunned you, in you everything sank!

I made the wall of shadow draw back,
beyond desire and act, I walked on.

Oh flesh, my own flesh, woman whom I loved and lost,
I summon you in the moist hour, I raise my song to you.

Like a jar you housed infinite tenderness.
and the infinite oblivion shattered you like a jar.

There was the black solitude of the islands,
and there, woman of love, your arms took me in.

There was thirst and hunger, and you were the fruit.
There were grief and ruins, and you were the miracle.

Ah woman, I do not know how you could contain me
in the earth of your soul, in the cross of your arms!

How terrible and brief my desire was to you!
How difficult and drunken, how tensed and avid.

Cemetery of kisses, there is still fire in your tombs,
still the fruited boughs burn, pecked at by birds.

Oh the bitten mouth, oh the kissed limbs,
oh the hungering teeth, oh the entwined bodies.

Oh the mad coupling of hope and force
in which we merged and despaired.

And the tenderness, light as water and as flour.
And the word scarcely begun on the lips.

This was my destiny and in it was my voyage of my longing,
and in it my longing fell, in you everything sank!

Oh pit of debris, everything fell into you,
what sorrow did you not express, in what sorrow are you not drowned!

From billow to billow you still called and sang.
Standing like a sailor in the prow of a vessel.

You still flowered in songs, you still brike the currents.
Oh pit of debris, open and bitter well.

Pale blind diver, luckless slinger,
lost discoverer, in you everything sank!

It is the hour of departure, the hard cold hour
which the night fastens to all the timetables.

The rustling belt of the sea girdles the shore.
Cold stars heave up, black birds migrate.

Deserted like the wharves at dawn.
Only tremulous shadow twists in my hands.

Oh farther than everything. Oh farther than everything.

It is the hour of departure. Oh abandoned one!

-PABLO NERUDA

200 pounds of beauty

Through the urging of my good friend Shella, I watched this film in Youtube.

This film is about a woman who went through plastic surgery. I was skeptical at first as I didn't know what the movie was trying to do. Is it trying to denounce or advocate cosmetic surgery? By the looks of the girl in the fatsuit, she wans't happy and through a series of events, she was able to undergo the procedures.

It talked about ideas of beauty and identity. Is beauty involves only having a pretty face and body? They seem to take this issue in a nonjudgemental way, which is not what I expect.

The ending was good too, the girl didn't get the guy, but it was in her own terms. It's still not clear if the guy loved her when she was fat, but it seemed like he did care.

At the end I think this movie is saying it's OK to have cosmetic surgery as long one is open about it doesn't claim to be naturally endowed.

Watch it if you are into Korean films.

Polaris Pax Deux

(This is not the Polaris. This is Shia Lebeouf, a talented actor.)


Four years ago I had a dream about a guy I’d like to call the Polaris. In this dream I found myself in a situation, that lead to a bizarre meeting where I felt like I joined “The Bachelor Show” and he was the Bachelor. At the end of the dream I was on the phone with a close friend demanding her to tell me who signed me up in the ridiculous show. She said I shouldn’t get mad because it was the current trend for men of his status, and I was already included in top three finalists. Even on that dream I did not have any interest in participating in such a weird dating game.
Who is this Polaris, you might ask. I had a crush on him when I was eleven years old. It was with him that I first started to rationalize my infatuations. Before I met him, I used to like boys based solely on their attractiveness; I was too shy to get to know them and to even come near them. When I met Polaris I instantly like him, but I also decided it’s better if I know why.
He is the first minister’s kid whom I’ve met who is the same ages as me. He is friendly, calls everyone older than him “kuya” and “Ate”, looks after his younger siblings and hold doors open for women. They were in our locale during a drought and he still brought cold water out for us kids right after our choir practice. I think those are the reasons I liked him, because he is a nice person and it showed in his actions and demeanor.
I remembered the time I asked him to fill out my autograph book. It was one of those small notebooks that only asked for Name, phone, address, favorite food, sports, likes and dislikes. I think I was afraid that if he filled out one that asked for his crush or love, it would not be me, because even at that time I was very sensitive about rejection. He filled it out after 10 minutes and even though I’ve since burned that autograph book along with other relics of my childhood, I can still remember that his favorite food was spaghetti and fried chicken, his favorite sport is basketball and he was born seven months before me. I can still remember how that little note with his handwriting made me feel butterflies in my stomach every time I read it.
When they transferred I thought I’d never see him again but I did, because we went to the same high school, although we were never classmates. I still admired him from a far even though up close I was borderline rude and uncouth. Yet he went out of his way to say hello to me, ask me how I was doing wedged in between the bushes near Aydes Eatery. Somehow he must have realized I often stalked him, but he is such a nice guy that he never told me in my face how creepy I was.
I only wish that in the seventeen years I've known him, I took the chance to know him as a person. He was always this larger than life ideal, statuesque entity whom I admired and feared at the same time. Which is silly because he wasn't really a celebrity, we went to the same school, ate at the same cafeteria (although different schedules), had the same teachers and knew the same people. I think maybe, because I idealized him so much, I was content with looking at him and admiring him from afar. Maybe I was afraid that if I talked to him more and I discovered more things about him, he would cease to be the ideal man. In this way I think I have succeeded, as my image of him remains as untainted and pristine as it was seventeen years ago.
This is why I never considered him as my first love. I admired him from afar and what I felt for him may just as well be what I felt for Matt Damon or Joseph Gordon Levitt. I was just his fan, happy to bask in his glorious awesomeness once in a while, happy to find out that he still knows me after not seeing each other for the past ten years. I said I wish I knew him as a person, yet I wonder, if given a chance, if I would have done things differently.

[500] Days of Summer

I really liked the movie, I don’t care what critics say about their “lack of Chemistry”. It’s supposed to be like that, geez, did they really watch the films they reviewed in its entirety?
I really don’t know how to categorize this movie. I don’t think it’s a romantic-comedy, it’s a coming of age, tragic, comedy. It is told in a non-linear fashion which challenges the idea on how stories need to be told. It is about a relationship that didn’t work. And the interesting thing is that most people I’ve polled identified with Tom’s character, even the ones who are have obviously pulled a “summer”. The reason for this, in my humble opinion, is that we remember the times our heart were broken and we try to forget the times we broke other people’s hearts. Sometimes we even break hearts without even knowing it.
Another aspect of this film I enjoyed is the architecture. It showcased Los Angeles is a different light. When I think of L.A. visions of Disneyland and the Chinese Theatre comes to my mind and not the buildings, park, and streets that I saw in the film. This is very refreshing and it made a little sad to find out that they considered San Francisco first for the movie. The change was probably made due to the increasingly unfavorable regulations in filming in the city.
If you have a heart, I think you should watch this film

Happy Fathers’ Day!

Most people know my father as “Ka Gideon” the choir organist and teacher who makes them laugh with his comments and frequent references to basketball when trying to teach ideas about singing. At work he is the funny accountant who greets you with, “I have been waiting for you all day!”, always ready to help and solve problems whatever they may be. But to me, he is Papa, my father, friend and hero.
This weekend marks my father’s 29th Father’s Day celebration as well as his 56th birthday. I have to say that if there are awards for best fathers, my father should win a prize. He has always been there for my brother and me, even though he had to work abroad for many years. He always called us, brought us treats and worry about us incessantly, even until now that my brother and I are in our twenties.
When I was a child, I look forward to Saturdays nights because it was the only time we were allowed to eat in the living room because my mother would be in meetings at Church. My brother and I would take our baths at around seven in the evening, while my father cooked dinner. Then I would get our make-shift table, set it in front of the TV, and eat with him and brother while watching reruns of A-team and McGuyver. I remember pretending to sleep on the sofa so that my father would carry me to my bed. On Sunday afternoons I would read with him before we take our nap or sometimes I would braid his short hair and clasp them with my small colorful clips, then laugh about it when he wakes up.
My mother taught me how to read but my father introduced me to the joys of language. My earliest memories included reciting and guessing riddles with him even before I was old enough to go to school. Syntax and Semantics to us are an endless source of laughter and amusement. He introduced me to Reader’s Digest which we subscribe to until now. I fell in love with the solar system at age seven through the colorful pictures and descriptions we read together at night. He showed me the map of the world, the globe, and the Atlas and told me about places my grandfather visited in his voyages as a crew in a ship. I loved those maps too, and the thought of many different people and places to see in the future. I was amazed to learn that there are so many different languages and someday I might learn another one aside from Tagalog and English.
My father is my source of strength and inspiration. When I decided to go back to college and become a teacher, he gave me his full support and told me that I should pursue a career that would make me happy. This year when I panicked about my papers and doubted my ability to teach, he is the first person I called and he would always tell me to pray and lay all my cares to God. When I got into an accident, I was afraid he would scold me but what I heard was his genuine care and concern and thankfulness that I was not hurt.
Papa, thank you for everything. The best compliment I got from you was when you told me you are lucky to have a daughter like me. Actually I don’t feel worthy, because in my eyes, I am the lucky one.

An 8 year old's philosphical argument

"I am Superman, I am Spiderman. I like Chicken Nuggets."

I took a picture of this while the students were reviewing for their CSTs. They had to stay on Mondays and Wednesdays to review until 4pm for six weeks. Here is result of the boredom of an eight-year-old. You just had to meet this kid to understand how profound this is.
I miss them already!

Five Good Ideas – What, Why, and How

Five Good Ideas – What, Why, and How
1. Using movies in the classroom – I believe this is a good idea to incorporate in the classroom, because students watch T.V. and movies all the time. This would be a great way to use something familiar as a vehicle for learning. This would encourage them to step out of their usual viewing schedule, and possibly enjoy educational shows and movies. I believe historical films will benefit the students who have difficulty with reading, as it will give them access to the content without the agony of reading several pages from the textbook. Using clips and parts of a movie to clarify ideas that the students read about in their research or textbook will also be beneficial in their learning. When I have my own classroom I will make sure to use appropriate film clips that would help the students watch access the content that I am teaching, not only in Social Studies but also in other subjects. I have tried this with my second graders during the birthday of Cesar Chavez. I showed them a cartoon video from Brainpop.com that talked about the life of Cesar Chavez. I also invited the second graders in another classroom to watch the cartoon video. I believe this helped my students understand the importance of the efforts of Cesar Chavez although we have talked about it in previous lessons.
2. Pictures and Art as a vehicle for a conversation about history – This idea reminds me of a friend’s thesis on using posters to help in learning languages. I think using paintings and pictures in the classroom is important in Social Studies too because elementary students can really benefit from visual representations. Professor Mitchell suggested that we should show the picture in the projector so that everyone can see it, as well as provide each student, pair or group with an eight by eleven size copy of what we are trying to analyze. This is a great way of developing art appreciation with the students as well. Another good idea that Professor Mitchell told us is to divide the picture in segments. I took pictures of Anton Refreiger’s paintings of the History of California at the Rincon Annex in San Francisco and when I have my own classroom, I will find a way to show this to the students because his pictures show a different view of California History. I think comparing pictures with the same or similar title is another good idea to show the students and teach them about different perspectives. Textbooks often show only one narrative or view of what happened. I believe if the students are allowed to see another perspective, they will have a richer understanding of history.
3. Using stories,plays, readers’ theatre, and anecdotes – What is a story? We are the story we tell ourselves, according to Shekhar Kapur in 2009 at TED India. Shekhar Kapur is a movie director from India/Pakistan. He directed the movie Elizabeth and in his Ted talk he explained how one scene tells the story in different levels. Stories are powerful vehicles that inform as well as inspire the reader or listeners. It gives hope and examples for people to emulate or avoid. I really believe this and I’ve experienced it when I was writing my story for our Writers’ Workshop in Language Arts Methods class, because no matter how fictionalize I try to make my stories, I can’t take pieces of myself out of it. I think telling stories and anecdotes to students is something we cannot avoid to do. In the context of Social Studies, the issue is making the stories meaningful and rich that the students are not only getting the content of knowing what happened and when, but also why it happened and what are results of those events that can even go as far as the effects on our lives now. The play that we read together in class is great because the students are not only listening to the story, they are also telling the story. To be able to act or read fluently the students must understand why the characters act or say the things they do. In this way they are not only learning about history, they are also practicing how to speak clearly and expressively. I hope that I will be able to write something like that for my students too.
4. Playing catch with an Inflatable globe – I like the idea of getting an inflatable globe and throwing it across the room and asking questions to the student who catches it. For my second graders, I will first ask them of their right or left hand touches a body of water or body of land. Before this activity I will review first how to know which is land or water. Then the following day we do this, I will tell them about the continents and then they should be able to tell me which continent their hand is on. I like the idea of this activity being a form of assessment as well as a rainy day game. For older students, I can even ask them which country their thumb falls on and which capital if we have studied it already. I think this activity is very flexible and can be used from Kinder to high school.
5. A tour – I have always enjoyed going on tours of places that are close by. I think this is a cheaper alternative to fieldtrips. There is something about touring a familiar place and having someone explain how things are built and why. These days it gets harder to go to historical places and museums because of budget constraints. I think as teachers we need to be more creative in showing to our students that history is everywhere. There are times when I doubt if my students will appreciate touring a nearby place, yet when I watch them during recess, they make up stories about the school or a house close to the school. They have theories on how and why those buildings or houses are built, so it is natural and only fitting to take them on tours because most of them would enjoy it and benefit from it.

Illustrations in Children's Books: Useful or Harmful?

A great number of what we call "Children's Books" contains illustrations. It is preferred by children and adults because the pictures attract the children and it has been proven that to keep their attention in the story.
There are some theories that support the usefulness of Illustrations in Children's books. Some suggest that pictures make the reader more interested in the book because it is more attractive, some say that the pictures enhance memory and comprehension, and others say that Children are more engaged with the material because it allows them to interact with it through hearing and seeing.
In a study conducted in 2000 on K-3 students, researchers, Andrews, Schariff, and Moses found out that pictures or illustrations can enhance the comprehension of the story. Their data also shows that pictures or illustrations are very useful when presenting children with a new story and it can influence a child's approach to the book. Children's response to pictures or illustration is something that should be noted by Publishers when choosing illustrations for textbooks and even story books.
There are also some theories that suggest illustrations are harmful for children in understanding the stories. In Bruno Bettelheim’s The Uses of Enchantment, he criticizes the use of illustrations in fairytales because "the illustrations direct the child's imagination away from how [a child], on his own, would experience the story." (Bettelheim, p.60) He further asserts that the child is "robbed" of the opportunity to imagine the landscape and the situations himself because the illustrations had done it for him.
Another issue about pictures in books is that it could perpetuate stereotypes and tokenism. In most children's illustrated books, the characters are usually white Caucasian with blonde hair and the villains are ugly and deformed. Children of a different race or color may feel that they cannot identify with the main characters of the stories and thus feel left out or undesirable. A certain group of people are sometimes portrayed as inferior, and the risk that it could affect a child's confidence if he or she is a member of that group. This could specially be the case for African Americans, American Indians and other minority groups. There are very strong evidence that the illustrators’ biases and opinions could be picked up by the child and influence his or her sense of who he or she is.
I believe that Illustrations are very useful in telling stories to children. Because it catches their attention and it helps with figures and concepts that they may not be familiar to them. Children's imagination can still flourish if they are told these stories using illustrated books, because stories, such as fairytales are imaginative in themselves and provide plenty of room for a child to imagine many things. There are many new illustrated books emerging that are sensitive to the physical, cultural and developmental differences of children. I believe that it is the parent or educator's responsibility to be sensitive in choosing illustrated books for children so that it only enhances their learning experience.

References
Bruno Bettelheim, The Uses of Enchantment: The meaning and Importance of Fairytales, (Knopf,1975)
Jamye Andrews, Lauren Scharff and Laurie Moses, "The influence of Illustration in Children's Storybooks", American Journal of Psychological Research (2002) P. 323-339
In Time, Evaluating Children's Books for Bias
www.intime.uni.edu/multiculture/curriculum/children.htm

Lesson Plan: Writing a Thank You Letter

Enduring understanding:
Students learn how to write at thank you letter.

Content Standards that are the target of Student Learning
(list the complete text of the relevant parts of each standard)
Language Arts
1.2 Create readable documents with legible handwriting.
2.2 Write a friendly letter complete with the date, salutation, body, closing, and signature.

Learning Objectives (both content and language)
By the end of this lesson, students will be able reflect on the efforts of their Teacher to ensure that they receive the good education in second grade.

Procedure
Gather the students to the carpet.
Tell the students that we are going to write a thank you letter to Your Classroom Teacher.
(Mrs._____ is currently on Maternity Leave)
Ask students, “What are the things that Mrs. ____ taught us”?
Gather up their ideas on the white board.
After 5-7 ideas, explain to them that they will have to write a letter to Mrs. ____
Provide an example letter on butcher paper.
Explain to the students that we will write this letter first as a draft, then after I edit with them they will write this letter in a stationary or letter writing paper.

Refresh the students’ memory about letter writing by writing own thank you letter to Mrs.____. Ask the students if they remember the parts of a letter and call on those who raise their hands. Emphasize the parts of the letters: Date, Greeting, Body, Closing and Signature.

Remind the students about capitalization and abbreviation refer to the chart they have created a few weeks ago.

Formal and Informal Assessments:
As the students are writing, walk around and guide them as they write the letters.

Instructional Strategies and learning tasks to support Student learning (what you and the students will be doing)
The students will be working on their drafts in their writing journals. Then I will walk around the classroom conferencing with them.

Assessment:
3 – Student was able to recall specific lessons they learned. They will also recall past events in the classroom that were particularly enjoyable for them.
Remembered the parts of a thank you letter. Used appropriate opening and closing remarks, used the proper capitalization and abbreviation rules.
2 – Able to recall details from their year with Mrs. ____. Used incorrect capitalization and did not use the proper capitalization rules.
1- Did not attempt tasks. Details recalled were inappropriate.

Change...is good!

I've been thinking about change these past few weeks based on conversations I've had with the Rat, which should not be confused with a character in Haruki Murakami's novel, A Wild Sheep Chase. He made me think about change in a deeper level, not just identifying what needs to be changed or how to change them, but also why I should change them.

I was complaining to him as usual about how I am always the one organizing to get together with friends always the one who calls someone to hang out. Which is probably not entirely true but at that point it's how I felt. In a dramatic statement I told him I will have to change this and see how much they all miss me when I stop calling.

He told me I was wrong and that I shouldn't change that about me because it's part of who I am and it's not a bad thing. Although he didn't say it, and we didn't expound on it anymore, I extended this idea to other things that makes me, well, me. If I change aspects of myself, would it make a better me, or a lesser me?

This became my guiding principle in making changes. Will this enrich my way of life? I decided to start with my writing, which eventually spills on this blog.

I decided to write more and edit things I've written that I thought could be better. Which meant that those labeled "fiction" might be deleted or overhauled and reposted. I might even translate the tagalog blogs to enrich my language switching abilities. Whatever catches my fancy.

You may have noticed some lesson plans. They are modified to fit the classrooms I've taught in the past two years. I'm going to post more soon. I just felt like I've been holed up in the comfort of my classmates, colleagues, teachers and students that I neglected to share bits of myself and what I've learned. The past school year was a whirlwind, enriching CRAzy experience.

I will continue to post things that interest me: quotes, pictures, videos, songs, poetry, stories, reviews and of course thoughts about LOVE and it's many manifestations.

With that I leave you an "Updated Version of Me" by KC Concepcion. After all, there is a song for my every move:-)

Two Sufi Prayers

Inspirer of my mind

Inspirer of my mind, consoler of my heart,
healer of my spirit,
Thy presence lifteth me from earth to heaven,
Thy words flow as the sacred river,
Thy thought riseth as a divine spring,
Thy tender feelings waken sympathy in my heart.
Beloved Teacher, Thy very being is forgiveness.
The clouds of doubt and fear
are scattered by Thy piercing glance.
All ignorance vanishes in Thy illuminating presence.
A new hope is born in my heart
by breathing Thy peaceful atmosphere.
O inspiring Guide through life’s puzzling ways,
in Thee I feel abundance of blessing.
Amen.

Prayer for Peace
Send Thy peace, O Lord, which is perfect and everlasting,
that our souls may radiate peace.
Send Thy peace, O Lord, that we may think, act,
and speak harmoniously.
Send Thy peace, O Lord, that we may be contented
and thankful for Thy bountiful gifts.
Send Thy peace, O Lord, that amidst our worldly strife
we may enjoy thy bliss.
Send Thy peace, O Lord, that we may endure all,
tolerate all in the thought of thy grace and mercy.
Send Thy peace, O Lord, that our lives may become a
divine vision, and in Thy light all darkness may vanish. Send Thy peace, O Lord, our Father and Mother, that we
Thy children on earth may all unite in one family.
Amen.

Dangerously Irrelevant

Our intelligence tends to produce technological and social change at a rate faster than our institutions and emotions can cope with. . . . We therefore find ourselves continually trying to accommodate new realities within inappropriate existing institutions, and trying to think about those new realities in traditional but sometimes dangerously irrelevant terms. (Dyer, War: The Lethal Custom, p. 441)

Changing how we teach Math Problem Solving according to Dan Meyer

Math Hurdles (and possible solutions)

1. lack of initiative (use multimedia)
2. lack of perseverance (encourage student intuition)
3. lack of retention (ask the shortest question you can)
4. aversion to word problems (let students build the problem)
5 eagerness for formula (be less helpful)

6 phases of a Project

1. Enthusiasm
2. Dissillusionment
3. Panic
4. Search for the Guilty
5. Punishment of the innocent
6. Praise and Honors for the Non Participants

Funny how this list was found in an office full of software engineers and I still find it relevant to CRA.

Soneto XVII - Pablo Neruda

No te amo como si fueras rosa de sal, topacio
o flecha de claveles que propagan el fuego:
te amo como se aman ciertas cosas oscuras,
secretamente, entre la sombra y el alma.

Te amo como la planta que no florece y lleva
dentro de sí, escondida, la luz de aquellas flores,
y gracias a tu amor vive oscuro en mi cuerpo
el apretado aroma que ascendió de la tierra.

Te amo sin saber cómo, ni cuándo, ni de dónde,
te amo directamente sin problemas ni orgullo:
así te amo porque no sé amar de otra manera,

sino así de este modo en que no soy ni eres,
tan cerca que tu mano sobre mi pecho es mía,
tan cerca que se cierran tus ojos con mi sueño.
__________________________________________________
ENGLISH TRANSLATION

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I do not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

Inside Out- Sara Bareilles

"Inside Out"

I've been winding
Down the same road for days
I've seen the coastline
Going both ways
Some days are perfect
And some simply could not get worse
Some days it's all worth it
And some days this life is nothing but a curse

And I wonder who will break first

I am small
I feel like no more than nothing at all
But when I lose sight of daylight
And my darkness falls
I'll be strong
And if not now it won't be long
From when I lose sight of daylight
And my hands are weak
And my soul is tired
Oh, I'll give my love from the inside out
From the inside out

Little spirit
Now don't you desert me now
I know I don't always hear it
You don't always speak so loud
And I'm not willing
To simply lay down my soul for this
It may be all that I'm giving
But take my love for what it is

I am small
I feel like no more than nothing at all
But when I lose sight of daylight
And my darkness falls
I'll be strong
And if not now it won't be long
From when I lose sight of daylight
And my hands are weak and my soul is tired
Oh, I'll give my love from the inside out

Take your best shot
Here I stand, heart in hand
And fearless I'm not
But I am what I am
And I know what I'm not
And I know enough to know it's never
Gonna be much more than weather
You can't drive me away
When it's only rain
On the inside
It's only rain
From the inside
It's only rain
From the inside
It's only rain
From the inside
From the inside out
I am small
From the inside out
I am small

Summer 2010 Reading List

Every year I create a list of books that I wanted to read for the summer, and every year I have this long list that keeps getting longer. It is customary for me to only read half of the list.
So this year I decided to just put a few in my list and then read whatever comes accross my radar.

1. Purple Hisbiscus
2. Ilustrado - Miguel Syjuco
3. The Complete CS Lewis Signature Classics - C.S Lewis

Looks easy enough.

Responsible- By Sara Bareilles

"Responsible"

Bound for the blessing
You wouldn't see it coming
I keep you guessing
Watch while you come undone

You were an island
No one would dare to tread upon
I came in like the wise men
Ask you to take my gift of love

Hold me responsible
It's all my fault, I want
You to hold me any way you can
Hold me accountable
It's all my fault, I want
You to hold me any way you can

Careful confessions
Can't scare you with my crime
I learned my lesson
Love you a little at a time

Losing my patience
Getting acquainted with the edge
Ready and waiting
Happy to stand convicted

Hold me responsible
It's all my fault, I want
You to hold me any way you can
Hold me accountable
It's all my fault, I want
You to hold me any way you can

I can't change you
When you won't change yourself
See you slowly becoming someone else
I can't blame you for the strength you lack
Scared to give me what you may not get back

Hold me responsible
It's all my fault, I want
You to hold me any way you can
Hold me responsible
It's all my fault, I want
You to hold me any way you can
Hold me accountable
It's all my fault, I want
You to hold me any way you can
Anyway you can

*****
COMMENTARY:

Another great song from Sara Bareilles. Why do I think it's great? Well, because it captures a snipet of my life, I feel like this song is for me in some way. Very self-centered but I believe that is how most people hear the songs they come to enjoy and love. It reverberates to them, resonates to their deepest longings.

Taking Chances

Magical!

Pare, nakainom ka ba?

Kinse ang online o, at kilala ko sila lahat. Hindi lang sa kilala ko sa internet chat room or sa facebook. Inisa isa ko ang mga pangalan, talagang wala akong gustong kausapin. Ganon ba talaga pag tumatanda na? Para kasing napakalayo nang panahon ko sila nakasama, parang hindi na nga totoo.
So nag log out na lang ako, tapos ko naman nang burahin yung mga junk mail. At nasagot ko na rin ang mga email na mahalaga. Nakakatawa lang isipin, na sa labing lima na tao na siguro'y nakikipag-usap rin kung kanikanino, ni wala manlang akong kinausap. Ang totoo kasi, ayoko rin naman makipagusap. Kahit kanino. Minsan kasi merong mga pag-uusap na natatapos lamang sa kalituan at sobrang pag-iisip. Lito na ako at sobrang mapag-isip.
Inisip ko yung taong gusto ko laging kausap. Hindi naman kasi sya nakikipagchat. Naisip ko rin kung naiisip nya rin ba ako? Nakatunganga ba sya sa cellphone nya at iniisip kung tatawagan ba nya ako? Nagtatanong lang naman. Sino ba naman ako para isipin nya? Magkaibigan lang naman kami. May buhay sya doon sa kabilang baryo, at abala rin naman ako sa buhay ko dito. Masyado lang ako sigurong umaasa.

Biglang umilaw ang cell phone ko. Naka-slient kasi. At sa malalaking letra lumabas ang pangalan nya. Wala naman akong palayaw sa kanya kaya sinulat ko na lang pati apelyido. Sa ganung paraan pwede kong pagpantasyahan na balang araw magiging apelyido ko rin ang apelyido nya.

"Hello?" ang sabi ko.
"Anong ginagawa mo?" tanong nya. Parang masaya ang boses nya, hindi kaya sya nakainom?
"Wala lang, eto nagsusulat." Ang sabi ko. Ang totoo dalawang oras na akong palipat-lipat sa Mafia Wars at Cafe World, kung saan mabilis akong yumaman at ang problema ko lang ay pagnaubusan ng energy o kulang ang stove.
"May pasok ka ba bukas?" Tanong nya. "Gusto mo bang pumunta sa Half Moon Bay?"
"Ay may pasok ako eh" Sabi ko. Sayang talaga. Pero teka, gusto ba nya akong i-date? DATE NA BA ITO???
"Ah ok. Eh sa Miyerkules?" Tanong nya ulit.
"O... yeah sige punta tayo." Ang sabi ko naman.
"O sige, kita na lang tayo!" sabi nya. Buti na lang hindi nya sinabing, "Hanggang Sa muli!".
Teka, so inimbita nya ako sa Half Moon Bay, para saan? Tatawag ako sana ulit, pero nahiya na ako. Nakainom lang ba ito?
Pero talagang hindi ito umiinom eh.

Call and Answer - BNL

You shall not hurt me again

I woke up at 4:00 am and she was still in my mind.
My eyes drifted to my table to her letter. I don't want to read it again. I know I shouldn't and so I kept my head on my pillow and closed my eyes.
It's amazing how at the same time I realized how self-absorbed she is, I also admitted to myself that no one can replace her. I'll never love the same way again.
So this is how it feels to get my heartbroken repeatedly, pummeled several pieces and when I thought I can nurse my wounds and finally heal, here it goes again.

All she ever thought about is herself. What she needed, what she wanted. What was my sin? I was with her for more than half of my life. How can I forget? How can I move on? The saddest moment was realizing she never

She'll never hurt me again, I vowed to myself. She can't come near my heart again. The bludgeoning stops now.

I got up, went to the bathroom and splashed water on my face. I looked at my eyes, blood shot from crying and my scarlet nose. I have to stand tall from this, I tell myself. There is no other alternative. The proverbial "Sink or Swim".

She never loved me. I just happened to be there for the last ten years to hold her and be with her, but I was deluding myself.

The hurting should stop now, I thought as I cold water from the shower poured on my face. I have to get out of here.

Intermission

Multiplying from now on.

Sayonara!

Think about it...

"Now go, sleep on it, think about it" she said, as I hurriedly stuff everything in my rolling bag. Even student teachers get to be on the behavior chart too, I thought. It's been six weeks of being with little seven-year-olds and it is still an uphill battle.
I imagined myself as a ypimg padwan learner, under the tuteledge of an experienced Jedi master. Last phase and the begining of a new hope.
One thing I didn't take into consideration when I choose teaching as profession is how much my own flaws get magnified to myself and *gasp* whoever else that I encounter. I've learned early on that just as dogs, children can smell fear and ill-preparedness. Yet unlike dogs, children are merciless. Now I've realized their power to stir my emotions by just looking at me.

Think about it, she said. The words still rings in my head. Maybe it wasn't really a rebuke but more a gentle reminder from a caring master to stand still and let the Force permeate my skin and tell me what to do.

For Good - Kristin Chenoweth

Invictus

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

- by William Earnest Henley

__________________

Ah, exquisite! I think this poem is now on the top of my list of favorites.

I just watched the film with the same title and I was struck once again by the unifying effects of sports, especially team sports. I this case, the sport is Rugby and South Africa's victory at the 1995 rugby world cup helped the country in their much needed recovery after abolishment of Apartheid.

In the film, Mandela asked Pienaar, " How do you lead your team?" and Pienaar answered, " By example, sir." Very simple, yet the best answer I think. It wasn't the first thing that came to my mind, I was thinking more in the lines of motivation and inspiration, yet it is true; before we can inspire and motivate as leaders it is best to lead by example and in severe cases, it is also useful to draw upon the example of others.

I saw a great parallel in teaching. As teachers, we are leaders. In these troubled times all the more we should be leading by example as well as employing the examples of others in order to guide our students in becoming good citizens. We are building our nation, one class at a time and what we are doing is similar to what nation builders such as Nelson Mandela did.

Abscond

Abscond - to depart secretly and hide oneself.

Pinakamagandang lalake

I seem to be in an OPM (Original Pinoy Music) mood today because I keep remembering the songs I like from my favorite Filipino Artists! This one I just heard today at SOP. I searched it on youtube and I liked the video as well. The title means "most good looking man (in the world)". It's about how he felt like the most good looking man in the world when he is with a certain girl. It was funny how he invited the most sought after (and most handsome) actors in the country to appear in the video, including his own father.




Yeah....yeah

Wag isipin
Ako'y nagbibiro lamang
At wag sabihin
Ako'y nagyayabang lamang

*
Ngunit di ko na, inakala na
Ang isang tulad mo
Ay iibig sa, isang tulad ko
Akala ko, hanggang panagip na lang

**
Ako na yata ang pinakamagandang lalaki
Sa mundo sa piling mo
Pagkasama kita ang nadarama

Ako na yata ang pinakamagandang lalaki
Sa mundo...

Yeah....yeah

Di malaman, anong nakita mo sa'kin
Di katangkaran at gwapo lamang sa dilim

(Repeat *)

Ako na yata ang pinakamagandang lalaki
Sa mundo sa piling mo
Pagkasama kita iba ang asta

Ako na yata ang pimakamagandang lalaki
Sa mundo...

Yeah......

(Repeat **)

Yeah...yeah...yeah

Urong-Sulong

Ah, another fun little ditty that reminded me of puberty:-) Regine Velasquez is one of those singers who shaped my generation. This song "Urong-Sulong", directly translated means, "backward-forward", is my favorite song of her. It's also one of her early songs. If you will notice the upbeat tone, it's a signature of the late 80's and 90's filipino pop songs that I like so much. Here she talks about someone who is hesitating (hence the backward-forward thing). She also reassures this person/guy that he must not be shy or hesitant because she likes him too.
I'll post the lyrics later!

Maybe!

A little-known fact about me is that I always like Randy Santiago's songs. He is an actor, singer, composer, and got really famous in the 80's when he used to have a show called "Lunch Date" which is like an early prototype of popular noon time shows.
This song "Siguro" (Maybe/Probably) is my favorite because they lyrics are funny. The song is about this guy/person who is asking a girl if she had a fight with her sweetheart/boyfriend. He keeps saying it's probably better if he is her boyfriend. He proposed some suggestions while promoting himself as better than her boyfriend. He does this in his typical funny way.
If you can understand Tagalog, I hope you enjoy the humor of this song. If not, come back in the next few weeks because I might have the translations then:-)

Creating possibilities

Ever since I started listening to Radiolab I feel that I became more geeky, in a good way of course. I already over examine but lately I am more able to see the awesomeness of stuff that to most people are mundane. Call it a return to one's youthful curiosity or a descent to insanity, it's all good to me.
I got this picture from 6 Seconds, a non-profit company who specializes in developing people's emotional intelligence.

And what did I wish for? Love of course!

Hello and Happy New Year!
I thought it would be fun write something on the first day of the new year. This is a time of hope and new beginnings. Time to be cheerful and optimistic about what the future may hold. Last night I was in San Francisco with my family (parents, brother, grandma, aunts, uncle and cousins) and this is by far the best New Year celebration we had in the past 10 years. Less food, less gifts and I didn't have to break open a young coconut!
It just goes to show that a celebration doesn't always depend on the abundance of food and gifts; what matters most is spending it with loved ones whom you know will put up with you no matter how crazy you are sometimes.
Here's wishing everyone a good year. I'm not going write about my resolutions and reflections on the past year. I think this time, I will just keep in my heart this song:-)



This will be my year - Semisonic

Thursday's crush is a Friday night rush
And a Monday morning cry
It's the tail that you keep chasing
And it gets away every time

New Years Eve and it's hard to believe
Another Zodiac's gone around
While you drank yourself high on hoping
And watched the ceiling spin from the ground

Counting down from ten it's time
To make your annual prayer
Secret Santa in the sky
When will I get my share

Then you tell yourself
What you want to hear
Cause you have to believe
This will be my year

Pound your fist and cross it off your list
But you know you're not that strong
When the man at the stop light catches you
Singing along to a brand new song

Well maybe it's
Trash or the overnight smash that brings a
Ship crashing through your wall
So you can make your grand departure
From a world getting way too small

One wheel in the ditch another
Spinning in the air
Put your pedal down to the floorboards but you're not
Getting anywhere

Then you tell yourself
What you want to hear
Cause you have to believe
This will be my year

Crying

As to why we needed an engagement party, is beyond me. I only agreed to organize it so I don't have to be in entourage.
Come on, it would really mean a lot to us, Danica said.
This was right after she showed me what the "entourage" will wear knowing well that I'd take a serious death threat to make me wear something "formal".
If you don't want to, you don't have to, Danica pouted when she saw the grimace on my face. My brother gave me a threatening look that as she tried to appease his fiancee.
Well what if I just organize the engagement party and the reception, I offered.
Oh that is so wonderful! she exclaimed.
Are you sure it's not so much trouble?
My usual sensible brother seem to have lost it by choosing this woman.
And so I was stuck.
I looked outside on the San Francisco skyline and congratulated myself on booking this venue. The Bay Bridge is still spectacular no matter how many times I see it, it also never fails to soothe me specially in this time of stress.
I looked around the room again and there she is. It's amazing how people can be together for a long time and then one day wake up one day and have to say it's over. I spent my whole adult life with her, and now I don't know who I am.
I clenched my fist and tried to fight back the lump in my throat. I know I am quite red now even though I've only had one glass of wine. I walked over to my parents' table.
Ma, I have to go, I'm not feeling well, I said.
Well what am I supposed to do? she said with an alarmed look on her face.
Nothing, just tell James.
I walked out of the hall and found the elevator.
I hope she doesn't see me like this. I thought frantically wiping my tears with the handkerchief I fished from my pocket. It was one she gave me 2 years ago.
The rest of my travel was a blur. I didn't know how I could have driven that night. Luckily I took tha BART and my apartment wasn't that far away from the South City Station.
I loved her. Maybe there really is such a thing as too much love.