AUTISM: "Hug machine" eases stress for children with autism

From the CEC Smart Brief:

Occupational therapist Michelle Whitacre finds a "hug machine," with its swing, padded wooden box and pressure-controlling joystick, calms children with autism. Used at about 10 centers nationwide, the machine was created by Temple Grandin, an autistic woman, to help her relax. WAVE3 TV (Louisville, KY) (08/31)

KAY...Magaling Na Filipina

Unang araw namin ngayon na makilala ang mga estudyante sa paaralan kung saan ako'y nagtuturo. Tatlo ang estudyanteng Pilipino; natutuwa naman ako dahil silang tatlo ay magagaling na mga bata. Yung isa nga sa kanila, napunta sa regular education class (hindi sa ESL class). Ipinakiusap ko pa sa ESL Teacher na tulungan ipasok sa klase nya, dahil marami syang matututunan sa Chinese ESL teacher na ito, "Milken Awardee" na sya at "Advanced" pa ang scores ng mga estudyante nya sa Math.

Matulungin naman sana ang guro; ang problema lang exceeds expectations ang score ng Pilipinong estudyante na ito, at ayon sa assessment ay hindi na raw kailangan ng ESL services. Gustuhin ko man na mapunta sya sa pinakamagaling na guro sa paaralan namin dahil alam ko na mas marami sya doong matututunan, hindi nakayanan ng powers ko. HAY!

Naisip ko na talagang magaling ang Pilipino kumpara sa mga estudyante dito. Naisip ko si KAY, isang magaling na estudyanteng Pilipina. Hulaan nyo kung kaninong anak ito...

AUTOBIO: Hi, I am Czarina Kay. I am 15 years old and in 4th year High School. At present, I am the President of the Student Council and the class president, too. I love writing and I am currently the feature editor of our school paper. Life is a challenge for me!

How would you describe your relationship with your parents? My relationship with my parents is great. We keep each other entertained and when things sometimes go wrong we resolve it right away. Although I wasn't that open to them before, I am now. I keep them updated and nothing beats a healthy communication!

What do you consider are the 3 greatest achievements you've made so far as a student? I've done good in school I guess. As a student, I can say that I've done some things. I'm the president of our student council in highschool and boy, was it rewarding when I won. I'm a top student... and well, I can't quite figure what the third greatest achievement is. I guess it's being able to reach out to other students, hear what they have to say and be friends with them as well.

What 3 things motivate you to draw and create wonderful artworks? My parents motivate me a lot especially when my father shows my drawings around to his friends. When I show my artworks to my friends, their reactions are so flattering. One of my friends even said that she'd cut off my hand and replace hers with it. How I love hearing comments like that. It keeps me going. My Kuya Malay is my mentor and I would love to hear from him again how he would like to see my drawings. I just don't let it get to my head...that's the secret.

Kahit na sabihin natin na marunong ako sa arts, hindi naman ako kasing galing ni KAY. Ano kayang mangyayari kung ilaban natin sa poster making contest si KAY sa mga estudyante dito? Syempre, panalo ang Pinoy! Walang bola...

Naku! Mas maganda pa nga siguro ang schedule ko pag regular classes. At least hindi ako nagmamadali ngayon sa pagsusulat nitong entry ko. Baka mamya makapag blog-hopping na ako.

O nahulaan nyo na ba kung kaninong anak ito? Sirit na? Kay BING , magaling na parent advocate ng Pinoy Teachers Network.

AUTISM: Social Skills for Students with Autism

This book examines a variety of strategies to teaching social skills to children and youth with autism, including direct skills instruction, antecedent prompting procedures, peer-initiation strategies, and peer tutoring.

Eye-Ball with LIZ

I said this once and I will say it again here...

I am so lucky to find people who are willing to help without complaints. Who are also willing to learn by doing. They are few of the people I know who are effective communicators, who persuade with modesty, who are leaders themselves. I thank the Core Group Members of the Pinoy Teachers Network who are the people behind the success of this pinoy teachers' community around the globe. The success of one is the success of all...

Liz Genuino is the Pinoy Teachers Network's Fellowship and Membership Moderator. Ever wondered why you cannot reach her these past few weeks? She was on training in Virginia, and she came by to visit Washington DC after her training...

That was Wednesday, I tried to get out early from the New Teachers' Orientation, where I was one of the facilitators, to meet up with Liz. And yes, true to what I said in my feature article about this PROUD PINAY, she talks fluently in Tagalog. I was even more surprised to know that she's been in the Philippines once, when she was 3 years old.

We had so much fun going around the Smithsonian Museums which are only few blocks away from where I live. She met two other Filipina teachers who live in my apartment building, Ate Sonnette and Michelle, and we exchanged our stories about our students. We had fun, and some of the pictures will tell the story. We brought her home at 11:00pm.

Woman with disability sets solo sailing record

From the CEC Smart Brief:

Hilary Lister has set the world's longest solo sailing record for a quadriplegic by crossing the English Channel in six-hours and 13-minutes. The 33-year-old Lister, who lost the use of her limbs when she developed a degenerative disease as a teen, controlled the sails and tiller of her 26-foot craft by blowing into straws. The Guardian (London) (8/24)

HARRY WONG...Who Is He?

Inside every great teacher, there is an even greater one waiting to come out.- HARRY WONG

QUESTION: Why am I always talking about Harry Wong?

ANSWER: Because I am a teacher.

Every proactive teacher has to know who Harry Wong is. He is the person that motivates me to succeed; though he doesn't know that he's my role model because we don't know each other personally.

I was introduced to his book, "The First Days of School", when I attended the New Teachers Training offered by my school district. From then on my view about myself as a teacher and this profession changed tremendously. Most of my quotes in this blog and mottos in teaching came from his book. His book is now a bible for me, a major reference, I keep it beside my bed too. It practically guides me on how to become an effective teacher.

Harry Wong is the most sought after speaker in education today. He has been called "Mr. Practicality" for his common sense, user-friendly, no-cost approach to managing a classroom for high-level student success. More than a half-million teachers worldwide have heard his message.

In one of the pages in the book is a certificate which reads: "The teacher in this classroom is a PROFESSIONAL. With the required training, certification, and dedication necessary to provide a QUALITY EDUCATION to all students who enter. The subject is SUCCESS!". Isn't that inspiring to us teachers and to the students?

I am not HARRY WONG, but like him I was expected to be a doctor; like him I exceeded my parents' expectations; like him I became a writer, a scholar, and a teacher.

Like HARRY WONG I ought to make a difference as a teacher...

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E-MAIL FROM HARRY WONG:

Maria,

You are welcome to my bio from www.teachers.net as well as our picture. If that does not work, I can have one emailed to you.

Late news: The readers of Instructor Magazine, published by Scholastic (Harry Potter), asked their readers to vote for the educator or friend of education they admired the most. In their November 2005 issue, they will announce the top 20. Harry Wong is on this list along with Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Ron Clark, Marva Collins, Bill Cosby, Howard Gardner, Mel Levine, and Oprah Winfrey.

Best wishes,

Harry W

Child brain-cancer survivors have long-term health needs

From the CEC Smart Brief:

Nearly one-third of children who survive brain cancer need special-education services, and many continue to suffer headaches, pain and nausea, finds a new Stanford University study in the Aug. 20 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The study is the first to compare the health-related quality of life of children who've had brain tumors with that of healthy peers. News-Medical.Net (8/22)

SHINING STARS for all to see

Cover Design: MARIA CRISTINA KABILING (A Filipina)

Our first day to report back to our respective schools for the School Year 2005-2006 is on Tuesday, August 23. I am very optimistic that this year is going to be a brighter year for me and for the whole Jefferson Junior HS community through the leadership of our new principal Mr. Mensa Maa.

This is going to be my third year of teaching here in the same school district, my last year as a newbie teacher. And I have accomplished a lot, and shared to many veteran and neophyte teachers my best and worst days, the pains and triumphs, all my experiences with my students as a DC Public School Teacher.

I gave lecture presentations to DC Area Writing Project Teacher Consultants, and to teachers taking graduate courses, who gave me the push to go on because of their eagerness to learn integrating writing and technology inside their classrooms. They told me that I am the expert in the field where I am in, and more knowledgeable than they were in the topic that I was going to present. Thanks for their motivation. I feel I am getting better each time I face different groups of veteran teachers during my lecture-presentations.

Last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, I was one of the facilitators during the New Teachers' Orientation in our school district. And since I wasn't able to go to a New Teachers' Induction as big as this (I came in at Jefferson Junior High middle of the school year, remember?), I considered myself a participant too. There were more or less 700 incoming new teachers this school year to the District of Columbia Public Schools, and I saw close to 10 Pinoy new teachers. And guess what, my principal recommended me to be one of the presentors that Thursday to talk on the Survival Kit for almost 30 newbie teachers in my group. How did it go?

This presentation lasted more than 1 hour; I was nervous and freaking out of what other activities to give the participants to keep them inside my room. It was emotional for me because I imparted my own personal experiences as a new teacher. Not very long ago I was in the dark like them. During their first few weeks in school, they are going to feel how it is to be expected to perform like a veteran teacher when it is just their first year of teaching. Ah! I saw fresh faces, full of idealism, eager to go to their classrooms. I didn't want to burst their bubble but I wanted them also to expect the reality that would greet them in their respective schools. I based all my powerpoint presentations from Harry Wong's The First Days of School. I shared with them my personal experiences that I know would help them be educator leaders (not just workers). I wished them the best. I was given a facilitator during my presentation, Ms. Beverly, who gave me full support, assistance and motivation. She asked for my powerpoint presentation to be emailed to her because she said her students need to be "Einsteins" and need the push. I got exceeds expectations and good comments for that presentation.

I was priviledged to work with the hard working people from the DC Public Schools most especially from Logan Office of Workforce and Professional Development. I met teacher leaders who are very inspiring knowing their accomplishments as teachers (National Board Certified, National Teacher Awardees...). I've come to know a Filipina, Maria Cristina Kabiling (cover designer of Shining Stars), who just came in from the Philippines and works for DCPS for eight months now. But she remains humble, smart and who maintains a good interpersonal relationship, very admirable.

I came to know Celine Fejeran better than just seeing her name in the newspapers as the DC Public School's New Teacher of the Year. She is an Asian, from Guam; and she is very inspiring with how organized she does complicated tasks, and how aggressive but polite she deals with people. I was in tears when she gave her speech onstage during the last day of the orientation. I felt every word she said, I saw myself in her shoes, I went through all the situations she mentioned and experienced every emotions she felt.

To all the new teachers who are reading this, you must persist. Any new endeavor may be tough in the beginning. But tough times never last, but tough people do.

NEW TEACHERS' ORIENTATION Powerpoint Presentation (click here)

VIDEO of the presentation (click here)

ADHD: Children with ADHD have more problems in early adulthood

From the CEC Smart Brief:

Children with untreated ADHD frequently go on to have the disorder in young adulthood and have increased problems with getting fired, higher credit card debt and a greater likelihood of becoming parents by age 21, according to a new study. The 13-year study tracked 147 children with ADHD beginning at age 7 and compared them with 76 neighbor children and found that about a third dropped out of high school, about one in three became parents by their early 20s and they had more debt than the neighbors. USA TODAY (8/21)

Sieben...

Busy as a bee lately, but I can't refuse the tags of my childhood friend (Honeypooh) and our PTN's parent advocate (Bing).

Seven things that scare you: 1. deep water 2. poisonous snakes and spiders 3. big fire 4. crazy people driving other people crazy 5. being trapped in an empty room 6. getting lost while driving at night 7. death

Seven things you like the most: 1. watching the movie while sharing a big popcorn with my family 2. walking in the woods alone, in bright sunlight, birds chirping & cicadas humming 3. thinking of nice thoughts, surrounding myself with good people and best friends 4. expressing myself through painting, writing and blogging 5. sleep whole day (which I haven't done for the longest time) 6. Listening to relaxing Enya music 7. Eating my favorite food in my favorite restaurant.

Seven important things in your bedroom: 1. soothing lamps 2. warm bath in the tub with wine 3. computer hooked to the internet 4. photos of my amily and friends 5. Relaxing Enya CDs 6. soft bed and huggable big pillows 7. a TV hooked to cable.

Seven random facts about you: 1. I am a soft-hearted person. 2. I am a very trusting person. 3. I’ve always trusted my intuition, never fails me. 4. I focus myself on order and perfection. 5. I engage in obsessive and compulsive behaviors. 6. I’ll pick my nose in public if I think no one is looking. 7. I am the “WOLFGIRL”.

Seven things you plan to do before you die: 1. See the Aurora Borealis 2. climb up the Mayon Volcano and camp somewhere there 3. Tour around the world 4.
I want my silver wedding to be a yacht wedding. 5. I want to get the DisneyHand Teacher Award (I was a nominee for 2005) 6. I want to pass the National Board Certification for Teachers (I will apply next year). 7. I want to see my kid/s happily settled down.

Seven things you can do: 1. paint 2. write short stories, poems, reflections 3. be better than an amateur in computer technology (but not an expert) 4. be good as a teacher 5. good in sensing people's personality (I guess has something to do with my knowledge in Clinical Psychology) 6. drink and smoke on occassions (shhh! Si Teacher Sol o, bad girl! :D) 7. play bubbles with my only daughter.

Seven things you can't do: 1. I can’t sing 2. Bribe someone 3. Tell a lie 4. Leave home without saying BYE to hubby and baby 5. eat liver and tofu 6. live a whole day without being productive 7. can't live without a computer hooked to the internet.

Seven things that attract you to the opposite sex: 1. street smart, not bookish (but SMART) 2. Family-oriented 3. intellectually stimulating 4. Good singing voice 5. passionate and romantic 6. compatible with my simple lifestyle 7. polite, humble, shows respect to elders.

Seven things you say the most: 1. Hay, naku! 2. No kidding!? 3. Stop it! (to my Special Ed students, everyday :D) 4. 5. I love you, goodnight! (before sleep) 6. Yeah, right! 7. Olrayti!

Seven celeb crushes (whether local or foreign): Let's skip that...

Seven people you want to see to take this quiz: 1. Patrice 2. Petite 3. Teacher Liz 4. Teacher Luchie 5. Fionsky 6. Igor 7. Duke

AUTISM: A woman with autism finds joy in serving others

From the CEC Smart Brief:


When she was young, doctors told the parents of Mary-Minn Sirag that their daughter was severely retarded and would never lead an independent life. Yet, thanks to the early intervention of her grandmother and her own determination, Sirag graduated from college, married a theoretical physicist and recently earned an award for her advocacy of people with autism. The Register-Guard (Eugene, Ore.) (8/17)

Research: Drug helps aggressive children with autism

A new study in the American Journal of Psychiatry reports that the drug resperidone, used to treat schizophrenic adults, helped 83% of disruptive children with autism improve their behavior significantly. ConsumerAffairs.com (08/16)

Aking Handog sa mga OCWs

Wednesday, April 6 '05, I blogged about an AMBUSH INTERVIEW by Michael Vincent, programming director of Metro Plus AM 1044 radio in Hong Kong. This interview was in mixed Tagalog and English which took place at 11:30 pm. Here's the link to access the video of the phone interview.

-----> CLICK the PICTURE to play the video HERE (2 minutes to load or go to www.winamp.com)


To end this entry, I would like to share this video which makes me cry everytime I would watch it... PILIPINAS, BYAHE TAYO (click here)

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AMBUSH INTERVIEW...

April 6, 2005. Kakatapos lang ng National Writing Project interview ko, nagulat ako nang may nag-email sa akin na Radio Newscaster ng mga OFW from Hong Kong. Exchange messages kami at na-tense ako nang sinabi na tatawag na sya in 10 minutes. Pasado alas dose, na-interview ulit ako, twice in a row!

1. How long have you been an OFW?

We came here in Washington DC in October 2003, so around 1 year and 5 months na kami dito.

.

2. What are your experiences?

Kung sa experiences din lang marami. As a new comer ba? Nagdaan ako sa butas ng karayom ditto. Mahirap magsimula. I was hired by my district directly from the Philippines, when I got here I got the position but I couldn't start without my Social Security number. Di ko alam kung paano ko napagkasya ang $200 sa dalawang buwan. Minsan din a ako kumakain para makabili ng phone cards para makausap ko ang asawa ko at anak ko na naiwan ko sa Pilipinas. After two months na-retro naman sweldo ko, pinambili ko ng plane tike tang unang sweldo ko, ngayon nandito na ang pamilya ko.

As a teacher, ang daming hirap. Ilang beses ako na nakita ng mga co-teachers ko na umiiyak sa labas ng classroom ko. Emotionally Disturbed Junior Highschool ang mga estudyante ko so bukod sa dami ng issues nila as a teenager, may behavioral problems din sila, diagnosed with ADHD and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Sa Pilipinas sobrang nirerespeto ako ng mga estudyante ko, ditto araw-araw nila akong minumura.

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3. What is biggest contribution to date in making your stay aborad worthwhile?

Pero despite all these things, very supportive sa akin ang school district ko. Nabigyan ako ng $3,500 scholarship grant sa Graduate School Of Education sa Howard University in less than a year ng pagtratrabaho ko ditto. After that, ginawa akong Teacher Consultant sa DC Area Writing Project which is a nationwide organization of very professional teachers supporting each other. Sunod-sunod ang blessings ko ditto. I was nominated to the DisneyHand Teacher Awards, and I was sent to several National and international conventions all expenses paid. Inter-state na ang professional development conventions na pinupuntahan ko. I was also appointed as the new Technology Liaison of the DC Area Writing Project. My writing have been published and quoted in newspaper articles. Naiisip ko, ito ang mga kapalit ng mga dinanas kong paghihirap sa mga estudyante ko ditto. Hindi madaling magturo ng special ed Emotionally Disturbed cases, nagging manhid na ako sa mga pagmumura nila. Normal na yata ang ganong lengwahe sa kanila. Nasa kultura na nila yon. May mga estudyante rin naman na nagpapakita na importante rin ako sa kanila, nagiging parang barkada ko na sila at nakikipag-biruan na sila sa akin. Mahirap at masarap ang mga karanasan ko dito.

.

4. And finally your inspirational message to our kababayan.

My guiding principle in life: “TOUGH TIMES NEVER LAST BUT TOUGH PEOPLE DO”. Believe me, that is what keeps me going. Natutuwa ako dahil ditto sa Amerika, mas maraming Pinoy ang nasa professional jobs na talagang pinupuri ng mga Amerikano. May pag-asa pa, pero nasa inyo yan mga kababayan. Pilipino tayo, kaya natin ito!!

AUTISM: Teens with autism mentor youngsters

From the CEC Smart Brief:

The University of Washington's Autism Center is assigning teens with autism to serve as assistant teachers for young children both with and without disabilities. Pat Waterston, aunt of a 15-year-old boy with autism, says her nephew's experiences at the university's Experimental Education Unit have helped him grow in confidence and independence. Seattle Post-Intelligencer (8/15)

Meme : Books I Own and Love

It's been three weeks, pasensya na Eruannie sobrang busy talaga. Pero Huli man daw ang matsing...hahabol pa rin. I don't want to be the blogger to sever this book meme cycle. Here it goes...

Total Number of Books Owned : More or less 500 (including favorite pocket books like Sydney Sheldon, collection of book series like D&D...)

Last Book I Bought: Harry Potter Book 6, I need a restful weekend to finish it; I'm halfway done with the book though :D

Last Book I Read : I could read this book over and over and I won't get tired of it: The First Days of School by Harry Wong. I gave a presentation yesterday during the District Wide New Teachers' Orientation (Induction and Mentoring Program), and Harry Wong's book was my primary reference for my powerpoint presentation so I got to read it all over again.

Five books that mean a lot to me: The First Days of Shool by Harry Wong, Tough Times Never Last But Tough People Do by Robert Schuller, Emotional Vampires by Albert Bernstein, PhD, 501 Tips for Teachers by Robert Ramsey, EdD and Mr. Seahorse by Eric Carle (oohh, love the story and illustrations).

The 5 next brave souls (my chosen ones) to post this meme to their blogs are: NIKKI, IGOR, ATTY. PUNZI, ZARELLE, J.ANGELO

Pinoy Teachers Network...one month now!

OUR HOME: http://pinoyteachersnetwork.blog-city.com

"Any new endeavour is always tough in the beginning". Hah! Whoever said this is an all time motivator; I believe he's one of those people who helped to change the world by changing people's attitude about themselves; I agree with him, it's true, it happens.

I gave us just two weeks to plan this out and prepare for the launching. Ready or not, the website of the Pinoy Teachers Network went officially up in cyberspace on July 12, 2005. We took the challenge. We learned from our own experiences and then finding our own way out of the obstacles we encountered. For most of us, quitting or not trying isn't an option.

It's been a month, can you believe it? What happened during that span of time, aside from my being so busy and missing my blog hopping routine?

We have more than 50 members now, and still growing. Teachers from the University of the Philippines (Visayas), Mindanao State University, De la Salle University, Claret School of QC, Xavier School in Greenhills... are proving themselves worthy of the title "Teacher" by being leaders themselves in their own schools.

We also have members as far as Japan, Singapore, Texas, Arizona, California, Washington DC...who are Teacher Leaders themselves and are as persistent as we all are in disseminating the information about the Pinoy Teachers Network.

It was intimidating for us because nobody among us have ever done this before. To find the answer, we had to go outside the box. We learned to communicate via email and the Internet, and soon podcasts.

I am so lucky to find people who are willing to help without complaints. Who are also willing to learn by doing. They are few of the people I know who are effective communicators, who persuade with modesty, who are leaders themselves. I thank the Core Group Members of the Pinoy Teachers Network who are the people behind the success of this pinoy teachers' community around the globe. The success of one is the success of all...

PINOY TEACHERS NETWORK CORE GROUP MEMBERS:

-TECHNOLOGY LIAISON= J. Angelo Racoma
-BULLETIN BOARD ENTRIES MODERATOR= Tito Rolly
-Education Resources Links MODERATOR= the Filipino Librarian
-FELLOWSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP MODERATOR= Teacher Liz
-LOCAL PINOY TEACHERS NETWORK LIAISON= Zarah Gagatiga
-OVERSEAS PINOY TEACHERS NETWORK LIAISON= Zarelle
-Teachers Network Around The Globe MODERATOR= Teacher Ela
-Parent Advocate/ E-group MODERATOR= Bing
-LEGAL COUNSEL= Atty. Punzi
-DIRECTOR= Teacher Sol

- EDUCATOR ADVISER =Dr. Danilo Baylen

PINOY TEACHERS NETWORK; WE ARE PROFESSIONAL FILIPINO EDUCATORS. WE ARE GOING TO INSPIRE, BE PROACTIVE, GIVE HOPE, AND GO THE EXTRA MILE.

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Congratulations to Pinoy Teachers Network! More power! -from your friends at: SUN.STAR BLOG CHRONICLES , NATIONAL WRITING PROJECT Help , DC AREA WRITING PROJECT

GELO the Jellyfish

It was a clear day in summertime. A jellyfish was freely swimming in one of the shallow beaches of the salt waters in the Philippine archipelago. The Philippines is an archipelago made up of more than 7, 400 islands. In the turquoise blue sea surrounding the tropical islands is where we see most of the underwater creatures, like Gelo the jellyfish.

It's not surprising that beach goers and divers are afraid of Gelo.

Few marine creatures are as mysterious and intimidating as jellyfish. Though easily recognized, creatures like Gelo are often misunderstood. Bathers and beachcombers react with fear upon encountering this invertebrate. But in fact, most jellyfish in the Philippine waters are harmless.

One brave diver, filled with excitement, went after Gelo and tried to capture him. But most jellyfish are equipped with a specialized venom apparatus (cnidoblast), which Gelo used for defense.

Gelo was so scared of his predator. He fought back while coiling the diver's legs with his long tentacles and released a sting causing discomfort to the predator. The diver immediately tried to free himself and swam away from Gelo.

Gelo swam back to his habitat really frightened.

He decided to stay safely in his home in the sea bed with all his water creature friends. It would give him peace of mind while having fun playing, swaying and undulating with the sea animones, sea whips, corals and polyps.

For Gelo, one of the free-swimming medusae living in tropical waters like the Philippines, it's a wonder why people can't be friendly to him.

Can you?

Story and Illustration: TEACHER SOL

Gadgets bring new headaches for administrators

From the CEC Smart Brief:

As children embrace the latest tech devices, schools are scrambling to stay one step ahead in keeping distracting gear out of the classroom. Many have instituted policies requiring iPods, cell phones and other gadgets be turned off during school hours or left at home. eSchool News (free registration) (8/9)

A Walk In The Woods

(The Tech & Writing Retreat Experience with the NWP)


The earth brought forth vegetation, plants, yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, and God saw that it was good: GENESIS 1:12

I was nine years old, on our family farm in Paracale, Camarines Norte, Philippines. I was running in the forest and I was so scared. The snakes or any forest creature might just meet me on the way. I was breathing heavily and quickly ran as fast as my feet could carry me down the trail to the top of the hill overlooking the sea where my family was having fun in my grandparent’s house. It was more than twenty minutes before I reached my destination, and my family was so surprised that I made it through the woods all by myself.

This memory was playing in my mind as I was walking in the woods, again by myself, in the vast Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City, Nebraska during the National Writing Project Tech and Writing Retreat. The retreat last August 4-7 was a whole different experience for me.

I was unlucky from day one that I stepped onto the Nebraska soil. At Eppley Airfiled in Omaha, I looked around for my luggage and waited for it to show up at the baggage counter after every flight arrived. At 5:15 PM after the third flight came and my luggage didn’t show up, I guessed it was time for me to call the driver in the convention center. It was then that I learned that I missed the driver who was there earlier at 3:15 to pick me up. So, the staff in the airport asked me to just wait for my luggage to be delivered to my hotel room. Worse, even the airport officials didn’t know when it was coming because it was still in Chicago.

The driver of the Arbor Day Farm van was very friendly. He kept me awake during my one hour travel to the convention center. Along the way I experienced the sight and smell of what Sting called in his music “Fields of Gold”. He made a turn and I was in total awe when I saw one of the best golf courses in my whole life. It was a natural beauty; the green sights soothe my visual sense, and the fresh smell of the leaves excited my curiosity to see the orchard and the whole farm. We were finally at the entrance to the Arbor Day Farm and Lied Conference Center.

I was already late when I came into the meeting room. There were like 25 Teacher Consultants from the different National Writing Project sites each representing their local site. I was the representative from the DC Area Writing Project. Just when I sat down the facilitator, Michelle Rogge-Gannon of Dakota Writing Project, approached me and said that I would be the first to introduce myself. Ah, my punishment for being late! But after I did my self-introduction, they let me go to have my dinner. Yeah! Free of course! It was a buffet, and it was delicious!

It was really inspiring to see these teacher leaders in the American educational system coming together to talk about technology and writing in this National Writing Project retreat. It was good to hear from these teacher leaders what had worked inside their classrooms. The discussion about it that followed was interactive. It is also challenging to have your writing laid out to them to be reviewed and commented upon, knowing that some of these teachers were published writers in different educational books and journals in the country. Some of them are the people whose names I see managing the NWP Technology Liaison’s listserv. Some of them are the people who maintain the NWP Website and to whom we call for help when our local NWP site’s blog or websites are having problems. It’s a wonderful feeling to interact with them and hear them present about the latest in writing and technology. I learned to reflect and write on my teaching practices and how it impacted my students. I was enlightened on the copyright issues and creative commons license, expanding our ideas of audience and the digital media impact on writing.

One of the best things I got from the retreat is that it also made me proud of my roots. I wasn’t the only Filipino there. The moment I walked in the meeting room, I saw Dr. Danilo Baylen who is representing NWP at the Gulf Coast Florida Project. I later approached him and showed him the Pinoy Teachers Network site, which is a Filipino teachers’ global community weblog running on its third week now. He was so glad about it and he didn’t hesitate to accept my invitation for him to be our Educator Adviser.

I had a chance to walk into the woods before I went back to Washington DC. The sound of the crickets were seemingly getting louder and the colorful butterflies and dragonflies flew by me, as if welcoming me as I went deeper into the woods. I passed by the hazelnut field. I remember one Teacher Consultant, Sandra Shattack from Alabama, talking about it in one of the ‘check-ins’ that these seeds are like the TCs. They come individually but are bound together by a common goal/ teamwork. Then suddenly, a deer crossed my path. She was slowly moving while looking at me, probably wondering what I was going to do to her. I was ready to go on with my adventure when a baby deer followed. Like the older one, the fawn was very cautious of my presence while she was crossing. I was stunned! I was giggling and excitedly thinking of how my seven year-old daughter would react to this story. I went further down the woods and came across a long wooden bridge, with a stream under it. They call it Demonstration Timber Bridge, which proves to us that it is achievable to build a large wooden structure like this with trees, ie, without having interruption of the neighboring trees or soil. I passed by the orchard too and hand-picked some apples for my baby and hubby. The farmers said that the produces of the orchard and the farm are mostly for export.

The walk in the woods of Arbor Day Farm evoked that feeling and that memory of my childhood when I was running in the forest all alone.

Everything exceeded my expectations, the food, the place, the company, the experience. I learned a lot and I believed I equally shared with the other Teacher Consultants. I feel so lucky that this grant was granted to me by the National Writing Project and the DC Area Writing Project.

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SOME OF OUR PICTURES IN NEBRASKA (click here)

PANORAMIC SHOT OF LIED LODGE IN NEBRASKA (click here)

MORE PICS FROM THE NWP Tech & Writing Retreat (click here)

Tough Times Never Last But Tough People Do

Everytime I stumble in life, I think of these words; I immediately get up and I'm ready to go again. This is my guiding principle in life. But I didn't just invent it. I adopted it from Robert H. Schuller's book "Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do!".

I first got hold of this book way back in college, when I was fixing my grandmother's shelf. This book fell down before me. Mang (what I call my grandma) was the chief of a regional hospital then, and one of her staff gave this book to her with some thank you notes at the back of the cover page. I got interested because of the title and borrowed the book from her. From then on, the words on its pages became my energizer. I couldn't put it down. I believe it motivates me to succeed in life!

True to what it says... name your problem, and you name your possibility! That's the message in Dr. Robert H. Schuller's bestseller, Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do! Dr. Schuller shows you how to build a positive self-image, no matter what your problem. Whether it's unemployment, poor health, loneliness, fear or anything else that blocks your success, you can turn your negative into a positive. No matter how tough times get, you have the potential to achieve the best of life.

Let me give you a jumpstart.

What is the secret ingredient of tough people that enables them to succeed? Why do they survive the tough times when others overcome them? Why do they win when others lose? Why do they soar when others sink?

The answer is very simple. It's all in how they perceive their problems. They look at problems realistically and practically. They understand the principles that pertain to all problems. (page 57, Tough Times Never Last But Tough People Do, Robert Schuller)

I am not promoting the book but I am sharing it with you. It made me a whole new person. It changed my life. I believe it will help you too.

Sofia, Our Miracle Baby

Sofia is a very special baby in our family. She's Rae's favorite cousin because she seldom cries, would always laugh and smile at her, very attentive when she reads her a story, and she's always on the go! Rae would surely miss her so much when she goes back home to the Philippines. She badly wants a sister like Sofia.

She's our miracle baby. Read on how her mom related the story in Baby Magazine July 2005 issue...

On August 18, 2004, our beautiful baby girl was born. She was absolutely perfect...pinkish, with a lot of hair, and such an angelic face.

During the next few weeks, I noticed that one eye seemed smaller than the other and her eyebrows were not even. I consulted two pediatricians and one neurologist and told them my concerns about my baby's somewhat asymmetrical appearance. All three doctors told me told me there was nothing to worry about and assured me that my baby just had a mild "molding" problem that should go back to normal in a few months to a year's time, at most.

I was still convinced that there was a problem with her head... I really felt something just was not right.

When we sat with the neurosurgeon...he then asked us to have a CT scan done. Our baby was sedated during the procedure. When I received the results of the CT scan... I once again started doing research on craniosynostosis and came up with the condition that seemed to fit Sofia's: right coronal cranio, wherein only one suture was fused.

I consulted with several doctors during the following days and all agreed that Sofia had to have surgery. We were referred to two doctors: Dr. Jim Goodrich of Children's Hospital at Montefiore (New York) who was on the team of surgeons that successfully separated the Aguirre twins, and Dr. Robert Keating, Director of Neuro-surgery at Children's National Medical Center (Washington DC).

All that was needed now was for her to come into the hospital at 6:30 AM on the surgery date. I didn't get much sleep worrying how Sofia would feel after the operation. My husband and my parents were with me in the admitting room...

On the fifth hour, both the neurosurgeon and the plastic surgeon came in to talk to us. They informed us that the surgery was a success. Our little girl was very strong.

Sofia is now in Washington DC and has been receiving therapy three times a week for slight head tilt that she had developed prior to surgery. We are so proud of Sofia for being so strong and brave, with all she had to go through. Now, when we see her lovely angelic smile and her beautiful face, we are assured she will live a normal life. Sofia is truly a special little girl - our miracle baby - who has brought so much faith and love into our lives.

PUBLISHED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE MOM, STEPHANIE INOCENTES, MY COUSIN-IN-LAW.

AUTISM: New study tracks onset of autistic regression

From the CEC Smart Brief:

A new University of Washington study on autistic regression used videotapes to document how some children who appear normal as babies stop communicating and interacting with others by age 2. Researchers found children with autistic regression had problems sleeping, eating and being comforted during their first year, although, surprisingly, they had more advanced babbling, speech and pointing skills than children who never developed autism. Seattle Post-Intelligencer (8/2)

RESPECT Begets Respect

I was really reflecting seriously on how to convey this thought that's bothering me for quite sometime now. Then one blogger, I guess too young to think about these things but bravely articulated herself in her blog entry, triggered me to write about this too.

"Freedom of Expression", to hold no barriers in our blogging or written expression?! Indeed, we all know that we would kill the writers in us if we put restrictions in our writings. The author has the right to communicate anything he/she wants as long as he/she holds responsible for it.

We, the readers, have a lot to say too to express ourselves and articulate our reactions. But what if we are consistently being "shot down" and attacked because of our being opinionated? Do blog owners and entry authors have the right do do that to us? Well, that is his/ her own blog, own turf, own territory....

The lesson that I learned from being a victim of a troll (Appeal to Bloggers entry) is to avoid those blogs that make me feel negative about my outlook in life. I have one life to live, and I want to be happy and to make my life meaningful. I haven't got time to waste with negative people.

When they find a willing audience they won't let it go. They may have justifiable concerns but often get involved in minor matters. They blame and look for excuses. Even when blame can be justified, it serves no productive good. They are usually negative because they ceded control of their happiness to others.

Everyone has problems, but not everyone allows those problems to rule them.

One very good thing I have learned about being a special ed teacher is to RESPECT other people's opinions. Every individual has a lot to say.

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I've been a citizen of the blog world for more than one year and a half now. All this time, I've been reading and hopping from one blog to another. I have read many a different view about various events, issues and people. I have always enjoyed reading what other people actually think about certain things. I have learned a lot, too.

And, like every single blogger in the world, I also have ideas and opinions of my own. These ideas and opinions may differ from that of others, but I don't really think this makes them (my ideas and opinions) any less, in sense and value, than others. This is also what I think when I read opinions and ideas that are so different from mine. I always tell myself, "to each his own."

This also holds true in the "real" world. There will always be people who will see or view things in a way far different from one's own. It is always good to keep "to each his own" in mind. But, then again, there are people who just don't understand this or who refuse to understand this. Some people would even go as far as think that only their own opinions or views of things are important and correct; others are stupid and not worth hearing! Hay naku!

I've never really been told straight to my face that my idea or opinion is stupid, but I've seen this done to some people. This could actually cause a person to feel inferior and forever lose the confidence to express himself/herself. While I feel for these people, the kind who let others make them appear or sound stupid, I can't help but think that it's their own doing, too. Why do they allow it? It's not like it's a crime to actually have a different take on things, right? I wonder what I'd do if and when some smart, know-it-all person tries to make me look and feel stupid just because I have my own idea of things. I'd probably keep quiet, like some people I know. I'd probably try to argue my way out of "stupidity". Or I could actually break a nose bridge or two. Wahahaha!:)

READ FROM: BABYPINK'S BLOG

AUTISM: A training tool for children with autism

From the CEC Smart Brief:

Special education teacher Linda Creamer offers five case studies to show how Play Attention, a feedback-based program designed for kids with ADHD, can be used to help children with autism learn positive behaviors. Wearing a sensor-loaded helmet that monitors their concentration levels, users control computer-screen characters by focusing on them. Technology & Learning (8/2005)