Science (and math) education

Several years ago, I stumbled on an article that talked about a research showing that the problem of young American students in science and math lies in their lack of conceptual understanding of the things that they are supposed to be learning in such subjects. Probably, according to the study, this has to do with the American students' tendency to focus on computation rather than on gaining conceptual understanding.The same study states that Japanese students are not wanting in conceptual understanding in science and math. There are good reasons to believe that our own students here in the Philippines are comparable to their American counterparts. Evidence for this is our students' dismal performance in the TIMSS. We could, however, say that while our students could do the numbers game, they could not articulate the central concepts in the problems that they are asked to solve. I think, the study finally suggests that students shall improve greatly with their performance in the TIMSS if only they have a firm grasp of the key concepts that figure in the problems that they are asked to solve. Here, of course, they need the assistance of well-trained teachers. I believe that some fine examples of excellent teaching of scientific concepts could be found in William Laurence's old article titled A Primer of Atomic Energy, T. Ryan Gregory's Understanding Natural Selection: Essential Concepts and Common Misconceptions, and Stephen Hawking's books, A Brief History of Time and Black Holes and Baby Universes, and youtube lectures.

Schoolteachers

Where do you think will you be today without them?

So, don't you dare make fun of them even if you think that you are now smarter and more moneyed than they are.

The raison d'etre of the UP College of Education

Every teacher education institution exists to train students who wish to become school teachers. It is thus quite obvious that this task is not the one that distinguishes the UP College of Education from other similar institutions. But even if the UPCOE produces highly competent school teachers, such societal contribution won't simply do to say that it is an august institution. It's nobility rather lies in it's unique and heroic function of turning out highly trained and well-educated teachers of future school teachers.

Sinning and seeking forgiveness

The man solemnly sought forgiveness from God, but it's quite easy and inappropriate, so he never felt forgiven. He turned to the people he had wronged, but he can't bring himself to say he sincerely regrets wronging them, so he remains soiled and unforgiven.

Teaching children intelligent thinking

I received the invitation letter below on August 22 and I think I should share it with all of you. Let me know if you want to attend the workshop so that I could email the registration form to you. See you.

Dear Friends

Warm greetings!

The Popular Education for Peoples’ Empowerment (PEPE, Inc.), in cooperation with the Office of the Dean of the UP College of Social Sciences and Philosophy (UP-CSSP), would like to invite you and your colleagues to “A Meeting Of Minds: Helping Local Communities Address Bioethical Issues Through Participatory Teaching Methodologies in Basic Education.” The 2-day training workshop will be held on September 16-17, 2009 at the UP Bahay ng Alumni.

The training/workshop for teachers and other stakeholders in the field of education will attempt to bridge the gap between bioethics' concepts and the local issues actually confronted by local communities through participatory approaches to teaching in basic education.

Experts in the fields of community organizing and learning methodologies will present philosophical and methodological principles along with examples of best practices that will lead to workshops among the participants who will in turn share and document their own best practices on how these principles and exemplars can be applied to their surrounding communities.

To help defray the cost of the 2-day workshop (which includes meals and workshop materials), registration fee of P400.00 will be charged. We would appreciate that interested participants accomplish and submit to the training workshop Secretariat c/o Ms. Abby Salacata, the attached registration form on or before September 11, 2009 (Friday) at philo4children@yahoo.com or send it by fax to tel/fax number (02) 426-4473.

Hoping for your positive response, we remain.

Respectfuly yours,

Dr. Rainer Ibana, Professor, Department of Philosophy, Ateneo de Manila University

Mr. Noel Valencia, Executive Director, Popular Education for People's Empowerment(PEPE)

Raw thoughts on Howard Gardner's MI theory

People from different places have different conceptions of intelligence. And Gardner’s view of intelligence is only one of the many ideas of intelligence that we could find in different cultures all over the world. We could say thus that Gaardner's meaning is true only insofar as it coheres with his own system of findings and claims about intelligence. And it may be thought unsatisfactory by those who do not share his view of intelligence.

Koronadal visit

I was born there. Last week I made an unplanned visit to that place to make some quick bread. I arrived at 10 a.m. and left the place the following day at 6 a.m. Now I'm back to where I belong, my office and the classroom. Except for the scary plane rides, my trip was generally smooth and memory stirring. I managed to shove into my tight schedule three meetings with my brightest Auntie. My niece was still asleep the first and second time I came in to see her at my Auntie's place on Osmena St. I had had to go back there one more time. It was good to meet some old friends in the neighborhood. My Auntie had her old house, where we once lived, completely demolished and replaced with new structures that now stand on the old surrounding space of her property. I was thrilled to see some of the stuff that are unforgettable parts of my childhood--pre-elementary and elementary school years. The headboard, the steel image of a peacock, and some pictures of my now-middle-aged cousins are still on display in my Auntie's new house. And the piano, too! It's still there! I played with my lovely 2-year-old niece for more than one hour, ate chicken at the plaza with my sister, and finally settled at my father's place all throughout the night. I was afraid my high school classmates will come to snatch me and make me drink till sunrise of the following day. Well, I did a good job hiding from them, LOL. I met only one good childhood friend and he stayed with me until ll:30 p.m. I didn't have a good night sleep before I returned to Manila, but I felt so relieved after completing my mission. I thank God for delivering me back safely to my family here in Manila.

Are you rich?

"If you are happy, then you are rich. So, are you happy? If yes, I conclude that you are rich."

Or should I say,

"If you are rich, then you are happy.
So, are you happy? If not, I conclude that you are poor." (Poor you.)

Or is it rather the case that,

"You are rich if and only if you are happy"?

Now, if you are moneyed, are you rich? Well, that depends on your meaning of being rich.

John Watson's experiment on little Albert

I'm not sure if a similar observation has been raised elsewhere about Watson's ethically questionable experiment on little Albert, but I noticed that Watson himself--or his presence--was likewise a conditioned stimulus to Albert. Had Watson performed that experiment many times on Albert, anyone can bet that the little one could have learned to display a scared behavior at the mere sight or even thought of Watson. The theory, however, includes only the role of the rat, rabbit, monkey, dog, etc. and the loud metallic noise in the transfer of the putative inborn fear of Albert. Watson's presence during the experiment could have likewise turned into another potent conditioned stimulus. So, the finding could have been something like this:

WATSON'S PRESENCE > RAT > LOUD METALLIC SOUND > ALBERT BEING SCARED

And if this was done many times, it could have advanced into this:

WATSON'S MERE PRESENCE > POOR ALBERT AUTOMATICALLY SHRIEKING IN FEAR (or something like this)

Furthermore, I believe that it won't matter at all if Watson showed Albert a rat or offered him a chocolate bar. I'd wager just the same that he would have achieved the same effect with that startling noise even if it was paired with three lovely roses or a cone of ice cream. The point here is that Watson didn't realize that he played an unplanned role in eliciting fear behavior from Albert. His theory, on this count, has a missing element: his own presence.

Just a fleeting thought.

God and Guilt

In court, it is said that where there is no evidence or sufficient proof for someone's guilt, he can't be held liable for his alleged wrongdoing. It is so, however, only because we follow the principle of ignorance: "One is innocent unless proven guilty." But we do know that one could be guilty as hell just the same, even if he cannot be judged guilty and penalized for lack of evidence. This applies to the claim that God exists. It does not follow that there is no God simply because there is no evidence or sufficient proof for God's existence. Of course, I do not mean to suggest that I know for sure that He is a spiritual entity. Neither do I think that His being is physical. No one knows for sure what substance God is made of if, indeed, there is an entity that is God. The trouble with the atheists is that they are too strict with their evidential standards when it comes to questioning theism, but they loosen up their requirements when they turn to their atheism. It does not logically follow that there is no God simply because you have no proof for that entity's (granting that He/She/It exists) existence. So, no double standard please.

SOME OF THE THINGS CHILDREN NEED

1. TRUTH. So, don't lie to little children, unless (on certain occasions) they are not ready or may not be able to handle the truth. Telling them the truth is an effective way of gaining their trust and confidence. Being truthful is also a good way to teach them to be honest to people they could trust. Believe it or not, it helps a lot to assume that little children will always find out that you lied to them, if you did, for that is the surest way to lose your credibility to them.
2. PLAY AND FUN. So, don't keep them from running around; it's a biological need of little children. Of course, keep an eye on them because accidents usually happen within a fraction of a second. Play activities are a foundation, and thus a necessary ingredient, of maximum development of human beings. Restraining them is dehumanizing them.
3. EVIDENCE. So, don't tell them that if they will not stop crying, a ghost is going to come and get them. It's a sin to little children to get them to believe in something for which no modicum of evidence could be pulled out.
4. INDEPENDENCE. So, don't bring to them what they want, you are not their servant. Assist them so they could get it themselves. If they are too short to reach it, carry them and let them use their own hand/s to get it.
5. RESPECT. So, talk to them with respect. Don't treat them like they are little fools who know nothing but childish things. They will have a hard time getting to where you want them to be if you will not start where they are. Just remember, children want to learn. They always ask themselves, "What is that/this?" And they are not certain about their answer, if any. So, don't ignore them when they seem to be curious about something. Watch their eyes and surely you could tell if they want to know. Talk to them about what you see and what they see. Be a good guide, just like a competent tourist guide.
6. HAPPINESS. Figure out what could make them happy and happier. And if it is good for them, waste no time in making it available to them if you could. Remember, we all have only one life to live and life is so short. Children will always remember and love you if you are a constant source of fun. Nothing could be lovelier than being remembered and loved. Ask yourself, how frequent does a child in your company smile and laugh? Your answer could tell you if you are fun to be with.
7. LOVE. So, ensure that the child is well-fed, -clothed, -and -sheltered. Be sure that he/she is happy in your company. Play with him/her till he/she is tired and satisfied. One of the greatest injustice adults could commit is to let children grow without them knowing what it is to be actually loved. Neglecting a child is a sin whose cost could turn out to be more than what we, adults, could hope to bear. Loving a child, of course is not easy; it requires lots of time and energy, and it may even make you spend a significant amount of money. But all your efforts and sacrifices, so long as they are genuine, will make you happy beyond words. It's only love that promises a reward so great and divine that it might take a poet and a philosopher to express its value in more exact terms. I sometimes wonder why, despite its importance to human development and existence, love is the least studied thing inside and outside school.
8. ADVENTURE. So, be imaginative. Think of things that are really cool, something that will thrill, amaze, and excite little children. You may take them to a place where there are things that they don't typically see. But really you don't have to set foot in that far away place they call Neverland. For there are just too many things around us--very very big, very very small, and the ones in the middle world--that are more than enough to make a child think and wonder for the rest of his/her life. Talk about some of such things, one at a time, and notice how the child's eyes are filled with wonder and amazement. If you do this regularly, it won't be long before the child would dilate his/her pupils at the mere sound of your name. Meaning, you have become adventure yourself.

DISP 1-5

Hah! Here's the complete video! I started uploading this one at 11:30 a.m. and then I left to meet my undergrad students, take my daughter to school, and eat my lunch. I've finally confirmed that this task is doable if only I will not sit in front of the computer and wait till the work's done. Right now it's 2:30 p.m. I hope you'll like this output.

DISP Part 1

Ok, DISP people, this is the first part of our final video. Hah, it took me several tries, one conversion, and ages to finally upload and post the first part of our video. Like I said, there will be 5 parts. You'll see the rest as soon as I find time to shove the uploading--a bloody work--of the remaining videos into my sked.

My little daughter

We were enjoying our pop corn while watching the Michael Jackson tribute and memorial service on TV when my almost-3-year-old daughter turned to us and seriously asked, "Who's the king of pop corn?"