Great Ideas - Think Brilliant, Spread Brilliance.

“Debunking the Fallacy of Greatness” – Matthew Oliver Ralp L. Dimal

updilc — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 10:51:30 +0000

This year, I was fortunate to have witnessed the awarding of the Top 100 Engineers of the country, produced by the University in the past hundred years. These men and women epitomize not only their own dedication to public service and their passion to constantly improve their craft, but represent our own limitless capacity to achieve greatness. Not all of our students may be able to hold great power or prestige in the future, but this does not mean that they shall never achieve greatness. For greatness is a vocation which everyone is called to, bounded not by the enormity of influence or power one holds, but by how much he or she uses his or her power to do good, and to selflessly serve his country and his fellowmen.

“My ‘Last Lecture’” – Mark Albert Zarco

updilc — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:54:38 +0000

If I were given one single opportunity to ruminate on what mattered to me most and pass this one to my students in a “Last Lecture,” it would include these three points. First, there is value and fulfillment in working hard to see the realization of your lifelong dreams. Second, learn to use each obstacle you encountered in your struggle onward to help rather than deter you from reaching your goals. Finally, if along the way you meet people who need a help, don’t hesitate to offer then a hand. It is nobler to be held back because of a friend in need, rather than realize your dreams fast yet deaf and blind to other’s pleas for help.

“Si Doc E, Ang SP at Aking Pagtuturo” – Maria Theresa D. Ujano-Batangan, Ph.D.

updilc — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:53:02 +0000

Nasa ikalawang taon ako bilang estudyante ng Sikolohiya sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas nang makilala ko si Dr. Virgilio Enriquez, ang kinikilalang ama ng Sikolohiyang Pilipino. Madalas siyang pumunta sa tambayan ng aming organisasyon (ang Bukluran sa Sikolohiyang Pilipino o Buklod – Isip) noon para makipagkwentuhan at makipagtalastasan ng mga nabubuo niyang kaisipan. Madali siyang makausap, hindi mapanghusga, kaya kahit na mga bagito pa kami sa larangan ng sikolohiya, ay nagka- kumpiyansa kaming makipagtalakayan sa kanya. Naging napakahalaga ng mga kaisipang nabuo mula sa mga impormal na usapang ito sa aming henerasyon ng mga mag-aaral. Isa sa mga butil ng karunugan na mula kayDoc E na naging matingkad sa akin ay ang malinaw na pagkiling niya sa pagsusulong ng sikolohiya na malayaat mapagpalaya- ang pangunahing kaisipan na nagpaigting sa pagbubuo ng Sikolohiyang Pilipino. Ang pagtingin na ito ay lalo pang pinayaman ng pagkilala sa panlipunang pananagutan naming mga iskolar ng bayan, na pinatingkad ng estado panglipunan ng mga panahon na iyon. Pagkatapos ng pag-aaral sa kolehiyo ay nagturo ako sa Departamento ng Sikolohiya ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas. Ang pagiging bahagi ko ng isang pambansang pamantasanay nangangahulugan ng maigting na pananagutan sa sambayanan. Ito ay sa kadahilanang ang nagpupunyagi na matustusan ang gampanin at pangangailangan ng pampublikong pamantasan ay ang mamamayan. Sa Pilipinas na kung saan nakakarami ay nasa kalagitnaan at mababang antas pang- ekonomiko sa lipunan, isang hamon sa sinumang gurong tulad ko ang gawing makahulugan ang nilalaman at proseso ng pag-aaral ng sikolohiya sa mga estudyante. Ito’y upang maging kasangkapan ang kanilang natututunan sa pagtugon sa mga hamong kinahaharap nila sa lipunang kanilang ginagalawan. Kaalinsabay din nito ang pananagutan na lumikha ng mga panibagong kaalaman at kaparaanan na magsusulong ng pag- unlad ng buhay ng nakakarami sa lipunang Pilipino.

“Teaching Political Science” – Gene Lacza-Pilapil

updilc — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:50:03 +0000

The goal in my teaching is to make my students fall in love with political science by making them realize its awesome explanatory power. At its best, political science can help explain how the specific design of a country’s political institutions, such as its form of government, electoral system, and legislative structure, affects the level of accountability, transparency, popular empowerment, elite capture, and coherent policymaking of the state. Applied to the Philippines, an excitingly new research and reform program for my students that focuses on the details of the Philippine state is borne by this tremendous insight of the discipline.

“Literacy Development and Bilingualism” – Dina Ocampo

updilc — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:48:33 +0000

This paper presents a cross-sectional investigation of literacy development and difficulties among children bilingual in two languages, namely Filipino and English. The main aim of the research was to investigate cognitive and linguistic factors that are related to literacy difficulties in a bilingual population. The results indicate that literacy develops differently among the bilingual-biliterate children. In examining literacy difficulties among the children in this study, the findings indicate that biliteracy presents a fundamentally different context in which to investigate and assess literacy difficulties. The conclusions provide basis for the greater understanding of reading development and dyslexia among bilingual children.

“IDEA: Learning is as easy as ABCDZUP” – Ton Clemente

updilc — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:46:18 +0000

Learning should not be separate from the way our students live their lives. One thing I realized from our DZUP radio gig is that we can still engage our students beyond the classroom, through forms that are already part of their daily behavioral repertoire—social networking sites, blogging, and listening to the radio. By bringing the academe closer to the public, we are forced to package Psychology in the most “edutaining” way possible, where concepts are tailored in a fun, accessible manner. By situating the concepts in the lives of the students and allowing them to participate freely in the discussion, Psychology can be easily integrated and applied in their lives.

“Draw It” – Benito M. Pacheco

updilc — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:43:59 +0000

Is Engineering Science 12, Dynamics of Rigid Bodies, Diliman’s deadliest course? It should really be the liveliest: more about dynamic motion, less about rigid body. We should keep it graphic and animated. Draw the lines and curves of motion; don’t leave the vector algebra alone to a calculator. Gesture an acceleration; don’t say simply 9.81 meters per second per second. Navigate alternative paths of solution; don’t flash a cut-and-dried answer. Let a team of students solve a problem, taking turns to add one equation at a time. Alas, it is as much the trajectory, the journey, as the destination!

“Do-it-Yourself (DIY) Instructional Materials” – Roberto G. Paulino

updilc — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:41:16 +0000

Do-it-Yourself (DIY) Instructional Materials are designed to supplement the discussions in my Art Studies courses. They have been implemented to/by my students every semester since I started teaching at the UP College of Fine Arts and later at the College of Arts and Letters.

The use of hand-outs per se is not the great idea. Rather, it is their presentation in unusual but inexpensive and easy-to-(re)produce format. Many of these materials are disseminated electronically and are then hand-assembled by students themselves. The visual presentation and interactive nature of the instructional materials complement the multi-sensory nature of the courses.

“Probing Paradigms for Generating Ideas” – Wilfredo I. Jose

updilc — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:37:10 +0000

My passion is “Probing Paradigms for Generating Ideas”. A paradigm refers to a model, theory, map, perception, etc. The paradigm of a profession is the knowledge that defines or guides that profession. To probe paradigms, we study, analyze, and thoroughly explore them; we find insights, perspectives, points of view, etc.; we systematically organize and map the ideas in our brain (a powerful neural network computer); and we connect ideas within paradigms, to come up with new ideas. I applied this to formulate teaching strategies/innovations, design new processes/devices, and develop new courses. Best of all, it is applicable to any discipline.

“The Iterative Analysis and Synthesis of Knowledge Components for Effective Teaching” – Iris Ann G. Martinez, Ph.D.

updilc — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:35:01 +0000

As teachers, we are continually in search for effective methods for imparting knowledge. Some teach by quoting parts of the textbook, some demonstrate how to solve a problem, while others narrate personal experiences. One specific challenge is how to teach the students decision-making capabilities. This is important because as we know, real-life problems may be similar to those that we present in the classroom but they never are exactly the same.

My advocacy is to use the Iterative Analysis and Synthesis of Knowledge Components for teaching. Combining analysis and synthesis to teach is aimed at addressing (1) the need to break down (analyze) the knowledge to present it in a more understandable form and (2) the necessity to put a story (synthesize) to ensure the understanding by the student.