Monday, June 9, 2025

The HE[I] Splitting ME

 Let me list my racing thoughts;

> an argument for the proper counting and filling out RDG Form of #1.......#4 with publication

> my research profile for the RPC and to prove a point

> searching the guidelines for UPOU HRDO CE Form 001 

>a small-group NVivo training for faculty members

>our March T&L Convoes 

>SSE 290 Live classes

>evening make-up class of my eTL 158 short course

>whether I actually qualify or fit in with the IDERN given that I am quite a generalist 

>how to reconcile my being an odd-man-out of the IDERN organizing committee members                  who are experts in doctoral education and researcher development 

The above only goes to show my mix of hats: MASSE Faculty and PC, FED CEP PDA, CODTL-DD,

and a trying very hard IDERN member, all because I haven't quite found the space within UPOU to carve this thing called Researcher Development and Education.

I feel that this is now Battlefield v.3.0. I need to revisit some bigger theory to analyze my stake in Higher Ed to push for programs UPOU as an HEI must have:

> RPL framework - thanks to FED CIC for believing in the proposed MASSE program revision

> Graduate Research School Office to support research students




Friday, November 17, 2023

This CUSC

 

I rushed through an abstract submission for the CUSConference 2024 and desperately wanted to gain acceptance. I have come across this "Rage against the machine" conference title through the IDERN as my mind was also grappling with an article or two of an IDERN member. After reading the article, I felt so much envy - envy for not having the kind of English I would want to read in my own work; the great sense of limitation in not being able to put in written form the racing thoughts and feelings I have in my HEI work. It's like omygahhhd, this paragraph captured what I've been thinking about all this time and why is he able to combine high English vocab and put it all thoughtfully as written words to get across meanings which grip my heart and mind when he doesn't even know me nor was the written word intended for me in the first place. And there it goes - because he wrote it first AND published IT first, and a HE at that. While reading, I caught myself imagining how the article writing came around. HE must have did HIS writing in a week after having soulful and deep conversations with a research participant. Then a week to reflect and perhaps start with a draft. And maybe just a second draft and it turns into a journal article. How can they just write that way? And does that kind of writing invalidate me as the owner of my thoughts, feelings and experiences? Stop being so competitive Aleta and enjoy the read. This is not partriarchy nor is it HIS fault that he was born English in the first place.

I admit. I hate it sometimes that I have not outgrown my Grade 3 English. It will be with me until the day I die. And the sad fact is, I have a PhD appended to my name. How can a Gr 3 English even co-exist with a PhD? Oh yes it does, Etagirl! You are a case in point =  an academic with L2 English, therefore not the NATIVE English-speaking kind and that there is an IELTS score that rubs it on your face. Better think 2x if it is good enough for the Australian university you are gunning for, which by the way, can get between 6.0 to 6.5 to 7.0 at the minimum. So there, that 's the minimum you could prove yourself worthy of. 

For a NON-NATIVE speaker of English, the conference theme sounds scary. Scary because it feels familiar and yet quite unfamiliar at the same time. It is like seeing a familiar-looking olympic-sized swimming pool which I have crossed many times, pre-pandemic. I even have an 'invented' breast-stroke style to conquer this pool. Then again, post-pandemic, the weather has been weird. I now start from the shallow-end nearer the gutter. What if I try right in the middle as I have the pool all to myself, but no lifeguard on sight, plus I'm now 5 years older, with walking as my only form of exercise. Will be able to do the swim Id like to do? The only way to know is to try right?

CUSConf theme  hooked me in because I am in this space of questioning my HEI - why we do what we do and could we just do it differently? Are we beholden to anyone? Or are we all slaves to market-driven techologies that we find ourselves just going with techtrends without care or thought just because we are ODeL and therefore must be at the frontier of educational technologies. Are our actions dictated by the RA 9500? What if I don't agree with how we interpret the RA 9500? What if I see ourselves as primarily an HEI with a mission, not just the RA 9500 nor TEH UP mission? 

Am I being just a rebel without a cause? A Faculty brat just wanting to do what I want to do?

That means me being selfish in my research pursuits in my own terms but responsibly and within the boundaries of ethical practice, just that this is me collaborating with my outside networks, and the intertextual kind and not within UPOU.

Looking back, I think yes, this should be ok as I have undertaken this and that being the new and first-time DDLD of CODTL.  Having said that, I will just have to accept the kind of English I can muster to partake in CUSConf and for other good reasons. Just need to do more readings in relation to the theme.

If only conference organizers try to water-down their kind of English to be more inclusive to those who are trying to keep up and learn their kind of English which have dominated conferences here and there, not to say the English in articles I try so very hard to comprehend and OWN its meanings. Perhaps a way to OWN my HEI thoughts and experiences even if somebody else went ahead in writing it, is to have to write it myself, even if it means having a Grade 3 voice.

But wait, I may have a Grade 3 writing persona mode. My voice is NOT Grade 3 at all. It's more like a Grade 6 and I have a higher ed brain, btw, I can live with that then.

December 10 - wait and see, abstract acceptance. A 3/5 should do with feedback and helpful references.  In case of a REJECT, that only means = be ready to book HECU at South Africa.

Saturday, October 21, 2023

Post-PhD Loneliness Plus Angst

 Call it loneliness of the POST-PhD kind - that feeling and realization that all of a sudden, it's no longer like it used to be and because nothing stays the same...

THAT loneliness of not being able to find the 'right person' to bounce ideas within my faculty and maybe that is why I ended up taking on this new role as DDLD= Deputy Director for Learning Design. It was partly for finding something new and more, for 'social reasons' and that I told myself, this change of role (more like an added admin role) will allow me to forge my social ties outside the Faculty of Education and still find time to sustain my ties with others outside my university.

The angst this time, was manageable since I've been having sessions with our dear Dr. Germar. She has helped me put things in perspective while providing concrete tips not to overthink work matters and give to give myself a pat in the back every now and then. Just that, I feel that my angst has 'grown' ever since I broke my writing routine with my RWL mates. Instead of having my usual Mondays-Tuesdays protected time to read, write and have 1-1 sessions with thesis students (as part of my PC role), my week starts with meetings here and there or instant chats which destroy my trail of thoughts for my writing. I miss those days when I have my Saturdays to do 'fun and relaxed work' then the thinking gets suspended just for a day, but the momentum comes back come Monday to there is 'protected time' to engage in research writing for two ongoing projects.

After 2-3 months of irregular RWL attendance, I just let go. I can't do everything but will just have to settle with less than 2 hours a week of writing and in pockets of time which are also quite hard to manage. With less writing however, I managed to still accomplish these: 

1) 4 abstracts submissions 

2) two of those accepted = INNODEL + UKCGE, and 2 with the QPR and only because the abstract was a tweaked version coming from TEH book; 

3) MASSEd Revision Task Force Committee work - and a first for me; 

4) Review book proofs which almost made me cry and resort to unkindness: name-calling and doubting whether in fact the designated manager has the right set of skills to as attested by his LinkedIn and the STRAIVE website or his company's profile

So that's me also letting go of the 'book deadline' I originally set myself to do.

What have I learned: that the way to work with 'loneliness' post-PhD is finding new work and workmates, and that it has to be an intentional search while learning to remain grateful with current work. BUT then again, dealing with angst is takes so much more, that is assess whether it is worth my angst energy then just let go. Some things just ain't gonna happen despite all actions from my end.

Like haven't you learned all those after how many years of working?

Well, I may have but I tend to forget :(

Saturday, May 27, 2023

Halo-halo 1

 Alam mo yung galing ka sa meeting at naghalo-halo na ang mga problema at nais mong gawin o kaya di bale nilang?

O yung mga halo-halong lamang ng meeting na kayhaba-haba na tila bagang walang tutuntunan?

O kaya naman mga halo-halong meeting na wala lang, chill-chill lang kung may magawa o wala?

O parang mga halo-halong meeting na nakaka-ADHD na?

Hindi ganun ang Halo-halo 1. Dahil itong Halo-halo 1 ay parang nanumbalik ang mga dating halo-halong emosyon ko sa mga panahong tanong ko lang kay Lord, bakit nga ba ganito ang role ko sa buhay sa trabaho, mula sa COLF, pa-BS, pa-Builders, pa-BA hanggang sa pa-UPOU. Tipong may maseselan na usapan na dapat may halong 'care, caution and truthfulness because that is the only way to go'. At para kanino? Alang-alang sa pakikipagkapwa-tao.

Kung nuon, maka-3 araw na masakit sa dibdib at may luha, pagtataka at pagtatanong.

Ngayon, tumanda na ko talga. Tinandaan ko ang mga panahong gayun na lamang ang kailangan gawin ang katumbas nito sa utak, dibdib at alaala. Kung kaya't ngayon natuto na si Aleta.

When the PhD changes you, you just eat and relish the Halo-halo because life is short and we just carry on. This time, the tunnel feels familiar more than ever.

I carry on these days thanks to my cats, my loved ones, Netflix, Video reels and da-Lord.

Sunday, February 12, 2023

Ikaw at Ako, sa ELYU

 Mahigit kumulang, dalawampu't araw nang nakalipas magmula nung napadpad sa ELYU, ikaw at ako.

Maraming naganap na nagbabalik-luha sa aking mga mata. Subalit pilit pa rin, salamat sa dasal at sa Panginoong Maykapal, na nais kong balikan ang nakakatuwa at munting alaala ng kasiyahan kasama ka. Sabihin na nating panandalian, subalit tunay naman naganap. Praktis na rin sa kin ito bilang nanay mo na desididong gamapanan ang kanyang tungkulin sa paniniwalang may mga bagay-bagay sa buhay natin na nilalaan ng Diyos bilang pagsubok, bilang paalala ng kanyang pagmamahal, pagkalinga at tulad nga ng sabi ng sa pari kanina, isang Diyos ng sanlibo't isang pagkakataon.

Pagkatapos ng una nating f2f sa ospital, at naihatid na namin ang ate mo sa kanyang dorm, at sumaglit kami sa Sweet Inspi, di matanggal sa isip ko ang ilang mga bagay na sinabi mo. Tunay kong nauunawan ang kalagayan at pakiramdam mo subalit sa ngayon talaga, wala pa akong magawa kundi mag-antay at magtiwala na makakatawid ka at tayong lahat sa pagsubok na ito. Marami kaming napagusapan pa rin ng iyong tatay habang pauwi sa C5. At papalapit sa tollgate bago tumuloy sa SLEX, di ko pa rin napigilan ang luha ko. Mahapdi pa rin kahit anong gawin ng isipan at katawan ko. Nadarama ko ang iyong pagtataka at galit nang sinabi mong hinawakan ka sa leeg at akala mo'y kikitilin na ang buhay mo ng kung sinong humahawak sa iyo sa ospital. Ayon sa kwento mo, may nakita kang pader na humihawalay sayo at sa amin. Totoo ang naramdaman mo, dahil ganun din ang pakiramdam ko nang nahiwalay kami sa iyo. Yung wala kaming magawa kundi mag-antay sa labas kwarto mo, na hindi namin man lang nakikita anong itsura mo, anong kalagayan mo, ano nang nangyayari sayo. At bago lahat ng iyon, matagal naming pinag-isipan ng tatay mo kung ito nga ba ang karapat-dapat na mangyari. Kaya kanina binalikan ko rin lahat ng mga nasa isip ko na marahil huli ko nang babalik-balikan ang mga iyon dahil kelangan kong pilitin ang sarili ko na mag-isip ng mga bagay-bagay na higit na makakatulong sa pagbuti ko.

Kaya alam at ramdam ko ang ibig mong sabihin. Siguro para sa iba, batay sa kwento mo, parang walang katututuran ang pinagsasabi mo hanggat di nila makita ang pagsisisi mo. Siguro din nais nilang makita ano pa kaya ang pagbabagong magaganap sa mga susunod na araw.

Minsan may mga araw, nakakapanghina na wala ka pa rin dito. Minsan naman, tuloy pa rin ang buhay ko sa trabaho na kaya pa naman gawin kahit di ka namin kasabay sa hapag kainan. Bumuti-buti na rin ang pagtulog ko. At higit sa lahat, tuloy ang espesyal na mensahe ng Panginoon sa kin at sa min ng tatay mo. Ang mensahe ngayon ay paalala ni Lord na kakayanin ko ito. Ang panahon nating magkahiwalay ay di lang para sa iyo kundi para rin sa kin, magiging taimtim at ganap sa paniniwalang aayos at aayos ang mga bagay-bagay. Kasama sa paniniwalang may pag-asa pa ako at tayo, ililista ko dito magagandang alaala ko:

> ang pag-asikaso mo sa baon natin, lalo na yung mga pakete ng emergency meds

> ang pag-ayos mo ng sarili mong gamit kaya tumambok nang todo ang Targus backpack na pinamana na sayo ng tatay mo (binili ko sa airport ng Malaysia, minsang nag stopover papauwi ng Pinas

> ang pag-ayos at paglipat ng mga bag at gamit natin sa bus station

> pagshare mo sa kin ng vanilla coke

> yung ginising mo ako dahil nasa SF na tayo

> nung pagbaba natin, nauna ka at inabangan mo ko pagbaba mo at inalalayan mo ako

> yung una mo nang kinausap yung Silong resto upang duon tayo mag-antay

> yung naisip mo, order tayo ng umagahan nang pagka-aga-aga

> yung excited ka at na-excite tuloy ako kahit mga 5.30 am pa tayo pinapasok sa transient home

> yung paggising ko, sinama-sama mo sa isang kanto ng kwarto yung gamit mo  

> yung nagtext para magsabi kung nasaan ka na at nagkwento saglit na marami ka nang gawa at abala ka

> nung nagyaya ka nung hapon na tumambay saglit sa beach

> nung hinanapan mo tayo ng lugar para mag-dancing

> nung pag-uwi sabi mo, 'thanks ha, nanay, thank you'

> nung kinaumagahan, binilhan mo ko ng kutsinta

> nung sabi mo kain tayo sa Turtle Beach resort dahil alam mong naghahanap ako ng gulay at naghahanap ka naman ng internet, nakatapos tuloy ako ng pag-tsek ng FMA

> yung niyaya mo ako sa Robinsons SF para makapag-pedicure ako samantalang bibisitahin mo yung gym sa Burgos St.

> nung kinausap mo ako para huminahon nang sa gayon maging maayos ang pag-uwi natin

> nung umagang maaga kang pumasok para makapunta ako sa palengke ng San Juan

> nung sinubukan mong hanapin yung Poka coffeeshop para magkita tayo pagkatapos ng araw mo sa Lorma

> nung sa gitna ng iyong pag-aalala, naisip mong protektahan tayong dalawa at sumunod ka naman sa kin para lumipat tayo ng ibang lugar

> nung nakinig ka mamang nakilala natin sa 7-11

> nung kinausap mo yung mamang lasing upang siya'y kumustahin

> nung naisip mong magbyahe pa Ospital ng Lorma

> nung tinirhan mo ako ng adobong almusal mo kinaumagahan

Ipon ko lahat yang matitinong alaala ng ikaw at ako sa ELYU dahil gustong gusto kong maniwalang di lang yan ang huling pagkakataon natin sa duon.

Sinubukan na naming planuhin ng tatay mo ang muling pagbabalik duon para sa eksam mo at graduation mo. Bibitbitin natin ang lolo't lola mo, kakain tayo sa magandang view ng Kabsat.

Siguro bago dun, mauupo muna kami sa audience habang nag-aantay sa pag-akyat mo sa entablado.

At tatayo kami kapag tawag ng pangalan mo, kasama ng malakas na palakpak at hiyaw mula sa Tata Dindin at Tatay mo. Marahil mapapangiti mo si Cleo. Sigurado akong, maiiyak ako, pero luha ng ligaya marahil na sa wakas, nakarating tayong muli, at masbuong-buo bilang ikaw at ako.

Mahal pala kitang tunay. Hindi pala basta-basta malilimutan ng ina ang kanyang anak. 

Kung si Nezuko nga grabe bantay sa mga kuting nya!



Monday, November 21, 2022

Finalizing the Book Manuscript = Letting go, bit by bit

 Still alive, working on TEH BOOK. It's been approx  730 days, 11 months and half-a-year since I first wrote about it. By 2021, a book proposal approved. An extension for submission was requested and now here we are, finalizing Chapter 1.

I was reading through the Chapter 1 manuscript to distract me a bit while donating blood at the hospital for my father-in-law. My co-author decided to move the prologue - it was a really an important blog for me and for the book. But those are just to my view. That felt like 2 feathers plucked out of me in that chapter. I say to myself, I can live with it, just like the idea of living with real grief and anticipating another in this earthly life. After all, there are other things in life to go for = remaining chapters to go for.

 So, the plucked feathers shall remain in our manuscript drafts or my blog instead. And perhaps the book can live without it. Or I may try to negotiate with my co-author at the right time. Looking at the whole chapter, it felt more together after all.

And here is hoping that I can still manage to keep myself together until the end of 2022, which by the way, I want to be over soon. It felt quite similar to how it was year 2020, but now with less angst, and more of a feeling of surrender, that is leaving God to do his eternal work with my Tita Clem, Tita Nenette and my god daughter Kylene.  We all get to that point anyway, so what else is there to be done?!!!

So, this editing phase and final preparation of our manuscript seems like a parallel experience to these ongoing life events = letting go of people, bit by bit, and still keeping vigil over of my ever-present father-in-law, Lolo Ben. Hold his hand while we still can and simply being together through this process as a family, preparing ourselves for whatever outcome. Just like making sure the book essentials remain, and that the essence of the book is driven across and perhaps more efficiently and effectively less the life drama and still with my identity intact. The book project is no longer really about me, nor my co-author, rather the audience who seek to understand and appreciate what they can from the book. 

Here's is hoping I remain steady for the remaining chapter edits and the year 2022.




Thursday, October 28, 2021

Pretty Lonely

 I dunno if it's the pandemic or whether it's about aging = having more years spent on this earthly life - but the word lonely has cropped up in chat convoes with peers. While theirs could be about grieving for a loved one or a love lost or just plain life as it is on some days or months, mine is about post-PhD life.

After completing my dissertation and program during the pandemic, I was really excited to get back to work and 'be with' my colleagues. But the busyness, the stress and some of them not being exactly around made me quite sad. Here I was excited about ideas here and there but with no co-facs to see face to face and bounce off ideas with, let alone celebrate my finish. But I still made good use of my energy to work on pet projects and this time with the  RAs/Staff willing to join and support such initiatives to make productive use of our time because doing otherwise would make us all feel hopeless with this pandemic and the manner by which it has taken a toll on our families and practically our lives.

The pet project on Research Journeys brought a bit of life to our daily/weekly and weekend-ly emails. With that was also me trying to forge ties with a bunch of women - Affiliate Program Chairs from the LB Campus who took on the roles of regular faculty members who are now on study leave. They put up with my blah blahs on another pet project on Short Courses in meetings with the Boss Dean and accorded me that space to explore my new found role FacSec (ahem, Fac-maypagka-alipin > the wrong person for the job BUT the right person to take it during this pandemic, as I thrive in chaos, haha). After a year of having a sense of normalcy with these women,  all of a sudden their appointments were no longer renewed upon orders of their mother unit.  The news came at a time when I just bounced back from 3 weeks of sinking underwater. That felt pretty much seeing my sandcastle being hit by the tides -  a castle I built with my playmates now all gone - washed away - and with it was my small happy space with UPOU.  This pandemic life experience in the Phils has been largely just like that - you have a go of trying to build things and the process has been a mix of joy and frustration - but you still still keep at it because otherwise, I really don't know how else to cope.

Though the one ever reliable thing to lean on  in this pandemic is my family, (and thank God for reminding me about that), my work (=play) has always been the alternate space to become create and feel a sense of worthiness and solidarity with others. But then yes, I now admit - it's getting pretty much lonely when you realize, people just come and go in your life. I did survive those as the years went by and moving from one job to the next = forging the connection then just disconnecting. In fact, I've moved on quite well. I am the type to BE there at the moment and relish the experience then when it's time to pack up and go, I move forward. 

Post PhD, the first pack up and go was saying goodbye to my small school - it was a gradual, quiet goodbye from my end. At the onset of my PhD, I was still volunteering to do a few more things with the school parents and children. But with the completion of my PhD, my K-12 quests have likewise reached its end - or felt more like a dead end. And end it was with an exclamation point of a PhD thesis on K-12 Blended Learning. 

BUT I  think what gets me pretty lonely post-PhD is that I really have no OU co-fac/colleague to turn to at my unive on my new found research interests. I find myself forcing to engage in undergrad program concerns as this was the space I grew into in my  initial years as a faculty member. My responses however were mostly administrative not entirely creative nor researchey. On the other hand, my current research projects, though still into VLCs,  have taken a different form or turn as it pulled towards research journeys, research writing  and now with a new PhD program proposal on a scratch paper and a collab research grant proposal as a spin off from Research Journeys webinar. My inner speeches and daydreams on research identities, research journeys and research collaborations are simmering for quite some time - and so talking to myself= isn't THAT pretty lonely!!!

And maybe that IS why I've kept other spaces outside of my Unive close to me - it makes this 'pretty lonely' realization liveable and bearable because there are other sandbox possibilities out there = the USQ RWL, the PGECR symposium, dyadic collab work with DE....then now, getting quite nervous about IDERN. I'm a bit excited because I hope to draw inspiration from the team so I could be brave enough to propose a PhD by R and PhD by P at UPOU. It's literally 'growing' a program.

Monday, September 20, 2021

For every death comes birth

Kamatayan, kaliwa, kanan...saan ka pa! Leche...#Dutertepalpak. These days feel like the Angel of Death Passover, but instead of passing over, it's lingering with a deathlist of sorts.

I've been following New Amsterdam for quite a while, more to escape or a way to deal with this thing called death. Then came this one episode - was it Sharpe, Bloom or Giselle who died?...Not the baby please.

Like yuh yuh, I believe in God and afterlife, and that death is the only way to get to that new life.  Like ok, Jesus resurrection is what we Christians hold on to, but did God really "feel' what it means to have a loved one die? He isn't totally human, so does he actually have feelings. And if we are to live our lives to follow his will or become his likeness or even to glorify him, to whose gain? Doesn't that make him a selfish God.

So really, the idea of death at this time of Covid 19 either makes angry or sad. There have been numbing days, cynic days and wanting-to-deactivate-FB entirely-days. Angrier even that we simply have to settle with FB to send our condolences amidst people posting on food, fashion, outdoor travels and all sorts of memes. People just don't shut up. 

And Death is such a cheat, I'd say. It's cheated on me my 4x my side of the family; 3x my side of friends. Among my tight circle of UPOU colleagues, I'm the only left with 2 'live' parents. The deaths are a combie of Covid-19 and other sicknesses. My generation has now reached that stage of dealing with actual deaths of aging loved ones AND sudden deaths due to this pandemic. 

After that major zoom hosting for my aunt from May - June 2020, I no longer want to join zoom funerals. It's really just not my way of consoling others and myself too. While my husbandry simply turns to his rosary prayers and FB anti-Dutz postings, these months, I just numb myself through lots of work to do.  Then there are cheerie days when I just 'Like' or try to be happy for my sister's garden, somebody else' plants, some webinar,  our pets etcetera, etcetera. 

And I guess, I can only to turn to research and writing to cope. I must be still riding on the wave of finishing my PhD, and just gotta keep on swimming. Maybe once I stop research and writing, that will be the death of me. Then my physicality will deteriorate eventually, perhaps at age 60 or so. Not unless I get a stroke. So yes, I've thought about my eventual death. 

While I can still see and feel glimpses of positivity, I write. What's good about writing as an escape is that I can go on and go on with it. So may as well use it to mark these deaths cuz death AND MY WRITING are just here to stay.

Jotting down these milestones and dedicating these to real names of real people. I have no flowers to offer, nor presence so here, I lay at your feet my writings around the time of your death, perhaps as a way to hold on to dear life while you folks have transitioned well to your afterlife.

Pandemic Year 2020

> Thesis submission 1 - Tita Ely

> Faculty Grant proposal - Uncle Vic

> Revised thesis submission - Sol's Dad


Pandemic Year 2021

Q1

> IRRODL Paper reject - Kat's Manny

> Springer Book Proposal Grant - Cousin Monina

> Teaching Presence in K-12 BL - Sir Lex Librero

FED Continuing Education Concept Paper + 3 Short Course Proposals -  Anj's Dad


Q2

So who is next? 

> Paper for ETS - Intersections of the CoI

> Paper for JOLR/AJODL - BL Philippines


Q3-Q4

> Developing an SR Instrument to Measure EB of LSTs and LAs -

> PhD by Independent Study Proposal

For every death comes the birth of some kind of writing which I don't even know what all these will amount to. I'll hold on to the USQ RWL as comrades-in-writing to help me through. Perhaps it'll be a hopeful way I can see this through. 

And with prayers, I'd really just have to beg from God-- please, not MY Victor, Manolo, Julieta nor Benjamin yet. That'll be heartbreaking...I'm not quite ready to say goodbye yet. Imagine what that can do to a 17-year old man-a-be, boy interrupted. 




Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Dear 18 year old

 Dear 18-year old,

I'm writing this to help you remember, that around the same time last year, on your birthday week/month, a lot has happened. And I mean a lot, from all ends, your life included.

Perhaps by this time that you are reading this, it's highly possible that:

> there are more unexpected deaths in our family and among friends

> your school is still closed for f2f classes

> your academic load hasn't eased up

> we are still doing WFH

> you are grappling with this and that in your mind

>you still have questions

>we have been finally vaccinated vs Covid19

And yet,  your sister and I would be seated together at our dinner table and recalling another year of our lives and how our experiences have turned from bad to worse. Your sister could be cracking a joke in an effort to avoid getting 'unhinged' (her words not mine). And you will be seated with us simply listening and absorbing it all. 

But since you are now 18, you know better.

A parent would always want a better world for their children and I really am sorry to see that this ain't forthcoming yet. And, I am sorry for having passed on something else to you. I guess, there's not much I can do to 'protect' you from all these, son. It is what it is. 

But this I remember well. During OUR very tough and trying times, you have kept to who you are. When I thought I was missing pieces of you, or even thought hard that if I were to lose those pieces of you, I know what I will hold dear about you in my heart, and that piece of you will forever remain, that is -  you held my hand and you pat my shoulder and you listened when I asked you to PROMISE ME that you will be well.  And yes you have become well.  In those days after, you bring to the table some fond memory :)

Then 7 weeks after that, things became bleak. I tore up and told God, eee-nough! Only because I could not imagine - gumuho ba bigla mga panaginip mo sa buhay? So paminsan, iniisip ko, paano ko ba pwedeng gawing sapat ang mga pangyayari sa buhay mo.  I'm really not the best person to even tell you what 'well' means. Cuz when I look back to my years, it's been a journey of 'unwellness' and yet I have such great memories of people, adventures and heavenly moments which have made those unwell years very much liveable... and loveable.

Now that you are 18, it really is your life to live and your world to make something out of. And that as your mother, I won't be one to promise you that life will be better. YOU KNOW life ain't a bed of roses. That life can be bad news on certain days. (And yet once in a while you will always pull out a fond memory or two...of Builders, of life at Hardin, of Java and Mikasa, of Cavite, of Lola Juliet.) And still it can be back to feeling just as worse in a span of 3-5 days or even a 2-week all time low.

But I am one who will give you that space to feel what needs to be felt, until things get numb. I will be the one to pray in those times when you believe otherwise. I will be the one to try to listen even if deep inside me, I feel I am just about to cry and fall apart, and appear not to fall apart cuz I need to pay attention and listen. I will do my best to keep quiet and see you through it, until a smile pops up. And that it is ok, if that is just for a moment or two.

I am no superwoman, nor a supermom, but I'm just here while I still CAN BE here, BE still and KNOW you are well. 









Thursday, December 31, 2020

2020, the year that was

 Ahhh, the usual messages from friends to reflect on this 2020.

When Oscar the Grouch Tweet just goes "Scram 2020".  I've been wishing for  this 2020 to end, just to forget all the baaaad things which have come our way in the Philippines where people still continue to worship a populist leader, like my kababayans never learn. So many other things could have been avoided if not for lousy, un/misinformed decision-making and the failure for my people to see that. I feel 2021 will be an extended play version of 2020 not because an unstoppable God wills it, nor can he simply runneth over this leader and his kampons. It is what it is = consequences of poor choices WE must all bear for years to come.

I really just need to do this for a friend and in so doing, perhaps I can still be hopeful for 2021, for the sake of my loved ones, my UPoU students, my parents and also so as not to put my hard-earned PhD to waste in this lifetime of mine. 

Here goes....

1. What was the single best thing that happened this past year? I should say, the single best thing that happened would be completing this PhD so I that I was able to keep my sanity and got back to work without further delay.

2. What was the single most challenging thing that happened? Still, the research journey amidst this pandemic.

3. What was your best decision of the year?Letting go of that phase of my life because the PhD changes you. In the letting go, I have forgiven myself and that the right time will come for me to realize that letting go was a good thing still. 

4. What was your worst decision?
The worst was still trying to book a flight so that I can get things done at USQ Toowoomba. And with this bad decision, you still feel God's protective hand and firm reminder coming from my son who said "Nanay, I think you shouldn't go."

5. What was an unexpected joy this past year?
An unexpected joy was joy I felt when I saw my parents about 2x-3x year.
I found myself crying and telling them 'a mother's wishes for her children'. I was there, on their bed and in between them. I cried and opened up. I hugged my dad and was utterly thankful that he came back to my mom.

6. Where was the majority of time and energy spent?
The majority of time and energy was spent on writing, thinking, reading, writing BUT this time, alongside my housemates who have long accepted me for who I am. And that also meant making effort to show more gratitude through breakfast, Q-time with my children and the Lazo Clan, and simply being more present in the moment.

7. What were the important skills you learned?
Stepping back and self-regulating...realizing that there is inner-strength.

8. How would you summarize or describe the year?
This is hard so I would not even try. Then again...

2020= was the year of could haves but just couldn't and so what. Life isn't measured by 'yearly thingies' rather moments in time, co-centric circles and upward-downward spirals. Just like research, life can be messy, fuzzy, crazy, and still lovely. 

Glad to have survived this...and thankful for the chance to be with family.

Thursday, December 24, 2020

A Silent Night for this Year's R.I.P.'s

 To my Mom and Dad - I wasn't around to lend comfort to your grief. But we've managed to zoom for the nth time. Uncle Vic's and Tita Ely's deaths felt like God's way of preparing me for the inevitable. I don't know how I'll be able to cope. I admit, there were days when I wish you would just both relax & be merry, or be thankful for this second chance together. I promise to be there for either of you, just like how I did my best to see mom through all the pain she had to go through when she first lost you.

To my Cousin-sins - we all lost our dearest Tita Ely - in that loss, we kinda found each other all over again. Time just flew by and all of a sudden we are no longer swim-pool buddies and playmates at Alabang.  I will always have fond memories of being cousins playing mahjong, Trip to Heaven, all sorts of card games, Agawan base...and that memory of staring at this adult magazine we chanced upon at the Matoto residence and we all said "Yuck!!!"

To my Tito Uning and Tita Susan - I don't know how it will be like when your time comes. I can only promise to be with my cousins, as usual. And you bet, we will share the happiest moments we have spent with you.

To Cla - your FB post made me see how dead serious the consequences of this presidency's grave mistakes vs the Filipino people. I truly am sorry for you and your brother's loss. 

To Kat - we've kept in touch for more than 3 yrs since you've gone your way to Aussie-land. And yes, I've wrestled with God about trials which come your way. Then this very sad news of your M passing away. I've said some selfish words to you and yet your responses always remind me of my limitations and the limitless kind of love you have for your dearies. I really pray some day we would cross paths once again. Is that too much to ask from God who wills things?

To Sol - I miss you even more these days when I feel so out of touch transitioning from USQ to UPOU. It's like Collab 2020 wasn't enough. I really want to know how you are these days and now I understand why you needed space. Thank you still, for giving me the chance to get to know your dad. Some things about Fathers which occupy an entirely different space in our hearts and minds...

To Victor - I've let you down many times. That includes my lack of understanding of 'grief' and the Catholic rosary's sorrowful mysteries. And so, I've been asking God for quite some time, that I be the one to go first. I have your best interest in mind of course-always have. This year, more than ever, you have been a source of strength for all of us.

To Rachel and Atel - we have lost a part of ourselves as we faced life's battles.  Mine are nothing compared to yours and so I can only listen & listen well. And I know in my heart you will be there should God's will prevail over mine & you will always help me understand his unfathomable ways.




Tuesday, November 10, 2020

When the PhD changes you, WHAT remains 2

Circuitous is the only way to describe my ongoing thoughts and ideas moving into specific actions to finally define 'what remains' when the PhD changes you.

Markers of change

- the not so good part:  being able to quickly spot errors in minutes of the FEDFac Council mtgs and questioning reasons for change of grades

-the good part: I became an avid supporter of fellow faculty members intending for their course proposals to be approved for institution.  I hyperfocused on that for a few days to ensure positive results - that is, for the courses to be offered in time for the graduating students to take it within their last academic year at my open unive.  This effort is in support of the new AA program chair.

- I have become more conscious of people, their jobs and achievements of late. This meant removing biases against faculty members from other units. This is like me giving chances to others for future collaborations.

My eyes have also opened on fellow academic and professional staff whom I've taken for granted. I realized that in the process of doing webinars I've made allies out of them = the BEST part. And this time, I found a space where I can continue to teach and learn with them through FEDs Continuing Education Program (CEP) where my daydreams continue to take flight. The fun part is defining this thing called FED-CEP, which may be the space for a CeTL or MeTL to take root and take flight.

Markers of what remains

This idea of a MAEd program have been in my conversations with Sol, a FEd colleague and dear friend. We had those days in the DilFacrum@NCC where we imagine teacher education programs for my open university. We tried to suggest but failed in that area. I think because our brains weren't primed to follow given templates of action in our university. A colleague has reached exasperation point with our ideas, telling us to consider the channels or levels we have to negotiate with in order to have our ideas approved. So that remained afloat, for about years or so. Our lives went on safely, after all, we had enough teacher ed programs.

Now it's back, and with a vengeance. The ideas have solidified. Thanks to my Australian unive experience.

Markers of possible Change-a-coming

With weapons on hand (academic writing to launch the ideas), I have now crafted a Concept Paper on a prospective Master of Arts in eTeaching and eLearning. The weird part is I am going through this back to front. The idea is to play around with a bunch of non-formal short courses towards proposing a masters degree of purely coursework but with RPL schemes.

And when I PLAY, I mean these in my sandbox of sorts:

> we will set up a virtual learning community site which would contain spaces for: blogs, forum posts, OER sharing, news/articles

> do all sorts of discussions among fellow short course participants 

> do our short courses in our Moodle rooms or some Google Classroom

> open up the site to DGurong Pahinungod 1.0 ~ 4.0 to focus on the OERs

> then add SSE students for Service Learning Option OER projects

> craft course combinations leading to a CeTL - Certificate in eTeaching and eLearning

> define pathways to become RPLs schemes from this non-formal program to formal programs or the CTL leading to an MeTL

OMGahhhd, the list is going on and on.

I just pray I have my network of K-12 teacher-friends to help me.

I've started with a series of webinars, which ran quick surveys of possible short courses as part of the evaluation. Then came a list of courses and a list of possible course developers and teachers.

What am I missing here? A sure shot of course participants.

Good thing, I am now in this network of Gurong Pahinungod System-wide Group. Who would have known that we pioneer teacher volunteers will be working together?

Gotta stop here. Methinks my thoughts take me up too high.

Earth2Aleta...yoohoo...







Wednesday, September 2, 2020

4....3...2..1 Earth below Me

The thought of dying is getting to be truer than ever these days. A brod and sis passed away. Anytime I know it could be my parents' time or even mine. 

A terrible headache awakened me the other morning. A strange experience it was. As Vic held my hand I started to consider what if in fact I am sick of something. Hmmm, can I be given a bit of time to say thanks and say a few wishes to come true.

I thank YOU for my Zambales, Tarlac, Cuyo, and Romblon experience.

I thank YOU for those boat trips.

I thank YOU for ALL the kids of The Builders' School.

I thank YOU for the book and the new grant and the luxury of time to engage in research. 

I thank YOU for all the travels & adventures on Earth.

I thank YOU for the fun we've had since high school.

I thank YOU for all the love and care, for holding my hand in so many ways.

I thank YOU for listening to all my woes and troubles, little joys.

I thank YOU for all the help in my dissertation, finish it for me in case I no longer can.

I thank YOU for reminding me to give you a hug and a kiss. It felt really good to stay a while on your bed and be with you both to express my wishes for my children. I thank YOU for U.P. and my education.

I wish for YOU to have some time to enjoy having a new partner for a change, have time to do your PhD & travel more. I wish for YOU to have relaxed time to read your best-loved books. Please keep your hair that way, too.

I wish for YOU to become the Guidance Counselor you want to be, and have  a happy married life you planned on having while at Grade 3.

I wish for YOU to continue taking care of your father and your brother. I still wish that you consider studying & settling abroad then come back once you are more prepared to handle the Philippines.

I wish for YOU to find the love you can live with and grow old with.

I wish for YOU to complete your thesis and see all your sons grow old.

I wish for YOU to have another child because I know your son will enjoy having a sibling.

I wish for YOU both to live longer so you can still be with my children and enjoy their jokes.

I wish for YOU to see your daughter graduate.

I wish for YOU to achieve your dreams and make your parents proud and happy.

I wish for both of YOU to keep strong.

I wish for you to live long enough to see my son's wedding.

That was ALL I could think of for a few minutes.

Yeah, I think can say goodbye if I have to.


Saturday, August 22, 2020

Pandemic Blah Blahs

That Monday, I broke into tears after seeing Twitter feeds coming from the Lumad Schools. The 6/6 tweet thread showed a timeline of military actions against these schools servicing IP students in Mindanao area. There seems to be senseless red-tagging of teachers and students who simply desire a kind of education which celebrates free-thinking, critical analysis & conscientization.  That could have easily been me years back as a volunteer teacher/ community worker in Palawan, Tarlac or Romblon. And so I feel for their situation. Then of course, the  news of Maria Ressa's Cyberlibel case. I've been following her in the news for days. I thought maybe there is a slight chance we could win this.  I've given up on checking the number of Covid 19 cases in Pilipinas kong Mahal.

I cried more because for the first time, I've finally admitted, I want to kick my children out of my house and out of the Philippines. Yups. We talked more over lunch for a possible strategy.

Midweek, felt glad to be connected online with key folks from USQ. Learning something new keeps me afloat. Research ideas continue to pre-occupy me in some creative and maybe escapist way.  The chance to read more and daydream, vibe/emails these with my very few friends while I'm WFH is one of the reason to get up in the morning.  I relish these last few days of my full study leave.

Then came my webinar -- what  a source of joy and more, source of rethinking.   Analytics show that the webinar reached about 3,000 active viewers. Nice to read the comments. After patting myself on the back, I wondered about the questions from the teachers. I sense a general worry, a bit of desperation, and more, well-meaning questions to search for a one-time solution. The questions were quite interesting-- ranging from parent concerns/issues, formative assessments, how to handle a big class, how to motivate the unmotivated, mostly not even related to blended learning but real questions the concern teachers with or without the shift to fully online delivery of instruction.

Of course I had answers, but their questions left me asking why these questions?  Why such worries?  Why the need for templates of action?
As I've told my husband, why Im no longer into 'teacher training' perse, is that I no longer believe in one time big time trainings like how we used to organize it with teachers and daycare workers. Even more now. I said it's hard for me to actually teach teachers things which I just happen to learn on my own because that is mostly how I brought things to my class.

I've mastered the skill of lesson planning, the height was during my IB teaching days when I managed to put all the words they wanted to hear or see to make the evaluators feel secure that we teach what we ought to teach.  In the end anyway, it's just a plan. What matters to me, once I face my class, or join my students at work whether seated on the floor, in front of the computer or on the ground itself -- is the experience of being with them, sensing what interests them, junk the need for coverage or sequence of skills and just see where they are and find ways to take them further from where they are.  Or back in the days of community based teaching, no matter how I prepare my plans and pull out a stack of materials to bring to the sitios --- when I reach the families, it's either they are ready to engage or they are nowhere at all, or the numbers change from time to time.  In such a case, you let go of your plan and targets and instead listen to their stories and concerns for the day.  Then you try to turn those into learning events. I decided to take pictures and next session, I bring their copies and then we talk more -- engage their thinking and story telling. Then weave in questions of what to do next time we meet.  The time spent while walking and crossing creeks those days, or even taking a shower or driving are precious time to think of ways to experience teaching and learning.  I'd usually have a drop down list of the basics to be covered which I know I can pull from or mentally tick.  Best parts would be the unplanned ones.  I'd pick up something from this and that while in my travels or side projects or anything outside of my K-12 school life.  It triggers an idea or two, then there it goes. You try to feel test a few things which seem to match your student's needs and most of all their interest.  On some days, I feel we didn't learn a thing, but we just manage to make use of the time. Then there really are brilliant days of light bulb moments and projects where kids surprise me with what they were able to do on their own. Of course, those days when I battle my will with the children and some surrender, let the teacher's idea go and days when my ideas aren't picked up and so let's see. With all these, I've made more successes.

But then I ask why? Possibly, it's the luxury of small teacher-student ratio, smaller group of students to handle, there's time to write and reflect, time to share during conferences, time to discuss students' needs and talk to parents, time for trips, time to make grand projects --- all these afforded by a smaller class size. Schools aren't just there for children to learn, it is there equally for teachers to learn. There is so much growth in that if only we bank on the idea that teachers aren't perfect. They do not know everything. They can just be 5 steps ahead of their students for all we know.  Sometimes when we thought what we knew for certain is a fact, isnt a fact after all. And therefore, in that imperfection comes the time to make mistakes, the time to search for read and ask a fellow teacher, what can be done better next time, and most importantly, the time to try again and do well. There is always, always the time to do better if only we open ourselves to that possibility that not everything can be learned in 1 hour, 1 semester, 1 schoolyear. What we thought as students have already mastered or may appear as such, wouldn't be there next time.

So I guess, I'll stick to the advice I gave in my webinar -- one of the major things we must consider are class sizes.  If we managed to pull the K-12, pull the free tertiary level education,  why not a reasonable teacher student ratio -- it makes the class manageable and more real collaborations going on, manageable paper work; why not lessen the lesson planning so teachers spend more time to empty their brains of an overcrowded curriculum or PD fatigue, so that when with their students, they get to really immerse and see possibilities.







Sunday, August 9, 2020

Been a year or so...& 8 mos.

 It's been a year since I started with this thing called data ANALYSIS.

Around the same time last year, I was preparing to get back to Toowoomba for the final semesterS of my studies (or I thought so, haha). So I packed some stuff to bring: 

-fave childhood goodies (chocnut, curly tops and Jolly biscuits)

- a jar of ube = purple yam delicacy

- SPAM tocino + canned corned beef for pasalubong

-bottled dried fish and/or Spanish sardines

Unloaded some of those at my Gold Coast home away from home.

I finally arrive at Toowoomba.  Hopped off  Translink bus 907 at the USQ stop near Alison Dixon Theatre (reminds me of Alice Dixon the actress, haha).  The Australian air, hmmm. No smoky scent yet. Across the stop, I see familiar faces over at K-Block.

That was roughly a year ago, amidst the writing, I spent quality time, not just with fellow humans but quality time with Toowoomba. This sojourn of mine was a lot of ME time. These days, roughly 8 mos since TaalV eruption  and 6 months of being in a mix of GCQ, MECQ and ECQ = Enhanced Community Quarantine,  my forms of escape are really just my memories, daydreaming, productive googling...and still, this thing called research.

Productive googling = Sabina Murray's blog; VICE News articles; Noor gallery of photo-journalists and stories they bring to the fore

Memories = high school days with my BFFs; Davao time with my BFFs; trips to Anilao beach with my lovelies; days of being a much younger teacher and adventuring through Cuyo and Romblon while doing volunteer work; days with Wordlab teachers where I met Teacher Vic, Mimai, Lilette, Mailin, Candy, Hazelle, Mary, Nanay Conching, Kuya Sonny= that year I worked with my best friend and a former teacher idol, Teacher Dina.

I'm not exactly missing recent memories of Builders School, must be cuz it's recent memory. Then again, the very recent memories of Toowoomba always crop up:

> lazy Sunday mornings, passing the time by going to this church or that, 

> walks crossing the Japanese gardens to get to USQ -- and the scent of ducks, the feel of the frost 

>my spot at the library, that coffee machine

> late walks along that university avenue listening to Dua Lipa playing on my phone

>those convoes with myself, an imaginary friend or with God.

>my jog-walk-run routine

>TRAG

I guess, in this pandemic, one can only try to hold on to happy memories. Or convince myself that better days will come as long as I keep myself busy with K12 Journey webinars, crafting a new research project, RWLeague, doing a few firsts = like OIC for Dean Baggy, delving into epistemic cognition, collaborating with HDR-LA, UPOU ethics app, ...almost anything, anything to convince myself that THIS reality is now my reality and whether next year will be a better year, I really don't know anymore, or shall I say rather not look that far as we Filipinos need to bear this all for a few more years under this f***ing regime!!! Gohhhd, I hate him.

One day at a time...this thing called research will keep me afloat. 

This thing called Toowoomba Sojourn will make me look forward to graduating and having that #31 on the menu, for one last time before I die.

In between, I'm quite content with payback famtime or at least thankful for having the time to spend great meals with my loved ones and just seeing and smelling my mammals still. Should better days no longer arrive, then I know, for certain, I really, really, really managed to have gudt days in this time of Corona.


Tuesday, June 23, 2020

This Study is Epistemic (whatEVER that means)

Of interest in this new study is the idea of looking at teachers-academics spanning K-20. That was the second hook. A prior hook was just daydreaming about ethnographic studies with teachers. Now, something of significance as I’ve read more about PE > EB > EC, then the AIR and 3R-EC. [INSERT MODELS OF EB/C]

I admit, I’m drowning in the reads. I don’t want to slip into an imposter syndrome mode ‘cuz I did right after you poked  my brain. Nipped those doubts out of my mind. But I’m closer to being certain why I think this study is significant. Now, I have a greater goal which I foresee as translating to concrete action.  I exchanged ideas with Dr. Lunn Brownlee a week ago. She is the 2go2 expert on Epistemic Reflexivity. To add more context, I said:


        The main aim of my study will be to uncover the epistemic beliefs (EB) of these expert LSTs and LAs. I             am also foreseeing engaging these experts in a reflexive exercise to discern or deliberate on ways they            think their knowledge, skills set and experiences can be best shared through a non-formal course, a                mentoring program or even through more informal ways AND with EB in mind.


My current questions are along these lines:

a) whether I need a model of EB (such as the AIR or  3R-EC model)  to draw out and describe the EB of these experts;


b) Or whether the 3R-EC  is best suited AFTER an initial study so I can use the findings to engage these experts to deliberate on a set of non-formal courses or redesign pre-service courses, a mentoring scheme and/or more informal ways to learn.



I hope to tighten these up for the next poking and for the Ethics application to be finally out.


I think I may have repeated myself here.


And yes, I cried after the meeting (or was it after I read Chinn’s work while multi-tasking with 3-4 other things).  I cry when I feel I cannot take how my brain works. It spills into other things in my mind. My inner speech goes, “Gahhd, why wasn’t I born to be a great housewife?”…some superwoman who will manage home life perfectly for the family and will utterly find joy and contentment in that. 




Tuesday, May 26, 2020

"Something Just Like This..."

Was getting a bit detached from my dissertation for sometime.  
I had to be with family end of April to mid-May.

A very dear aunt died.  So I decided to  spend quality Zoom time hosting novenas and rosary prayer sessions for my relatives. Weird act from a very Protestant me.  But it was really a good time to catch up with my cousins.
We ended up unloading stories, making chismis. It was like 4 nights of life disclosures within the 9 day novena until the actual Zoom memorial.  We cried lots.

Losing Tita Ely is pretty close. The first death that actually hit me was Jerico's. Christened him as the He-Devil to go with my She-Devil Associate In Arts student. We spent good times at the UPOU community site, offline included. 

Anyways, just a weird thing happened.
I was daydreaming about my auto-ethnography to fill in more discussion points. I was reading more about teacher/ academic identities, and identities of Academic Language and Learning Advisors-- such creatures and possible ways to dig into their epistemic and pedagogical beliefs. I came across an article on the use of metaphors  in narrative inquiry discourses and sensemaking.

So I was trying to reconcile whether I should still maintain using superhero metaphors and actually wondered where the superhero metaphor started.  It was like a weird idea back then to engage my new found colleagues at UPOU to see whether how game they could possibly be. I set up my Scratch Pepper at UPOU Google Sites. I was testing content in tables and I sort of imagined each of them in their future selves at UPOU. I entitled it as
"Lay your Claim". Funny that some of them took a bite :) So yeah, I think I secretly knew that I can grow old with them. But to grow old with them also meant I should be someone they can live with or even deserve to grow old with.

Fastforward, I was now getting ready to let go of the superhero metaphor and use their real names in my autoethnog cuz Im sure they would not mind.

Then came the feedback of internal reader, Dr Karen Spence. And OMGOD, I use a GOD to emphasize that she must be God-sent= a surprise superhero. Gahhd, the 'labor' on my work was obvious. Is she an alien or what?!?
Her pencilmarks, checks and corrections brought me back to my chapters -- and this time, I'm looking at my work and my life from a different light. Yes, it has been my labor of pain and joy, for three straight years. Had to cut ties because of this thing called PhD. And yes it had a way of changing me. 

So I managed to quickly get into this zone of proximal submission with that last major fix-ins & add-ons on my chapters. Why not pick a Coldplay while I'm in this zone-- first time to really get into the tune and lyrics of "Something just like this". May I drown in the beat, it kept me going. Lovely lyrics.  Was trying to relate with the superhero lines. Yeah, it seems like a good match while working on my chapters page by page.

Close to 6pm, I was overcome with emotion --  I guess this feeling that I'm close to submission and that up to the last minute, you get the help you need from this person. I searched her at the USQ website. There she was. She's this mysterious lady whose name I obviously forgot but whose face really stuck to my memory.  My first time to see her felt like the time I first met Kat at the UPOU Facrum.  They both were the quiet and reserved type. She reminded me so much of her...a dear colleague who is no longer with UPOU. It got me thinking also of Jerico, RIP., who is  no longer 'here'.  Like if he were alive today, I know I can count on him too for this thing called PhD.

Going back to OMGOD, I've wanted to make conversation with her but I just felt she wanted to spend her lunchbreak in silence.  Well I guess the conversation took a different form --  Her writing on my work= the quality time she spent reading my work AND my brain was more than what I asked for.  And I can only feel gratitude all over again.

God takes away key persons in our lives because He has other plans for them. 
Or that there are people we have to leave cuz yeah, we were meant grow, take root and outgrow.

God had plans for Kat to be in another university.  Then Jerico and my Tita Ely -- they just had to go.
I've lost some people, too as I just had to move on from one workplace to the next.
That's me outgrowing causes and with that I've lost people too.
Maybe because God has other plans for me too.

And God has this way of giving them back to me, in a different form and at times I least expect.
He filled me up with a Catherine, a Lolita, an Anna, a Barbara, a Sofia, a Karen, a Petrea, a Linda, 
a Nicky, an Earl... a Bruce Wayne to Bane (HBD btw)

In the spirit of Coldplay's  "Something just like this..."

"...Achilles...Hercules...Spiderman...Batman...Superman...
Where do you wanna go, how much you wanna risk
Am not looking for somebody with some superhuman gift
Some superhero, some fairy tale bliss
Just something I can turn to, somebody I can miss...Something just like this
doo-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo..."


Wednesday, May 13, 2020

It's Like This 3

I now have key search terms for this new study I'm interested in doing.
At the back of my mind, I'm interested in branching away from a case study design and would like to go for: phenomenology and narrative inquiry. Or maybe to even find out whether these 3 can simultaneously happen in this new study.

New search terms:

  • teacher identity
  • teacher beliefs
  • personal epistemology
  • epistemic cognition


In other words, teachers' ways of knowing and in particular -- that of learning support teachers and learning advisors (K-20)

A bit of background:
In the process of writing my auto-ethno on my PhD journey, I have had quality exchanges with key persons engage in providing research support and learning advice from my Australian university. It made me curious about the role of the HDR-LA. There is no such thing as an LA in my university. I figured perhaps, if universities in the Philippines had more LAs, library support for researchers and working with Research Supervisors, without further delay. So how does one become an LA? How do you prepare one to become an LA? And more -  what's in the 'make-up' of an existing LA expert. How can you actually engage them to un-pack what they know and what they are learning so that they can recommend ways other teachers can learn these to.

I figured, with all the online learning that's going to happen, surely we will be needing more online learning support providers K-20. Some students will certainly fall through the cracks in HS and they will hopefully land on to university work, online ones even. So how do we prepare for them to make sure they continue to learn and succeed.

Then of course, I turn to my K-12 practice. This time taking note that for the first time, my curiosities and recent HDR experiences fuelled this interest in my new-found study.  Normally, I take the route of my teacher self and my K-12 bag of tricks to further research ideas at the higher ed.  This time, it's my higher ed research experiences which make me want to reflect on my K-12 practice and translate into a research study spanning K-20.

Recent K-12 experiences: (to mean b4 leaping into my PhD v.2.0)
1) I was Learning Coordinator at BA and really had the fortunate experience of observing teachers at work. Just so happen that these observations are within the context of teacher evaluation. BUT, it was great opportunity to 'learn' from fellow teachers and 'capture' their teaching based on their CK and PK and PCK. Teacher observations are really good ways to understand how-why teachers teach the way they teach. You see varied ways teachers engage students and it brings you to that space of understanding one's strengths and limitations as a teacher.

I've been fortunate enough to interact with the LST=Amor of BA who had all the tools and tricks to provide quality learning support to students whom I can clearly relate with when it comes to language processing and written expression.  My task then was to at least support her clear initiatives and desire to help as student in need. I needed to make sure there would be communication among key persons to identify possible student cases;  diagnostics and informal ways to assess student level; documentation of work; honest to goodness 'case conferences'.

From these exchanges with different teachers, I was able to put in words "teacher pathways of growth"-- that in fact teachers continue to evolve in their functions and roles. However,  how to provide support to this evolution was not mine to decide at that time. What I realized is that a major part of my growth as a teacher was: self-learning, on the job and while interacting with teachers and teacher-leaders. And there were clear areas I will not get into -- for example Learning Support -- as this is best handled by a teacher with more methodical ways of diagnosing, addressing and teaching those students in need.


2) As co-founder of Builders School, I was the luckier teacher handling inquiry learning projects with our schoolchildren. Luckier because I had co-teachers to ensure that explicit skills instruction. We managed to install our ILS = Integrated Literacy Support Program. Instead of the usual 'clinic-mode' model of Wordlab school, I figured that the literacy support should be integrated with the everyday things they do in their language classes and within the multi-grade setting.

While my mindspace was pre-occupied on dual language, whole-language approaches, field trips, integrating ICTs amidst co-crafting project presentations/ sharing with students, and doing classroom-based research and curriculum documentation, I was assured that my schoolchildren are still able to cover content they needed to learn and acquire skills they needed to deliver in the other subject areas. These way students can safely move up to traditional HS not only with the necessary skills but with the confidence and love for learning intact + wonderful memories of their gradeschool life to continue learning how to learn.

Within this space, I was a great witness to how students loved their read -aloud sessions with Teacher Vic; how their reading and writing lessons paid off as seen in their project work in my class; how our themes were at work not only in my project class; how students are just as committed to their artwork to express their understanding of literature. Most importantly, how our once-nonreaders have become fluent and confident children.

In other words, it's clear that my co-teachers have worked their magic! And while I do acknowledge my own magic, I've always wondered about the HOW behind their magic.

Tables have turned:
I recall that one of the first few questions I asked the HDR-LA during our F2F consultation Year 2017, while preparing for my CoC was something along the lines of: have you worked with students who may have language difficulties?

Then after a few consultations, I was able to confirm MY kind of language difficulties - in the area of written expression. While I was getting all the help needed for the thinking and writing I needed for my major research at my QLD university, I've come to realize that yes, there may be common spaces learning support teachers, special educators and LAs operate or even more, common things they bring to the table.

I guess, those were my ways of figuring out what exactly HDR-LA's do and whether he is the higher ed version of Amor and Vic. And if so, what was his background? how much of his K-12 practice gets into his current practice as HDR-LA? or if in fact that background even helps.

Teacher beliefs > teacher cognition > teacher and learning experiences

And why even? Is there something about this which can be 'transmitted' to would-be teachers? and how? or what are the basics we can integrate in pre-service courses to pre-dispose teachers to consider becoming LST and LAs? Will a background of an Education degree even help? In what ways? How can we explore informal learning spaces to learn to become one?

Saturday, May 2, 2020

It's Like THIS 2

One time, I was daydreaming for a Zoom session because I've restarted to concoct ideas for next research 2do. I allow myself to daydream future writing projects as a way to look forward to having my life back. But because I had to hyperfocus in finishing my section on Limitations of the Study, and hadn't had breakfast, come Zoomtime I couldn't just ask that the session be recorded-- cuz the daydream was unfolding.....but no playback, tsk tsk!

THIS paper idea is triggered by the ff:
1) HERDSA and my daydream of doing a poster presentation I've never tried before
2) My husbandry asking about auto-ethno
3) A recent exchange with Professor X on a possible auto-narrative project
4) My unfinished blog on 3 great teachers

5) A shared conversation with Catherine Chinook on giftedness and demigods
6) Meeting another Learning Advisor - and me trying to listen to him give feedback to a student in THAT neat part of the library
7) Immersing with HDR-LA - like literally me, making a labrat out of me, observing, wondering and uber-benefitting from an academic writing coach & reflecting/asking myself 'will I be able to do the same for someone next time?’

8) My ongoing interest with expert teachers to include a cohort I categorize as 'gifted teachers'(by order of appearance in my life):
Rachel-R - Maryknoll HS and UP
Feny - Community of Learners
Mailin - Wordlab
Victor - Wordlab and UP
Dr. Acoymo - UP
Dr. Nellie Deutsch - IT4ALL
Dr. Dina Ocampo (as my EDR prof) U.P.
Amor - Beacon Academy
Eric Z - Beacon Academy
Dr. Eacersall - USQ

9) My wanting to do an ethnographic study of teachers
-as I do get a kick out of observing great teachers at work (it feels like getting immersed in a great movie or an art installation)
10) Wondering about an iteration of a TP study I've done before but using a different methodology

Pausing here…I'm trying to see what's common among 'gifted teachers'.
        My guess - ( like if I were to profile them)
  • Good to great with languages or background in language teaching
  • Hardly netspeaks nor truncates messages
  • Sends complete text messages (not using shortcuts)
  • Reads books for pleasure or has a taste for HiQ literature
  • Grammatically correct
  • Digests content just like that
  • Intuitive and methodical
  • An OC streak
  • Have highly literate parents
  • Really enjoyed reading as a child/teenager
  • Has an older sibling who is highly literate
      Could be's -
  • An actual IQ corresponding to that of a gifted person
  • An IQ for the Fine Arts
Now, a bit of rewind:
Sent: Wednesday, 22 January 2020 12:38 PM

Wondering here-
So a study of expert teachers providing language learning support spanning - K-12 all through Doctoral level.

Shared views & beliefs about 
> learning how to write
> gaps in written expression of students

Common understandings of diagnosing writing problems
and how the above translate into:
>actual explicit language skills instruction

And how did you actually learn the how- to of those? + Teaching principles you abide by or unknowingly demonstrate

And if so, how do we train mowwwh language support teachers to do the same?

Friday, April 17, 2020

Love in the Time of Corona

It has been a hate relationship with my MS Word formatting, APAs and EndNotes for quite sometime. Now, it's official. I have to come to 'heart' doing all of them. Just paid focused attention to each and everyone of them in order to understand them really well

That took a total of 2-3 weeks of focused attention, then more

Wk 1: My EN + APA started to make more sense while spending quality time over at my BFF's place.  Quality time = girl-talkin' at the beach, at her apartment with her loveliest kids, Raylai and Avi; teacher-talking and more ghorl-talkin' while doing our daily morning walks. Our conversations would sometimes start before we went to bed then we'd wake up about 3am to talk shortly. Fun, tears and laughter in between.  We talked lots about her school, my research, our life questions, our troubles & worries, our future projects, our families, our marriages, probably some days of the future past.  That was really great catch up time given the constant viber exchanges we've had since my Toowoomba months and days. So much love in the air surrounding us all--the positivity benefitted me, MY Endnotes and MY APAs.

Then of course, I enjoyed the uber-self-contained space. Did my version of simple breakfast and minimalist cooking which the kids easily fell for - scrambled eggs with seaweed, Vietnamese pasta with fried fish tofu, grilled cheese sandwich with seaweed, fried egg with cheese & seaweed on top.


Wks 2-3:  The Corona is getting really Covid - sounds like morbid = so real.  There was news of 3 deaths in my extended circle. After 1 RWLeague, 1 PGECR Zoom and 1 Consultation on my auto-ethnography came sadder news. My Uncle Vic and Aunt Mila were diagnosed with the virus, with my Uncle being at his worst situation. My Tita Ely (motherside) in the meantime had to be admitted in the hospital and being treated as a possible PUI.  Those few days felt quite uncertain.  One early morning, the certainty came- my Uncle Vic passed on.

In the meantime, U.P. sent out news of a Professor who likewise passed on. Then a memo - travel ban was in place.

These times, hard to think really. Last year with all the meaningful noise on climate change, then the Taal eruption start of 2020,  I was most certain that our generation will be wiped out due to some major natural catastrophe happening one after the other at different regions of the world. I didn't see this pandemic coming at all.

I could no longer hold on to the joy I've felt being with my best friend. It was being chipped away one by one since the lockdown and my Toowoomba trip cancellation... gone were my plans of seeing my housemates, Lolita and Catherine.  In a matter of days, the lockdown has become Luzon-wide, that included where my family was.

I paused to thank the Lord as my Miranda reached our home before the lockdown.

Wk 4: While my husband busied himself with securing our food stocks and actually cooking more rice meals,  I proceed with chapter edits based on Dr Redmond's feedback.

I paused to thank the Lord for the approval of my extended study and for the funds finally transferred (USQ census date) and an email from Leonie which came on a Sunday. Oh my, that was precious weekend time it made me cry.

Wk 5: I distracted myself with finding ways to access and play with MS Teams so I can recommend its how to's.  I reviewed the Techtorials on MS Word styles and creating tables while befriending my daughter's choice of music = Harry Style's 'Falling' song. It goes with my finally falling in love with the idea of my List of tables and figures FINALLY working. I so get my APAs, thanks to Tricia and Emma. I've started to imagine helping any researcher learn those tricks.

I paused to thank the Lord for little things which keep me going.

Wk 6, end of Easter break - I am overwhelmed with tears.  Amidst reviewing my viber chats with my BFF, finally getting over my uncle's death  and learning that my Aunt's xrays have cleared with her trial meds finally working, and a new Lazo babe forthcoming, there was so much more to be thankful for.

Just when I noticed I'd stop talking to God (yep, I do that when I'm upset with Him), I was reminded of God's ways and my best memories pre-Covid. Let me list thy ways:

> my best sojourn at Toowoomba
> a trip in the planning for the nth time which finally happened
> a Siargao island surprise
> my 2019 VIPs
> my 20th wedding anniversary by the beach
> my 20th wedding anniversary at U.P. chapel
> Collaboratiore 2020

And now, newer memories:
> new research ideas brewing
> trying out new cake recipes
> paying attention to Zoom voices and accents
> getting to know my own family as housemates, haha: living with Mauro's moodiness and great hairdo, loving Miranda's muscle building and breadmaking, enjoying Vic's enjoyment of online classes -- most of all, gigil-mammal time :)

Amen to that!