Reflection on my Retreat 2011

A very peaceful place

Having a retreat is a grab an opportunity experience for it happened only in a few moments of your life to be truly serious and focusing just to yourself and with God for more than a day. For my experienced, September 5-7, 2011 is such a memorable days of my life to take this kind of opportunity to have again my retreat after  four years then when I’m in my high school days also. It was catered at the very conducive place at St. Francis of Immaculate Conception, Saloma sa Kinaiyahan, Catulanan Grande, Davao City.

During the retreat days, I left all non-essentials behind and spent the time in silence and solitude with our Divine friend through daily meditation, prayer, listening to, encountering and experiencing the presence of God in our midst.

More time was spent for conscious and active participation in the daily Eucharistic celebration, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, individual and community group sharing and silence on the preferred areas. In fact, I could really concentrate and enjoy a sense of peace in my inner mind and heart.

some of my classmates since college!

There are lots of things that I able to recoil again my life after my three years of journey in my college years. I was able to remember those moments of my ups and my moments of down of having my stresses and enjoyable experiences in college days. It happened also that the forum happened, gives me the opportunity to give thanks and sorry for my classmates whose been with me for three years.

I reflected whether we need the guide all the time. Of course we need! However our guide will not be always a person, many times can be the Bible and sometimes some event can be our guide. I must be first of all a deeply spiritual person so that I can best show the way to God.

Noticed that, even how difficult the problem I may take, there are still solutions that exists for I cannot I able to proceed these ladder I’m stepping in here in fourth year of college if I didn’t able to finished and passed all those hindrances I’ve encountered in my previous years.

We need experience. Experience is the best teacher in our life. In the past I understood the meaning of a retreat as preparation for something like the vows. Now I realize that retreat means seeking God and His will for our life. I think all human beings need retreat especially religious. We are called to fulfill the will of God in our life. Retreats help me in making the right decisions.

 

The deepest part of me is reserved for God, and I know that to love the Lord our God is the heartbeat of my mission!

Computer as a Tutor

Certainly, computer sees the world go round. It serves already as a necessity in us especially when we are in the urban or big-professional areas. Actually, I have my own computer where I can able to update information globally as fast and easy. I can even use it for my formal letters, for video presentations, for games and amusements and more.

During my experienced in St. Mary’s College, Tagum, it was such  great opportunity for me to have a (CALL) Computer assisted learning literacy that simply imply that computer stands as my instructor or professor to be good in English language. The activities make me trained to pronounce appropriately, to answer correctly, to make a proper sentence and go direct with a paragraph, to be like a also a call center agent to interact with a given situation and so on.

 
But still, I do believe that computers are not just a boon but also a bane. It only truly matters on an individual on how he/she used the computer properly; if he makes it as a teacher providing those hazardous things to be learned nor a teacher to provide the appropriate things to be learned by an individual.

IT- Enters a new learning Environment

Integrated technologies do gave part in our learning environment. It provides another way around for learning processes in every individual. By this means, we can open our mind more fully to the other visualization that meant for us to indulge.

We have these meaningful learning, discovery learning, constructivism and generative learning that to be ponder in entering IT. As I have learned, many things come out by purpose. Everything I find out was not that as similar as what I have learned others. Maybe I learn something because of this and because I do that or because of them or even because of myself.

Truthfully, I may not that kind of expert in using technologies. I may not that competent as others as to showcase everything. Through my perseverance and commitment, I may able to try to manipulate or construct something in order for me to grow and learned something new. However, these concepts brought by the technologies still took part in my learning. It makes me updated even how far I am from any information.

Through the integrated technologies, it able to enter me in another learning environment; I may able to discover something, to construct some things that I’m curious about of and even generate some things that are eager for me to learn.

The Information Technology in support of Student-Centered Classroom

From the traditional teacher-centered learning approach, it practically helps on designing and adapting student-learning activities. I’ve realized that this is where how student-centered classroom more fully develop through the support of the information technologies exists nowadays.

Known to this new trend in teaching-and-learning process, it must be peaked out, however, that traditional classrooms activities especially in less developed countries will carry on to have a strapping place in the classroom.  In spite of this retard occurrence in some countries, the option has now been opened for the modern teacher to shift gears to student centered learning.

But the fact that I am part or a product of the traditional environment when I was in my grade school and even my high school years, it was also a best way for me and serve as my springboard to be well-motivated and well-educated individual.

We can’t deny the fact that we can’t get away from the past for still it serves as a vital role in teaching-learning process. What makes it more creative and productive is just to merge the traditional way to the new trends of today since we can’t say that we will always stick to one approach. When it comes to children and education, there simply no “one size fits all” considering the fact that there are going to be several children with differing learning styles and academic strengths and weaknesses.

Computer as a Teacher's Tool

Computer exists for a purpose. It has a significant role in our day-to day living. It only depends on the individual on how he/she used the computer appropriately.

Given this new trend of today. Technologies continuously developed as years passed by. More often, every individual especially the teenagers as well as the professionals captivated their minds in need this part of luxury that turns to necessity.

In teaching-learning process as I've experienced being a student teacher, it really helps me a lot. It makes my projects or task made fast and easy especially when it comes to broad informations. Everything almost made me possible by it.

Somehow. it made as a tool for the teacher in making their discussion. It goes with the new trend to make the students catch then their attention for a frustrated long discussion. By this, it's a way around to make some ideal inputs  be presented to a real one. I've realized how important it is for it clearly illustrate some things that can't be simply presented visibly. However, if there are some technical error occurs such as no electricity, still the efforts still useless.  That's why, I always not depend on the technologies that brought tool in education.

The fact that we can't stick to one. it is a mean for myself, for the other future teachers and teachers as well to mix the traditional and integrated technologies in the teaching and learning process to make it more MEANINGFUL, EFFECTIVE and EFFICIENT.

Educational Technology Expectations

Educational technology creates a critical challenge for higher education in meeting the technology expectations of these constituencies and will greatly impact their perceptions of the quality and value of the overall experience. This implies more on the development for instruction as to go beyond to the modern society of today.

Thus, it support to the improvement of technology skills, increases the awareness pedagogic application of technology in teaching, reduce individual anxiety about technology infusion and assess individuals' abilities to effectively integrate educational technology into teaching.

Moreover, these able to embrace technology as part of teaching methodologies. Since, educational technology enhances classroom interaction with students, thus to use technology in the development of some of the products of student report as being helpful in their construction of knowledge.

 

In my opinion, the use of technology can engage students in their own learning process and make them participants in their learning. We could utilize the current technologies made available to us in teaching from expanding our skill set to include the effective use of technology.

Traditional and Information Technology (IT) Instruction

Strategies, methods, techniques and pedagogies play a vital role in teaching-learning process.It focuses on the learner who is the recipient or receiver for the teaching, the teacher who is the facilitator or the sender for the teaching as well as the environment that is should be conducive for learning. In teaching- learning process nowadays, there are approaches used known as the traditional instruction and the  (IT) information technology instruction.

Based from my experienced in handling the traditional instruction, it able to make an individual more resourceful especially the teacher in having or presenting the instructional materials such as recyclable items. It makes me more artistic or enhances my creative skills. At some point, I could just spend  a minimal value compared to other modern preparations.Moreover, the interaction between teacher and the learner will be observed such as proper conversations, eye to eye contact, proper conduct such as gestures and so on.

However, through the used of (IT) information technology instruction, it makes an individual more innovative. It could lessen the time for the IM's preparation, gets the information fast, easy and reliable. Additionally, through IT, it could jive in or to go with in the modern society of today and not be more ignorant from any gadgets or technologies exists. It can easily be manipulate and can get the learners' attention as they could.

Those approaches sited above are actually have a significant role in teaching-learning process. Both stands for the betterment of learning even if there are also advantages that I can gain from it. But  to sum it up, there should be also an equilibrium in handling those approaches in instruction to have a better and quality education for all. But even what approach would you make, it would always depend from the type of environment you have, for you should be flexible in everything that has set to be.