Besides last year where I was confined in the hospital, I think this would be my first time after more than a decade of joining camps that I stayed home to try to learn how to procrastinate.
Well, I would honestly say that I missed attending camp. It was so boring staying home trying to finish a serial of Chinese DVD. My whole body was aching just staying in bed for several days.
Yes, I was able to quiet and pray. I had my three day lunch fast just praying for the school. It seems age is really trying to catch up on me, as I start to love sleeping and sleeping....
I attend the one hour Maundy Thursday Communion Service of NMEC. I even forgot to take a bath last Friday. It was only Saturday night, when Jason pulled me out of the house to eat at King One and watch Clash of the Titans. It was a good movie, though I wonder how come many people gave it a poor rating. Maybe it lacks the modern sci-fi thing that is unreal, which I believe is the strong influence of post-modern thinking.
Pace started to catch up as I kept myself busy yesterday. After the worship service, I went for lunch at Old Spaghetti House, coffee at Coffee Bean to read my book. I was glad, I finished one whole book. Went to Powerbooks and stroll around the mall for a few minutes. I decided to go back home and found out that we have a brownout since 12 pm.
I got bored, so took my swimming trunks and went for a dip in our pool. Afterwards, I waited until 3 am before electricity came back. My goodness!!! All my rest went to waste, waiting for the electricity to come back. It was so hot, and again I am back to my pre-holy week feelings - restless, worn out and stressed.
What a Holy Week-end... Praise the Lord!!!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Difficulty in Blogging
It has been quite sometime already that I have stopped blogging. Blogging is really an opportunity to reflect learning and re-learn newly learned stuffs. According to study, reflection is the best andragogy. It allows adults to create synthesis of new learnings. Blogging is a form of reflection, not only just posting your personal thoughts to shout out your innermost thoughts, but allows us to value and understand ourselves and our new ideas better.
But assuming a new role in the school, has made me careful and at times becoming too careful for what I post. Since becoming a principal, it has become so difficult to express myself because blogs can give readers a lot of meanings beside my real intent. Though blogging involves freedom to express oneself, it is also an open door to be quoted and attacked by people who would try to find your fault. Actually, blogs can be true and can be false. But with my position posting things that are false might affect my integrity.
But still I opted to blog again, though I need to be careful but more important is to be able to express myself.
But assuming a new role in the school, has made me careful and at times becoming too careful for what I post. Since becoming a principal, it has become so difficult to express myself because blogs can give readers a lot of meanings beside my real intent. Though blogging involves freedom to express oneself, it is also an open door to be quoted and attacked by people who would try to find your fault. Actually, blogs can be true and can be false. But with my position posting things that are false might affect my integrity.
But still I opted to blog again, though I need to be careful but more important is to be able to express myself.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
New Pastoral Challenge
After being involved with the education ministry for the past four months, I am even more convinced that the church and the whole pastoral ministry is faced with a new challenge especially in educating the new generation of young people in our church.
I have always believed that in order to effectively educate and minister our youth today, we need to learn how teachers teach, as well as how learners learn. I believe this concept is key to effectively present the gospel to the ever changing young people. Youth culture is actively changing as the world continues to gear itself towards globalization and internationalization.
Philippine education has not defined a standard of pedagogy for all schools to follow. For years, each school is uniquely implementing a pedagogy that suits their needs and preference. This is already a big challenge for us.
Because of this challenge, I have always asked youth pastors to assess the youth's learning style to effectively present the gospel to them. And the best way to do this is to identify where majority of our youth is enrolled, and identify the pedagogy of such school. Since the youth is quite familiar with their school's pedagogy because this is how they are being taught and educated, using the same pedagogy would help them learn faster.
And now the bigger challenge would be the UBD. UBD or Understanding By Design is not a new pedagogy but a new strategy to be used with the preferred pedagogy in order to effect learning of our young people. The Department of Education has issued for its full implementation for all first year high school curriculum this coming school year. UBD is to be match with DI or Differentiated Instruction. Woo! This would even make teaching more complicated for pastors.
So, what is UBD and DI? UBD offers a three-stage, backward design process to assist teachers in centering their curriculum and assessments on big ideas, essential questions, and authentic performances (1). DI is to recognize students varying background and knowledge, readiness, language, preferences in learning, interest; and to react responsively. DI is a process to approach teaching and learning for students of differing abilities in the same class. The intent of DI is to maximize each student's growth and individual success by meeting each student where he or she is and assisting in the learning process. (2)
As I went through the seminar of UBD and DI last week, I felt this would really be hard work but very beneficial. UBD is understanding understanding. It is really understanding how our youth learn, providing the "big idea" that would make learning of new things relevant not just in one aspect of life but in all aspects of life; it is a multi-application learning, I supposed. We all have been wanting to make the Bible and Christ relevant in our congregation's life, and UBD and DI can be key to this desire. This is what all pastors are longing for... APPLICATION of what we have been teaching and preaching!!!
This new strategy is hard work. Unless we catch up to the latest trends on how our young people are learning today, it would be more and more difficult for them to accept the gospel because relevance is their learning key today. Unless we make the gospel relevant, they will have difficulty in accepting the teaching of the Scripture. We need to see the Big Idea in each passage we preach (UBD) and usher them to the Big Idea through teaching methodologies that are relevant to their individual learning style (DI).
I am not discounting the work of the Holy Spirit, but as they say, "the methods change but the Scripture remains the same." The world has changed and has continued to change. Too much noise are trying to get the attention of our youth today, unless you and I hit hard on how they learn today, the Scripture would become irrelevant to them.
This summer, all schools would be geared towards educating teachers on UBD and DI. I hope we would have the determination and hitch on their faculty training as an initial step of making the gospel relevant to today's youth by learning UBD and DI.
1 http://www.ascd.org/research_a_topic/Understanding_by_Design.aspx
2 http://www.cast.org/publications/ncac/ncac_diffinstruc.html
I have always believed that in order to effectively educate and minister our youth today, we need to learn how teachers teach, as well as how learners learn. I believe this concept is key to effectively present the gospel to the ever changing young people. Youth culture is actively changing as the world continues to gear itself towards globalization and internationalization.
Philippine education has not defined a standard of pedagogy for all schools to follow. For years, each school is uniquely implementing a pedagogy that suits their needs and preference. This is already a big challenge for us.
Because of this challenge, I have always asked youth pastors to assess the youth's learning style to effectively present the gospel to them. And the best way to do this is to identify where majority of our youth is enrolled, and identify the pedagogy of such school. Since the youth is quite familiar with their school's pedagogy because this is how they are being taught and educated, using the same pedagogy would help them learn faster.
And now the bigger challenge would be the UBD. UBD or Understanding By Design is not a new pedagogy but a new strategy to be used with the preferred pedagogy in order to effect learning of our young people. The Department of Education has issued for its full implementation for all first year high school curriculum this coming school year. UBD is to be match with DI or Differentiated Instruction. Woo! This would even make teaching more complicated for pastors.
So, what is UBD and DI? UBD offers a three-stage, backward design process to assist teachers in centering their curriculum and assessments on big ideas, essential questions, and authentic performances (1). DI is to recognize students varying background and knowledge, readiness, language, preferences in learning, interest; and to react responsively. DI is a process to approach teaching and learning for students of differing abilities in the same class. The intent of DI is to maximize each student's growth and individual success by meeting each student where he or she is and assisting in the learning process. (2)
As I went through the seminar of UBD and DI last week, I felt this would really be hard work but very beneficial. UBD is understanding understanding. It is really understanding how our youth learn, providing the "big idea" that would make learning of new things relevant not just in one aspect of life but in all aspects of life; it is a multi-application learning, I supposed. We all have been wanting to make the Bible and Christ relevant in our congregation's life, and UBD and DI can be key to this desire. This is what all pastors are longing for... APPLICATION of what we have been teaching and preaching!!!
This new strategy is hard work. Unless we catch up to the latest trends on how our young people are learning today, it would be more and more difficult for them to accept the gospel because relevance is their learning key today. Unless we make the gospel relevant, they will have difficulty in accepting the teaching of the Scripture. We need to see the Big Idea in each passage we preach (UBD) and usher them to the Big Idea through teaching methodologies that are relevant to their individual learning style (DI).
I am not discounting the work of the Holy Spirit, but as they say, "the methods change but the Scripture remains the same." The world has changed and has continued to change. Too much noise are trying to get the attention of our youth today, unless you and I hit hard on how they learn today, the Scripture would become irrelevant to them.
This summer, all schools would be geared towards educating teachers on UBD and DI. I hope we would have the determination and hitch on their faculty training as an initial step of making the gospel relevant to today's youth by learning UBD and DI.
1 http://www.ascd.org/research_a_topic/Understanding_by_Design.aspx
2 http://www.cast.org/publications/ncac/ncac_diffinstruc.html
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Makati Hope!!! The BEST!
Today, is the start of our three-day Understanding by Design (UBD) Seminar sponsored by Financial Assistance for Private Education (FAPE) in Manila Hotel. Ms. Aggabao and I are attending this seminar. UBD is the education strategy being pushed by the Department of Education ordering all schools in our country to implement UBD this coming school year for all first year high school curriculum (High 1 only).
Fortunately, through the academic leadership of Dr. Tiu and Ms. Aggabao (our Academic Head), our school has been implementing the UBD for the last two years, not only for first year high school curriculum but in all levels from Grade 1 to High 4, and this is being done in all subject areas. We are more advance actually than the rest of the schools in our country today.
I was able to talk to the speaker, Dr. Jeanne Vantour from the United States to help critic our school's work. This afternoon, some of our coordinators were able to bring our curriculum maps and lesson plans to Manila Hotel. We sat down to discuss with the speaker. The speaker gave her suggestions on how to improve what we have done but according to her, they are very minor.
Dr. Vantour was very very impressed with all praises and highly commends the work done by our faculty. I quote, "what you have done is even better than many schools in the United States," "your school should be a model for other schools in the Philippines to follow," "I will endorse this," and "your work might be able to help the Department of Education set the standards for UBD in the Philippines."
Let us continue to pray for our school as we further develop and improve our curriculum. If the Lord is willing, this might be a big contribution to the present Philippine Education.
To God be all the glory!!!
Fortunately, through the academic leadership of Dr. Tiu and Ms. Aggabao (our Academic Head), our school has been implementing the UBD for the last two years, not only for first year high school curriculum but in all levels from Grade 1 to High 4, and this is being done in all subject areas. We are more advance actually than the rest of the schools in our country today.
I was able to talk to the speaker, Dr. Jeanne Vantour from the United States to help critic our school's work. This afternoon, some of our coordinators were able to bring our curriculum maps and lesson plans to Manila Hotel. We sat down to discuss with the speaker. The speaker gave her suggestions on how to improve what we have done but according to her, they are very minor.
Dr. Vantour was very very impressed with all praises and highly commends the work done by our faculty. I quote, "what you have done is even better than many schools in the United States," "your school should be a model for other schools in the Philippines to follow," "I will endorse this," and "your work might be able to help the Department of Education set the standards for UBD in the Philippines."
Let us continue to pray for our school as we further develop and improve our curriculum. If the Lord is willing, this might be a big contribution to the present Philippine Education.
To God be all the glory!!!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Remembering Rev. Wesley Chang
When I arrived in the hospital, other pastors and church leaders have already arrived as well to help. I was tasked to go home to look for a nice picture of him since I have been archiving photos of our church since 2003. On my way home, immediately what struck my mind was, who will write the obituary in the Chinese Newspaper? For years, he was the one who write those for our church members until his 90s. Indeed, he served the Lord until he breathe his last.
I have good memories with him as a young pastor. So many things I can learn from him. During my first year serving in church, I asked him, his secret for having long life. I can still remember he told me that he eats hardboiled egg every morning. He said, that was his secret. He is also a person who like vinegar. Actually in Chinese it is the same as "selos." I can remember, every time we go to banquets, after the banquet he will ask the waiter for black vinegar. He will took a Chinese spoon and fill it up with vinegar and then drink it. He said, this is good for digestion, and cleanse the too many oil we ate from the food.
Another memorable experience when we went to a funeral. I accompanied him, this happen around 5 years ago, he was the speaker and he asked me to translate on the spot. I do not know how to translate but I have to since he preaches in Chinese and most of the bereaved family were English speaking. The whole necrological service became a comedy because of my translation.... that was frustrating for me.
He was the keeper of records in our church until he turned over the master list to me and Pastor Cathy to continue his work last 2003. I believe without his diligence and faithfulness on our church records, we have lost so many data about our church members.
As a young pastor, I learned so many things from him though he was already retired.
First he is a man of prayer. He attends all prayer meetings and has been leading one of our prayer meetings until 2007. He stopped because he lost the sight of his left eye when he bend down to pick up something after his eye operation. This frustrates him, and has made his health deteriorate.
Second, he is a man of visitation. He continues to visit church members until last week before he passed away. In my early years serving as a pastor in our church, I would go with him to visit some church members. I can still remember that he does not know any English, Tagalog or even street names. But he know how to go to those houses as far as the deeps of Caloocan City and San Juan, Quezon City. He would just tell the drive to turn left or right. He never new the number nor the street of the house we were visiting; he only knows how to go there. During visitation, it is simple. He would say a few Bible verses to encourage the family and he would pray for them. What is amazing was that he will mention every single name of the family from the grandparents down to the great grandchildren. He knows each one of them by name and amazingly he even know every prayer concerns of each individual. Amazing pastor. I can't even memorize the names of our young people. I am very poor in memory.
Third, he is a humble man. He is already retired but he continues to send money to the ministry of his hometown in China. In order to save money, he will not use air-con though it is very hot. He would go up every night in the church top floor to sleep there because it is colder up there. You will not hear any complain or request.
There are so many important moment that I have learned from him. A young pastor like me surely has so many things to learn from his modeling. I am just glad that he was still alive during our 80th Anniversary celebration and during our ordination. This was really a very significant event for me. I was so blessed when his remains was brought in the church, Rev. Wesley Shao, his co-worker also age 94 in a wheelchair, came in and stood just to see his remains. And the most touching part when two group pictures was flashed. During our 80th Anniversary the whole church leaders from several generation came together for a group picture, and when the members of the pastoral team also from different generation gathered to take a historic picture together. Truely, that is already historic in his passing away.
His life is worthy to be emulated especially by younger pastors. Praise God indeed for he was indeed faithful until the end serving Jesus. To God be All the Glory!!!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Asia Pacific Jamboree Experience
I was privileged to be part of the recent Asia- Pacific Jamboree in Mt. Makiling. It was well attended by 21 countries. I was invited to join the International Service Team (IST) Staff. After the Christmas Camp I conducted with Manila Council 2008. During this camp, many were blessed especially the area on spirituality where we inserted to be part of the program.
So, I was asked to lead a section of the Prayer Hill on Protestant religion. The Prayer Hill is a spare-time activity of the Jamboree, where all religions gather together to showcase their respective beliefs to the participants. Scouting gives emphasis on spirituality. The first duty of every Scout is Duty to God.
In this Jamboree, I was quite hesitant to ask for financial assistance from church leaders but God was very faithful. I was able to get 2,000 pcs of gospel foldable cards. I thought this was enough. And comes December 23, when a received a phone call from Joshua Young who would also be an IST staff for the Jamboree Balita. He informed me that he is sending 10,000 pcs of armlets with the five colors of the gospel on it. I felt so blessed and know that God wanted this evangelism activity to push through, and use us to bless and harvest souls for Him.
Supposedly, I have a team of 5 but two later was not able to make it. The four of us and another Scouter for a Methodist church in Cavite worked together in sharing our faith, assuring the Scouts of the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.
Praise God a total of around 6,000 accepted Jesus to be their personal Savior. Out of 13,000 participants, 6,000 is not bad I believe. I praise God for such an opportunity. We were sharing the gospel by batch every 5 to 7 minutes. It was my first to do such evangelism work. And I am very blessed.
Years ago, my personal objective why I continue to stay in the Scouting Movement was to be able to lead more people to Christ through Scouting. And for the past years, I came to realized that God has been answering my prayer.
God is indeed in control of all things. Everything is fulfilled according to His set time. Praise the Lord!
So, I was asked to lead a section of the Prayer Hill on Protestant religion. The Prayer Hill is a spare-time activity of the Jamboree, where all religions gather together to showcase their respective beliefs to the participants. Scouting gives emphasis on spirituality. The first duty of every Scout is Duty to God.
In this Jamboree, I was quite hesitant to ask for financial assistance from church leaders but God was very faithful. I was able to get 2,000 pcs of gospel foldable cards. I thought this was enough. And comes December 23, when a received a phone call from Joshua Young who would also be an IST staff for the Jamboree Balita. He informed me that he is sending 10,000 pcs of armlets with the five colors of the gospel on it. I felt so blessed and know that God wanted this evangelism activity to push through, and use us to bless and harvest souls for Him.
Supposedly, I have a team of 5 but two later was not able to make it. The four of us and another Scouter for a Methodist church in Cavite worked together in sharing our faith, assuring the Scouts of the gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.
Praise God a total of around 6,000 accepted Jesus to be their personal Savior. Out of 13,000 participants, 6,000 is not bad I believe. I praise God for such an opportunity. We were sharing the gospel by batch every 5 to 7 minutes. It was my first to do such evangelism work. And I am very blessed.
Years ago, my personal objective why I continue to stay in the Scouting Movement was to be able to lead more people to Christ through Scouting. And for the past years, I came to realized that God has been answering my prayer.
God is indeed in control of all things. Everything is fulfilled according to His set time. Praise the Lord!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)