UP brainy!

by: Jenny Pilapil

Grade 7 teacher. INHS, discussing about FILIPINO subject, panag-uri, sanhi at bunga.  

     It was exactly 3 years since I last visited my alma matter, the last time I saw it was the day of my graduation, I feel like I’m leaving my real home, the place where I gathered real friends,the place where I cherished the ups and even the down moments of my life, the place where I’ve encountered my first heart break, the place in which I’ve met and admire more the teachers…our second parents, the people who taught and molded our skills and humanity, the place which I learned lot of things. Then, I have this Course subject Curriculum Development which push me to go back to my home. Last November 27, Monday at exactly 1:00 in the afternoon, I’ve reached my place wherein I travelled almost an hour going back to my high school place for some reasons.

     First and foremost, for subject purpose, next is for visiting, and also looking for my teachers whom I misses so much. I am very thankful to my Professor in this subject, it was like he’s telling me to never forget where I came from in silent words.  Just kidding. Curriculum Development is a subject wherein it includes the curriculum planning, curriculum designing, curriculum implementing and curriculum evaluating, as simple define as it is planned, full of purpose and progressive    in   order  to enhance and create positive improvements towards educational system. However, curriculum is not constant, every time there are changes or developments happening, not only in our country but also in the whole world

       Going back, our Professor gave us task in which we’re required to ask one of our favorite teacher in high school about the changes in curriculum. However, my favorite teacher is a Math major yet she is also teaching Filipino and Values, she was my best advisor whenever I’m having problems, she was my mother in the school and she also treated me as her daughter, meet Mrs. Glecy “nanay“ R. Rodriguez. According to her three (3) years ago was the implementation of the new curriculum which is said to be the K-12 Curriculum, however in our time the curriculum implemented was BEC (Basic Education Curriculum) in which it is more on traditional approach the term used was paper-and-pencil approach, even though it’s traditional she did her best to implement it, she’s always using manila paper and chalkboard whenever there is a lesson, at first she said she is creating lesson plans in which it is her pattern for the implementation of the topic in the classroom, she often gave group activities to enhance our relationship with the others. She likes giving points whenever we were having our group activity because she believed that whenever there is prize or reward given, the students were actively participating in the lesson even though it is very difficult. I always admire her whenever she is giving us advice after the lesson, she always connects it to the real life situation because she thought that it was best to put the lesson in our shoes for better understanding.

There was a hear saying and therefore, become an announcement that we IV-APHRODITE, pilot section, advisory of Ms. Jennifer Monteiro will be the last batch to graduate in the BEC, actually we didn't know what was that really mean but I understand it now. The new curriculum was K-12 curriculum, simple define as Kinder to six (6) years in elementary level, another (6) years for secondary level. This curriculum was said to be producing globally competitive students who undergone advanced subjects, tasks, activities and they’re abilities and skills were enhanced. The latter curriculum was changed, the entire curriculum. The content was not the same, according to nanay, the new curriculum was updated because of the generation, she said that as time passes it is changing. More development and enhancement were needed because it is what they needed and want to make life easier. As what they did on the latter was lesson plan, now they called it lesson log. The implementation of the lesson also change, even though chalkboard for publics does not disappear but laptop and overhead projectors were used. Technology spread easily at my old school its sad to say that we never had a chance to see the improvement of education including the instructional materials in our school. Nevertheless, I’m very happy seeing the improvement and advancement in Education because the very most important thing is the essence of education in the life of the students and the choices they will made outside and inside the curriculum.