Teach·nology

A Vlog by Ram Jay Ensalada. Never stop learning because life never stops teaching.

[rjensalada]

Unsa Ning Tamaa

Verse 1:

Bisag asa pa, ikaw pirmi akong makita

Ha’ng na kaayo ning mga mata

Hala tan-awa pagbati kong nagkapa-kapa

Kay basin dili na katugpa

 Refrain 1:

Unsaon nako pagkalimot

Kung kada kita nako nimo mubalik ang tanan

Di nagyud mabangbang

 Chorus 1:

Unsa ning tamaa, wa ko kasabot

Tagda ning gugmahang ikaw gipaabot

Adlaw ug gabiing gasigeg tagubtob

Unsa ning tamaa, wa ko kasabot

 Verse 2:

Mamamama-makaluya ang tamis mong mga pahiyom

Dali raba gyud kong makauyon

Sa mga oras nga magkasugat ta

Pildi gyud ko basta mungisi na ka

 Refrain 2:

Unsaon nako ni pagpugong

Kung kahibaw ko nga bes ra imong tan-aw nako

Ako nalay mupasibo

 Chorus 2:

Unsa ning tamaa, wa ko kasabot

Tagda ning gugmahang ikaw gipaabot

Adlaw ug gabiing gasigeg tagubtob

Unsa ning tamaa, wa ko kasabot

 Ayaw ug kabalaka, dili ko hubog

Gipukaw lang gyud nimo pagbati kong natulog

Kay ning humok kong dughan sa imo nahulog

Unsa ning tamaa, kaw nalay sabot

 Bridge:

Wa ko kahibaw kung manhid ba gyud ka

O wala lang gyud kay paki sa akoa

Inday tagda ko, aron bisag panagsa

Kiligon sad ta….

  Chorus:

Unsa ning tamaa, wa ko kasabot

Tagda ning gugmahang ikaw gipaabot

Adlaw ug gabiing gasigeg tagubtob

Unsa ning tamaa, wa ko kasabot

 Ayaw ug kabalaka, dili ko hubog

Gipukaw lang gyud nimo pagbati kong natulog

Kay ning humok kong dughan sa imo nahulog

Unsa ning tamaa, kaw nalay sabot

 Nanana nanana

Nanana nanana nah

Nanana nanana na-na-na-nah

Kaw nalay sabot

[rjensalada]

Okay Ra Ko

Verse 1:

Baby, kumusta ka?

Wa na koy balita

Apan nanghinaut gihapon ko

Nga mubalik pa ang tanan

 Mga saad nga nasaag

Mga pagbating mibulag

Wa diay kay planong ipadayun

Wa nalang ta nimo gisugdan

 Refrain:

Mubiya ra man diay gihapon ka

Gadugay-dugay pagyud ta

 Chorus:

Okay ra ko

Wala ni kaso

Huwaton ko nalang ang sakit mawala

Okay ra ko,

Ang imprortante

Kayang sugdan adlaw nga wala ka

 Verse 2:

Baby, dili maguol

Wa nay magsamok-samok

Wa nakay rason masakitan

Kay ginaangkon ko na tanan

 Refrain:

Kahibaw pa lang unta ko daan

Dali ra diay kang mapul-an

 Bridge:

Malipay lang ka

Bisag kanang kalipay mo karon

Di na ako ang rason

 Ayawg kabalaka

Nasabtan ko na

Nga di gyud ta para sa usag-usa

Ipamugos ko pa ba?

Chorus:

Okay ra ko

Wala ni kaso

Huwaton ko nalang ang sakit mawala

Okay ra ko,

Ang imprortante

Kayang sugdan adlaw nga wala ka

Okay, okay ra ko

Okay, okay ra ko

Okay, okay ra ko

Okay, okay ra ko...

[rjensalada]

Playing as Romeo in our deconstruction of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

[rjensalada]

Perks of Being Ambitious - A Haiku

Even in the night

So pale and bright like starlight,

Will the moon e’er be tired?--

[rjensalada]

Medellin: an off-campus teaching experience

My bags and luggage were now filled with clothes, razor, toothbrush, lesson plans, pens, cartolinas, manila paper, and any other instructional materials. Obviously I’m not going for a semestral break escapade or summer vacation. 

“Do we really have to teach in a province?” “Off-campus! Please don’t turn me off!...” That was what my mind murmured while slowly accepting the fact that our last shift of student teaching would be somewhere from the outskirts of town in the north, somewhere I’ve never been to, somewhere my brother had been teasing me to travel and say words like “you’ll miss half of your life if you don’t blah blah...” and somewhere I never thought would make me want to come back for so many good reasons.

Medellin - it is the second to the last province in the northern part of Cebu, just below Daanbantayan, the topmost province. At first, it didn’t made me pumped up or scratch off my feet for another memorable moments under the sun. As usual, I’m not going there for a getaway. However, I also wondered about the kind of students I will encounter in a rural place where technology is “very hard to find” in such a way that people in a province, perhaps in the mountainous or remote areas are just some portion of the civilization which were not too caught up with the culture in the city. It is really evident that Cebu is yet to overcome the enormous challenge of providing quality education to those outside urban areas, especially with regards to technology. As far as I know, I only discovered two printing and photocopy station. One in front of Medellin Central School, and the other in front of Medellin National High School. Most of the time, these stores don’t have enough customers or even students who would print or photocopy their homework. Probably the local teachers don’t incorporate technology in their curriculum due to lack of facilities. 

The evidence shows there is a consistent link between where students live and their educational outcomes at all stages of education, with those living in rural and remote communities doing worse than students in urban areas. However, it is good that K-12 curriculum in Medellin is well-implemented, provided that the approaches are student-centered. I only see few teachers who still use the traditional methods, but the school activities only show that students here developed their skills from varied performance task given by teachers, especially if you, as a teacher, gives much positive influence for the student’s learning. And it will only be possible if you show interest to them.

When you meet one, they will ask you, “Miss, model ka?” “Miss, gwapa lagi ka.” “Miss, pila ka ka-days namo mag-ST?” Even one would try to ask your Facebook account, as this is the only thing from technology students here can access easily. Whatever you think these as just mere sarcasms, these only shows that most of the students really likes to get to know you as their new teacher, and that how will you make them influenced, in a way that you cannot just squeeze their minds, but uplift their hearts.

Children here learn more from what you are than from what you teach. At the end of the day, you will inspire them. you will entertain them, and you will end up learning a ton from them even when you don’t know it. 

(stand by for my next blogpost about Medellin)

[rjensalada]

Class Participation: How To Deal With It

Phew! It has been weeks since I've been observing some death-defying teaching demos of my co-STs. Whenever I sit on my chair-slash-luggage, I always put myself as one of the students. Well, I can really relate to some of the qualities the students have shown to the teacher. It's inevitable that they are all intelligent, however there are branches of having one, and sometimes that's the thing we STs forgot to think.

Class participation is an important aspect of student learning. When students speak up in class, they learn to express their ideas in a way that others can understand. When they ask questions, they learn how to obtain information to enhance their own understanding of a topic. (Shore, 2016)  

Just as speaking in front of a group doesn't come easily even to teachers, however, speaking up in class is a struggle for many students. That struggle might manifest itself in the classroom in a variety of ways - not volunteering to answer questions, not asking for help, not certain or having doubts of raising their hands, not speaking up in small-group activities, even not talking in class at all. Other struggle is having competition with their classmates to be included in the top achievers list. 

Well, there are students who already raise their hands even though the teachers didn’t ask questions yet, probably because they aleady anticipate what would happen next after a certain activity, especially in the stimulation activity which in the SAFE method (Stimulating - Actual - Follow-up - Evaluation) in the lesson plan always comes first. Of course, as mediocre teachers do, they shall choose the students who are certain to give the exact answer, especially if answers are bookish. 

However, if there are answers out of what they expected, they turn a blind eye on them. Does that make any sense?

Example, there are teachers who need an exact definition, like dictionary definitions, of a simple machine when it can be easily defined and understood through examples and illustrative ideas like a zipper and its unique function of closing to secure things. But when the students do this, they're being mocked because it's way too far from the definite words one expect that it sounds stupid anymore. But in fact, they are just saying how they understand simple machine while basing it in through experiences, and that’s the best way they think other students, and teachers, could also understand.

So class participation, regarding on how they ask or answer questions, is not the primary bases for intelligence. 

As I come to scribble my RLP, I just pushed my pen on the paper. Mildly tight. I figure out, many kids are really measured on their intelligence based solely on regurgitation of information. Many grow up thinking they are worthless and stupid because they do poorly. This is one of the many factors that contribute to social burden and decay.

To all the teachers, let’s try to be flexible this time for our students, whether how obtuse their answers and questions are, we can confirm it to them what they really mean instead of sweeping under the carpet. Let’s help them. 

To all the students, just be you. You don’t deserve rejections. No matter what anyone says, you are not stupid, just a different kind of smart.

[rjensalada]

My first teaching demonstration in high school, and I did brought a robot in class!

[rjensalada]

“TEACH ME NOT!”

These thoughts all started when my school ID was lost. Perhaps misplaced. As I was looking for it over my dusty mini-library, my high school output in Social Studies paused me for awhile as it was flashed by a sunray scorching through the window. Oh a lil nostalgic though, but this was one of the stupid outputs I'd ever made. Aside from not doing it with a heart, I made it the last minute before deadline. Well i never expect some good remarks for it coz i know i never deserve any good.

Sometimes the reason for such mischief is that we don't tend to enjoy learning the lessons anymore. Not that kinda wimpy kid in class but if the teacher's boring, oh i may think, "what's the fuss he's talking about? Or why am i even here? Or come on this must be too difficult for me... Or i wonder how my plants are right now on Tiki Farm..." Haha. And sometimes the teaching is questionable coz the learning outcomes reflects the way how the lessons take place. Right now, though Im starting to see myself as an educator, and not a student anymore, i always ask myself, do i have to show to someone that I really love her even if I really don't feel like doing it? What would I expect for her though? She'll love me in return?

Yeah im talking about teaching. It's like love. Teaching is meant to be a very enjoyable and rewarding career field (although demanding and exhausting at times!). You should only become a teacher if you love children and intend on caring for them with your heart. You cannot expect the kids to have fun if you are not having fun with them! And we don't limit the possibilities of learning in their own special ways because this generation is far more wild than ours. We can make a difference. If they already learned from us well how to read music notes, who knows? They may use this to make their own masterpiece, interpret them into something extraordinary, post them on Snapchat, share it on YouTube, and inspire others. See? They may also make a difference from themselves.

Be the positive influence in their lives. Why? You never know what your students went through before entering your classroom on a particular day or what conditions they are going home to after your class. So, just in case they are not getting enough support from home, at least you will make a difference and provide that to them.

[rjensalada]

Song #4: Why Don’t You Talk To Me?

Verse 1 :

Hey, I’m waiting for you everyday

Could you give me some clue?

It seems the fallout had started

From the last fight I never wanted

Drag me if you can’t be moved

Want to know what you’re thinking of

We’re just clashing for this love that 

never wins and never loses

Refrain:

It’s just a flame but you make an explosion

You’re just confused but you’re drowned with emotions

Baby, are you with me?

Chorus:

If you ever feel bad

For the things you should never had

Why don’t you talk to me?

Why don’t you talk to me?

If you’re hit by my words

So much I don’t know it hurts

Why don’t you talk to me?

Why don’t you talk to me?

I’m sorry for breaking your heart

They don’t mean to set fire and tear it apart

If you’re hit by my words

So much I don’t know it hurts

Why do you let it be?

Why don’t you talk to me?

Verse 2:

Call me, just let me know

If you don’t, how far can this go?

I just care about the future that we hold on

Like jets we gotta move on

Refrain:

It’s just a flame but you make an explosion

You’re just confused but you’re drowned with emotions

Baby, are you with me?

Chorus:

If you ever feel bad

For the things you should never had

Why don’t you talk to me?

Why don’t you talk to me?

If you’re hit by my words

So much I don’t know it hurts

Why don’t you talk to me?

Why don’t you talk to me?

I’m sorry for breaking your heart

They don’t mean to set fire and tear it apart

If you’re hit by my words

So much I don’t know it hurts

Why do you let it be?

Bridge:

Oh, i’m just being the ceasefire-ire-ire

Time heals for we change

But we’re no longer the same person

Ceasefire-ire-ire

I’ll just take all the blame

Nevertheless it would not last long

Oh, it’s no big deal

But you stuck on what you feel

I’m here to listen to you

Why is it hard for you?

Chorus:

If you ever feel bad

For the things you should never had

Why don’t you talk to me?

Why don’t you talk to me?

If you’re hit by my words

So much I don’t know it hurts

Why don’t you talk to me?

Why don’t you talk to me?

I’m sorry for breaking your heart

They don’t mean to set fire and tear it apart

If you’re hit by my words

So much I don’t know it hurts

Why do you let it be?

Why don’t you talk to me?

[rjensalada]

MOR 97.1 radio interview and performances.... 

[rjensalada]

recording my first Tagalog (Filipino) song written by the BSEd-English 2nd year college students and Sam.... check it out on Soundcloud.com >> https://soundcloud.com/rjensalada-1 

[rjensalada]

A capo made of hair bands + a pick made of ABS-CBN mobile SIM card = my guitar haha cooler

[rjensalada]

- with the band, performing Queen's "I Want To Break Free", my father's favorite actually..hehehe..... @ Pahina Central Gymnasium, Cebu City.

[rjensalada]

Song #3: Fix A Heart 

(a song for my students who were bullied)

Verse 1:

Hey you! Glad I found you here

But I can't sketch your face

Your pillows are soaked with tears

I heard the sound of the rain in your mind

Seems like you ain't the one that's mine

Hey, you are, hugging your knees tight

It's like for you, no stars

In your cold dark night

Know that I can make your day

Whenever things go wrong, I'll stay

Refrain:

I'm already there, I feel you

Criticized but still I ain't that blue

and the reason I am here for you

Chorus:

Whenever you are down, and it's been long

Feel free and listen to our favorite song

And 'coz the lyrics means everything

Like I'm trying to say to you

Whenever you are down, and it's not right

My arms are wide open, I will hug you tight

And 'coz you keep me going through, I'll gonna fix a heart from you

You....

Verse 2:

Hey there! I just got warm hands

For you to hold and feel

The love inside for real

You are the brightest star ever made

No matter constellations fade

Refrain:

I'm already there, I feel you

terrified but it just makes no sense

You're the reason behind my silence

Chorus:

Whenever you are down, and it's been long

Feel free and listen to our favorite song

And 'coz the lyrics means everything

Like I'm trying to say to you

Whenever you are down, and it's not right

My arms are wide open, I will hug you tight

And 'coz you keep me going through, I'll gonna fix a heart from you

You....

Bridge:

Drive it, beat it

Be strong, hold on,

Reach up, Keep the faith

Love each other

Make things better

Feel free, make believe

Life doesn't stop when you're down

All things just change like life goes on

Chorus:

Whenever you are down, and it's been long

Feel free and listen to our favorite song

And 'coz the lyrics means everything

Like I'm trying to say to you

Whenever you are down, and it's not right

My arms are wide open, I will hug you tight

And 'coz you keep me going through, I'll gonna fix a heart from you

You....

[rjensalada]

Song #2: Back Into Each Others Arms

Verse 1:

I can give my love a light

To the chambers of your heart tonight

But you block the rays of the moon

I can move the sun to you

Just to keep your journey all brand new

But the time will make it soon

Refrain:

'Coz you fly when I keep my feet on the ground

And when it rains you call me but I'm still around, still

Chorus:

Love is there and I can see it in your smile

Love is here and you can see it in my eyes

And you just realize, we've been here back in our arms

No matter where the love has one but I'd found you

Tryin' tp figure out the things where you have me

In times of your fears; we've been here back in our arms

Verse 2:

I can swear your love is mine

It'll never die but gets stronger with time

Not a weather, nothing's fine

All I want is to shelter you

All you need is to stay 'till sky is blue

'Coz no relationship is all sunshine

Refrain:

'Coz you fly when I keep my feet on the ground

And when it rains you call me but I'm still around, still

Chorus:

Love is there and I can see it in your smile

Love is here and you can see it in my eyes

And you just realize, we've been here back in our arms

No matter where the love has one but I'd found you

Tryin' tp figure out the things where you have me

In times of your fears; we've been here back in our arms

Bridge:

Day and dawn, I'm holding you tight

'Coz we've been here back in each other's arms

Chorus:

Love is there and I can see it in your smile

Love is here and you can see it in my eyes

And you just realize, we've been here back in our arms

No matter where the love has one but I'd found you

Tryin' tp figure out the things where you have me

In times of your fears; we've been here back in our arms.....

Back in our arms... I'm holding you tight

We've been here back in our arms...

[rjensalada]

Song #1: Walls

Verse 1: 

There's a wall that you're building

All days confined until morning

You build walls not to be alone

But to see who cares to break them down

Too many walls and still standing

Just like a tower from heaven

You build walls not to be a cloud

But to let me know you can be found

And in your dreams I'm making a sound

Chorus:

Her heart was a secret garden

And the walls were real very high

I'm gonna stay breathin'

And break the walls that you're buildin'

And I'm in these bricks so forbidden

Why I can't stop missin' you

My arms are wide open

I'll break the walls that you're buildin'

Verse 2:

Your voice sticks on the blocks

But can't even pass by the rocks

I know you're doubt that trust wasn't in me

But a hammer had brought up my hand

And my soul keeps on telling me to stand

Chorus:

Her heart was a secret garden

And the walls were real very high

I'm gonna stay breathin'

And break the walls that you're buildin'

And I'm in these bricks so forbidden

Why I can't stop missin' you

My arms are wide open

I'll break the walls that you're buildin'

Bridge:

Stones can't cover the gaps of your heart

Chorus:

Her heart was a secret garden

And the walls were real very high

I'm gonna stay breathin'

And break the walls that you're buildin'

And I'm in these bricks so forbidden

Why I can't stop missin' you

My arms are wide open

I'll break the walls that you're buildin'.....

'Coz I'll not let your heart broken

I'll break the walls that your buildin'