Miss Dy

TECHNICOM TO SUPPORT CSU’S PEANUT DIGGER by Dyann C. Daniel

Peanut is a traditional legume crop extensively grown in the sandy loam soils along the delta plains of Cagayan Valley (Region 2). It is primarily used for fuel, fiberboard, fodder, butter, milk, and oil. The Philippines is in the top 48 countries of overall world production with a share of about 29,301 MT. The cultivation of peanut crops relies heavily on animal and human power. Likewise, postharvest operations have been observed to cause a negative impact, resulting in high harvesting losses and aflatoxin contamination levels of more than 15 ppb in domestically-produced peanuts.

To address these issues, Cagayan State University (CSU), successfully produced three (3) peanut mechanization technologies in the last five years: the peanut sheller-sorter, the peanut stripper/thresher cum pod sorter, and the intelligent aerated bulk storage for in-shell peanuts. CSU proposed a localized innovative design of the peanut harvesting technology – the Peanut Digger – to further complement these technologies.

Seeing the potential contribution of CSU’s Peanut Digger to the country’s sustainable development, DOST-TAPI’s Technology Innovation for Commercialization (TECHNiCOM) Program recently approved the project and will be supporting its prototype improvement/ iteration, pilot and field testing, and market testing. The Program also previously granted the Grain Bagger of Isabela State University (ISU) assistance with its commercial model prototyping and pilot-testing.

Read more here: http://www.tapi.dost.gov.ph/news/199-isu-s-grain-bagger-bags-technicom-grant.

Getting inspiration from the country’s need for agricultural mechanization, Dr. Jose Guzman, Project Leader of CSU’s Peanut Digger project, said: “… [W]e hear the bottlenecks of every local peanut farmer. This local innovation could be more cost-effective than globally imported models.”

CSU’s Peanut Digger is expected to be essential in strengthening and boosting the local peanut industry by speeding up harvest operations and increasing the capacity of farmers to produce high-quality peanuts while reducing labor costs and losses. CSU’s Peanut Digger is a tractor-mounted, Power Take-Off (PTO) driven machine that digs the peanut plant from the soil, and elevates it to the conveyor, which removes excess soil, and inverts the plant. It was designed to meet the demands and standards of peanut growers, farmers, traders, and their consumers.

“… [T]o achieve a sustainable food production system and implement resilient agriculture, the adoption of technologies that increase the production and productivity of the local farmers is a major priority,” Dr. Guzman finally added.

ISU’S GRAIN BAGGER, BAGS TECHNICOM GRANT by Dyann C. Daniel

From humankind’s earliest efforts at agriculture over 10,000 years ago, little has changed in the challenges associated with grain storage. Efforts to seal and protect grain stores against losses to spoilage and pests have led to countless approaches to grain storage systems, giving way to globalization. Despite many advances in grain storage construction techniques, the challenges have remained the same while the need for flexible on-site grain storage continues to increase.

Isabela State University in the Isabela Province, Philippines, with a mandate of providing advanced instruction in the agricultural and natural sciences as well as in technological fields, took action on these trials by innovating a Self-Propelled Riding Type Grain Collector (Bagger) for Solar Dried Grains. The project was recently approved for TECHNiCOM funding following the Program’s 1st Wave of Call for Proposals.

The machine, having a high capacity of 360-380 cavans (18-19 tons) per hour, can collect solar-dried grains on paved roads and save them from possible wetting due to sudden rainfall. With over 80 percent of farmers, related cooperatives, and traders using solar drying, this technology has an economic advantage in the quality and quantity production of solar-dried crops.

Dr. Joel M. Alcaraz, Project Leader of ISU’s Grain Bagger project, firmly considers employing machines in agricultural production to significantly increase labor productivity and projected income of farmers and for the Philippines to compete with its Asian neighbors.

“…[I]n order to attain sustainable development in the country, locally designed and manufactured machines that are developed based on the demand of the local farmers are a prerequisite,” he added.

With the technical and commercial viability of ISU’s Grain Bagger, DOST-TAPI’s Technology Innovation for Commercialization (TECHNiCOM) Program is funding its pre-commercialization activities, specifically on commercial model prototyping and pilot-testing. The ISU is expected to fabricate commercial models of a self-propelled riding type grain collector and conduct their testing in different areas of Isabela.

Together with TECHNiCOM, the Grain Bagger will be able to fulfill the need to develop an affordable but high-capacity tool in the market for the target farmers and related cooperatives, especially with ISU’s advocacy to provide ease and comfort to every Filipino farmer in the country.

“Our local people and their increasing losses in agricultural production inspire me to introduce this simple machine that will lighten their work, particularly in drying crops on pavements,” Dr. Alcaraz stated.

ISU’s Grain Bagger is not just another innovative tool but something that can pave the way for other promising agricultural innovations – a feat that is challenging but worthwhile.

TECHNiCOM has opened its 2nd Wave of Call for Proposals in July 2022 and welcomes similar impactful pre-commercialization projects to apply.

For more information about the Call for Proposals, visit http://www.tapi.dost.gov.ph/call-for-proposals/technicom. You may also call 8837 2071 local 2153, or email [email protected] for inquiries.

Amity Corporation

2-3-23 Kousei-cho, Kita-ku,

Okayama 700-8610 Japan

(086) 224-1612/ Fax: (086) 234-9593

January 10, 2020

Sir/Madam:

I am writing to apply for the teaching position advertised by your office. As requested, I enclosed a completed job application, my certification, my resume and references.

The role is very appealing to me, and I believe that my strong teaching experience and education make me a highly competitive candidate for this position. My key strengths that would support my success in this position include:

I have successfully designed, developed and supported academic applications.

I strive continually for excellence.

I provide exceptional contributions to the benefit of all stakeholders.

With a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education, I have a comprehensive understanding of the full lifecycle for educational development projects. I also have experience in learning and applying new technologies in teaching as appropriate.

I have worked closely with academic professionals to help them provide the best possible information to students of all ages and races. I have also helped teachers to use their content to write student-friendly and easily comprehensible lessons.

Experience has taught me how to build strong relationships with all departments in an organization. I have the ability to work within a team as well as cross-team. Teaching has always been my passion, and I have always been great with students. My qualification and experience match your requirements.

I have attached my resume for your consideration, and request you to consider my application for the role. If you find it suitable, please feel free to contact me via email at [email protected] or by cell phone, (+63)9953274190.

I look forward to speaking with you about this employment opportunity.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

ATTY. FERDINAND M. NEGRE School of Law Manuel L. Quezon University

Greetings!

Long has it been a dream of mine to gain acceptance into the Master of Laws Program at the prestigious MLQU School of Law. I believe I have what it takes to be an outstanding lawyer and I feel that MLQU's world-class faculty will help me acquire the high-level analytical skills that will enable me to be the best lawyer I can be.

I obtained my BS in English Education at the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology. This program had an emphasis on inter- and cross-disciplinary training and, while the courses don’t directly apply to law school per se, I have been taught skills that are useful in areas such as psychology, social justice, and human rights. Furthermore, the in-depth knowledge that I gained from studying law-related education has increased my ability, and my passion, for evidence gathering and problem-solving that will no doubt be of use while studying and practicing law. I received proper training and awards in journalism and creative writing throughout my years of studies and work experiences, and am currently the Creative Communicator of DOST-TAPI.

As a young child, it has been very clear to me that law was a field for which my passion would only grow deeper. As I became a licensed professional teacher, I realized that the power of the legal system is to be used to make a difference in someone else’s life and not to one’s personal benefit.

I’m confident that with my education, work experience, and unwavering interest in law, I am a perfect fit for your Program. I hope you’ll strongly consider my application for the next semester. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if any further information is needed.

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TECHNiCOM description and deadline card TECHNiCOM covered activities card

In-art Content

Post Copy

DOST-TAPI CALLS FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE TECHNiCOM PROGRAM

Published: May 17, 2022 By: Cecil Dyann Callanga Daniel

The Technology Application and Promotion Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-TAPI) is now ready to accept proposals for 2022 funding. The Program provides grants to researchers from academic institutions and research and development institutions, and CEOs/representatives from startup companies.

This funding opportunity accelerates the commercialization of innovative technologies by funding various pre-commercialization activities under Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources; Health; Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology; and Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation.

For three and a half decades, DOST-TAPI has successfully helped fast-track the transfer, utilization, and commercialization of R&D outputs and has contributed to the country’s sustainable development thru relevant technological platforms.

“We see this alignment of objectives and commonality of visions under one goal: to help the youth in their pursuit of science and technology,” said DOST-TAPI Director, Atty. Marion Ivy D. Decena, in an official ceremony last year. The previously added program supports the Program's roadmap to become an investment partner for every local enterprise to start penetrating the international market from 2023 and beyond.

The opening of the call for proposals is on July 1, 2022, and shall close on August 15, 2022, at 5:00 PM. Submission is via [email protected].

Gender-fair language (GFL) aims at reducing gender stereotyping and discrimination. Two principal strategies have been employed to make languages gender fair and to treat women and men symmetrically: neutralization and feminization. It is a language that avoids bias towards a particular sex or social gender. In English, this includes the use of nouns that are not gender-specific to refer to roles or professions, the formation of phrases in a coequal manner, and discontinuing the blanket use of male terms.

For example, the practice of using he and man as generic terms poses a common problem. Rather than presenting a general picture of reality, he and man used generically can mislead your audience. Research by Wendy Martyna has shown that the average reader's tendency is to imagine a male when reading he or man, even if the rest of the passage is gender-neutral. Therefore, you cannot be sure that your reader will see the woman on the job if you refer to every technician as he, or that your reader will see the woman in the history of man. On the other hand, replacing every he with he or she attracts even more attention to gender and defeats your purpose. This predicament merits special attention in scientific and technical writing, where any ambiguity is unacceptable.

Below are some examples of how to implement gender fairness in writing:

Original: The driver should take his completed registration form to the clerk's window and pay his license fee.

Gender-fair: You should take your completed registration form to the clerk's window and pay your license fee.

Original: Each supervisor will be at his workstation by 8 a.m.

Gender-fair: Each supervisor will be at his or her workstation by 8 a.m.

Original: The governor signed the workmen's compensation bill.

Gender-fair: The governor signed the workers' compensation bill.

Other than this, the use of the pronoun "they" in modern times has caused a debate on gender fairness. Critics of the change have argued that “they” as both singular and plural can be confusing and muddy a sentence’s syntax. Shakespeare and Jane Austen, among many other famed English writers, didn’t think so. They used singular “they” and “their,” as was the standard in English until Victorian-era grammarians shifted course and imposed “he” above all.

Arabic is another grammatically gendered language, with each verb, noun, and adjective always assigned either a male or female case. The male is the default in plurals, even if it’s just one male in an otherwise female group. Modern Standard Arabic, based on Koranic classical Arabic, additionally has a dual option for nouns and verbs that don’t imply a specific gender. Some people, therefore, use the dual of they and you — “huma” (هما) and “intuma” (انتما) — as a gender-neutral alternative. Colloquial Arabic spoken today has largely done away with the dual, so this form can sound very formal to those, not in the know. Others play around with the language in different ways, such as interchanging masculine and feminine pronouns or a speaker choosing to subvert the male case’s patriarchal dominance and default to the female form. Arabic has many dialects, each with its own distinct grammar constructions and words, so different communities have developed their own colloquial codes. In some Tunisian dialects, for example, it’s already common to use the feminine pronoun for everyone.

Given its key role in shaping cultural and social attitudes, adopting gender-fair language is a powerful way to promote gender equality and fight gender bias. Formalizing the practice with dictionary writing is a big leap towards the acceptance of gender equality in the modern era. As Nelson Mandela once said, "Freedom cannot be achieved unless women have been emancipated from all kinds of oppression."

Learning Engagement 1: The Learning Space

Due to the pandemic, the opportunity of having a physical learning space has been impossible for both teachers and students. I was given the chance to experience teaching in a TMTC classroom set-up for only two weeks before the pandemic started. My students and I shared a classroom with the 1st-2nd graders. I mostly liked the fact that the campus is surrounded by forests and classrooms have wide windows providing a refreshing view of this. Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, improves our mental well-being. Exposure to nature decreases the production of stress hormones (one thing that keeps students from learning effectively) and improves memory functions. As a matter of fact, taking a nature walk or sitting under a tree while discussing a lesson makes students remember or memorize more of it (take Jose Rizal as an example). It also provides more experiential learning for subjects like Science and Social Studies.

At a school where I've taught before, the building was in the middle of a farm (my students loved to come very early because the cold foggy morning was always inviting then we'd all eat breakfast together). Another school I've worked at was in a metropolitan area which meant the learning experience was limited to four corners. To make up for the limited space, the classrooms were decorated and arranged creatively. For example, different corners or spaces were labeled as different continents (with cultural exhibit for each) for a Social Studies classroom.

Here's my CHECKLIST for an ideal classroom set-up:

Is the classroom warm and inviting?

Are all areas of the classroom accessible to all children?

Are the walls bleak and lacking in color or do the decorations help to make the students feel comfortable?

Are areas well defined as to their design and purpose?

Is there still room for improvement?

DO YOU, AS A TEACHER, MAKE ALL STUDENTS FEEL WELCOME?

Attached is my ideal classroom layout:

Learning Engagement 2: Visualizing the PYP Education

Tell me, I’ll forget. Show me, I’ll remember. Involve me, I’ll understand.

- a Chinese proverb

The above proverb captures the difference between a traditional and inquiry-based approach to learning. The heart of inquiry-based learning is cultivating the practice that students take responsibility for their own learning by engaging them in stimulating learning activities that mirror real-life issues, roles, and projects, those that are relevant, challenging, and significant.

Within the IB PYP, learning content takes place in the context of exploring broad and interdisciplinary issues. Students develop creative, analytic, and synthetic thinking skills, decision-making skills about what information is relevant and salient, and a range of strategies to communicate what they have learned. The development of these skills will better prepare them for the work they may assume as adults.

In our role as educators, we facilitate student learning with the broad aims that they embrace lifelong holistic learning, cultivate international mindedness, and communicate effectively. Our aim is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing our common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.

Attached is an Infogram on how I visualize the PYP as a holistic, transdisciplinary, and coherent learning experience:

Learning Engagement 1: DEVELOPING LEARNER AGENCY THROUGH SELF-EFFICACY AND MUSIC INTEGRATION

Self-efficacy plays a big role in students' motivation to learn and achieve goals, and I believe that it's the foundation of all attributes -- the key to holistic growth. Here are some ways that can help in promoting self-efficacy in the classroom:

1. Effective Communication

teaching students how to identify their goals, acknowledge their abilities, and training them to focus only on their strengths; be self-aware, and know their intentions.

giving praise when a student puts in a real effort by using affirmations like “You can do it,” “You are smart enough,” and “I trust you,” we can help the kids to believe in their potencies.

2. Honest Feedback

praise only when there's hard work or achievement

3. Healthy Environment

interactive lesson, a high-energy and non-judgmental assessment, or an engaging group activity

4. Positive Strategies

setting short-term goals and helping students to achieve them one by one

allowing them to talk about their problems and how they plan to deal with them

not comparing a student with other students and letting them follow their own pace

setting goals according to individual abilities

5. Modeling

to instill self-efficacy in children, it is thus vital that the teachers and facilitators are efficient too; "practice what you preach"

Music, other than it makes a catchy and creative lesson, helps develop the language and reasoning of students. Being a music teacher is an advantage for you in using music as an effective teaching tool.

Here are some easy ways that you can incorporate music into your classes:

History is a subject that benefits greatly from having music as a lens to teach about cultural traditions and historical events. For example, the Dust Bowl can be taught through songs by Woody Guthrie and/or Benny Goodman, with students analyzing the conditions people lived in at the time.

Mathematics can be challenging for students to understand because the concepts are abstract, which is the main reason it’s important to provide visuals and manipulatives to students when first teaching a concept. Musical notes can help teach fractions, changing instruments but playing the same song can help teach patterns, and using pitch can help with frequency and ratios.

Science can benefit from songs that teach about the skeletal system or incorporate mnemonics to help students remember the food chain. Music can be the content for teaching about sound waves and having children experience frequency in relation to pitch.

Literacy improves when a student is able to pick up on the patterns in the structure of language and is able to differentiate between pitches in words that sound similar but have different meanings. Music can be utilized as a metaphor to explain elements of a story such as character, setting, conflict, and resolution, using the melodies, instruments, tempos, and dynamics as the teaching lens.

Learning Engagement 2: INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING

Inquiry-based learning is an educational approach that focuses on investigation and problem-solving. It is different from traditional approaches because it reverses the order of learning.

In a true inquiry lesson, there is a back and forth flow of knowledge between the teacher and students. It begins when the teacher poses an idea or concept and then asks targeted questions. This leads to students sharing their ideas and asking additional questions.

For instance, a teacher might ensure that students can access strong research materials to answer their questions, as well as activities like dramatizations, presentations, and role-plays that help them unearth new materials.

When applied thoughtfully, the use of an inquiry approach is all about agency. Inquiry teachers intentionally help learners build transferable skills and dispositions as they investigate questions of significance to them. When the approach is applied to authentic problems or challenges in local and global contexts the agentive dimension of learner identity can be further amplified. Empowering young learners to own their learning requires a sophisticated repertoire of strategies and a commitment to the co-construction of knowledge, skills, routines, and learning spaces.

Learning Engagement 3: THE PYP PLANNER

A SHIFT IN APPROACHING INQUIRY

The PYP Planner ensures that teaching and learning are planned under transdisciplinary themes that focus on central ideas instead of compartmentalized knowledge and skills. It is the IBO’s answer to meeting its mission statement earlier on in a student’s education.

Understanding inquiry is key to understanding the PYP planning document. This is because the PYP requires teachers to plan collaborative units of inquiry. The IB’s focus on inquiry is based on the work of constructivist theorists. Student agency is crucial to the IB’s mission. The PYP seeks to distinguish the student as an object with education acted upon them from the student as an agent who is responsible for their own education. This idea is constructivist in theory, meaning that students need to active constructors of their own learning. The PYP planner has specific sections dedicated to preserving the identity of each student, even going so far as to incorporate it into planning.

Finally, transdisciplinarity underpins the foundation of the International Baccalaureate. The learner profile is a large part of the IB’s transdisciplinary. The IB also requires teachers across disciplines to plan together and identify possible connections within units of inquiry.

This planner, in particular, is an attractive and extensive way to address the core values of inquiry, student agency, and transdisciplinarity in the International Baccalaureate. It has many dedicated sections to invite students to play an active role in their own learning and make connections between disciplines. It incorporates aspects of constructivism, including social constructivism. It also includes several planning guide pages with prompts to help teachers navigate and complete each section.

COLLABORATIVE PLANNING

Planning strengthens the transdisciplinary nature of the curriculum and ensures the pedagogy of the PYP is pervasive across the program. The ongoing process of collaborative planning incorporates students' prior experiences and interests and differentiates to support their inquiries. It is more than just teachers working together on a document. It allows all teachers to construct a meaningful inquiry process through the integration of different subject areas.

Whole-school involvement in developing the program of inquiry is professional development for all. The participation of learners in the planning process fosters awareness of self and others and reveals vulnerabilities.

PYP ASSESSMENT

In the past (before the PYP enhancement), there were three parts of the assessment component – assessing, recording, and reporting. Now, based on the latest PYP: from Principles into Practice document, assessment in the PYP is divided into 4 dimensions – monitoring, documenting, measuring, and reporting.

It provides feedback to students on their learning and keeps parents informed about the progress of their children's learning. It is a means to measure student performance against the criteria and expectations of the IB schools. It is not just the simple act of measuring what students have learned, rather it is a 'state of mind' which permeates every aspect of teaching and learning.

MIND MAPPING

Sustainable teaching is introduced below in approaching engaging learning experiences, student involvement in planning, and differentiated instruction. It is the process of fostering self-compassion and renewal in educators who support the growth and development of students in turn. It is ​an integrated approach to education and enables all participants to thrive. It is based on social constructivist, contextual, self-regulated, and collaborative learning. We believe that this approach will help teachers and students to act and collaborate effectively towards inquiry.

LEARNING ENGAGEMENT SAMPLE

It is no surprise that time people spent with books has doubled in the current “locked down” environment. This surge in reading across the world is more than a way to kill time rather is reflective and therapeutic. Personally, I’ve always favored thrillers and crime novels which is obvious in this featured list.

Sheldon, Sidney (1987) Windmills of the Gods

“If something seems to be too good to be true, Mary, it probably is.” 

Mary Ashley, a young ambassadress married to a doctor named Edward, unexpectedly faces her plotted destruction in the middle of a global conspiracy.

This classic best-selling thriller will never disappoint with its thrills and spills from start to finish.

Sheldon, Sidney (1991) The Doomsday Conspiracy

“I’m tired of the lies and the cheating, and the broken promises that were never meant to be kept.”

This suspense-thriller novel revolves around an US Navy Commander, Robert Bellamy, who finds himself in the middle of an international conspiracy after being handpicked by the head of the NSA to track down and identify the ten unknown survivors of a weather balloon accident in the Swiss Alps.

With an easy-to-follow plot and great wicked twists that carry the readers on a luxury tour of Washington, this is definitely a page turner.

Pike, Christopher (1995) The Visitor

“All are doomed to love, all are doomed to die.”

Nope, it’s definitely not about Tom, the strange new boy in town, as the back of the book says, but instead it focuses on a story of many lives told through the eyes of Mary or Clareesh, who's engulfed in her grief and guilt over the death of her boyfriend, Jerry.

The writing style is twisted, but delightfully weird. Some stuff is brilliant, some is just bizarre. All in all, it’s a pretty groovy, high as a kite YA novel.

Pike, Christopher (1991) Die Softly

“He had smoked dope exactly twice, but stopped when he realized it was called dope for a reason.”

Herb Trasker, a senior in Alamo High who doesn't have much going for him except that he's a good photographer, decides to take pictures of cheerleaders as they shower in the gym locker room. He sets up his camera, sets the timer, and comes back to find out that he might have photographed a murder.

Definitely a dark and twisted thriller.

Pike, Christopher (1986) Weekend

“If I thought there was a chance, I would do it.”

A weekend of sun and fun in Acapulco turns into a nightmare when four guys and five girls are trapped in a luxury Oceanside mansion in Mexico and realize that they have been lured there for a deadly reason.

It is an excellent, entertaining, and swiftly moving thriller for older young adults who are a bit more worldly.

Pike, Christopher (1989) Scavenger Hunt

“Yes, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware of the dark side. Anger, fear, aggression; the dark side of the Force are they.”

With school nearly over, a secretive club on campus has organized a scavenger hunt for the whole senior class. The kids are led throughout the city and into the nighttime desert. Their goal is the wonderful prize promised to the winner. Soon, it transforms into a nightmare for Carl Timmons, a troubled young man weighed down by guilt and what ifs from his best friend's death, when he and his friends are lured a ruse by evil creatures from the time of the dinosaurs looking for their next victims.

This scavenger hunt from hell has a supernatural/sci-fi angle, an ending that is just beyond bizarre, and a weird spiritual angle which makes it worth the read.

Clark, Mary Higgins (2000) Before I Say Goodbye

“They use their little bit of authority on people like us who can't fight back. Expect it, Winifred. That's the kind of world it is.”

Nell McDermot probes into the mysterious circumstances of her husband's death when his private boat explodes. Thrown into a pit of grief, she seeks answers from a medium who claims to be his channel and has a message for her.

A host of characters keep the reader occupied and twists and turns galore in this gripping thriller. The plot was excellent and I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book. It is definitely a manna from heaven for suspense lovers.

Clark, Mary Higgins (1982) A Cry in the Night

"Please understand, Jenny," he'd begged. "Every artist needs a place to be totally alone."

Jenny MacPartland was a charming, divorced mother of two working at a New York art gallery whose struggle is not helped by her irresponsible ex-husband. Soon, she’s whisked away into a life of riches when she meets the man of her dreams, talented Erich Krueger. They marry quickly and Jenny plans a loving home on Erich's vast Minnesota farm but begins to notice his obsession with his dead mother.

This wonderfully creepy book story is filled with intrigue and mystery. This chilling portrait etched in terror proves that Clark is a real woman who loves her work and can't stop.

Clark, Mary Higgins (1997) Pretend You Don’t See Her

"The words refused to pass her lips. It was too late. Lacey could see that.”

The book, set in New York and in Minneapolis-St. Paul, is the story of Lacey Farrell, a young rising star on Manhattan's high-powered and competitive real estate scene. She becomes a witness to a murder and finds that what she's seen might make her the next casualty, putting her into the witness protection program.

It’s a mystery that's never easy to figure out and satisfying in the end. This book is no exception. Clark writes characters that I like - all of them - even the bad guys. My favorite part of this novel is that the ending is very unpredictable.

Learning Engagement 1: Transdisciplinary learning programme of inquiry

At TMTC, learning is not confined by traditional subjects but is supported and enriched by them. Each one of the transdisciplinary themes encompasses the universal understandings common to all human beings. They are open enough to embrace a variety of perspectives and content areas.

For example, during literature classes, students explore ways in which we discover and express ideas, our feelings, nature, different cultures, beliefs and values, creativity, and our appreciation of aesthetics. These stories are deeply explored by asking students conceptual questions. Through exploring different stories around the world, students develop a layered understanding of themselves and the connections they have with the rest of humanity. Through languages, they explore new vocabulary that helps them create poems while getting to know well-known authors of the 20th century.

Best practices in a transdisciplinary environment do not compartmentalize learning, but rather explore content within the context of inquiry.

Teachers in TMTC practice involvement and collaboration which is a requirement in transdisciplinary learning. We shift away from the comfort zone of working individually by sharing ideas with each other for the purpose of integrating learning experiences. This results in building meaningful and enduring understandings for students.

Learning Engagement 2: Concept driven curriculum

Our team chose to collaborate on the following related concepts and central ideas. We also decided to show the connection or continuity of transdisciplinary learning among the PYP grade levels.

Coming up with a coherent and well-aligned POI does not happen overnight. It is a process of continuous reflections and modifications, and it involves collaboration among staff members of the school community.

Here is a sample of our collaboration on the transdisciplinary theme (how we organize ourselves). We chose the unit (movie-making) for 6th to 8th graders. We also focused on how the central idea can be integrated into all the subject areas.

Learning Engagement 3: Approaches to learning

Here are my ideas on the challenges we face in the modern education which also reflect my teaching experiences for the past eight years.

Generally speaking, modern problems require modern solutions. Effective teaching nowadays requires the possession of diverse or transdisciplinary skills. However, the process is never just the teacher's responsibility. Motivation and support should mainly come from the learners and their parents.

Learning Engagement 2: Developing global citizens through the learner profile

I think the easiest way to make the students understand the aimed attributes towards holistic development is to simplify them in child-friendly language. Moreover, I believe that in order to effectively teach students the required attributes, teachers should also possess the same qualities.

Learning Engagement 3: Embedding international-mindedness

We can develop INTERNATIONAL MINDEDNESS in our students through the ff. strategies: 1. Multilingualism or learning a new language can improve your cognitive skills and mental wellbeing. One school where I worked had over 10 nationalities in its community! It is now common for many children at international schools to leave primary school speaking 2 or more languages. 2. Gap years and international travel (for older students) are seen as positives on a CV, demonstrating adaptability, flexibility, and collaborative skills. 3. Global politics, worldwide environmental issues, and dramatic population movements across continents have become part of our everyday lives. If we want our children to grow up to be innovators and leaders in positive global change, then embedding these topics in the curricula is a must. 4. Exploring new countries and cultures through reading stories from around the world. In a safe and encouraging learning environment, these stories invited discussion and celebration of our similarities and differences, they encouraged empathy for our fellow human beings and sparked a spirit of wonder and curiosity about the world around us. 5. You can also watch foreign films or world documentaries together, volunteer at local shelters, take part in environmental work, and visit local places of worship. 6. Multiculturalism through social media brings the benefits of international living wherever we are. Explore and encourage them to talk about their world and what they perceive to be reality - is this the same reality that's being perceived by children growing up in Brazil or Cambodia, Russia, or the Middle East?

Learning Engagement 4: The role of language

Let me simplify the role of language in promoting and provoking international-mindedness and transdisciplinary learning using the Connect-Extend-Challenge chart:

Let me begin with something Ms. Laura, our school head, said that I agree deeply:

"It doesn't matter if the pacing is slow as long as the students understand the lesson well."

Sometimes we need to slow down in order to move the learning in the room. Let the students “learn at their own pace”. Learning without transfer is not learning at all. It's something that most forget when pressured to meet deadlines.

Let me use the Visible Thinking routine See, Think, Wonder to reflect on my understanding of the PYP at this point.

I SEE that this experience is far different from the previous ones that I had teaching in Cambridge and K-12 schools for the past eight years. Despite the stress of online teaching due to the coronavirus pandemic, my colleagues and I are doing our best to learn everything we need to know through this intensive training that is mainly focused on fostering the students' holistic development. The IB PYP framework is definitely our new norm.

I THINK that this will be an unforgettable learning experience and a dream come true for us, lifelong learners. This experience will promote teamwork and stronger collaboration as we focus on the same goal.

I WONDER if I have the skills and patience to implement the curriculum the way it is supposed to be.

Something is scratching on a wall to be remembered:

Conrad David is gone forever.

I have felt that low, steady scratching every waking hour since I got that awful call. Heard it etching King's name across my heart. Unbearably loud in those few moments, things seem almost normal. When I almost forget… I lost my little brother twelve months ago.

I lost someone with whom I shared many things — midnight snacks, pillow-fights, toys, dogs, and bedrooms. I’ve lost a part of myself. I never knew how big a part until it was excised, leaving a wound that stretches from the middle of my rib cage to the bottom of my gut.

I hear that thing scratching its name on a wall, and I want to build that wall higher and deeper. To erect a fort in which to hide from the hurt, and loss, and that scratching. This is something else my siblings and I shared.

King built up his walls. How else are you supposed to protect a heart that — no matter how broad your shoulders grow — is too big for your chest? A heart that returned hurt with twice as much love. From inside his fort, I don’t know if King could see how much he was loved. But I know that King loved.

So I will mourn all the times I won’t be able to tell King I love him. And I will grieve the Christmases, the New Years, and the birthdays at which I will not play the mean big sister.

But I will not let that wall stand. I will wear King's name etched across my heart as a promise to create music — no matter how tired, defeated, or unskilled I feel. Just like what we dreamed of when we were kids. That is how I will remember, honor, and love my little brother.

These past three years have been challenging for me. I got out of a toxic relationship, my dog, Lucy, died, and then my brother last summer. What hurt me the most was losing my brother, he was only 19. The news kicked me in the gut and I couldn't breathe. I still remember when I got the phone call from my dad and I knew immediately something was wrong because he was stammering, and he never stammers. When he said those words, everything in my body reacted, I felt like throwing up my insides and I kept screaming "no" to my brother. I wanted more details right away but I couldn't get any until hours later. My head reeled for hours and then the details came. My brother had died in a horrible motorcycle accident.

We grew up together, the last time I remembered arguing with him was when he didn't wanna go to college anymore.

He was mom's favorite, our king. I used to make up stories with finger puppets to put him to sleep. We learned how to ride a bike and play basketball and football together. He was scared of dolls because of Chuckie. There are so many baby photos of us hugging and kissing. Our mother always dressed him and Daniboy with the same outfits. We wished upon Polaris during bad days. Land Before Time and Spirit were our favorite childhood movies. My siblings were the only ones who called me Duggy or Dugs. I would hate to be called that by anyone else.

The days following his death were intense. We went to where the accident happened, the same place where we spent most of our childhood. We went through his things, reminiscing.

So what do I do when I lose the second most important man in my life after my father? I mourned, and I mourned deeply. There will be no special occasions that won't remind me of my brother. I will never wear bright colors because the four of us loved the color black. I will not cut my hair anymore because he liked it longer and darker. I kept sending messages to his phone and writing on his Facebook wall. And through this mourning, I learned so much about love, about life, about priorities, about loss, about relationships, about strength, about my brother and myself.

My love for my brother has not stopped, instead, it's grown to something deeper and stronger, something that motivates and compels me to be a better person, sister, and daughter. It's a love that has forced me to look at my life in its current state and reexamine my relationships; repair the broken ones. It's a love that has taught me gratitude and compassion.

April 7 marks the 1st anniversary of his passing. Let us pray for his peace.

Heaven has called upon you today,

leaving so many words left to say.

But now it's too late, for your time has come.

Words unspoken - I am sure everybody has some.

Regrets and wishes are probably there too,

but lasting forever are memories of you.

There have been many times that we disagreed,

but we were there for each other in time of need.

Now it's time for me to say goodbye