From Matabungkay

I just arrived from a more than a day gathering of full-time SMS faculty members at Matabungkay, Lian, Batangas. I enjoyed the bus trip, the food, and, of course, my colleagues' company. This is the first time in around four years that I am participating in such an activity. I really had a good time. Add to the excitement the entry of an unknown thief to our room while four of us were asleep. The screams of George B. woke us up and made the thief scamper away. Unfortunately, the same thief (or his companions) successfully took Beni's cellphone as he lay sleeping in a tent outside. What a night!

In the morning, I had a good swim with some of my colleagues. It was good to feel the sun's radiant heat touching my body. We also used my goggles to view fishes as they swim underwater.

Here is a shot of the bay, with the sun about to set.

Setting Up Quizzes In Moodle

Aside from minimizing the time I spend on checking my students' test papers, being able to set up and administer online quizzes brings other benefits. For one, it will quickly provide me and my students summary data of their overall performance, as well as performance in specific items. Taking online quizzes also exposes them to other modes of teaching/learning.

As a teacher setting up the online quizzes, I am introduced to new technologies and it allows me to encounter and solve real-world problems related to the use of technology in teaching.

Here are some things I already know and things I have just recently found out regarding quizzes in Moodle:

• I know that there are several types I can choose from when creating questions. I have used Multiple Choice, Short Answer, Matching, True/False, and Numerical before and am quite familiar with how each works. Questions can be grouped by categories for better organization.
  
• I also know that the questions are assembled to form quizzes. There are settings for each question as well as for the quiz. I can, for example shuffle answers within each question or shuffle questions within the quiz. The intention in both is to make it a little harder for students to copy from each other.
• I also know how to include graphics as well as Math elements in my questions. The latter needs knowledge of some basic TeX commands. The quadratic formula, for example, is rendered by typing $$x=\frac{-b\pm\sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a}$$.
  
• You can import questions from files and export questions to files. Being able to import is useful if you want to create your questions outside Moodle or if you have old questions created with other learning management systems. Supported formats include GIFT, WebCT, and to a limited extent, Blackboard. I use the export feature to preserve copies of my (precious) questions, in case something happens to the College's Moodle installation.
  
• I have recently confirmed that I have to turn off questions shuffling if I have information to be shared by several questions (for example, "For Items 13-18, please refer to the following table."). By the way, this is implemented through the use of a Description "question". This type is not a real question type but can be used to provide some information to be used by a following group of questions. However, when you activate questions shuffling, the Description item gets shuffled as well, discarding the desired grouping. Hence, if you want something like this, turn questions shuffling off, turn answers shuffling on and, as added precaution, walk around the room as your students take the test.

Adopting Ubuntu

Here is a good, simple, short article on adopting Ubuntu for the unfamiliar.

The Quintessential Lasallian

While going over my things, I came across a publication containing "a collection of eulogies delivered and shared by friends and colleagues" for a man considered as "a quintessential Lasallian." Well, I agree that eulogies usually contain praises but allow me, for this moment, to treat the ones I encountered as heartfelt and true, as I wonder what qualities are possessed by "someone whose life continues to inspire" even after his death.

Here is the list:

• "He had incredibly high standards and was a demanding taskmaster. He scoffed at mediocrity and sloppy output and was quick to tell the owner so, in no uncertain terms."
• "He was very human and never apologized for it."
• "Sometimes he was too critical, at other times, critical of the critical ones but always the mover and the shaker with an open mind, a big heart, refreshing, liberal, and liberating."
• "Some said he tended to be arrogant; yet when he made mistakes, he was not defensive; instead he openly admitted them and apologized."
• "He never flaunted his friendship with (important people) nor with those to whom he felt closest. He was too decent and with much delicadeza to do otherwise."
• "His greatest contribution to the world was the gift of his person."
• "He shocked many with his pronouncements and statements that were sometimes reckless but often turned out to be true."
• "He was an iconoclast who questioned structures that were not life-giving and empowering."
• "He was a visionary who forged ahead, not believing in tradition for its own sake."
• "He was not afraid to break new ground, be a trailblazer, carve out new paths."
• "He was not afraid to speak his mind, make radical choices, make unpopular decisions, or champion causes that few people understood."
• "And while he was a maverick, he was also a very good religious."
• "His real greatness was in his selfless service."
• "The values he held dear as administrator and scholar: erudition, hard work, service to the country, love of one's discipline, assiduous scholarship."

This man really taught minds, touched hearts, and transformed lives. His was life well spent.

Discussing A Topic In Class

I am done preparing most of my teaching materials. I am now reflecting on how I normally go about weaving materials and strategies to make for an interesting interaction with the students. Whenever I introduce a new topic, the session usually starts with a discussion of what the topic is, what is it all about, taking every opportunity to allow the students to connect it with what they know previously and to point out how they can possibly benefit from learning it.

I then proceed to discuss the concepts, using the chalkboard, overhead transparencies and/or slide presentation. I make handouts available to the students so they can focus on listening to the discussion and minimize note-taking. During the discussion, I throw questions of significance to the students, processing whatever their answers are so I can emphasize what I need to emphasize. A teacher needs good questioning and processing skills here.

After presenting and discussing illustrative examples, showing how a problem is approached and solved, I give the students the opportunity to the same with other problems. I ask them to work on similar problems and call them to present and discuss their solutions in front of the class. This helps the students gain confidence.

For practice, I also give them problems to solve with a partner (pairwork) in class and/or assignments which they will solve individually or with a partner outside the classroom. Sometimes, I also ask them to do online practice exercises, which provide appropriate feedback on the answers they give. Each of these may or may not be included in the computation of their grades. The discussion of the solutions to these problems in class is imperative. This ensures that the students make the most out of every opportunity to learn.

What Happens In An Action Research?

Action research is usually conducted following a cyclical or spiral process which generally alternates between action and critical reflection.

MacIsaac (1995) presents the process as spiral: (1) Plan > (2) Action > (3) Observe > (4) Reflect > (1) Revised Plan >...

Here's another presentation of action research as a spiral process: (1) Assess need for a change or action > (2) Implement the change or action > (3) Study the results > (4) Rethink the need, the change and the results > (1) Reassess >...

Susman (1983) thinks of the process as cyclical: (1) Diagnosing (Identifying or defining a problem) > (2) Action Planning (Considering alternative courses of action) > (3) Taking Action (Selecting a course of action) > (4) Evaluating (Studying the consequences of an action) > (5) Specifying Learning (Identifying general findings) > (1) Diagnosing >... and so does Elliott (in Hopkins, 1993): (1) The Reconnaissance and General Plan > (2) The Action > Monitoring the implementation > (3) Reflection and Revision > (1) Another reconnaissance >...

Here's another (*): (1) Identify an area of practice to be investigated > (2) Imagine a solution > (3) Implement the solution > (4) Evaluate the solution > (5) Change practice in light of the evaluation > (1) New area of investigation >...

I also encountered some models presenting the phases of action research in a way similar to traditional research:

1. Problem Identification > Plan of Action > Data Collection > Analysis of Data > Plan for Future Action
2. Identify an area of concern > Use data to assess your practice > Develop a research question > Work with a critical friend > Focus on action > Modify your question as necessary > Validate your findings > Draw conclusions > Record and share your project
3. Decide on a focus > Develop a plan to gain insights > Analyze the data by looking for patterns, or themes across the evidence > Report on what you have learned (to your colleagues, to parents, at conferences, in journals)

In general, it seems to involve (1) Taking stock of the situation and identifying an area of practice to be investigated > (2) Planning a course of action > (3) Implementing the plan > (4) Evaluating the impact of the action > (5) Modifying practice in consideration of the findings > (1) Taking stock of the revised situation >... (in a cycle or in a spiral). This is pretty much like Susman's and *.

What Is Action Research?

There are many definitions, which essentially describe action research either as:

• a type of research/study/inquiry or as
• a process

As a type of research/study/inquiry

NCREL describes action research as “inquiry or research in the context of focused efforts to improve the quality of an organization and its performance.” Ebbutt defines action research as “the systematic study of attempts to improve educational practice by groups of participants by means of their own practical actions and by means of their own reflection upon the effects of those actions.” Kemmis describes it as “a form of self-reflective inquiry undertaken by participants in social situations (including educational) in order to improve the rationality and justice of (a) their own social (or educational) practices, (b) their understanding of these practices, and (c) the situations in which the practices are carried out.” To put it plainly, action research in education is “a study conducted by colleagues in a school setting on the results of their activities to improve instruction” (Glickman, 1992). It is just a way of saying “let us study what is happening in our school and decide how to make it a better place (Calhoun, 1994).”

As a process

Kurt Lewin (1947), identified as the father of action research, describes it as “a three-step spiral process of (1) planning, which involves reconnaissance; (2) taking actions; and (3) fact-finding about the results of the action.” Corey (1953) defines action research as “the process by which practitioners attempt to study their problems scientifically in order to guide, correct, and evaluate their decisions and actions.” It refers to “a practical way of looking at your own work to check that it is as you would like it to be (McNiff, 1997). To put it simply, action research is a process in which participants examine their own educational practice using the techniques of research.

As a process, it has been described as emergent, since it takes shape as understanding increases, iterative, converging towards a better understanding of what happens, participative or collaborative, reflective, and qualitative.

What is it not?

Action research is not “researching” about an interesting topic. It is not about finding out why we are doing certain things but more of finding out how we can make doing them better. It is basically about changing, to have a better impact on students and their learning. It is about teachers working to improve their skills and strategies. It is more of the study of the practical, rather than the theoretical questions we encounter in our teaching practice.

BMAT2 Course Materials

My course materials in BMAT2 (Mathematics of Investment) is more complete than the others because, whenever I take an overload, I am almost always given this subject. So over the years, I have accumulated materials not only for handouts, problem sets, quizzes, and major examinations but also actual examples of promissory notes, amortization tables, print advertisements from which amortization problems arise, and stock certificates. I have also developed a collection of browser-based, JavaScript routines which acts like a calculator and allows a user to get values like F, P, S, A, R, OB by simply inputting the required values.

Here's my list of topics:

• Module 1 - Simple Interest and Discount Interest
• Module 2 - Compound Interest, Comparing Rates, Equation of Values, and Varying Interest
• Module 3 - Simple Annuities (Ordinary Annuity, Annuity Due, Deferred Annuity)
• Module 4 - Amortization and Sinking Funds
• Module 5 - Stocks and Bonds

This list is pretty good since similar offerings here and abroad contain basically the same topics. The challenge is in making sure that we have more concrete examples. For example, the promissory notes in the textbook are quite basic and are far from actual ones issued by banks and other financial institutions. I make it a point to show my students actual examples. The same is true for amortization schedules. I have been showing amortization schedules of my two housing loans with Metrobank and Equitable PCI Bank and students seem to be able to connect more with the topic. The same is true for checks, stock certificates, etc.

So my current work in BMAT2 consists of converting the documents to OpenOffice.org formats. Once done with the conversion, I will then look at my Discrete Mathematics and Trigonometry materials.

Slam Dunk

I have heard this anime before and have even seen action figures and school supplies depicting the different characters. But it was only recently, when I viewed several episodes, that I realized how funny this anime is. Ally McBeal kind of funny. It makes use of exaggeration in exhibiting certain emotions. I am amused that all my five kids smile at funny scenes at the same time, notwithstanding the fact that they have to read subtitles since the audio language is Japanese.

The first few episodes introduce two very different personalities -- Hanamichi Sakuragi and Kaede Rukawa. Sakuragi is pure, raw power. Brash. Unpredictable. Extrovert. On the other hand, Rukawa personifies finesse. He is reserved. Introvert.

I cannot help but place myself in relation to these two characters. Am I an extrovert? Introvert? Well, I can say I am neither. I can be very reserved in one situation and be all over the place in another. And I think it is good that I am like that.

Action!

One of the things I plan to do when I return to full-time teaching is to do research, specifically action research. I am biased towards action research, very likely because I consider myself a practical person. I want to find out how I can make things related to my work better, and action research is most suited for this purpose.

Before embarking on actual researching, I need to consolidate concepts and processes to make my activities sound and systematic. Here are some questions, the answers to which should make for a formal outlining of important understanding:

• What is action research? (What are the various definitions?)
  
• How is it different from other types of research? (What are the strengths and the weaknesses?)
• What happens in an action research? (What are the steps in the process?)
• What are the benefits of action research? (What are the effects on the students, the teachers, the staff, and the College?)

Regarding the problems one can work on:

• What are possible problems? (What are the characteristics of "good" problems?)

Regarding collecting, organizing, interpreting, and acting based on data:

• How does one collect data properly? (And first, which data to collect?)
  
• What are the best ways of presenting data?
• How does one go about interpreting data?
• How does one use data to plot future actions? (When does reflection occur?)

Future entries in this blog will contain my musings on these and other additional questions. Lights? Camera?

ALGEBRA Course Materials

I am done with the basic arrangement of my course materials in ALGEBRA. In the past week, I have been looking at what I have, arranging them, and converting some to OpenOffice.org Writer. I am still doing some conversions but the list of topics and materials available is fairly complete. For the topics, I have:

• Module 1 - The Real Numbers, Algebraic Expressions, Special Products
• Module 2 - Factoring Polynomials, Algebraic Fractions, Rational Exponents and Radicals
• Module 3 - Linear Equations in One Variable, Systems of Linear Equations in Two Variables
• Module 4 - Quadratic Equations, Linear Inequalities in One Variable

I will include the topics on Integer Exponents and Complex Numbers in Module 1. Integer Exponents is discussed a bit later in the mother syllabus and Complex Numbers, which the students will encounter in the topic on Quadratic Equations, was not mentioned at all. I will also try to touch on Rational Exponents and Radicals in Module 2, although that topic has been removed from the mother syllabus.

As for the materials, I currently have handouts, problem set items, and lots of multiple choice type questions (great for Moodle). I also have some old major examinations and worked out exercises from which I can build online or written exercises/examinations. I placed them on four new clear file folders.

And by the way, I also checked the locker they assigned to me in the SMS Faculty Room. I lost mine when they renovated the place and I have not had anything there since the Summer of 2003. This afternoon, I deposited some things and placed a lock. And my goodness, the trip gave me that butterfly-in-the-stomach feeling.