Engl 111 (Teaching of Listening and Speaking)

    Hello student! I hope that you are doing well and in good health as you read this post. This site will serve as an alternative conduit of my instruction in light of the long break in consonance of the ncov-19. Please read further to know your weekly task embedded in this post.

    Speaking is the skill that makes human beings different from and superior to the species of living beings. Although speaking may be considered as a complex cognitive and linguistic skill, nothing beats practice and preparation in honing such skill. 

    The process or act of performing a speech to a live audience is called public speaking. Public speaking is commonly understood as formal, face-to-face speaking of a single person to a group of listeners. Public speaking is composed of four vital elements (the speaker, the audience, the message, and the effect) with one interdependent from another depending on the mastery of the speaker. 

    Good public speaking skills are important in other areas of your life, not only when you are dealing with your future learners. You might be asked to make a speech at a friend's wedding, give a eulogy for a loved one, or inspire a group of volunteers at a charity event. This week's lesson seeks to help you understand the value of having good public speaking skills and honing you to be a good speaker. 

   The use of appropriate gestures and body language is imperative for a good public speaking performance. Study the texts below in practicing proper gestures and body language while speaking in public.
Using Appropriate Gestures
1. Index
Use to indicate or stress an important point using the forefinger
2. Supine
Done with the arm extended on the level of the shoulder or up with open palm up
3. Clenched Fist
Arm extended with the fingers closed on a very tight grip; Use to show wrath or anger
4. Prone
Arm extended with open palm down moved gently upward or downward as if motioning for silence
5. Bow Down
- Done with the head in prostrate position; Usually used when you want to acknowledge someone or something humbly

Using the Body Language
1. Eye contact
Gives the audience a personal connection and can demonstrate your certainty in what you are saying
2. Facial expressions
Highlights the emotion of a particular turn of phrase, as well as the lightness or seriousness of a particular statement
3. Posture
Allows you to come across as confident and as sure of your message
4. Gestures
- Hand movements that can be used to emphasize points

Watch the Youtube videos below in order to gain a deeper understanding of the power of public speaking and how to deliver it much better. You are also encouraged to read and watch more informative texts and videos in consonance of the topic this week. 

Youtube video 1

Youtube video 2

Youtube video 3

Suggested Readings:
How To Improve English Speaking Skills (https://effortlessenglishclub.com/improve-english-speaking-skills)
10 Tips for Improving Your Public Speaking Skills (https://www.extension.harvard.edu/professional-development/blog/10-tips-improving-your-public-speaking-skills)

Task:

Write a public speech with the theme, "Solidarity Amid Calamity; Humanity Over Hysteria." Your speech must be composed of 3-5 paragraphs with a solid introduction, body, and conclusion. Focus on the timely issue of the emergence of the coronavirus on your speech. Make sure that you mention credible sources in your speech and that your information is factual. Your speech must be persuasive in nature.  Submit your written work in a document format. Read the instructions below. You will be performing your speech once we meet again in April. 

Submission Instructions:

Email your works at tindespares@yahoo.com. Indicate the course code (Engl 111) with your full name and class schedule as your email subject. Submit your works not later than Monday midnight next week (March 23, 2020). 
All tasks must be in docs format (font: Verdana; size 11). The title of your work, as well as your name, must be centered while your speech proper must be justified. 

Submitted works with no/lacking information shall not be graded.

Note: 

- Please do not send your outputs to me via the Facebook messenger app. 
- Your midterm exam will take place once the ncov-19 advisory will be lifted. 
Thank you. Stay safe and God bless. Stay indoors and pray. 

Lit 221 (Children and Adolescent Literature)

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     Many nursery rhymes originated in the 16th and 17th centuries. Nursery rhymes are traditional poems passed down from one generation to another, some of its authors are known, but others are not. They belonged to the oral tradition until they began to be recorded in different collections in the 18th century. They are part of a complex literary tradition called “folklore”. Nursery rhymes are usually intended for infants and children to prepare and introduce them to reading and spelling skills development. Most literary scholars pointed out that nursery rhymes play a causal role in children’s language and cognitive development and that they are effective tools of values education.

       A significant part of the oral traditions, nursery rhymes have been influential in most people who have been immersed in them while growing up. When a parent or an adult recite nursery rhymes to children, it helps develop their first skills in language and expand their vocabulary. Nursery rhymes were also assigned other names such as “ditties” and “Mother Goose rhymes”. They were once orally transmitted to different generations until they were first printed in England in the early 1570s and first published in Chapbooks or cheap pamphlets which also contained poems, ballads, or religious tracts that were often undated and anonymous.

     Inasmuch as nursery rhymes qualify as texts, they stand for various meanings. They often concealed religious, political, cultural and sexual meanings that have coexisted implicitly. They are said to be hidden in the texts. As such, these hidden meanings are properly called a subtext. Subtext encapsulates all the underlying meanings that lie beneath the words, images, and actions in film, which are also applicable to any kind of fiction writing. At a glance, most nursery rhymes, if not all, contain lyrics and images that are seemingly innocent, safe, and sometimes fantastical for children. However, when investigated a little further, one can find political satire cleverly disguised in these rhymes. Nursery rhymes were also “used as safe vehicles to parody unpopular political, royal and historical events of the day".

       While nursery rhymes have been around for centuries, many of the rhymes were not intended for children. They tell of superstitions and social customs, and give explanations for unexplainable physical phenomena. For this week, you are tasked to critically examine nursery rhymes in order to unmask the hidden meanings which include such themes as violence, discrimination, prejudices and other forms of disvalues.

Task 1:

Select three nursery rhymes which you will study and analyze in a form of a critical analysis paper. Your paper must include textual pieces of evidence for every subtext (hidden meaning) that you have uncovered. 

Example: 

The famous nursery rhyme, Jack and Jill, carries disturbing themes such as recklessness, accident, and poverty which are very inappropriate for children. The song introduces us to Jack and Jill to its audience. From the traits suggested in the rhyme, one could presume that they’re young children who live in the countryside. They were tasked to climb a “hill to fetch a pail of water”; however, Jack “fell down and broke his crown”. The tragic accident is caused by recklessness which is an evident trait in haughty children. The “crown” mentioned in the song speaks of something that marks honor like the face of a person. So, Jack having “broken his crown” means he suffered substantial wounds mainly in the face. Also, Jill carelessly rushed to Jack and suffered the same unfortunate fate. However, in the second stanza, Jill got lost in the picture. Leaving Jill behind, Jack survived the fall and ran towards Old Dame Dob to help him. But Old Dame Dob only gave him vinegar and brown paper to patch his wounds. These are absolutely insufficient to address the wounds Jack sustained because of the fall. The use of vinegar and brown paper symbolizes the ill effects of poverty and how this great lack of resources prohibits one from receiving proper medical attention. 

Do include scholarly sources in your paper. Consider the mimetic and formalistic theories in writing your analysis. Your paper must be in an essay format. Two paragraphs would suffice for every nursery rhyme in focus.
Consider the criteria below as your guide:
1. Content (the paper is informative, free of personal bias, and replete of textual evidence and sources that supports the writer's claim)
2. Organization (the paper is well-organized, the ideas are well-expressed, and can be clearly understood, the writer also followed the format given)
3. Mechanics (the paper is free from mechanical errors in writing - spelling, grammar, etc.) 

Task 2: 
Choose and watch a couple animated films by Hayao Miyazaki under Studio Ghibli films. Following the criteria in selecting literary works for children, write a recommendation essay on which of those films may be utilized by educators for young viewers. Indicate the specific needs and interests of children embodied in the visual works you have chosen. Refer to the criteria given above. You may cite studies or scholarly articles online to support your ideas. 

Submission Instructions:

Email your works at tindespares@yahoo.com. Indicate the course code (Lit 221) with your full name and class schedule as your email subject. Submit your works not later than Friday midnight next week (March 27, 2020). 

All tasks must be in docs format (font: Verdana; size 11). The title of your work, as well as your name, must be centered while your analysis work must be justified. 

Example: 

A Textual Analysis on ____(title of your chosen nursery rhymes)____

by Your Full Name

Submitted works with no/lacking information shall not be graded.

Note: 

- Please do not send your outputs to me via the Facebook messenger app. 
- Your midterm exam will take place once the ncov-19 advisory will be lifted. 
Thank you. Stay safe and God bless. Stay indoors and pray. 

Comm 02 (Communication Skills 2)

     Hello student! I hope that you are doing well and in good health as you read this post. This site will serve as an alternative conduit of my instruction in light of the long break in consonance of the ncov-19. Please read further to know your weekly task embedded in this post.

  Now more than ever, the world’s population must be adept not only in finding but also in evaluating information sources. The emergence of the coronavirus didn’t only make the matter more critical, but also a challenge. As a case in point, you must have the ability to critically extricate facts from online sources. This lesson seeks to develop your skills on how to distinguish fact from opinion. You are also expected to share cause and effect information from a text provided. 

Task 1:

 Read the following article below. Afterward,  pick 5 factual and 5 opinionated statements from the article read. Underneath your chosen sentences, write a short reflection by answering the following questions:
 Was it easy or a challenge to distinguish facts from opinion?
 Do you carefully consider the truth behind the posts you read and share online? Why or why not?
 What personal ways can you think of in order to avoid sharing fake news? 

Article:

6 Positive Insights the World Needs Amid Covid-19 Crisis

by April Ann Quinones

Covid-19 is a tragedy. It cost thousands of lives and critically harmed the world’s economy. Thus, it can be rather inappropriate to present it in a positive light. But the world has had enough of anxiety and worry, and it probably makes sense to acknowledge the bright side of this catastrophe even if they’re just a handful.

The following are some of the insights that can make us feel a little better about this whole viral disarray.

1. The world’s healthcare system is bound to get better.

On average, Influenza-like pandemics happen once every 25-30 years. As more problematic pandemics like Covid-19 plague the world, countries and health organizations have no other choice but to find a way to protect the world better next time. Disasters like this may cause ugly consequences, but tough times mold stronger men. Better protocols will unfold after this adversity, and just like how much blood and sweat were sacrificed for us to have the medical conveniences and other forms of freedom and benefits we have right now, future generations may just enjoy better healthcare protocols when another crisis like this comes to life.

2. We are lucky we have social media now.

The true face of social media depends on how you view it. Some people find social media daunting with all the opinions of people thundering here and there. But despite its negative sides, it actually can be a very proactive and productive channel. First, information dissemination has never been this easy. Imagine the first huge pandemics of the world like the Black Death which killed 200 million people. It wiped out over 50% of Europe’s population. They barely had digital and medical technologies, and for sure, that great tragedy has urged many capable survivors of that time to develop better solutions to save the lives of the future generations.

Also, try to minimize hating people who spread hate and criticism in social media. Sure, they may sound like they’re not doing anything productive, but if you take a closer look, they could be. They help pinpoint the loopholes to make things better. It doesn’t mean all of the rants on social media deserve credit, but to make yourself feel better, just look at the possible good that could come out of all those outbursts. They are just people who are just as upset as you and want to use a channel to express their frustrations. Some don’t know what they’re talking about—but just let them vent. Sometimes, we all need to.

3. We now get to appreciate the normal.

If you’re under lockdown or quarantine, you get devoid of normal day-to-day living. Sometimes, we only get to appreciate things once they’re gone. If our freedom is restricted or taken away, we get to appreciate that privilege more. Sometimes, we get too busy making a living and consuming information here and there that we no longer see and savor our privileges. Covid-19 has made us miss and value the things we don’t usually miss and value. Hopefully, we live and appreciate life and all the normal things we have better after this calamity.

4. Mother Earth can take the break she has so longed for.

We have witnessed the observable effects of global climate change on the environment-- loss of sea ice, more intense heat waves, shrunk glaciers, breakage of ice on lakes and rivers, and more. Economic and technological progress has remained to be a priority, and the environment is paying the price. Humans’ pursuit of progress is unstoppable, and after such a long time, this unstoppable pandemic has been the only one to have successfully overpower man. We people find it tragic, but Mother Earth is healing although we aren’t really sure if it could still be saved at the end of the day.

5. Covid-19 is the great equalizer.

Both the poorest and the most influential sectors of the world have not escaped the strike of the virus. It somehow makes us realize how all men are, after all, just equal. There may be economic and lifestyle differences, but we are all mortal in the end. We are all susceptible and vulnerable, and everything we have and own won’t really become the most essential once we realize that life can indeed be shorter than we thought.

6. Home-based and remote work are possible.

On top of social media and information dissemination, options like remote and telecommuting arrangements are also now made possible. We are fortunate to have stumbled upon this crisis during the internet age. Things become a bit more manageable with online arrangements at hand. Though not all employers are welcoming it, the biggest companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon are adopting and encouraging it. Plus, there are other online opportunities like Wordmasters.io that one can grab. We have way more options than our past generations, and that’s one of the few things we can hang onto.

Difficult times call for more resilience, and a little bit of optimism definitely won’t be a bad idea. Do everything practical to protect yourself and follow what the government requires you to do. Being proactive and supportive of each other can definitely go a long way in these troubled times.

Task 2:

Read the official advisory from the World Health Organization with regards to the ncov-19 virus from their website. Create a short informative video based on the advisory from WHO.  You must be able to cite some causes and effects of the virus on your video. The video must be 2-3 minutes long. Post your video on your Facebook or Youtube account. 
Consider the criteria below as your guide:
1. Content (the video contains correct and factual info. from WHO's advisory) 45%
2. Delivery (proper gestures, appropriate facial expressions, voice quality)  40%
3. Creativity (the information are presented in an artistic way e.g use of visual effects etc.) 15%

Submission Instructions:

Email your work at tindespares@yahoo.com. Indicate the course code (Comm 2) with your full name and class schedule as your email subject. Submit your works not later than Monday midnight next week (March 23, 2020). Task 1 must be in docx format (font: Verdana; size 10). Task 2 must be uploaded to your Facebook or Youtube account. Email me the link of your video together with the docx in task 1. 

Submitted works with no/lacking information shall not be graded.

Note: 

- Please do not send your outputs to me via the Facebook messenger app. 
- Your midterm exam will take place once the ncov-19 advisory will be lifted. 

Thank you. Stay safe and God bless. Stay indoors and pray. 

Lit 2 (World Literature)

     Hello student! I hope that you are doing well and in good health as you read this post. This site will serve as an alternative conduit of my instruction in light of the long break in consonance of the ncov-19. Please read further to know your weekly task embedded in this post.

     This week's lesson will revolve around English literature. The literature of the English is one of the hallmarks of World Literature. England’s obscure tribes in the ancient times, (Angle-Saxons) gave the world more than roots of the English language – it created a rich gamut of literary nexus still relevant to the world that we know today. The modern world enjoys a roster of English literary works so indelible with the great minds the world has ever known: William Shakespeare, Geoffrey Chaucer, and Charles Bacon to name a few. This week’s lesson will look into the masterpiece of one of England’s poet laureate – Alfred Lord Tennyson. 

      Before reading Tennyson's work, it is important for you to know the time when the work was published as well as some facts about his life. Tennyson lived during the best times of England - the reign of Queen Victoria. 

The title of the poem that we are going to study is Crossing the Bar. It is said that Tennyson wrote this poem when he was suffering from grave illness and was about to die. Read the poem below while noting some of the vocabulary words before answering the questions provided. 

Task 1:

 Answer the following questions below. Organize your answers in a docx format.
1. Which words in the poem suggest old age? Which ones suggest death?
2.What is the rhyme scheme used by the poet? 
3. What are symbols? What are the symbols used by the poet?
4. What could be the underlying theme of the poem?
5. Explain the 3rd to the 5th line of the poem:
And there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,
Too full for sound and foam,
6. What message does the poet want to impart in this poem?
7. On the 3rd and 4th stanza of them poem, what is it that the poet asks his friends to do when he dies?
8. Who could be the ‘Pilot’ that Tennyson refers to in his poem?
9. Do you think the poet is afraid of dying? Lift some lines in the poem that could support your answer.
10. Do you find the poem relevant to the situation right now? In what way? Expand your answer.
11. Explain the poetic line: death is as powerful as love and life.
12. If today is your last day on earth, what would you do? what would you say to your loved ones? 

Task 2:

Write a 4 by 4 elegy. Four stanzas with four lines each. An elegy is a  serious poem for the dead.  Learn more about an elegy by reading the information provided on this site. Dedicate your poem for someone who is no longer living but is significant to you. 
Consider the criteria below as your guide:
1. Cohesiveness                                                                                                            10 pts.
The poem goes perfectly together. 
There is unity between lines and stanzas.
2. Use of poetic devices                                                                                               15 pts.
The poet uses 3 or more poetic elements to enhance the poem including mood and symbols.
3. Rhythm                                                                                                                        10 pts.
The poem uses sound patterns that benefit the poetic tone.
4. Overall content and structure                                                                                 15 pts.                The poet follows the form of his/her chose poems. 

The literary piece is free of errors in grammar and spelling.

Submission Instructions:

 Email your work at tindespares@yahoo.com. Indicate the course code (Lit 2) with your full name and class schedule as your email subject. Submit your works not later than Friday midnight this week (March 20, 2020). 

Submitted works with no/lacking information shall not be graded.

Note: 

- Please do not send your outputs to me via the Facebook messenger app. 
- Midterm examination, as well as your theatre presentation, will take place once the ncov-19 advisory will be lifted. 

Thank you. Stay safe and God bless. To get to know more on how to protect yourself against ncov-19, read the latest advisory from the WHO on this site. Stay indoors and pray. 

EDUC 113 (Special Issues, Topics, and Trends in Education)

    Hello student! I hope that you are doing well and in good health as you read this post. This site will serve as an alternative conduit of my instruction in light of the long break in consonance of the ncov-19. Please read further to know your weekly task embedded in this post.

    One of the implications of information literacy is the changes in the ways teaching instructions have been delivered. Study the table below indicating those changes and do the task that follows.

*Recall/Recognize/Retain (RRR)
Task 1:

     Refer to the changing paradigms of teaching methods. Reflect on how you would apply the new methods in your classroom today. Write down your reflection in not more than 1000 words. Compose your reflection in a docx format.

Task 2:

 Answer the questions in a three-paragraph essay format. 

1. What are the characteristics of an information-literate student?

2. Do you consider yourself as an information literate individual? Why or why not?

3. How significant is information literacy at times when a pandemic such as a coronavirus exists? Explain how the skill can help you protect yourself from being infected. 

Submission Instructions:

 Email your work at tindespares@yahoo.com. Indicate the course code (EDUC 113) with your full name and class schedule as your email subject. Submit both tasks (tasks 1 and 2) not later than Friday midnight this week (March 20, 2020). 

Submitted works with no/lacking information shall not be graded.

Note: 

- Please do not send your outputs to me via the Facebook messenger app. Read more on Information Literacy and The Art of Storytelling in your book. Midterm examination coverage will dwell on the two topics. 
- Midterm and Semi-Finals examination will take place once the ncov-19 advisory will be lifted. 

Thank you. Stay safe and God bless. To get to know more on how to protect yourself against ncov-19, read the latest advisory from the WHO on this site. Stay indoors and pray.