Hierarchy

    SIBIKA AT KULTURA (now MAKABAYAN) was one of the most interesting subjects I prefer in my primary school years. I found it challenging to memorize specific dates, places, and people in Philippine history with more time devoted in storing the details so I could exactly retrieve them when exam days come. My teacher then made it a bit easier to transfer the information by organizing materials in a hierarchy for us to process what she was teaching in a non-complicated manner.

I could best recall our lesson on the provinces and cities in Bicol region. She presented it to us in this manner,

In this presentation, we process information through association between concepts. The words are organized in such a way that it could be better remembered rather than purely enumerating the provinces and cities of Bicol region in a list. The hierarchy does not reduce the amount of information to be remembered. The 24 words which should be stored are still the 24 words to be retrieved. It is simple to recall that there are 6 provinces and 7 cities in the region. The organization enhances our understanding of how they are associated with each other.

The Moon

Oh, look at the moon!

It’s shining up there

Oh mother, it looks like a lamp in the air

Last night it was smaller and shape like a boat

But now, it grows bigger and shape like an “O”.

This was the first POEM ever recorded in my memory and I recited this during my kindergarten graduation. I and my mom had a tough time memorizing this because I could not pronounce well some of the words when I was just four (4) years old. But my mom tirelessly guided me to encode the words properly while she was busy removing malunggay leaves before lunch, and we would repeat reciting it again while she was cooking, during our rest time every afternoon, and even when we were marketing. To bring it to life, she let me see the moon during night time so I would understand what this MOON is. Soon enough after rehearsals, I was able to memorize the thirty nine words in it. My youngest sister who was also around while I was practicing it, also learned to memorize the poem. Until today, we could retrieve it over and over again.

This experience could have been the product of the theory that we could have superior recall of early words learned or better known as the PRIMACY EFFECT and the first few words could be stored in our short memory. The moment we kept on rehearsing, the words and the entire poem was encoded in our long term memory and they are stored with durability over long period of time.

Though there are new information encoded to my memory, THE MOON was never “bumped out” of it and I believe that this first poem that I stored would endure for a lifetime.

No Memory’s Replica

Today’s generation is regarded to have known “too much”. We are in the TOUCHING AGE. “Touching is the new seeing, so to speak.” (www.time.com). We could easily encode, process, access, and decode information just by tap-slide, upload-download capabilities of our laptops, tablets, IPAD, and phones, with gigabytes speed at our fingertips.

The technological progress almost supplemented our memory and computers were continuously designed and re-designed to work in advance for processing of information. These computers were inspired by the multi-processing functions of man’s memory. It also encodes, stores, and retrieves information with high quality that human brain could not store over a long period. These gadgets are man’s best friend in this touching age. It would be an incomplete day for us when we leave our home and we would not carry our phones and it would be a boring day not to surf even for an hour in the internet. We were absorbed by the progress, but in my own discernment, it taught us also to be indolent because we put our reliance on these computers to help us retrieve all the information we need. In one way, it does not sharpen our memory since in just a click, the information we need are promptly served before our eyes, with the least mental efforts from us, instead, we become passive receivers of information.

Despite the overuse and extreme influence of computers to us, I would always regard the human memory as highly dynamic and its complexity cannot be fully captured by any existing information processing model. Though computers would exist to aid man in everyday academic, clerical, and office work, I’d rather have the natural limited capacity of my memory than having the memory as limitless as computers. Yes, we are efficient in retrieving items from our memory. But how could we encode our ten year old conversation with our grandmas, distant friends, together with the laughter and cheers in the computer? Or how could we encode the annoying smell of rotten tomatoes or the scent of our favorite perfume?  Photographs or videos are not enough to encode these memories.

Fittingly, only our memory could retrieve the memories encoded by our senses and emotions at a particular time. Such relevant memories are great sources of information where beautiful learning experiences spring that do not deserve any computer’s replica.

Downbeat Aficionado

As I was breaking down Bandura’s theory on modeling, the Colorado mass shooting on July 20, 2012 touched my mind. Though modeling is one of the most effective learning processes in humans, the effect of “NEGATIVE MODELING” (a term I personally coined) also has tremendous impact on man’s behavior.

The shooting occurred inside theater 9 at the Century 16 multiplex (operated by Cinemark), located at the Town Center at Auorora shopping mall during the midnight screening of BATMAN “The Dark Knight Rises” and the suspect was identified to be JAMES EAGAN HOLMES. Reports said that Holmes was a “psychiatric patient” prior to the Aurora killing. What stirred me was the way Holmes imitated “JOKER”, the iconic villain in the movie when he colored his hair red-orange, dressed head to toe in protective tactical gear, then started spraying the audience with bullets from his rifle, shotgun, and caliber handgun. Witnesses disclosed that he was shooting everyone like a scene out of a horror film killing 12 people and 58 injured, who are Batman fans and some were actually wearing Batman costumes. (http://en.wikipedia.org)

It was reported that Holmes was a big fan of superheroes particularly Batman and his apartment was decorated with Batman paraphernalia. Holmes’ exposure to television, movies, and on-line violence tend him to behave aggressively. Aggressive behaviors were learned through modeling which has negative effects to him, to his fellow Batman fans, and to the environment where he belonged. “Though aggressive behavior does not occur in vacuum- in most cases it may be brought about by negative stimulus like insult, provocation, etc.” (Passer, 2003).

In the case of Colorado shooting, we could infer that in one way or another, exposure to media violence has influence the suspect to model the role of JOKER but the type of social learning he gained was disadvantageously applied leading to down beat, real-time, copycat violence and suffering of innocent movie-lovers.

Self-Efficacy

BANDURA’s FOUR CLASSES OF INFORMATION THAT AFFECT SELF EFFICACY

Increasing Self-Efficacy

Because positive self-efficacy beliefs are consistently related to success in behaving effectively and achieving goals, Bandura and other social cognitive theorists have been strongly interested in practical measures for enhancing self-efficacy. Here are some of research-driven guidelines for effective goal setting:

• Set specific, behavioral, and measurable goals. Specific and narrow goals are far more effective than the general “do your best” goals. Setting goals is not enough, nor feedback effective by itself. Find ways to measure progress towards the goal so that we can see performance feedback and our improvement.
• Set performance not outcome goals. Performance goals work better than outcome goals because they keep the focus on the necessary behavior. People who focus on outcome goals forget what has to be done on a day-to-day basis to achieve them.
• Set difficult but realistic goals. Moderately difficult goals challenge and motivate us and give us a sense of hope. When reached, they increase self-efficacy.
  Set positive, not negative goals. Positive goals keep us focused on the positive steps that we need to take to achieve them.
• Set short-range as well as long term goals. Short term goals are like the steps on a staircase leading to the long-term goal. As they are accomplished, they not only provide mastery experiences but also lead toward the ultimate goal. “Divide and conquer” is the cliché that works.
• Set definite time spans for achievement. It is important to specify the dates by which specific performance goals or subgoals would be met together with the behaviors needed to attain in that time span. Always remember that providing repeated mastery experiences are the most powerful sources of efficacy information in increasing self-efficacy.

          Source: Passer, et. al, 2003

Sosyal?

Ang mga dalubhasa’y noon pa nagturan

May tatlong klase daw ng tao sa ating lipunan

Una, ang mga taong may gustong makamtan at patutunguhan

Pangalawa ay yaong naghihintay lamang sa ano ang kalalabasan

Pangatlo ay yaong nagtataka lamang sa mga pangyayari sa kapaligiran.

 

Sa tatlong ito, pinaka “sosyal” ang nabibilang sa unang grupo

Sa tipo nila naroon ang “self-efficacy” na siyang Bandurang konsepto

Ayon sa kanya, mahalaga ang paglinang ng kilos tungo sa isang obheto

Ang mataas na kalinangan ay nagbibigay ng pananaw na positibo

May tiwala sila sa sarili at ang mga suliranin ay madaling natatalo.

 

Makakamit ang mga mithiin kung may pang sariling kalinangan

Magtatagumpay kung mananatiling “focus” sa gusto nating makamtan

Maaaring magobserba sa paligid para may matutunan

Maaari ding ulitin ang ikinikilos ng iba at ito’y tularan

Basta ba’t huwag naman sobra at dulot nito’y kabutihan.

 

Siguraduhing huwag gayahin ang kilos na makasisira sa iba

Kung ikakapahamak lamang ay pagisipan muna

Baka sa huli’y ang kalalabasan ay malalang problema

Pati pamilya at pag-aaral ay madadamay pa.

 

Paunlarin ang sarili para marating ang inaasam na mithiin

Matutong lampasan anuman ang kaakibat na suliranin

Ito’y magiging batayan kung talagang may natutuhan pa rin.

Marahil sosyal ka at sosyal ako

Sapagkat ang ating lipunan ay bahagi ng ating pagkatao.

 Tunay na magkakaugnay ikaw, ako, ang kilos natin at ang kapaligiran mo

Dahil likas na sosyal nga ang bawat tao.

JAJA’s Bandolino

     “Tak, Tak, Tak!” This was the sound of Ms. Mendrez shoes as she enters the classroom of Grade VI Section Shakespeare. Everytime the students heard the tap of her heels at the first floor of Gabaldon building, the children arranged their things orderly and sit behavely at their desks. No scratches, no murmurs, only the echo of silence. Ms. Mendrez was the strictest teacher for the graduating class.

     “Today, we would discuss the central nervous system of a human body.” Ms. Mendrez mounted on the board a big picture of man’s nervous system, then turn around and faced the class. “Jaja, would you give one part of the nervous system, point it in this picture and cite to us what are its functions?” Jaja was trembling as she proceed in front. She drew a line at the upper part of the picture and draw the word, “BRAIN.” “Ma’am, our brain receives inputs from our sense organ in order to change our behavior. Its neocortex is responsible for our thinking, reasoning, learning, and remembering. It is also the center of our balance that help us in our bodily movement. Once the brain is damaged, it could lead to paralysis and sometimes, eventual death.” Jaja grasped for breath and Ms. Mendrez said, “Very good!”

     Jaja felt happy for all the positive responses Ms. Mendrez gave on her class participation. She would be willing to sacrifice other subjects, but never the science class. Not because Ms. Mendrez might impose punishment if she would come unprepared, but she looked up to her as someone of great influence. She’s like Quuen Elizabeth to her. The way Ms. Mendrez speaks, moves, teaches, dresses up, and even the way she combs her hair were loved by Jaja. However, what she admires most is the way Ms. Mendrez walks and the tapping of her heels was such a beautiful cadence.

     There was even a time when Jaja would peek under Ms. Mendrez table to see what is the brand of her shoes, melodic shoes as Jaja described it.

              “Mama, Ms. Mendrez wears a BANDOLINO! Can you buy one for me?” Jaja  informed her mom. “Oh Jaja, you see, we have bills to pay? If you graduate with honors this year, maybe I’ll loan an amount for your shoes.” Mom’s promise to her.

     Over the months, Jaja excelled in her subjects and she was listed among the top 10 graduates. She thought of her Mom’s promise, and at long last, she could have the same brand of shoes similar to her Madam Mendrez.

     Before graduation, her mom searched for Bandolino all over town, but provincial shopping malls do not sell such brand. Jaja told her again few nights ago that she would love to receive Bandolino and no other, even if there would be no pancit or biko. There was no other option but to ask Ms. Mendrez help.

     “Ma’am, my daughter is a great fan of your Bandolino. Where could I buy that?” Jaja’s mom asked Ms. Mendrez. “My bandolino comes from Manila. My sister send them to me.” The honest answer of Ms. Mendrez. “But how much does a pair costs?” “Around Php 1,000.00 I think.” “Oh, but I only have Php 400.00 budget for Jaja’s graduation, which includes her dress. Maybe, I’ll just buy in the ukay ukay for cheaper shoes.” This was the conversation of Jaja’s mom and Ms. Mendrez, until,

    “But wait, I’ll check if I have a little extra shoes here to fit Jaja.” Ms. Mendrez opened her cabinet and found a black leather shoes with an inch heels and ribbon design which she kept for almost two years, since it was 1.5 inch shorter her size.

     “Look! This could fit Jaja’s feet for sure! Tell her it’s my gift for her graduation, no need to pay me back.” The happy thought of Ms. Mendrez. “Oh, thanks Ma’am. This is a dream come true for her. You are Jaja’s model and she wanted to be like you when she finished college.” Revealed Jaja’s mom. “I did not notice that, but I am inspired more to be a teacher and her model.”

    On graduation day, Ms. Mendrez assisted the principal in giving the certificates and when Jaja’s name was called, she carefully climbed the stairs with the “tak, tak, tak” sound of her new shoes. Ms. Mendrez smiled, and whispered to her, “You deserve my Bandolino, Walk far with it.” Jaja’s tears were circling around her eyes. She tapped the floor of the stage with a “tak, tak, tak” and thanked Ms. Mendrez for such positive influence.

Huwag Kang Suwail Miguel

 

Huwag kang suwail Miguel!

Sa iyong kalikutan ikaw ay tumigil

Sapagkat mahirap na ika’y masupil

Sa ingay at kaguluhan ika’y magpapigil.

 

Iwasan mong saktan ang iyong kaklase

Sa mga laro’t gawain ikaw ay sumali,

Irespeto ang iba at maging kawili wili

Ang iyong pagbabago ay aming ipagbubunyi.

 

Tamang gabay ang aming panuntunan

Dito sa loob ng paaralan at sa buong pamayanan,

Kaya’t bigyan mo kami ng ibayong kahalagahan

Makinig sa aming sinasabi kung ika’y nahihirapan

 

Huwag mangamba at handa ka naming tulungan

Anumang problema, sabay nating masusolusyunan,

Kung ikaw lang ay aasal ng kabutihan

Naririto kami para iwaksi ang iyong karupukan.

 

Kaming mga guro ay para mo na ring ama at ina

Bibigyan ka ng paalaala sa tuwing ikaw ay sumusobra,

Maging mahinahon ka sana sa tuwi- tuwina

Tatanglawan namin ang daan kung saan ka pupunta.

Sherry or Cherry?

(Additions for Forum Discussion of Goleman 2 on Behaviorism)

     Embarassing students through behavioral strategies like “time out” are common in classroom management. Teachers wanted to modify behavior but ended up disheartening the students. I clearly remembered one of my classmates then who was seated at the rear row of the room was very talkative while our teacher was discussing one topic on reading comprehension. Our teacher became irritated that she almost throws a chalk to my classmate. She called her name loud as if her teeth were chattering with a chill. My classmate was directed to transfer to another row together with other misbehaving students. I heard Madam commented that those who could not answer well should better shut up their mouths and listen well enough to her. She said that it is better not to report to class rather than having red cherry lipstick on but could not recite. Such comments were intended to my talkative classmate who usually comes to class with her hair blowered up and her lip was of the same color as our floor wax. From then on, she was branded by our teacher as CHERRY instead of calling her by her real name, SHERRY.

      I conform to Diane Trampe’s post in our Forum Discussion on Behaviorism written on 10/11/12 that some teachers just end up “power tripping” and continuously pick on the class clown and it is unethical to use time-outs just to embarrass students. Sometimes, the “power of time out” is used to the point when it doesn’t make any sense at all.

     My other Goleman 2 mate, Criselda Dacanay stressed on this topic that we must remember that to effectively change thoughts and perceptions, we must first change the student’s behavior so that his or her environment would begin responding differently to him or her. If we focus only on cognitions, the world around the student remains the same and the generalizability and long term effects of behavioral change would be minimized.

     Considerably, in the above cited situation, debriefing as cited by Michelle Dimaano in our forum on 10/20/12 would be helpful as it capitalizes an important “teachable moment” when the learning is relevant to the student and it assists in getting closure to the problem as well as rebuilding relationships. The key questions may be used as: “What did you do?” “What was your concern or need?” “What will you do next time that would be acceptable?” “Will you make a commitment to behave differently next time?”

     These concepts are noteworthy in SHERRY’s case.