Posted by Teacher Ria in Teacher's Corner | 0 Comments

Winners of the 2010 Automated Elections

With the polling stations at the verge of closing and the early results of the first transmissions of this first automated elections in the Philippines, the winners are already clear. In spite of or despite whoever is proclaimed President (and other positions) at the end of these elections, these are the true winners of the 2010 electoral process :

• TEACHERS. To all the teachers who heeded the call of duty once again and remained calm, level-headed and patient despite bearing the torturous heat, not just of the weather but of also the tempers of voters, this is your victory.
• The PPCRV volunteers and other election watchdog volunteers for keeping people in check and helped keep the elections as peaceful and pleasant as possible, this is for you too.
• To journalists most specially social media journalists and bloggers who monitored and kept track of what is going on all over the Philippines: yehey! You did it!!!
• To every single voter who got their finger dirty (as well as those who tried but could not because of missing names, etc.) this is our victory!

Posted by Teacher Ria in Reflections | 0 Comments

Teacher’s on break!

After the ten long months, teacher is officially taking a two-week break!!!

I love teaching a lot but now that I’ve gotten older, it’s kinda hard to keep up with the little kids.  Running after them and goofing around isn’t as easy as it used to be! Now I contend with back aches all the time and my patience has gotten much shorter than it used to be. I think even the kids notice my aging as they ask about white hairs they notice or lines on my face and even the veins that are more prominent now in my hands. I’m starting to feel that I need to lather on all sorts of wrinkle creams and anti-aging ointments to keep myself from looking older! Nonetheless, I still enjoy it a whole lot. I honestly think too that being with these young kids have kept me young emotionally. I remember a time when I resigned from teaching preschool because I wanted to focus more on graduate studies and during that time, I felt so old! It was like I wasn’t laughing enough and seeing the joy of life as much.

I have to admit, though, that much as I will always love teaching, I can only squeeze in a year or two more of teaching little kids. After that perhaps I have to move on to a different kind of working with kids. We’ll see where that goes. In the meantime, I’m going on vacation. No pay nga lang. Hehe!

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Posted by Teacher Ria in Multimedia Center, Teaching Resources, Toys and Playthings | 0 Comments

ASUS Disney Netpal Offers Fun, Safe and Easy Computing for Filipino Kids

Even as a child, I was always a techie. From V-tech goodies to the Nintendo and Family Computer, my mom always allowed me to play with these games because she saw that there was a learning potential to it. At first, she was quite stringent about controlling the time I spent on these devices. However, because I was able to maintain my grades and finish my chores all the time, she became more lenient about it.

Nowadays, parents have to contend with more of these gadgets and distractions that can influence a child’s study habits. I am not a parent myself yet, but I think it might be harder to monitor a child’s fascination to these gadgets. In my case, I only had a few types of gadgets to choose from and I was hooked, what more now? Nonetheless, despite the potential for distraction computers and the internet can bring, I feel that it is a great learning tool.

I have not yet tried this particular netbook but I came across it’s press release and it seemed interesting. ASUS in partnership with Disney has come up with the Netpal which is designed for children and tweens. Reading through it made me one to check it out…for myself hahahaha! Wanna see why?

Manila, Philippines, May 06, 2010 – ASUS, the pioneer and leader in the netbook category with nearly 7 million Eee PC™ netbooks sold to date, announced the arrival of a netbook that is certain to put a sparkle into Filipino children’s eyes—the Disney Netpal by ASUS. The product of a collaboration between ASUS and Disney Consumer Products (DCP), every facet of the Disney Netpal—from its hardware to its software—is infused with the Eee PC’s™ trademark ease-of-use and Disney’s charm, making it a child’s study buddy and play pal, a perfect early back-to-school gift.

Globally launched last year, the ASUS Disney Netpal has Developed with parents and kids in mind, the Disney Netpal by ASUS boasts a durable, reinforced mechanical design, and offers a truly magical and engaging computing experience with its unique Disney user interface. Features include more than 40 robust parental control options, an 8.9-inch LCD display, Wi-Fi capabilities, Windows 7 Starter, and kid-friendly software featuring Disney characters and icons in stunning visual environments. Browsers and email have extra filters to assure that kids only get access to safe content, and parents can easily select whom children can correspond with via email. The Magic Desktop “gadget tray” offers a creatively designed 2D menu displaying Disney email, Disney browser and Disney parental control options.

Computing Is Fun: Disney-themed Desktop, Applications and Games From the lively Disney graphics on the LCD lid and Mickey-shaped webcam lens to the Disney-themed desktop* and special Disney applications, the Disney Netpal by ASUS perfectly captures the magic of Disney. Kids can dress their desktops—aptly named Magic Desktop—in a wide variety of customizable themes featuring the lovable characters from Disney’s and Disney∙Pixar’s animated blockbusters, including Cars, Club Penguin, Disney Classic Characters, Disney Fairies, Disney Princess, Vintage Mickey Mouse, Toy Story and WALL-E. Themes that appeal to slightly older kids, such as Hannah Montana and Jonas Brothers styles, are also available.

Adding to the educational fun are Disney-developed applications such as Disney Mix* for music and media management, Disney Pix* for photo customization and organization, and Radio Disney*. The Disney Pix application features fun Disney Bobblehead software, which lets kids insert images of their faces on top of bodies, download them into videos and postcards and play wacky moving dance scenes, for hours of fun. The Radio Disney* widget streams real-time music and lets kids simultaneously submit song requests, if they wish. The Disney Netpal by ASUS also includes a driving game, memory game and photo scrapbook.

Computing Is Easy: Kid-friendly Magic Desktop, Applications and Widgets The Disney Netpal by ASUS is designed to go from package to play in just minutes. Its Magic Desktop is an easy-to-use interface specially tailored to kids, boasting large icons and visual instructions that make it easy for kids to operate the computer. Rounding off the Disney Netpal by ASUS’ kid-friendly edutainment features is a collection of easily-accessible widgets, including an alarm clock, a digital memo pad which inserts “reminder notes” on the Magic Desktop, and a calculator.

Computing Is Safe: Durable Design with Robust Kid-safe Features The Disney Netpal by ASUS is designed to be kid-safe, both in terms of durability and content permissions. In terms of the former, the Disney Netpal by ASUS has a reinforced mechanical design that can withstand significant abuse, a spill-proof keyboard that protects against inadvertent liquid spills, and ShockShield Data Protection that guards against data loss when the computer is subjected to impacts. It also has a stable embedded polymer battery, which is safer as it prevents kids from inadvertently accessing or removing the battery and thereby subjecting themselves to electrical dangers.

With regard to content permissions, the Disney Netpal by ASUS provides a kid-safe computing environment through robust parental control measures, such as allowing parents to choose the websites their kids can visit, the people they can communicate with via email, and the programs they can use. These permissions can even be scheduled according to a calendar, providing parents with a convenient, automated means of granting access on the days and times set by them. Parents can also pull up data to determine where children spent time, and for how long. Right out of the box, the Disney browser launches more than 40 safe, pre-approved websites.

Pricing and Availability

The Disney Netpal by ASUS is available already in the select ASUS authorized dealers at Php19,990.

Specifications

Model	Disney Netpal by ASUS MK90H
Operating System	Genuine Windows® 7 Starter
Display	8.9″ LED-backlit
CPU	Intel® ATOM N270
WLAN	802.11 b/g/n
Memory	DDR2 SO-DIMM 1GB expandable 2GB max
Storage	160GB HDD
Interface	3 x USB 2.0 ports
Camera	0.3 M Pixel
Reader	MMC and SD (SDHC supported)
Audio	Hi-definition audio CODEC Built-in stereo speakers Analog Mic
Dimensions	248mm (W) x 173mm (D) x 28.7mm (H)
Weight	1kg with battery
Casing Colors	Princess Pink, Magic Blue

* Only available on models running English operating systems.
** Price may vary by location and specifications.
*** Subject to system configuration and usage.
Note: Specifications are subject to change without prior notice. Please visit www.asus.com for more details.

Sounds like fun, huh? pero sige na nga….I’ll look for a more adult mini laptop or netbook for myself!

Posted by Teacher Ria in Teacher's Corner | 0 Comments

Driving in the Philippines

This summer, my younger brother started taking driving lessons. One day, my mom decided to let him drive my car around the village. She said he was quite impressive It amazes me how fast time flies because I still remember him as the little boy I used to yell at because he couldn’t get his homework right! (yes…for some reason even though I can be super patient with my students, I can’t do it with my own brothers!!!)

On the way home one day, we were discussing road rules and traffic violations. We got into discussing what particular road signs mean and the like when my brother asked, but why do they still do it? in reference to taxi drivers who refuse to set their meters and bus/jeepney drivers who weave in and out of lanes regardless of the fact that they are cutting into your lane and nick your vehicle here and there. This is why whenever i have to get my comprehensive auto insurance quote I just shut my eyes and pay the premium  because even though I am a defensive driver, I can’t do anything about others who don’t care. In the end, I had no answer to give him for that question except to remind him that just because others do it doesn’t make it right.

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Posted by Teacher Ria in Advocacies, Teacher's Corner | 0 Comments

Cheers to Second Moms!

When I first started graduate school, I did not only have the chance to learn new things that allowed me to become a better person, but I was also able to meet one of the most influential and inspirational women I have ever crossed paths with. For many psychology students of DLSU, she is known regarded as a big favorite and an excellent teacher. For me, she was (and is) more than a teacher. Through her I have learned what it really means to be happy and how to be able to be true to myself. By working with her in all the different ways we have been doing so (as a teacher, as a colleague, as a mentor and all other roles we have shared) I have really been able to equip myself with the life skills needed to be a good person. In many ways, she has changed my life.

This Mother’s Day, I am taking the time out to recognize not just my own mother, but also all the phenomenal women out there who are like second moms to me.

To my classroom moms, mentor moms and most specially to online moms (a.k.a. editors, blogging gurus, and plurk supporters!), thank you for all the love, support and encouragement you have given me these past years.

Let me invite you, too, my dear readers, to say “Cheers” to your Second Moms, whoever they may be. These wonderful women, be it your lola, tita, yaya, office mentor, kindergarten teacher, deserve a big thanks on this special day. What better way to spread the love and gratitude than by giving them a special Toblerone bouquet, designed especially by Michi Calica? Be sure to log on to www.toblerone.com.ph and check out this fab contest to to discover new ways to thank those 2^nd moms on Mothers’ Day.