Katha 2014: Part 2 Course Assessment and Student Learning Outcomes

Minutes of the Workshop Transcribed. Speaker Dr. Maricar Prudente.

KATHA 2014 Batch 2: Day 9

Science Track: Course Assessment and Student Learning Outcomes Part 2

Dr. Maricar Prudente

Science Education Department

De La Salle University-Manila

September 27, 2014

Minutes of the Workshop

5. Characteristics of an Exemplary Assessment Task. 1) Valid, which yields useful information to guide learning 2) Coherent, which should be structured so that activities lead to desired performance product 3) Authentic, which addresses ill-defined problems that are emerging 4) Rigorous, which requires the use of declarative, procedural and metacognitive knowledge 5) Engaging, which provokes student interest and persistence 6) Challenging, which provokes and evaluates student learning 7) Respectful, which allows students to reveal their uniqueness as learners and 8) Responsive, which provides feedback to students leading to improvement. The speaker also shared most of her experiences in teaching students using the simple context in their classroom, like introducing problems on pimples and oral bacteria that the students are able to relate to. One teacher raised the issue of using technology for more exposure to the students. The speaker agreed with utilizing technology as much as possible for them to be more engaged and interested in the lesson. She introduced internet learning and gave samples of online modules. She also emphasized that the lessons to be taught should be challenging to the students and not easy to accomplish. Asking the students on the project they could come up with may also help in improving the lesson at hand, the speaker added. She again emphasized the issue of finances when applying these methods.

Teaching in the context of assessment depends on providing effective feedback to students, encouraging students’ active involvement in their own learning, adjusting teaching to take account of the results of assessment, recognizing the profound influence of assessment on students’ motivation and engagement and ensuring that students assess themselves and understand how to improve. One thing that the teacher must be in the classroom is unpredictable, the speaker emphasized, so that the students will be engaged and interested in class. The teacher should also be techy in their own way to be able to enter their world which already started in the technology era. The speaker also shared her techniques in manipulating the students’ addiction in technology by utilizing it in her topics and lessons in Science. The speaker also suggested the use of a progress chart with regards to the quizzes of her students to see their learning development in class. As teachers, they have to be open to their students, the speaker added, by giving them the element of choice to make them feel responsible and empowered.

6. Implications for Learner-Centered Assessment. The students 1) are clarified in the learning outcomes at the course planning stage 2) are shared with the learning goals throughout the semester 3) ask appropriate and effective questions 4) focus oral and written feedback n the learning outcomes of lessons and tasks. The teachers on the other hand 1) encourage students’ self-assessment against the learning outcomes and 2) organize individual student target setting that builds on previous achievement. The speaker emphasized that the teachers should enter the students’ world of digital age so that there is more productive learning in the classroom.

7. Rubrics. The speaker said that there should be a question and an action in rubrics. There should be a criteria or essential elements in the rubrics, with a clear description of performance at each achievement level. There are also task-related rubrics for specific assessments by indentifying the skills and abilities needed in the context of the lesson. The teachers may also add the teamwork rubric, with expectations from group members and their level participation. She presented a sample teamwork rubric for the teachers, where it involves creativity, cooperativeness and skillfulness. This entails a more objective process of making a rubric for the students. This must be continuous and ongoing as a feedback to the students that should be focused on quality feedback. She paralleled the use of feedback in a classroom with a panel of judges, who first comment and provide suggestions to the students for them to be guided in their activity. Feedback should be 1) specific 2) descriptive 3) be offered ASAP after the event 4) offer alternative or ask the learner to do so 5) Encourage and plan for opportunities for the feedback and 6) involve the learner wherever possible to improve the chance of feedback being understood and acted upon.

The teachers should also encourage students for self-assessment to create a supportive environment where students are willing to share and discuss on their work in pairs, groups and with the whole class. The speaker shared some of the online resources for assessment as a final note.

8. Workshop 1. The speaker grouped the teacher-participants and asked them to construct conceptual test items. The teachers presented their questions and the speaker and other teachers critiqued and commented on their work.

9. Vee Map. This provides the students with questions to help them with assessment, which includes skills that should be developed such as planning, conducting and reporting. This is also to give students a focused question. Concepts are related to each other through a concept map, while finding out more questions lead to state claims. This shows the template to the rubric to evaluate components and a chart to map out results and feedback.

10. Dynamic Assessment. This is driven by self-assessment which is trust-worthy. The speaker also discussed the advantages and disadvantages of dynamic assessment. The speaker also shared some of the complaints of the students with regards to this type of assessment: 1) the test did not assess what they learned 2) students have difficulty recognizing which strategies to use 3) tests are beyond their level 4) there is no way of assessing learning processes and 5) passed the test but did not understand. However she said that the teachers should always challenge the students when it comes to exams.

11. Static Assessment. There are three types of questions for this type of assessment: 1) recall 2) algorithmic 3) higher order, where it includes conceptual questions, translation of the information, interpretation of info, extrapolation and evaluation 4) misconception, i.e. identifying a common misconception and generating a question based on it.

12. Authentic Assessment. This involves direct evidence on the performance of the students through their tests. This is also about how students monitor their understanding in the classroom. The speaker suggested a progress chart. This also entails a meaningful learning in the classroom, where the students do science experiments, conduct social science research, write stories and reports and read and write literature. The teachers on the other hand first determine and measure the students’ ability to apply the knowledge. Between traditional and authentic assessment, teachers can use both. Rubric making is still required. Such tasks may include performance assessment tasks and portfolio. Advantages of this assessment include the promotion of creativity, encouragement of collaboration and emphasis of integrated learning. However this is not applied in real time teaching nowadays the speaker said. The students should also have a self-assessment to evaluate their own participation. Disadvantages on the other hand include time-intensive process.

13. Metacognition. Students both have declarative, procedural and conditional knowledge which comprises of metacognition. The speaker asked the participants about the relationship of these three concepts, which includes authentic assessment, constructive feedback and self-regulated learning. One of the participants said that this will give them more idea on how to address the problems they encounter with their students with regards to self-regulated learning. Another said that the teachers can diversify on the students’ knowledge and explore their inclinations to produce self-regulated learners. The speaker then asked the participants to use the three concept in a single sentence. One said that authentic assessment opens the students to a world of new concepts, constructive feedback for students to realize their strengths and self-regulated learning for students to give them the drive and the motivation to a certain topic or lesson. Another said authentic assessment gives the students the opportunity to learn more and with teachers to have constructive feedback for the students to appreciate the lessons better and become self-regulated learners. The speaker asked more participants to make their own summarized statements about the three concepts. She then asked about the constructive feedback which would come from the teachers while the self-regulated learning comes from the students. She said that authentic assessment give evidence to how students learn in which the teachers will provide constructive feedback to make students self-regulated learner.

14. Workshop 2. The speaker asked the teachers to make a performance task and an authentic assessment based on the questions they made from the previous workshop. They also have to articulate the idea using a rubric. Each group presented their performance task and the speaker commented on their work.

Katha 2014: Course Assessment and Student Learning Outcomes

Minutes of the Workshop Transcribed. Speaker Dr. Maricar Prudente.

KATHA 2014 Batch 2: Day 9

Science Track: Course Assessment and Student Learning Outcomes

Dr. Maricar Prudente

Science Education Department

De La Salle University-Manila

September 27, 2014

Minutes of the Workshop

1. Introduction. The speaker introduced the topic as an integrated course, and aimed to define the relationship between course objectives and assessment of student learning. She provided an overview of the session, starting with course assessment, intended learning outcome and achievement outcomes. She emphasized the need for the students to think critically and the use of proper rubrics in a classroom setting which can be developed by the teachers along with the students. She also aimed for the teachers to create a workshop on performance task and classroom assessment techniques.

2. Overview of Assessment. The speaker first discussed the origin of the word “assess” and how it should be taken to the student. She said it is something we do to and for the students. Assessment should be looked as an art and not just a result of the students’ output, which would not help the student realize how much time he has to take to fully comprehend and understand the lesson. It is an art and a science of knowing how much has the student learned. It also provide evidence of the skills developed by the students, which is not measured only by pen and paper in a card of their grades. She asked the participants the need to know the science teachers how far has the students learned and discovered their potentials in their learning skills. One teacher said so that they will know when to proceed with the next lesson. The speaker also said that such practice should be proactive, not just active. The process of assessment ends when the students have improved their critical thinking skills through the output of their tests. The speaker aimed to redefine the meaning of assessment to the teacher-participants.

3. Course Assessment. The speaker asked the teachers what guides them in determining whether their students have learned their lessons. One teacher said by the results of their exams. Another said by the quizzes every after the lesson, when the students are able to restate the topic of the lesson on their own. She further asked what is their basis of their evaluation of the students’ learning, which is rooted in the objectives of the teachers, not just by giving tests. The course objectives must guide the teachers because it is an integral part of the lesson plan. They should ask how the student will gain maximum outcome and learning in the one hour of the Science topic. The teacher must work backwards starting from the learning assessment technique that shall measure the skills the students must gain at the end of the lesson. The course objectives tell the teachers the learning outcomes of the students which should be actionable, the speaker emphasized. Learning outcomes or outcomes actually means what the students need to learn, know and discover in their skills. The achievement outcome of mastery of the students should be above 60%, which also applies in all subjects, according to the speaker. The success of the learning outcomes is reflected in the skills developed by the students and achieves the standard of the tasks of the course.

3.1. Elements of Learning Outcomes. The teachers should first formulate students of intended outcomes, then develop or select assessment measures through direct assessments of student learning such as projects and exhibitions. These activities yield a comprehensive information that needs to be analyzed and evaluated by the teachers with the students as their measure of their performance and knowledge acquired and skills mastered. Another is to create experiences leading to outcomes, such as service learning, field work and internship. This is where we give feed back to the students for them to realize their potentials.

3.2. Classroom Assessment Techniques. This is a systematic collection and analysis of information which includes analysis of the information to improve educational practices. It is also a method for understanding student learning. It is also based on the belief that the teacher knows more about the students and how they learn, they can better plan the learning activities and structure their teaching. The speaker emphasized that the teachers should not look at the scores, but on how they answered the question. This will give light to the knowledge skills of the students and how they learn. Benefits of proper learning assessment include an ongoing communication process between the teacher and the students, clarification of the teaching goals and what the teachers want the students to learn, credible evidence regarding whether or not learning objectives have been achieved, specific feedback on what is working and what is not and finally increased understanding about student learning in the classroom. The speaker shared that she felt bad every time the students could not answer the quizzes because of the wrong way of teaching. She said she used to treat students who succeeded in learning the topic of the lesson for the day. She pointed out that most teachers seem to consider that assessment is a punishment and a benchmarking of the students’ incapacity of their knowledge skills. The role of assessment should be on focusing on the students’ improvement of their knowledge so that they become self-regulated learners. The feedback should not be about complaining to the faculty about their students’ incapacity to analyze and synthesize but about talking about it to their students and evaluating them personally. One teacher complained how her students could not learn simple topics despite their grade level. The speaker suggested peer teaching and heterogeneous groupings and lesson bodies in class. She said that the more intelligent students are also willing to share their knowledge to their fellow classmates and the teachers should market on such practice. The speaker shared that cognitive psychologists said that mastery takes a long time to develop and that the teachers should maximize their time in making the learning process of the students productive and worthwhile.

One teacher raised the issue of the lack of time for teaching more topics to students, where one concept may require more than a day for mastery. The speaker said that the teachers first have to find out what their students know and give them the extra work that they can bring home to study. They could also remediation. But the teacher shared the sad reality of students not doing the extra work home because they have other problems at home that they bring to school.

The speaker shared the life of the students in Leyte where the group of teachers really teach their students and they have the highest scores in NAT. She said she would like to believe that the teachers in the urban areas can do the same. The teachers should motivate them to learn. They should also invite scientists, mathematicians and not artists to school for the students to learn more outside the classroom and from other more intelligent people. For the economy to grow, science education should be developed, studies have shown according to the speaker. This has been proven by Singapore, where connections of learning science and math and other subjects in the proper way are the key to success. The teachers should encourage the students not to look and be absorbed by their problems and develop an intimate relationship with them to make them understand about the lessons and about life better. She said that teaching and mastery of Science is already rescued by the K to 12 program in a spiral and integrated mode of teaching.

The speaker emphasized on heightening the interest of the students in learning science and providing constructive criticisms to guide them to the right path of learning the subject. She also shared her experience with her granddaughter on how she teaches her to understand the topics better and guiding her instead of feeding her the answers to the problems at hand. This entails student appreciation, the speaker added. The speaker also suggested that the teachers should put their shoes in the students and research has shown that with positive emotions towards the students in a classroom setting lead them to do more work.

3.3. Samples of Classroom Assessment Techniques. 1) One minute paper. This provides a quick and simple way to collect written feedback on student learning, with questions like what is the most interesting topic they learned during class on that time. It is important for the teachers to read the assessments of the students and share it to the students to help them and evaluate whether they learned or not. Stop complaining, do the work, the speaker emphasized to the teachers. 2) Muddiest Point. The teacher may ask the student what was the most difficult topic for him. 3) One sentence summary. This challenges the student to answer the questions “Who does what to whom...” This will encourage the students to appreciate the lesson and teacher better, the speaker added. A teacher raised the issue of students cheating in the classroom. The speaker said that if the teacher have good classroom management skills there would be minimal cheating in class and the students are more motivated to learn in class. She suggested “learning contract for the year” for the students, like not being absent for the year that the student should not break. She emphasized the use of positive climate for the students and consistency so that they will appreciate the subject better.

The speaker shared some websites about classroom assessment techniques. She also clarified the use of one sentence summary techniques and it is important for the teacher to let the student understand that the activity is not to be graded but to have a worthwhile evaluation of what they have learned during the day.

4. Learning Assessment. The point of assessment is to find out if the students think critically and solve problems properly. The teachers should ask themselves on how students develop critical skills and solve problems. She said that the teachers should contextualize the concept and apply them in the students’ lives. In a class of 45 are 45 different concepts and different contexts, and it is the job of the teachers to get in to them. There are conditions: 1) the teacher should convince that their prior concept is wrong by giving them problems to solve which are contextualized and relevant to their lives to achieve a cognitive equilibrium in their brains. 2) the teacher should avoid short term memory by giving meaning to the topics of the lesson using their own contextualized environment. This is the reason why most students don’t remember most of the scientific lessons because they are not used in real life and contextualized in their own lives.

4.1. Essential Components of Critical Thinking. The speaker said there are three types of knowledge: 1) declarative knowledge, which is knowing the facts and concepts 2) procedural knowledge, which is knowing how to reason, inquire and present knowledge and 3) metacognition, which are cognitive control strategies such as setting goals and assessing the fruitfulness of a line of inquiry. Metacognition is the most important skill the students should learn that would make them learn by their own will. Motivation should be intrinsic, the speaker emphasized. There should be an internal drive on the part of the student for them to learn better. She shared again her experience in teaching her nephews and nieces about making them more motivated in studying. It is also important to make stories out of the lessons especially in science because it is always effective for the students.

4.2. Standardized Tests and Alternative Assessments. The summative standardized tests in pen and paper, the speaker said, does not really capture the learning assessment for the students. She said the students tend to have the attitude that the students study not because they want to learn but because there is a test. This goes the same with the achievement tests where even cheating is tolerated. One teacher raised the issue that indeed it is a pen and paper evaluation but the speaker said that if the tests were concept tests it would be good for the students. The speaker also said that formative assessment is more appropriate for student evaluation, where it is carried out frequently and is planned at the same time as teaching. It also provides interactive and timely feedback and response, which leads to students recognizing the learning gap and closing it. It also includes self-monitoring and fosters life-long learning. Formative assessment entails success for student evaluation with appropriate guidance. Their achievement also reflects the learner’s perceptions and beliefs about their capacity to learn. The speaker shared that their individual works are not graded but their portfolio reflecting on how much they have learned during the semester.

4.3. Samples of Formative Assessment. This includes paper, written composition, projects, experiment, development of a product, performance and community-based experience and exhibition and portfolio. This entails consideration of a costly effect of this type of learning, but there can be solutions for this, like making a one summative portfolio for the students to make at the end of the semester, where there is evidence of learning. When developing an effective assessment task, the three types of knowledge should be involved—declarative, procedural and metacognitive knowledge. The teachers should also ask  questions like what real life settings do they use the knowledge taught in school, which task best exemplifies the characteristics of an exemplary assessment task and what criteria should the students and the teachers use in shaping and critiquing student work. The speaker shared her techniques of contextualizing the topics the students need for them to appreciate the lesson better. The dominating culture of the classroom should be followed so that the students will better appreciate the lesson and the learning environment better.

#RememberingRobinWilliams: Patch Adams

"Treating a person is about improving the quality of his life, not just delaying death,"

I remembered how my mentor Ms. Josephine Bonsol always told me about the Hindu chant "May I be an instrument of love and peace, may I be well." This is the same principle that the real Patch Adams shared along with his other six mantras: love, happiness, care, cooperation, fun, creativity and thoughtfulness. 

Sixteen year ago the great Robin Williams brought to life his revolutionary work and people still miss him for being Patch Adams. I myself have always remembered the name of Robin Williams as Patch Adams because that was the first movie where I watched him. Both are like twins--they continuously bring joy and happiness not just to the world but to the world of suffering, pain, and chaos. It is hard enough as it is to spread the love and be an instrument of peace but both Patch Adams and Robin Williams have done with such finesse and ease that they have turned the world upside down and contributed to making the world a better place worth living in. 

The story first zooms in to a suicidal man who narrates his worth in life and the worth of the world he's living in. He self-admits to a mental hospital and found in this most unlikely place his place in the world--he met his roommate Rudy who is schizophrenic and always sees squirrels crawling all over him, a Nobel Prize winner doctor who always laughs at people who say four to the four fingers he shows and his psychiatrist who "sucks at his job" and won't even look his patients in their eyes. After having a game with Rudy to make him go to the bathroom, and learning from the genius doctor that four fingers means looking at the problem too hard, he finally realizes he wants to help people and become a doctor.

But then helping people is easier said than done. Patch enrolls in a medical school and makes a few friends who are still in doubt about his philosophies in improving the quality of life of the patients instead of just treating the disease. In the hospital, he makes all kinds of clown tricks to cheer up the patients which all became very effective. He befriended the nurses and was even able to tame the wildest patient who would never let anyone near him because of his terrible disease.

An epiphany hits him: a free hospital with no insurance policies and other formalities, where there are only free medicines, care, and a bonus of laughter from the balloons and cap guns and bubble machines. A conflict arises because of the low supply of the medical kits because of the absence of insurance. Another major conflict hits Patch where his girlfriend Carin (Monica Potter) was killed by a psychopath. These are all overcome by Patch and the work goes on.

A final conflict surfaces because the medical school principal does not want him to graduate because of "excessive happiness". However he was able to defend himself in court thanks to the help of all the patients he helped in the hospital.

I do believe in my mentor's Hindu chant "May I be an instrument of love and peace. May I be well." I realized that most of the time it's hard to do because I myself  have a lot of things going in my head that I don't manage to look at other people's problems. What I didn't realize was that I could really learn about other people's lives and equally learn more about my life when I talk to them. 

We will always remember you, Robin Willliams a.k.a Patch Adams.

Katha 2014: Science Track-Plants and Photosynthesis

Minutes of the Workshop transcribed. Speaker Dr. Lourdes Cardenas

KATHA 2014 Batch 2: Day 8

Science Track:

Dr. Lourdes Cardenas

MNH Curator

University of the Philippines Los Baños

September 13, 2014

Minutes of the Workshop

1. Introduction. The speaker first divided the teacher-participants into groups of six and gave them one type of plant for them to discuss and identify. She also distributed test sheets and the copy of her Powerpoint to the participants before starting the lecture. She first introduced the use of plants in the Philippines entitled Medicinal Plants.

2. Medicinal Plants. The speaker said that the Philippines is very rich in plants. She showed the participants different medicinal plants and asked them if they could identify one. She introduced the outline of her lecture which revolved around medicinal plants. She showed more photos of medicinal plants and asked the participants to identify them. She explained how they culture plants in UP Los Baños and identified some of the medicinal plants they use and cultivate. She said that these plants are often utilized in different countries like Japan, Singapore and China, but seldom in the Philippines. She also introduced the traditional plants that are often used in provinces. She identified some plants like the Tuba-tuba (Jatropha curcas), and asked one of the participants how it is used as a medicinal plant and also asked why it has boomed in the national and international news. She discussed the disadvantages of such plant because it is poisonous despite its being a medicinal plant. She also pointed out the kamoteng kahoy which has poisonous cyanide content that’s why it may also be dangerous to one’s health. She mentioned the significance of how teachers would teach this kind of medicinal plant to the students. She showed another medicinal plant lagundi and discussed its species. The pansit-pansitan plant has also become a popular medicinal plant in the Philippines and asked the participants how it is used. She also asked the participants on who have eaten this type of medicinal plant and how it is used in salads. She gave the participants a homework assignment on identifying more different types of medicinal plants. She showed more different medicinal and ornamental plants and their uses. She identified one plant pototpod, where one participant shared its proper dosage especially to children. She said that in Baguio that it is used for diabetic patients. Some of her students have studied more about the plant, she shared.

3. The Correct Plant. The speaker conducted a short quiz for the participants on identifying different types of medicinal plants. She showed photos like the lagundi and oregano. She said that such types of plants may also be used as spices. She also discussed a plant named tsaang gubat with medicinal properties. She also discussed its plant morphology and how the small medicinal plant differs from the mature one. She said that the teachers should be careful in teaching and using such medicinal plants. She also discussed its uses and anti-microbial properties using their extracts. She also illustrated root crops and their respective plant morphology and medicinal uses. Questions were raised on the plant morphology and size of such medicinal plant because the students may take it as a mistake without the proper illustration of the plant. She also discussed the research behind the medicine aspirin which also came from a medicinal plant. She discussed its use back in history during Alexander the Great. She said that the medicinal property possessed by aspirin is the salicilic acid where it is sold internationally a hundred years ago. However she shared that it was not yet popular in the Philippines at that time. Mostly nuns and priests would hide these medicinal plants which also possess wine-making properties. She next introduced periwinkle which is not endemic in the Philippines and is also used as anti-cancer. She discussed the complexity of the plant morphology, molecular figure and anti-cancer properties, which is why the medicine is difficult to harvest.

4. Plant Biodiversity. She then discussed the different plants found in the different parts of the Philippines like Mount Pulag and her field work experiences in finding medicinal plants. She discussed its properties which, contrary to literature, do not have anti-depressant properties. She emphasized the diversity of medicinal plants because of the different habitats found in the Philippines. She showed more photos of endemic medicinal plants like pandan fruit, pinecones, sarsabilla, tiger lily and apaton and also discussed their respective habitats—whether in the beach or in the mountains. She also asked the participants their respective medicinal properties based on their respective places. Some of the participants shared their personal experiences with the plants that were discussed. She discussed the plants’ uses and extraction processes.

5. Floral Kingdoms and Hotspots of the World. The speaker illustrated a map where the medicinal plants are rich and where there are less species in other parts of the world, like in the Philippines despite its biological diversity. She shared a quote about revisiting the past which led to pharmaceutical and therapeutic medicines that have boomed long after the popularity of herbal medicinal plants. She discussed their different uses and medicinal properties, like ginseng. She also discussed the Functional Foods that are beyond nutrition but health-wise very significant as well. She also mentioned about nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals and showed more photos of medicinal plants that are responsible for these modified plant supplements. She asked one participant how such plant is used medicinally, which may also be used in salads. She also identified the plant Brassica spp. which has anti-cancer and anti-microbial properties, which also serves the way garlic is used for such medications. One participant shared her knowledge on the medicinal properties and uses of garlic. More participants shared their insights on these medicinal plants. She introduced new books that were released about different types of medicinal plants for further research. She also shared a quote from the bible “...the leaves of the tree were used for healing.”

6. Identifying Plants. The speaker proceeded with the activity for the teachers to identify the different medicinal plants given to each group and identify and determine their respective names, plant morphology, vitamin content, family group and medicinal uses. She also asked whether the plants were ornamental or medicinal plants. They identified different plants like gumamela, oregano, margarita, santan, kangkong, lagundi, fern, banana shrub, lubguban, papua, charitas and alugbati.

7. Photosynthesis. The speaker first asked the participants about photosynthesis and emphasized that the teachers as well as the students must be able to appreciate the lesson despite its complicated process and explanation. She simplified the explanation of the formula for photosynthesis and also asked the relevance of its process in the ecosystem. She proceeded to discuss about the parts of the plant and its cell structure that undergoes photosynthesis including the pigments, the anthocyanin, vacuole, and plasmid. She pointed out the easy way on how to identify the parts of the plant and its cell structure including the glucose and its pigments. She also discussed about monosaccharides, disaccharides and oligosaccharides in the leaves of the plant, which produces the starch in the plant. She further explained the significant carbons that the plants produce. She also described amylose proteins that branches out into amino-peptin that makes up the cellulose of the plant. This is one of the special properties of plants that make it distinct with humans and animals. She also emphasized the materialization of different starches depending on the protein build-up of the plant. She also discussed the different components that need to be utilized like the chlorophyll and enzymes for photosynthesis to take place. She went deep into the parts of the cell of the plant, where each part does its part for the process of photosynthesis.

7.1. Light Reaction or Kreb Cycle. She said that the lower layer and the stomata of the leaves of the plant for light to come into the plant. She gave an overview of the visible spectrum, electron, NADP and photon—pockets of energy in a simple way. She explained the excitement of electrons in the cell of the plant as the excitement of one person being passed on to another person. She then proceeded with the concepts of reduction and oxidation. She also simplified the formula for the chlorophyll and showed illustrations of its protein build-up. She focused on the membrane of the chlorophyll of the plant, where light from the sun is captured. She also illustrated the morphology of the grana or thylakoids. She summarized that light reaction requires enough light compared to the light-independent reaction. She also illustrated the color spectrum of the plant compared to the light rays and frequency of other appliances like radio. She simplified the capturing and absorbing of light by the chlorophyll using everyday experiences and teacher participation and unity. She also discussed photolysis and electron passing in the NADP. She also discussed the significance of ATP syntase protein.  A question was raised on if the lecture on hand is the Krebs Cycle and Electron Transport Chain. The speaker confirmed the lecture but said she explained it in a simpler way. She also discussed about the significance of mitochondria and its role in food making in photosynthesis. She said that chloroplast is an essential part of the plant for light reaction.

7.2. Light-Independent Reaction or Calvin Cycle. This is the counterpart of the light reaction, where the plant does not need light to be able to produce food. She emphasized the significance of ribulose and biphosphate in the cycle. The by-product, she said would be carbon molecule and glyceraldehyde phosphate. The speaker said that this lecture is indeed a challenge to teach to the students but pointed out that they should be explained as simple as possible in the language known to the student. Enzymes, such as carbo-oxilate is also significant in the process. The speaker said that photo-respiration is basically at work in this process compared to the food-making process of photosynthesis. She challenged the participants with an activity on devising a plan to present photosynthesis in the simplest way possible that the students will understand.

8. Activity on Photosynthesis. Each group was able to illustrate the process of photosynthesis in a simpler way and was able to describe and discuss it the way students would be able to understand it better. The speaker emphasized that the target audience are the students, and so they should be able to simplify the illustration as much as possible. Some of the groups were able to illustrate the process of photosynthesis that the children would be able to understand. The speaker evaluated the presentations and commented that the teachers should be very careful with the use of their technical terms. She further discussed the misconceptions of the process of photosynthesis to the teacher-participants so that the students would not be confused with the process and technical terms. She also said that transformation of energy that occurs in the chlorophyll may be paralleled with the solar panels that the students already know. Observations were shared on how the teachers would be able to make the parts of the process of photosynthesis tangible for the students to better understand the concept. Other questions were raised on the difference between protein and starch, chloroplasts, and cellular respiration. 

Silence of the Lambs: the Marcus Aurelius Principle

"First principles. What is it in itself, what is its nature?"

I took a test in Facebook on who would have been the author that would write my life story, and the results said that it would be "a crime if Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of Sherlock Holmes, would not write my story." Indeed I have been in love with detective and psycho-thriller movies since I was a child. Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Saw series, Detective Conan, all these movies have always thrilled me because they are not really horror movies which recently have become a series of scenes that just scares you but with empty stories. I just watched Silence of the Lambs after five years and still gave me the chills by Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Hannibal the Cannibal.

I have read that the movie, which is inspired by the book Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris is based on real life serial killers, where Hannibal Lecter played the role of the real-life cannibal Albert Fish, while Buffalo Bill or Jame Gumb reflected three serial killers including Ted Bundy. I have read a lot about Albert Fish during high school, where he kidnapped children and ate them. Since then, I continued to read about different serial killers and their untold stories of horror and their identities as men of severe violence.

The story starts with FBI student Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) who also has divine interest in behavioral science. A job comes up and the head of the Behavioral Sciences department Dr. Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) asked Clarise to profile serial killers including Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), their "most prized asset". The covert assignment is to use Clarise extract information from Hannibal regarding the Buffalo Bill case files, where up until then the FBI has not able to pin down the horrible serial killer who kills women. Jack Crawford is right: Hannibal knows who Buffalo Bill is. Clarise, who wants nothing but to help pin down the serial killer agrees to a deal with the cannibal Hannibal quid pro quo: Hannibal gives her clues about Buffalo Bill and Clarise tells him about her worst memory of childhood. 

Clarise was able to successfully find the wanted serial killer with Hannibal's anagrams and Marcus Aurelius principle techniques and saved Catherine Martin, the last girl Buffalo Bill kidnapped that time. 

I have always loved how Clarise solved the case files and I learned a lot about the stories behind serial killers who were victims of their childhood themselves. When I read more about the psychology of serial killers and mass murderers I found out that most of them were victims of violence during their childhood and therefore they become something horrible and terrible that they themselves were not able to escape from. 

I have been attracted to different psycho-thriller movies these days despite my current condition, but then the very reason I crave them is I can familiarize with these horrible things and compare them to my own demons, and realize that such people in such movies are far worse than what I am experiencing now. 

In the end, as I have always believed, bad guys are never born as killers in the first place.

Wreck-it-Ralph: One game at a time

"I'm bad, and that's good. I'll never be good and that's not bad."

This is the very reason why I love bad guys and villains in movies, it's because they are a product of their own histories. It's because they were never meant to be bad guys in the first place. It's because they never wanted to be one in the beginning of the story.

I needed some reference with regards to different kinds of sweets, pastries and candycane lollipops for my book I am currently writing and I remembered Sugar Rush in the movie Wreck-it-Ralph. This is one of my favorite Disney movies and no wonder that the cinematography and the story itself is parallel to the Pixar movies is because John Lasseter, the director of many of the movies in Pixar, was the executive producer of this movie. 

Arcade games? Many of us was still able to connect and experience first hand arcade games and now comes in the game Fix-it-Felix, where the protagonist Felix (Jack McBrayer)  fixes the building that Ralph the bad guy destroys. However the story does not revolve in the heroic acts of Felix but in the frustrations of Ralph (John Reilly)  in being the bad guy and living in the block dumps and not having cakes and fireworks and medals. He wants to prove that even bad guys can earn medals and goes Turbo and went to the game Hero's Duty. At first he thought it was that easy to earn the medal in such game until he realizes his life and the whole game could be at stake if he would not shoot the cybugs and help his comrades. The game was over in less than a minute because of Ralph's recklessness and secretly climbs and enters the building where a shining gold medal awaits him. However things took a turn for the worse when he accidentally flew a spaceship with a cybug in it and crosses over to the game Sugar Rush. 

Here he meets the glitch--Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman), who was also in need of a gold medal/coin so she could join the race. Everyone in her game despises her because they said she was never meant to exist in a game--a glitch. The two first had a series of misunderstandings because Vanellope stole Ralph's gold medal and used it so she could join the race. Vanellope decided they should be partners--Ralph would help her get a legitimate race car while Vanellope would win the race so Ralph can get his medal back. 

And so comes the bonding and the development of their friendship with a bonus candy medal saying "You're My Hero" to the bad guy. However another conflict surfaces and their friendship ends until Ralph finally deduces the real reason why Vanellope is a glitch. He helped her get in the race after all and after much combat to the multiple cybugs that almost invaded Sugar Rush, Ralph and Vanellope were able to reset the whole game, while discovering at the same time that Vanellope is a princess and the lead character in the game consul. 

I can watch this film a thousand times and never get bored because the story reflects how bad guys are always mistreated and misunderstood. We meet different kinds of "bad guys" in our lives but we tend not to hear their stories of pain and anxiety. Most of us never tend to understand where their anger really comes from because it takes a lot of effort and time. On my part, this is the very reason why I love bad guys--because they have untold stories that are treasures of knowledge of humankind.

Kat's Cookie Corner: A load of sweets, pastries and meals Ep.3

How about some sumptuous meals and tuna rolls? Here's the next five recipes my friend Kat offers that are always less costly and with full satisfaction.

*Disclaimer: All photos were taken from Kat's Tumblr account at http://theimpulsiveyoungcook.tumblr.com/page/3


1) Beef with Corn and Mushroom sauteed in Oyster Sauce

Ingredients:

·         Ground beef or ground pork

·         Mushroom (pieces & stem)

·         Corn Kernels

·         Basil Leaves

·         Black Pepper (ground)

·         Oyster Sauce

·         Salt(if needed)

·         Onion & garlic

·         Oil

2) Chapchae

Ingredients

• 8 oz mung bean or sweet potato noodles (might be called cellophane or glass noodles or Chinese vermicelli)
• 1 sweet onion, sliced into thin strips
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 pound baby spinach, parboiled
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped Napa cabbage
• 5 shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated if dried and then sliced
• 2 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste
• Sesame seeds (optional)
• 6 oz. beef or pork (optional)*

3) Sweet and Sour Fish

Ingredients:

• fish fillet (I used cream dory)
• 1 pack of pineapple tidbits (keep the juice)
• 1 medium sized bell pepper
• 1 large carrot 
• minced onion, garlic, basil leaves, ground pepper and ginger
• sweet and sour mix (I personally use Del Monte’s)
• egg and breadcrumbs

4) Pasta in olive oil, tomatoes pepper, mushroom and chicken

Ingredients

• pasta (I used veggie pasta for this one.)
• 1 can of mushrooms
• 2 pcs chicken breast
• 4 pcs fresh tomatoes
• extra virgin olive oil (Some say that extra virgin olive oil is not for cooking but I still use it.)
• ground pepper

Procedure

1. Saute sliced chicken breast sprinkled with salt and pepper in olive oil
2. When the chicken breast turned while, add the fresh tomatoes and mushroom. Keep on sauteing.
3. Add pre-cooked pasta.
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper.
5. Let it simmer for 5 minutes then serve.

5) Tuna roll, Chicken Roll, Crabstick-Fish cake Rolls

Ingredients:

1/2 Kilo Short Grain Rice (Japanese Rice)

10 Nori Wrappers

Sesame Oil

Sesame Seeds

Furikake (optional)

1 Cucumber

2 Carrots

1 Lettuce

3 Eggs

6 Crabsticks 

1 Can of Tuna in Oil

Chicken Breast

Fish Cake (optional)

Shitake Mushroom (optional)

Procedure:

1. Cook rice. 

2. While rice is cooking, prepare the ingredients for the filling. 

For the tuna roll and chicken roll prepare:

1. tuna fillet sliced into rectangles/ steamed or boiled chicken breast fillet sliced into rectangles

2. lettuce

3. carrots

4. scrambled egg

5. cucumber sliced vertically

6. shitake mushroom

For the crabstick-fish cake prepare:

1. steamed crabstick and fish cake sliced thinly

2. lettuce

3. carrots

4. scrambled egg

5. cucumber sliced vertically

For the rice:

1. After cooking the rice, mix at least 3 tbsp of sesame oil to it.

2. Mix some sesame seed as well.

3. If you want more flavor, you can add Furikake.

For the sauce:

You’ll need Kikoman soysauce, mayonnaise and sugar. Mix according to desired taste.

Rolling the rolls (lol):

1. Place the Nori wrapper on the bamboo mat. The shiny part should be on the bottom.

2. Spread rice but don’t spread it to the whole wrapper. Leave at least an inch at the end.

3. Put the lettuce first. Then, place the cucumber and carrots on top. 

4. After that, put the slice of scrambled egg, tuna/chicken/crabstick & fish cake and shitake mushroom.

5. Roll it tightly. Use rice as a paste when closing it. 

6. Use the bamboo mat to tighten the roll. Squeeze the roll with enough force. But don’t squeezetoo tightly.

7. Cut into at least 1/2 inch. Be careful in cutting it because if you cut it too thinly, it will be destroyed.