Grade Consciousness?

I was never a grade conscious student. I took in what I could take, and happy when I got high marks. If I get low grades, I usually evaluate myself and my efforts and sometimes find enough reason for me to accept the low marks. I get knocked back into “consciousness” whenever I am in danger of failing - and the possibility of repeating the subject was dangling in front of me, or the thought of my mother’s wrath. (FYI, I was more afraid of the latter.)

Fast forward to my older self - the one who pays for her own education… now I know why my mom was grade conscious! Money-wise, good grades are also my objective gauge whether I am committed to my studies or if I am valuing the money I am spending for my higher education. A good self-check.

Good grades = money well spent

Bad grades = do better, don't waste money!

Traditional definition: Grades measure one’s level of understanding of the subject matter. Hence, it is an important measure of one’s progress to master a topic.  It is an input to a feedback mechanism that will allow the student to check their understanding of the course, and to implement specific measures to improve further. I agree that effort should be considered. In higher education, however, I think accuracy and quality should be a priority. Without grades or some type of measurement system in place, a student may not know whether he or she is on the right track.

I would want to know my grades, or at least hope to receive some kind of feedback, for every assignment done within a semester. It is good to know if I am on the right track, ultimately contributing to the completion of my units per semester. Good to know if I should study more, or seek to understand more...

If that is too demanding for the grade givers, fine – then I will accept receiving feedback at the end of the semester. To reach that point when I can say that, “Ah, the sem is over, and I learned all about <insert subject name here> and I am ready for the real world”

Alas, I cannot claim relief yet about one subject I took a semester ago. I am confident about it because I liked the topic, but I know nothing about how I did. Am I still too demanding if I complain?

Hey, we deserve to know our grades on time. It's not just a number.

Come graduation, I am not only seeking a printed diploma out of compliance. I am seeking higher education.

The Greatest Facilitator: FED 2014

I owe my interest to become a good facilitator to my Ayala Young Leaders Secretariat Days, where I met inspiring Ayala facilitators, such as Mario Deriquito (now a Dep Ed undersecretary) and Simon Mossesgeld (Tatay Monch to AYLC alumni , an independent leadership consultant). The two were to become my our wedding Ninongs, too :-)

 

I don't exactly do much facilitation in my current job, but I do get some "air time" when we train bank account officers on how to do sustainable energy finance. I'd like to say that I handle the "people and behavior" part of sustainable banking! I saw the FED (Facilitator Enhancement Day) 2014 ad and figured that a Franklin Covey training can help me enhance my training and public speaking skills. I was able to go courtesy of my company, IFC.

The whole day training was held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel last Feb 20, and was mostly attended by Franklin Covey facilitators. Franklin Covey Co. was founded by Stephen Covey, the author behind the bestseller, "7 Habits of Highly Effective People." The company has since developed leadership trainings with the 7 Habits as the central theme. I have never attended a 7 Habits training so I was a bit worried about how I'd catch on during FED. I guess it was not a prerequisite, but I bet the day will even be more enriching for people who have the 7 Habits background!

There were over 200 attendees for FED, and we mostly worked in small groups. There were no opportunities to practice public speaking, but I still found the session helpful. Indeed, it was a day of renewal! I hope I get the chance to take the 7 Habits training one day.



Saw former Ayala group colleagues Enot Misa and Ruel Ardena! Ruel is also one of my "model facis" :-)  

Here are my top 10 takeaways from the training: Note that I might have not captured the lessons word for word, since these just came from my own notes!
 
1. Do something better each time. Always aim to improve.

2. When addressing your audience, keep them within your "wingspan's"" view. Keep eye contact and refrain from turning your back on them.

3. Aim to be "liked" by the audience. Your First 1st impression starts with the way you communicate with them prior to the session (your preliminary materials, etc). The Second 1st impression will be from the way you look or how they see you when you first show up. The Third 1st impression is established by your introduction. When they arrive at the venue, always be set and ready to go.

4. Honor time. Reward people who are on time by being on time.

5. Manage risks! Always have a back up plan just in case something goes wrong. "A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn." - Helen Keller

6. Remember, your audience will have to trust their INSTINCTS first (is it safe? will it eat me?), then FEELINGS/ EMOTIONS (do I like this person?), and only then can we appeal to RATIONAL thought.

7. When given a dress code, play it safe by dressing one level up.

8. In creating Visuals, avoid too much distractions because people have trouble multitasking.

9. When telling stories as part of training: It has to be short, has to have a point, and relevant to the topic. Follow this pattern: SITUATION- COMPLICATION - RESOLUTION.

10. Make lessons learned during training sustainable by applying them to your life or work! 

All attendees also took home a training booklet, some handouts, a set of cards listing the common body language mistakes, a desk calendar, and a certificate.

The session also helped me craft my "Facilitator Contribution Statement" - which I would describe as sort of a "renewal of vows" as a facilitator. Mine goes:

" I am committed to continue to design new, exciting, innovative, and interesting ways to share stories that inspire and motivate participants to make the most of their skills and talent!"


It was a refreshing experience, with useful takeaways that I can definitely use to improve my facilitation skills! Good to share the tips to fellow trainers in the office.

FED 2014 Manila was made possible by The Center for Leadership and Change, Inc. Learn more about other trainings at www.franklincoveyphilippines.com. Thanks to the session facilitators Ms. Teresa Balili-Mendoza, Mr. Teresito S. David, Ms. Christine Javier, and Mr. Mennen Aracid.

 

Homecoming

The Philippine Daily Inquirer is close to my heart. It was our family's subscription when I was growing up. That all-too-familiar blue was always a welcome sight at our breakfast table. My mom was a fan of the crosswords, and I, a big fan of the comics : A.Lipin and Pinoy Nga by Jess Abrera, Pugad Baboy, plus the foreign ones: Garfield, Baby Blues, etc… I even have a stuffed Guyito (their carabao mascot!), that I won in a contest :). PDI had a big influence on me and my early life choices.

JI and Youngblood. Ah, check out the very first check I got paid in my life and for writing! P540.00!

When I discovered I wanted to be a writer (probably around 5th grade), I wanted to get published in PDI. It was my ultimate goal. With hard work, fuelled by dreams, I got published in the Junior Inquirer (JI) , Youngblood, and 2BU! A highlight of my youth was getting to visit the PDI office as part of the the first batch of JI School Correspondents with "Ate" Natasha Vizcarra at the helm. That was over 14 years ago!

Somewhere along the way, I lost that writer's vibe. (I never lost the love, just the vibe!) Perhaps life took over. Or online self-publishing took over (a.k.a blogging and social media - where instant gratification and free speech reigns). Or maybe I was just too tired of writing other stuff for other people that I lost my voice. I do miss writing for myself… but that's another story.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit PDI once again as part of my DevCom 206 class (Development of Radio and Print Materials).  Ms Connie Calagayan, AVP for Corporate Communications, gave a brief talk and gave us a tour of the newsroom. I felt my heart racing once again and rediscovered what excited me about writing and print media. With the entry of online news and radio - the industry has become even more exciting!  Ms Connie opened my eyes to the current reality: Print is only a medium. The news industry will always be here and will continue to evolve.

Ms. Calagayan was very accommodating and answered all our questions. Thank you!

Despite my very (very) short career in print media, the visit to PDI felt like homecoming. As we reviewed the news gathering, writing, editing, and publishing process; and as I was welcomed with the smell of newsprint and ink at the printing press, it was a reunion with an old friend who has helped me become what I am today.

My exposure to PDI and JI while growing up influenced my aspirations to become a good writer and knowledge-sharer.