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.

Doing it Better - Lessons from DEVC 206

I just finished DEVC 206 this semester. The first batch of grades for our requirements has just been released... so far so good. Now that the course is finished, let me share with you some of my key takeaways on print material production, that I will surely apply in my work. BTW,  the course title is Design and Production of Print and Radio Materials. 

1. Practice the inverted pyramid.
   I like writing news features, and typically have a hard time getting straight to the point when I get carried away. Our communications officer emphasizes to me to write a good lead to hook the readers, and make sure to dish out the most important details first. More than a writing guide, crafting articles aligned with the inverted pyramid will mean the most important details get mentioned before (1) the publisher decides to take off some paragraphs, and (2) before readers lose interest.
   
   
2. Experiment with different types of leads... (and endings, too!)
   The program I work for, the Sustainable Energy Finance Program, is a 5-year program promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy. It is a challenge to keep things fresh, so I appreciate learning about the different types of leads, and endings as well. 
   
3. Leave the poetry to the poets...
   Although I also seek to entertain, I believe the module gave a good reminder to “sacrifice verbosity and prose for simple, but effective writing" 
   
   
4. ... and the technical terms to the specialists.
   It is a challenge to write about highly technical stuff when your target readers are from a different field. In my case, I write about energy technologies for specific audiences: end users, suppliers, and banks. Since I have been doing this a while, it is very easy to start using jargon because I myself am able to understand. I typically pick a random person in the office to help me write in layman’s terms that would be fully understood by a specific audience. 
   
   
   
5. A well-written document needs to look good, too.
   I know how to use desktop publishing/ layout design software. However, when doing things for professional distribution, I leave it to the experts. I like simple and straightforward designs that highlight messages instead of overpowering them.
   
   
6. Be careful with typeface.
   I sometimes sacrifice readability for “cuteness.” Fancy fonts can be difficult to read, so be careful! 
   
   
7. Down with photographic clichés!
   How many people with shaking hands do we really need? I personally do not prefer this, but a lot of people do, and this is what they usually look for. Now, how to convince them that this is not the way to go!I like action shots ! An ongoing meeting discussion, or live examples!
   

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.

Penultimate Semester

Another semester! How time flies.  This is now my second to the last (I hope) semester for UPOU. Many times I felt like quitting, but just like the “little engine that could,” I just say to myself ... I know I can! I know I can!

Last semester was a whirlwind semester. I especially loved DEVC 208 – Social Marketing and Mobilization, specifically because it allowed me to work with a group and to really realize a concrete output that interacted with the “real world”! We had fun creating our campaign, Reuse+Ability. Our website is still up, www.reuseability.com.  DEVC 263 – Communication of Scientific Information – was really challenging and exhausting. We still do not have our grades, though.  I am a getting a bit impatient, because aside from the comments and feedback we get throughout the year, the grades are also testaments to one’s level of understanding of the lessons. (Note: I think timely feedback is essential to distance learning to keep up interest and for students to gauge their performance... since you hardly see each other for immediate feedback giving). 

This semester, I decided to take 2 majors: DEVC 206 – Design of Print and Radio Communication Materials, and DEVC 204 – Communication Research and Evaluation.  Based on my experience last sem, 2 majors at the same time was really difficult! However, I wanted to “free up” some time for my last semester for DEVC 290 (Special Problem) , so I take that + an elective.

The semester started right in the middle of a very important event at work. I am still trying to catch up to the first few assignments!

Hanna's Green Travel Tip and a Giveaway!

Sawasdee and Greetings from Bangkok, Thailand!

My work calls for a lot of travel. I rack up a huge amount of greenhouse gas emissions brought about by air travel. Since I can't really prevent air travel, I have to compensate for it by trying to live a sustainable lifestyle. I enjoy thinking of ways on how I can travel "green" by tweaking my practices and making personal choices that reduce my personal contribution to waste and environmental degradation.

Do you shop when you travel? I do. I end up with several plastic and paper bags, which I hardly also pack and bring home with me.

Green Tip #1 - Bring a lightweight shopping bag when you travel

By practicing this green tip, you could reduce waste, you could have an easier time carrying one bag (than several small ones), and you also have an opportunity to be stylish by using the shopping bag of your choice!

Now before I turn in a full blown article , I would also like to know what YOU think! I challenge you to share your own Reuse+Ability for GREEN TRAVEL ! And WIN THIS:


Live Simply reusable shopping bag and journal (recycled paper!) + surprise prize !

 

3 WAYS TO JOIN!

1) Log-in with your Facebook or Twitter Account on http://reuseability.com/ and share your travel tip on our commitment wall ("What's your ReuseAbility idea?")  OR contribute an article with the hashtag #GreenTravelTip

2) Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/reuseability and post a photo and a description of your green travel tip with the hashtag  #GreenTravelTip

3) Tweet @reuseability a photo describing your #GreenTravelTip (don't forget the hashtag!)

Winners will be notified by FB Message or Twitter. Prize will be delivered for free to any Philippine location.

GET THOSE TRAVEL TIPS COMING! Challenge ends 11:59 PM (GMT+8) Saturday, September 21!

Eco Enterprise : Rags 2 Riches - scrap cloth to chic bags

Have you ever been stuck in traffic and offered to buy “basahan” (cotton cloth rags). These are usually scrap pieces of cloth (“retaso”) sewn together. Another variation is the woven cloth door mat, a classic design. The nanays who make these rags spend a lot of their time sewing and weaving, only to sell them for a few pesos through informal means, or much worse, get cheated out of extra income by middlemen who supply the rags and buy the finished products.

Throwing in some ingenuity, Pinoy creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and social responsibility – Reese Fernandez-Ruiz and some friends formed Rags to Riches (R2R). R2R is a social enterprise that helps empower the “nanays” or former rag weavers, to become bag artists. With the help of big name Pinoy designers, such as Rajo Laurel and Amina Aranaz, R2R harnessed the lowly rag weaving style to create fabulous designs of bags worthy of high-end boutique shelves. Talk about adding value!

This upcycling of scrap cloth offers several benefits. It has turned scrap cloth from waste to  commodity, and added on to its value by creating luxury items that would generate “repeat buyers” (How many cloth rags does a girl really need? J How many bags does a girl need? ).  More than the improved livelihood, the bag weavers are also empowered with new skills and fresh confidence.

Rags to Riches , indeed, is a testament that successful businesses have room for environmental and social responsibility!

Learn more about R II R :

http://rags2riches.ph/

@R2RecoStyle

 

I've been lucky enough to score these R 2 R goodies in some events. I am still saving up for the Buslo  tote bag  :) Good things come to those who wait.

 

 

article as seen on www.reuseability.com -- our DEVC 208 Social Marketing project! Check it out !