Tuguegarao City – The 2009 CNN Hero of the Year, a woman who traversed Mt. Everest, and two Louisian educators have been the speakers in this year’s Luzonwide Educators’ Convergence conducted by the University of Saint Louis (USL) through the Teacher Education Department of the School of Education, Arts, Sciences, and Health (SEASH) and the Center for Social Innovation, Local Knowledge, Education, and Research (CSILKER), Jan. 17-19.

For his topic “The Mission-Driven Teacher,” Mr. Efren Peñaflorida narrated the story about “The Kariton Classroom,” a Dynamic Teen Company project whose popularity reached internationally by “bringing the classroom to the community.”  The pushcart classroom focused on making education accessible for out-of-school youth, and young and adult learners in communities where survival or having food was the people’s utmost priority.  Peñaflorida highlighted four factors that determine a genuinely committed teacher through the acronym BEST: believing in oneself;exceling in every work; standing firm to what is true and noble; and thinking of ways to improve.

“A supreme being up there has placed, or will place, a student under your care… when you take the time to write positive and constructive feedback in the assignment of students, you give them hope and (belief) that they are filled with potentials…That’s part of our mission,” said the CNN awardee, further giving ways that a teacher can do to carry out his/her mission.

Mt. Everest in education

Ms. Janet Belarmino, one of the very few women all over the world to summit Mt. Everest, spoke on the topic: “The Teacher-Leaders and Their Roles in Program Implementation,” sharing that planning to reach Mt. Everest is the same as planning for program implementation in education.

According to her, clarity of goals, availability of resources, commitment of team members, and focus on the targets are all relevant during program implementation. She also said that there are no “short-cuts” during implementation. She recounted that she reached Mt. Everest with three years of actual training (in the Himalayas) and sustained commitment despite all the difficulties she had such as limitations in resources and challenges set by the terrains.

“When we reach the top, there’s nothing there. It’s really about the lessons that we have learned as we climb the terrains,” she concluded.

Differentiation and benchmarks

Two speakers from Saint Louis University (SLU), Baguio City, Dr. Shirley Ayao-ao and Dr. Felina Espique, likewise graced the convergence.

Dr. Ayao-ao, graduate program coordinator of SLU School of Teacher Education and Liberal Arts, emphasized the concept on differentiation in instruction. She reminded the teachers and future teachers to vary their strategies and activities inside the classroom to cater to individual differences. She said that the purpose of education is to promote potentials.

Dr. Ayao-ao’s talk on Universal Design for Learning focused on inclusivity in education which addresses not just the gifted learners but all students from different walks of life. She emphasized that UDL addresses the need to cultivate multiple intelligences as learners are diverse. She also stressed that no matter how challenging students can be, teachers should not give up on them and on their dream of becoming better individuals. “If we can teach the last one in the classroom, we can teach everyone in the classroom.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Espique, dean of SLU Teacher Education program, shared the “best” practices in their program with which other institutions could benchmark to ace the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET).

SLU Baguio is recognized by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) for the performance of its Teacher Education graduates in the LET.

In attendance to the convergence were school leaders, professional teachers, and future educators from different institutions, namely: Cagayan State University, International School of Asia and the Pacific, Isabela State University, Mallig Plains Colleges, Reina Mercedes Vocational and Industrial School, Saint Mary’s University, St. Paul University Philippines, and University of Saint Louis.

CHED Region 02 Director Honorato Alzate and Education Supervisor Almacita Abrigo, USL President Delailah Valencia, and USL VP for Academics Emmanuel James Pattaguan graced the opening program of the event.

Research presentations

With the theme “Strengthening Inclusive Education: Enabling Education Networks,” the three-day convergence also included research presentations from among the event participants.

Professional Teachers Cluster

Research	Presenter
Cooperating Teachers’ and Student-Teachers’ Mentoring Experiences, Issues, and Concerns: Towards a Proposed Mentoring Program in Teacher Education	Federica Calauagan Saint Mary’s University
English Language Pedagogy at International School of Asia and the Pacific	Jhoanna Pauline Mamansag International School of Asia and the Pacific

Teacher Education Cluster

Research	Presenter
Employer Satisfaction with Louisian Secondary Teacher Education Graduates	Kathlene Telan University of Saint Louis
Epistemological Beliefs of Pre-Service Teachers	Mark Langcay University of Saint Louis
Factors Affecting the Performance  of International School of Asia and the Pacific Teacher Education Graduates in the Licensure Examination for Teachers	Ma. Luisa Dulnuan International School of Asia and the Pacific
The Effects of Cultural Diversity to the Academic Performance of BS Education Students in International School of Asia and the Pacific	Mylene Capili International School of Asia and the Pacific
The Professional Attributes of Teachers in Education Department and its Association to Student Academic Performance and Job Satisfaction	Junea-fe Gannaban International School of Asia and the Pacific
21st Century Teaching and Learning Skills of Pre-Service Teachers	Jonel Rodriguez University of Saint Louis

Special Topics in Education Cluster

Research	Presenter
Christian Values in Ibanag Secular Folk Songs	Kristian Jay Sto. Tomas University of Saint Louis
Ethnomedicinal Plants Used by the Folks of Nueva, Sta. Marcela, Apayao	Crizza Mae Bunagan University of Saint Louis
Learning beyond the Classroom: Success Stories of Alternative Learning System Graduates	Ethel Layus University of Saint Louis
Nuestra Señora del Pillar: Rediscovering the Arts of a Heritage Church	Clyde Vinzon Martin University of Saint Louis
Related Factors Affecting Choice of Specialization among Social Studies Students	Mark Lester Liquigan Cagayan State University
The Functions and Perceived Effects  of Hashtag in a Second  Language Classroom	Tristhan Joshua Mauricio Saint Mary’s University
21st Century Skills of Alternative Learning System Mobile Teachers	John Michael Bassig University of Saint Louis

Basic and Higher Education Cluster

Research	Presenter
Formative Assessment and Summative Assessment in English	Kurt Warren Cusap University of Saint Louis
Hedges in College Students’ Thesis Results and Discussion	Joven Job Pilaspilas Saint Mary’s University
Issues and Concerns  on the Implementation of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education	Rohna Franz Ramirez University of Saint Louis
Metodolohiya at Wikang Ginagamit ng mga Guro para sa Epektibong Pagkatuto	Mark Jhon Prestoza Reina Mercedes Vocational and Industrial School
Politeness Strategies of Students in Breaking News	Rodny Giverson Garcia Saint Mary’s University
Speech Acts on the Facebook Status of High School Students	Alvin Valmonte Saint Mary’s University