About

A mom's journal of home life stories, hopes and dreams for her two wonderful kids

Monday, November 28, 2016

Star Trek, Making a Pitch, What, So What, Now What



Two questions to help you when deciding:

  1. Is it the truth
  2. Will it be good for the group
Some lessons I learned about pitching your start up:
  • Be clear what problem you are addressing.
  • Make sure your solution is unique.
  • Note your competitive advantage. It may be your expertise or what sets you apart.
  • Know your business model. If it is not clear to you how to make money, VCs will know. VCs, by the way, mean venture capitalists.
  • Ask! Your call to action has to be direct. 
  • Don't be afraid to get a NO. No's mean a lot more. It could mean you're not ready, the technology is not ready, and so on.
  • What, So What, Now What - Product, Solution, Benefit
Start up speak
Monthly burn: monthly spending
Milestones: how you will determine your success as a start up
Pitching: selling the dream concept your start up is anchored on. It's like a job interview, but more intense! Be ready with 5-year assumptions and projections that show your understanding of your market.
Cost per install: how much you will spend to get users to install your mobile application
Business model: how you will earn money


All this start up talk makes me want to watch an Eddie Garcia movie

Random thought
Coming home to your kids solving math equations and requiring you to solve it too as a family rite of passage.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Ace water spa buffet fee and other menu, Paper and pencil assessment, Ethical considerations in assessment, #IWishMyTeacherKnew

Thinking of going to Ace Water Spa?

Here are their buffet rates:
Adults
P605/head weekdays
P715/head weekends
Kids (3-4.6ft in height)
P247.50/head

Separate access and payment to the spa

Spa access:
Adult - P550
Kids 4ft below - P250

Paper and pencil assessment
Paper and pencil type comprise the majority of classroom assessments I had as a student - from quizzes, to seat work to essay tests. I remember taking some performance-based assessments such as dance presentations, home economics skills demonstration and public speaking during elementary and high school. For college, my undergraduate course required a few TV and radio production classes which involved regular performances.

Paper and pencil assessments taught me valuable life skills such as taking down notes during class, mustering the courage to clarify what is not clear to me, and developing friendships with classmates who help me prepare for such exams.

Performance-based assessments, on the other hand, helped me directly learn new skills and processes.

Hat Tip, Escape The City

I have been a proud product of Philippine public school education. It is only now in post graduate that I have enrolled in a private institution. Generally, I consider my schooling as top notch. I was fortunate to have excellent and passionate teachers who valued us, their students, as if we were their own family.

However, my educational experience does not resonate with the majority of Filipinos.

Stories about teachers physically hurting non-performing students, school administrators manipulating honor roll, teachers giving out quizzes as punishment to students' behavior are real and illustrate lack of ethics when it comes to assessment of learning.

Though I have not directly experienced any such things, I am most able to resonate with the psychological strain that classroom assessment typically has on students.

I would like to meet a student who enjoys taking exams. Assessments, no matter how beneficial, remain a requirement students grudgingly take on. It is synonymous to pressure, cramming and manual labor.

School and learning are fun, but when assessment gets into the picture, the fun stops. Perhaps due to competition among learners, pressure from the family or society, and the feeling of being judged among other things, contribute to the negative psychological impact of classroom assessment.



#IwishmyteacherKnew
An American teacher, Kyle Schwartz gave out a simple question at the start of the school year to break the ice with a short essay prompt: I wish my teacher knew. The responses she got where overwhelming, with several students revealing deep and personal issues about their family, parents and dreams.

She shared some students' reply via Twitter and the hashtag #Iwishmyteacherknew became viral.


Monday, November 14, 2016

PACEM Eco Park, Antipolo

PACEM is Peace and Care for Earth Ministry
You can see butterfly farms, mini zoo, herbal garden, seashells museum among other things at PACEM.

Interested to visit PACEM? Here are additional details:

From Monday to Friday, from 8.00am to 3.30pmOn Saturdays from 8.30am to 12.00noon.For inquiries pls write or call:********PACEM*********Center for Peace and EcologyAssumption Antipolo Sumulong Highway, Antipolo CityTel.(+63-2)696-3274 or 697-2354
P85/head

Photos and other info, please visit here.


Sunday, September 18, 2016

Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles, Pampanga Tourist Attractions, Exceptional people, Math as a language

ctto


When in Clark Freeport Zone in Angeles, Pampanga, might as well do these:
  1. Visit the Salakot Monument - a stage with the design similar to the Filipino farming hat called salakot and commemorates the complete turnover of the whole Clark Freeport Zone to the Philippines. The place used to be a US Army Base. Viewing Fee: Free
  2. Old Canons - in front of the Clark Museum, these canons were from Spanish warship named Seville around 1778. Viewing Fee: Free
  3. Clark Museum - know the background of the whole place, what it was originally and how the place was transformed to what it is now. Viewing Fee: P30/head P350 fee for tour guide
  4. El Kabayo Riding Stables - Get all the western cowboy you want with this version of the Wild West complete with horses, stables, picnic trails and more. Entrance Fee: P50 Horseback riding 20-mins P150, Calesa ride - P200, 45-minute forest trail ride P300.00 All day joy ride P700 Getting there: From Clark proceed to duty-free shopping area. At the intersection of C.M. Recto Hwy. and Gil Puyat Ave., turn right to picnic grounds toward Mabalacat gate. Or enter thru Mabalacat gate.
  5. Nayong Pilipino - A theme park of Philippine landmarks, this is the modern version of the one used to be near NAIA. Entrance fee: P50
  6. Zoocobia and Paradise Ranch - An open zoo where you may interact with the animals, feed them and pet them. Paradise Ranch on the other hand is nature park on top of the mountain. There's a pool. Entrance Fee: P500/head
  7. Clark Parade Grounds - Open field with a lot of history, offers a jogging path and huge space for events.
  8. Bicentennial Park - Near the Clark Parade Grounds, has a pavilion, stage, play ground for children
  9. Picnic Ground - Ideal for family picnic, has biking lanes and bikes for rent
Yes you are! ctto

Exceptional People 
The truly exceptional focus on cultivating their inner worlds and the more soft-spoken qualities of their character because they know to be wholly successful, it takes being a really good human being. ~ Sherrie Campbell

Exceptional people are:
1. GraciousTo be graceful is to be strong and assured in who one is, even in the midst of challenges
2.  Kindconsistent in how they treat, think about, and speak to others - even those they don't care for. they can love someone even if they do not like them. If they cannot say something nice, they have the control to remain quiet.
3. Composedthe less they react, defend, explain, become fearful or controlling, the more command they have over a situation. abiding
4. FearlessThey know it takes courage to love fully, to change themselves when necessary, to feel deeply, to take risks even when it is scary and to chase their dreams with passion and an unwavering tenacity. Be all there
5. Deliberate - clear and persistent on who they are and what they want to be
6. Intelligent - smart about the world around them and inside them
7. Humbledo not see life as being all about them, in fact, they prefer to celebrate the accomplishments of others as much as their own
8. Honestsimple, upfront, gentle, but direct in the "being" of who they are, dependable and authentic
9. Lovingwarm toward others and kind to themselves

Math as a language - ELISA MARIA GUERRA CRUZ, Benbowm C, at Stanly, J. (1980) "Sex Pagkakaiba sa matematika kakayahan: Katotohanan ng artepakto" Science, Volume 210, 12 Disyembre 1980.https://my.vanderbilt.edu/smpy/files/2013/02/ScienceFactOrArtifact.pdf
OECD (2015), Ang ABC of Gender Equality sa Edukasyon:. Aptitude, Behaviour, Kumpiyansa, PISA, OECD PublishingHttp://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264229945-en