POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES Open University System, Quezon City Campus

A Tem PaperOn Prescribed Model for the Philippine Educational Systemfrom Pre K to12

Presented to Dr. Carolina Danao

In Partial Fulfillmentof Requirementsin Educational Models, Paradigms, and Procedures(MEM 649)

Submitted by:

Roseo T. Caburian, Jr.

September 28, 2014Table of Contents

Title Page - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -1Table of Contents - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2Abstract - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3Prescribed Models - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4-22 The Reggio Emilia Approach (Pre-K to 3) - - - - - - 4-7The Phillip Schlechty Model (Grades 4-10) - - - - - 8-12The SIOP Model (Grades 1-12) - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13-20Conclusion - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -21References - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -22

ABSTRACT

The succeeding information is an endeavor to endorse educational models that may possibly be appropriate based on my exposure to the educational system in privates schools while serving as Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines Chair of English Coordinators in Metro Manila, my involvement in World Council on Curriculum and Instruction Conference in the Philippines as session chair and secretariat head, and as Curriculum Interventionist for English Language Learners in Garland Independent Schools District in Texas, USA.

As extensively discussed in the Foundations of Education class with Professor Caturay, the metamorphosis of Philippine education through the years was a gradual process brought about by generations of colonialism and imperialism. From the Spaniards to the Americans, to the Japanese even during the Liberation period up to the EDSA revolution, changes in education did not equate the high hopes of the Filipino people. Presently, the Philippine educational system needs to address issues not only of accessibility and quality in providing education for all. Other issues need to address the role of education in the national development, the unresponsive curriculum, improper monitoring of programs implemented, globalization of education and even politics in education.

For the Philippine education to succeed, its ills and problems must be addressed. There is a need for values reorientation of the Filipinos as a key to national development. Teachers transformation, in terms of their values orientation is necessary. Part of the teachers transformation must include their upgrading or updating for professional and personal development. Hence, government support and intervention, along this line is very much needed. As these very same ills and problems have been hounding the country for the last several decades, failure to do so will only compound these problems in the coming years.

Below are three models that have been implemented in various educational settings that I, as a teacher-researcher, would like to propose for the Philippine Pre-K to 12 educational system. The first should be observed in the Pre-K to Grade 3, whereas the second must be implemented in grades 4 to 10, and the third one must be observed from elementary to senior high school.

I. The Reggio Emilia Approach

Prelude to the model

An overview of Reggio Emilia Approach was shared with my fellow recipients and I of the Listo! Sharp and Ready grant from Texas A&M University, U.S.A. in 2008. At that time I used the $500 grant to purchase a video camera that would be used in documenting the developmental works of the learners. The aim of my project was to allow the learners to video record their presentations prior to class exhibition so that they can be their own critics in improving their output. Students were also instructed to show and share their recorded presentation rehearsals to their parents and siblings to involve their family members. The end goal of the project was to take out arbitrariness in the evaluation of students exhibition of knowledge and skills. The project which I dubbed as The ELL Dreams through the Lens abided by tenets A, B, C, D, E, H and I of this educational model.

Schools around the world namely Blue House in Singapore, Southville International Schools and Colleges in Las Pinas, Reggio Children pre-school in Cainta are among the few pre-school institutions that employ the Reggio Emilia Approach.

Based on Wikipedia notes, Reggio Emilia is recognized worldwide for its innovative approach to education: its name comes from the city where it began --- in Italy. The keyword of this method is foster education, from the tender age, promoting the best possible integration among childrens languages which, as Loris Malaguzzi said, are a hundred or more.In this approach, there is a belief that children have rights and should be given opportunities to develop their potential. Children are believed knowledge bearers, so they are encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas about everything they could meet or do during the day.The Reggio Emilia philosophy is an approach to teaching, learning and advocacy for children. In its most basic form, it is a way of observing what children know, are curious about and what challenges them. Teachers record these observations to reflect on developmentally appropriate ways to help children expand their academic and social potentials. Long-term projects connect core academic areas in and out of the classroom.Principles of the Reggio Emilia Approach to Education

A. Image of the ChildChildren are viewed as competent, curious, full of knowledge, potential, and interested in connecting to the world around them. Teachers are deeply aware of childrens potentials and construct all of their work and environment of the childrens experience to respond appropriately.B. Collaboration and InteractionCollaboration and cooperation are intentional in a school inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to education. The entire system is designed to be connected and in relationship. Nothing is left to sit in isolation. Everything is alive and connected. Children, teachers and families join together to continually improve the system that supports our school community.C. The EnvironmentThe space within the school or the environment is considered the third teacher. Teachers intentionally organize, support and plan for various spaces for children. The daily schedules are planned to ensure that there is a balance between individual, small and large group activities, child directed and teacher initiated activity and inside as well as outside experiences.D. The Three Subjects of Education: Children, Families and TeachersFor children to learn, their well-being has to be guaranteed; such well-being is connected with the well being of parents and teachers. Children, parents and teachers have rights; the right to safety, care and welfare, the right to be involved and the right to grow professionally.E. The Power of DocumentationDocumentation is a means to collect information, observations and learning. It can be in the form of observations, photography, video, conversation transcripts and/or visual mediums like paint, wire, clay or drawing materials. Teachers use documentation to identify strengths, ideas, and next steps to support learning.F. Emergent CurriculumEmergent Curriculum is a way of teaching and learning that requires teachers to observe and listen to the children. Teachers ask questions and listen for the childrens ideas, hypotheses and theories. After observing children in action, the teachers compare, discuss, and interpret their observations. Teachers plan activities, studies and long term projects in the classroom based on their observations. Teachers partner with children and the exchange of theories are referred to as the Cycle of Inquiry. Teachers use their interpretations, intentions and goals (social, emotional and academic) to make choices that they share with children. Learning is seen not as a linear process but as a spiraling progression.G. The Hundred Languages of ChildrenIn this approach, learning outcomes are exhibited through the many talents, ways, forms, and shapes in the capabilities and imaginations of chidren.

H. The Role of the TeacherThe image of the child shapes the role of the teacher and involves four major components. Teachers are: Co-constructors: partners, guides, nurtures, solves problems, learns, hypothesizes Researchers: learns, observes, revisits Documenters: listens, records, displays, revisits Advocates for children: involved in the community, politics relating to children, speaks for children and presents work to other educators and community members.I. The Role of ParentsParents are an essential component of the school. They are an active part of their childrens learning experiences and help to ensure the welfare of all the children in the school. All families are members of the Family TeamJ. The Role of Time and the Importance of ContinuityTime is influenced by the interests and activities that the children bring to life within the school. This in turn impacts schedules, groupings and routines. Teachers get to know children (strengths, needs and personality) because children stay with the same teacher and the same peer group for two years.K. ProjectsProjects provide the backbone of the childrens and teachers learning experiences. They are based on the strong convictions that learning by doing is of great importance and that to discuss in group and to revisit ideas and experiences is the premier way of learning. Project ideas come from experiences of the children and teachers, a chance event or problem posed. They can last from a few days to several months.

End note about the Reggio Emilia ModelReggio Emilia's approach to early education reflects a theoretical kinship with John Dewey, Jean Piaget, Vygotsky and Jerome Bruner, among others. Much of what occurs in the class reflects a constructivist approach to early education. Reggio Emilia's approach does challenge some conceptions of teacher competence and developmentally appropriate practice. For example, teachers in Reggio Emilia assert the importance of being confused as a contributor to learning; thus a major teaching strategy is purposely to allow mistakes to happen, or to begin a project with no clear sense of where it might end. Another characteristic that is counter to the beliefs of many Asian educators is the importance of the child's ability to negotiate in the peer group.One of the most challenging aspects of the Reggio Emilia approach is the solicitation of multiple points of view regarding children's needs, interests, and abilities, and the concurrent faith in parents, teachers, and children to contribute in meaningful ways to the determination of school experiences. Teachers trust themselves to respond appropriately to children's ideas and interests, they trust children to be interested in things worth knowing about, and they trust parents to be informed and productive members of a cooperative educational team. The result is an atmosphere of community and collaboration that is developmentally appropriate for adults and children alike.

II. The Phillip Schlechty Model

Prelude to the model

The concept of Schlecthys Engagement approach was introduced to my fellow teachers and I in the Garland Independent School District through the Provocacciones grant through the Bilingual Education/English as a Second Language Program of the Texas A&M University-Commerce in U.S.A.

Schlechtys way of looking at student engagement goes beyond the simplistic "time-on-task" measures that look at quantitative measures of student attention and instead focuses on qualitative measures of how engaged students are in the learning. He contends that differences in students attention and commitment produce engagement and, further, that effort affects learning outcomes at least as much as intelligence does. The five levels of engagement are 1) engagement, 2) strategic compliance (working for a reward), 3) ritual compliance (working to avoid punishment), 4) retreatism (passively disengaged), and 5) rebellion (actively disengaged and encouraging others to be as well). Time-on-task measures can show when students are in rebellion or retreatism, but cannot distinguish among the other three. Schlechty defines the highest level of student engagement, engagement, as when the student sees the activity as personally meaningful, is sufficiently interested such that he persists in the face of difficulty, finds the task sufficiently challenging such that he feels he will accomplish something of worth by doing it, and he strives for optimum performance and getting it right. The four lesser levels of engagement result in superficial understanding at best and inferior retention of what is learned. Only the highest level results in students who learn at high levels, have a profound grasp of what they learn, retain what they learn and can transfer what they learn to new contexts. He has found that more students reach a high level of engagement and learning increases when teachers use the following ten design qualities for lessons of importance: content and substance, organization of knowledge, clear and compelling product standards, protection from adverse consequences for initial efforts, product focus, affirmation of performance, affiliation, novelty and variety, choice and authenticity. Lessons that follow these design quality result in maximized student engagement levels.

Texas A&M Universitys Provocaciones Study and Grants inquiries were situated in a public school classroom composed of recent immigrant students, students in the intermediate and advanced stages of learning English. The action research I got myself involved with was interested in what happens to student engagement and achievement when resources that teachers see as having potential to provoke student are acquired through competitive mini-grants. This contrasts with the usual process of teachers receiving--through the largesse of a grant--materials someone else (a district or school administrator or grant Principal Investigator) thought were needed in classrooms. I wrote a proposal for a mini-grant for instructional materials that I thought would appeal to adolescent students, meet the students linguistic needs, and address state curriculum mandates for high school English.

Design Qualities in Lessons that Foster Engagement

Researchers agree that engaged students learn more, retain more, and enjoy learning activities more than students who are not engaged (Dowson & McInerney, 2001; Hancock & Betts, 2002; Lumsden, 1994; Voke, 2002). Consequently, Schlechty attempted to answer the question, What do teachers, schools, and school districts need to do in order to insure that more students are engaged in learning activities more of the time? He theorized that design qualities in the work teachers design for students are an important feature related to student engagement. Schlechty (2002) grouped the design qualities that he assumed could foster engagement into ten categories: Content and Substance, Organization of Knowledge, Product Focus, Clear and Compelling Product Standards, Safe Environment, Affirmation of Performance, Affiliation,Novelty and Variety, Choice, and Authenticity. Although the terminology differs slightly, the literature supports the effectiveness of particular design qualities for enhancing engagement. The following sections focus on Schlechtys definitions of the design qualities and how his definitions are supported or refuted by other examples from the literature.

1. Content and Substance. Learning to read and to write complete sentences, for example, is not the same as learning to write persuasively and to read critically, thoughtfully, and well. Educators should commit themselves to designing work that engages all students and helps them attain rich and pro- found knowledge. If such profound mastery is limited to students who are more socially or economically advantaged or otherwise already capable of high-quality intellectual work without as much teacher effort then the dream of democracy cannot truly be realized.

2. Organization of knowledge. Students are more likely to be engaged when information and knowl- edge are arranged in clear, accessible ways, and in ways that let students use the knowledge and infor- mation to address tasks that are important to them. This doesn't mean that all content must be inherent- ly interesting or relevant to students: They will learn many important things in school that they may not care about at the time. Content should be organized so access to the material is clear and relatively easy, and the students' work has enough attractive qualities to keep them engaged.

3. Product focus. Work that engages students almost always focuses on a product or performance of significance to students.

4. Clear and compelling standards. Students prefer knowing exactly what is expected of them, and how those expectations relate to something they care about. Standards are only relevant when those to whom they apply care about them.

5. Protection from adverse consequences for initial failures. Students are more engaged when they can try tasks without fear of embarrassment, punishment, or implications that they're inadequate. (Unfortunately, current school structures and grading practices often make this difficult to achieve).

6. Affirmation of the significance of the performance. Students are more highly motivated when their parents, teachers, fellow students, and other "significant others" make it known that they think the stu- dent's work is important. Portfolio assessments, which collect student work for scrutiny by people other than the teacher, can play a significant role in making students work "more visible."

7. Affiliation. Students are more likely to be engaged by work that permits, encourages, and sup- ports opportunities for them to work interdependently with others. Those who advocate coopera- tive learning understand this well and also recognize the critical difference between students working together and students working independently on a common task, which may look like group work but isn't.

8. Novelty and Variety. Students are more likely to engage in the work asked of them if they are continually exposed to new and different ways of doing things. The introduction of computers in writing classes, for example, might motivate students who otherwise would not write. New tech- nology and techniques, however, shouldn't be used to create new ways to do the same old work; new forms of work and new products to produce are equally important.

9. Choice. When students have some degree of control over what they are doing, they are more likely to feel committed to doing it. This doesn't mean students should dictate school curriculum, however. Schools must distinguish between giving students choices in what they do and letting them choose what they will learn.

10. Authenticity. This term is bandied about quite a bit by educators, so much so that the power of the concept is sometimes lost. Clearly, however, when students are given tasks that are meaning- less, contrived, and inconsequential, they are less likely to take them seriously and be engaged by them. But if the task carries real consequences, it's likely that engagement will increase. What teacher, for example, hasn't noticed that students prepare more diligently for a performance they know their parents will attend? Likewise, students who produce a documentary video on the Civil War are likely to be engaged in a more authentic learning experience than those who listen to a series of lectures on the war, with the sole goal of passing a test.

End Note about the Schlechty Model

In many classrooms across the Philippines and the United States, the teaching practices are not that different from the way they were 50 or even 100 years ago (Marzano, 1992; Osberg, 1997). As I look at the volume of information that my students are required to know compared with what I had to learn as a 4th year high school student in 1992, I see that teaching practices must change. Now, more than ever, students must know how to think creatively and critically, process and apply information, and learn how to learn. Rote memorization alone is no longer even an option. Students must be engaged in order to establish long-term, meaningful habits of learning. The students know what engages them (Kuh, 2001), and it is exactly what the research says should engage students.

In order to make real changes in teaching practices, teachers must have the support of the entire school district according to the philosophy of the Standard Bearer Schools of the Center for Leadership in School Reform (CLSR) (Schlechty, 2001). Teachers need monetary support, support for designing quality work, and time to design quality lessons. The research suggests that teachers should be designing lessons incorporating the quality work design qualities outlined in the WOW framework (Osberg, 1997). Do quality knowledge lessons engage students? What level of engagement do students exhibit? What percent of the time? What prevents student engagement? How does the use of technology affect engagement and learning? No research showed up in the literature to document the level of engagement associated with the ten design qualities in the WOW framework. More research is needed to document the effectiveness of quality work design qualities to promote student engagement resulting in school improvement.

III. The SIOP Model

Prelude to the Model

The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model was introduced to us in Lakeview Centennial High School at my first campus in Texas as an English Language Learner (ELL) teacher. The model was introduced to Lakeview teachers since administrators were concerned about the academic attainment of ELLs on campus as their numbers continue to grow and their performance lags behind English-speaking peers. For teachers of English language learners, it can be challenging to teach rigorous, standards-based content to these students at the same time they are developing English language proficiency.

In search of approaches to improve teaching and learning in high schools, CREATE researchers tested several research interventions in science, social studies, and language arts classrooms with English language learners from the 2007-2008 school year to 2009-2010. In 2010, they decided to apply their combined research findings to the development of a school-wide intervention and test this more comprehensive approach in Grade 9 classrooms. I served as one of Lakeviews demonstration teachers in sharing the model to colleagues first on campus and in the district then to the International TESOL conference held in Philadelphia.

The SIOP Model is made up of eight components, each of which is supported by empirical studies, and the model itself has a growing research base (Short, Eche- varra, & Richards-Tutor, 2011). The SIOP Models 8 components and 30 features provide the framework for planning integrated language and content lessons, and the model can be used as a valid observation instrument as well (Echevarra, Vogt, & Short, 2008, 2010; Guarino et al., 2001).

1. PreparationEnglish Language Learners need to be prepared for learning by being able to communicate about the learning experience. They need to be able to ask for help when they need it. They should know the following basic learning phrases or sentences: I dont understand. Would you please explain that to me? Would you please show me how? What information do I need to remember? Is that important for the test? What is the most important part?Learning a new language mirrors the process we go through when we acquire our first language. English learners typically start with a pre-production, or silent period, when first introduced to English. During this period, students begin to comprehend English, but do not yet attempt to speak it. This period can last from a few days to many months, depending on the student. As ELLs continue to learn English, they begin to produce one or two word phrases, and then move to sentences. As students are acquiring English, they will often struggle with grammar and pronunciation, but our emphasis should be on conveying meaning, not grammatical perfection.

2. Building BackgroundTeachers can build background connections for English Language Learners by making purposeful connections to prior learning, by teaching the most important vocabulary, and by trying to connect the content to something the student may have already experienced. Building background can be accomplished through use of the following: KWL Charts- Students chart what they KNOW, what they WANT to know, and what they LEARNED Pre-Reading Activities- Walk through the text discussing the topics and photos before reading, or looking through a chapter backwards for the big picture view of the entire text. Using Symbols- students use post it notes with check marks, question marks, and plus signs to label a new text during the first reading. Check marks mean, I understand this part. Question marks mean, I need help with this part. Plus signs mean, This is something new Ive learned. Student Journals- Personal Dictionaries- Four Squares Vocabulary- paper folded into 4 parts: part 1 includes an illustration, part 2 includes a sentence, part 3 includes a definition, and part 4 includes the vocabulary word. Similar Words-Similar Words - Palabras Similares Bookletincludes 1000 varied reading level words that are similar in spelling and pronunciation in both English and Spanish. Print front to back. Making Predictions- students survey the text and predict what they think they will be learning. Text to Self Connections-Research clearly shows that prior knowledge (including experiences and emotions---or schema---is a major factor in students being able to comprehend what they read. Text to Text Connections-Research shows that students who are explicitly taught and use strategies that activate prior knowledge comprehend better than students who dont. Guided Comprehension-students learn comprehension strategies in a variety of settings using multiple levels and types of text. It is a three-stage process focused on direct instruction, application, and reflection. Current studies demonstrate that when students experience explicit instruction of comprehension strategies, it improves their comprehension of new texts and topics (Hiebert et al., 1998). Concepts and Vocabulary- includes strategies and scaffolding for pre-reading Vocabulary-When teaching ELL students new vocabulary, it is important to select thekey vocabularyfor any given lesson or unit. Here are some guidelines to help you decide which words to teach. The next section will provide some ideas from Northshore School District in Bothell, Washington on how to teach new vocabulary.Tellthe student the word and move on if: The word does not represent a new concept Students need to understand for this activity but are not likely to need it again Teachthe student the word if: The word represents a new concept The word crosses content areas or has multiple uses The word is important for students outside of this activity Teaching Vocabulary to ELLs Pronounce the word Provide a definition (show, paraphrase, act out, create experience) Post definition for reference Introduce in context in which it occurs or in a familiar context Relate word to students' prior experiences. Create an experience that demonstrates meaning Word walls Generate and record sentences (building from original context or familiar context) Use word often in instruction. Point it out in other content areas, have students find it in other contexts, classes, out of school. Add to word bank or student-made dictionaries Use first language to clarify Word webs Semantic-analysis chart, concept maps. Act out, use visuals or real objects (realia) General Principals for Teaching ELLs-Language acquisition theories have highlighted four key principles that can be directly applied to the mainstream classroom. These principles are important for all students, but are of particular importance to English language learners (Jameson, 1998)3. Comprehensible Input Teachers should make assignments clear by using vocabulary students can understand, and by providing a variety of instructional experiences including: Total Physical Response- teachers use hand gestures, facial expressions, and whole body movement to illustrate concepts or vocabulary words. Students emulate the movements. Vocabulary Cards-Vocabulary Cards - Tarjetas del Vocabulario- 1500 most commonly used words in English with Spanish translations. Words are clustered by category and fold to the size of a business card. Similar Words and Opposite Words-Similar Words - Palabras Similares- includes 1000 varied reading level words that are similar in spelling and pronunciation in both English and Spanish. Vocabulary Picture Puzzles-Picture Puzzles- when printed from to back, these vocabulary games allow students to work alone or in pairs or small groups to discuss targeted vocabulary words in a social setting while playing a game. Confusing Words Bulletin Board- students add commonly used slang phrases and idioms to a chart for other students to interpret. Read Along Audio Files- Video Resources- Web Resources-ESL Websites Strategies-26 sites (A-Z) that support teachers in teaching English Language Learners.

4. Student Strategies for SuccessEnglish Language Learners can benefit from knowing specific strategies to use that increase comprehension including the following: Survey, Question, Read, Review Recite -Classroom Postersdisplay the steps in each stage of SQRRR Questions in a Can- teacher or student-created questions ranging from lower to higher level questions are placed in a can. Students draw questions and answer in a team discussion. Gallery Walks- Students write or draw the most important ideas from a section of assigned text. Split Page Note Taking- Before reading, students write who, what, when, where, or why questions on the left side of the page and after reading, students write answers on the right side. Similarities and Differences Using a Venn Diagram5. InteractionsStudent-to-teacher and student-to-student interactions can be enhanced through the following: Sufficient Wait Time-In most classrooms, students are typically given less than one second to respond to a question posed by a teacher. Research shows that under these conditions students generally give short, recall responses or no answer at all rather than giving answers that involve higher-level thinking. Increasing the wait time from three to seven seconds results in an increase in:1) the length of student responses2) the number of unsolicited responses3) the frequency of student questions4) the number of responses from less capable children5) student-student interactions6) the incidence of speculative responses. In addition to pausing after asking questions, research shows that many of these same benefits result when teachers pause after the student's response to a question, and when teachers do not affirm answers immediately. Group Consensus- the teacher asks specific review questions. Students seated in groups of 4 or 5 write their answers and share them with other group members. Groups must discuss until they reach consensus. The group answer is submitted to the teacher. Points can be scored if the teacher chooses to make the review competitive. Find Your Partner- each student is given a vocabulary card with either a definition or a term written on it. Students are asked to find the matching card. Then students share with the class the pairs they have made. Academic Relays- See examples on the D11 web:Grades K-2 Academic RelaysandGrade 3-5 Academic Relays

6. Lesson DeliveryEffective lessons clearly state for English Language Learners both the content standard and the language standard. Effective lessons are paced to accommodate the learner and keep the learner engaged for at least 90% of the lesson. Classroom Tips- includes research-based strategies for listening, speaking, reading, writing, and ELL Advocacy from experienced ELL students.7. Practice / Application- English Language Learners need hands-on materials, opportunities to practice and to apply concepts learned, and opportunities to integrate reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Bingo- provides students a hands-on opportunity to review vocabulary or math facts.BeanGo Cards SmallandBeanGo Cards Large- students can review Spanish and English vocabulary words or mat families, or other basic content by completing their own bingo cards. Dried beans can be used as playingpieces. Graphic Organizers Compare and Contrast Fishbone Diagram- used to identify causes and effect or main idea and supporting details Concept WebsUsingInspirationsoftware Pizza Pieces- parts of stories or events over time are assigned o individuals or small groups which must write summaries of the assigned part of the story. Students or groups share their part as the pizza pieces are reassembled to make a whole. Review Games for ESL Students- PowerPoint is used as the method for providing vocabulary review. the PowerPoint files can be adapted by teachers to include specific vocabulary words for a content area. Vocabulary Card Review Games-Ways to Use Vocabulary Cardsincludes 5 minute fillers and other strategies to help students learn vocabulary words. The decks of cards listed below by category are in Microsoft Word format so teachers can create word lists of 13 words for any content Pyramid Game- Major facts and concepts from a unit are written on 6 papers which are taped to the wall in a pyramid shape face down. First students form pairs to play the first round of pyramid. One student (Clue Giver) is given a review sheet and one minute to see how many of the vocabulary terms or concept the Clue Receiver can accurately name. Play continues with the Giver and Receiver changing roles and passing the review sheet. After several rounds the two players with the highest scores move to the final round. The Clue Caller faces the wall with the pyramid shaped pages on it. The Clue Receiver faces the classroom. The teacher begins play by turning over the bottom left-hand card. The Caller gives clues and the Receiver guesses. After a correct answer the teacher turns over the next page and play continues until all pages have been revealed or time runs out. Computer Review Games- includes PowerPoint vocabulary review games that can be played alone or in pairs. 8. Review and AssessmentA comprehensive and deliberate review of vocabulary, and key content area concepts, and language standards will enable ELL students to demonstrate mastery. Expecting students with a limited vocabulary to perform well without intentional support or sheltered instruction will undoubtedly guarantee frustration and failure. Table Discussion Groups- students discuss answer to questions similar to those that will be on the assessment. Simultaneous Roundtable- students help each other review by writing their team number on a paper that is passed from one student to the next. Each student adds a fact about a given concept then passes it on to the next writer. Teams are given a short time frame to complete the task i.e. 2 minutes. Find a Person Who Knows- students are given review sheets with as many questions as there are students in the class. Students move around the room finding someone who knows an answer. Students can receive only one answer from each person. Pyramid Game- Major facts and concepts from a unit are written on 6 papers which are taped to the wall in a pyramid shape face down. First students form pairs to play the first round of pyramid. One student (Clue Giver) is given a review sheet and one minute to see how many of the vocabulary terms or concept the Clue Receiver can accurately name. Play continues with the Giver and Receiver changing roles and passing the review sheet. After several rounds the two players with the highest scores move to the final round. The Clue Caller faces the wall with the pyramid shaped pages on it. The Clue Receiver faces the classroom. The teacher begins play by turning over the bottom left-hand card. The Caller gives clues and the Receiver guesses. After a correct answer the teacher turns over the next page and play continues until all pages have been revealed or time runs out.Check My Work- the teacher writes a list of review statements or facts on a transparency. The sentences include incorrect information much like a mad lib. For example, Sponge Bob was the first president of the United States, and was elected in 1997. Students point out the mistakes and say fill in the correct information for the class.

End Note about the SIOP Model

In DepEds prescribed K-12 curriculum, English will be introduced as medium of instruction to critical core subjects such as Math and Science starting in 4th grade, and even EPP beginning in 6th grade. While English as a subject maintains its place in the curriculum in 1st grade, there will be comparably less exposure to English as a medium of instruction which may be progressive for some subjects yet may possibly draw a possible long term setback eventually.

By institutionalizing the mother tongue as medium of instruction until 3rd grade and Filipino in most subjects in 4th and beyond, the customary take in practicing English as one of our official main languages of instructions and business may be relegated instead as a mere second language. This may somehow interfere and be detrimental to our natural ability to cope up with the demands of business globally which still holds English as a lingua franca.

As a preventive measure, classes in English beginning in grade 1 and other core subjects which are prescribed to be taught in English at various grade levels are strongly recommended to observe the SIOP model to ensure acquisition of the language.

CONCLUSION

Based on my 18 years of keen observance in various educational settings, the government may lead the change in the institution but it also takes political will starting from the grassroots to implement and to stir positive change. In the U.S., districts, through their teacher-researchers recommendations usually embrace a particular model, approach, or design and make it a point that all staffs are well-trained on it. In our case, master-teachers and educational program supervisors should also study the possibility of embracing a particular educational model, design or approach based on the needs and strengths of their students and teachers in the district in support of the K-12 program which is now just around the corner.

To end, it is my personal belief that political will may have been displayed by the government in rehashing the educational system of the Philippines for the better yet teachers transformation must include their upgrading or updating for professional and personal development based on identified needs and districts thrust. Despite the fact that the salary of the ordinary public school teacher has been standardized to be competitive, with the increasing economic crisis, it will still be not enough to afford them attendance to seminars, trainings and enrollment in graduate education. Hence, government support and intervention, along this line is crucial. Our teachers are professionals, and I believe their pre-service training has equipped them with the necessary skills to teach. Yet, with the advancement in science and technology, there is a great need for them to acquire competence in the use of state of the art equipment to enhance their teaching skills. The government must invest on our teachers through grants because it is through them that we train and develop the minds of our future leaders. As they say, show me your schools and I will tell you what society you will have.

References:

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Bautista, M. C., Bernanrdo, A, and Ocampo, D (2008). When reforms Dont Transform: Reflections on Institutional reforms in the Department of Education, Human Development Network Discussion Paper.

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