Week 2: National Language Celebration Month for Responsible Citizenship

Buwan ng Wika (2006)

Although Lyceum exercises the JEP Policy, it is not a hindrance to not celebrate the Month of August for the national remembrance of our National Language: Tagalog. As the press releases the theme for the Buwan ng Wika this year 2011 “Wikang Filipino: Tugon sa Malinaw na Programa sa Tuwid na Landas.”

    The essence of Buwan ng Wika as the DepEd stated:

“Kaya ang “Buwan ng Wika” ang isa sa mga pagkakataon natin upang ito ay pagyabungin at ipagmalaki. Pagkakataon din ito upang iparating sa  ating mga kababayan na ang ating pambansang wika ay hindi lamang para sa pakiki-pagkomunikasyon ngunit siya ring pundasyon ng ating pagkakakilanlan bilang isang indibidual at bilang isang bansa.”

http://www.deped.gov.ph/e_posts.asp?id=393

             I on my part, I may not be there in physical presence but also it is not a barrier and also it does not mean that I don’t value our own language.

As a student, I do my part as a responsible citizen by using our National Language in the right way. When we say the ‘right way’, it means that even though we have those ‘foul words’ in our Language, we should be responsible enough not to add it in our own vocabulary.

Nowadays, I see teenager at their very young age who don’t even know the meaning of those bad words, but still they uses it in their everyday conversations with other people. The point of views of people today about words usage had changed over the years because of the influences of not-so wholesome media productions.

Be proud for having our own national language- the Tagalog. With this, we communicate clearly with other people as we exchange views and opinions with them. We are heard. We can speak; we can express. Be thankful Filipinos J

After reading my blog, we may ask ourselves, whether we are a teenager or a teenager at heart. Are we one of those people? Or are we responsible Filipino citizens who uses our national language in the right way?

Week 1: What i learned from life, I learned from this half semester

Walls of Learning

Purple walls. My mom suggested our living area to be a combination of light and dark shades of purple. It has been her favorite since then. A playground, a study area, a recreational area, and a welcome area are just some of the roles it portrays. Most importantly, it is the home of teaching and learning values. What values I have now, I learned it by nature and by nurture.

            Love, trust and close-relationship. These are the three keys that make a home healthy. They grow together as they develop imitate relationship, shares point of views, and establish spiritual food intake as one.

In my own family, we give time for ‘precious moments’. Whenever we have a complete attendance in our house here comes our never-ending stories. We see to it that we will be not interrupted by not so important things such as our television (always turned-off), and by other gadgets. Also, we have this family worship, we not only study the word of God but also we try to apply the practical wisdom in our everyday lives. What I have learned from this family routine is that we (each remember of the family) tend to value more its importance and everyone will grow as a responsible and a well-mannered being. The lesson: Family + Love + Trust + God = A healthy home.

White Walls. “Adjustment”, is what I have been struggling in the first few weeks as a Multimedia arts student. Little by little, I completely overcome the A word.

Pressures. As an irregular student and as of my own experience it is really hard to be one. I regularly have to be updated on the latest announcements of my professors in other subjects. Whether if we have a quiz on the same day when it was announced, and they all have the handouts while I don’t have any. But I do can survive with the help of Ms. Lyka (CAS Dean’s Secretary), no matter how busy she is, I would always ask her where can I find this section and this professor. Then after finding them, I always try to have the guts to ask them if there are some announcements made, etc.

Being ‘ate Janelli’. Honestly, being a single-parent alone is quite difficult. I have to budget my time first with my priorities God and Family then schooling. Sometimes my group mates in other subjects gives all of the responsibilities to me and I can’t do nothing because I want to get higher grades and I would just do it by myself including the expenses, I waited for them to just say “Thank you” but they did not. One thing I realize is that in reality I didn’t help them to strive hard in studying because I have spoiled them.

Deadlines. During my high school days, I always have an incomplete requirement for a subject. And that’s why now as a college student I make it to a point that from the day it was given to us, I already started working for it. Which has been a big advantage because as I work for many deadlines. Doing it in advance lessen my worry and saves up time.

Life as an MMA student. Since I love arts in the first place, I really enjoyed this course. I didn’t regret shifting. I love learning every details and everything that is connected in my course. Everything I learn, I try to cultivate it and use it for my everyday life. This is where I truly belong, people who have passion for arts as we share same interests.

Time management. I study for a maximum of two hours per subject finish or not finish, so I won’t be cramming for the other subject. If I can’t make it this day, I would wake up early to finish it. Also, I have a journal notebook where I have a list of to-do’s everyday. And I number it in accordance of prioritization. In this way, I know what to do first and what to do later. But the most important thing in time management is not to waste time more than of your time in leisure. I only watch television when news is airing; I only use the computer for school purposes, I only text people if it is an important matter. But I do give a treat for myself but I always keep in mind that I won’t regret any and it will not be a burden for my deadlines. The lesson: College is Hardwork and Time Management.

The other white wall. Among the other walls, this is what I fear. This year 2011, my immune system has gone bad. It was Sunday (July 24, 2011) I was bitten by a mosquito carrier of deadly dengue virus. When I was still in the hospital (August 1-5), I and my family learned a lot of lessons in life like the importance of health card, helping me to cope up to stress, having a balanced diet and many more. After 2 days of rest, I return to school. I learned that I have many activities to finish to since I haven’t fully recover yet from my sickness I always end up sick during nights. My white blood cells aren’t in normal number that’s why I don’t have much antibodies to sickness. (August 18-22), I was confined again with a diagnosis of Systemic Viral Infection, German Measles and Upper Respiratory Tract Infection. Since my body can’t fight back the doctor advised me to rest for 5 days and that it is a contagious disease, I have to be considerate for others.

            But here’s the story before everything, before ending up in the other white wall building. I pressure myself a lot before. I can’t help but to think of my deadline assignments. Blessed me that I’m still normal. Kidding! But this is all true. I find eating and sleeping as burdens in my deadlines. I would always eat two ensymada for breakfast and dinner, while in school during lunchtime it is the only time I eat rice but if there are many requirements to meet for that day, I just take a snack while doing it. But now I learned how to cope up with my problem, whenever I’m stressed out in the middle of doing anything, I take a snack, sing a bit and warm up a bit. I give myself a time to time break. And by this, I enjoyed life more and valued it more. College is Life yet Health is Life. The lesson: Always prioritize health.

Multicolored Walls. Every student dreams to be the best in their own fields. Being the best in the future is not only about being good in academic but also having good public relations and by building self-confidence. A brighter future is at hand if we will not forget who we are and where we came from. Keep in mind that the best and precious things in the world are unseen. The lesson: Don’t forget to look back; Love your chosen career and enjoy.

Walls of all walls. In everything we do, we should never forget the loving-kindness of our Creator. Every blessing that we have little or big are all coming from Him. We should give thanks to Him because anytime, anywhere He listens. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have prayed and supported me. This is really a hard time for me, but with the help of my family and friends, I’m a survivor! They have been my source of strength. Two months have passed, indeed a short time but many things had happened but what is important in every certain situations is when we learn from it. The lessons make us the best of what we can be. Our foundation will be stronger. Lesson: YOU + GOD + FAMILY + VALUES = SUCCESS

Breakingthrough Technology and New Media

Technology is a very powerful device. Cellphones, computer and internet has played an important role in people’s lives. Since it is prevalent in our modern world, it didn’t just change the way we work and the way we live but it also influenced our values, our point of views, our vision to ourselves, and also to our society.

Technology + Information = Time Flexibility and Less Expenses. IWantTV at your own time promo of Bayantel DSL is one good example of this. You can catch your favorite television shows either by watching it live online or by watching it in your free time. Another good example would be the newspapers online like inquirer.net and philstar.com. You would save up more by reading the latest news online than buying newspapers but as for me, I prefer buying my personal copy. I enjoy reading more in a comfortable position than having an eyeball date with my lappy. J

Easy access. Dogs are considered as man’s bestfriend as well as search engines. Google made the works of employees, self-employees and students easier. The big question now is how sure we are if the sources of information are credible? We may ask ourselves and answer these questions. Who is the author? Is it outdated or new information? Yes, with just one click away viola! A research is done and copying and pasting it is the next thing you are to do. Pretty simple huh? But if you are responsible enough, you would read it first and edit a little. And oh! Another thing, don’t forget to paste in your credits for your sources.

Reality vs. Virtual Reality:

Communication with Friends. Nowadays, people enjoy more impersonal chit-chats with friends by means of using their cellular phones and computers. The traditional way of keeping in touch has evolved in a modern way. People today see personal communication as what’s ‘out’ and high-tech form of socialization as what’s ‘in’.

“There’s this belief fostered by the media that if you don’t stay superconnected with people, you have no friends. And having no friends is like having no life. So if you’re not in social networking, you are nothing.”-Katrina,18 (Awake!, July 2011)

Media and peer pressure are just two of the biggest factors why many people are tempted to join in at least one social networking site. It has a great appeal to the masses because of the connectivity convenience it creates.

Communication with Strangers. “Don’t talk to strangers”. When I was young, that is what my parents are always reminding me. Every loving parent would always remind their children to be careful especially for people whom we don’t know, knowing that we are living in a dangerous world. Funny fact, as time goes by, it is not only the young ones but also the young once who forgets to apply this to their everyday lives. As our communication lines extends and upgrades, it is now common to befriend a stranger with the use of social media.

Technology and Freedom: What should we know?

Free culture is what the new media offers us. We have power over our own freedom in the media society. Though our conscience can determine right from wrong, some people are being reckless whenever they post something into their social network accounts. As a responsible person, we should apply practical wisdom and good thinking skills before doing something because one wrong word can never be erased in the minds of people who will be able to read it and it can also ruin your reputation and relationships to others. 

courtesy of: Awake! July 2011 page 27

Privacy. By the time, you sign up in social media sites, you can never have privacy. But you can secure yourself by not posting your personal information and making your accounts customized to your friends (only your friends can see your profile). Also, keep in mind that everything you put in the internet is permanent because website owners’ backups the databases or their domains either erased or not. A healthy reminder: Think twice and be wise.

Social Media Revolution

What’s on your mind? Broadcast yourself. Create a blog. Follow me. New on this? Join us Today! Sign up now!

 These are few of the popular taglines of social media networks today. Catchy-words and phrases are must have’s of these sites. At present time, billions and millions of people are engaged in using social media for different purposes. From businesses functioning, school activities, socializing, political campaigns and many more.

It was year 1997 when SixDegrees.com, the first Social Media was born. It was created to build long-distance bonding to family members, friends and even to strangers. We use now the modern way of informing and persuading people with the use of Social Media. As of today we have over 400 social media sites. And almost all of us have at least one personal account.

Versatility is the power of social media. You want to send e-mail? There’s Yahoo. You want to share a video? Watch a movie? YouTube is present. You want to connect to people? Here comes Facebook. You want to market your products and services? Multiply will help you.

As what you can notice, the word “YOU” has been used over and over. Yes, every social media site is designed for YOU. Its target is not only a group of people but also every individual who have computers or who can use computers with the use of internet connection. No doubt, social media truly helped people to connect to each other in the cheapest and fastest way.

Did social media change everything? Did it change you?

Back to the days where exchanging of letters is popular, it takes many days or even a week for them to read your personal message and it’ll cost too. But now, instant messages are just a click away within a matter of seconds. It helped our commerce to be more effective and efficient. Yes, it did change us and will always be. We live now as if it became a necessity for the world. We can’t live without it, since the birth of social media has take place the revolution had started and will be ongoing.

Social Media has many good things to offer and the people behind this are still trying to get the people always hooked into their sites. Improvement is what they always keep eye onto to satisfy the needs of its users. They change for us as we change for them. But as these things gets famous let us not always forget to look back, that personal communication is still the best way to communicate with one another.

Mediocrity vs. Excellence: A student’s Dilemma

No person is born unintelligent. We differ from one another not because of the nature that we have but because of the nurture that we had. To sum things up, we are all born with such intelligent minds and we, ourselves is the one responsible in molding and cultivating our specialties. We can choose excellence over mediocrity. You may ask, How? But first let’s give differentiation between the two terms.

*Mediocrity- you can identify your mistakes yet you do nothing about it; the average type.

*Excellence- you can identify your mistakes and you make right actions to it right away; the excelling type.

Think of our brains as a Computer Hard Disk with the same memory capacity. We feed our memory with data and files. Files are categorized into sub parts. Here are some:

Open files. These are the knowledge that have we already stored in our memory. Yes, we may already have much knowledge but this will only be meaningful if we will give interest on studying more. We must love to learn and re-learn because it’s a two way continuous process. You may write on a piece of paper why what you are doing now will benefit you even in your future. By knowing this, you can determine what should be your priorities.

Hidden files. Of course, we must not forget these files because still they are important part of every computer. These files can only be seen by changing the settings, if you’ll require them for you to see them. As a connection in life, it is not only what we see is important. Sometimes the unseen things are more vital to life. We are all given with special talents and skills but we are not inborn the best. Though we have these special abilities, it is always up to the person if he will cultivate his own uniqueness. Practice makes it perfect and it requires so much patience.

Broken files. There’s no way to shortcut studying, studying is the way. The real thing may not seem to be pleasant in our ears but it only speaks what’s the best for us. Students may have broken schedules, and may not maintain a balanced schedule. If we will budget our time wisely and choose wisely what are the thing to do first. Let us also consider a time for relaxation but make sure that right after it, there will be no buts, we will proceed on the work we are assigned to.

Missing files. These are the files that if filled out will make us feel complete and whole as a person. What a person may sometime lack is his self-confidence. If you believe in what you are doing you’ll absolutely love the outcome of it.

                        Try to reinvent and reinvent things, until you come up with the one you think is the best among all of your works. Focus on the small details and have a passion for it. Great ideas give great works, so we must invest a lot in brainstorming.

Softwares. Literally, softwares are the installed programs that give command to a hardware. We can compare them to our conscience that is usually the guide to our destinations. We must never ever take for granted doing the ‘right thing’ in our everyday lives. Some events may lead us to excellence but is from the wrong thing. By doing this, we will never be happy even though we already chased success.

            Everyone has the capacity to restore and upgrade their own room for improvement.  Yes, every computer may differ from one another and so do people.  It is our uniqueness that makes us special. And when we say special, we must give great value to it.

 “Think outside the box!” --- Every time I work into something, I just can’t help it but to think over and over again what might be missing. I admit it; I’m a halfway perfectionist before but for some reason my views had changed. I’ve learned that the best thing and the perfect thing are in contrast, the first one is balanced while the second one is not. Being just the best and not the perfect doesn’t mean that you are practicing laziness or you are the average type. Being a perfectionist can lead to disappointment of your own capability. You just have to give attention to your work and do the best of what you can, till you attain what you want in the first place. We must never forget that true excellence is about making the right choices and the right actions.