St.

Joseph School Gagalangin, Tondo, Manila Integrated Basic Education Program FAAP-PAASCU Accredited Level I

Topic: UbD in a Nutshell: Setting the Direction for the RCAM ES Schools Day 1: April 29, 2013

Seeing the Lord everywhere as what the song I See You Lord suggests established the perspective of this UbD in a Nutshell seminar. We must always remember that we are not only present today as teachers who wanted to learn more, as teachers who wanted to make our students successful but also as teachers who wanted to serve the Lord.

(GREETINGS) The Rubiks Cube Allow me to describe yesterday and todays seminar -workshop as a Rubiks Cube. A kind of puzzle composed of smaller rotating colored cubes, the aim is to rotate them to make each of the large cube's faces a uniform color. The cube itself signifies the UbD plan while the smaller rotating colored cubes suggest concepts taken from different resources. We must admit that the shades of inputs from seminars, books, articles etc. served as opportunities of learning with touches of crises, because of these, the eagerness to form a uniform color, a uniform concept heightens. Rotating the colored cubes indicates questions, trials, experiments etc. as what Fr. Nolan shared yesterday It is only when we ask questions, that things are clarified. As evident of yesterdays workshop, we have a colossal of questions about this plan, a lot of what ifs, answers vary depending upon how we accept or utilize it. Similar with rotating the cubes, we rotate it in different directions to unify the colors, to connect the concepts, to make one big idea. I agree with Dr. Aldava when she mentioned terms may be different but the concepts are the same. The aim of the puzzle is to make each of the large cubes faces a uniform color, we may find a pattern to solve the puzzle, but most of the times we rely on what is easier, what is comfortable, what is best. In making a UbD plan, patterns such as GRASPS is important, templates, formats are significant, but let us not be afraid of making our own, for as long as we have a mutual understanding of meeting the standards, leading the same purpose, making the students realize why, can make a difference to our standard as a teacher.

I am convinced that God has a perfect plan for us was one of the salient points, if not, the best to conclude yesterdays conference. I believe that our presence signifies trust in Him, that the fog brought by the numerous UbD concepts can lead us to a well-defined road.