Efren Penaflorida is CNN's Hero of the Year

FAEALA congratulates Filipino educator, Mr. Penaflorida (Kariton Klasrum). Mabuhay ka Efren, you are indeed "an ordinary person with extraordinary impact" whose commitment and vision serves us well as an inspiration and a model.



Here's his story.

How can we help those affected by the typhoons?

Soon after the typhoons struck the Philippines, I thought of ways to provide support to children and schools affected by the floods and sent the following message...

"For our part, FAEALA is considering supporting public school children possibly in Cainta or Pasig who will eventually return to their classrooms. We can only imagine the condition of the schools as what little books, equipment and other resources they have, may no longer be there when they arrive. As a group, we can effectively leverage our relationships and connections in our work. American school districts may have surplus materials that may be of use in these classrooms. I have been in contact with a vendor who indicated that they can provide us with older textbooks at no cost. We will then work with other individuals, businesses, groups, and agencies to find ways to get these books over the Pacific Ocean."

In response on October 17, Naylene Bautista replied- not only with words but action...

"Dear Sir Daniel, I sent already this morning a total of six boxes (LBC) of books, four boxes to Mrs. Helicita Villanueva, Principal of San Lorenzo Ruiz Elementary School (map), Brgy. Manggahan, Pasig; and the other two, to another school, also in Pasig. I just addressed it to my son because I was not able to get the exact address. My son will just give it to the school. I sent them via LBC as they have a free box for every 5 boxes you send. I wrote a letter to Ms. Villanueva saying that these donations were made possible through my school, Malabar Elementary, and our organization, FAEALA. Salamat sa lahat ng tulong, hindi natin masusukat kung ano ang magiging epekto nito sa mga batang matututo dahil sa mga librong ito. Again, salamat sa idea na ipinakalat mo amin. -N.B."

Mabuhay ka Mrs. Bautisata! You are a testament to the power of one. What you did is a reminder that it only takes ONE- one person to take action and make a difference.

The vendor/publisher I mentioned came through today and I was informed that the company is responding by diverting books and materials our way for the purposes stated. Additional updates will be forthcoming as soon as more information becomes available.

(Photo credits: Girl standing on a rickety raft along a submerged street in Barangay San Juan, Taytay, Rizal bt RAFFY LERMA, www.inquirer.net; Naylene Bautisata, self-portait).

Federal complaint filed on behalf of Filipino Teachers

Meet Ingrid Cruz... a teacher at Scottlandville MS in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Ingrid is among the 300 teachers in Louisiana who have been recruited from the Philippines since 2007. Their story as told in today's edition of the USA TODAY is the latest to bring attention to the practice and implications of American schools hiring Overseas-Trained Teachers (OTTs).

On September 30, the American Federation of Teachers and its state affiliate filed a complaint with the Louisiana Workforce Commission and attorney general. This filing was followed by another on October 20 with the U.S. Department of Labor alleging that recruiters kept the teachers in "virtual servitude" by holding onto their U.S. work visas unless they kept paying inflated fees, commissions and rents.

The article is entitled, "Federal complaint: Filipino teachers held in "servitude." Feedback from readers appearing at the end of the piece is also worth reading.

(Note: USA Today is a national daily newspaper. It is only second to the Wall Street Journal in terms of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States.)

Focusing on 21st Century Skills

Today I was fortunate enough to attend the 3rd Annual 21st Century Learners Symposium which was held at California State University, Los Angeles. The keynote speakers was Don Knezek, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education. In his speech he referred to compelling global trends in education, and described how the transformative effects of new technologies are affecting education. Most importantly, he challenged the audience, to reflect how students are acquiring and learning 21st Century Skills.

As educators, the burden is on us to prepare a generation of learners for an unknown future that is ahead of all of us. These students will be working in job with descriptions that are yet to be written. They will be solving problems that we do not know are problems yet. It is certainly a future that is global, multicultural and competitive. For most of us, the previous sentence describes our reality today. To my surprise, he described the impact of Filipino teachers on the American educational landscape as an indicator of the flattening of the teaching profession. In this case, the "flattening" metaphor is used to described the leveling of the playing field in the teaching profession where Overseas-Trained Teachers (OTTs), have an equal opportunity to compete for teaching jobs in the United States and other parts of the globe. Just like instructional technology, we are learning that it is not solely about the tools, but more about the skills that would allows us to use those tools effectively.

As we continue to professional develop in this profession, it is of utmost importance that we recognize that Globalization is not a dirty word, but a reality in which we find ourselves operating in everyday. Yet are we acquiring for ourselves and modeling these 21st Century Skills that we expect of our students? We cannot teach what we do not know. Perhaps it is awareness of this, and other shifts in paradigms that will drive us to constantly "retool" and develop adapting skills that allows us to use our experiences to effectively share with our students a glimpse of a time that is yet to come today. The future certainly does not come at the same time for everyone.

Daniel

Importing Educators

(Thanks to Dr. Bartlett, Asst. Professor of Education, UCSC, for sharing this information...)

Add OTT to your alphabet soup. OTT is an acronym for Overseas-Trained Teachers. OTTs have been receiving increasing attention for the past few years in light of a variety of reasons ranging from their numbers to impact on school districts struggling to fill shortages. This month, the NY Times featured an article entitled, "Schools Look Abroad to Hire Teachers."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/education/15teach.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

The article also reported the release of a major report by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) that examines the causes and effects of international teacher recruitment. The AFT is the second-largest education labor union in the United States, representing about 856,000 members as of fall 2008 mostly in large metropolitan areas and the east coast.

http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/intl/Teacher_Migration.pdf

I have not read the report yet, but I wanted to share this with you ASAP... Like all reports, some are good, some are bad, there may be even questions regarding inaccuracies. Nevertheless, this is what is written and reported. You are strongly invited to read the report and reflect on how others have chosen to describe your/our experiences. What do you think?

News Article of Interest

This one is from the LA Times dated August 26, 2009.

Philippine workers abroad: The boon has a price

Remittances from Filipinos abroad are higher despite the global financial crisis. The $1 billion sent back monthly alleviates the effects of poverty and joblessness. But the exodus takes a toll.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-remittances26-2009aug26,0,3339063,full.story

Cory Aquino, 1933-2009

"You know, when Ninoy was in prison, I used to think all of us have a quota for suffering and when Ninoy was assassinated, I supposed I'd filled up my quota of suffering. But that isn't so, and when we think of Jesus Christ who did not do anybody any wrong, He was goodness Himself, and yet He was prepared to make all of these sacrifices and His suffering did not end until he died. So I suppose, each of us, while we are in this world, while we are here in the Philippines, must think of what it is that we can still offer to make life better for our fellow Filipinos."

FAEALA joins the Philippine nation and Filipino people around the world in mourning the death of former President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino. Maraming salamat Tita Cory...