One of the newest (and probably one of the most effective too) addition to our school children’s curriculum is the Singapore Math.

What is Singapore Math?

Most schools here in the Philippines use the traditional (and tedious) teaching method in teaching Mathematics and the different disciplines that go with it. Students are made to memorize multiplication tables without understanding what these mean. Children are at a loss when faced with word problems though this requires understanding and comprehension of the word problem itself.

Schools who have traditional ways of teaching children have introduced ways to make learning math easier. One of these changes is to introduce Singapore Math in the curriculum. Even those exclusive traditional schools have jumped in this new trend though I will not name what these schools are.

To give an idea what entails Singapore Math, here is a word problem that children in the elementary mid-level (3rd – 4th grades) encounter:

The blocks I drew represent the ages in the word problem and from there, everything else follows like multiplying each block by 2 to be able to get the correct answer.

The answer below my block drawings is my son’s answer. How he got that is his own method of understanding numbers. Permit me a little proud mom moment: this son of mine knows his way around numbers.

For parents, teachers, school administrators and for those who are curious what Singapore Math is all about, here is you chance to know more about Singapore Math by attending the 2nd Singapore Math festival in the Philippines.

Here are the details for the 2nd Singapore Math Festival in the Philippines:

continue reading this entry »

If you are a college student who has a great idea on health and wellness that will help transform communities, then Unilab Ideas Positive is for you!

Unilab Ideas Positive believes in the youth’s ideas that will make positive difference to the communities they have in mind. Unilab Ideas Positive is a social marketing clinic and competition that gives the youth a place where they can share innovative and sustainable ideas concerning the health and wellness of their communities of choice. These ideas are given the chance and platform to be a reality.

How can Unilab help the youth make their health and wellness ideas in Unilab Ideas Positive as concrete programs that will help communities?

• 3 day marketing boot camp to learn from experts the current social marketing approaches and relevant case studies
• seed money for the implementation of their program which will run for six months

College students from North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao can now join 2012 Unilab Ideas Positive. More communities will now benefit from the health and wellness programs the youth have as ideas because fifteen, yes, 15 teams will each be given Php100,000 seed money from Unilab Foundation for the implementation of these social marketing programs. This means a total of Php1.5 million seed money will be for these health and wellness programs.

This is an opportunity to give back to communities and help them be healthier through these health and wellness programs. Healthier people means healthier nation.

Now on its third year, Unilab Ideas Positive gets even better with a focus not only on positive ideas, but also on positive outcomes—creating a difference where it matters, in partnership with the Filipino youth.

We all want a healthier nation, right? Start sharing your idea by visiting www.unilabideaspositive.com

Christmas is just around the corner and I’m sure a lot of moms have started their shopping at this time of the month. For those who have limited budget and are on the look out for personal gifts/giveaways, I suggest digital scrapbooking.

I am fond of doing these wonderful digital scrapbook pages online and offline. I was able to publish several of these simple scrapbook pages in this blog:  sunflowers here, a dandelion here, Chocolate Hills in Bohol, my son’s birthday and another sunflower here.

I did all the above pages offline because I was able to download embellishments and papers a few years ago. I use Adobe Photoshop to put these together. Not really difficult but not too easy too since I don’t think I have it in me the creativity in putting on the pages what I have in mind,

You want to try digital scrapbooking to give as gifts for Christmas? Here is a free digital scrapbooking site for you. You can also make these as invitations, notepads and stationery. just create and print the pages!

I say this is more fun than just Facebook-ing. Enjoy creating beautiful pages and memories to savor!

Hmmm… this gave me an idea to try this with my students!

Schools offering Culinary Courses abound these days like mushrooms sprouting here and there but there is one among the few prestigious ones that stands out: Enderun.

For hobbyists and those who want to further hone their culinary expertise, Enderun is offering the following for you:

• Alain Ducasse Foundation ADF + Enderun 15 month program at the Enderun Culinary Center
• Three-month Pastry Arts Certificate

In 2007, ADF+Enderun is an academic partnership between Enderun Colleges in the Philippines and Alain Ducasse Foundation. Alain Ducasse is a modern French chef who had a hand in running three-srat rating restaurants in three cities: Le Louis XV in Monte Carlo, Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenee in Paris and Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester in London. Alain Ducasse Foundation was established to combine culinary methods, training and consultancy services.

ADF+Enderun has a philosophy that consists of theory demonstration and practice. The school has international standards in terms of having culinary teaching facilities: hot kitchen laboratories, pastry kitchen laboratory, preparation kitchen and a culinary amphitheater.

Enderun culinary amphitheater where some classes are held. There are two monitors with different videos featuring the cooking done in front.

Chef Marc Chalopin who demonstrated two yummy dishes. Recipes and photos will be posted here.

Workstations-to-students have two students work in a workstation with eight workstation per class.

This is the Restaurant 101 where the students “work” in a real-setting without having to go elsewhere.

Students have internships in various Alain Ducasse restaurants and at the Alain Ducasse Formation training centers in France.

Applications are open for November 2011 intake.

3-Month Pastry Arts Certificate continue reading this entry »