Friday, May 16, 2014

Are we prepared to K-12 Education Program?

K-12, according to government's official site, is considered as the basic education needed to equipped him/her with fundamental knowledge and be competitive globally.
It consist of 1 year in Kindergarten, 6 years of Primary Education, 4 years of Junior High School and 2 years of Senior High School. Implementation is effective 2013-2014 school year.
Photo Credits: verafiles.org
For my child to prepare in this new system and be accepted in a reputable school, I would initially enroll him/her first in a preschool class or toddler/playgroup class. Some schools nowadays expect that kids are knowledgeable in ABCs, 123s, colors and shapes. In fact, the school will have to undergo student assessment before they accept new students. If Kindergarten is for 5 yrs old, Preschool is for 4 yrs, Toddler or Playgroup is 2-3 yrs old.
I let my eldest join playgroup class for socialization since she does not have someone to interact with at home (aside from her nanny). The 2-hr session consist of singing and dancing and storytelling and playing. She's 2 yrs and 5-month old then. Two years after, she started Nursery, then Kindergarten. She'll be in third grade this coming June 2014 and still enjoying it.
This summer I let my youngest join a toddlers class (still for socialization development). However, seems like teaching style is different, maybe because its a different school. Nevertheless, I'm sure, their teaching style is not effective. Letting a toddlers sit on a chair for 2 hours while the teacher is discussing alphabets and numbers and shapes and colors or giving materials for them to color or write or read, I doubt if its a smooth sailing class. I still want the way where children learn through songs, dance, stories and play.
The government should review the system. Is it quantity over quality? Too may levels but are the contents really present for the students to grasp the fundamentals? There are successful Pinoys that excel and they came from a 10-year basic education. Are they resolving the root cause of the education system's problem?
How about you moms out there? Are you prepared to K-12?

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Food Trip: Banana Cake

Because we were not able to make it to the swimming class. 
Because she has nothing to do while waiting her brother (who is attending summer class for toddlers). 
Because she needs to do anything so she has something to write on her English assignment's "My Summer Vacation".
For whatever reasons, she's currently in for a cooking class. And yes, she totally enjoyed it. In fact, she baked something for me last mother's day - banana cake.

 Her version of banana cake:
(recipe from her cooking class teacher)


Ingredient:
3 pcs green bananas
3 pcs large egg
1 cup white sugar
1 cup/ 8 oz butter at room temperature
3 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup peanuts

Procedure:
1. Pre-heat oven at 350°F.
2. Mashed bananas.
3. Combine eggs, sugar, butter, flour and baking soda.

4. Fold in mashed banana followed by 1/2 cup peanuts.
5. Put the batter in the baking pan and top it with the remaining peanuts.
6. Bake for 30-45min or until wooden stick inserted into the cake comes out clean.


Simple gestures... affects me big time.

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