EDFD 202 : Socio-Cultural

Foundations of
Education
Maricel C. Azucena M. Ed. (ESL) II

Q: What are transmitted in enculturation?

(Eskimo)

Child Rearing
Traditions

The Societys
Worldview

Modal Personality

Pattern of Behaviour

Eskimo children are treated supportively

and permissively.
The child is respected.
Children are admonished, directed,
remonstrated, but without hostility.
Children need to be nurtured to become
good, useful/functional members of the
community.
Children are participants in the flow of life.
The child is equal to its parents.
Eskimo children learn to become useful in
the community.
The child trains himself to become adept
with survival techniques.
Children assume responsibility appropriate
to their age quite early in life.
They learn by observing and doing.

12/4/2013

EDFD 202: Socio-Cultural

Foundations of
Education
Maricel C. Azucena M. Ed. (ESL) II

Q: What are the implications of culture to

education?

Culture is correlated with education. Education would not have

come into existence without culture, and culture on the other hand
would not have advanced without the aid of education. Culture
involves complex processes that define human nature and life in
general. Education is what simplifies those complexities by
dissecting and classifying the many dimensions of human culture
into a set of disciplines to make the very realities understandable to
man. It is through education that one gains a keener awareness
and understanding of how things are and his roles in his
environment. This is why perhaps the most educated men are those
who have not mastered the sciences or the arts, but rather those
who have developed a greater awareness of their surroundings and
have nurtured a deeper sensitivity towards their fellow human
beings.
Then again, culture has profound influences on education. It is
culture that influences and shapes the learning environment and the
learner in particular. It is reasonable to say that a good

understanding of learner culture effects efficient instruction. For

example, if a teacher wishes to attain his teaching goals or to
optimize the learning experience with his learners, it is imperative
that he must have a good understanding of the learners
background for him to adapt to their learning pace and style and
thus, effectively meet the needs of his learners. By having a good
grasp of the learners culture, the teacher is able to deal and cope
with his learners effectually. #

EDFD 202: Socio-Cultural

Foundations of
Education
Maricel C. Azucena M. Ed. (ESL) II

Q: In modernizing cultures, what do you think

should be the
purpose of education? Relate
your answer to the experience of discontinuity
and compression in the schools of Sisala and
Malitbog.
Education is a catalyst vehicle of modernization. The main
purpose of education is to bring about change in cultural systems, or
at least equip learners or community members with the essential
skills needed for survival in the ever-changing demands of life that
gets complicated as time goes by, provided that these skills or
knowledge are relevant to the cultural system they belong to.
Education should not teach what is alien to the culture of the child.
It should be realistic and practical, and is grounded in some
universal truths, because education spans beyond the theories and

concepts learned from books. Education should put more emphasis

on experiences that the child can easily relate with. It is not
supposed to confuse the child by injecting into his mind elusive
goals that in the end would leave the child disillusioned and
frustrated. Although new schools nowadays have concepts which
are future oriented, instructions should include reality-based themes
which make use of resources that are within the reach of the learner
and he can easily identify with and has significance to his everyday
life. Education is not limited to the four walls of the classroom only.
Education should teach about life. It is about how one should live
and how to survive.
(As related from The Transmission of
Culture)

EDFD 202: Socio-Cultural

Foundations of
Education
Maricel C. Azucena M. Ed. (ESL) II

The Problem (and the answer) is in Us, Pinoys

(A Reaction Paper on A Damaged Culture)

Once, I had been a tutor to Korean students, and several times I had been asked by them
why we, Filipinoes remain poor despite the abundance our country has ever been blessed with
naturally. Korean students take pride in their discipline and industry that catapulted them to land and
remain in one of the spots in the so-called G-7 countries and they wondered why we were not able

to fully utilize our resources and manpower to make our country progressive, just like them and
Japan. They had noted how easily we get tired especially in the afternoons. They were surprised
to know that we needed to rest or take a short nap after lunch. Siesta was alien to them. So, they
simply blamed Philippine weather. They surmised that it was the hot, tropical weather that make us
Pinoys easily tired and lazy. Several times also I was not able to answer back as fast and as
eloquently as I could. It was because deep within myself I knew why. I was ashamed or rather I
felt ashamed to admit before my students the fact that we Pinoys have this attitude problem that
has gotten so worst. So worst comparable to a cancer that has spread and contaminated our very
system. A disease that has blown out of proportions.
As a read through the article, A Damaged Culture, I could not help but agree with what the
author has written there. Everything was all true about us Pinoys until these very days. Until now,
our country is still plagued with the same old problems it had more than two decades ago. And it is
just so disconcerting to think about it. For example, we have not made so much progress when it
comes to manufacturing. We even import simple things such as erasers or ball pens from Malaysia,
Japan or China when we ourselves are capable of making those stuffs or even better them. We
Pinoys are less risk-takers. This could be the reason why there are more Chinese businessmen in
the country than Pinoys. Most of us would prefer to be employed than to employ.
We have grown so indifferent to the point that we have become easily content with what we
have. We tend to be comfortable with short term relief than aim for a lifetime security. Yes, our
indifference and lack of discipline have led us to think that we are inferior and thus, depend on
others for survival. Most of us if not all would opt for an easy job that suffices a days meal than try a
complicated one that offers long-term stability. WE have become really indifferent. We get angry
and furious with corrupt and abusive government officials, but we are also quick to forgive.

We value good relations, but we treat each other worse than any other nation in Asia. We
are a sick nation indeed and ours is a cultural system that has been plagued and has become so
confusing with all of its ironies. We do not have a sense of nationalism. We could not even
patronize our own. So, what else can we expect?
It is about time to stop blaming our government. We could not blame anybody for the
poverty that we ourselves have been afflicting ourselves. Forgive me the clich, but it is really time
to take our views on a higher level. One that looks deep into our very selves and asks, Whats
wrong with us? Why we had lagged so far behind? It is time for a paradigm shift. A cultural makeover. Hopefully, by now we could figure things out. We dont need another Korean or Japanese or
Chinese to make us realize what. #

EDL 205: Language Acquisition:

Theories,
Research

Principles, and
Maricel C. Azucena M. Ed. (ESL) II

Q: Know your learners. What are their

concerns (based on the concepts discussed)?
How do you address them?
As expected of their age and preparedness, (or perhaps blame
it on poor training in elementary or lack of parental reinforcement)
most of my Grade 7 students could hardly speak and write good

English. They have very limited vocabulary of the English language

and could hardly come up with good simple sentences. They are
reluctant and shy during oral recitations. Usually, their answers are
in the form of choppy phrases of two to three words of either a noun
or adjective and a verb with misplaced preposition and conjunction
that represent what they mean. Because of this difficulty, they
would often resort to code switching or ask me to allow them to
speak in Filipino instead -- which I do not tolerate, but sometimes I
give in just to make way for the student to express himself. In most
cases, I would guide them in answering my own questions by
dropping hints similar to oral sentence completion until they could
deliver the answer in a sentence on their own.
Another difficulty they have is in pronouncing English words
correctly. This difficulty I suppose is influenced by their being
accustomed to speaking Karay-a, the dialect in our locality. The
dominant use of Karay-a makes it hard for them to switch their
tongues pronunciation mode to English. One of the interventions I
have made to address these problems is to conduct a regular
spelling test every week wherein aside from spelling out the words
correctly on paper, each word is given its meaning and then used in
a sentence. After which, each word is read aloud with proper stress
and pronunciation. #

Given the harsh and highly critical Philippine social setting

where our cultural system has this perfectionist attitude towards
acquiring a second language as with English, nothing could be more
embarrassing for an L2 learner than committing a slip-up in English
whenever an L2 is required as medium. I have realized that as an
English teacher it is my task to develop linguistic confidence in my
students #

EDFD 202: Socio-Cultural

Foundations of
Education
Maricel C. Azucena M. Ed. (ESL) II

Lasting Imprints : An Autobiographical Essay

Often I am told that I am stubborn, meticulous, but

sympathetic. And I have little wonder why.
Everything I am now is merely a product of several experiences
I had in the past and how I was brought up by my parents and by
people who love and care for me. I was born to a family which is
neither very rich nor very poor, but just lucky enough to have
industrious and responsible parents to support our daily needs and
afford us a bit of luxury sometimes. I am the eldest of four children.
And being eldest child in the family, more was expected of me.
The key figure in our family is my father. He is very traditional
and very particular about discipline and conscientiousness. He
wanted us to grow up responsible and independent. It was my
father who trained me in most of the household chores of cooking
rice, sewing clothes and regular house cleaning. He was very neat
and orderly. He did not want messy surroundings. I remember, I
was eight years old when I first learned how to cook rice (the
traditional way, not with the rice cooker of course!). My tatay also
had a way to instil responsibility in us. He would make a cleaners
wheel and assign us specific areas of cleaning each day and every
time we have attended to our duties well, he would reward us.
Father would always tell me that as a woman, it is my duty to take
care of the home. Someday, he said when I have my own family I
should be a responsible wife to my husband and children.

Mother on the other hand, would teach us social grace and how
to behave whenever in the company of other people. I remember
how I would shriek whenever she tweaks my side when I
misbehaved. She hated to see me laugh or to talk boisterously with
my friends or classmates back then in the 5th grade. She didnt like
me doing horseplay with my friends whenever we had visitors in the
house. She would say, Indi ka sagay tirik. as she makes an angry

gesture with her inched mouth and flaring eyes. Those limitations
on me were further reinforced by my aunts or my nanays unmarried
sisters. When I was growing up as a teenager, I felt the world was
getting narrower on me. There were just so many rules. That was
the period of so many DOs and DONTs in my life. For me, they were
a bunch of kill joys that time. I had no other choice but obey what
they said. From then on, I learned to behave whenever I am with
other people. To think before I speak, and to refine my manners. All
those times, I simply obeyed. I had high respect for authority.
Nanay and tatay who have both come from struggling families
also had high regard for education. They would always remind us of
doing our best in our studies and someday earn a degree. They
never asked us to be number one in class, but to just do our best in
everything we do. They would always emphasize to us that
education is the only treasure they could leave us that nobody can
ever steal from us. All these I took to heart that I finished high
school and college without having a boyfriend despite numerous
prospects (sigh). Somehow, at some point in my life I had
misgivings though. Because I thought I was being abnormal then.
However, to some degree I am also grateful for not entering into a
relationship. Had I made the alternate choice, I would not have
probably been able to finish my studies and I would not have been
able to meet the man that swept me off my feet.
Other than my parents, I was partly brought up by my
grandparents (mothers parents) and aunts. In fact, I am more
emotionally attached to my lolo and lola and to my tita Boobie
because when I was still very young, nanay and tatay would leave
me at their care so that they can attend to their work. It was from
them where I learnt the warmth of a family. They somehow filled the
empty spaces left by nanay and tatay then. They love me in a way
so different from the way my parents love me. To others, it was
spoiling, but to me it was everything. It was from my lolo and lola
and aunties where I learned about openness and trust. It was

through them that I learned to love unconditionally and generously.

It was with them that I experience a different freedom and a sense
of individualism. To be with them is family.
And all these things define me. The givens in my life. The
persons who have shaped me and continue to influence every inch
of my being to whom I am indebted much. They may not be perfect
nor whole. But they are the very fragments of my soul. Without
them I am nobody. Lost. Without a name. Without a culture.#

EDFD 202 : Socio-Cultural

Foundations of
Education
Maricel C. Azucena M. Ed. (ESL) II
Module 4: School Teacher Culture.
I am into the teaching profession for almost eight years now.
The first four years I spent in a local private catholic school, one
year as a tutor to Korean and Japanese students, and at present I am
now in my third year as a public secondary school teacher. In the
private school, we teachers were exposed to multi-tasking. During
my stay in that private school, my job was not solely limited to
teaching only. I was an adviser to so many clubs and stretched my
self on weekends to comply to non-academic activities involving my
students. Since it was a sectarian school, morality and upright
conduct was emphasized on us. We had regular mass on
Wednesdays and required attendance on Sunday Mass. Those
experiences shaped me to become a values-conscious and multiskilled person and teacher. After teaching in the private school, I
tried to become a tutor to Korean and Japanese students for a year.
I found teaching foreign students very efficient and structured. This
was so because of the quality of resource materials they were using
which proved to me very convenient to use with the students. I also
became conscious of time and came to the center on-time since
foreign students were particular about punctuality. Now that I am

teaching in the public school, I tried to integrate every important

insight that I have learned from the experiences I had before. Aside
from being an adviser to Grade 7 students, I also stand as their
second mother, problem solver, conflict-settler, moderator, finance
officer and other roles I assumed as demanded by my students
needs. As a teacher I have learned to recognize the multiple
intelligences of my learners and I try to suit my lesson according to
their capabilities and skills. I have learned to appreciate individual
differences. I have learned to respect gender preferences of
students and even of colleagues. Every time I come to class, I try to
be fair with my students regardless of who they are. I have met
theories like behaviourism, functionalism, and cognitivism, and other
isms, etc., but sometimes I still could not figure out which category I
am most inclined. Eight years into the profession dont make me a
pro. Everyday I learn with my students and I remain a constant work
in progress. #

EDFD 202 : Socio-Cultural

Foundations
of Education
Mid-term Exam
1. The mass media are indeed powerful tools in shaping our perceptions of
this world. They somehow redefine our standards and influence our norms
and beliefs. As a teacher, I feel deeply obliged to guide my students on how
they are to take the messages of sex in the media. Probably, I will find time
during our homeroom or include in my lessons reminders to students on how
the mass media are influencing and distorting their minds and their views on
reality. I will do my best to enlighten them that what they always see on
television or whatever they may stumble upon Internet surfing are not
always an exact reflection of reality. As a Catholic myself, I will remind them
of the importance of timeless Christian values such as purity, chastity and
respect and emphasize to them the value of keeping ones virginity until
marriage especially to my girl students. I will try my best to educate them
about the perils and consequences of premarital sex and constant exposure
to pornography. I will tell them that sex is not bad. Sex is not a plaything. It
is rather a gift given by God to man for the main purpose of reproduction.
Sex should be an act to be made out of love.
2. To be a teacher in the 21st century means that we have to let go of old,
traditional teaching methods and views on teaching and adapt ourselves
with changes or rather allow ourselves to become vehicles of these changes
as influenced by technological advancements. Majority of learners
nowadays are exposed to different sources of information. They are very
adept with gadgets and are familiar with technology stuffs like the Internet.
As teachers in the 21st century, our main task now should not be limited only

to feeding our students with information (facts and content). Students or

learners have access to these information anywhere, anytime. Our main
task is to teach our students life skillspractical skills that students need for
everyday life and survival. We should teach our students how to handle the
resources they find by teaching them analytical skills. We need to rethink
the tools we use and the types of problems we ask students to solve. We
should develop lessons that are relevant, challenging, and critically
engaging. It is important that we provide our students meaningful and
powerful engagement. These teaching innovations would only become
possible if we find time to collaborate and take risks. As teachers it is our
main concern to know our students and respond to their needs. We should
develop our lessons that would give them the skills that would prepare them
for life. We should put more emphasis on the HOWs rather than the WHATs
of things more on application and less on theories.
3. According to the video file what makes a great teacher? A great teacher
is somebody with tremendous element of care, has the desire to politely use
expressions to see their hearts sing, discovers the joy in learning, but
especially the joy in themselves, makes her first task to get to know her
studentsunderstanding who they are, where they are from, what kinds of
interests they have, what contributions they can have to the classroom,
knows her students extremely well, knows her subject areas well, a
passionate learner herself-- its a lifelong professional learning whether with
colleagues in the school collaboratively or with other peers, she has empathy
who truly understands what makes their students think , she is naturally
confident about the world around her, confident enough to be herself, has
the ability to be relaxedto be confident, self-assured for students to get the
facts, she is somebody who listens, who care, who hold very high standard to
his students learning, who takes interest in her students life beyond the
classroom, who has expectations that expect her students to succeed,
realizes that everything is not about control, not about over planning, not
about deliberate learning, but truly interactive experience, she often learns
as much from their students as she gives to her students. A great teacher is
somebody with a heart for teaching. To sum it up, a great teacher is
somebody who is passionate about learning and has empathy towards her
students.

I agree with Cindee Kernick-Davison when she said that as teachers we

need to look at our students as individuals. It is when we truly understand
the learner that we begin to really become teachers.

4.
Canada

China

Schools goal is student improvement to grow into happy

adults
Schools have full-time student success coordinators for
immigrant students
collaborative effort of school staff to organize/put up a new
program to address students needs
Looks how to support students holistically
Teachers spend extra time with students
One-on-one instruction and close supervision
40:1 average ratio of class size
Give importance to nutrition and health of students
No problems on discipline
Independence of students
Students are required to serve in the military
Teachers receive a lot of training;
Teachers hold two 45-minute classes
Intense focus of students
Students are VERY engaged to their lessons, very respectful
Chinese teachers dont use much technology
Great learning starts as early as 4 years old

Finland

German
y

India
Singapor
e

USA

Parent involvement
Government raise the status of teachers
Teachers have nearly complete discretion to decide on how
and what they want to teach
Reality-based teaching
Schools conduct national assessment .but not high stakes
testing. Results of which are only for research and not for
ranking schools, teachers or students
Keyword is trust; from administrators down to the
headmasters and staff
Schools have freedom to innovate
Teamwork among teachers
Weekly team meeting
Rewards / incentives to students who perform well
Teams have great autonomy and responsibility
Cooperative structure enables transfer of innovation to
other teams
Teacher meets with students and parents individually to
discuss and address needs of students
Students are purely focused on academics
One-on-one instruction and close supervision
Teaching is valued as a high profession
Teachers are supported by the government
Cultivates teachers for leadership skills
Launched remarkable training process for 6 months
Government invests much on teacher training
Teachers share ideas with one another
Strong mentoring among teachers
Teachers help each other to achieve
Students are less disciplined
Less occupied with classroom instruction
Teaching is not considered a good job preference
Teachers work long hours; less pay
Bad reasons are reasons for decline of US education
Process of teacher training is neither centralized or selective
Teachers who aspire to be promoted must take initiative on
their own to seek additional qualification and training

The views on education from countries Singapore, Finland, Canada and

Germany would work here in our country. Teacher mentoring, collaboration,
and strong support from government would really help teachers in the
Philippines improve their craft and inspire them to become more passionate
of their profession.

EDFD 202 : Socio-Cultural

Foundations

of Education

Final Exam
The goal of every teaching is learning. And for meaningful learning to take place,
it begins with the teacher knowing what he teaches, how he teaches and knowing his
students well.
For teachers to become effective in our teachings we must consider what we
teach and how we are going to teach or deliver the goods to our learners that would
create an impact to their lives. However, no matter how we make great effort, at times
our objectives are left unmet and our students could not achieve meaningful learning
due to the restrictions of their varied socio-cultural backgrounds and orientation. As
teachers therefore, our main task is not merely limited on knowing and mastering what
we teach and how we teach to students, but also in transcending cultural borders in our
classrooms. We become tour guides and travel agents in the learning process. By
doing so, we aide our students as they traverse different cultural borders as they interact
with their classmates, and as they encounter new concepts in their lessons. As cultural
brokers we help our students cope with their lessons by introducing learning
experiences that would facilitate adaptation of skills that are of relevance to their life-

world culture that is not also alien to the world of the subject matter we teach. As
teachers, our chief aim is for our students to attain collateral learning than simply
resorting to school games. We should ensure that at the end of the day, our students
have a deeper understanding of the things we have taught them.
Given that we have identified our learners using Costas scheme, we can help our
students transcend cultural borders by talking to them personally, getting involved with
students activities, conducting sociometric tests, and spending more time with students
during homeroom and by applying the interactive teaching strategies suggested by
Bajracharya & Brouwer, 1997, such as the narrative approach, dichotomized notebook,
and anthropological instruction. By doing so, we acknowledge the cultural border
crossings that most students experience to varying degrees (Jegede& Aikenhead, 1999).
By having a good grasp of our students socio-cultural backgrounds, we can help
minimize or eradicate classroom conflicts that are culturally-rooted, and we can prepare
lessons attuned to our students needs.