More than half a million students thronged different venues nationwide in January for the elimination rounds of the country’s biggest mathematics competition: The Math Challenge sponsored by Metrobank Foundation, Math Teachers Association of the Philippines and Department of Education.
Here is the conclusion of the speech I gave at the graduation rites of St. Dominic College of Asia.
Here is the continuation of my commencement address to graduates of St. Dominic College of Asia:
On April 12, I gave the commencement address to more than 100 St. Dominic College of Asia (SDCA) graduates at the Philippine International Convention Center. The school is owned by the Andaman family. It was great to reconnect with a former student, Jade Andaman, now a lawyer.
I sat in front of the computer, forcing myself to do research but feeling worse by the second. Suddenly, a white head popped up beside me and black eyes locked on my own. I felt my arm licked and nuzzled. My spirits lifted and I gave Hershie a hug.
Most graduation speeches are lengthy, moralistic, self-righteous and, frankly speaking, unmemorable.
My colleague and friend Regina Hechanova, the president of the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP), alerted me to an article on “Being Gay” that came out in another newspaper.
At a science communication workshop in Malaysia, I learned what could happen when discoveries are not quickly owned by a nation.
What does Bangsamoro (literally, Muslim nation) mean to the people of Jolo, Sulu? Researchers Liberty Contessa Catbagan and Puraida Tibli found that the concept had different meanings for different groups.
How much did it cost to study for a bachelor’s degree in French public schools in 2012-13? Half a million pesos? A hundred thousand?
For the book “Famealy Matters,” compiled by motivational speaker Francis Kong, more than 50 contributors from politics, show business, education, business discussed the importance of making family meals a habit. How can family meals be made even more meaningful?
Cardinal Chito Tagle once said, “It makes me sad that many families share a meal only once a week. Others are at home and eat at the same time, but each one has a personal television. Each one gets a plate of food and then faces the TV. Father watches basketball. Mother eats while sobbing through a telenovela. The child eats while playing computer games. The plate has become the basic unit of the meal.”
After giving tips on how to face math with confidence and how to learn concepts effectively, my college students now discuss creative strategies to deepen understanding of mathematics not just for school but for daily life as well.
