‘SELF-REGUALTED LEARNING’
On January 6th over 150 Principals, Teachers, textbooks publishers and other experts in the field of education made their presence at the conference organized by the University of Saint Joseph, under the theme “Self-Regulated Learningâ€. The Director of Education Mr. Lo Pak San, the Rector of the University Fr. Peter Stilwell and representatives from Taiwan and Hong Kong were among the main guests.
The Seminar was opened with the address from the Rector of the University and Ms. Ana Corea, Dean of the Faculty of Education, followed by the lectures of the four speakers. Our brother, Fr. Alejandro Salcedo was one among the lectures, with his presentation “Self-Regulated Learning: Exploring the Emerging Use of Flipped Learningâ€.Â
Fr. Alejandro Salcedo, Principal of Saint Paul School, and with over 30 years of experience in the field of education, made a review of the present educational system and the need for a change in our classrooms. With his opening statement “if we do what we have always done, we will get the result we have always got†draw the attention of the audience and brought them through the journey of our schools present reality and the need to do “more, better and different†for a better future. “An education without vision is a future without hope†Fr. Alejandro Salcedo said. While big changes and development have taken place in other fields of our society (e.g. industry, health, ICT, etc.) our education system is still much the same as 30 or 40 years ago, when the main role of learning and teaching was based on the “transmission of information rather than the inner-formation, bread and money oriented rather than life oriented and with emphasis on theoretical knowledge rather than on practical skills, and where memorization was more important than understandingâ€.
“It may be true that our classrooms are equipped with 21st-century gadgets, but they are sitting in a 20th-century learning and teaching environmentâ€, he said. We need to go beyond the skills of the 20th century to be productive in the 21st. century. There is an urgent need to change from “conformity learning to divergent thinking. We need to be different, think different, speak different, expect different, perceive different. We need not to work harder but smarterâ€, Fr. Alejandro alleged.
With globalization skills have become more important than qualifications and we will be as good as the skills we possess, and how well we do things. Teaching and learning must be seen from the 21st-century point of view, “teaching must be inspiring change rather than imparting knowledge, and learning acquiring understanding rather than absorbing facts. The education of our future generation is not a video game where we have several lives; in our classrooms we only have one chance, either we succeed or fail, either we learn from success or from failure, so we must do the right thing and do the thing right.
We do not have to work harder, we need to work smarter
 We live in an age of uncertainty Fr. Alejandro said, where according to statistics robots will replace 800 million jobs by 2030 and where traditional career paths are on the way out. “The past is a place to learn from and not a place to live inâ€, Fr. Alejandro asserted, therefore, “we have to initiate and determine the nature of the future by giving direction and purpose to the present educationâ€. As Fr. Alejandro said and I quote: “if we want to have something that we never had we have to do something that we never have doneâ€, we need to implement a pedagogical approach in our education system where direct instruction moves from the groups learning space to the individual learning space, and the resulting group space is transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning and teaching environment and where the teacher is not the ‘sage on the stage’ but the ‘guide on the side.
According to Fr. Alejandro, “an educational strategy without vision in the future will make us always return to the pastâ€. Now more than ever, he continued, “need to form skills in our younger generation where machines cannot compete with us ….we have to instill in the future leaders minds capable to analyze, evaluate, create, compare and contrast, judge and assess, investigate, choose and analyze. We must flip our learning environment from the traditional course-centric model to the learner-centric approach. We need to flip that traditional learning environment by delivering academic content outside the class and use the class time for discussion and application.† This, according to Fr. Alejandro, is the baseline of flipping learning.
In today’s world it is not enough for our younger generation to be passive learners, receiving, undemanding and repeater minds but “active learners, owners of their learning, questioners, they need to be engaged and motivated towards a lifelong learning.†The classical setting of a classroom is all about the teacher and the teacher’s needs. All the tools are for the use of the teacher, thus, the student becoming a merely passive receiver of information.Â
“We need to overturn the traditional model by moving away from teacher centered space into a more collaborate student-centered learning environment, an environment where the student initiates the learning and the teacher the teacher becomes a facilitator and advisor.â€
No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one or new wine into old wineskins (Lk. 5:36-39). “I see and I forget, I hear and I remember, I do and I understand†(Chinese Proverb). “We do not have to do different things, we have to do things differently†he said. Flipping learning is not a ‘magic bullet’; it is the first step in reframing the role of the teacher and the student in the classroom. Flipping our learning environment is a win-to-win situation for both students and teachers and the society as a whole. By doing the right thing now, it will be more difficult for the younger generation to take the wrong choice in the future†he concluded.
The Editor
Mr. Manel Machado during his presentation
Saint Paul School (Macau) was one among the main invited guests speakers at the Digital Macau Forum, organized by CTM, held on October 17, 2017 at the Macau University.  Â
                                                        
Mr. Manel Machado, Director of Academic Technology at Saint Paul School made his presentation on the theme “E-Education Development in Macauâ€. Everyone was beyond impressed by Mr. Manel’s presentation. His content was both factual and inspirational and could not have been more spot on, as to what our attendees needed to hear. Congratulations to Mr. Manel on his new and challenging views on e-learning, based on ‘Effective Integration’ and ‘Collaborative Learning’ and to Saint Paul School for being the leading school on e-learning in Asia.       Â
The University of Saint Joseph is the only Catholic university in Macau and a good number of its professors, staff and students are also Catholics. Normally, four or five masses are yearly celebrated in different occasions, in order to attend to the spiritual needs of the members of the university. The Mass of the opening of the school year is one of the main Masses celebrated at USJ during the academic year.
The Eucharistic celebration started at 12:30 pm on the14 September 2016, at the Speakers’ Hall in NAPE-1 campus, USJ. The holy Mass was presided by His Excellency Bishop Stephen Lee Bun-Sang, accompanied by three concelebrant priests. Since the Mass was especially offered for the staff and students, the hall was fully occupied by the university’s population, among them some fifty Catholic students, present to attend the solemn Mass.
On the 14 of September, the Church also celebrates the feast day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In his sermon, the bishop emphasized the harmonious cooperation among the professors, the staff and the students, by helping each other while carrying one’s own cross along the journey. Besides, he went on repeating that all the good and beautiful things should be carried out in this academic year under the guidance of the Rector, Fr. Peter Stilwell, as Moses, God’s chosen one, who successfully led the whole Israelite people in the desert with the providence of the heavenly Father.
The Mass ended with the blessing of the bishop. Hopefully, every one of us felt inspired and enhanced by the strengthening and encouraging words of our Pastor, in order to begin the new academic year with full rigor and attentiveness.
Bro. Stephen Saw Lej, O.P.
Saturday 16th, Saturday 23th and Sunday 24th of this month of July were the graduation days of for the Saint Paul School Kindergarten, Primary and Secondary students respectively. Representatives from the Macau Dioceses, the Macau Government and the Education Department Bureau, proud parents, families and friends converged at the Saint Paul School Clementina Leitao Hall to celebrate this milestone in the students’ lives.
Secondary 2015-2016 Graduating Class
Following the parade of graduates, a prayer at the different ceremonies offered by the Deputy Principal, Fr. Athanasius Chan, OP, the Bishop of Macau D. Stephen Lee and Sister Camino, OP and the singing of the National Anthem marked the official commencement of the ceremonies.
Among the many guests attending the ceremony were Ms. Vicky Leong, representative from the Education Bureau present at the Kindergarten Graduation ceremony, Bishop Stephen Lee, and the Representative from the Education Bureau, Mr. Wong as the guest of honor at the Primary Graduation Ceremony, and the Director of the Education Bureau, Ms. Leong Lai as the main speaker at the Secondary Graduation ceremony. The speakers congratulated the Principal and the Academic Committee of the School on their innovative ideas, and praised the teacher for having the courage to be pioneers in the implementation of new educational programs. Likewise, teachers were praised for their hard work and personal sacrifices in cultivating and enlightening the leaders of tomorrow’s society. Similarly, the three speakers praised the Home-School relationship and the two ways cooperation. In her speech, Director Leong Lai, put the Saint Paul School as an example for other schools in Macau to follow. Ms. Vicky Leong on behalf of the Education Bureau made special mention, of the innovative programs implemented in the school and encouraged the School to continue bringing new innovative ideas into the educational system of Macau. Bishop Stephen Lee, likewise, thanked the school for their work of excellence. He also thanked the teachers and staff for all their innovative ideas and the rich catholic tradition and reminded them that education is the most powerful weapon, which we can use to change the world.
Students proudly showing their certificates
Certificates and prizes were presented to the students of the school. After the valedictory address, student from different section together with their parents gave the Vote of Thanks addresses, and tokens of appreciation were presented to the teachers and to all the guests who attended the different ceremonies.
Student with their certificates for their honorific actions
The School Principal thanked all the guest parents and teachers and joined the three speakers in congratulating the 748 graduating students for their tirelessly work to complete their Kindergarten, Elementary and Secondary education and wishes them the best in their future endeavors as they prepare to tackle the next years of school and beyond.
Performance of Cannon in D
The ceremonies came to an end with the usually high quality entertainment, which included the Canon in D from Pachelbel, a Song of Peace from Teresa Jennings and some fashion catwalk.
The Institute for Advanced Study in Asian Cultures and Theologies (IASACT) is a four-week residential program for scholars to deepen their understanding of theologies and traditions. Participants undertake research and writing in the broad area of Asian cultures and theologies and complete a working paper while in residence. IASACT is organized by the Divinity School of Chung Chi College, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and funded by the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia.
Jn 14, 23-29: “Do not let your heart be troubled, or afraid… I’ll be with you alwaysâ€
My dear Brother and Sisters, Friends. We Dominicans: Nuns, Sisters, Lay members of the Dominican Family and Brothers, promise to live everyday depending on God’s mercy and the mercy of the other members of the Community. As a poor mother begs the food to be able to feed her children, so we, preachers, have to beg for the Word of God, to be able to love Him more, and to feed our fellow men and women with it. How could we preach if we have not begged along the ways of this world the food of God’s Word?
Begging the Good News of the Gospel with the “soul of a poor†is the starting point for all true preaching, so seriously and urgently needed today. Thanks to his contemplative experience, Dominic de Guzmán, our founder, knew well that it was not possible “to speak about God†without first “speaking with Godâ€. It is not possible to preach without first receiving the Word of life as a gratuitous gift from God.
Some years ago, a close friend of mine, also Dominican, told me an anecdote in which he was involved, when still a young priest, in Guatemala: he was assigned to preside, early morning, the daily Eucharist for the people of a nearby village. On the way to the Church he used to pass near by the humble house of an elderly man, whom he found daily seating at the entrance of his house, with the Bible open on his knees. After a few days, my friend thought of approaching him and greet him in a more personal manner. “Good morning, Sirâ€, he greeted, “I’m fr. Ricardo and I see that you read the Bible every day. What are you reading today?â€. “Good morning to you, too, ‘Padrecito’†(affectionate way to address the priest), the aged man said. “I am Rubén Wamán, at your service!†“Look, ‘Padrecito’, it so happens, that I do not know how to read. But every day I ask “mi Diosito†–dearest God- for a Word for me and, already for many years, He has never failed me; everyday He gives me one word to mediate during the dayâ€â€¦ That was his main food, and his grace.
On another occasion, and in a different place, I attended an exhibition of pictures regarding the poor children of that nation: orphan, abandoned children, boys and girls of the street, soldier boys and victims of war, etc. I was particularly impressed by a young boy holding the picture –in black and white- of himself, at the foot which this legend could be read: “They know that I exist, but nobody sees me!â€
It is really painful what is happening in our present, tortured world, sometimes just in front of our own eyes. One is tempted to say, that it is better to have a heart of stone. And yet we know that it is not enough to limit ourselves to hear and see those places of suffering, and pass by as tourists of the crucifixion of the world. These are the places where theology should be made. It is in these places of Calvary where God can be found and a word of hope can be discovered… (T. Radcliffe, O.P.)
Unfortunately, similar anecdotes can be found almost anywhere. And somehow, we feel incapable of doing anything relevant, to make this our world more human, not to say more fraternal, as it is God’s will.
In today’s gospel, Jesus in his Farewell discourse, clearly states that, despite their being afraid to be left without their Teacher, they will not feel his absence: they will not be left alone, “I will come back to you…†Not only that, repeatedly Jesus tells them that they may count on his “Holy Spiritâ€, who will: a) teach them everything, b) make them remember everything that He had told them, c)tell them not to be worried or upset; not to be afraid d) defend them in the future from confusion and cowardice, e) give them peace: not just as a mere desire, but as a gift for them to keep; not as the world does, but as God does. If they obey, guided by the Spirit, keeping His Words, they will know peace, His peace.
And we should never forget, that to be a preacher of peace, an instrument of God’s peace, we need first to pacify our own heart, where the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit want to dwell.
My dear Brothers and Sisters: Here, in front of you, we have some young ladies, who for already more than one year and a half, and always accompanied by Sister Malou Blanca, O.P., have been considering to join the lay branch of our Dominican Family, to share in our mission of preaching Jesus’ Word to this our world of today; mixed in the middle of the people, like the yeast in the dough, to be real witnesses of the Lord with their way of life – for after all, what really preaches is our life!-, and their joy, wanting to know more and more about Him every day, and living not only to love Him more, but within their own possibilities, also to share that love with their fellow sisters and brothers. Definitely, they have rejected the idea of the heart of stone, willing to dedicate their lives to the joyful and affectionate task of announcing the Good News brought about by Jesus with His promise of remaining, in His own way, with us until the end of time. That is the alternative of Jesus: a heart of compassion and tenderness; of salvation.
In a few more minutes, they will ask to join the 800 year old, yet- always-young, Dominican Family, thus adding the thousands of Lay Dominicans spread throughout the world. They are already much involved in pastoral work, catechetical instruction, etc. Now they will do their best to fortify the Community dimension of the Christian faith, sharing somehow in the life and mission of the whole Dominican Family, in their secular commitment with the Gospel.
In their name I beg you to say a little prayer to the Lord for them, so that their new experience of life, about to be started, become a radiant reality, and they may contribute to give much glory to the Good Lord, and bring peace and hope to our world.
José Luis de Miguel, OP
Macau, May 1, 2016
