GURO21 Oral Revalida and Graduation

Hola! It’s been like so many days the last time I updated you about my brave journey. Well, it is because of those overwhelming events that happened to me as soon as the classes resumed this year. January is not yet over, yet I could already claim that it was really indeed a great start for me this year.

So glad that I was through with most of my special assignments and paper works in school, now I can recharge and do my leisure, which is this - blogging! J

If there is something I’m so excited to share with you is my GURO21 Oral Revalida and Graduation Ceremony. Last January 9, I attended the Oral Revalida for the GURO21 Course 1: Facilitating the Development of 21^st Century Skills for Southeast Asian Teachers. The mere fact that I was invited to attend the Oral Revalida (revalidation) was already an honor for me, because it would mean that I was considered as a potential graduate of this course. The revalida was held through a panel discussion that could help the SEAMEO-INNOTECH authenticate the learning portfolio of every candidate. The panel interview with our online tutor Dr. Brenda Corpuz and Mr. Pierre Alejo went so well and I was pretty confident that I could really make it, that I will successfully finish this course and be awarded with the international certificate. All my classmates in Class 4 were really apprehensive too about the result. Can we really make it? Are they impressed by our learning portfolio? Is there any problem with the way we comply with their requirements?  I was a bit reflecting about all of these, when one of the SEAMEO staff approached and told me about Dr. Brenda’s request to prepare a class reflection later for the graduation ceremony and he congratulated everyone in our class. We did it! Hurrah! 

To be requested by Dr. Brenda Corpuz, an icon of Educational Technology in the Philippines, to represent our class was indeed an honor of all honors… She trusted me so much with such a very important task. My classmates teased me that perhaps, I was their first honors or class Valedictorian. I was flabbergasted. I was a bit nervous (believe me I really have a stage fright hehe), but thank God that I was able to pull it off.

I can never forget my learning experiences with GURO21 because of these reasons:

• The course delivery transcends time and space, one of the 21^st century new parameters of learning. I’m not new with virtual classrooms, but I am still amazed by the iFLEX platform
• Being so fortunate to be with the class under Dr. Brenda Corpuz, our online tutor, my idol in the field of Educational Technology. I even asked her to sign my book she co-wrote about Educational Technology in the Philippines
• Very insightful classmates – I also learned a lot from them, every time we had the chat session, I was amazed by how they reflect with our current education system, by their ideals and hopes to mold the young learners
•  A chance to improve myself through a Personal Lifelong Learning Plan (PLLP) – so happy that we were taught how to become lifelong learners in this course. After all, to become a 21^st century teacher is to become a lifelong learner.

Before this school year ends, I will see to it that I could share all of my learnings among my fellow teachers through an echo seminar.  

Together with my GURO21 classmates :)

Giving our Class Reflection (a.k.a Valedictory Speech :D )

Dr. Brenda B. Corpuz and her very proud fan :D

My grade report, I just can't believe it, straight A's... Pardon me for bragging this my friend... I just can't help it.. To God Be the Glory! :)

GURO21 Course 1 Grade Report - Worth all the effort!