Christmas 2018

Thank you, Lord, for 2018. 

Road to ISTE2019

im officially a member of ISTE.

Now only if I can find the focus to read up on the resource materials without social media distracting me. I need to prepare myself for the conference.

On attending conferences...

I haven't been posting in a while, probably because I'm just lazy to post every interesting update that's happening lately... or maybe there's not much interesting going on?

My "professional" blog has turned much into a personal one and I gotta kept back on track so I can keep my focus on thoughts related to my career advancement and field.

After the last PEMEA international conference, I realized I haven't attended any other conferences this year. My company didn't join this year's CEAP convention and I haven't been active in PEMEA as of late. I did renew my professional psychometrician license after paying fees that are probably a waste of money and therefore I have charged as "donation". I processed my certificates only to shell out more money for processing them. ::Rolling Eyes::

Made me think if all these conferences were actually worth it or was I wasting most of my time?

I joined and become active in conference primarily because I had an initial goal of building a network and making contacts. But really, in the end, I don't think the network I built or the contacts I have had any contribution to any of the goals I wanted to achieve in life. I was thinking, man did I waste a lot of time and money...

But recently, I got my eye on attending a conference that made me realize I actually miss these activities. They may sound boring or not really conducive for learning but I miss the activities, the happening and the socializing. I actually miss attending conferences. But maybe I should carefully choose the events this time.

I have plans to attend my first international conference that is actually on international grounds. ISTE2019. I am so excited for this! A specific conference for Education Technology enthusiasts like me.

ISTE is the International Society for Technology in Education and they will be having their annual conference next year in Philadelphia.

That's the only update I have for now. It's still far down the calendar but I am stoked!

The First Man: A Fundraising Activity

Fundraising Activity of SE26

Happy Halo-ween with SJRM Single's Apostolate

Happy World Teacher's Day!

Free movie screening for our public teachers.

In partnership with SM, MTRCB and DepEd Paranaque City Division

In life, we will experience so many heartbreaks.

My nanny died, at the age of good 94 years. I love you, yaya. I must have not expressed it so much but I appreciated it that you stayed with us again back in 2013-2014. I was all grown up already and very much independent. But I will always yearn for your motherly care.

Can we please bring back the time that my nanny still took care of me ?!?!?!

I would give up all this adult stuff just to be able to go back to the years as a child.

I love you so much yaya. I miss you. 

Please hug Lola and Lolo for me. 

I regret not taking much pictures when I was already a grown up. But know that I really appreciated your love and presence, even if I looked like I was pretty much well on my own. 

I was not well on my own. I will never be. And I will always yearn for your care and love. 

Love a girl who writes and live her many lives.

“Love a girl who writes, and live her many lives;
You have yet to find her, beneath her words of guise.

Kiss her blue inked fingers, forgive the pens they marked.
The stain of your lips upon her, the one she can’t discard.

Forget her tattered memories, or the pages others took;
You are her ever-after, the hero of her book.” - Lang Leave

University Teaching

I have been in the education industry since the beginning of my college life. But for some reason or another, I have not committed to any classroom teaching, although I have had a lot of experiences in handling students.

Lately, I have been reading Joyce Meyer's "I DARE YOU" and it talked about pursuing your dreams and chasing bigger dreams. It ended up daring me the one thing that I have been constantly avoiding and been secretly afraid of: the commitment to classroom teaching.

I want to teach (in a classroom) one day, and I haven't completely figured out what has been stopping me. The commitment that I can't spontaneously travel once I begin a school year or a school term? The fear of embarrassing myself? The fear of failure? The fear of rejection?

There is a new program in my university and it's Masters in Educational Technology.

This proposal has been announced since 2016 and I remember telling the college dean how I wish the program existed when I was starting with my masters. Educational Technology was my thing that I actually had a crazy idea of wanting to "enroll" in graduate school again and get another master's degree which was crazy because back then I was already finishing my current masters program.

The college dean planted an idea that why not teach in the program instead???

The question is: Why didn't I actually frame this in my bedroom to serve as a reminder that I want to teach EdTech students???

So that was 2 years ago and the graduate program just started recently and now I regret not taking the invite to teach the program, seriously. I want to. I would love to.

I guess it's not yet too late to express interest, am I right? I know I can do it, even the former OIC-president of the university encouraged me that I can teach in the program.

What encouragement do I still seek?

Or more importantly, who's validation am I trying to seek approval of?

I'm making this blog post because I'm trying to figure out where this fear is coming from. I want to know the source of this constant seeking of validation. WHOSE validation am I waiting for?

I have been delaying and delaying and delaying to become an actual fully pledged "teacher" and have a "class" I can call my own. I'm scared but deep inside I want it.

I'm starting to believe these are just devil's lies. The devil telling me that I am not good enough or that I don't deserve it or that I am not yet "ready". This is the devil trying to stop me to fulfill what God's purpose for my life is.

May this blogpost remind me of this day that I promise not to let rejection and failure stop me from keeping on chasing bigger things. It's been a year since I sank down in depression mourning for the simultaneous loss of my grandparents, a year of pacifying myself for the multiple rejections I've had trying to look for a bigger break, a year dealing with my pre-30 and post-30 crisis and eventually giving up on my ultimate desire for international experiences.

But a year is enough to waste on being stuck in a dead end. I must not settle. I must not allow myself to remain comfortable. I must constantly push myself of accomplishing bigger things, one after the other, despite multiple failures and rejection.

Because I'm only 30...

As my cousin said, we are still very young.

We just have to keep trying despite the many times we've been rejected.

God's denial doesn't always mean "NEVER".. it could also mean "NOT YET".

I will not be afraid because I know that the Lord is always with me.

PEMEA International Conference 2018

Fueling Future Innovators

I have to say, I was very surprised to see my face posted in Letran IT Society's facebook. The first reaction I had was, "Where did they get my graduation photo??"

Turns out its the first photo that will pop-up if you google my name. Of course, thanks to this blog post I made when I was studying for my board exam. 

https://tonirosepinero.blogspot.com/2015/05/quick-update.html

Lol.. I hope they didn't really believe that I topped the board examinations. This was just some image I made in a Microsoft Word Document. I self-proclaimed that I topped the boards even before the exam even begun. It's what you call, "claiming it!" ... Well, I really didn't top the board exams but I did pass it! ... Aim for the moon, so that even if you miss... you will land on the stars. Right?!

They could have at least just asked for a photo. But no worries, they picked a good one anyway. I mean I do have a much more recent graduation photo. But it's okay. They made me look younger in social media. XD 

FUELLING FUTURE INNOVATORS 

Photos from the actual event:

I used to really have a bit of stage fright every time I get so much attention. I'm not really an attention seeker and I like to work in the background. But this recent speaking engagement gave me confidence and the push that I should continue to share my knowledge and inspire more students with what I have learned through out the years.

#MARKinghistorywithDONA

Another family wedding...

With my not-so-baby-anymore cousin <3

with my not-so-little-anymore nephew

Showing the world my braces... 

Prom date! 

I realized I didn't take a lot of pictures with my sister and my mom. 

Most of my photos were with the nephew.. 😂

And he was getting kinda annoyed... but he didn't have so much of a choice. 😋

Lasallian Scholars Society : TRANSCEND 2018

Lasallian Scholars Society: TRANSCEND 2018

I thank God for giving me the opportunity to help students get access to free education. It was a part of my life that I will never truly forget. The mission of providing quality education continues as I stay in the education industry and help in different ways possible. Indeed, I know that this is part of my life's purpose! I have nothing but praises and gratitude for our Lord!

Thank you Lord for blessing me with Lasallian Scholars that I consider very important people in my life. I may not have had the opportunity to be personally close with all of them but I hope that somehow I left a positive mark in their lives. 

From the students I handled, only a few students are left. A lot of them are working professionals now!

Tasked to do an impromptu inspirational talk.