Part 1: Nature Poetry Writing and Reading - A Wonderful Experience

Dr Abe V Rotor

You may use these poems for poetry reading in the classroom, in literary criticism, or simply as guide in making your own poems. It's a rare experience: poetry reading with music background around a bonfire on a peaceful evening under the stars with your family and friends. AVR

Detail of Mural by AVRotor

Dream Kites

Clear against the blue mountain far
Are specks of yellow, red and blue,
And white, and the many colors they make.

Swaying like birds, rising and swooping,
Suspended in time and space,
If not for the sinking sun.

The wind is fair, the grain is golden now,
Else the old folk would complain:
Don’t call the wind when the grain is young.

But kids that we were cared for nothing,
Except our kites at all costs must fly
From the other end of the string.

Up, up they soared into the sky,
Dwarfing Babel, trailing the Apollo-
Flight only our dreams could follow through.

My kite took me away to the city and beyond-
Years had passed and I see kites flying again,
Familiar they seem, but in another time. ~

Bangar tree, relative of Kalumpang. Along Commonwealth Avenue, Manggahan QC

Kalumpang Tree in Bloom

You build fire and douse it, too,
Exult beauty and let it go;
Children in your care will know
Of your lesson as they grow.

Golden Shower

The Siberian High lulls you to sleep,
While summer heralds your birth
Into a kingdom regal yet brief
That reigns over a parched earth.

You greet the sun with garlands of gold,
Dancing the whole day through;
And soon explode in a thousand-fold
Only to fall and cease to grow.

Sybil's ghost hangs, flowerless you stand,
Save pods dangling in dull chime
In the wind - then fall to the ground -
'Tis the end of summer time. ~

Blue Starfish

Blue Starfish, Calatagan, Batangas

From the blue sky on the chariot of Apollo,
Forever now you live in the sea below,
Mingling with other stars buried long time ago,
Save your color and ever changing hue. ~

You may use these poems for poetry reading in the classroom, in literary criticism, or simply as guide in making your own poems. It's a rare experience: poetry reading with music background around a bonfire on a peaceful evening under the stars with your family and friends. AVR


A note of simple expression of thanks and gratitude to all followers, participants and viewers of Living with Nature - School on Blog. Your contribution has greatly helped us expand in the number and variety of lessons and coverage. This is very encouraging as we are about to begin our fourth year with hundreds of pageviews daily from different parts of the world. We have now more than 2,000 posts, with a number of lessons regularly updated and edited for added information and easier access. The lessons are also linked with radio and outreach programs. We invite you to help in enhancing a greater multiplier effect. You may wish to contribute by any means, from disseminating the lessons in your area yourselves, or by donating to our current extension work and radio broadcast (school-on-air) through Philippine National Bank Dollar Account No. 372756300038, or 372756300020 (peso account). Living with Nature-School on Blog is purely a voluntary effort to bring functional literacy to millions who lack access to formal education, and to augment formal learning and experiential knowledge. - Dr Abercio V Rotor

(More lessons are found in avrotornaturalism.blogspot.com)

Environment and Health: Pesticide-Free Vegetables

Environment and Health: Pesticide-Free Vegetables

Dr Abe V Rotor 

Squash flowers and saluyot (Corchorus olitorius)

I am writing this article in response to queries on how sure are we that the vegetables we are eating are safe from pesticides.

In general leafy vegetables (e.g. pechay) and fruit (tomato) vegetables receive more chemical spraying than do root (potato) and seed (mungo) vegetables, but this is not always true as we will see later.

As far as our problem on pesticide is concerned, I would rather classify vegetables into two: those that do not need spraying at all, and those which can not be raised economically without the protection of chemicals.

For the first category here is a list of 30 common vegetables in their common and scientific names. Farmers simply find them resistant against attacking insects, mites, nematodes, snails, fungi, including weeds, rodents and birds – or these vegetables are found in the wild, or in the open where they seasonally grow.

1. Malunggay (Morinda oleracea)

2. Saluyot (Corchorus olitorius)

3. Wild ampalaya (Momordica charantia)

4. Katuray (Sesbania grandiflora)

5. Batao (Dolichos lablab)

6. Patani (Phaseolus lunatus)

7. Sinkamas (Pachyrizus erosus)

8. Summer squash (Cucurbita maxima)

9. Native eggplant (round) - (Solanum melongena)

10. Native tomato (susong kalabaw) - (Lycopersicum esculentum)

11. Native sitao (short) – Vigna sesquipedalis

12.Seguidillas (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus)

13.Alugbati (Basella rubra)

14.Talinum (Talinum triangulare)

15.Native spinach (Amaranthus sp.)

16.Gulasiman (Portulaca oleracea)

17.Sweet potato (tops and root) – Ipomea batatas

18. Kangkong – Ipomea reptans

19. Pepper or Sili (labuyo) - (Capsicum frutescens)

20. Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

21. Rimas or breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)

22. Sayote (Sechium edule)

23. Taro or gabi (Colocasia esculenta)

24. Kamoteng kahoy or cassava (Manihot esculenta)

25. Ubi (Dioscorea alata)

26. Tugui’ (Dioscora esculenta)

27. Kadios (Cajanus cajan)

28. Banana (Saba) – (Musa paradisiaca)

29. Sampaloc (Tamarindus indica)

30. Kamias (Averrhoa balimbi)

Most of these vegetables are native to our soil and climate and because of this, they have natural resistance to pest and diseases, which would otherwise attack, introduced varieties, especially those of foreign origin.

Gardening with kids, Lagro QC

Tinkering with the genes of indigenous species erodes natural resistance. Our native rice varieties for example, are resistant to pest, drought, flood, can compete with weeds, do not need much care, although they are not top producers. Genetically “improved” rice varieties became pampered with fertilizers; water, planting distance, thorough soil cultivation, and most specially spraying with insecticides and fungicides. They are likened to our present breeds of animals. Our poultry today can no longer thrive in the open, whereas our native fowls are “self-supporting”.

This is true with many vegetables. That is why commercial vegetables throughout their life cycle are provided with a “chemical blanket” to protect them from the onslaught of pests and diseases, many of them became destructive as a result of induced mutation. Indiscriminate chemical spraying has been found to build biological specialization so that certain insects and pathogens, which survive, carry on to the next generations the acquired resistance.

It means therefore the need for more spraying, more frequent and higher dosage, above all - more poisonous chemicals. And this is what is happening today with many vegetables in the market. The pesticide industry greatly benefits from this situation.

Pesticides are believed to be the most common source of poison that causes ailments of the liver and kidney. They affect our nervous system and impair our senses and nerves. They have long been tagged as a major cause of cancer, diabetes, allergy and other physiologic disorder. Because most of the pesticides today are synthetic, our body cannot readily degrade and excrete them. Instead they tend to accumulate until a threshold level is reached that lead to many health problems.

Let us look at the second category of vegetables: those which are grown successfully only with the aid of pesticides. Without pesticides, they cannot survive the attack off pests and diseases.

The most sprayed vegetables are the crucifers – cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, mustard, pechay, wonbok, and the like. The pesticides used on them are the most potent brands, leaving no chance to caterpillars ensconced in deep holes, mites in the roots, and aphids in leaf axils. The poison must be absorbed and distributed throughout the plant so that any insect that feeds on the sap is sure to get the poison and die. This is why such poisons are called systemic.

Poisons of this kind are also used on cucurbits, mainly melons and watermelon and cucumber, patola and ampalaya. The number one enemy is the fruit fly (Dacus cucurbitae), which lays eggs on the young fruits. Mango growers also use systemic poison to protect the fruits from another species of fruitfly, Dacus dorsalis. Mango importing countries like Australia, Japan and the US impose strict regulations against fruit flies which also attack other fruits and vegetables like oranges and bananas.

There are vegetables that may have been sprayed long before they are harvested such as peanut (Arachis hypogea) and mungo (Phaseolus radiatus). Rice and corn are relatively safe from the pesticides sprayed on them during their growing period. It is the protective spraying before and during storage that must be strictly regulated.

What should we do with vegetables under the second category – those that are raised with chemical spraying as a prescribed horticultural practice? Here are some tips of getting the least effect of the pesticide used.

1. Avoid the organophospates. Get advice from the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, or from your agriculturist. Organophosphates are the most poisonous of all pesticides. Examples are parathion, azinphos, bromophos, demethon, diazinon, EPN, DDVP, TEEP, thiomethon. There are 70 organophosphates packed and marketed under different brand names in the FPA list.

2. Carbamates have lower lethal dosage and are therefore comparatively less toxic to human and animals. Examples are aldicarb, benomyl, carbaryl, carbufuran, carboxin, methomyl, cartap, thiobencarb. FPA listed more than 20 carbamates, which carry different brand names in the market.

3. Intermediate in toxicity between the two groups - organophosphates and carbamates – are the organochlorines or chlorinated hydrocarbons such as endusulfan. pertane, heptachlor, BHC toxaphene. Because the residual toxicity is not only stay long but persists in the organism it is carried through the food chain. Many of these organochlorines are banned. This is particularly true with DDT and Chlordane. Under FPA regulation the presence of these in the market is considered illegal.

4. Herbicides belong to two groups: chlorophenoxy compounds and nitro and chlorophenols. One big disadvantage of herbicides is their destructive effects to living things and the environment. But when it comes to toxicity, gram for gram, rodenticides or rat poisons are the most dangerous. Keep them away from humans and animals. Dispose used baits and containers properly, particularly the acute rodenticides (e.g. zinc phosphide and sodium cyanide). Note: these are highly regulated by FPA

5. Remember, spraying with chemicals is an ultimate recourse in pest control. Pest control must be integrated with good farming. That is why the government is pursuing Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Successful IPM models in other countries have drastically reduced the use of chemical pesticides. Follow the threshold level formula that means, spray your field when the pest has reached a certain destructive phase. Do not spray because of its mere presence.

6. Choose botanical pesticides, such as nicotine, rotenone and pyrethrum because they are biodegradable and very much less expensive. In fact they can be formulated on the farm. Ask your agriculturist how.

Sayote (Sechium edule) is seldom sprayed, it grows naturally on fences and hillsides

Here are additional tips:

1. Do not harvest newly sprayed crops even if the market is good. Samples of pechay (Brassica chinensis) coming from four Metro Manila markets showed residues of organophosphate insecticides. One is positive in 15 pechay for methyl parathion (0.1 mg/kg), and one is positive in 15 for endosulfan (.01 mg/kg).

2. Washing may help reduce the poisonous residue, but systemic poisons remain in the body of the plant. Avoid eating vegetables, which are known to be heavily protected with pesticide.

3. There are laboratories that determine pesticides residue – Pesticide Analytical Laboratory of the Bureau of Plant Industry, and the Pesticide Residue Laboratory of UPLB, Food Development Center of NFA, DOST, Siliman University and the Philippine Atomic Research Center. If you are in doubt with your favorite vegetables, consult any of these centers.

4. Better yet, plant your own vegetables and practice organic gardening. Spend time outdoor with your plants. Enjoy true freshness of vegetables. And one thing you are sure of. They are pesticide-free.

But if you do not have time and space, have the list of pesticide-free vegetables always ready on hand. They are not only health-friendly but environment-friendly as well, and they are where the Pierian spring of long and happy life flows. ~

Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (School-on-Air)

738 DZRB AM, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday
Lesson for November 9, 2011

Part 1: A Travelogue in Art: From Paleolithic to Colonial Period

Dr Abe V Rotor

This article is part of an upcoming book, Humanities Today - An Experiential Approach, written jointly by Dr Kristine Molina-Doria and AV Rotor.

“We know from records how art developed and influenced man and his society throughout history, but we can only surmise today at its role in postmodern time.” - AVR


Ruins of Colonialism, Mural (8ft x 8ft), (AV Rotor), former St. Paul University QC.

Art began at the dawn of civilization. It started in cave dwellings of early man then found its way to some fertile plains where nomadic man started to settle down, evidently in Mesopotamia and other known cradles of civilization in Asia and Africa. Since then art and culture grew together.

Art developed with the discovery of early tools for the home and field. Symbols were drawn on rocks, animal skin and bark of trees as early records. Sounds developed into words, and melodies. Early weapons like the spear and shield were highly decorated, more so after a victorious battle. The string of a bow led early man to invent the lyre, and other early stringed instruments. The use of the bow-and-arrow led to sports other than for hunting and war, which consequently developed the art of worship and rituals, in celebrating victories, and giving respect to the dead.

Art is to man’s credit, but his model and source of inspiration is nature. The rainbow made him wonder, the stars made him wish, thunder and lightning humbled him, creatures of all kinds made him feel important, the coming and passing of seasons marked his activities and leisure. He learned from Nature the various forms of art, in fact many fields of learning.

The pyramid is a man-made mountain, the boat a dugout piece of log, a fort came from the idea of an isolated island, a bridge from a rock promontory, the wheel from a rolling stone, temple from a cave of glittering stalactites and stalagmites. He copied the intricate architecture of the termite mound for his buildings, the unique designs of nature to express function and beauty. He studied how birds fly, build their nest, and flock together. He wondered at the mystery of living things, describing and copying them, mimicked their looks, dances and songs. Nature indeed has been man’s greatest teacher.

Beyond discovery and invention, man added aesthetics – that high sense of beauty. It is this innate desire that is expressed in his art – an expression emanating from within influenced by experience and the environment. It is a kind of longing, a pouring out of emotion, a romantic gesture, a symbol of thought or idea, a puzzle of a game or test. Often art poses a question itself, as it offers fulfillment, or therapy. But art, differentiated from science, takes the road of imagination and creativity more than reason, the dialectics of logic, and formality of philosophy. Art takes man to the road of freedom, it liberates his mind to explore, to experience and express, in the world of imagination and fantasy, distorting reality and elevating emotion, and stimulating the psyche, ascendant to aesthetic level.

If art grew with civilization, it must have its early beginning with our Stone Age ancestors. Earlier than that, art – if it is called art – is associated with instinctive ways basically in response to the needs of survival like mimicry, nesting, and cooperation shared biologically with other creatures. In reckoning the beginning of art, it is in the Paleolithic and Neolithic times dating as far back as 25,000 BC. Paintings inside caves are clearly art and history combined. These cave paintings found in many parts of the world from Lascaux in France to Montalban, Rizal, are proofs of prehistoric culture, the most prominent being those of stone tools, funerary offerings, and articles of adoration and worship. The Stonehenge in Great Britain was built ingeniously as an observatory to plot the movement and position of stars and planets, to which early man asked favor while submitting his fate through worship and festivals. Similarly the tunnels of the Pyramids of Egypt have astronomical significance, so with the ziggurats of Central America.

Imagine Stone Age art in an early version of the Greek Venus, in decorated vases, tools and weapons, or in the form of specimens from hunted animals as memorabilia or talisman. Body paintings must have imitated animals, or simply signified position and rank in the tribe. Clothing evolved from function to art. Many ethnic cultures have been preserved to this day, and in fact the modern world built on them multi-million dollar industries in fashion and tourism.

The last prehistoric phase, the Metal Age, is characterized by a proliferation of metallic crafts, from weapons to body ornaments. Discovery of burial chambers yielded rich metallic decors of gold and silver, swords and spears in advanced metallurgy in this period, shields and armors revolutionized war. And because of the precious value and malleability of metals, various objects of art were made from them and became artifacts of today, many are displayed in museums.

Art in Ancient times reached its peak with the Wonders of the Ancient World, with Greece and later Rome at the peak of power. “The glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome…” became a metaphoric adage, and true to their superior achievements, the Greco-Roman model was adopted by the Renaissance, one and one-half millennia later - in the fifteen century. Unfortunately of the seven man-made wonders of the ancient world, only the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt survives. The rest - Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes and Lighthouse of Alexandria, were destroyed by earthquake or fire. The inclusion of other man-made wonders include the Coliseum of Rome, Karnak Temple of Egypt, Petra of Jordan and in other parts of the world, the Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal of India, Machu Picchu in Peru, Bali in Indonesia, Bagan Temples and Pagodas of Burma, Borobodor of Indonesia, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Teotihuacan in Mexico, the Forbidden City of China. Last, but not the least, the Banaue Rice Terraces in the Philippines.

The Middle Ages often referred to as the Dark Ages was a long lull in arts, particularly in the western world, whereas on the side of world, art flourished in China and other parts of Asia, and in Central and South America (Aztec, Maya and Inca civilizations). The former Roman Empire disintegrated into warring fiefs or kingdoms, yet romantically yielded stories of fantasy and bed time stories handed down to us. (Children stories from the Grimm Brothers, and Hans Anderson; 1001 Arabian Nights)

It was in the 14th century that there was a stirring of man’s redemption from his woeful past - the Renaissance. The Renaissance brought new life and bridged the isolated corners of the world, so to speak. The Philippines became part of Renaissance Europe with its “discovery” by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. For almost 400 years of Spanish rule we developed a culture greatly influenced by European civilization, except the remote ethnic communities.

The paintings of Juan Luna, Felix Hidalgo, Fernando Amorsolo strongly reveal European styles. Many of our dances are distinctly Spanish. Even Biag ni Lam-ang (Life of Lam-ang, an pic) was abridged with Spanish and Christian flavor. Towns founded during the Spanish period were basically of Roman design. It is because Spain was ruled by the Romans for centuries. Even our Zarzuela and Moro-moro are Western in origin, the latter depicting the victory of Christians over the Moors in the Arab world. But the greatest expression of European Renaissance in the Philippines in church architecture. A typical example of baroque architecture is San Agustin Church in Intramuros, while San Sebastian Church is expressly of gothic. The latter greatly influenced the Iglesia ni Cristo’s neo-gothic edifices.

Even before the era of colonization ended at the close of the 19th century, there was a movement sweeping Europe – Impressionism. This movement radically changed art. Classicism and Romanticism which were the dominant schools of art mainly with the elite bowed to the popular movement. Now people can reach a level of art related to their everyday life, their simple needs and aspirations. Even Realism took a step downward. Subjects are not viewed the way they are with details and accuracy; they are merely “impressions.” They are memories, dreams, views from the distance, and remnants of events and residues of thought. But this was but a transition to other movements at the close of the 19th century.

It was Vincent Van Gogh who opened a new meaning in art - expressionism - the freedom to bring out through art emotions and feelings, and not merely thoughts or ideas. It took years after its founder’s death that expressionism was accepted as a major movement, particularly with the birth of new nations out of the bondage of colonial rule. The trilogy of the French Revolution – Liberty, Fraternity and Equality became a universal cry, and America was the first to adapt the trilogy as pillars of its constitution. It greatly moved local leaders. Rizal wrote Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, Juan Luna painted Spolarium a mural comparing the suffering Filipinos with the gladiators of Rome. The 1889 Philippine Independence aroused nationalism, although it was short lived with America placing the Philippines under its sovereign as a Commonwealth. Here is a mélange of art with American art further diluting an already losing Filipino identity.

Since the pioneers of America were mostly Europeans, American art was distinctly European. So with the art they introduced in the Philippines. Buildings during the Commonwealth were post-colonial – which is fundamentally Greco-Roman. The prominent examples are the Central Post Office, the old Congress and Senate, Agriculture, Finance, Supreme Court, Philippine General Hospital. All over the country neo-colonial architecture and design are still evident seventy years after our independence from America.

Continued...

Environment: Ecology in Miniature Dioramas

Environment: Ecology in Miniature Dioramas

Dr Abe V Rotor

Faculty Curator, Former St Paul Museum, SPUQC

These mini-dioramas have been removed to give way to a new project in the former Museum. This lesson is dedicated to the students who made them, and to visitors who appreciated the value of these masterpieces.

Coral Reef

The idea of miniaturized dioramas depicting ecological scenes was pioneered by students taking up ecology subject at St. Paul University QC. Their works - two dozen mini-dioramas depicting major ecosystems - were displayed for 15 years at the school museum, then the centerpiece of natural history.

A diorama is a “view window” reproduced from an actual or imagined event or scene made by artists who have a background of painting, architecture and sculpture combined, and of course, history. In this particular case, the diorama artists must have a working knowledge of ecology and biology.

One who may have visited any of the following museums has a better understanding as to what a diorama is in terms of structure, content and medium: National Museum in Manila, Ayala Museum at Greenbelt in Makati, and National Food Authority Grain Industry Museum in Cabanatuan. But the dioramas in these museums are large and spacious. It gives him the feeling that he is right on spot where the event is taking place or where the scene is located. This is enhanced with the right ambiance of lighting, musical background, narration or dialogue and the like.

The mini-dioramas at SPUQ are much simpler and smaller. They are works of amateurs but nonetheless exude the quality an artist cum ecologist can best show with the help of faculty members and the museum staff. Here are seven mini-dioramas depicting the Tropical Rainforest, the Ocean, Pacific Lagoon, Coral Reef, Alpine Biome, Savannah and the Desert,

1. Tropical Rainforest

The earth once wore a broad green belt on her midriff – the rainforest – that covered much of her above and below the equator. Today this cover has been reduced - and is still shrinking at a fast rate. The nakedness of the earth can be felt everywhere. One place where we can witness this is right here in the Philippines where only 10 percent of our original forest remains. Even the great Amazon Basin is threatened. As man moves into new areas, puts up dwellings, plants crops, becomes affluent, increases in number, the more the tropical rainforest shrinks. Our thinking that the forest as a source of natural resources is finite is wrong. Like any ecosystem, a forest once destroyed cannot be replaced. It can not regenerate because by then the soil has eroded, and the climate around has changed. It is everyone’s duty to protect the tropical rainforest, the bastion of thousands of species of organisms. In fact it is the richest of all the biomes on earth.

Tropical Rainforest

2. The Ocean

Scientists today believe that eighty percent of the world’s species of organisms are found in the sea. One can imagine the vastness of the oceans – nearly 4 kilometers deep on the average and 12 km at its deepest - the Marianas Trench and the Philippine Deep - and covering 78 percent of the surface of the earth. Artists and scientists re-create scenarios of Jules Verne’s, “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” such as this diorama, imagining man’s futuristic exploration in the deep led by Captain Nemo, the idealistic but ruthless scientist. Such scenarios are no longer fantasy today – they are scenes captured by the camera and other modern tools of research. And the subject is not one of exploration alone, but conservation, for the sea, limitless as it may seem, is facing the same threats of pollution and other abuses man on land, in water, and air. The sea is man’s last frontier. Let us give it a chance.

3. Pacific Lagoon

The vastness of the Pacific Ocean is disturbed now and then by the presence of islands – big and small, singly or in groups - that appear like emerald and pearl strewn on the dark blue water, presenting a most beautiful scenery that attracts people to experience true communion with nature. Originally these islands were the tips of volcanoes, at first fierce and unsettled, but later became tame to the elements that fashioned them through time into lagoons, and other land forms of varied geographic features. As seen in this diorama, this island typical of Boracay is rich in vegetation, coconut trees grow far into the water and on the white sand that cover the shores. The coral reef teems with many kinds of marine life, from rare shellfish to aquarium fishes. In fact the whole island is a sanctuary of wildlife. It is a natural gene bank, a natural museum of biological diversity.

Tropical Lagoon

4. Coral Reef

Second to the Tropical Rainforest in richness in species diversity is the coral reef, often dubbed as a forest under the sea. Corals are simple animals of the Phylum Coelenterata, now Ctenophora, that live in symbiosis with algae. Algae being photosynthetic produce food and oxygen that corals need, and in return receive free board and lodging, and carbon dioxide. Within this zone grow many kinds of seaweeds, some reaching lengths of several feet long as in the case of kelp (Laminaria), and Sargassum, the most common tropical seaweed. As a sanctuary it cradles the early life stages of marine life until they have grown to be able to survive the dangers and rigors of the open sea. Coral reefs are formed layer upon layer through long years of deposition of calcareous skeletons of Coelenterates which is then cemented with sand, silt, clay and gravel to form into rock. Limestone is a huge deposit resulting from this process Scientists believe that without coral reefs islands would disappear and continents shrink. Above all we would not have the fishes and other marine organisms we know today.

5. Alpine Biome

Isolated from the lower slopes and adjoining valley, this ecological area has earned a distinction of having plants and animals different from those in the surrounding area. Because of the unique climate characterized by an intense but short summer and extreme cold the rest of the year, the organisms in this biome have acquired through evolution certain characteristics that made them fit to live in such an environment. Alpine vegetation is dramatic owing to its ephemeral nature. Here annual plants bloom with a precise calendar, attracting hordes of butterflies and other organisms. The trees are gnarled as they stand against the howling wind, mosses and liverworts carpet the ground, streams are always alive, and migrating animals have their fill before the cold sets in. We do not have this biome in the Philippines, but atop Mt. Apo in Davao and Mt. Pulog in Benguet, the country’s highest mountains, lies a unique ecosystem – a combination of grassland and alpine. This could be yet another biome heretofore unrecorded in the textbook.

Alpine 

6. Savannah

Home of game animals in Africa, the Savannah has the highest number of herbivores of all biomes. It had always been the “grand prix” of hunters until three decades ago when strict laws were passed prohibiting poaching and destruction of natural habitats. The diorama depicts the shrub-grass landscape, a stream runs into a waterhole where, during summer, attracts animals from the lowly turtle to the ferocious lion which stakes on preys like zebra and gazelle. Beyond lies Mt. Kimanjaro, Hemingway’s favorite locale of his novel of the same title (Snows of Kilimanjaro). It is said that the beginning of the Nile River, the longest river in the world, starts with the melting of snow atop Kilimanjaro, right at the heart of the savannah.

7. The Desert

Scenes of the Sahara flash in our mind the moment the word “desert” is brought about to both young and old, in fantasy or reality. Here lies a wasteland, so vast that it dwarfs the imagination. Deserts are found at the very core of continents like Australia and North America, or extend to high altitude (Atacama Desert) or way up north (Siberian Desert) where temperature plunges below zero Celsius. In the desert rain seldom comes and when it does, the desert suddenly blooms into multi-faceted patterns and colors of short-growing plants. Sooner the desert is peacefully dry and eerie once again, except the persistent cacti and their boarders (birds, insects and reptiles), shrubs and bushes that break the monotony of sand and sand dunes. But somewhere the “desert is hiding a well,” so sang the lost pilot and the Little Prince in Antoine de St. Exupery’s novelette, “The Little Prince.” I am referring to the oasis, waterhole in the desert. It is here where travelers mark their route, animals congregate, nations put claims on political borders. Ecologically this is the nerve center of life, spiritually the bastion of hope, a new beginning, and source of eternal joy particularly to those who have seen and suffered in the desert. The desert is not a desert after all.

Desert

(More lessons are found in avrotornaturalism.blogspot.com)

Effective Teachers and Teaching Models – A Self-Administered Test

Dr Abe V Rotor and Ms Melly Tenorio

Dr Rotor with Senator Edgardo Angara and TV host Tintin Versola, on winning the
National Book Award in Science for his book, Living with Nature in Our Times 2008.

This set of questions was designed for participants in Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) and viewers of Living with Nature - School on Blog. This is posted on popular request by the audience. I invite others to answer these questions often asked about teachers, their teaching methods and models, in True or False. Please refer to the answers at the end of the test which include details and other information.

1. In teaching, Humanities and Science must go together. This requires the use of both the left brain which is creativity and the right brain which is for logic or reason.

2. The majority of the teacher-participants are experimentalists. They uphold the experimental educational philosophy. This means that these teachers are flexible and open to educational change.

3. Twelve are advocates to perennialists, educational philosophy, which means that they do not subscribe to just one philosophy, and they shift their roles from being facilitators of learning to transmitters and interpreters of knowledge

4. Twelve are eclectic that is, they perceive themselves as authority figures in the classroom, transmitting and interpreting knowledge.

5. Nine are realists. They tend to focus on the here and now. They stress knowledge as how it is applied or observed. For example the laws of nature are better understood through observation and research.

6. Most of the expert teachers are idealists. They view education as a means of developing students’ intellectual abilities. Influenced by the Greek philosophers Socrates and Plato, these teachers stress the importance of logic and philosophy.

7. Of the two compositions used as basis in relating it to effectiveness in teaching. Essentials refer to requisites or “musts” for the attainment of teaching expertise.

8. Enhancers are teaching practices and behaviors contributory to teaching expertise

9. The effective teacher draws inspiration from his or her family, school administration and his community.

10. Subject matter expertise – All of the experts demonstrates a very thorough knowledge of subject matter, which facilitates effective organization of content to promote learning.

11. Being up-to-date with the latest developments in their fields – The experts are updated and very knowledgeable, explain new alternative ways of solving a problem – refers to effective classroom diagnostics

12. Knowledge of practical application and concrete, interesting examples to clarify abstract ideas/concepts – All of the expert teachers have readily available examples which are clear, simple, and interesting, to clarify issues or ideas – subject matter expertise.

13. Instructional Expertise – The expert teachers demonstrate facility in the use of varied instructional strategies, demonstrate knowledge of different teaching strategies, adopt group dynamics, and are particular in instructional clarity. They have the ability to simplify and clearly present lessons.

14. The founders of the world’s greatest religions were teachers.

15. Dr. Albert Schweitzer was great English explorer and teacher-missionary in Africa who became famous for his philosophy “reverence for life.”

16. Classroom Management Expertise – This is the ability of the teacher to prepare for and provide a physical learning environment. Students engage actively in class, time is properly managed, and students behave accordingly. A highly desirable study ethic prevails in class.

17. Efficient handling of routine activities and time management – refers to effective diagnostics.

18. Maintenance of students’ on-task behavior is a key enhancer. They use socialization techniques, encourage students to recite, motivate, and check their progress. There is never a dull moment in the classroom for an expert teacher.

19. Absence of class disruptions – The expert teachers make sure that the class does not suffer from unnecessary disruption. The experts are not reactive to disruptive situations; they are proactive, meaning they anticipate and prevent such situations to happen – or they can immediately remedy the situation from getting worse.

20. Classroom Management Expertise – this is the ability of the teacher to prepare for and provide a physical learning environment. Students engage actively in class, time is properly managed, and students behave accordingly.

21. Expert teachers have a range of teaching experience from 2 to 47 years, with a median of 25 years.

22. The experts were honor graduates and campus leaders.

23. In general, the 69 outstanding teachers did not choose teaching as their first career.

24. Women dominate the teaching profession.

25. Honor graduates are the best teachers because they are highly knowledgeable and can adjust easily to situation.

Reference: Unveiling Teaching Expertise: A Showcase of 69 Outstanding Teachers in the Philippines, Flordeliza Clemente-Reyes 2002. Lesson on Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid, DZRB 738 AM, 8 to 9 o’clock in the evening, Monday to Friday.


ANSWERS
1. False, brain lobes interchanged.
2. True
3. False, they are eclectic.
4. False, they are perennialists
5. True
6. False, there are very few – only 1 in the survey is an idealist.
7. True
8. True

9. True. Almost one-half of the expert teachers consider the supportive role of family members who understand the nature of teaching as having greatly contributed to their success. Twenty of the expert teachers mentioned of a family member as their mentor and source of inspiration. On the other hand the role of school administrators is very important, with almost 70% of the participants attributing the administration’s support to their success. The ambiance of teaching is equally important whereby the school is one large respectable family with a community atmosphere.

10. True
11. True
12. True

13. True. Use of varied teaching strategies – 90% of the expert teachers use varied teaching strategies. They employ other than lecture and recitation, song and movement, role-playing, pantomime, choral; reading visual imagery, concept mapping, brainstorming, contest, simulation, oral debate, cooperative learning etc.

14. True
15. True. He was one of the last great explorers to bring knowledge, peace and Christianity into the Dark Continent.

16. True
17. False. – All expert teachers manage classroom routine and time efficiently. The teacher is familiar with the names of his students, and knows who is absent, who is a fast or slow learner. More than half of the experts (58%) do not check attendance because the students are properly monitored and absenteeism does not pose a problem. Classes start and end on time. The teacher employs different ways of maximizing class time, such as the use of OHP, and other instructional devises, including handouts.

18. True, 92% of the model teachers used this technique.
19. True
20. True

21. True, it takes 25 years to be a model teacher. There is a saying, “Experience does not only make a good teacher; experience is the best teacher.”

22. False. They were academic achievers in college. There were only 14 of the experts who were active in extracurricular activities in college, say in athletics and campus politics. Fifty-eight are academic achievers, with 33 as top performers but who did not make it in the dean’s list, and 25 who were consistent scholars and honor students. Only 11 were average academic performers.

23. True Only 26 actually set their minds to teaching as early as upon graduation in high school. For one reason or another, 43 set out for other careers. Others found teaching compatible with their present professions, while a good number opted to spend their retirement as teachers or professors.

24. True. Of the 69 outstanding teachers, women constitute 74% as compared with that of men which is 26 &, or a ratio of 4 to 1. The reason for this is that men place less priority to teaching than better paying jobs. This is manifested in the choice of careers. In the case of men, they prefer law, engineering, and applied courses in industry and technology that offer better professional growth opportunities and pay as compared to teaching.

25. False, however high intelligence is preferred.~

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