Zine
EIC ZINE * Vol 1 No1
The Official e-Zine of EIC Training & Consultancy Services Volume 1 No 1
IT’S TIME TO THINK DIFFERENTLY. 1
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CONTENTS Why do we need to #ThinkDifferently? CARLO VENSON PEÑA 4 Education: A Key to Difference ERNEL MERANO 8 The Neuro-Science of How the Brain Learns MARK RELOVA 12 Why It’s Time to Disrupt the Traditional Approach to Problem Solving PHOON KOK HWA 18 Thinking Differently: A Creative’s Perspective LIM SOO YONG 24 The Strange Character of Our Mind JUAN APOLINARIO REYES 28 CONTRIBUTORS ABOUT THE EDITOR 2
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NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
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eedless to say, EIC Training & Consultancy Services’s first year was both challenging and rewarding. For the most part, it was fulfilling to know that I was not alone in the struggle to give the Philippines a fighting chance–to give it a more regional, albeit global, perspective of how training, consultancy and professionalism ought to be, given the plethora of skillsets that Filipinos are innately gifted with. Although it was tough to start off a new company, it was inspiring to have been supported by men and
women–professionals in their own fields of specialisation–who shared the same ideals and vision that I had. For that I will be eternally grateful. It will be a difficult decision to make for EIC as it reaches a fork in its road. Nonetheless, I am very hopeful that truly one day, we can all rise by lifting others, through training and development. On behalf of the contributing consultants, I would like to thank everyone who believed that there is hope for the Filipino, and for the world. –CBP
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WHY DO WE NEED TO #THINKDIFFERENTLY? Carlo Venson Peña, MDS Head Consultant, EIC Training & Consultancy Services 4
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ThinkingDifferently is a hashtag I am most fond of. Not only does it define what the Neo-Writers Project (NWP) embodies, it also helps underline more personal goals for myself as a publishing professional and writer, and as an educator and programme designer. Having to look beyond the box of what is deemed as the norm, the accepted, and the quo is a trait that not everyone possesses, but in reality is a skill everyone needs to learn and relearn. The NWP is not just a programme that wants to break moulds, but more so, a movement to give young people a voice and a platform to tell their stories according to how they see it fit, and have those stories published for everyone to read, to enjoy and to learn from. Like many, I was engrained with the concept of thinking within the box by both people and institutions early on, for obvious reasons. Conforming was an easy way out, since it got you out of trouble most of the time: so I
got good grades, rarely questioned authority, showed enthusiasm even in things that did not stir my creativity, and followed what everyone else was doing just to fit in. It was fine for the first few years of school, but I did have days when I thought I could have done better than that. After enrolling in a communications degree in university, I was suddenly surrounded by people who shared the same passion and enthusiasm as I did about language, development and media in general. More importantly though, I became immersed in a world where I could use what I thought was a curse and rehash it into a prime mover that impacted people’s lives by becoming a mediator for their concerns. Slowly, I realised I could actually think outside the box. I no longer hid behind the flurry of people who had set me aside because I thought differently. I found myself in the front row, using the talents I thought I needed to hide, and was changing lives through the projects I was doing. You might say, I had gotten rid of the box, to a
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certain extent. I’m not saying that the box is such an awful thing to have. We need to realise that the box does serve its purpose: it defines the rules for you, helps mould your confidence in creating your content, and from there even–dare I say–help redefine your whole concept of content altogether. By having the box, your parameters are defined, and these then pose a challenge for us to #ThinkDifferently in order to break those parameters, or at least go around them. When you look at it from a different POV, having something to define what you can and cannot do should be able to push you to find new ways to provide alternatives to imposing problems. There is never truly any solution to a problem, only alternatives. Each alternative burgeons its own set of possibilities, benefits and repercussions, and it is up to the programme designer to one, have the foresight and anticipate the repercussions of an alternative, and two, find ways to capitalise on both
the results and repercussions of that alternative. I believe that is what #ThinkingDifferently really is; it is having both foresight of how situations and alternatives impact each other, while finding a way to make the most of what is gained from any situation. This means crafting narratives that are beyond the usual stories that feed our minds, specially content that either condescends what is defined by a set of norms or altogether set aside realities that are felt and experienced by society at large and by individuals, in its microcosm. By #ThinkingDifferently about how our stories are told, we create an opportunity to see through the walls that hinder us from growing as people, and as thinking individuals bound by collective responsibility to ensure that we will all rise together, by lifting others together.
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“Thinking differently is having both foresight of how situations and alternatives impact each other, while finding a way to make the most of what is gained from any situation.�
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EDUCATION: A KEY TO DIFFERENCE Ernel Merano, PhD Seasoned Educator / Consultant
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n many years past, some people believed that education is not a necessity but only an alternative to those who want for it. This notion is normally influenced during the Spanish period; education of the majority Filipinos was seriously behind except those who obviously belong to the elite families. For the Filipino children, it was instilled in their minds that girls should only stay at home to do household chores and care for their children while boys should work hard and earn money for the family. Yes, I even heard this old outlook from my grandfather who died at the age of 95. For him, going to school is not that important because when you speak English and memorize the multiplication table in the restaurant, a food you like to buy and eat won’t go out from the casserole unless you have the money in your pocket to exchange for it. So, working and earning money is much important than wasting time and educating oneself in the school. I was totally shocked on his obsolete thought! I supposed to argue, yet, I
respect him as my grandfather who experienced a lot of deprivations during his time. Without question, out of his seven children no one graduated in college. In fact, my father is one of them. How to resolve this implausible thought? Could this thought be helpful to the current status of the Filipino society? Eventually, in this contemporary era, there are still a lot of people think negatively against the importance of education to one’s existence. This is now the huge dilemma of some Filipino citizens (parents and children) despite the program of the government is already provided to the public like free education from elementary to college yet they have weak interest in education. How to become different? According to former President Gloria Arroyo, “Education is the only weapon against poverty”, which is why, only education could change the economic status of every Filipino family. Moreover, one’s decision to be educated is as much as significant to build one’s great and progressive
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“Let’s be the first agents of change.”
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nation. Some modern thinkers mentioned the purpose of education is “to change for the better physically, mentally, socially, emotionally, spiritually, politically, and financially.” Thus, changing for the better aspects in life lies on the way people think differently by removing the nonsense ideas and infertile thoughts in mind. In support, to think differently the importance of education is the chief answers of all the prevalent problems exist in the society nowadays like poverty, crimes, corruptions, prostitutions, etc. And since education enlightens to one’s mind, thus people don’t tend to do against the law of God and people. Consequently, majority of the educators are currently concentrating on the advocacy of the importance of education to one’s daily life. They strive themselves to redirect the wrong path of the children to the right one for them to become an asset and productive members of the society.
Filipino Teachers working both in the public and private schools, local or abroad, are the prime advocate on this drive. Though these living heroes receiving a small amount of salary yet their passion to change the lives of every Filipino child is undaunted and incomparable. These professionals are different in the sense that all the time they abide and walk to what they’ve promised in the Code of Ethics of Professional Teachers in the Republic of the Philippines. As an educator like me who’s working far from my home country, right after serving in the Department of Education for more than eight years, let’s be the first agent of change and work hard. Education as a key to difference despite all the challenges we’ve encountered every now and then. So let’s spread our wings, soar high and together we’ll make great difference to the lives of the young citizens locally and globally.
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THE NEUROSCIENCE OF HOW THE BRAIN LEARNS
IMPLICATIONS TO TRADITIONAL AND TECHNOLOGYENABLED TEACHING AND LEARNING Mark Relova, PhD Head of Learning - East-West Seed, Professor and Brain-based Coach 12
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ecently, I delivered a keynote speech to over 200 educators in Thailand. I shared the latest research findings of the Neuroleadership Institute on how the brain learns. The researches about learning and memory formation is summarized in one easy-to-remember model, called AGES. This stands for Attention, Generation, Emotion, and Spacing. These four variables may be the key to maximizing learning and development interventions. With just the right amount of attention, generation, emotion, and spacing, learners intensely activate their hippocampus, that part of the brain that is responsible for deep circuits needed for easy retrieval of information. This model can help teachers and learning and development practitioners improve their effectiveness by focusing on, and experimenting with, the key variables to effective learning. More specifically, the AGES model recommends that teachers,
trainers and educators pay attention to the following: 1. Create maximum attention with a greater focus on learner motivation, ensuring one focuses during learning events, and utilizing novelty and change during learning experiences. Examples are: * Make the content relevant to the learner, allowing the learner to appreciate the importance of the subject * Make learning discussions real and personal * Use advanced simulations in front of a group * Create competitive activities * Put pressure to perform, perhaps by a deadline 2. Encourage significant generation of learning by participants when teaching new concepts to build learner ownership rather than using presentation of information. Examples are: * Ask learner to evaluate the meaning of the information and compare it to existing knowledge
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* Ask the learner to apply knowledge in his/her own way * Formulate, organize, or add personal experience to the learning content * Ask learner to explain the concept in his/her own words * Do frequent self-test without linking results to overall grade * Ask Questions! Ask the learner to visualize situations in which they could apply their new learning and make decisions within the context of the new information * Ask learners to form together and discover rather than presenting them a finished output * Have the learners simply talk to each other about their new learning; teach others, present to each other rather than just listening to presentations * Do less teaching or presentation of information, and more time dedicated to application or reflection * Immediate feedback on any errors also significantly activate the hippocampus*
* When solving problems in class, give equal attention to wrong answers. Discuss why they are wrong.* * As you close your lesson, instead of asking your students what they have learned, try asking them who they will share the lesson with, or how they will apply the lesson with another person. 3. Create a positive emotional environment with opportunities for people to gain positive feedback and connect deeply with others. Examples are: * Induce positive emotions through recognition, rewards * Positive feedback leads to an increase in dopamine neurotransmission that is thought to help learning stick * Create situations to connect deeply with others to experience emotional ‘resonance’* where they experience a sense of connection with others * Have a class approach that includes novelty and entertainment to stimulate positive emotions
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“These research findings have direct implications to how traditional and technologyenabled teaching and learning should be carried out. Knowing how the brain learns gives teachers, trainers and educators an advantage in ensuring that students maximize their educational experience through learning that lasts.” * Positive anticipation has an impact to the formation of new learning. Make learning enjoyable instead of a mandatory event. 4. Utilize more spacing of learning instead of massing and repetition, with more dispersed content, such as turning a five-hour lecture into five one-hour events over a long period. *Based on the publication of Davachi, L., Kiefer, T., Rock, D. and Rock, L. (2010) L earning that lasts through AGES. Neuroleadership Journal: Issue 3
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WHY IT’S TIME TO DISRUPT THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO PROBLEM SOLVING
Phoon Kok Hwa Professional Action Learning Coach Inspireus Creation Pte Ltd, Singapore
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n today’s world of unprecedented pace of change, organisations need to learn and adapt faster than the change that is happening in both their internal and external environments. If one looks at history, it is not difficult to see that it is littered with the remains of once formidable organisations that were unable to do just that. In order to survive this onslaught of change, fresh thinking and new learning are necessary to avoid the risk of responding to today’s increasingly complex problems with solutions that used to bring success yesterday. Action learning has the twin purpose of helping organisations to make progress on important and perplexing problems while at the same time equipping their members with learning agility to find out how to deal, in future, with other ill-defined problems.
introduced action learning in the coal mines of Wales and England in the 1940s. The core idea of action learning is based upon small groups of colleagues meeting over time to tackle real problems in order to get things done; reflecting and learning from their experience and from each other as they attempt to change things. The World Institute for Action Learning (WIAL) operationalizes action learning through a standard approach that comprises a dynamic process with two ground rules and six components. It involves a group of four to eight people from diverse backgrounds working on a real problem at hand. The action learning methodology involves asking thought-provoking questions of one another that gets to the heart of the matter rather than expressing opinions and debating about solutions. What is Action Learning? Questions help to create opportunities for the group to Reg Revans is considered the father of learn from the unknown, navigate action learning. Trained as a physicist unchartered waters, challenge at Cambridge University, he first assumptions, and collaborate in the
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spirit of curiosity. In the process, the group co-creates solutions and support one another to develop essential leadership skills. Each action learning session is result-oriented because it must end with an agreed set of committed actions to be implemented by the group before meeting for the next session. While other members of the group focus on solving the problem, one member, the action learning coach’s primary role is to focus on helping the group to learn. The coach identifies learning opportunities and supports the group reflect on the problem solving process, group dynamics and learn from each other in a safe and neutral environment. Hence, the action learning process empowers groups to solve an urgent problem they are facing without losing focus on the important task of learning. Action Learning Problem Solving
and
The critical problems faced by organisations today are much more complicated and complex than problems encountered even five to ten years ago. Technological, socio-economic, geopolitical and demographic developments are major drivers of change causing major disruptions to business models today. Organisations are compelled to face with a huge amount of uncertainty and complexity that has arisen from rapidly changing trends and markets, disruptive new technologies, innovation from competitors, mergers and acquisitions, new channels to market, change of governments, etc. In the process of evolving, organisations need to make problem solving a way of life to respond to internal and external challenges. It is no wonder that in a survey by World Economic Forum, complex problem solving skills has remained as one of the top ten skills desired Complex by employers by 2020. Rapid organizational change challenges
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“While other members of the group focus on solving the problem, one member, the action learning coach’s primary role is to focus on helping the group to learn.”
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leaders and members to clearly identify the types of problems that they need to solve and understand the environmental factors that will help them make sense of the level of complexity. Problems can be based on existing knowledge or a lack of existing knowledge. Ronald Heifetz and Donald Laurie distinguish between problems that were more common to the 20th century (technical problems) and those that are (so far) more prevalent in the current century (adaptive problems). 1. Technical problems – Those in which the necessary knowledge to solve the problem already exists in a legitimized form or set of procedures. Solving these problems requires the efficient and rational acquisition and application of knowledge. Technical problems have a linear, logical way of being solved, with precedents within or outside the organization; 2. Adaptive problems – Those that may have no absolute answers
or that require no technical expertise necessary to solve. In other words, adaptive problems are complex problems that surface in less recognizable forms. The nature of these problems often changes with circumstance and time, making them difficult to define and tackle. Organisations in today’s age of change are more likely to be faced with adaptive problems because of the impact caused by the major drivers of change. When responding to adaptive problems, there is a need for group members to let go of old mental sets, challenge existing assumptions, generate fresh ideas, experiment with alternatives, and consider diverse perspectives, before collectively making decision. Solving adaptive problems may also require group members to constantly learn new skills and develop new knowledge to meet the changing demands. More often than not, it is a situation where what you know is less relevant than what you may learn,
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“ Organisations in today’s age of change are more likely to be faced with adaptive problems because of the impact caused by the major drivers of change.� and knowing the answer to questions is less critical than having the ability to ask the right questions in the first place. For organisations to thrive amidst the challenges and disruptions in the age of change, traditional problem solving approaches are not likely to work because they were designed to cope with predictable circumstances. In order to solve adaptive problems, a new approach is required. Action Learning is one such approach that is designed to enable organizations to deal with this uncertainty. Thriving in the age of change requires members of an organisation to be equipped with the ability to
solve complex problems and also the agility to learn-on-the-go and learn how to learn. Organisations that have not yet learned to learn are lagging behind in the competitive environment in which most organisations today exist and their very long-term survival is questionable. When properly implemented and supported, action learning not only enables organizations to creatively solve complex problems that have previously seem insolvable, it can also simultaneously help organisations to develop their leaders, build high performance teams, and become learning organisations.
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THINKING DIFFERENTLY: AN CREATIVE’S PERSPECTIVE Lim Soo Yong Seasoned Graphic Artist – Paletteworks Design Singapore
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was fortunate to be in Bangkok recently during the Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB). The BAB invited established and practising artists working in all forms of performance worldwide to join the Marina Abramovic Institute in Bangkok’s special event this year. The theme for this year is “Beyond Bliss”. It’s interpretation: the state of neither happiness nor sorrow. So, there is no more craving for sensual stimulants, no desire for fame, success or power. It was an eye-opener and great learning experience for me to view and be submerged by the techniques, sheer size and interpretations of these
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great artists and their works... and how they arrived at their masterpieces by “thinking differently�. Featured artists included the following: 1. Canan from Istanbul, Turkey 2. Yayoi Kusama from Japan. 3. Artist collectives from Thailand and Laos.
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THE STRANGE CHARACTER OF OUR MIND
Juan Apolinario Reyes Seasoned Academic and Educational Author 28
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arl G. Jung once said that when describing the mind to the public do not describe it as if it were a mechanical device, because it is not. It is not even advisable to describe it scientifically, at least when speaking to the public. Scientific analysis and description often fail to pin down the minute workings of our mind because as soon as we describe what it is doing and where it is in time and space, it shifts or slides to a different location in space and time. It is a catch-me-if-you-can kind of pursuit. We will never catch it unless the mind doesn’t move, and that would be when the mind is dead. When describing the mind, better do it using analogy or metaphor. I will use these literary devices to describe our mind. In doing so, I hope we can persuade ourselves to think and act differently.
delusion of all. It is wishful thinking than true statement about how our mind works. Our mind is a vessel of many characters and, by way of analogy, each character is like an Olympian god or goddess of ancient Greek mythology. People who have some familiarity with Greek myths and literature know how recalcitrant and obstreperous each god in Mount Olympus. Each Olympian god demands his space. Each god demands our time and attention. Our mind demands freedom.
Since our mind is inhabited by Olympian gods, each god demanding our time and attention, it is wise to heed their requests on occasions. I am not saying we ought to indulge Dionysus always in his unfettered merriment and excesses, but it is never Our mind has a life of its own. wise to put him in shackles either. This is the gist of Carl Jung’s To say we are the masters of our remarks about the unconscious. fate and life is probably the biggest Suppress the unconscious, and the
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“To say we are the masters of our fate and life is probably the biggest delusion of all.”
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unconscious will break out from its confinement with full vengeance. It is wise to give each god his or her day in our mind, because each god represents a mode of thinking, an emotion, and a strategy to face difficult issues.
magnificent work of thinking, you must give the issues you are working on much thought, much attention, and much time. Some of that time, in fact, should be idle time. Moments when our minds are idle are occasions when we give the reign to our unconscious. If Our mind is a mango tree. you want to think differently, give your mind some idle time. You will make It is a huge organism which the gods happy. They will reward you rewards us with mangoes. These with great thoughts. mangoes, however, do not appear overnight. The tree itself did not grow Daydream. overnight. It takes years for a mango We all can recall a time when seedling to reach adulthood, for a adults forbade us from indulging in tree to grow flowers, and for flowers daydreams. Those idle thoughts, they to turn into fruits. said, were the opportune time when The same must be said about the devil is working. Daydreaming, our most logical and most creative whose other fancy name is escapism, thoughts. We cannot will them to will lead you nowhere but to certain appear at our command. Our mind will perdition. take our thoughts into a development I must agree that endless hours period very much comparable with devoted to daydreaming is a sure sign the growth and development of a of retrogression. It is not among the mango tree. This development period workings of a mature mind. Some takes time. short doses of daydreaming a day, If you want to produce a truly however, can be helpful.
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“Moments when our minds are idle are occasions when we give the reign to our unconscious. If you want to think differently, give your mind some idle time.� Daydreaming can be occasions for simulation. It can be an occasion for rehearsing the deeds and plans we want to set in motion at some future time. It is an occasion to test, debug, and re-test the complicated thoughts we put together to achieve a goal. Again, give your mind, your unconscious mind, its day. Let it wander in fantasies. Lastly, put your mind in solitude on occasions. Sir Isaac Newton was a recluse for five years before he broke into public attention and gave us the classical laws of motion. For three
years, Albert Einstein worked alone in a patent office before he entered the limelight and broke the news about his theory of special relativity. Jesus Christ himself, before he began his public ministry, wandered in the desert for thirty days alone. There in the desert, he spoke with the devil, with God, and with himself. Nearly all great ideas, ideas put together through non-standard thinking, were preceded by a long duration of time when the mind of its thinker was placed into long duration of solitude. To be alone, is a sure way to begin thinking differently it turns out. I shall hope though that solitude will not turn you into a mad person.
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CONTRIBUTORS ERNEL MERANO
Dr Ernel Merano is an educator at the Global English School in Al Ain City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. A former Academic Coordinator in the Philippine Emirates Private School teaching Philosophy, Organisational Management and Research Capstone/Project to Senior High School Students for both STEM and ABM Strand, he has been working as a classroom teacher for more than 8 years. To extend his service to fellow Filipino expats, he volunteers as a trainer in the Filipino Institute Training Center in Abu Dhabi, teaching Business Management and Entrepreneurship. He graduated with a Bachelor in Industrial Education, a Masters in Education and a Doctorate in Education majoring in Educational Programmes Management at Eastern Visayas State University, in Tacloban City. His published books include Grammar for Graders, My A-Z Alphabet Practice and a Dissertation book entitled Financial Management Competence of Elementary School Heads and School Performance in Leyte Division at Lambert Academic Publishing.
JUAN APOLINARIO REYES
Juan is a member of the academe and has been teaching Math and Science modules for 20 years. He is the lead writer of Great Deeds Textbooks, a group that has written 12 books for senior high school and college since 2016. His area of expertise is in the field of Mathematics in the Modern World, a subject under the new general education program for college education of CHED. For basic education, his expertise is in course content and the teaching of Basic Calculus, Precalculus, and General Mathematics under the K+12 programme of DEPED.
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LIM SOO YONG
Soo is a Singaporean who has been in the graphic design and retail packaging industry since the early 80s. After graduating from design school in Singapore, she also attended Interior Decoration modules in the Philippine School of Interior Design. Soo draws inspiration in her design work from her conversations with clients and their staff. She believes that understanding a client’s target consumer market is vital in putting the sales message across, and strives to communicate with this consumer group by design. Soo has managed her own graphic design company since 1996, and has designed for top regional brands and products across the ASEAN region.
MARK RELOVA
Dr Mark Relova brings with him over 16 years of strategic management and international experience in the areas of Training, Education, and Learning and Development. He has been trained, certified and repeatedly recognised for his expertise in Learning, Leadership and Organisation Development. Currently based in Bangkok Thailand, he is the Group Head for Learning and Employee Experience of East-West Seed Group of Companies, overseeing Learning and Development of employees in six countries. Previous to this, he held key senior managerial positions in Talent and Organisation Development in multinational companies in the Philippines. As Group Head for Learning for East-West Seed, the Learning Management System he designed won the Gold Award for Best Social Collaborative Learning Platform in the prestigious Brandon Hall Excellence Awards in the US. Dr Relova earned his PhD in Organisation Development from the Southeast Asia Interdisciplinary Development Institute (SAIDI), a graduate school of Organisation Development in the Philippines. He also completed the coursework for a PhD in Communication at the University of the Philippines, where he finished college magna cum laude and college valedictorian. He
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also earned his post graduate certificates in Human Resource Development from the National University of Singapore and Talent Management from the Pennsylvania State University.
PHOON KOK HWA
Kok Hwa is a Publisher at Candid Creation Publishing, an award-winning and leading bilingual independent publishing house based in Singapore, where he has spent the last decade coaching and supporting aspiring authors to get their books written, published and distributed. He speaks regularly on publishing topics in various organizations and has been interviewed on Singapore TV, radio and newspaper to share his insights on publishing. He is also the lead facilitator for “So You Want To Be an Author� workshop and a co-author of the book Are You Ready to Be the Next Entrepreneur?
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ABOUT THE EDITOR CARLO VENSON PEĂ‘A
As former Director for Programmes at the National Book Development Council of Singapore, Carlo was actively involved in publishing and programme design & management, and had direct liaison with authors, publishers, literary agents, printers, translators and platform providers across the SEA region. He has helped the Singapore Book Council to publish a total of 19 picture books, 4 academic books, 3 youth publications and 1 picture book bibliography, as either publications project manager or project editor. He was also the Festival Director of Singapore’s Young Writers Festival for 4 years. Prior to Book Council, he was the Senior Creative Education Manager for a Singaporean educational publishing company, and had designed 27 modules and a licensing package on creative writing for kids aged 7 and up. A writer, a language teachertrainer and a multimedia editor, Carlo has a decade of teaching experience in Philippine universities and colleges, and seven years of experience in teaching creative writing and managing publishing work in Singapore. Carlo has a BA in Development Communications and an MA in Development Studies. He has finished 33/45 academic units for an EdD in Educational Administration.
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