CEB Pedagogy Learning Center

RAISING GENERATION ALPHA
Dr Carl E. Balita
The Manila Times
March 22, 2024

RECENTLY, a teacher went viral on social media after she broadcast her frustrations in front of her students. In the live broadcast, she used words that many deemed inappropriate for a teacher to say. She asserted that her being a licensed professional teacher was earned and she deserves the respect of her students. She complained about her students' attitude and warned that "wala kayong mararating sa buhay (you will not succeed in life)."

A live broadcast is the usual emotional catharsis of disappointed people engaging the digital space to rant. As the teacher was judged by many netizens for being unbecoming of a professional teacher that she asserted she is, many parents and teachers simply empathized and expressed the same observation of how students and children of this generation actually behave. She was a disappointment to many but hers is a wake-up call to all.

Who is the Alpha

This article comes with a disclaimer that generational stereotypes are broad generalizations and may not apply to every individual, and that the new generations are still young, and their defining characteristics may continue to evolve.

Mark McCrindle, a generational researcher and consultant, coined "Generation Alpha" to refer to those born since 2010. He didn't intend to reset the alphabet as the preceding generation is Generation Z. The Alpha is the first generation to be fully born in the 21st century. They are offspring of the digital natives called millennials. As screenagers, the Alpha had devices in their hands before they could walk.

During the formative years of these children, Covid-19 was experienced by the world, and they carry that collective experience ingrained in their humanity. Their gadgets became their school to learn whenever they choose to, playground to socialize with friends they may have not met in person, media to be informed and entertained as they wish, as well as a backyard to create even their own virtual reality.

The digital space has become the lens through which the generation Alpha form their worldview and their philosophy — the metaphysics (what is real), ethics (what is of value), aesthetics (what is beauty), logic (how they reason), epistemology (how they know) and even political philosophy (how is their society governed).

Our anxiety

We worry about their horrible addiction to technology at such an early age. Past theories may deduce their delayed social-emotional development, as well as a huge lack of creativity, imagination and participation in personal hobbies that do not involve technology.

We fear that virtual space creates self-image issues where we become witness to the trap for insecurity issues and comparison battles.

Again, none of these developmental issues are Generation Alpha's fault. It is the environment that they are living in that is creating all these problems. And we are their environment.

Characterizing the Alpha

Globally, there are 2.7 million Alphas born weekly. Biggest contributors are India, China and Nigeria. The Alphas will constitute 11 percent of the workplace in 2030.

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The Alpha generation is described as global, digital, visual, mobile and social. They are young activists where 3 out of 4 believe it is important to speak out about the cause they believe in; 1 in 10 has taken part in a march and protest. They are creative entrepreneurs where 86 percent enjoy making things, as 20 percent already make money from hobbies and talents

Alphas are digital masters and critical consumers. Three in 4 are confident using the internet on their own while only 58 percent of their parents think their kids are capable. Fifty-eight percent are anti-sharenting but 60 percent of their parents would post without their permission. Seventy-three percent question things they see and read on the internet. Two in 3 think that YouTubers do things they don't agree with.

Mindfulness of laws

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Older generations, used to old ways of disciplining children, should be mindful of the "crime" they may commit in the process. Thanks to my daughter, Attorney Lyca, for sharing this.

State policy protects children against abuse by parents and teachers. The State shall intervene when acts of abuse, exploitation or discrimination are committed by parents, guardians or teachers (Republic Act [RA] 7610). "The State shall intervene on behalf of the child when the parent, guardian, teacher or person having care or custody of the child fails or is unable to protect the child against abuse, exploitation and discrimination or when such acts against the child are committed by the said parent, guardian, teacher or person having care and custody of the same."

"Child abuse" refers to maltreatment, including psychological and physical abuse, and any act by deeds or words which debases, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of a child as a human being (Section 3, RA 7610).

Parents have the right to impose discipline on their children as may be required under the circumstances (Family Code). However, corporal punishment by teachers is not allowed.

Child abuse may also be committed by parents who inflict cruel and unusual punishment or other excessive chastisement that embarrass them. Parents are liable for child abuse if they inflict cruel and unusual punishment, or deliberately subjects him to indignation and other excessive chastisement that embarrass or humiliate him (Article 59, RA 7610 and Presidential Decree 603).

Children must be protected from abuse by parents. Children must be protected from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation while in the care of their parents (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child).

School discipline must be consistent with dignity. School discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child's human dignity (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child). States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that school discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child (Article 28.2).

Parenting and educating the Alphas

The challenge is how to leverage the strength of this generation of learners. Since they have access to the information that they want, the strategy is to facilitate learning as relevant for them. It is important to lean into what they value or what is important to them then to support them in that exploration as we design learning experiences. Alphas have innate curiosity, and we need to create space for the big questions they have. We should allow them more ownership over what they learn.

Their deep sense of global connection needs to use technology to effortlessly connect with people across the world. Alphas have a large capacity for empathy and a desire for change, and they are at their best when they can fight for what is right, and win. We should allow their rich digital lives to passionately solve a variety of their life challenges.

We need to honor their paths and resist the impulse to force them on the well-traveled road. After all, the path they will follow is one we have yet to traverse as well.

"The interesting and challenging thing about this moment is that we know the old forms aren't working. But we can't yet see what the new forms will be (Krista Tippett). What if children of Generation Alpha have insights into these new forms?

https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/03/22/opinion/columns/raising-the-alpha-generation/1937881

WHY WOMEN ARE STRONG
By Dr Carl E. Balita
The Manila Times
March 1, 2024

(First of 2 parts)

IT is Women's Month celebration again. Some men jokingly ask why the celebration is necessary when, in fact, every day is Women's Day.

Men are not weak, but women are indeed strong. In the spirit of the monthlong Women's Month celebration, here are some pieces of evidence on why women are strong. The point of comparison is to celebrate women power so humanity can capitalize on it, or perhaps deduce some lessons from it.

The comparison is not for supremacy. It provides empirical data (references available) to appreciate and celebrate individuality toward productivity and unity in diversity. The coexistence of the sexes, and all the genders, embraces the uniqueness of humans in a transformative society that co-creates dynamically a shared sense of humanity.

Women live longer

Women are longevity champions with life expectancy of 74.9 years — that is five years longer than men. Women outlive men everywhere in the world. Out of the 43 people in the world who've made it past 110 years, 42 are women. The World Health Organization (WHO) in its 2019 statistics displayed women as tending to seek health care more than men.

Anthropologists of hunter-gatherer societies have shown that the males and females in a tribe were equal in terms of physical work, but that women had the added burden of bearing children. They had to be physically stronger than men.

To gain new insights into the gender mortality gap, data from seven historic cases were analyzed when populations were exposed to extreme hardship and under extreme conditions such as famines, epidemics and enslavement. The studies concluded that women were able to survive for longer than men. These situations saw dramatic decreases in life expectancy but in all the populations, women had lower mortality across almost all ages and women lived longer on the average than men.

The biology of longevity

The survival advantage of women has fundamental biological underpinnings supported by the fact that under very harsh conditions females survive better than males even at infant ages when behavioral and social differences may be minimal or favor males. Newborn males have a 10 percent greater risk of death than newborn females, given the same amount of care.

Women were found to respond faster to infection because of higher levels of estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen, found in larger quantities in women, have anti-inflammatory effects, whereas testosterone, found in larger amounts in men, may actually suppress the immune system.

The pain of childbirth has fatal intensity if experienced outside labor and delivery situations. A human body can bear only up to 45 del (unit) of pain. Yet at the time of giving birth, a mother in labor feels up to 57 del of pain. This is similar to 20 bones getting fractured at a time.

Even during the Covid pandemic, there was a lower incidence and lower death among women. Chinese researchers noted that more than 70 percent of those who died of Covid-19 were men. The WHO has reported that 63 percent of deaths related to Covid-19 in Europe have been among men, and the NYC health department said that men have been dying of coronavirus at almost twice the rate of women. The same goes for the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Men are generally at greater risk for cardiovascular and renal disease than are age-matched pre-menopausal women. In general, men had higher blood pressure than women through middle age. Furthermore, the incidence of uncontrolled hypertension is also greater in men than in women.

Scientifically speaking, women tend to live longer than men due to a complex interaction of biological, environmental and social factors, according to the National Academy of the United States of America. Kohli (2020) presented scientific facts to put to rest the debate that women are stronger than men.

Women's psyche

Women suffer stress to a higher degree at 28 percent (men at 20 percent). But cortisol, the stress hormone, tends to increase more rapidly in men than in women. Women tend to cope with pressure better than men, according to the research. In case of a breakup, women may feel the hurt deeper as compared to men, but they tend to heal faster.

Though they report similar average stress levels, women are more likely than men to report that their stress levels are on the rise. Women are also much more likely to report physical and emotional symptoms of stress than men.

Women attempt more but die less in these su***de attempts. Su***de attempts are three to four times more likely in women than in men, but the global su***de rate in 2020 was 12.6 per 100,000 in men (5.4 deaths per 100,000 in women), according to WHO. This could be because of the indecisiveness of women to die in the ambivalent nature of su***de, or the more lethal means that men use in the "cry-for-help" psycho-dynamics of su***de.

Women record less prevalence of alcohol abuse (0.8 percent versus 2 percent) and drug abuse (0.6 percent versus 1.3 percent) than men. More women suffer depression (4.1 percent versus 2.7 percent) and anxiety (4.7 percent versus 2.7 percent) than men. But the most debilitating schizophrenia has a 1 to 1.4 ratio between women and men.

Women and intelligence

Men have higher brain volume; however, women still manage to beat them in IQ tests. Women have thicker cortices, the area of the brain that is linked to improved performance on intelligence tests. Women can maintain cognitive skills and have better memory as men's brains tend to diminish faster with age as compared to that of women.

More women have college degrees, at 56.1 percent (men at 43.9 percent), according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, while more women have advanced degrees at 53 percent (men at 47 percent), according to the Education Data Initiative in 2021.

However, digital literacy is four times higher in men, according to Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Financial literacy is also higher in men, at 35 percent (women at 30 percent). There are only 12.9 percent women on the billionaires list of Statista (2021).

There are only 58 women on the list of Nobel Prize winners against 876 men. Out of the current 74 national artists of the Philippines, only 16 (about 21percent) are women, including the latest addition, Nora Aunor.

Women and leadership

Women are rated better than men in leadership capability, according to the study of Zener and Folkman in 2019. Women scored higher in 17 out of 19 leadership traits like initiative, resilience, self-development, results, integrity and honesty. Men only ranked slightly higher in the areas of technical and professional expertise, and of developing strategic perspectives.

But such leadership seems underutilized at the government levels. Based on United Nations data (2023), there are only 31 countries where 34 women serve as heads of state and/or government. Just 17 countries had a woman head of state, and 19 countries had a woman head of government. First-time compiled data by UN Women (2023) show that women represent only 22.8 percent of Cabinet members heading ministries leading a policy area. There are only 13 countries in which women hold 50 percent or more of the positions of Cabinet ministers leading policy areas.

(To be continued next Friday, March 8, 2024)

https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/03/01/opinion/columns/why-women-are-strong/1934735

WHY WOMEN ARE STRONG
Dr Carl E. Balita
The Manila Times
March 8, 2024

Last of 2 parts

Some women in 'herstory'

HISTORY has documented that more than 400 women disguised themselves as men and fought in the Union and Confederate armies during the American Civil War. Women's wartime roles include pilots and snipers, garbage collectors and window washers, concentration-camp guards and, of course, nurses.

In Philippine herstory, there are many women with marked vital roles.

Laureana Novicio y Ancheta was the mother of Juan and Antonio Luna, the nurturing mother who wrote "I have no ambition of making the names of my sons appear side by side with that of Rizal. I only wish that posterity would do them justice and that their memory would cause a tear to fall from the bottom of people's hearts. I will die in peace, perhaps pardoning in my last moments their murderers."

Teodora Alonzo was the mother of Jose Rizal. In 1907, when Rizal was declared the national hero, the American authorities offered her a lifetime pension as a token of gratitude. She politely refused it, saying "my family has never been patriotic for the money."

Trinidad Famy y Valero, the mother of Emilio Aguinaldo, was widowed when Emilio was 9 years old but was able to send him to study. She was known as "Kapitana Teneng," a former cigarette maker who rose to the position of teacher and directress of the factory. She sat in on important meetings of Aguinaldo's government.

Melchora Aquino is regarded as the mother of the K*K (Kataastaasan Kagalang-galang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan). She was 84 when the Philippine Revolution of 1896 broke out. Her son, Juan A. Ramos, was associated with the Katipunan, the members of which were the ones who gave Aquino the nickname "Tandang Sora." The American government offered her monetary rewards for her sacrifice but she declined them all, content that she had contributed to the revolutionary cause.

Purificacion Garcia Villanueva was the first beauty queen of the Philippines and a mother of Pura Kalaw, who organized a suffrage group, the Asociacion Feminista Ilongga. Her efforts led to the first suffrage bill reaching the Philippine Assembly in 1907.

Trinidad Tecson is known as the mother of Biak-na-Bato and mother of the Red Cross in the Philippines. She also fought with the revolutionaries in 12 battles and organized groups of women to nurse wounded Filipino soldiers. During the Philippine-American war, she joined the revolutionary forces. She also served in the Malolos Republic and was designated as the Commissary of War.

Other women in our history are Gabriela Silang (early revolution), Gregoria de Jesus (Revolution), Teresa Magbanua (Visayan Joan of Arc), Marcela Agoncillo (maker of the Philippine flag), and more.

In the culture and the arts, regarded as mothers are Francisca Reyes-Aquino (folk dance), Alice Reyes (contemporary dance) Leonor Orosa-Goquingco (theater dance), Cecille Guidote Alvarez (theater), Damiana Eugenio (folklore), Engracia Cruz Reyes (Filipino cooking), Leonora Florentino (literature), and more.

In the professional world, also regarded as mothers are Anastacia Giron-Tupaz (nursing), Clare Baltazar (entomology), Mercedes Concepcion (Asian demography), Raquel Fortun (forensic pathology), Honoria Acosta-Sison (obstetrics), Fe del Mundo (pediatrics), Nelia Maramba (herbal medicine), and more.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. grew up with a steel-butterfly mother Imelda, a "Super Ate" Maria Imelda Josefa "Imee" Marcos with other sisters, and is married to an emerging superwoman, first lady Marie Louise "Liza" Araneta-Marcos.

Well, as Beyoncé asks, who runs the world?

Cheers to all the beloved women of the world!

https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/03/08/opinion/columns/why-women-are-strong/1935801

Why women are strong Last of 2 parts

“We need to recover from the paralysis of our social conscience and break free from the fear of reprisal and the feeling of unworthiness due to the lack of moral ascendancy that force people to keep quiet in the face of moral evils. We should stop our moral reluctance that drive us into silence. Society should not allow the triumph of evil by the good doing nothing.”

Read on…

People’s Initiative for Filipino Values
Dr Carl E. Balita
The Manila Times
February 8, 2024

THIS is the sequel of last week's article, "An autopsy of Filipino values?, which concluded that Filipino values are not dead, but yes, needs resuscitation.

The article explored the evolution and transformation of Filipino values which are misunderstood and judged through the negative Western lens but can be better analyzed through the colonial nightmares that drowned the collective Indigenous roots of the Filipino being.

The misunderstood Filipino values were viewed (published and taught) in the Western paradigm and were associated with social and cultural "damage." The colonial way of life has been ingrained in the Filipino collective consciousness while the precolonial sense has been relegated to the collective subconscious. But, it is still there.

If the Filipino values and norms serve as having a general reference for the being and becoming of the Filipinos, it is always worthwhile to look back but the north star is right in front of all of us to collectively find and use as guide. It is certain — that the Filipino values are alive and need resuscitation. We cannot change the past but certainly can navigate the present toward an envisioned future, together.

Like crabs in a bucket

Recently, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called for change, specifically mentioning the need to stop the "crab mentality." This metaphor is derived from observations that a crab placed alone in a bucket will easily climb out and escape. But when placed in the bucket with a few of its mates, other crabs will pull it back down to their misery and the group's collective demise.

Do we really need to go down to the level of such an analogy with a crab? Do we associate the crab's survival instinct or natural navigational behavior to humans' manipulative attitude and selfish envy of someone else's success? Aren't we ashamed of the crab? Or, do we blame the bucket, which in the case of the crab is not its natural habitat?

The Filipino's "bucket" has to be revisited. We have documented how our overseas global Filipinos have become successful in the foreign lands where meritocratic opportunities are vast and fair. The crab that is "Filipino" is brought out of the bucket and set free to an environment, which mode is not survival but growth.

There are sad overseas Filipino narratives about "crab mentality." Their stories are told instead of celebrating the victories of those who have helped each other. There are plenty of positive stories untold.

What if we tell and demonstrate to our children how Filipinos are helping each other to be successful? There are plenty of those kinds of stories every day that miss the headlines and are left unnoticed. We need to prove that good news also sell.

Filipino values through the positive lens

There are Filipino values that may have waned over time. They are forgotten gems that brought victory in our history and may help us write the succeeding chapters of our national book.

By learning from the past, redefining these values for the present and actively incorporating them into our individual and collective endeavors, we can rekindle the flame and unlock a brighter future where Filipino values become not relics of the past, but catalysts for a more just, equitable and prosperous Philippines. We need a people's initiative for this.

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Colonialization and modernization have not entirely deleted the Indigenous foundations of the nationalized Filipino given that certain values like kapwa (other person), kagandahang-loob (good will) and pakiramdam (empathy) remain tangible values in our national being and becoming.

Our native unawa (mind), damdamin (heart) and diwa (spirit) remain. Here are some of them:

Bayanihan is a deeply ingrained value of communal cooperation and shared effort that could fuel collaborative initiatives, fostering a sense of collective responsibility for progress. Vividly, we can still visualize the optics of how a bahay kubo (nipa hut) is tele-transported to a new location with so much fun, shared energy and synchrony. In our modern context, we need to demonstrate bayanihan for sustainability and environmental stewardship as we recognize our interconnectedness with the natural world and promote responsible use of resources that are critical for ensuring a healthy planet for future generations.

Pakikisama is Filipinos' inner euphemistic drive for a "smooth interpersonal relationships" which, when harnessed constructively, could promote empathy, understanding and conflict resolution, fostering a more harmonious society conducive to progress. The Indigenous value of pakiramdam (empathy) breeds diversity, equity and inclusion that value individual differences and actively creating inclusive spaces where everyone can thrive is key to building a just and equitable society. Pakikisama should be elevated to the level of global citizenship and cooperation where we need to collaborate across borders and foster understanding between diverse cultures is essential for addressing global challenges like climate change and pandemics.

Hiya is the fear of shame and public disapproval, related to amor propio, the sensitivity to social affront. While potentially hindering dissent, hiya can also be reframed as a sense of accountability and respect for community norms, leading to responsible behavior and fostering integrity. Hiya and amor propio provide for normative sanctions against behaviors that violate the value of social acceptance. Hiya should be declared against social injustice and violations of human rights. It may lead us into advocating for equality, fairness and human dignity for all members of society, fundamental for building a more peaceful and just world.

Utang na loob, the concept of gratitude and indebtedness, is often misused for patronage. But utang na loob can be reinterpreted as a sense of mutual responsibility and support, fostering trust and reciprocity within communities, driving collective progress. Utang na loob cultivates loyalty and strong community ties. It breeds gratitude.

Bahala nais interpreted as katamaran (indolence) but is derived from "Bathala na," which speaks of our faith and hope. Our risk-taking tendency, if calculated, can lead to mastery of our fears, which is courage, and entrepreneurism, which has a promise of economic progress.

The real people initiative

We need to acknowledge the potential pitfalls of these values, like any neutral concept that is bound to give a double-edged sword of positive and negative implications. We need to move beyond romanticized notions and promote active, critical engagement with these values.

We can capitalize on the grassroots initiatives (a genuine people's initiative) so that local communities and civil society organizations can actively embody these values through collaborative projects, social movements and initiatives promoting communal well-being and social justice. Supporting and learning from these grassroots efforts is crucial.

We need policy and education reforms that integrate these values — beyond slogans — into policy dialogues and educational frameworks that can help shape future generations who understand the importance of collective responsibility, empathy and ethical conduct in achieving progress. We need to use the power of social media to do these and communicate to our target audience — the young Filipinos, the alpha generation, who are known to be the awakened generation who are bound to be activists for their social causes.

The values and norms of pagkabahala (concern), hiya (shame), bayanihan (solidarity), pakikiramay (sympathy), dangal (honor) and kalayaan (freedom) are chief sources of our moral courage and sanction. We must have the moral courage to constantly approve what is right and disapprove of what is wrong.

We need to recover from the paralysis of our social conscience and break free from the fear of reprisal and the feeling of unworthiness due to the lack of moral ascendancy force people to keep quiet in the face of moral evils. We should stop our moral reluctance that forces us into silence. We should not allow the triumph of evil by the good doing nothing.

By reconsidering past ideas, Filipinos can potentially reclaim valuable values, tools and concepts that were prematurely abandoned, aiding in the development of new solutions for contemporary challenges.

Here is where we need a genuine people's initiative. The rest follows.

People's initiative for Filipino values THIS is the sequel of last week's article, 'An autopsy of Filipino values?, which concluded that Filipino values are not dead, but yes, needs resuscitation.

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