Reflection #6 (service, creativity)- Cambiare Kabataan Music Program

          Getting the chance to be in contact with Deborah Francisco, one of the teachers in “Jesus the Christ Center”, I had the opportunity to teach violin in that elementary school for those who are interested to join the Cambiare Kabataan Music Program. I went there every Friday 3:30-4:30pm right after my school. It was on November 8, 2013, that I had my first lesson with them. I was very excited and a bit worried because it was my first time to teach violin to someone else. Despite this nervousness, the children happily welcomed me and so I didn’t have much difficulties getting along with them. There were four students at the beginning but after a while two more students joined in. I first taught them how to hold the bow and the violin which one to two students struggled a bit because the violin was too big or too small for them. Since these students couldn't afford to buy a violin, only one violin was held for all six of them to play with. So while one was holding the violin, others had to observe and wait for their turn to actually play it. This was one of the disadvantage from this activity, as they were waiting for their turn others sometimes fidgeted around and didn't pay attention well. Despite some of this children, some were actually really enthusiastic to learn and waited patiently. They even asked me again whether this position was right and whether it was the right chord that they are pressing. Seeing them actually learning and listening made me happy and I also learned from them. As I see their enthusiasm, I prepared more lessons for them and we  even began to learn how to play a simple piece called "Long-Long Ago". They liked it and they also wanted a copy of the note sheet to practice the fingering at home which astonished me. They were really bright and kind students.

 

 

           I had also taught them how to play the piano once and they also really enjoyed it. Since there were two piano keyboards, all of these six students were able to play easily on them, unlike the violin. I taught them how to play "Jingle Bells" as it was the season of Christmas on December. They seemed to really like it as they kept playing it over and over again. There was this one boy who quickly learned the notes and played it well, he was a clever boy and this made be really proud. I believe that through this activity, the kids have learned a lot from a short period of time and I hope they will continue to seek for their interest. Their passion in music has touched me and seeing many children already talented in other instruments such as the guitar has influenced me to strive for better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

             On our last session on December, each student was given a certificate of participation. Giving this certificate to each of them made me feel that it is really the last day to see each other again. This made me sad as they were really bright students and I wanted to continue to teach them if I had the chance and time.

 

 

 



              On the last Friday of the month of December, my friend and I were invited to play a song for the Cambiare Cafe so we decided to play "You Raise Me Up". I played the violin and my friend played the piano. We practiced two to three times together and though it was a short practice session, we were able to play it successfully on that day. It was a memorable day as we were able to buy some snacks and drinks for the proceeds to go to the Restored Lives Organization and to this music program.

 

 

 

Reflection #5 (creativity, service)- White Coats on Every Kid

            In joining White Coats on Every Kid, there were three activities that were most memorable to me. One of the activity is the "Egg Drop Challenge", done on October 19, 2013, which is to design a system to protect a boiled egg from cracking or breaking from a high fall.  Our group used these materials to accomplish the task:

• Three balloons
• CD
• Strings
• Tape
• Plastic bag
• Scissors and
• Socks

Step 1:

We first blew up the three balloons and tied it together.

 

Step 2:

We then taped the CD in the middle of the balloon to balance the weight of the three balloons.

Step 3:

Then we placed the boiled egg inside layers of socks carefully so that it will not break.

 

 

Step 4:

We placed the boiled egg wrapped in socks on top of the CD and taped it.

Step 5:

Next, we got a plastic bag and made holes at each four side of the corner and placed strings into it.

Step 6:

Finally, we tied the strings with the top end of the socks. We then tested it by letting it fall to the ground. At the end, we were able to succeed in not breaking the boiled egg. The children really enjoyed it and we were all happy that the egg didn't break. Also, in the process we all became close.
 

 

 

But before we did this activity, we did an ice breaker. The game was that people had to hold hands in a circle and then knot up. One person will be left out and be the one to untangle the hands of the people within the circle. Eventhough the kids had some difficulty in finding out the solution, they enjoyed the process and even we had fun.

 

              The second activity that was also memorable for me  was held on October 5, 2013. It was the making of bubbles out of recycling plastic bottles. The materials that we used for this experiment were simply:

• Plastic bottles
• Rubber bands
• Detergent
• Food coloring (Red, Yellow, Blue) and
• Cloths

When the kids arrived they looked very interested on what we will be making today so we started it as soon as possible. We gave each one of them a plastic bottle which the bottom part was already cut out beforehand for the safety of the kids. We then helped them wrap the cloth into the plastic bottle with a rubber band. Some needed more hands than the others. After that we dipped the cloth with the mixture of water and detergent. The kids then went out to blow out bubbles, they enjoyed a lot. We as well made one for ourself and tried it out. To give off some more interesting effects we added three different colors of food colorings into the cloth. We gave them the plastic bottles so that they can continue making bottles at home. After this, they had to answer some questions that we prepared for them to learn about surface tension and how the bubbles were able to make the round shape. They also had to draw their observations from the plastic bottles that they made. At the end, though it was a bit messy cleaning up the bubbles and food colorings on the ground, seeing the kids having fun made us happy as well. Actually seeing them so concentrated on this experiment impressed me too and we even befriended each other.

             The third activity was held on November 16, 2013, which was building a soda straw rocket. The goal for this activity was to find the method of which the rocket will fly the farthest. The kids will do trial and error to find the most efficient way rockets will fly the farthest. The materials that we used were:

• Plastic drinking straw
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Scotch tape
• Colored pencils

Step 1:
We printed out the given rocket patterns

Step 2:
We then gave them colored pencils to color the rocket pattern. Some even wrote their names on the "rocket body" to identify who's rocket it is.

Step 3:
We cut out one rectangle shaped piece of paper, this is the "rocket body". Then we curled it lengthwise around a pencil and taped it into a tube form.

Step 4:
Then we cut out two rocket fin units to line up the rectangle on one unit with the bottom of the rocket body and tape it on. We did the same thing for the second fin and taped it to the opposite side of the tube.

Step 5:
We bended both the fin so it forms a shape like this below

Step 6:
Then we got the straw and inserted inside the rocket and lined up the front of the rocket with the end of the straw. We taped it. This rocket has no nose cone. We will later find out whether having no nose cone or having a nose cone affects the distance the rocket travels.

Step 6:
We then launched our rockets outside an open ground by blowing the straw.

Step 7:
We then repeated steps 1-5 to build a second rocket but this time with a nose cone. We pushed the rocket body up to the sharpened end of the pencil and twisted the end of the tube close to the sharpened end to form the nose cone. Then we removed the pencil and inserted the straw.

Step 8:
We then launched it out in the open field.

As a result of the rocket experiment, the kids found out that the rocket with a nose cone can fly farther than without it. Moreover, they learned that the angles also affects the distance of the rocket flying. Overall, it was a really fun experiment for both the kids and for us. We got to be more close with the kids by helping them make the rocket. I mostly enjoyed the part when we launched the rockets. The kids kept on blowing the straws so the rocket deformed so the kids made another again and again. They really liked it and I can see from their facial expression and their sound of laughters. This activity was meaningful because it felt like I was back to my lower grade and I actually felt being a part of them.