I Made it to the 12th National Conference in Sped Education

I am not a special nor a regular teacher; not a school administrator or a school staff; not a parent, but the grand-aunt of a special child [Alyana]. But yes! I managed to attend the conference yesterday on INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: Educating the Child with Special Educational Need in the Regular School. And I was one of the WALK-INS Dr. Edilberto Dizon was “lamenting” about. Some he said were calling up to 8:00 o’clock, Friday night trying to make reservations. But I can’t help it. My sked is so erratic, I can’t say whether it would be possible for me to attend up to the last minute, despite my want. The demands of film making is quite different from an ordinary work.

Anyhow, I found Dr. Dizon as energetic as when I first saw and met him in 2004 when I first attended the same conference with the topic: Pro-Life, Pro-God, Pro-Humanity… for the purpose of immersing myself in the world of special education and special people. That was my first initiative to know and understand Alyana’s world. I was on the research stage in the making of ALYANA—A STUDY OF AUTISM IN THE PHILIPPINES, and I did not know back then where to start. And God, yes, who else but God? led me to attend that conference where I found myself seated right beside the mother of two children with autism from whom I first heard of ABA, of Shanti Kilduff’s center [BMAC] and all. Being there was sort of a baptism to me…

Seven years later — at the UP Film Center where I used to work….

What brings you here? were the same question that I heard from Therese Bustos and Je-ann Villanueva who were part of the organizing group. To answer: I went there to update myself as to the real and current concept of inclusive education, and if the way I understand it is correct or not. I am happy to know that my understanding is correct at least, but I have learned many more of course about “inclusionary” education. In 2004, I do not remember hearing that word [inclusionary] yet. “Inclusive” was the more common term back then.

Proof of Attendance Not for Work Promotion Purposes

The conference speakers presented well  except for the last one whose presentation turned out to be boring mainly because: 1) Her slides were not that readable. There were plenty of texts per slide at times. And they were “slided” too fast in some cases that I was wondering why they have to be used. They were gone midway while you were still reading them. Added to that were examples with texts presented in light, not bold fonts when the background is dark, in solid red crimson hue which ate up the light fonts; 2) The manner of presentation itself… I kept on hearing, ok. ok. ok. And most importanly, there was lack of eye contact with the audience. The speaker’s attention focused more on the slides. Well, I am just talking from the point of view of an ordinary viewer/listener… one of the several hundreds who attended the conference. It just made me feel I wanted to go home…because reading her presentation would have been the better option.

But I stayed on until 6 p.m… and got my certificate. [I have scanned and posted it so I can easily find it when needed…for notation purposes, not to get promotion or any of that sort. I really attended the conference just to update myself on what is happening in the sped world.] T-shirts for walk-ins will be available from Nov. 8 according to the announcement of Dr. Dizon. Pamaskong Handog!!!

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I’ll Attend the 12th National SPED Conference in Special Education

I received today from the UP Sped Area, UP College of Education an invitation to attend the 12th National SPeD Conference on the theme: EDUCATING THE CHILD WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN THE REGULAR SCHOOL: Current Perspectives, Support Services and Best Practices. I am not a sped teacher but I annually receive invitation from them probably because I was one of the attendees in their 2004 seminar. That was the first seminar related to sped education that I attended. I was then groping on how to start my docu on autism. I even wanted to enroll and formally study sped education to make my film but I was discouraged by the throng of people wanting to study primarily to go abroad. The UP College of Education used to be a “ghost town” the way I remembered it in the mid-70s because I once cross-enrolled there to take up a subject on audio-visual aids.

Those were the days. When I told Dr. Marie Therese Bustos, one of my volunteer consultants for my project of interpreting Rizal’s poems in sign language, about my desire to study sped education she told me that it was good that I didn’t pursue with it. When I asked why, she said that that would have affected my mind. I would have a template that I would have to follow based on pedagogical theories and principles, I guess, of whichever school I would attend, if at all, I continued with my plan. Anyhow, now that I am thinking about it, yes! I would not be as ‘free’ I think in expressing myself had I educational principles in mind to consider when making my docu. Without that knowledge, I always start from zero, and learn along the way about the sped subjects I am aiming my lens at. My viewpoint is always from someone who does know anything about the subject, and therefore not theorizing or critical about it. I get information and share them with the viewers. It has become as simple as that, presenting my own evaluation at the end of it.

I just want to know more about INCLUSIVE EDUCATION – inclusive – a term I used as early as 2006 in Alyana when the word is not yet that popular as now. I will be with teachers I salute for their commitment and dedication. I will make try my best to make myself free on October 22, Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. It will be held at my former ‘home’, the UP FILM CENTER — the place where I used to work, in the theater where I vowed to have all my premiere film shows to be held. My target this year is last week of November for the premiere showing of five of Rizal’s poems  —in Filipino Sign Language, Filipino and Spanish versions with  captions or subtitles.

Send your reservation form with the payment to UP SPECIAL EDUCATION AREA, College of Education, UP Diliman, Q.C., For inquiries, contact Tel No. 981-8500 loc 2818, or cel # 09064725534.