Transmutation of Grades: A Guide for Teachers

One important change that has been included in the K-12 Program which a lot of teachers are still trying to grasp is the way grades are reflected on the report card. Under the new grading scheme, the passing grade is reduced to 60% from the traditionally used 75% mark. While this is easy to understand, the problem is that teachers are tasked to give a mark of 75 when the student gets a computed grade of 60. While DepEd on its related memoranda have not cited the exact benefit regarding this scheme, one plausible explanation is that it is to avoid parents from complaining if their child gets a mark that is below 60 on their report card. It is also helpful in order to provide students the ability to cope with a failure from the previous quarter. This process of shifting the passing grade is something most teachers are not yet able to grasp completely. Transmutation of grade is not actually difficult. You need not to repeatedly rely on a transmutation table just to compute the grades of all your students. Here is a quick guide to the math behind the transmutation of grade.

What is Grade Transmutation?

Transmutation of Grades is an essential part of the K-12 Program of the Department of Education of the Philippines. Under this, student’s academic standing is reflected on a 60-100 scheme on their report card (60 is the lowest possible grade and 100 is the highest possible grade; descriptive marks are also given) while a 0-100 grading scheme is actually applied in the classroom with 60% as the passing mark. The process involves shifting of the Actual Grade (the one computed based on the student’s academic performance) to the Transmuted Grade.

What is a Transmutation Table?

A transmutation table contains the range of the Actual Grades and their equivalences of Transmuted Grades. The transmutation table below converts the passing rate of 60% to its equivalent grade of 75. The range for the Actual grade is 0-100 while the range for the transmuted grade is 60-100.

Is there a formula to convert Actual Grade to Transmuted Grade?

The answer is a big YES. You can actually compute the transmuted grade using the formula below.

In excel, you can do this with the help of some built-in functions.

=FLOOR(IF(A1<60,60+(A1/4),75+(A1-60)/1.6),1)

Where,

A1 is the address of the Actual Grade.

ISNUMBER checks whether the cell reference contains a number (TRUE) or not (FALSE).

FLOOR rounds down the number to the nearest integer.

IF checks whether a condition is satisfied. Executes the second argument if TRUE or the third argument if FALSE.

Does this formula work? How did we arrive with the formula?

Yes, it does work. You can actually try and check if it does work. We arrived with the formula by following the steps below.

•          Determine the range of the AG (Actual Grade). That is L_AG (Lowest Actual Grade) and H_AG (Highest Actual Grade).
•         Determine the range of the TG (Transmuted Grade). That is L_TG (Lowest Transmuted Grade) and H_TG (Highest Transmuted Grade).
•         Determine the Actual Passing Grade (P­_AG) and the Transmuted Passing Grade (P_TG).

·         The general formula of transmutation can then be used.

For our case,

•         The Actual Grade (AG) range is 0-100. So, L_AG=0 and H_AG=100.
•          The Transmuted Grade (TG) range is 60-100. So, L_TG=60 and H_TG=100.
•          The Actual Passing Grade is 60 and the Transmuted Passing Grade is 75. So, P_AG=60 and P_TG=75.
•          We also want to round down to the nearest integer.

Does the general formula work on all cases of transmutation of scores?

Yes, it does. There might be times when you need to tweak it a little bit in order for it to do what you want it to do.

Okay, I have gone through the guide and somehow understand the mechanism of how it works. What else can you offer me?

Well, I have for you a really nice excel file which contains a sheet where you can input grades and have it transmuted. It can also generates you the formula and you just copy and paste it to your excel workbooks where you want to transmute grades. Aside from this, it also creates the transmutation table for you based on your given input. You can print it and have it anytime specially if you don’t have your own computer or simply don’t trust them.

Download the file: Transmutation.xls | Transmutation.xlsx. 

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Aral muna bago selfie at iba pa!

Sa panahon ngayon kung saan patuloy na nagiging mas mahalagang bahagi ng lipunan ang teknolohiya ay marami sa atin ang tila bagay nadadala nito sa kumunoy ng kawalan ng katuturan sa buhay. Ang Internet at Social Media ay dalawang mahahalagang bagay na tahasang bumabago sa ating mundo. Bagamat wagas at mabuti ang hangarin nitong pagyamanin ang mundo ay marami parin ang ginagamit ang dalawa sa maling pamamaraan. Nariyan ang pornograpiya at eksploytasyon sa mga kabataan at kababaihan. Nariyan ang pangungutya at paninirang-puri. Nariyan ang banta ng adiksyon at pagiging loner o isolated mula sa ibang tao. Ngunit ang mas kakilakilabot ngayon ay ang tumitinding epekto ng “pabebenta sa sarili”.

Hindi po ito Ayos Dito kung saan hanap, usap, deal lang ang bentahan. Hindi rin po ito trafficking dahil di naman po yan ang nais tukuyin nitong artikulo.  Ito po ay ang pagbebenta ng sarili sa social media at internet para makilala o sumikat. Ika nga ng kabataan, peymus! Marami sa henerasyon ngayon ang animo’y salesman at advertiser na benebenta ang sarili para sa likes at followers. Siguro nga ay dahil ito sa likas sa tao ang pagnanais na magkaroon ng halaga. Pero saan mang anggulo mo ito titignan ay maling mali talaga. Wala sa dami ng likes, sa mga pakyut mong pictures o sa di mabilang mong followers nasusukat ang iyong halaga bilang tao. Tayo ay nahuhubog at nakikilala sa mga mabubuti at kapakipakinabang nating ambag sa lipunan.

Ano ba ang naitutulong ng kasiselfie mo sa paghanap ng solusyon sa kurapsyon sa pamahalaan? Yung mga pakwela nyong videos pag napanood ba ng mga pinuno ng bansang Tsina ay hindi na nila aangkinin ang ating teritoryo at tatapusin na ang tensyon sa West Philippine Sea? Ang klarong sagot ay wala at hindi. Walang kwenta talaga. Imbes na ginugol mo ang panahon mo sa pag-aaral tungkol sa mga isyung ito para naman maipaliwanag mo sa iyong pamilya at mga kababayan ang implikasyon ng mga nasabing problema ay mas pinili mo na parang tangang umanggulo at kumuha ng larawan sa harap ng salamin. Marami pang pwedeng tukuyin ngunit baka sabihin nyo na bitter lang ang artikulong ito.

Wala pong ni katiting na bitterness na nais iparating itong artikulo. Ang mahalaga sana kasi ay maisulong sa kamalayan ng ating mga mamamayan na ang tunay na kahalagahang pansarili ay wala sa kung gaano ka kilala ng tao kundi sa kung ano ang mga naggawa mo tungo sa mabuting pagbabago ng mundo at ng lipunang iyong ginagalawan. Maging mas responsable ka at may pagpapahalaga sa iyong bukas. Mag-aral ng mabuti at wag sayangin ang iyong oras. Tandaan, aral muna bago selfie at iba pa!

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Ang Wika

Walang hihigit pa sa salitang kaloob sa isang bansa.
Wika ay natatanging yaman na maipagmamayabang.
Walo, sampu o ilang libu man ang kawikaan,
Sila’y diwa ng yaring bayan.
Wika ay mahalaga, ito’y kalaluluwa ng ating bansa.

Isang libung pulo man ay kaya nitong pag-isahin.
Lahat ng pagsubok kapag nagkakaintindihan ay kayang hamakin.
Iisa ang ating tinig kapag sariling wika ating ginamit.
Ano man ang ating minimithi ay tiyak na makakamit.

Ang wika ay sandata ng yaring bayan.
Kahit ano mang lipi’y nagagabayan.
Kahit milyon ay madadala sa tamang daan.
Kapangyarihan ng wika ay ganyan.

At kung pag-unlad ang pag-uusapan.
Ang wika ang siyang tunay na gabay ng bayan.
Tiyak na may pag-unlad ang mamamayan
Kapag wika na ang nagbibigay daan.

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Exploring Olango: The Project SAGO Experience

Olango is an island situated to the east of Mactan and Metropolitan Cebu. The place is home to the Olango Wildlife and Marine Sanctuary. While the island is within proximity to Metropolitan Cebu, the number of local tourists who get to visit the island is tremendously low. Olango is a nature’s frontier and as a Cebuano, I cannot afford not to visit this place. Finally #TeamLaagan decided to enjoy an overnight escapade in the island. And there comes Project SAGO which stands for Summer Adventure: Go Olango. With less than a day of preparation and decision making, we activated our traveller modes and went without even having an itinerary. What I love with unplanned getaways is that they are usually filled with surprises.

Getting to the Island (Goodbye Island Hopping)

At first, we wanted to avail the service of a private Bangka so we can do the usual island hopping which most tourists would do when they are to check Olango and its neighbouring islands. The previous plan was overruled by the idea of an overnight stay. Certainly, it will be less expensive and we can enjoy more of what Olango has to offer. From Mandaue, we rode on a PUJ to the ferry terminal near Movenpick Hotel (Php 9.00). We went on a Saturday but much to my surprise, the ferry terminal is not congested. Indeed, the island receives just a handful of visitors. We paid for the terminal fee (Php 5.00) and the fare for the ferry ride (Php 15.00). Our group has waited for about 15 minutes before we were able to hop into the motorized Bangka that would take us to Olango Island. The trip was more or less half an hour and was surely enjoyable. I personally love the waves and the picturesque view of Mactan Island as we move farther from it.

The Epic Fail Part (Tricycle, Cemetery and Shalala)


Upon arriving in the port of Olango, we did our usual group picture. It was past 2 pm and we still don’t know where to go. We rode on a tricycle which was a little pricey considering that they get a few passengers. Each of us paid 9 pesos for a roughly 1.5 km ride.  We went in proximity to the cemetery since one of us has relatives living there. We were hoping that we could stay for the night and save the cost of finding a place for accommodation. Sad to say, it appeared like we were not welcomed. Well, those were not my relatives but I was not pleased by how inhospitable they were to us. We were ignored. We decided to just proceed to find a good beach. We wanted to plunge into the water. Damn, the Philippines is too hot! A local directed us to a beach named Shalala. Going there, we paid 20 pesos per passenger. There were 10 of us and we have had to squeeze ourselves on a tricycle only to find out later that we will be asked for 30 pesos each. (Yes, we are tihik and we usually aim to minimize our expenses!) After tirelessly bargaining, I managed to convince the driver to have it at 20 pesos per passenger. Phew! To add up to our dismay, we ended up disappointed with Shalala. The place has no view and the swimming area is surrounded by mangroves. There was really no view at all. (I have nothing against Shalala. It was a good place but not just the place that one would love to stay.)

Olango Paradise Island Resort, The place to be!
After all the disappointments, I suggested to the group that we’ll just head straight to the San Vicente Marine Sanctuary. Again, we paid 20 pesos each for a tricycle ride and we really have to squeeze ourselves the second time around on a single tricycle. Since it’s already late, the activities that can be done in the sanctuary are limited to swimming and sightseeing. Fortunately, we saw that there is an adjacent resort. That is Olango Paradise Island Resort. We checked the resort and we were amazed. The place is what we have been looking for. It has its own exclusive access to view the Bird Sanctuary and it was just beside the Marine Sanctuary.

         
The staff and crew of OlangoParadise Island Resort were very accommodating. We settled for three tents along the beach for our overnight stay (Php 350.00 each). The resort offers lots of activities. There is boating, water sports, bird watching and so much more. There is also a good bar and bistro which offers mouthwatering dishes and fresh buko juice. They have cosy air-conditioned rooms and cottages where you can relax and unwind. The pool was still under construction when we visited. They property is huge so strolling around it is really enjoyable. During our stay, the resort owners were there. I was really impressed how hospitable and accommodating they were. We did have a little chit chat and I am positive that the place will surely become more awesome in the future. Hopefully, the momentum and the spirit of putting a place that is pro costumer and pro nature will never fade away. We did lots of stuff in the resort. (Nothing illegal... hahaha) I enjoyed most the bird sanctuary trail. (Tips: The resort charges a corkage fee of 500.)

Bird Sanctuary and the Marine Sanctuary

The marine sanctuary is a place to visit. There is a minimal entrance fee and fees for various activities like fish feeding, snorkeling and swimming. There is not much to do in the Bird Sanctuary but make sure you have your camera and a sharp eye. The place is so awesome that even if you don’t get to see birds that often anymore, it is still worth a visit. By the way, a thrift shop where you can buy souvenirs and stuff is found close to the Marine Sanctuary.

Project SAGO Wrap-up

The experience was awesome. #TeamLaagan shared lots of laughs and unforgettable memories in Olango. If you want a place to stay, Olango Paradise Island Resort is the place to be. Olango should receive more support from local tourists and people should know that beyond island hoping, there are lots of things that you can do in Olango. Project SAGO was another awesome feat for #TeamLaagan. Kudos!

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How to Recover Your SUN Cellular SIM’s PUK Codes (Postpaid and Prepaid)

It was 10:21 PM on the 4^th of April 2015 when I met one of the worst and most terrifying moments of my life. While tuning-up the security features of my phone, I accidentally blocked my SIM. I was really worried as I have no other way of bringing it back to life but to have the PUK code. Take note that I have had this SIM for about five years now. Screw it! I don’t have the card which contained the PUK and PIN of this SIM. I was worried as this number is used by me both for personal and business matters. It was really a moment of life and death. Alas, I was able to find a solution.

I bet you are reading this as you are experiencing the same demise right now. On my end, I did scavenge throughout the web to find a solution. Sad to say, there was none. I found some insightful things but there was not a single one which provided an immediate solution. The only plausible solution, albeit I did not try it, was to contact SUN’s support and ask for the PUK codes. The F… How am I supposed to do that if my SIM is dead! And considering the infamous reputation of SUN support being very “fast, efficient and friendly”, I’d rather have hara-kiri than talk to one of their TSRs.

So much of the story, here is the quick solution that brought my SIM back to life and saved me from being fired. 

Steps in recovering Your SUN Cellular SIM’s PUK Codes

1. Remove your SIM from your phone. (BURN IT!)
2. Found at the back of the SIM is the ICCID. It’s the 4 strings of 4-digit numbers. Take note of it.
   
3. Insert your SIM and boot your phone.
4. Go to https://my.suncellular.com.ph/loginAuth
   
5. Type in your blocked SIM’s mobile number and hit enter.
6. (A) If you aren’t registered. You’ll be asked to provide other information to register.
   (B) If you have an existing account, you can simply log-in by completing your log-in credentials.
   
   6 (A). You’ll be asked to input verification code, scroll down and locate the ICCID option to verify. Input the ICCID to verify your account. (Note: You have your ICCID as noted in STEP 2)
   
7. Once logged, you’ll be brought to the dashboard. There, select the account (mobile number) for your blocked SIM.
   
8. Navigate to Account Services (2) --> PUK CODE INQUIRY (3)
   
9. Once again, you’ll be asked for the ICCID. Input the ICCID on the box and hit the Check button.
   
10. Viola! You now have your PUK1 and PUK2 Codes. You can use PUK1 to revive your blocked SIM. 

...UPDATE...UPDATE...UPDATE...UPDATE...UPDATE...UPDATE...

The ICCID feature is NO LONGER AVAILABLE and it seems that SUN CELLULAR will no longer roll out the feature back. You now have TWO ALTERNATE OPTIONS (I wish you all the luck in the world!):
(1) Contact Sun's Customer Support (Prepare your Hara-kiri sword! Hahaha)
(2) Visit the nearest Sun Store and ask for a FREE replacement sim. (Bring your old sim)

Visit this link to know the store near you. http://apps.suncellular.com.ph/locator?mode=stores 

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Another November

Here comes another November

trying to take away one more year.

Its coming is becoming haunting

Building in me an ounce of despair.

Relinquished, I fall to its danger.

Another time for me to ponder,

To think, to wink and to breath

To feel life and enjoy the breeze.

Here comes another November.

Its coming is something I fear.

Telling me that sand is filling,

That I might be left with nothing.

I still do not know if I owned it,

Or was I just a passerby of regrets.

I do not know how far I can go,

Or what to look forward to.

Succumbed by a gloomy mist,

I wish to find the final phase;

To find the point for me to rest,

For my soul to become at ease.

Here comes another November

Announcing to me the nearing end.

Teaching me nothing but to mend;

Not to forget but to remember.

Remember the joy of each moment,

Accept each one as an endowment.

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Assimilation of Filipino English in the Philippines

You may have learned about Carabao English, American English and British English but surely Filipino English is something new to the ears of many. In fact, one can sometimes doubt if such entity actually exists. This paper brings a concise discussion on the origins of Filipino English and how applicable or realistic it is in the current society of the Philippines.

The Origin of Filipino English

As with American English being a bastardization of British English, the Filipino English is somehow a bastardization of American English. The development of a new variety of English in the Philippines is said to have primarily occurred due to the colonial history and linguistic background of the country. (Kirkpatrick 2007) Walking back through time, the Philippines was once a colony of the United States and for a couple of decades, the primary medium of communication in the Philippines is not one of the native tongues but English. As to how the bastardization occurred and how blatant it may have been, there’s no concrete answer. 

The very first massive introduction of English to the Philippines occurred in 1901 when 540 US teachers used the language as a medium for instruction in schools. The English-medium education has then started a swift change in the linguistic development of the Philippines. Moreover, the American English that it brought has been indigenized, expounding the vocabulary by adapting terminologies from local dialects and modifying pronunciation and grammar. (McArthur 2002) Perhaps, we can say that this triggered the creation of what is now known as Filipino English. 

Only in Filipino English

The website 8list.ph listed some terminologies that are unique to the Filipino English speakers that you can check here. These are just few of the unique slangs of Filipino English. It is noteworthy to know that these are cognitively embedded to Filipino speakers with out them knowing it. These are product of cultural diversity, societal transformation and other things that have been influential to the use of English in the Philippines.

How extensive is Filipino English?

As of today, there is a limited literature which tackles Filipino English. Most of the current works are much focused on bilingualism in the Philippines and extrapolating on the nature of the English speakers of the country is relatively not something that is studied properly. As to how extensive Filipino English is, we might be able to extract substantial guess from other researches. 

The results of the survey of Social Weather Stations in 2006 showed that more than a quarter of the Philippine’s population claims to have the ability to understand, speak and write English well. (Bautista, et. al. 2009) With a higher rate of literacy, one can speculate that there is a great tendency for people who are not well accustomed to the English language to used barbarized terminologies or slangs to compensate for their inadequacy. 

As English is used as a primary medium for business, education and governance in the Philippines, Filipino English is presumably on larger schema that what we might be thinking of. Whether it is extensively used or not, it surely is there and it is something that is global in scope. 

A Bid for Better English

While nothing is wrong with Filipino English, this paper strongly believes that we must start building the standards of this (new) form of English to ensure that it will stay as efficient and well-aligned with other “customized English languages” across the globe. Being young as it is, Filipino English is evolving and becoming something that is global as the Philippines becomes a power hub for English speaking workforce. It is something that has given this nation an edge among its neighbors. As we know that languages are infinitely evolving, we must always be ready to make Filipino English a superb and eloquent one.

References

• Tom McArthur, The Oxford Guide to World English. Oxford University Press, 2002
• Andy Kirkpatrick, World Englishes. Cambridge University Press, 2007
• Walter Ang, 8 Instances of Filipino English vs. American English. 8list, 2013 (retrieved from http://8list.ph/american-english-vs-pinoy-english on June 22, 2014)
• Ma. Lourdes S. Bautista and Kingsley Bolton, Philippine English: Linguistic and Literary Perspectives. Hong Kong University Press, 2009

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Pay-Per-Click Advertising: What Are Your Options?

Internet advertising is an integral part of today’s multiplatform marketing world. With the advent of modern technologies comes the need to properly assess and maximize the potential of marketing strategies to make them well-suited to such innovations as social networking, multimedia streaming, and cloud computing. Learning to become a key player in internet advertising is something that each marketing professional or business organization must take with due diligence. It is therefore essential that we get to understand the much deeper scopes of the different online marketing strategies.

One commonly used advertising strategy on the internet is Pay-Per-Click Advertising. PPC is considerably a promising marketing strategy because it brings direct website traffic. In PPC, a publisher gets to pay only when his advertisement is clicked. A well noted facet of PPC is how it can efficiently be utilized in keyword targeted marketing. By working with user queries and other interactions, the PPC platform delivers your advertisement to those who are much likely interested with your products.

PPC is a quintessential tool for internet marketing. If implemented and utilized properly, PPC can become the rightful instrument to leverage the promotion and sales of your product or business. Here are some of the fine lines that one must take into account before embarking to PPC advertising campaigns.

Flat-rate PPC vs Bid-based PPC

As PPC has evolved through the years, more and more diversifications on the system have been created. In today’s online marketing industry, two of the common PPC forms are Flat-rate PPC and Bid-based PPC.

Flat-rate PPC is an established form where advertisers and publishers agree for a fixed amount for each click. The publisher will give a rate table where prices may be different according to geographical locations, network or other determining factors. Moreover, most flat-rate PPC publishers are offering compartmentalized packages in which you can opt to avail wider diversified markets or specific ones.

On the other hand, Bid-based PPC is based on the fact that some advertisers are willing to pay more to reach certain demographics or very specific groups. In this form of PPC, advertisers can compete with each other to acquire a certain ad spot and have marginal advantage over the others. Enrolling in Bid-based PPC is also highly beneficial especially when it comes to landing on ad spots in search engine results page. This is exemplified by the fact that more than a quarter of internet traffic is coming from search engine results.

Choosing the Right Publisher

One thing many marketing professionals usually fail to consider in the use of PPC is choosing the right publisher to place ads. True, buying PPC ads from Google is promising; but if the population of gamers is your target market, it would be better to buy PPC ads from gaming companies or play review websites. Understanding the nature of your needs and finding the best suited publisher for your advertising campaign will bring out positive results.

The concern of selecting between small-scales and large-scales PPC publishers is also very much vital in securing your ad campaigns success. Although enrolling in smaller-scale PPC publishers can mean spending less, the long run impact should also be considered. The efficacy of PPC evaluation always boils down to the click-through ratio and conversion rate of such campaigns. It would be better to spend more on large-scale PPC publishers especially if they provide higher click-through ratio and a much promising conversion rate.

Crafting the Best PPC Campaign

In any PPC campaign, the whole is only as strong as its weakest link. Factors like working with ad copies, headlines and landing pages should be taken with due prudence. The continuous monitoring and optimization of your campaign will ensure that the money you put on those clicks are going to resonate to better sales through your website.

Implementing an A/B testing for your campaign will help you evaluate it better. You can also keep an eye on your ads and relevant keywords. Check which pairing gives a promising conversion ratio. Tweaking your landing pages, checking which headlines are generating more clicks and understanding how your target audience conceives about your ads are few of the things you can work to strengthen your campaign’s prowess. An optimized PPC ad coupled with a powerful landing page will bring better conversion rate and your cost per click amount will decrease in the long run.

Pay-Per-Click advertising offers a good way of luring the targeted traffic to your website. With a properly developed ad campaign, you can surely use PPC to leverage your business towards profitability. Given the versatile options of implementing PPC campaigns, crafting one that is well suited to your needs is easy.

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