Finding Philosophy in DLP

By Marie Gabrielle Bernabe

          There is no stopping anyone who wants to learn, especially in the minds of the aspiring youth. To learn and apply things to life is a gift we all have, a gift that we have the choice whether to use or not. We all go to school to be guided in learning the things we need to know and the things we need in the future. Knowledge is gained, but wisdom is developed by seeing the big picture of life. To see life on the whole, we need to have an open heart and an open mind to things that might be new to us.

          The newest way of teaching that our school uses now is the Dynamic Learning Program. This method requires the students to write their lessons in the Learning Activity Sheets and at the end of the day, the information written should be remembered. In this way, students would familiarize themselves with their lessons and improve on their responsibility, memory and penmanship as well. Unlike the old system, wherein we were spoon fed with lessons planned out for us and the teachers having their own way of teaching, DLP strives to make us independent in copying concept notes. Before, we could copy and listen to the discussion if we wanted. Now, our subject time has been divided into the Subject Facilitator time-when we copy notes and do independent study- and the Subject Expert time, where we have the discussion of the topic. DLP wants to have more interaction time than listening time to test the students’ true capabilities of handling the activities independently. But does this system’s affects to its students the same with others? Why did the school adapt this new system so suddenly?

          Research shows that the majority learn more effectively when writing. Some who are inclined to writing see this system as both effective and unhelpful, depending on their person. But it also depends on the learner on how he or she learns, adapts and copes with the new system. That is the majority, but what about the minority? Those who find that kind of learning approach difficult? As all students, they need to condition themselves to be able to keep up.

        Don’t misinterpret the new teaching method and learning method. There is a thin line that separates them from each other, and that is the fullness of understanding. Just because there is understanding. Just because there is a new way of teaching lessons, it doesn’t mean that study habits need to be changed in a way that it wouldn’t suit the learner. We may have LAS to fill up, but that doesn’t mean we’re not allowed to have our own personal notes. We all may have different intelligences that may not meet ligences that may not meet the expectations of the progressing society, but the challenge is how we use that intelligence to survive in school and in life. We shouldn’t close our minds to new encounters in life as we go because we might never know what we could learn from these experiences.

          In a nutshell, with new things come different opinions and challenges that we need to overcome, but at the end of the day, only you could make the decision that would either make or break your future.