It is a common sight to see uncovered manholes and unfortunate event to some, to be sucked fall into an open one, here in the Philippines. This particularly happen here in Mega Manila.

Now this piece of news is interesting. In Philadelphia (you know, the city of brotherly love), people are being sucked into manholes, just like what is happening here.

No, it is not them aliens doing these things but its them again, manholes without covers.

Manhole covers are being stolen to be sold as scrap metals.

And it is not just in Philadelphia that these things happen.

These happen too in New York, Phoenix, Cleveland, Memphis, Miami.

Who knows, there are probably a lot more cities though these haven’t caught some attention yet from the media.

Here is the link to the article.

The 8th International Exposition on Worldwide Food and Beverage, Technologies and Machineries will happen on August 6-9, 2008 at the World Trade Center, Manila.

There are seminars, workshops and cooking demos that will happen simultaneously. Most of these are free but there are some like the Food Styling with Hands-On seminar, Meat cutting/Cooking techniques, French Baker seminar, “How to Flair” seminar, bar tending seminar, and Conceptualizing and Costing seminar, these have fees ranging from PhP600 - PhP1,000.

All the other activities with featured food products are for free.

Children under 16 are not allowed entry though.

To those who will go to the event, please attend the Floor Safety Maintenance in the Food Service Industry seminar to be given on Thursday, August 7, 2008 at Seminar Room Cleo (C) at 3:00pm. This is going to be sponsored by Global Safe Philippines.

China’s pollution is our pollution too.

With their thick fogs, it is no wonder their policemen’s life expectancy rate is at 40 years old.

It is in China where one can find 16 most polluted cities in the world. Out of 20.

Click here to read about the effects of these pollution.

Click here to read a lot of articles documenting about how its growth is probably choking the country.

Cars are even asked to get off the road to ease pollution or clear the skies for the forthcoming Olympics. There was even a suggestion that the cars go out on odd-even days, reminiscent of the traffic days we used to have, and still have here in Mega Manila. No, I am not kidding, click here and here.

I don’t want to think about what the dirty air would do to the athletes’ healthy lungs. Just thinking about it makes me feel that my nose is itching and my throat tightening.

China is also one of the countries where electronic wastes or e-waste is being dumped. People there, including children, melt the components as they try to look for something metallic to use or sell, inhaling poisonous fumes. Those that can’t be used are thrown into the rivers. Click here to read.

There is also this yucky green algae that has invaded the shorelines of Qingdao. Thousands of recruits from the People’s Liberation Army remove these algae by hand while standing knee-deep in it. Click here to read about its effect in the coming Olympics.

I have never been to China. I don’t have anything against the Chinese and their business and environmental practices. Maybe I do but I would rather keep these private.

My fervent wish if for them to curb these practices, not only for their sake but for the sake of other countries near them, for the sake of Mother Earth herself.

To those who do not really know me, beyond being a writer in this blog, I am a teacher. Yes, a teacher of children with special needs. My students call me Teacher Julie and that is what I call my other blog too. In other words, I am a special education teacher.

I just want to say the learning is my middle name. I believe that learning does not just take place within the four walls of the classroom. Learning takes place in our daily interaction with people, with problem-solving skills, decision-making processes and having the correct ideals to be able to help others and most specifically the environment.

How would I answer questions about special education issues?

About the books that I have used with my students, click here -> books

Do you know a child who can’t sit still and loves to move around? Click here -> ADHD

Do you know someone with autism? Click here -> Autism

Do you know someone who is very, very smart? Click here -> Giftedness

Do you know someone who has a hard time understanding words and has difficulty interacting with others? Click here -> Language Development

Do you know someone who can’t function because everything is so hard to do? Click here-> Mental Retardation

How should these children be taught? Click here -> Teaching Techniques

I don’t even want to think about students who go to school too early or too late, 6am - 12pm or 16pm - 6pm..

I don’t even want to think about children who have to walk several kilometers daily just so they could go to school.

I don’t even want to think of the students who study under the trees because facilities are a big problem.

I don’t even want to think about the students, 50 - 70 of them, sitting in a small, hot and cramped classroom.

So I present my children…

My daughter Trixie is a grade 7 student in a university where children with special needs are mainstreamed in their classes.

Here are two photos of my children whom I homeschool through the curriculum from Bo Sanchez company.

This is Julian,with his group mates in the center where I work. He is wearing a blue polo shirt. He will be 7 in July and he is now a second grader.

He is with children who have developmental delays. They are with Teacher Joy and Teacher Xeres who are both occupational therapists.

And this is our youngest child, Tania:

She is learning with RV in a dyad setting in the center where I teach as per developmental pediatrician’s recommendation. Both Tania and RV are 5 years old.

I hope you learned something in my post.

English translation is here.

Eto naman ang isang isinulat ukol sa paksang pag-aaral. Maganda po ang topic dyan, promise.

Para po sa mga hindi nakakaalam, ang aking buhay sa likod ng blag ay umiikot sa pagiging isang guro. Opo, ako ay isang guro ng mga batang may kakaibang pangangailangan upang matuto. Sa madaling salita, sped ako, ay este, sped teacher ako.

Ang masasabi ko dito ay ang pag-aaral ay ang aking gitnang pangalan.

Ako ay naniniwala na ang pagkatuto o pagiging edukado ay hindi lamang sa loob ng apat na dingding ng paaralan. Ito ay natututunan sa araw-araw na pakikisalamuha natin sa mga tao, sa pag-iisip ng pagresolba sa mga problema, sa pagde-desisyon at sa tamang pag-iisip ng mga paraan upang makatulong hindi lamang sa sarili kundi sa ibang tao at sa kalikasan. World peace and environment, ika nga

Paano nga ba masasagot ang mga maaaring itanong sa akin bilang isang sped teacher? Narito po sa ibaba:

Para sa mga aklat na nagamit ko sa aking mga tinuturuan, paki-click -> mga aklat.

May kilala ka bang batang sobra ang likot at kulit? Paki-click ito -> ADHD

May kilala ka ba may otismo? Paki-click ito -> Autism

May kilala ka bang sobra ang talino? Paki-click ito -> Giftedness

May kilala ka bang nahirapang magsalita o makasabay sa pinag-uusapan? Paki-click ito -> Language Development

May kilala ka bang nahirapan talaga matuto sa paaralan at sa buhay din? Paki-click ito-> Learning Disabilities

May kilala ka bang hirap makagawa ng mga bagay-bagay sa lahat ng aspeto ng buhay? Paki-click ito -> Mental Retardation

Paano ba tuturuan ang mga batang ito? Paki-click ito -> Teaching Techniques

Ayaw ko na munang isipin ang mga batang nag-aaral sa pampublikong paaralang pumapasok ng 6am-12pm o kaya 12pm-6pm.

Ayaw ko munang isipin ang mga mag-aaral na naglalakad ng ilang kilometro upang marating ang kanilang paaralan upang makapag-aral.

Ayaw ko munang isipin ang mga batang nag-aaral sa silong ng mga puno dahil sa kawalan ng mga pasilidad.

Ayaw ko munang isipin ang mga estudyanteng umaabot sa bilang na 50-70 sa isang mainit at masikip na silid-aralan.

Ayaw ko din munang isipin ang aking mga kapwa guro na hirap sa pagtuturo dahil sa kakulangan sa pasilidad at dami ng estudyante.

Mahaba na, sige na nga, eto na ang mga lawaran ko. Sa kabila ng aking pagiging guro, kami ay nagdesisyon na i-homeschool ang aming dalawang batang anak sa paaralan ni Bo Sanchez.

Ang aking panganay na si Trixie ay nasa elementarya ng isang unibersidad sa may di kalayuan sa amin. Siya ay may mga kaklaseng may special needs.

Eto si Julian, kasama ang kanyang ka-grupo sa aking lugar na trabaho. Siya ang nasa blue na polo shirt at magpi-pitong gulang na at nasa Grade 2.

Ang kanyang mga kasama, karaniwan ay mga batang lalaki na may iba’t -bang pangangailangan sa pagkatuto. Kasama nila sila Teacher Joy at Teacher Xeres na mga Occupational Therapists.

Eto naman ang aming bunso, si Tania:

Kasama niya si RV, isa sa mga tinuturuan ko. Sila ay magkasing-edad na 5 taon at nag-da-dyad ng learning dalawang beses isang linggo.

Sana po ay may natutunan kayo sa aking lahok.

Inuulit ko po, narito ang English translation.