Category: Education

How to Learn Science: More ‘Big Bang Theory’, Less Memorization

These past months have been tough. After the "precedented times" pre-2020, we've found ourselves getting hit by crisis after crisis. COVID-19. The lockdowns. Economic losses. Despite the world's heroic push for vaccination, we've still been hit by one variant after another. Delta. Omicron. In the Philippines, we've also faced super typhoons, and let's face it: … Continue reading How to Learn Science: More ‘Big Bang Theory’, Less Memorization →

Van Gogh, Dune, and Lessons for the 21st Century

Earlier this year, I wrote about seven books which became close companions amid the lonely days of quarantine in Manila. To close my 2020 literary journey, I'd like to share about three more books which took me on a roller coaster ride of insights, emotions, and internal debates overlaid onto a similarly tumultuous year. I … Continue reading Van Gogh, Dune, and Lessons for the 21st Century →

6 Make-or-Break Questions I Should’ve Asked Myself as a Student

"Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel." Socrates Schools will never be the same after COVID-19. For the first time, many educational institutions have to radically rethink the process of learning from the ground up. As we struggle with possibly extended periods of physical distancing and the inequalities in … Continue reading 6 Make-or-Break Questions I Should’ve Asked Myself as a Student →

A Tribute to Books in These Un-Book-Friendly Times

"Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light." Vera Nazarian It's not easy to read an actual book these days. Picture this: Wake up in the morning. Open book. Receive e-mail notification. Close book. Read e-mail. Respond. Open laptop. The work day starts. Break for … Continue reading A Tribute to Books in These Un-Book-Friendly Times →

To Make the Most Out of School, Focus Less on Grades and More on Making New Stuff

Recently, I was invited to speak in front of a national assembly of teachers on a daunting topic. The question given was: "Schools want to prepare future-ready learners who can build the future they want, and yet there is a disconnect in terms of what it means and how to really empower students to do … Continue reading To Make the Most Out of School, Focus Less on Grades and More on Making New Stuff →

A Guide to Mastery for the Average Human Being

"Genius too does nothing but learn first how to lay bricks then how to build, and continually seek for material and continually form itself around it. Every activity of man is amazingly complicated, not only that of the genius: but none is a 'miracle'." Friedrich Nietzsche Albert Einstein, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Leonardo da Vinci. We've … Continue reading A Guide to Mastery for the Average Human Being →

5 Books That Changed My Life After School

I finished school in 2016, but the years after have allowed me to learn much, much more than I expected. Yes, working and having a career is a ‘learning experience’, but in these past 2 years, something that I found myself truly enjoying is learning outside my specialization and work. Finally, released from the bonds … Continue reading 5 Books That Changed My Life After School →