Students from different colleges in the university took part in Alternative Classroom Learning Experiences (ACLE) last October 12, 2016. A number of ACLE sessions were organized in partnership with the University Student Council and sponsored by different student organizations in the College of Education.

UP Preschool Practitioners, or better known as “UP PreP,” sponsored a session entitled: EMERGEncy: Unravelling the Mask of Mental Illnesses in the Classroom. UP PreP believes that this issue is relevant to today’s youth and current developments in society.  Awareness of the importance of mental health in one’s journey through life is significant. As future educators, PreP views the importance of understanding different mental conditions/illnesses to help break the stigma associated with this issue. Knowing the characteristics of individuals who grapple with mental illness will help others welcome them and provide support when possible. Facilitators of the session were Ms. Cathy Babao, a grief counselor, and, Mr. Christopher Hernandez, a guidance service specialist of the UP Diliman, Office of Counseling and Guidance. Room 204 of the College of Education was packed with around 45 participants during the session.

The UP Science and Mathematics Majors Advocating Responsible Teaching (UP SMMART) also sponsored an ALCE session entitled “Memoria: Exploring Memory Enhancement Techniques and Memory Sports”. The resource speaker for the event was the Head Coach of the Philippine Memory Game, Ms. Anna Bernadette D. Bonita. Her student, Ms. Jamyla Lumbanao joined her in this occasion.
Ms. Bonita shared the importance of memory enhancement, the essence of memory sports, and techniques on how to develop one’s memory skills. Ms. Lumbanao demonstrated these techniques by simply listening and perfectly reciting back 40 randomly given words.

Overall, the session was a success and UP SMMART is honored to be one with Ms. Bonita in spreading information about memory sports and techniques to the UP community.

Museums and oceanariums are part of almost everyone’s childhood. The UP Educators’ Circle explored these all time favorite leisure places as venues for learning through an ACLE event entitled “Kaleidoscope: Looking and Learning through the Prisms of Museums and Oceanariums.”

With speakers Ms.Noreen Parafina, program director of Museo Pambata and Ms. Desiree C. Gestiada, curator and department head of Manila Ocean Park, the participants from and outside the university enjoyed the session at the College of Music Mini Hall, UP Diliman, Quezon City.