NATAS LABAR

Raising Generation Tech, Grooming Digital Citizens T he last chapter of the book is the masterpiece of this project. This chapter provides answers to these important questions: How can we talk so kids will listen? And how can we integrate technology effectively in schools? These questions then spelled out into more specific questions: How do we moderate our children’s use of gadgets and the internet? Do we ground them, threaten them, shout at them? How do we regulate our kids with regard to using technology? The authors of the book suggest that the perfect manner, which allows children to listen to their parents is to have a great relationship with them. Such relationships should be engaged in the following ways: 1). Pay attention to children. Parents should make an endless effort to spend quality time with their children. It is not recommended for parents therefore, to be with children during free time only. Being with children must be a regular occurrence, which can lead t...

Getting a High, Escaping the World The principal point of this chapter shows different results between female and male students at Ateneo de Manila University, in June 2011. The study indicates that “six times as many males did poorly on exams as females” (p. 218). The other result disclosed that many young males have problems with family or romantic relationships. When it happens, they hardly communicate with their parents. These problems were induced for various reasons. The authors, however, particularly emphasize that digital addiction was one of the reasons why male youths did not cope well with their life. This result of the survey shows that many males are more involved in gaming than females. Many males get addicted to games because they want to achieve high scores. As well, them most common type of games is pathological and porn games. The chapter also highlights that internet addiction is highly similar to that of drug addiction. The study shows that addiction an...

By Lee Chua, Queena N, Dionisio, Ma. Isabel Sison, Fernandez, Nerisa C, Alignay, Michele S.  (Eds.).  2013, Anvil Publishing, Mandaluyong City, Philippines, 362 pages. Information Overload, Attention Deficit T he ‘me, me, me generation’ or ‘multitasking generation’ is also identified as ‘the attention-deficit generation.’ According to the survey, while studying, the majority of students engage with other activities such as internet, television, music and video games. In many cases, the ability to do things simultaneously is impaired because both tasks draw on one or more of the same information-processing systems of the brain. The research has shown in America that multitasking is dangerous for learning. Understanding and visualizing multitasking tasks, which have disrupted the study process of children, has allowed the authors to suggest ways of countering the multitasking phenomenon. The development of the human mind still needs a balanced media diet, b...

By Lee Chua, Queena N, Dionisio, Ma. Isabel Sison, Fernandez, Nerisa C, Alignay, Michele S.  (Eds.).  2013, Anvil Publishing, Mandaluyong City, Philippines, 362 pages. Fast and Instant, Bored and Boring A s seen in the title of this chapter, being bored and finding things boring are critically examined in the survey. The result of the survey shows that the majority of students were bored when they refrained from any media/internet connection. This situation was not only experienced by students in the Philippines, but also, as cited by the authors from other resources, were experienced by students in America, China, United Kingdom, Slovakia, Chile, Lebanon, and Uganda. The book then recommends several solutions on how to deal with children’s boredom. The solutions are offered through minimizing exposure to unrealistic, excessive speed, by packing a boredom-busting kit, and by offering alternatives to digital media, such as books and drawing.  T...

By Lee Chua, Queena N, Dionisio, Ma. Isabel Sison, Fernandez, Nerisa C, Alignay, Michele S. (Eds.). 2013, Anvil Publishing, Mandaluyong City, Philippines, 362 pages. Easy Myths, Hard Truths The first chapter of the book presents a surprising fact about an initial study with children whose parents work in Silicon Valley in the USA, which is known as the global source of technology. These children study without computers, which is a basic digital technology, in the classroom. They were taught using the old-fashioned method (use pencils, pen, paper, and so on). The authors explain that teaching digital technologies for children is unnecessary.  In line with this fact is the result of the survey, which has led the authors to conclude that the proper use of technology in education does assist one’s study in class, however, it does not make a learner more intelligent. The discussion of the study findings in this chapter is commenced by analyzing internet usage by s...

The Importance of the Book T he book of ‘Intercultural Living’ is an encyclopedia for those who have searched for a comprehensive understanding and explanation about interculturality related to religious life. The following points are the importance of the book for our study and its contribution.  Firstly, with the massive influence of globalization, intercultural communication has become indispensable in our society. Attempting to stop the mobilization/movement of people to new places, and back to their former homelands, would be rather impossible. Thus, the implementation of intercultural communication would only be possible if it was done in the light of mutual enrichment and transformation.  The ethnorelative approach of interculturality, which provides undoubtedly a safe environment for intercultural communication, assists one to appreciate different ways of thinking, see the world, and act upon the reality. By integrating these different cultural perspect...

Formation T he last part of the book discusses formation as one of the underpinning elements in religious life. The book describes three stages of formation, namely, the initial formation for the intercultural community, the impact of formation for the intercultural community, and the new missionaries’ curriculum. Weber insists that inserting intercultural elements in the initial formation is a must. This process, however, has to be continued through the candidate’s reflection and discernment.  The elements of initial formation are listed; intellectual, attitudinal, and spiritual. The formation center, in other words, should become a ‘school of intercultural learning.’  The formation for the religious, according to Ukwuije, is that missionaries must respond to the impact of modern technology in a postmodern culture. This new culture has brought a spirit of individualism and a crisis of commitment. The formation has to reflect on the ethical use of modern communication. Ueffin...

Finance   I n his article, D’Rozario attempts to associate self-reliance and solidari ty. The writing is so powerful due to the writer successfully shifting self-reliance from an economic concept to a missionary concept. This change resulted from the author’s learning exploration from an Indonesian priest, Utomo, from whom he employed the concept of self-reliance. Inspired by this idea, the author built a Caritas in his country, Bangladesh. Through the mobilization of local resources with different types of endeavors, such as campaigns, local contributions, capital mobilization, and production, the writer could sustain the Caritas center without receiving any international assistance. Therefore, the true meaning of self-reliance for a religious congregation counts on “working with people instead of working for people, understanding the people and their life situation and believing in people’s potential.”  Hinrichs’ article explains the working system of Styler Bank. What make...

Leadership One of the most significant aspects of religious life is leadership. It begins with Serrano’s exploration of the demanding role of religious leaders in intercultural communities. Servant leadership should be a model of spiritual leadership following the example of Jesus Himself, who became the servant for His apprentices.  The religious communities’ context is dynamic; thus, competence and wisdom are needed to anticipate the unavoidable problems in the given contexts.  The article that follows is written based on the author’s own experience as a provincial, whose members were from diverse cultural backgrounds.  It claims that to be a leader for such a context, the leader needs to ‘hold diversity lightly.’ The leader is called not to focus on its members’ deficiency but their qualities and gifts in mission.  Furthermore, through her article, Cimperman calls for prophetic leadership to establish peace and harmony in the conflictual situation. Therefore, t...

Community The first article, written by Gittins, discusses the ‘characteristics’ of religious congregations and how they should change from multicultural to intercultural. The latter concept employes the theological foundation, as it is a faith-based concept. The communities, where the diverse cultures are shared peacefully, should give witness to demonstrate the Kingdom of God.  Community life is the best place for learning how to transform oneself from the ego of ethnocentrism. The way of thinking of its members needs to be changed into analogical, not dialectical thinking.  In the second article, Mendoca highlights the importance of acknowledging the many different personalities within the community. A clear understanding of these various aspects of human beings, cognitive and behavioral, will help create and develop an intercultural society. Huffner and Kemper write the third article, two married couples, and have experienced living with Brazilian immigrants for more than ...

Catatan Akhir Jatuh cinta adalah sebuah tindakan manusiawi, yang di dalamnya terkandung pasang surut kehidupan—baik dan buruk, bahagia dan malang, hingga akhirnya menemukan unsur kemenangan dan kekalahan. Ada milyaran kisah cinta yang dirajut oleh para penghuni bumi, masing-masing memiliki karakteristiknya sendiri. Kisah cinta Lois dan Michael dalam novel I Love You but I Am Guilty ( Aku Mencintaimu Namun Aku Bersalah ) adalah salah satu cuplikan dari perjalanan cinta dua insan yang berusaha menuju "singgasana" cinta abadi. Novel ini bukanlah tentang dendam atau cinta yang semu. Sebaliknya, ini adalah kisah petualangan cinta yang mendalam, yang mencoba memahami arti cinta dalam keberagaman—baik dari segi karakter pribadi maupun dari konteks sosial kemasyarakatan. Melalui kisah ini, kita diajak untuk merenungkan kembali sebuah kebijaksanaan klasik: mencintai seseorang tidak pernah salah. Sebab jatuh cinta adalah naluri manusia, dan dalam setiap percintaan pasti ada pasang su...

Kemenangan Cinta Masa lalu Michael dan Lois seolah menghilang, dan fajar kehidupan baru mulai menyinari mereka. Mentari pagi terbit di ufuk timur, membawa secercah harapan baru bagi Michael. Meski masih diliputi duka atas kehilangan sosok Lois, Michael berusaha melawan perasaan tidak nyaman itu. Ia kembali pada rutinitas mengurus bisnisnya, menolak tenggelam dalam kesedihan yang berkepanjangan. Namun, kehidupan Michael berubah ketika ia diundang ke pesta ulang tahun Estela, sahabat karib Lois. Wind, saudara Lois, menjanjikan kejutan untuk Estela. Wind, yang tahu segalanya tentang kehidupan Lois, termasuk upaya bunuh diri saudarinya, merencanakan sesuatu yang akan mengguncang. Saat Michael memasuki apartemen Estela, ia terkejut melihat sosok yang sangat mirip Lois. Ia tahu Lois sudah tiada, tetapi bagaimana mungkin ia berdiri di sana? "Siapa yang dikubur di makam itu?" pikir Michael dalam hati, semakin kebingungan. Wind kemudian memperkenalkan Lois kepada para tamu, "Ini ...

Bulan Madu Michael dengan Abu Lois Setelah kembali dari liburannya, Michael disambut oleh surat perpisahan dari Lois. Awalnya, ia acuh tak acuh saat membuka surat itu, mengira ini hanya upaya lain dari Lois untuk membangkitkan rasa kasihan dan mengembalikan perhatiannya.  Namun, meski tanpa perasaan, ia tetap membacanya—kata demi kata. Hatinya yang telah membeku terhadap Lois tak merasakan apa-apa. Euforia kebebasannya masih mengisi hari-harinya. Namun seiring berjalannya waktu, dari hari ke minggu, dari minggu ke bulan, sesuatu yang aneh terjadi. Lois tetap tak muncul, dan tak ada kabar tentang keberadaannya. Meski awalnya lega, kegelisahan mulai tumbuh dalam diri Michael. "Di mana Lois?" Pertanyaan itu mulai menghantui pikirannya yang dulu bebas. Perasaan Michael terhadap Lois tiba-tiba berubah. Ketika ia menemukan cincin pernikahan Lois—simbol kematiannya—dunianya mulai runtuh. Cincin yang dulu ia pasangkan di jari manis Lois saat janji pernikahan mereka, kini menjadi pen...

Di Mana pun Aku Berada, Kamu Masih Milikku P ernikahan Michael dan Lois berada di ambang kehancuran. Keduanya telah mempertimbangkan berbagai "alternatif" untuk masa depan yang semakin tidak pasti. Di tengah kepahitan cinta yang kian menumpuk, Michael memutuskan untuk pergi tanpa pamit, menghilang ke sebuah pulau eksotis selama berbulan-bulan, meninggalkan Lois tanpa satu pun pesan. Kepergian Michael yang tiba-tiba dan tanpa penjelasan membuat Lois semakin tenggelam dalam depresi. Dalam kesendiriannya, Lois bertanya, "Akankah Michael berubah? Apakah dia pernah mencintaiku?" "Manusia adalah makhluk dinamis," Lois mengulang kutipan yang pernah ia baca, mencoba menenangkan hatinya yang penuh keraguan. Di balik rasa sakit, ia masih menyimpan harapan bahwa Michael akan berubah. Namun, di saat yang sama, bayangan masa depan tanpa cinta terus menghantui pikirannya. "Bagaimana jika Michael tak pernah mencintaiku? Apakah aku harus bertahan dalam penderitaan in...

Cinta dalam Prahara ‘Kepenjaraan’ I ni adalah kisah cinta 'romantis' versi Lois dan Michael. Lois, wanita berparas cantik bak malaikat, sejak kecil terobsesi menemukan kekasih yang bukan hanya tampan dan gagah, tetapi juga mencintainya seumur hidup.  Michael, pemuda tampan dan karismatik, kebetulan bertemu Lois di alun-alun kota tua tempat mereka tinggal. Tanpa keraguan sedikit pun, Lois menganggap Michael adalah jawaban dari semua mimpi dan obsesinya sejak masa kecil. Sikap Michael yang ramah, tersenyum manis, dan genit, ciri khas pemuda Zaman Now, membuat Lois jatuh hati tanpa ragu. Tanpa banyak berpikir tentang realitas kehidupan pernikahan, mereka sepakat memulai petualangan cinta dari pelaminan. Namun, hari-hari pernikahan yang diimpikan penuh romansa justru diwarnai dengan penyesalan dan depresi. Romantisme yang dulu menjadi impian mereka berubah menjadi sekadar teori yang tak pernah terwujud dalam kenyataan. Lois, yang masih terobsesi dengan keyakinan bahwa Michael ad...