IN THE AGE of the Internet and the torrent of information it provides, students raised on this medium frequently need to be taught to think.
They have become so adept at finding information from the web and passing it off as their own, according to Aljane Quintans, operations officer of Newton Study Center in Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Other Metro Manila Newton Study Centers are located in West Avenue, Quezon City, and in Sucat, Parañaque. There are also Newton Study Centers in Dagupan and Urdaneta in Pangasinan. “As a result, they believe they no longer need to think critically. What for? Even if they don’t fully understand them, they can always find answers in the Internet and get good marks for them.”
Unfortunately, most parents discover this handicap only when their children are applying for slots in the more prominent high schools like the Philippine Science High Schools, Ateneo de Manila and Miriam College and top universities
and other institutions that have long lists of applicants. Many times, students fail entrance exams to top schools not because they don’t know anything but because they essentially don’t know how to think critically, an essential element of test-taking skills.
Quintans explains the Newton Study Center’s training programs particularly for high school applicants focus on turning them into sharp thinkers and not information hoarders. She explains that most entrance exams are standardized tests that subject the student to selecting the best answer from multiple choices. “These do not require complete and structured solutions. We teach the kids then how to quickly rule out the obviously wrong answers, then focus on the more likely answers.”
Quality teaching
Newton Study Center teachers use an arsenal of inferences, shortcuts, mnemonics and other techniques to help the students find the right answers fast. Moreover, drills that are timed have been built into the review process so students get used to pressure. More often than not, pupils adapt easily and learn the importance of speed along with mastery of the subject matter—the objectives of all Newton review programs.
The high number of Newton enrollees who make it to coveted schools like Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines and De La Salle University is also attributable to the quality of the center’s instructors, according to founder John Lambino. Currently pursuing a doctorate in regional economics at Kyoto University in Japan, John is biased toward young teachers who are passionate about learning and can connect to adolescents. “Students generally consider our instructors to be ‘cool,’” he says.
Usually not more than 30 years old, Newton instructors are often perceived to be non-threatening and serene even under pressure by the reviewers, points out his wife Ria, who is also pursuing a master’s degree in global environmental studies in the same university. Because both Ria and John were Philippine Science High School scholars, it is not surprising that they have also recruited instructors from the school and other topnotch universities. Observes John: “Because there isn’t any gap between the teacher and students, learning happens more efficiently.”
The quality of instruction is further complemented by Newton’s review materials which are continuously revised according to feedback from the instructors and pupils. These are supplemented by books produced by a Newton subsidiary to engage young reviewers, and which are popular at National Book Store.
Quintans observes that because the Philippines is not producing enough good schools to match its growing population, the pressure on pupils trying to get high quality education has never been greater. “Thus any advantage they can gain from a review program goes a long way,” she says.
Newton process
It is not a coincidence that Newton’s review format was adapted by John Lambino in 2001 from review centers in Japan, where competition to get into the better secondary schools—and later into the country’s elite universities—is fierce. The Newton process begins with a diagnostic exam to determine gaps in the students’ knowledge. It then leans heavily on drills to test the students’ mastery of the subject matter and to improve their speed in test-taking. John observes: “I could see how helpful that method was to students there. I wanted to replicate it here.”
Unlike regimented boot camps, nevertheless, a Newton review classroom supervised by someone who can be in jeans and flip-flops presents learning as something fun and perfectly acceptable. “People here are easy to talk to,” comments a student. “Masaya sila.” Says another: “Naungkat lahat ng tinabunan kong mga pag-aaral. Lalo na napag-aral ako, isang something na hindi ko masipag gawin. Ang ‘cool’ ng teachers. Napaka.”
Lambino relates that learning best happens in a relaxed atmosphere. In fact, it was while watching an apple fall from a tree in his garden that Sir Isaac Newton, the center’s icon, formulated his most important contribution to science, universal gravitation. “Knowledge and wisdom come easily to an attentive mind in the proper environment,” he smiles.
For more details, call 4269571 in Metro Manila and 075-5225780 in Pangasinan; or visit
www.NewtonStudyCenter.com
