The Department of Education (DepEd) launched the “Juan-day Storytelling at the Library Hub by the Mathemajess’yan” in the division library hub, Plaridel, Bulacan. The guest storyteller to selected 80 high school students and their math teachers was the Damath/SciDama inventor Jesus L. Huenda, a 5-time national awardee including the 1981 presidential gold medallion award for his joyful learning approach in math teaching.

Around 40 students and 4 teachers from Jose J. Mariano Memorial High School attended the morning storytelling activity on the print module “Max the Matrix & Co.” developed by the said education technology inventor during his international scholarship stint in Malaysia.

The students were amused and challenged through real life problem solving by the ‘add-venture’ discoveries of the Pinoy cartoon character Max and his fellow Southeast Asian matrix friends. This engaging math module on matrices was reprinted by the University of the Philippines – National Institute for Science and Math Education Development (UP – NISMED) with permission from the Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organization – Regional Centre for Education in Science and Math (SEAMEO – RECSAM), Penang, Malaysia.

In the afternoon activity, 40 students and 2 math teachers from Dr. Felipe De Jesus High School were also amazed with math challenges on Fibonacci sequence integrated with English, Science and Values Education concepts through joyful storytelling interwoven with flowchart, simulation, concept map, tree diagram, picture riddle, haiku, cryptogram, math investigation and playing Damath and its digital version eDamath.

The said interactive activities were packaged in a computer-assisted instructional (CAI) material in CD format “Fibo the Frog Mathemajess’yan” by inventor Huenda when he submitted it as a requirement for his course on Master in IT Education (MITE) at the Philippine Normal University (PNU) – Asia Pacific College, Makati consortium.

Math inventor Huenda was heard saying after the informal storytelling sessions with this apt comment: ”If Filipino ‘CNN 2009 Hero of the Year’ Efren Penaflorida has his ‘kariton classroom’ for disadvantaged teenagers in Cavite, then my humble contribution to basic education is anywhere-anytime 24/7 joyful math learning through fun and interesting storytelling for all on demand at the Internet-based Distance Education Program (iDEP) of the education department (i.e, in DepEd website http://www.deped.gov.ph/BSE/iDEP).”

For comments, the inventor may be contacted at http://www.deped.gov.ph/e-turo/edublogs, or e-mail: jesuslhuenda@yahoo.com.”

The Damath/SciDama inventor Jesus L. Huenda conducting the “Juan-day Storytelling at the Library Hub by the Mathemajess’yan” morning session on the out-of-the-box print module “Max the Matrix & Co.” at the Division Library Hub in Plaridel, Bulacan. According to Huenda, “It’s a one-day joyful mathematical affair at every schools division library hub nationwide for Juan Dela Cruz the learner.”

Selected Fourth Year students of Jose J. Mariano Memorial High School were hooked through mathemagic by actively participating during the mathematics storytelling exploratory activities at the Division Library Hub in Plaridel, Bulacan.

A student explaining her interpretation and insights gained during the math storytelling activities of the innovative print module “Max the Matrix & Co.” as a result of the nontraditional learning for understanding model approach used by the mathemajess’yan the storyteller Jesus L. Huenda.

Further discussions by the students lead to firming up, deepening and transferring knowledge and skills learned from the math storytelling exploratory activities in the backward design model (Understanding by Design) utilized efficiently and effectively by the math storyteller Jesus L. Huenda at the library hub in Plaridel, Bulacan.

Shown at left is one of the mathematics teachers of Jose J. Mariano Memorial High School receiving the out-of-the-box CD on the two storytelling modules and eDamath boardgame. “This is the first time that my students were hooked on storytelling with Asian cartoon characters in a Fourth Year math lesson.”, was the teacher’s side comment.

Similarly shown at the right is a representative of the mathematics teachers of Dr. Felipe De Jesus High School receiving the said CD containing the interactive learning materials for students and their teachers/parents. “How can our school avail of these digital materials on Fibonacci sequence and electronic Damath? Is it available online?” queried the teacher.

The librarian (R) of the Division of Bulacan Library Hub receives as well the said innovative CD supplementary storytelling materials in mathematics including the indigenous eDamath boardgame. “We will install the innovative CAI material and digital Damath boardgame in our library hub’s 5 computers so that high school students and their teachers can have free access to these supplementary learning resources” added the librarian.

The division library hub coordinator (representing the schools division superintendent) together with the district supervisor and elementary school principal were present when the above tarpaulin was used by the education department in launching last December 16, 2009 the “Juan-day Storytelling at the Library Hub by the Mathemajess’yan” in Plaridel, Bulacan.