MARIKINA POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE

Shoe Ave. cor. Mayor Chanyungco St., Sta. Elena, Marikina City

Name: Joana Kate A. Benedicto

Subject Code: ENG 602
Reflection No. 4

Topic/s: Published Researches on Materials Development for Language Learning

Learning Management Systems and eLearning Platforms

NEW NORMAL: Seeing the good in every situation.

Our lives have been affected in so many ways by this coronavirus pandemic.
However, I try to see the beauty in every bad thing. In today’s summer masteral class, the
Marikina Polytechnic College conducts online classes. It’s totally different from the formal
classroom setup. As I watched the reports of my classmates particularly on the e-learning
platforms, I realized how lucky I am to be a part of this new normal classroom setup - online
class.

Despite the pandemic, I can say that in just more than a month of attending online
classes, I was able to be productive in the comfort of my own home. Here are some of my
realizations.

IT COSTS LESS

It's no secret that masteral class costs a lot of money. You pay for the classes,
cafeteria meals, miscellaneous fees, transportation fees - to name a few. But today, it costs
less. More savings and less hussle of commuting and irritating inconvenience of traffic.

MORE TIME WITH THE FAMILY

Although staying at home has its setbacks for many, I see it as 'window of
opportunity' to improve family ties. I was given an opportunity to look after my family’s
well-being by making the most of family time, using routines, staying connected and
managing conflict.

IMPROVE SELF-DISCIPLINE

Succeeding in online classes requires self-discipline. You don't have a teacher to tell
you when an assignment is due. Your best friend won't call you on Monday morning to
make sure you're working on that group project. You actually have to login and participate
in the discussions to get participation credit. Being lazy or undisciplined will cause you to
quickly fall behind.

Thus, by taking online classes, you develop stronger self-discipline, which often
translates to other areas of your life such as fitness, work ethic and even relationships. I
realized that studying online requires more self-motivation and time-management skills,
because you will spend a lot of time on your own without someone physically close to keep
you focused on deadlines. I realized that my online course will not only teach me the
 MARIKINA POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE
Shoe Ave. cor. Mayor Chanyungco St., Sta. Elena, Marikina City

principles of preparing learning materials, but it also helped me become more

self-motivated, a trait that will make you stand out in the workplace and beyond.

Hence, we are all combating this pandemic. I hope and pray, that we will soon find a
vaccine for this disease, and that it will be made widely available for everyone who needs it,
rich or poor. But in the meantime, we can reflect and see the good in the bad. It’s a
reminder to us that we are never in total control of our lives, that we can never eliminate
every misfortune or heal every illness.

Ultimately, our trust has to be in something more solid than we can ever find here
on earth. Ultimately, God alone is our security. ‘God is our refuge and our strength, a
helper close at hand in times of distress’ (Ps.46:1). Trust Him.