2 | Teaching and Learning through a Pandemic: A Glimpse at the Philippine Setting
ISSUE #1 • APRIL 2021
Contents.
6 8
11 14 16 18 21 25
COVID, THE WORLD, AND THE EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES
EDITORIAL Managers Jim Marco M. Pabellon Daniel P. Ong Jr.
IMPACT OF ONLINE EDUCATION DURING PANDEMIC: HOW DO WE GO FROM HERE? by: Maria Monica Matawaran
Leuel P. Oseña Editors Daniel P. Ong Jr.
ONLINE LEARNING BARRIERS: UNRAVELING THE CHALLENGES FACED BY ADMINISTRATORS IN HIGHER EDUCATION by: Marie Joy Payumo-Salgado & Daniel Ong
CONTINUING BASIC EDUCATION THROUGH ONLINE TEACHING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS by: Scott Ralph B. Paña
TAKING THE CLASSROOM HOME: PARENTAL AND TEACHER SUPPORT TO ONLINE LEARNERS AMID COVID-19 by: Maria Carla Nazareno
TOOLS FOR DEVELOPING VIRTUAL LEARNING CONTENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION
Irene G. Mariano Antoinette Louise S. Makani Leuel P. Oseña eJournalists Maria Carla A. Nazareno Maria Monica R. Matawaran Abigail D. Montemayor Marie Joy P. Salgado Roxanne C. Mercado Peter Pocholo Olanday Scott Ralph B. Paña Leuel P. Oseña Graphic Designers Scott Ralph B. Paña Rosalie C. Nimo
by: Pocholo Olanday e-Aral Natin | 1
WHAT IF? LEARNINGS FROM THE ONLINE TRAINING INDUSTRY by: Roxanne Mercado ENGLISH ONLINE TEACHING AN AVENUE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND INDUSTRY by: Abigail Montemayor
Photos contributed by: Abigail Montemayor, Peter Pocholo Olanday, Daniel P. Ong Jr. Illustrations created by: Leuel P. Oseña Cover and logo art design created by: Scott Ralph B. Paña
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About Us: JIM MARCO M. PABELLON Jim is your all-around guy. He is a Chemical Engineer by profession and a multipotentialite in general. This stretched around him being a content creator and writer specializing in songs, scripts and stories. He aspires to be a polyglot, a musician, and a recognized-artist. With all that multidimensionality, Jim dreams to be a Nobel Prize Winner one day! On the side note, Mariah Carey and Anjohn Sorza are his favorite people. IG @ijimmarcome• Twitter @tjimmarcome
ANTOINETTE LOUISE S. MAKANI Tonet is a content editor in a digital legal publishing company and a Social Studies Education distance learner from UP Open University. She has long been collecting stationery products and has currently taken interest in collecting artworks and philatelic postal stamps. She is a pre-pandemic plantita who keeps a variety of cacti and leafy succulents. IG @netmakani
SCOTT RALPH B. PAÑA Scott is currently working as a Grade 10 Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) teacher in a public secondary school in Cainta, Rizal. Prior to joining the field of education, he worked as a merchandiser/designer for different retail brands. He also keeps himself busy with his passion project which includes developing Mother Tongue-Based- Multilingual Educational (MTB-MLE) story books for children for Indigenous People (IP) communities.
ABIGAIL D. MONTEMAYOR Abigail graduated with a degree in BA Secondary Education Major in English, cum laude. She has been a classroom English teacher for 2 years and an English as Second Language / English as a Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) teacher for 3 years now, and a Youtube vlogger on the sides. More than her educational background and profession, she is a mother, wife, and a baptized Jehovah’s Witness living by the verse “seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
DANIEL P. ONG JR. Daniel is a Science Instructor in the Elementary and College Departments of Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU), La Union. He is a plantito, and a content creator. Particularly, he created educational vlogs on Youtube. Recently, his vlog on the Success Stories on transformation and innovation for teachers and students has been given recognition by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO). YouTube Teacher Danny Ong
LEUEL P. OSEÑA A graduate of BS Marine Transportation, summa cum laude, Leuel is a master mariner since he was 19 years old, topped 4 PRC Marine Board examinations, and a holder of various positions in several maritime organizations. Through self-study, he pursued software development and built his own brand named Omarsoft and now holds 14 copyrights in the software business. He created 25 commercial grade software for use in ships, running in Windows OS, and Android OS. On top of his various careers, he loves reading hardbound books in science, business, engineering, and health, playing chess and is always in search of new knowledge. He values God, health, and family most in his life.
4 | Teaching and Learning through a Pandemic: A Glimpse at the Philippine Setting
PETER POCHOLO OLANDAY Poch is a director for the instructional design team of Suthetland Global. He is a multi-degree holder, having a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Business Management. Despite being a busy man, he likes to spend most of his leisure time on the farm, and have quality time with his family.
ROSALIE C. NIMO Rosalie is a graphic designer by profession. She considers herself a lover of art, design, and history. Currently, she is taking up her master’s degree in Distance Education so she can integrate instructional design & development with her knowledge and experience in visual communication. One of her aims is to truly promote better learning experiences through visual design aesthetics. Website nimikko.wixsite.com/rosalienimo
IRENE G. MARIANO Irene is an accountant by profession, but is an educator by heart with a good heart. She is in a lifelong advocacy of protecting animal rights. She is also part of an organization named Railroading for International Education Opportunities. This helps out underprivileged but deserving students obtain a scholarship so they may pursue their studies despite their socioeconomic status.
MARIA CARLA A. NAZARENO Carla obtained a degree in Nursing but has found her heart and prosperity in teaching. She has been a Science educator for 11 years and has experienced being a national writing contributor for the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Supplementary-Learning Materials (SLMs). Carla counts herself as optimistic as she has learned to always look at the brighter side of life and sees challenges as opportunities.
MARIE JOY P. SALGADO Joy is a lawyer by education and license, but is a teacher by profession and practice. She is a self-confessed book hoarder, loves K-drama, and on the sides – learns French for fun! Lastly, she is a mother of two attention-demanding kids. Merci. Au revoir!
ROXANNE C. MERCADO Roxanne refers to herself as a lifelong learner. Her work experiences include corporate training and health informatics training. She is a nature and music enthusiast who loves to build meaningful connections with others. She lives by the motto: laughter is my best medicine. IG @roxcmerc
MARIA MONICA R. MATAWARAN Monic is a Talent Acquisition professional who specializes in strategizing and focusing in the full life cycle of sourcing, candidate screening and recruiting. On top of her full-time work, she is currently taking up Masters in Distance Education in UP Open University, working her way to become an educator. In her free time, she loves to write, read, collect funny memes, and occasionally overeat. It has also been her dream to become a TED talk speaker one day. To top it all off, she is a pet parent to a lovely dog and wise cat, named Jacob and Scarlet Jiki respectively. Twitter @matawaranmonic
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Preface “We are here on Earth to live-to experience whatever comes, to act on that experience as well as we can and hence to grow” – Ardis Whitmann The resilience of the human hunger for education battles the best and worst of times. Education transformation and resurgence out of this pandemic had given us every opportunity to win over these challenging times. In this e-journal, authors shared their experiences, accompanied by an illustration of how one’s subsisted despite the challenges. As aspiring these stories can be, we are not in any way want to create an idealist illusion but rather offer a creative path that will echo a balance.
— Group V
@EARALNATIN
EARALNATIN
6 | Teaching and Learning through a Pandemic: A Glimpse at the Philippine Setting
COVID-19, the World, and the THE COVID VIRUS CAUGHT THE WORLD BY SURPRISE. One moment people were just talking about how unusual it is to eat bats and get infected out of it. The next thing we know, the number of people dying from the same infection and people and industries affected by this are already stacking up. While this “bat origin” is still currently being studied, it is undeniable how it has greatly affected all of us. To date, there are more than 3 million deaths worldwide due to the virus. Even though this is lower than other mild pandemics in the past, the virus has stayed longer, since history tells that most pandemics lasted only for about a year. With this, the health of people is not just in the line, but also the economy. The International Labour Organization reports that in 2020 the hardest hit sectors include civil aviation, tourism, and the cultural sectors, while manufacturing, agriculture, and transport are also struggling. Just about the same is true for the Philippines. In addition, there were a lot of sectors that totally changed to cope with the challenges, including the formal education sector.
BY THE NUMBERS
136,115,434
confirmed Covid-19 cases around the world
2,936,916 total deaths around the world
876,225 total Covid-19 cases in the Philippines
15,149 total deaths in the Philippines Source: covid19.who.int
What do I consider a teacher should be? One who breathes life into knowledge so that it takes new form in progress and civilization. - Helen Keller, 1938
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Education in the Philippines CHED, DEPED regulators were caught by surprise by the news of a pandemic overseas. The two agencies had no prepared plans for face-to-face education to switch immediately to distance education. As educators, they were adept at traditional classroom teaching. However, separating students and mentoring them through digital means, not chalk and blackboard, or whiteboard and erasable pen, imposes a challenge — a trick left for further mastery.
Words and illustration by Leuel P. Oseña
Worse, the internet superhighway is an uncommon pathway for teachers, parents, and students to pass. Learning institutions are not prepared and, likewse, for sure, a majority of parents. As Hey-woods said, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” We did not expect that our entire education system will experience a chaotic environment, forcing many schools to close, by an unidentified virus referred to as “COVID-19”. Clearly,
no Nobel-prized virologist ever presented proof that he was able to isolate this virus. When the W.H.O. cried wolf!, people began to jump and run around like headless chickens. Now the country is in a difficult balance between avoiding Covid or avoiding the downfall of the country’s economy; which one? Kaya sa susunod, bago sana mataranta sa anumang balita, dapat
eARAL NATIN!
8 | Teaching and Learning through a Pandemic: A Glimpse at the Philippine Setting
IMPACT OF ONLINE EDUCATION DURING PANDEMIC: HOW DO WE GO FROM HERE? by: Maria Monica Matawaran
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As a developing country we’re thinly stretched. Our educational system – both public and private sectors - scrambled to transform physical classes into virtual, augmenting online learning with asynchronous modes of learning delivery such as printed modules, television and radio broadcast. However, with insufficient provision of training in the new modalities, poor but overpriced Internet infrastructure, a lack of access devices, and little to no preparation time, this unplanned and rapid move to remote learning brought tough challenges for us to learn from and overcome. COVID-19’s unprecedented disruption to education has given way to the distinct rise of online learning. Neither students nor the education sector was equipped for prolonged school closures and the shift to remote learning has exacerbated the existing disparities and lack of digital access here in the Philippines. While the effects of the pandemic vary among countries, ours as a developing country was profoundly grim. Our educational system scrambles to transform the physical classes virtually, augmenting online learning with asynchronous modes of learning delivery such as printed modules, television, and radio broadcast. With insufficient training in the new modalities, unreliable but overpriced internet infrastructure, lack of access to devices, and little to no preparation time, this unplanned and hasty move to remote learning brought trials that are aggravated by livelihoods lost because of the pandemic. Not all Filipino families can afford to buy a computer or tablet, and a majority of households have no access to a reliable internet connection. Many cases have revealed how the risks are even worsened concerning those in the vulnerable sectors. • Suicide cases stripping mental health issues related to the pandemic have emerged: • A 16-year-old Grade 11 student in Tupi, South Cotabato committed suicide allegedly due to the pressure and difficulty of learning the modules. Radio station 95.7 Brigada FM reported that the student told his mother that he was having difficulty studying the learning materials (The Filipino Times, 2020).
• In Albay, 19-year-old Ricky Benig reportedly committed suicide, worried about the financial burden to his parents whose meager earnings could not afford the access and devices for their children’s online classes. (Rappler, 2020; Barcia, 2020). • Students are climbing trees, roofs, mountains in search of data signals to attend their classes and submit requirements. • Approximately 3 million learners opted not to enroll in the K-12 levels for SY 20202021 despite the massive enrollment drive undertaken by schools and pushback of school year opening from June to October (Uaminal, 2020) • A total of 409,757 teachers, faculty, and school personnel in private educational institutions nationwide are affected by the enhanced community quarantine, “Teachers are either receiving reduced pay or they are no longer paid at all due to ‘no Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (Cocopea). ( Rappler, 2020; work, no pay’ scheme”, as told by Joseph Noel Estrada, Managing Director of Magsambol, 2020) • Teachers from rural areas have to travel at their own expense to the nearest urban distribution center to get printed modules and then visit their students to drop off the modules. • There aren’t enough learning support specialties and instructional designers, which have not been a priority for a long time. • Parents’ inadequate familiarity with the lessons to guide their children.
10 | Teaching and Learning through a Pandemic: A Glimpse at the Philippine Setting
The increasing use of whatever technology is at hand for education is a step in the right direction.
HOW DO WE NOW PROGRESS? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE FUTURE OF LEARNING? The myopic and reactionary response of our national decision-makers have compelled the underprivileged students and our teachers to pursue an education of dubious quality despite the overwhelming mental and economic burden on them. The pandemic is far from over, thus, we must start taking aggressive steps to reshape our country’s education. We can begin by: • Uniting as communities in planning for education recovery. Call out policymakers, if they truly intend to ensure that students get an equal and quality education, they need to look closer into the grassroots, remove financial barriers and close every gap, leaving no students and teachers behind. • Looking into alternative education methods to rethink and innovate instructions. Partner
with LGUs to work on adding cell sites to communities and remote areas, close all digital divides. • Building and funding mental health support. • Understanding that every student will experience instruction differently no matter how consistent the teaching strategies. Embracing the diversity of experience among our students will open doors, allowing planning of multiple routes for engagement, representation and expression that will empower and enable more students. Rather than enduring the damages of the never-ending cycle of reactionary responses, now is the time to act preemptively and decisively for learning continuity that is inclusive of all. Let’s turn these challenges to opportunities in rebuilding the future of a reimagined education system.
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ONLINE LEARNING BARRIERS:
UNRAVELING THE CHALLENGES FACED BY ADMINISTRATORS IN HIGHER EDUCATION by: Marie Joy Payumo-Salgado & Daniel Ong
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) were caught unprepared when the entire country entered lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For private schools, it was worse, since all private HEI’s were still struggling to overcome the financial impact brought about by the K-12 implementation. Public schools on the other hand were cushioned because the government continued picking up the bills, but nevertheless saw their budgets upended by the shift to remote learning. The pandemic truly impacted both private and public HEIs. The team interviewed administrators from two northern Luzon schools, Saint Mary’s University (SMU) and Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) - Mid La Union Campus, to identify the common challenges the HEI administrators encountered when their schools shifted to online learning. These are their responses.
READINESS OF THE FACULTY MEMBERS Both schools were caught unprepared by the sudden need to shift to remote learning. Since both are conventional face-to-face institutions, they had few teachers capable of remote and online learning, necessitating the provision of substantial teacher training. DMMMSU responded by conceptualizing a “3C’s framework” - Communication to Connect and Collaborate. The State University partnered with DMMMSU Open University and nearby private HEIs to forge a functional collaborative academic operation. This partnership leveraged the needed technical skills of qualified faculty members into a shared resource that facilitated the retraining. SMU also established a framework called the Marian Compassionate Teaching Framework to promote academic resiliency through the four operative principles of Clarity, Communication,
12 | Teaching and Learning through a Pandemic: A Glimpse at the Philippine Setting
Saint Mary’s University (SMU) and Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU) - Mid La Union Campus.
Connection, and Care. The school’s CICT and Teacher Education Department worked as a team to give the needed technological and pedagogical training to all faculty members.
ICT INFRASTRUCTURE SMU relied on its existing ICT infrastructure to continue delivering instruction. Instead of acquiring a commercially available (but significantly expensive) Learning Management System (LMS), the school updated its customizable Moodle-based LMS with the help of an IT consultant. The school also upgraded its available internet bandwidth and added
Common to both schools is the use of Facebook Messenger to deliver learning materials and receive requirements – a necessary asynchronous communications tool to accommodate students with weak or irregular Internet access.
to its cloud storage. These expenses were committed despite the required capital outlay at a time when the school’s finances were lean. DMMMSU’s initiatives concentrated on providing training in the use of various free-to-use LMS’s such as Google Classroom. However, the school’s lack of robust ICT infrastructure in most of its Colleges became a barrier to the sharing of teaching resources. Faculty members even had to pay out of their own pockets for internet access, although by the second semester, the ICT infrastructure of all campuses had improved to the point of installing all faculty rooms with the needed equipment and connectivity. Common to both schools is the use of Facebook Messenger to deliver learning materials and receive requirements – a necessary asynchronous communications tool to accommodate students with weak or irregular Internet access.
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FINANCIAL RESOURCES
TO END...
For FY 2021, the national government has allocated funds for DMMMSU to upskill its faculty and non-teaching staff through Faculty Trainings, developing instructional materials, and to create an enabling environment in this new learning setup. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) also authorized fund provisions for equipment upgrades and industrial programs. Research projects continue to be funded by the institution, CHED, and other external organizations.
The tale of two schools that these interviews has revealed is one of school administrators creatively and resiliently navigating, managing, and meeting the challenges of shifting to remote and online education. The Boards of these HEI’s approved the frameworks that guide and ground the administrations’ decisions. This in turn allowed administrators to strategically maximize their internal and external resources in reshaping their higher education mission for remote and online delivery. Truly, while the pandemic challenged the HEIs, it did not stop them from continuing to deliver their basic mandate - to provide quality education.
SMU’s resources are depleted because of the decline in enrollment in the past three years. However, amounts were earmarked to finance the upgrade in the LMS and internet connection. The school strategically prioritized its ICT investments even while ensuring liquidity for its operating needs, in order to ensure it would be in a position to entice new students through its remote learning capabilities. Expenses deemed non-critical, such as faculty grants for scholarships were frozen, the operating cash being focused on training faculty members for remote and online teaching.
WATCH INTERVIEW WITH DR. OCHOCO A brief interview of Dr. Cedric Anthony E. Ochoco, the Dean of College of Education of Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University Mid La Union Campus, regarding the administrative challanges in online learning.
14 | Teaching and Learning through a Pandemic: A Glimpse at the Philippine Setting
CONTINUING BASIC EDUCATION THROUGH ONLINE TEACHING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS by: Scott Ralph B. Paña
DepEd Memorandum no. 12, s. 2020 allows school administrators in every public school to create their own School Learning Continuity Plan (SLCP) provided that they have gathered data from a Learners Enrollment Survey Form (LESF). Schools with: (a) a significant number of enrollees who have signified their intention to enroll in online learning, and (b) verified instructional resources, are expected to design the appropriate Online Distance Learning modality plan for their specific needs.
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Every SLCP provides a school with a roadmap on the teaching and learning processes for that school.
EXPERIENCING ROADBLOACK Ms. Ma. Sheena Jane B. Ureta, a Grade 3 teacher from Timoteo Paez Elementary School, has faced several technical problems with her Internet connection during online sessions. Similarly, some of her students were not able to join their online classes due to having no money for data load, or experiencing family problems which prevented the students from connecting from their homes. And as for Modular-based instruction, an alternative option for students who do not have the capacity for online learning, Ms. Ureta stated, “although some students would prefer modular based instructions, not a lot of parents/ guardians are knowledgeable enough to facilitate their child’s learning”. In another case, a leading public school in Rizal, Francisco P. Felix Memorial National High School, decided to provide online distance learning for its students. Mrs. Christine Elaine Ejercito, Grade 10 Araling Panlipunan teacher in this school, faced similar problems with poor Internet connection so often that she taught herself how to troubleshoot technical problems. To minimize the problems caused by intermittent Internet signal, another of the school’s
When asked about students who missed classes due to poor Internet connection, Mr. Halili said, “I always record our discussion on Google Meet and…send it to the student’s e-mail”.
teachers, Mr. Percival F. Halili, Grade 8 Mathematics, even added a second Internet link at his house as a back-up connection.
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES To the great credit of the public school system, no one is giving up. Public school teachers are continuing to think of strategies to help their students overcome online learning obstacles. When asked about students who missed classes due to poor Internet connection, Mr. Halili said, “I always record our discussion on Google Meet and…send it to the student’s e-mail”. Doing so allows the students to review and watch the lessons that they missed. DepEd TV has also been one of the platforms for students who suffer from poor Internet connection. Teacher Sheena explained, “we instructed our learners who have no means to join the online class to watch DepEd TV Channel for the meantime”. Episodes are also uploaded to the official YouTube page, DepEdTV Official. Other video lessons purposely made for asynchronous online learning are also available online. Similar innovation was also implemented by Francisco P. Felix Memorial National High School through their own YouTube page Felixians TV, containing schoolmade video lessons teachers use as supplementary learning materials. Mr. Halili is one of the contributors for this video lesson YouTube page. As restrictions on holding face-to-face classes continue, teachers continue to adapt to this new normal, providing basic education services at a distance in the face of many obstacles. The process of shifting to online teaching has reminded teachers that while the tools have changed, their mission remains the same. Teacher Sheena shared, “this pandemic forced me to think of different ways to teach in the fastest and easiest way for the learners but still teach it without jeopardizing the process of learning”. As has always been the case, teachers are the frontliners in being more creative, in thinking of out of the box solutions, to fill in the learning gaps brought about by adverse situations, such as our current pandemic setup.
14% or around 4.3 million are enrolled exclusively in online distance learning.
80% or around 23.8 million of school-age Filipinos enrolled exclusively in modular distance learning.
Source: Social Weather Stations (SWS)
16 | Teaching and Learning through a Pandemic: A Glimpse at the Philippine Setting
TAKING THE CLASSROOM HOME:
PARENTAL AND TEACHER SUPPORT TO ONLINE LEARNERS AMID COVID-19 by: Maria Carla Nazareno
...the truly effective online teachers are those who not only consider the distance when designing lessons, but also plan harder on how to deliver these lessons.
When the COVID-19 crisis shut down schools worldwide, students suddenly found themselves in an unfamiliar and very challenging learning environment. Before early 2020, students went to school and interacted with the teachers – that was the standard learning process. But locked down at home, students now have to master learning content on their own, somewhat assisted by parents, yayas, and assorted relatives to whom teachers involuntarily delegated the instructional assistance tasks. However, the COVID-19 pandemic came at a point in history when the state of available information and communications technology (ICT) was sufficient to moderate the setbacks to the educational system. Even in the Philippine public school system, which is still dependent on printed modules, ICT was used to mix online instruction with the self-study modules – and most of the students were able to adapt to the setup. The students did not find this digital hybrid set-up strange since they belong to the age group (born between 1997 and 2015) considered as “digital natives”. The shift to remote learning was more of a challenge to their teachers and their parents, grandparents, the generations of the Baby Boomers
(1946-1964), X (1965-1980), and Y (1981-1996) - collectively called “digital immigrants”, and so named because to these generations, digital communications is not an organic skill acquired in early childhood, but instead an add-on capability learned later in life. One of those organic skills older generations have difficulty with is the ability to pre-package the digital communication for standalone delivery. A traditional teacher can adjust her lesson delivery as they proceed. Questions, interactions, even facial expressions, these are all cues for the face-to-face teacher to adjust the lesson. But that is rarely possible in remote teaching. Thus, the truly effective online teachers are those who not only consider the distance when designing lessons, but also plan harder on how to deliver these lessons. Well-planned lessons tailored for online learning are those that stick to simplicity, keep the instructions clear and self-guiding, and so make learners happy. Teachers can also use their online learning platform to structure student activities methodically - notify students about synchronous meetings, scheduled tasks, and provide deadline reminders. A clear framework and organized
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Parents would do well to sit down and talk to their children about how online distance learning works (no different from the speech on the first day of Nursery school that “I will come back for you after class”).
schedule for students, teachers motivate the learners into co-controlling their own learning. Several teachers should also consider collaborating on some tasks with common learning objectives for all learners, giving the students an expanded perception of the importance of that lesson/task. In turn, parents should keep in mind that online learning is different from face-toface learning. Parents would do well to sit down and talk to their children about how online distance learning works (no different from the speech on the first day of Nursery school that “I will come back for you after class”). Stress that the expectations of academic performance are the same, but the methods of attaining the knowledge have changed. Take time to explain to the student why learning tasks are being assigned. In this, teachers should help out by giving assignments and tasks that involve interaction with family members. A designated study area, no matter how small and simple. The very act of
entering the study area conditions the student’s mindset that “it’s school time!”. The same rule about “it’s school time” applies to device use. During designated study hours, the student should be monitored by the parent that he or she is not doing something else that would not be allowed in school. We have now moved on. What used to be the learning triad of the teacher, the learner, and the learning environment has now earned another facet - the parent. This four-stakeholder setup is what is called the learning square. This is a box filled with challenging but optimistic responsibilities that, despite the steep initial learning curve, could help the learner to adjust, survive and be victorious in a difficult educational setup.
WATCH ONLINE TEACHER SI NANAY A brief interview to a mother who is coping with online teaching during the pandemic. Asst. Professor IV and a mother, Maria Pilar N. Correo from Cavite State University shares her story
18 | Teaching and Learning through a Pandemic: A Glimpse at the Philippine Setting
TOOLS FOR DEVELOPING VIRTUAL LEARNING CONTENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION by: Pocholo Olanday
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When the country suddenly announced a shift to online education in 2020, educators were initially caught off-guard on what to do and how to proceed. But after a year, and thanks in part to all the educational institutions that provided training, the education system is now in a much better position to cope with the needs of the now-dominant modality of distance education/online learning. A key aspect of this newly-developed coping ability is the widespread availability of tools for distance/ online teaching. A cursory Google search will result in hundreds of hits for various tools – some free, some for fee – suitable for distance education. In McGreal and Elliot’s Technologies of Online Learning (E-learning), the authors talked about streaming audio, video, web conferencing, peer to peer sharing, wikis, digital games, etc. But while extensive, McGreal and Elliot’s list only focuses on one aspect of Online Learning - delivery.
Digital technologies as a tool can further be broken down into: • Content Delivery; • Administrative Tool; and • Assessment Tool In turn, Digital technologies as an outcome breaks down into: • e-Learning Course Authoring Tool • Content Creation Consider specifically the area of content creation. Out of the 3,000 or so years of educational history, 2,850 of those years have seen content consisting solely of printed words on paper and scribblings on a board. No innovation crept in until the 1950’s. In fact, up to today, the label applied to a teacher stuck in the past, who does nothing but lecture in front of the class is “chalk and talk”.
A key aspect of this newly-developed coping ability is the widespread availability of tools for distance/ online teaching.
But the development of new technologies, beginning with television in the 1950’s, photocopiers in the ‘60’s, computers in the 70’s and 80’s, and the Internet by the ‘90’s have
For a better appreciation of the classification and use of the different tools for online learning, it would be helpful to adopt the definition of Kat Esteves of UP Open University in her Design and Evaluation of Multimedia Educational Materials course. Ms. Esteves classified digital technology as either: Digital technologies as a tool: Digital technologies can facilitate the design and production process; or Digital technologies as an outcome: Digital technologies can be the object of the design and production process.
Illustration by Leuel P. Oseña
20 | Teaching and Learning through a Pandemic: A Glimpse at the Philippine Setting
Instructional Design in Online Platform. © Headway.
given educators a broader arsenal for authoring content. The limit now is the imagination of the course creator.
Kahoot!, Nearpod, and Jamboard. These platforms are simple drag and drops with pre-templated intuitive interactions.
Video apps such as Kinemaster, Canva, Adobe Premiere Pro, iMovie, and MS Window’s video editor can create simple videos, even add in talking heads. Designers can elect to use cartoonish videos to deliver content messages using software such as Vyond, Doodly, Powtoon, Adobe Character. With these, animated videos are a mere drag and drop command away, speeding up creation exponentially. And all these software deliver basic editing capabilities such as cutting, joining, and animating videos, which are then uploaded to YouTube or the organization’s LMS.
For static content, PowerPoint and Canva are popular choices for the base authoring tool. The content can then be supplemented with ready-made royaltyfree contents found in Shutterstock Freepic and Adobe Stock Photos.
For interactivity by the advanced-level instructional designer, more advanced software such as Articulate 360, Adobe Captivate, and dominKnow can handle the tasks. The look and feel of these authoring tools are similar to PowerPoint but with much broader functionality. At the other end of the spectrum, novice instructional designers can use many rapid development tools available such as Rise360 by Articulate, Quizzit, Quizziz,
Note however a fee of anywhere from PHP 500.00 to as much as PHP 80,000 annually. With all these tools within reach, the only decision remaining to every teacher and course designer is: how innovative do you want to be? Are you going to be satisfied with simply flashing written content on screen, slide by slide (in 2020, some teachers did not even bother typing up the lecture into Powerpoint but simply scanned their textbooks!). Or are you going to embrace the opportunity to enhance the engagement with your students by embracing the new tools now available? Remember that innovation is not necessarily just about using new technologies, but developing new teaching methods or thinking about learning. (Bates, 2011).
...novice instructional designers can use many rapid development tools available such as Rise360 by Articulate, Quizzit, Quizziz, Kahoot!, Nearpod, and Jamboard. These platforms are simple drag and drops with pre-templated intuitive interactions.
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WHAT IF?
LEARNINGS FROM THE ONLINE TRAINING INDUSTRY by: Roxanne Mercado
22 | Teaching and Learning through a Pandemic: A Glimpse at the Philippine Setting
ONE CAN DREAM “You are now connected. Please select a lesson,” says the device to the kid who excitedly held it up to complete his favorite Module after his farming duties with his father. Today’s cutting-edge exploration of technology for training is the use of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) platforms, putting the learner inside a simulation. But at the far end of that tech spectrum is the disheartening reality that some teachers and students in the Philippines cannot even connect to the internet, and lack the devices needed for such. Fortunately, distance education (DE) is not just about the use of technology. DE is about the learning content, learners, and teachers, which when strategically designed together, even when impaired by poor or unavailable connectivity and obsolete devices, can still be effective in learning. Dr. Martin Dougiamas himself, the founder of the Moodle, in his younger years, studied using only radio and correspondence courses. Although ideal if available, lack of serviceable technology should not be a hindrance to quality distance education. Because of the pandemic, the Philippines has been forced to adopt distance education, no matter how unprepared and lacking in technology, because there is no alternative but to push through. To augment transitioning institutions and new DE practitioners in delivering quality distance education, below is a list of concepts taken from the pre-pandemic existing industry of online training.
GAMIFICATION AND GAME-BASED DESIGNS There is a wealth of research available showing that delivery of education through gaming scenarios is highly effective. Military training for example makes extensive use of gaming, whether field exercises, simulator machines, tabletop strategy sessions, or simply repetitive drills. The ability to rerun a simulation, with only a few changes, allows for variety, ensuring that learners do not get bored repeating it over and over. Adding the basic game principle of PBL – points, badges, leaderboard – generates in-game motivation that drives the learners to completion. For critics who will level accusations of frivolity towards game-based learning, the designers can apply social constructivism - making use of social elements to add relevance, as well as help reinforce and localize the learning. If the desired learning competencies are properly structured, the gaming simulations can become powerful mastery-based learning tools, since advancing to the final level of the game is in itself a demonstration of mastery. After all, the K-12 curriculum calls for mastery of competencies as the end goal for all subject areas.
If the desired learning competencies are properly structured, the gaming simulations can become powerful mastery-based learning tools, since advancing to the final level of the game is in itself a demonstration of mastery.
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SCENARIO-BASED, PROBLEM-BASED, CASE STUDY DESIGNS Related to but distinct from gaming is the case study approach where the learner is presented with a specific situation and asked to work his/ her way through to a solution or recommendation. Unlike a gaming simulation, where the desired learning outcomes are pre-programmed as choices the learner may make, a case study allows more freedom to come up with solutions outside the box. Consider a mathematics example. In a game-type teaching module, a learner may be faced with a choice between two pizzas of different size and price. Computing for the area of a circle then dividing that answer by the price tells you which pizza delivers more square centimeters per peso – the better bargain. Now, in a case study, the student may instead be given the scenario that he/she is opening a pizza parlor, and is faced with the dilemma of how big should the pizzas be, given that the cost of dough is X pesos per kilo. Should the student make thin crusts (more area per kilo of dough) or deep dish pizzas and charge a premium?
MICROLEARNING Microlearning is a straightforward approach to deliver small chunks of learning in a short amount of time. While may not be the best way to deliver a comprehensive curriculum, it serves as an adjunct to learner-centered teaching and learning. Microlearning videos can be as short as 15 to 60 seconds, in
what is now known as EduTok, or the usual explainer videos that last from the optimal time frame of three minutes to six minutes. It can also be as simple as infographics or even the traditional flashcards. While critics of the method might say that it will just add distraction, it may be interpreted as resistance to the unfamiliar. In fact, the success of the classic children’s show Sesame Street revolves around the idea of delivering learning in micro doses.
KEEP DREAMING Internet connection and education technology may not be a government priority in this pandemic. But even if lessons are stripped bare, without the latest technology, applying a combination of practices that we know will result in well-written, well-designed, engaging, and relevant learning sessions, connecting to the hearts and minds of our Filipino students.
RELATED READINGS Gamification and Game-based Learning Complex problems in teaching Physics and Case based Teaching in STEM What is Microlearning: The Education Tactic Stopping Student Burnout Syndrome
24 | Teaching and Learning through a Pandemic: A Glimpse at the Philippine Setting
Hover & Click. Read & Watch. “A teacher affects eternity; no one can tell where their influence stops.” – Henry Adams
HIRAYA MANAWARI by Jim Marco M. Pabellon
A brief creative video describing the articles of the 1st volume of the e-Aral Natin Journal. This a poetry piece narrated together with symbolic representations of online teaching and learning through a pandemic: a glimpse at the Philippine setting. Can you relate to the video? What can you say about the message of the video?
RESOURCES TO HELP YOU APPLY LEARNINGS FROM THE ONLINE TRAINING INDUSTRY
DepEd Commons Online Reviewer in Creative Writing
MathTinik Subtraction with Regrouping
Meet Lyqa Maravilla Filipina EduCreator
Scenario Based Learning You don’t necessarily need digital tools
Designing an Online Course: Design Practice Steps and Guide
Interactive PowerPoint Free Templates
Play. How to do it by Lisa Evans
How to select quality learning videos
Microlearning in the Classroom
Listen.
Kahoot!
Quizlet
Drawasaurus
“SIR” - A SCENARIO OF A CHAOTIC ONLINE CLASS by Jim Marco M. Pabellon This is a scenario for an online class. Sir is their teacher with his three active students: Josh, Anjhon, and Von. The task is to suggest solutions for their problems. Feel free to create assumptions. Illustrations by Leuel P. Oseña
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ENGLISH ONLINE TEACHING AN AVENUE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND INDUSTRY by: Abigail Montemayor
Would anyone be surprised at the statement that online education is more popular than ever before? Of course not. If for no other reason than online education allows students to learn in safety from their homes and teachers to earn a living while safe in their homes, its popularity has exploded in the past year. And for teachers, teaching English online is the perfect way to continue working without the risks of going out, and without the frustration of not being given the resources to teach properly online.
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Get Certified Certification is that all important first step that will indicate to all that you are a serious teacher. Fortunately, you do not even have to leave the Philippines because you can complete the certification online. You even have your choices of certification, be it TESOL, CELTA, or TEFL – the three most popular certifications globally. The TEFL Org has several online classes to address particular teachers' unique needs, all of
which are approved by the BAC (British Accreditation Council) and ODLQC (Open and Distance Learning Quality Council). Lessons are self-stressed, meaning you can log in and read as conveniently as possible. You'll get your mentor to mark and have suggestions on whether you can improve your work. From syntax and methodology, to student preparation and conduct management, you can delve into the key principles of using the English language in depth. You'll also have the opportunity to see
actual teachers in action. There are a variety of TEFL courses that you can select from for your specific needs. TESOL and CELTA programs also function in much the same way as those of TEFL. And while each may claim to be superior to their competitors, for all practical purposes all will provide you with the same level of knowledge about teaching English, so your decision will boil down to the preference of the teaching portal that you intend to be affiliated with.
26 | Teaching and Learning through a Pandemic: A Glimpse at the Philippine Setting
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Writing the CV
A crucial move for any instructor of English as a foreign language, whether applying for a classroom or online position as an English teacher is your CV. Begin with the foundational stuff – your work history, your academic credentials. Although you can organize your work history thematically, most teaching portals and employers still prefer a chronological layout, from newest to oldest. Be careful!
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Editing mistakes will not look good coming from an English teacher! Edit, spell check, edit some more. Your CV is telling the story of why the company would want you to join them. Put your TEFL/TESOL/CELTA or other English teaching credentials at the very start of your CV. Specify the nature of the teaching knowledge you learned during your EFL training. Highlight your strengths.
Put your TEFL/TESOL/ CELTA or other English teaching credentials at the very start of your CV. . . Highlight your strengths.
Begin Receiving Students
If you are only starting out, your best bet is to learn the ropes by working for an existing EFL provider. By doing so, you don't have to worry about building, promoting, and operating your virtual school and looking for students to enroll with you. Your employer will provide you with course guides, syllabi, tutorials.
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But if You’re Ready to Set Up Shop...
Starting a career as an online English teacher can be hard. But as with any other job, for as long as you have the knowledge base, the industriousness, and the ability to market yourself, you will find that the flexible job/sideline you need, or the route to a new dream career can come from English Online Teaching.
RELATED READINGS List of Online English Teaching Companies
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References: COVID, THE WORLD, AND THE EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES International Labour Organization. (2020). Sectoral impact, responses and recommendations (COVID-19 and the world of work). https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/coronavirus/sectoral/lang--en/index.htm. World Health Organization (2021). Virus origin / Origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus/origins-of-the-virus. HOW DO WE GO FROM HERE? The Filipino Times 2020, Pinoy student kills himself over difficulty of school moduleshttps://filipinotimes.net/ latest-news/2020/10/07/pinoy-student-kills-himself-over-difficulty-of-learning-modules/ Barcia R. (2020, July 12), The dream and life a boy left behind. https://r3.rappler.com/nation/266371-the-dream-and-life-a-boy-left-behind-albay Magsambol, B. ( 2020, April 29), During pandemic, student climbs a mountain to send class requirement https://www.rappler.com/nation/student-climbs-mountain-send-class-requirement-coronavirus-pandemic Lopez, E. (2021, January 7), Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-education-widerimageidUSKBN29B31C Bernama (2021, January 24), New Straight Times https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2021/01/660121/ five-siblings-share-mothers-smartphone-online-lessons Uaminal, JM. (2021, February 5) The students who are left behind: pandemic-induced gap year in the Philippines https://asaa.asn.au/the-students-who-are-left-behind-pandemic-induced-gap-year-in-the-philippines/ Magsambol B. (2020, April 27) Over 400,000 private school employees affected by lockdown – group https://www.rappler.com/nation/private-schools-affected-coronavirus-pandemic ONLINE LEARNING BARRIERS: UNRAVELING THE CHALLENGES FACED BY ADMINISTRATORS IN HIGHER EDUCATION Saint Mary’s University. (n.d.). Quick Facts and Figures. Saint Mary’s University. https://smu.edu.ph/about/quickfacts-and-figures/ Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University. (n.d.). Mid La Union Campus Profile. Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University. https://www.dmmmsu.edu.ph/mid-la-union-campus-profile/ CONTINUING BASIC EDUCATION THROUGH ONLINE TEACHING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS DepEd TV - Official. (2020, September 23). DepEd TV [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/-yEqa7sK8sE FELIXIANS TV. (2021, February 8). GRADE 8 MATHEMATICS [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/wNp3K809oe4 Lalu, G. P. (2021, March 02). 42% of school-age Filipinos don’t use devices for distance learning — SWS. Inquirer. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1402187/42-of-school-age-filipinos-dont-use-devices-for-distance-learning-sws TOOLS FOR DEVELOPING VIRTUAL LEARNING CONTENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION Bates, T., & Sangrà, A. (2011). Managing technology in higher education. Jossey-Bass.