Awareness in social media

DIRECTOR'S Cut: "I am your team leader and you are my teammates; together, let us work as a team." -- DepEd 11 regional director Gloria D. Benigno, CESO IV.

The Department of Education's Technical Service-Information and Communication Technology Unit (TS-ICTU) has been providing computer packages to elementary, high school and the Alternative Learning System (ALS) Mobile Teachers since 2007 (DTI started the same project in 2001).

To date, a total of 3,017 public elementary schools are targeted to be distributed with e-classroom package which is composed of 6 units of Acer Terminals, AVR, USB Cables and N-Computing.

It also includes the following devices/gadgets: interactive white board, projector, 7 port USB Hub, an All-in-One Printer and a document camera. A two day training has been currently being conducted in the three geographical areas in the country and will be cascaded to recipient schools where Davao Region allocated with 239 e-classroom packages to be distributed to Davao del Sur -- 60, Davao City -- 58, Davao Oriental and Mati City -- 38, Compostela Valley -- 30, Davao del Norte -- 28, Panabo City -- 10, Tagum City -- 6, Digos City -- 6 and Igacos -- 3.

Each region led by its regional director with the schools division superintendents through their ICT coordinators are tasked to ensure the effective and efficient deployment of the said IT packages and maximize them in increasing the student academic performance especially in the National Achievement Test (NAT).

Specifically, they are directed by DepED Secretary Armin A. Luistro to validate the readiness of the schools and compliance to the counterpart requirements using the Schools Readiness Checklist Form, assist the schools in preparing for the delivery of IT equipments and supervise and coordinate the delivery of IT equipment to the target recipients When the ICT package will already be in place, the ICT coordinators are tasked to monitor the utilization of the IT equipment in their respective region and division and submit reports on the implementation of the program.

As of now, TS-ICTU has already managed to provide 26,026 computer packages to schools or equivalent to 57 percent of the 45,971 schools throughout the country wih ES, Multigrade - 9 percent, ES, Monograde - 61 percent and High School - 88 percent.

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In the same report presented by TS-ICTU director Rogelio Vicente Juan Morales, about 12 percent or 5,579 schools have internet access with ES, Multigrade - 1 percent, ES, Monograde - 8 percent and High School -- 40 percent.

DCP-DICP OIC Arturo Tuazon hopes to fast-track the delivery of the remaining batches of computer packages to recipient schools to better address the learning gaps brought by the lack of access to these IT equipment.

This corner has high hopes that the various initiatives to use ICT as vital components to address various educational endeavors to give the students the quality education they deserve.

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You can access DepEd Updates, latest issuances and other relevant information through our website: region11.deped.gov.ph. and our official Facebook Page: http:// www.facebook.com/deped.regionxi For comments, suggestions and/or contributions, email depedregion11@gmail.com. For queries, complains and other concerns, call DepED Region 11 at (082) 227-9342 or fax to (082) 227-1102 and (082) 221-6147.