PUBLIC school teachers in Leyte are urged to adopt Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-enriched teaching and learning experience inside their classroom to “stimulate interest” of the students.
“Teachers who are digital migrants should take extra effort to learn to integrate the positive use of ICT in their lessons to connect with our current learners who are digital natives...Technology is the language of our learners today, thus we as teachers, should be able to speak the same language, for us to better understand each other,” said Marilyn Siao, the assistant schools division superintendent in Leyte.
Siao added that the positive use of ICT in the daily performance of teachers for their students is “one of the strands under domain 1 of the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST).”
“ICT should be integrated and maximized in all subject areas. ICT use is not a substitute for teachers but should be a tool to make learning more meaningful and engaging,” Siao told teachers during the three-day division training on Literacy through ICT in Kananga, Leyte on Friday, February 22.
She cited the use of game-based learning platforms like Kahoot and Mentimeter and other interactive online activities “that can be used in boosting student participation.”
According to Siao, “learning and development system” as shift from “training and development” is now being piloted to six schools in Leyte giving emphasis on 10 percent formal learning, 20 percent relationship and discussion-based learning and 70 percent job-embedded learning.
“We would be expanding this system to other schools soon. In this training you can be accumulating the 10 percent learning. You are given the seeds in ICT skills. Propagate it and make it grow through coaching and mentoring and maximum application in your respective classrooms,” Siao urged the participants.
The education official assured that the division technical assistance providers' role is “to help our teachers grow.”
Meanwhile, Ronel Boholano, in-charge of the division’s ICT unit, said they have continued the distribution of computers packages as part of the DepEd computerization program (DCP).
“We can solve issues and problems about ICT literacy of our teachers in Leyte by intensifying In-service learning and development activities focusing on teaching ICT as a skill and as a subject and teaching pedagogy in using ICT in teaching all subjects,” Boholano, who is also a Microsoft Education ambassador in the province, told SunStar Philippines.
Boholano, who will be part of the team that will be representing the Philippines in the upcoming Microsoft Education Exchange in Paris, France, lauded Leyte Schools Division Superintendent Ronelo Al Firmo for his leadership in pushing ICT programs to the teachers and personnel.
“It is a chance for me to be able to gain more knowledge and get insights from other educators around the globe on the best practices that they have in terms of ICT in Education. It is with great pride that we can also share to them our best practices in DepEd Leyte and the DepEd as a whole and showcase to them what are our activities and programs that advocate the proper and responsible use of ICT in learning all other subject areas,” said the 28-years-old ICT advocate. (SunStar Philippines)