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Never before in the history of the Philippines have we seen millions of school children unable to attend classes. With more than 21 million primary and secondary school students affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, educators and students alike are pinning their hopes on a new kind of normal education that involves online learning. Unfortunately, public school teachers don’t know what to expect once the new school year practically opens next week.
However, the Secretary of Education, Leonor Briones, assured that with the introduction of the Learning Continuity Plan (LCP), this will serve as the guiding principle of the K-12 education system.
A learning continuity plan seeks to ensure that student learning progresses even in the midst of disasters such as natural calamities, storms, fires, and pandemics. This plan overcomes obstacles created by disasters through innovative means of teaching and learning, keeping students up-to-date with their courses.
This educational framework is made up of different important pillars such as school readiness, human resources, infrastructure readiness, transition program, partnership building, teaching and learning modalities, and skills-focused assessment. and most essential values of the students.
“We would like to emphasize that it will not necessarily mean that teachers and students will undergo the traditional classroom setting. In the LCP, the choice and contextualization of the learning delivery modality of schools will depend on the local Covid-19 situation, as well as access to certain learning platforms. Even when setting policy at head office, we will primarily consider local public health conditions when adjusting our LCP. Preventive measures will be implemented to ensure the health and well-being of our staff and our students under this new normal, ”Briones said in a statement.
“Access, as we all know, is another issue of utmost concern and we have devised various modalities to ensure that online learning is just one option among all others in this new learning environment. Our field units will determine the most appropriate combinations or strategies for each locality as we seek to address the equity concerns of our constituents in this new arrangement, ”he added.
Online teaching and learning
As the Philippines is considered one of the world leaders in the use of social media, many primary and secondary school teachers are being creative and resourceful in distributing modalities. Most of them now use Facebook Messenger and Google Meet to interact with their students.
In the provinces, some schools formed partnerships with their local radio stations to reach students in remote barangays with no internet connection.
DepEd is optimistic and confident that “distance online learning” will work given that more than 80 percent or 700,000 of its teachers have laptops and desktops in their homes. This figure is based on a survey conducted by DepEd. Likewise, the different approaches to blended learning will be adjusted according to the needs of the different localities where they are applied. Therefore, “blended learning” is “differentiated instruction”, where there is a combination of online and in-person delivery. The online part effectively replaces some of the face-to-face contact time rather than supplementing it.
Teachers, on the other hand, must acquire a certain level of IT proficiency and the proficiency necessary for distance online learning in order to teach effectively. Otherwise, lack of adaptation will become a barrier that can hamper the success and effectiveness of online learning. Therefore, there will be a significant amount of additional work involved for teachers as they prepare for the implementation of the “blended learning” program when schools reopen.
Lack of motivation in online students
As difficult as distance learning is for educators, it is likely to be even more so for our students. They have moved from classrooms explicitly designed to support learning, to bedrooms and kitchen tables where distractions are plentiful and expert support is not always available. It is no wonder then that more than a few students are tempted to opt out this school year.
Clear and measurable goals are the best source of motivation. Teachers should set these up regularly so students have something to focus on. Rather than setting an assignment open and letting students do it themselves, teachers should clearly specify the time students should spend on the assignment, a measurable or quantifiable result, and establish some means of accountability. A deadline is needed for assignments and tests.
Additionally, teachers need to remember that parents can be their greatest asset when it comes to keeping students motivated. It is worth involving parents in the virtual education of their children.
The author is Master Teacher 1 at Lal-lo National High School in Lal-lo, Cagayan.
