Recognizing the extraordinary lengths that Filipino educators go through to ensure that learning continues even through the pandemic, Globe has set the stage for the academe to come together to celebrate creativity and innovation, and share lessons learned in bringing digital transformation to Philippine education.
FOREFRONT: 2021 National Conference on Digital Learning was recently held and live-streamed on the official Facebook pages of Globe Business and the Department of Education (DepEd) in celebration of World Teachers’ Day to put a spotlight on teachers and technology as the driving force for meaningful and transformative online education.
The online conference brought together over 1,200 teachers, school administrators, and education stakeholders from K-12 and tertiary institutions nationwide. Also in attendance were representatives from the DepEd and the Commission on Higher Education, including DepEd Undersecretary Tonisito Umali and CHED executive director Cinderella Filipinas Benitez-Jaro.
“This initiative aims to strengthen our partnership with educational institutions as allies in technology integration and learning innovation to fully realize 21st-century education in the Philippines,” said Maridol Ylanan, Head of Strategy and Marketing of Globe Business, as she opened the online event.
Empowering the Academe for Effective Online Teaching and Learning
This year’s national conference, with the theme “Transformative Online Pedagogies: Reimagining Education for a Better Tomorrow”, featured Dr. Edwidge Simon, online and instructional technology director of the International Center for Language Studies, who spoke about the need for quality online teaching methods that meet the needs of young learners.
From her plenary lecture, participants learned about these important takeaways:
While school is still the best setting for learning among young students and that remote education is not a silver bullet, online learning requires proper training and access to the right technology for it to be deployed effectively.
State-of-the-art online learning can only happen if students have access to a computer, a reliable internet connection, and the knowledge to use these devices. Institutions must also heavily invest in training teachers to assist them to in developing digital agility and learning skills to be more effective in the virtual classroom, as well as actively exploring emerging learning modalities.
The four-hour conference also saw participants listen to four tech talks, where they gained knowledge on learning platforms that are easily accessible and offer more interactive and safer learning spaces for students and teachers, such as Google for Education, Microsoft, ClassIn, and D2L Brightspace.
Participants also joined breakout rooms for parallel sessions that engaged them in dialogues and gave them new insights on wide-ranging topics that were featured in 18 research papers selected for presentation.
Among the subjects discussed were the best practices in remote learning and teaching, technology integration into the curriculum, designing online course content, blended learning, e-learning initiatives, plagiarism technologies, and flexible and blended learning programs.
The online conference culminated when Mark Abalos, Globe’s Segment Head for Education, did the announcement of the awardees of Forefront’s Best Research Presentation to recognize studies that add to the growing body of knowledge on digital learning.
The following winners were: Achieving Best Learning Moments Through Virtual Field Trips by Kaybee F. De Ocampo, Developing Teachers’ Growth Mindset: The Secret to Student Achievement? by Joanne T. Sison, (Re)Thinking Course Content Design and Development in the Next Normal by Dr. Louie B. Dasas, and Exploring Digital Intelligence Among Generation Z Learners: Basis for a Faculty Development Program by Dr. Jasyon Bergania.
“The shift to online distance learning has revealed the gaps in our education system but also highlighted the dedication of teachers to make sure that learning continues for every student despite the crisis. We are seeing that with the help of the right technology and support system provided by Globe Business, continued learning can be achieved easier and faster,” said KD Dizon, business unit head for Globe Business.
Globe has been a committed partner of the academic and educational institutions in the Philippines in creating resilience in education and promoting 21st-century learning through its wide array of innovative learning tools and digital solutions.
Another key support for the education sector is through Globe’s award-winning Digital Thumbprint Program. This helps educate the youth and parents on Digital Citizenship and the responsible use of technology. DTP was developed in partnership with Singtel and Optus, UNICEF, and SaferKidsPH. This program has since been adopted by DepEd as part of the K-12 Curriculum. Around 1.9 million students have been provided access to the program across 17 regions with 4,000 schools implementing the program.
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