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MISSION POSSIBLE Various initiatives gear up Sarangani youth for new normal learning by AJ Lozano
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ducation must continue. In a press release, Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said that “in the midst of the Coronavirus crisis… Education must continue whether face-to-face or virtual, with or without physically going to school.” This quote lived true in Sarangani Province as various initiatives were put up in order to prepare Sarangan youth in adjusting to the new normal way of learning. In the Know In order to pursue its “Education must continue,” mantra, the Department of Education proposed five different learning modalities in its Learning Continuity Plan: Online Distance Learning, Blended Learning, Modular Distance Learning, Radio-Based Instruction, and TV-based Instruction. Access for All On June 27, the Schools Division Office of Sarangani Province (SDO-Sarangani) launched its innovation called LR on WHEeLS, which stands for Learning Resources on WiFi Hub for Expanded e-Learning in Sarangani, which aims to makes e-learning possible for more Sarangan learners, even in the areas where there is little to no cellular and internet connection.
Moreover, the LR on WHEeLS provides learners with intranet connection which gives them access to learning modules, quizzes, and activities without the need of internet access. Based on the survey conducted by the SDO-Sarangani, 50% of Sarangan learners have access to gadgets, while only 40% of these learners are connected to the Internet, and they claimed that through LR on WHEeLS the remaining 60% of learners can also be given access to e-learning. Further, according to a report from DepEdSarangani, a single LR on WHEeLS package could cater about 200-500 learners within a 500m radius. Furthermore, DepEdSarangani aims to install the learning packages in target communities by November this year.
DepEd defers class opening to Oct 5, paves way for teachers to prepare more by Heart Leh Alcudia
Walang Maiiwan na Batang Sarangan. In spite of the ocurring pandemic the Department of Education (DepEd) believes that “education must continue.” In line with that, DepEd-Sarangani conducts a dry run for the young tribal leaners at Sitio Puting Bato, Lun Masla, Malapatan Sarangani Province as DepEd seeks to implement radio-based instruction as one of its primary learning modalities in the new normal. Caption by Aaliyah Dimaudtang. Photo by Ariel Lalisan.
Radio Learning Made Possible Aside from the LR on WHEeLS project, Sarangani youth leaders also lead the ‘Radyo para sa Baryo’ fundraising campaign in order to assist Sarangan learners and provide them with radio units in order to appease their distance learning needs. Moreover, the project seeks to attain its goal to gather Php 200,000 in order to buy and provide 1000 transistor radio units to learners in the province’s far-flung barrios. Notably, in Sarangani Province alone, 0.38% of enrollees chose Radiobased instruction as their primary learning modality for the upcoming school year. In an interview with Radyo para sa Baryo Project Head, Rhoda Mae Ebad, she believed that
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even though there is the modular modality, it would be best for students if they will have their own radio unit so they can listen to their teachers “kasi marami din sa kanila ang mga dependent learners and their parents cannot teach them.” Ebad also exclaimed that in Radyo para sa Baryo, their goal is to make the barrio-kids feel that they are not alone in this fight. Upskilling Parents Additionally, in the mission to bring learning straight to the home of every learner, parents are expected to be the mentors that will guide the students in their distance learning pursuits. Since 2014, the Conrado and Ladislawa Alcantara Foundation, Inc.(CLAFI) conducts parent mentoring activities in order to orient
ased on the memorandum approved by Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, the Department of Education (DepEd) has declared that the opening of classes will be moved to October 5 which was initially scheduled on August 24. “We shall use the deferment to provide relief to the logistical limitations faced by the areas placed under MECQ and to fill in the remaining gaps of the school opening that we are currently addressing,” DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones emphasized. This sudden adjustment paved the way for teachers to prepare further for the opening of classes and to ensure
parents with methods and strategies on how they could teach the lessons to their children. “Isinasagawa naming ang parent mentoring upang matulungan ang Department of Education na maibigay ang kalidad na edukasyon sa mga kabataan,” April Mae Domingo, CLAFI Project Officer shared in an interview with DepEd Dose sa Ere. Domingo stated that through parent mentoring parents will be encouraged to let their children learn and go to school, and she also claimed that it would be beneficial since parents should be the school’s partners in educating a child. No One Left Behind
Lalisan expressed that the initiatives of DepEd Sarangani to make learning continue in spite of the pandemic are important because “education must not stop.” He also voiced out that the modalities implemented in Sarangani are those that are best suited to the situations of households and communities and those that are considered safe for both the learners and the teachers. “These are really difficult times but we have to do something for the sake of the future of our Sarangan learners,” Lalisan asserted as he boasted the significance of initiatives made around Sarangani Province in order to recognize distance learning and new normal education a ‘Mission Possible’.
In a statement with the Division Information Officer of DepEd-Sarangani, Ariel
that essential changes have been made already. “Moving the school opening from August 24 to October 5, for me, is a good decision considering that preparation of the modules needs a lot of time,” Annabel D. Erolon, teacher from Alabel National Science High School (AlSci) stated as she talked about the time that will be consumed from reproducing, sorting, stapling, and repacking of modules for the students. In addition, public schools just as AlSci, have already worked out some plans for the upcoming opening of classes through demonstrating its brilliance in coping up with the new normal.
“I am really proud with the decision of our Secretary Briones as according to the mandate of our President after scrutinizing and considering all the facts happened in the country,” stressed Catherine Lazona, AlSci teacher, while pointing out that this crisis has affected us all yet DepEd stakeholders together with the teachers are working to make the new normal possible. On top of that, the DepEd trusts that this will be the last adjustment of school opening thus, learners and teachers will be well-prepared to take part in distance classes for the school year 2020-2021.
