THE CHALLENGE OF CHANGE: Schools Learn From Each Other to Survive the Next Normal

As all schools moved to remote instruction and assessment because of the pandemic, educators will need to acquire a new skill set to help students meet the changing demands of the 21st-century. Supporting schools in carrying out this crucial task is one of the main objectives of the second season of Diwa iFLEx for Home-Based Education. The second out of its five learning sessions was held last March 12, Friday, and was attended by around a thousand educators from South Luzon and Dubai.

For its five-week run this 2021, Diwa iFLEx will introduce educators to new and emerging capacities, tools, and dispositions that will guarantee effective teaching and learning for both wired and non-wired modalities.

Mr. Edizon A. Fermin, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs of National Teachers College, served as the session’s thought leader. As a published researcher and national trainer advocating learner-centered outcomes-based education, he has coached teachers from preschool to tertiary levels and even technical and vocational schools.

During his talk, he mentioned that as academic institutions prepare for recovery and gradual face-to-face learning, educators would need to follow a new model that will allow students to discover on their own and for themselves the matters that really constitute their learning journey. However, he noted that this transition in the education arena would mean that schools will need to access and explore any content, along with assessment and reporting responsibilities, with several stakeholders.

He added, “Now more than ever, we need to empower our stakeholders including parents to co-animate with us in sustaining change and in making learning experiences more flexible, inclusive, and authentic in the coming years.”

Further, joining Dr. Fermin as featured educators are Ms. Abegail Vergara, principal of The Mabini Academy in Batangas; and Mr. Norbert David, principal of Emmanuel Christian School in Laguna. In a special segment during the learning session, both of them shared how they optimistically embraced change and managed hurdles to ensure that education continues despite the threats of the pandemic. They also highlighted how Diwa provided them with ACCESSIBLE learning materials that enabled them to deliver quality education remotely.

“The mix of print and digital resources we got from Diwa helped us predict the online and offline behaviors of our learners. Because of these materials, we were able to adjust the way we deliver instruction and assessment based on students’ learning skills and resource availability,” said Ms. Vergara.

Mr. David added, “Diwa, through their learning management system (LMS) and other printed resource materials, provided us with relevant data and statistics that lay the groundwork on how we can create intervention and mentoring programs for our students who are struggling academically.”

These learning materials in print and digital formats are Diwa 5G, an innovative suite of educational resources that help schools create ENGAGING, FLEXIBLE, ACCESSIBLE, ENRICHING, and RELEVANT teaching and learning spaces that place learners at the center of the experience.