Republic of the Philippines

Laguna State Polytechnic University

A Course Requirement in Cognate 209

Reflections Regarding Issues About

CHERYLYN DE JESUS DEVANADERA

GUILLERMA R. DIJAN
Professor
Systems of Developing, Implementing and Assessing Curriculum in the Philippines

In the Philippines we can hardly speak of education without suggesting at once the school,

for the school is the center of our education. To most Filipino educators the educational process and

the school process are one. It is in the school where we have a sure manifestation of the educational

process. A student in school is expected to grow, to improve, and to advance in his studies, and is

regarded by some as the whole education.

I learned that we have an excellent educational system in the Philippines. What makes the

education really deteriorating is the support of the government. It is deteriorating to a certain degree

especially in the rural public schools. Accommodating fifty students or more in a sub-standard

classroom, sub-standard books, lack of speech and science apparatus, and learning materials greatly

affect the learning condition of the students. Teachers will be stressed with the condition of jam-

packed classrooms and handling six to seven classes a day. You could imagine how unsuitable that

atmosphere is, not conducive for learning anymore.

Dilapidated and sub-standard classrooms, lack of teaching and learning materials have been a

long-time problem. But still sub-standard textbooks, obsolete books which does not conform to the

topic and learning skills designed in the curriculum remained to be an issue. Moreover, some

subjects do not even have the prescribed textbooks.

One of the examples why I personally say that education should be taken seriously by some

implementers is the existing problems of slow readers and even students who could hardly read a

two-syllable or more words. It has been already expected that an elementary graduate can already

read and comprehend, but there are some who were tagged as slow readers and a few considered to

be non-readers in high schools, especially in the first year level. High school teachers are not tasked

of teaching them the very basic of reading, yet the problem is there. Why do we allow students in
elementary that could hardly read and write to be promoted in high school? They will only have a

hard time coping with a more challenging task in learning.

I realized that education is forever developing, changing, growing and alive. It is a

continuous process. One should not cease finding opportunities for learning new things; the

knowledge that a person acquires for himself/ herself is his/ her treasure in life. Yes, it is slowly

deteriorating, sad but true, with the different factors involved. Idealistic curriculum should not only

be reflected in a paper as a mere vision, but it should be something realistic and attainable. Try to

note of the newly implemented Secondary School Curriculum, yet, no single textbook is being

provided for it. It is really sad and depressing when we look at our public school system nowadays.

Teachers in the far-flung areas or in rural public schools will have a hard time reproducing the

learning materials and students also will have a hard time doing a follow-up activity for the

suggested topic. Be reminded that not all public schools have the Internet connection, and not all

teachers and students are computer literate. Thus, teachers will have a hard time modifying the

activities to be given. With this, there is no assurance that the ultimate goal of our educational

system will be achieved. Curriculum developers are tasked to design models which are subject-

centered, learner-centered, and problem- centered based on the different theories of learning.

Maybe, it is time also to re-align the funds directly to educational program of government like

school buildings, hiring legible and dedicated teachers, and providing standard textbooks, audio-

visual gadgets and other learning materials to make teaching be a goal-oriented.

From now on, education standard will be more improved if the government and implementers of

our educational system will work hand-in-hand to move with its trends and implement innovations.

Learning competencies should be designed to enable one to learn the skills and positive human

values that will help one grow into an articulate, socially committed and productive Filipino citizen.

It should not only tend to rely on the theories, rather than on practical things which will be useful

once a student leaves the school. There are factors involved in the educational system we have
today and the solution lies primarily in our government. The government should do something

about this issue. Education is very important if we want to have progressive Philippines. Revision

of curriculum should be done because it is really necessary and not because we have a new set of

political leaders in our country. It should be a long-time productive program geared towards the

information and technological age and not just for experimentation. Filipinos are really talented and

smart. All we need is good education to hone the talents and to learn more so we can be more

competitive out there.

Empowering the Students with 21st Century Skills for Today

In this globally and digitally interconnected world, all learners, from cradle to career, need

new skills and knowledge to succeed. If we want to prepare our children for success in school, work

and life, opportunities to learn 21st-century skills are essential. These 21st-century skills are more

important to students now than ever before. They not only provide a framework for successful

learning in the classroom, but ensure students can thrive in a world where change is constant and

learning never stops. And they are also tremendously important for our nation‘s well being. Our

business community demands a workforce with these skills to ensure our competitiveness in a

global economy. And at a time when our civic life feels strained, we want our learners to enter the

world with an understanding of what it takes to be a good citizen—one who can be civically

engaged, critically thinking, digitally literate, globally aware, and an effective communicator.

The organization I lead, P21 (the Partnership for 21st Century Learning), leverages the

power of collaboration to turn this vision of learning into a reality. Representing 5 million members

of the global workforce, we build partnerships among education leaders, businesses and community

and government officials, all of whom are dedicated to ensuring that all learners acquire the

knowledge and skills they need to succeed. Our Framework for 21st Century Learning, informed by

this far-reaching partnership, emphasizes the 4Cs – communication, collaboration, critical thinking

and creativity – skills that all learners need for success in school, work and life.
The 21st century is not in the distant future – it is today. We do not have a moment to lose in

preparing our students, and our nation, to compete and to succeed. That is why P21 is

launching Skills for Today week; to help shine a national spotlight on the importance of these skills

for our students, identify the critical elements of a successful education in the 21st century, and

highlight the resources, research, policies and best practices that bring these skills to the classroom.

As an example of this, we have released a new research brief with Pearson that not only

underscores the importance of collaboration from cradle to career, but also identifies the strategies

that educators can use to teach and measure this skill across the K-20 spectrum. In turn, our work

empowers teachers to know how to bring collaboration to the classroom. During Skills for Today

week, educators from the 79 P21 21st Century Learning Exemplars will celebrate examples of

successful 21st-century learning and illustrate how the 4Cs empower all of our learners to gain the

skills they need. Through webinars, social media and events across the country, educators will share

how they make the 4Cs come alive for their students. The week will also celebrate the work of

ou member organizations, who will share new tools, information and resources to support educators

as they bring the 4Cs into the classroom. These new resources and tools will support educators in

making meaningful and sustainable improvements in education.

Over the course of the week, these partnerships will help underscore how the 4Cs are

essential across a variety of educational settings—from early learning and beyond school to

STEAM and global learning.

During our Skills for Today week and beyond, our exemplars and member organizations will help

outline the building blocks for a successful 21st-century learning experience:

 Children have early opportunities to develop the foundational skills that will help them

reason, think creatively, analyze data and work collaboratively in the future.
  Out-of-school programs—a vital part of learning—instill the 4Cs beyond the classroom;

ensuring students have the academic, social-emotional and workforce skills to succeed in the

21st century.

 Schools and companies can work together to encourage and support children as they

develop the core STEAM skills (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) that

are essential to success in school and in today’s economy.

 Students should have the opportunities to develop the attitudes, skills and knowledge to

understand and participate in a globally connected world.

With these foundational outcomes and the 4Cs in mind, we will see that today‘s classrooms are

focusing not only on content knowledge—but also on ensuring that students develop innovative

solutions, critically think through complex problems, and the ability to work and communicate

across diverse teams. In the process, we can then ensure that all of our learners are empowered to

succeed with the skills for today.

Integration of Technology in the 21st Century Education

As schools and students become more technologically advanced, we teachers need EdTech tools to

ensure students are engaged and protected while learning online.

These are the other reasons why the teachers:

1. To improve 21st-century learning skills. We want to ensure our students are technologically

and culturally prepared for the modern workplace.

2. Greater engagement through multimedia. Technology makes it easy for students and teachers

to create immersive, interactive learning experiences.

which may not be found in traditional textbooks.

4. Better writing skills. Its easier than ever for teachers to correct and guide student‘s writing

online in real-time.

5. Easier integration of technology into instruction. Rather than lending out laptops, each student

can use the device and operating system they feel comfortable with to access the lesson plan.

Keeping students on-task was an immediate and constant challenge. With the flutter of non-

sanctioned activity online, it was difficult for teachers to monitor every student in the classroom

while trying to implement lesson plans. The most challenging issues our faculty face fall into these

three categories.

Student Safety and Monitoring

As most parents and teachers know, the Internet can be a tempting and dangerous place for teens.

Ensuring that students learn how to navigate the Internet, focus on the assignment and work in

partnership with their peers is a serious obligation of today‘s schools. The Internet is a tremendous

educational tool, but teachers need help keeping kids safe and concentrating on schoolwork rather

than social media.

Teenagers are naturally curious and now, with the Internet, they have answers to every question they

could ever ask–but they also have endless distractions. Students like watching videos of cats more

than a lecture on momentum in Physics. Additionally, there is so much information online that it can

be hard to parse it as a student, making it difficult to teach independent learning and self-sufficiency

in research.
Integrating Meaningful Technology Into the Curriculum

Our bring-your-own-device system presents a significant challenge as students can bring in any

mobile device to navigate the web, (although we don‘t allow smartphones). Students can use a wide

array of operating systems and browsers, instead of a common tech experience.

The myriad of tech used can make it difficult for teachers to set clear boundaries, and monitor and

enforce them. Tech-savvy students can find ways around schools‘ firewalls, and it is easier when

using their own devices.

Our solution was to install a comprehensive Internet management system. Teachers report feeling

freer embracing risk and experimenting with technology while ensuring students are safe and on-

task. There is an overall culture of learning, and the system definitely brings calm to the classroom.

Training Teachers on Current Trends

It was challenging for teachers to spot online distractions because there are so many apps. They

need to know what their students are interacting with in and out of the BYOD classroom. We try to

ensure all our teachers are aware of the various social media platforms, and how they can be used

(for good or for bad) during and outside of class.

Again, our solution to this particular challenge was a robust Internet management system that can

adapt as new apps come online. At first, students felt as though their ‗rights‘ had been taken away,

but now they accept teacher oversight as part of the school culture.

Students understand that while they are at school, they must use their devices for school-related

activities exclusively. Establishing boundaries around digital literacy is critical for providing a safe

and effective environment in which students can cultivate responsible decision-making capabilities

and self-control that can last a lifetime.

Technology evolves much more quickly than other industries. Twenty years ago, computer labs

used to be the sign of a technically advanced school. Now, students carry much more powerful

computers in their pockets. Digital tools offer an instrumental learning and engagement boost but,

especially in a BYOD classroom, schools need solutions that are easy to navigate while offering

comprehensive classroom management.

OCS had been using an installed software to monitor elementary students but felt for the upper

school it was too heavy-handed. We wanted our students to know they should be on task and that

the teachers could verify this, while also encouraging personal responsibility to better equip them

for college life.

In searching for an in-classroom tool for teachers, we found that NetRef offered the balance we

were looking for. It does not require installation on the various devices students use. It includes any

device connected to the school network in its Internet management system. Teachers don‘t have to

worry about students working around the protection by creating hotspots because the system

immediately alerts you when a student‘s device is not on the network.

Utilizing a classroom management system that allows an at-a-glance view of real-time student

Internet activity produces clear improvements at OCS. The system helps greatly in the area of

classroom control. It takes the guessing out of monitoring students. Classic, best teaching practices

are still employed–we continually walk throughout our classrooms and engage with students.

Having a software solution that operates in the background gives us the freedom to use technology

in the classroom within a framework that is safe and promotes learning at its highest level. It allows

teachers to connect the dots between responsible online and offline behavior–values that are the

same everywhere.
In addition, teachers can use the reporting functions to generate individual daily, weekly or monthly

Internet use reports to help encourage good Internet habits. We also found the reporting function to

be a useful tool for gathering school-wide Internet statistics.

OCS High School Spanish teacher, Hannah Hanbury, summed up having an Internet management

system‘s impact on the school: ―We seldom used computers in my class last year and it was because

of the capacity for misconduct. I never felt like I had peace of mind about allowing students to use

them because of some of the sites I knew they were able to visit. Now, I feel like I can make more

use of computers in class!‖

Teachers and students alike benefit from a strong, structured approach to Internet classroom

management. At OCS, we need to ensure any investment we make in EdTech will work long-term

to keep kids safe and on-task. We also strive to create a healthy, low-stress dynamic between

students and faculty. It has been rewarding for us to see tangible progress helping our school evolve

into a rich, engaging and productive high-tech learning environment.