The ultimate aim of the Philippine education system is to develop students wholistically in order to become globally competitive. This is because of the onset of ASEAN integration which gives access to any citizen from every participating country to work within the prescribed qualifications. Thus, the standards in hiring employees will eventually escalate and more competitive in nature. This is basically the reason why our educational system was shifted to K-12 Curriculum and definitely the good result of the implementation rely on the close monitoring of the Department of Education Officials including its stakeholders through an effective and workable curriculum.
Specifically, the teachers are the main conduit in the teaching-learning process . They must and should be equipped with knowledge and capabalities in teaching the twenty-first century learners or the Digital generation who are dynamic and exposed to modern technology. It is therefore vital to teachers to find ways to increase the academic performance of the learners although most learners are hooked to electronic gadgets(technologically savvy) which includes games, internet access and facebooks(globally connected). The teaching strategies or pedagogical approaches have to be improved if not revised together with the type of assessment(test construction) and administration. Various techniques can be applied to meet the current demands in the educational process. To monitor the effectiveness of a specific teaching strategy, a case study and base-line reseach can be conducted so the process involve has to be revisited.
As a Master Teacher and current President of the teachers from the Science Department of Bataan National High School I designed and organized the conduct of seminar (with the approval of the Department Head and Principal) which I think is deemed necessary for all science teachers to be updated with the latest trend in teaching in preparation for the coming school year. The 3-day training seminar entitled ”SCHOOL LEVEL SEMINAR FOR SCIENCE TEACHERS ON THE PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY LEARNERS” was held last April 25-27, 2016. This School Level Seminar has three objectives; first, to identify and apply the teaching strategies applicable/suited to the twenty-first century learners; second, to enhance the process of test construction and assessment tools and mechanisms to improve the academic performance of the learners and third, familiarize the science teachers on how to conduct the “case study” and “based-line research” to improve the teaching-learning process.
The said seminar was participated by the all Science Teachers of Bataan National High School. The resource speakers were from this group also from which they attended a specific seminar coming from either division, regional, national or international training providers. This sharing of learnings from the seminar is also known as Echo-seminar. The topics include: Inquiry-based teaching strategey for Science Teachers, Team-building as a potential teaching strategy, the latest methods and strategies in teaching, Test Construction and other Assessment tools and on the research part, the Base line and Case Study.
Trainings and seminars being offered to teachers are just within our reach, we can have it through electronic means or through our immediate heads or principals. All we have to do is encourage ourselves on its importance to our career path. One good example is when you are aspiring for a promotion or simply for rating purposes like the recent conduct of the Result-based performance management system (RPMS). The current trend in evaluating government employees, specifically is through results achieved(quantitative) and an evaluation tool is deemed necessary. Good luck to all who will find time to attend relevant training seminars and add it in your life experience as a teacher who is aiming to change the future…. our dear learners.
By: RIZALINA A. CUENCO | MT-I | BATAAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
