The National Teachers College

629 F. Nepomuceno St., Quiapo, Manila

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF TEACHER EDUCATION

Master of Arts in Education major in Technology and Home Management

GED109 – ADVANCED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

MY REFLECTION

This global pandemic made so many changes in educational system of

the different areas of the country. As I read this book, I realized that much has
changed and much has become a problem in our education system due to this
pandemic around the world. However, before the pandemic, the world was
already facing formidable challenges in fulfilling the promise of education as a
basic human right. We cannot deny that many children are still unable to
study and even if they are studying, there are still illiterates. That is, there are
still instances when teachers are unable to provide adequate guarantee of
children’s learning because of some reasons such as lack of resources, broad
and unmeasurable learning competencies, and lack of teachers’ training and
initiative. We are facing a change in the educational paradigm in which online
training through ICT has ceased to be an option in the teaching methodology
and has become a necessity in these times of pandemic in order to continue
with the student learning process. In my understanding, even if we say that
teachers know how to use different technological tools, the question now is, do
children also have available online learning resources? will the government
provide? Are they ready for this? If I try to analyze the situation, children from
low-income families were more likely to be excluded from online learning
because they could not afford sufficient internet or devices. Historically under-
resourced schools with students who already faced greater obstacles to
learning particularly struggled to reach their students across digital divides.
Education systems often failed to provide digital literacy training for students
and teachers to ensure they can use these technologies safely and confidently.
According to human right (2020) Education should be at the core of all
governments’ recovery plans. Governments should both address the impact of
the pandemic on children’s education and the pre-existing problems.
Considering profound financial pressures on national economies from the
pandemic, governments should protect and prioritize funding for public
education. As a teacher and as a researcher, building stronger systems
requires adequate investment and equal distribution of resources as well as
swiftly removing discriminatory policies and practices, adopting plans to
redress the right to education for millions of students, and providing
affordable, reliable, and accessible internet to all students which are relevant
and timely in this time of pandemic. It must be the primary focus of the
government because the author highlights that if this pandemic continues and
the whole country does not make full adjustments, especially the countries
severely affected by this pandemic will be more likely to experience a decline in
the quality of education and 21st century skills may never be attained if they do
not focus on immediate changes in the educational system, schools and
institutional capacity and resources, and what are really skills and knowledge
that the students must be learned and acquired.

For me, with schools to reopen its doors the following school year, it’s
vital to plan how schools will be able to pursue their mission of implementing
quality education to every student. As school is a public place where crowd is
unavoidable and children are vulnerable, there is a need to strengthen policy in
terms of the delivery of instruction - to provide opportunities for online learning
platforms. Numerous innovative programs have been proposed by the different
learning sectors in here in our country, the Philippines. COVID-19 Pandemic
leads to a more complex changes due to its broad effect globally. Due to these
changes brought about by the surge of this disease, our educational system
come up with its Basic Education-Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) to better
serve its stakeholders primarily the learners being the center of the curriculum.
No child will be left behind and learning will not stop throughout the year. To
ensure that learning will continue considering the COVID-19 Public Health
Emergency, the Department of Education adopts the BE-LCP using DepEd
Order No. 012, s. 2020 which was designed in response to the "new normal".
DepEd Order No. 012, s. 2020 enlightened to protect the health, safety and
well-being of the learners, teachers, and other school personnel. For me, this
program ensures that every student will gain the breadth of skills and the
most essential learning competencies necessary in a rapidly changing world
despite of our current situation. What matters most nowadays is not just the
learning, knowledge, and skills that learners should be learned but how they
would make these learning into reality where everyone can address their
needs to survive and be able to adopt constantly in these changes.

References:

https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/05/17/pandemics-dire-global-impact-
education - Retrieved on July 26, 2021

DepEd Order No. 012, s. 2020

 QUESTIONS TO ANSWER
1. What did you learn from this reading assignment? What are your major
takeaways? Why did you choose these?

The thing that stuck in my mind and became my learning takeaways in

this book was how the pandemic changed the educational system of each
country; how this pandemic aroused the shortcomings and problems in the
education system and above all what became the learning status and skills of
children during this pandemic.

All countries have struggled to plan how to continue education despite

this pandemic. Yes, let’s say this country is rich, but is their educational
system suited to this pandemic? Probably not, that is why every country has
been planning how to adapt their education system to the crisis we are
experiencing. There are things to consider, just like some of what is stated in
the book: learning resources, students' socio -economic status and readiness
and most especially what they should learn most or should be taught by their
teacher and what method the teacher will use in teaching. With the
implementation of different learning modalities, the learning status and skills
of children are uncertain whether they have attained or not, especially the
breadth of skills that are said to be necessary in 21st century education. I
think, not much has been attained. Personally, I teach TLE subjects and more
on skills and laboratories we should. Honestly, in 100% of skills that they need
to learn in my subject in ICT to be specific, only 55% of them attend, why?
because they don't have resources, lack of knowledge in a particular concept,
even if I follow up with them, doing home visitation, doing KAPITBAHAY-
ARALAN as my support program mechanism in my class is still not enough for
them to acquire the skills needed.
2. What is deeper learning or 21 st Century skills? How different are they
from the 7 skills mentioned by Tony Wagner?

Based on my understanding, deeper learning or 21st century skills are

the skills (Cognitive skills, Interpersonal and Intrapersonal skills) that children
must acquire and learn for it will serve as their frameworks or foundations to
have a better life in the future and for them to keep up with the challenge of
modern world. If they can acquire these skills, I am sure they will be even more
globally competitive, and I am sure we will be able to attain the so -called
sustainable development since it is one of the most goals of education.

For me, this is no different from the 7 skills mentioned by Tony Wagner,
the skills mentioned in Reimer's book have become more specific but the
concept or what the author wants to convey is still the same. Of Tony Wagner's
7 skills, it is a combination of the skills mentioned in Reimer's book. So for me
really, even if we reverse these ideas, the concept/motive/objective is still the
same and that is for an individual to be holistic, productive and well-developed.

3. How would your understanding of teaching change after reading this

chapter by Reimer?

As a teacher, Reimer is right that I must consider the skills, the learnings they
should get or acquire from me. It must be timely and relevant to their lives that
they can really make the most of their personality and that they have developed
into a more productive one. I still need to focus and change everything. I need
to give more what is right for them by maximizing different educational and
technological platforms, teaching methodologies that suit them, I must provide
differentiated activities and more importantly and to enlighten them about the
so-called breadth and life skills.

4. What are the five (5) perspectives on educational change?

 In this book, the five (5) perspectives on educational change are cultural,
psychological, professional, institutional, and political. A cultural frame
highlights the correspondence between societal demands and values and the
proposed educational change; a psychological frame focuses on the use of the
science of learning and teaching in the design of the change process; a
professional frame reflects the creation of norms and processes designed to
align professional practice with expertise; an institutional frame focuses on the
process of educational change as the result of a system of interdependent
processes and a political frame focuses on the role played by various interest
groups in advancing or impeding educational change.

These five perspectives on education change, when materialized properly,

can bring about significant change in the education system around the world.
If they use this concept, we can have a single educational system that anchors
this perspective coupled with 21st century skills and Tony Wagner’s 7 skills.
Nothing is impossible, right? So, I do believe that in the next few years, there is
no poor and rich country, that we will really have an amazing, relevant, and
dynamic education system and curriculum to follow.

JOHNDEL L. CUETO
Student