More than 8,000 Filipino teachers, educators, and administrators are participating in the nine-day long virtual series jointly launched by the United States Embassy in Manila and the Department of Education (DepEd) in support of the country’s transition to digital learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the launching Monday, DepEd Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio and US Embassy Public Affairs Counselor Philip Roskamp opened the series in front of a virtual audience of more than 3,600 education administrators.
The live series from Sept. 14 to Oct. 23 was designed by a team of three American English Language Specialists in the United States to meet the specific needs of Filipino teachers and students.
The specialists, who developed the curriculum based on the education standards in the Philippines, will deliver a series of virtual classes on the multiple learning modalities. Course content includes guidance, methodology, instructional materials, and resources to assist with the delivery of online and other non-face-to- face classroom instruction, critical for continuing the education of Filipino students during the pandemic.
At the conclusion of the series, participants will share their knowledge and skills with other teachers and administrators across the Philippines.
"We are extremely honored to partner with DepEd's Bureau of Learning Delivery and the National Educators Academy of the Philippines on this important program. American English Language Specialists will use the latest instructional techniques to best support Filipino students’ learning during the COVID- 19 pandemic," Roskamp explained during his remarks at the opening.
San Antonio thanked the organizing team in making possible the opportunity to learn from the US specialists on how to provide language teaching in the time of the pandemic.
“I commend the Bureau of Learning Delivery and the National Educators Academy of the Philippines for your efforts in partnering with our generous stakeholders and benefactors. My sincerest gratitude to our partners from the US Embassy for making sure that our fellow language teachers will be capacitated,” he said.
Organizers are also developing an on-demand resource library for teachers and administrators for professional development purposes, complete with a viewing guide, activities, and discussion questions for local learning communities.