Over 1,000 educators around the country were recently trained on utilizing newly-developed distance learning materials--the product of a collaboration between the U.S. Peace Corps and the Department of Education (DepEd).
From Oct. 12 to 29, teachers, principals, and supervisors from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao were trained as part of the 14-month project between the two agencies, the US Embassy in the Philippines said.
The project involved the development and validation of learning activity sheets before training educators on how to use them.
The development of materials and a series of training events were also done before distributing them to students in indigenous communities, geographically-isolated areas, and some of the most resource-challenged communities in the Philippines.
It is jointly funded by DepEd and Peace Corps, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
A central part of the DepEd’s plan is to ensure that students continue to meet basic education learning outcomes during the pandemic, and the learning activity sheets will supplement existing self-learning modules for students in over 8,000 multi-grade schools nationwide and cover all key subjects, including Mathematics, Science, and English.
“Studies show that high-quality instructional materials significantly increase academic outcomes by allowing students to engage more deeply and meaningfully with their learning. This has never been more important than now, with students still schooling online due to the ongoing pandemic,” said DepEd Bureau of Learning Delivery Director Leila Areola.
According to International Cooperation Office Director Margarita Ballesteros, the partnership is anchored on the 10-point agenda of Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones and the Sulong Edukalidad advocacy of the Education department, as well as the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan.
The U.S. Peace Corps is the U.S. government’s premier volunteer organization and has supported Filipino students since 1961. Over 9,300 American volunteers have served as co-teachers or filled other roles requested by host communities across the Philippines.
"Although there are presently no volunteers in the Philippines due to the pandemic, the Peace Corps is devoting all other available resources to supporting DepEd and other partners in responding to and recovering from the impacts of the pandemic," the US Embassy said in a statement.