NAME: Shania Deidre B.

Gamayan
COURSE/ SECTION: BSED MT 1-1
DATE: June 6, 2021

ACTIVITY NO. 3: WORKSHEET

Instructions: Go through the various steps of the writing process by planning, drafting, and
then revising a documented paragraph of five to ten sentences on a topic from the general
ones listed here. This paragraph must make an argument about the specific limited topic and
support it with at least three main points backed up by evidence from at least three sources.
The sources must be cited to give support to the points in the paragraph. After drafting, ask at
least two classmates to read the paragraph and give you feedback. Then review and edit the
paragraph to come up with a final draft.

General Topics: The following are the issues Choose one topic that fit in your interest:
International Beauty pageants; trends in how Filipinos name their children; Philippine
superheroes; piracy; vlogging; online classes; fight against covid; academic freeze; racism;
leadership; critical issues encountered by math teachers; lack of confidence; the Filipino’s
Resiliency; Cultural Diversity; discrimination

CHOSEN TOPIC:
- Academic Freeze
SPECIFIC TOPIC:
- Academic Freeze: School Time Out During Pandemic

Research Questions:

- How disadvantages affect of continuing distance learning approach?

- Why new normal learning strategy is unfortunate replacement for learning approach
amidst pandemic?

Four ( or more) supporting points:

1. Education is for everyone. Education is not for privilege person. No one should be
behind.
2. Personal concerns come first. Pandemic drag down every one of us, struggling after
struggling. Set your priorities first before anything else.
3. Welfare over studies. Pandemic cause anxiety and frustration, mending mental health
first over studies. Education is valuable so is our mental well-being.
4. Doing what we love is making as inspired. Studying requires desire to learn, commitment
to adopt and focus to practice. Education is not a battle to survive but to develop skills,
acquire knowledge and preparation for long-term race.

Bibliographic Information of three or more supporting

sources:
 1. Dacanay, K. C. (2020a, August 13). Why “Academic Freeze” is Our Best Option Now

- Pluma Manila. Medium. https://medium.com/pluma-manila/why-academic-freeze-is-

our-best-option-now-2c60da40cb58

2. Greeten, G. (2020, August 7). Should we resort to academic freeze during the

pandemic? » Ititser. Should We Resort Academic Freeze. https://www.ititser.com/should-

we-resort-to-academic-freeze-during-the-pandemic/?

fbclid=IwAR3kuxciaA6gF44pxzQO9w4l6EwCRnFN0nxr2EMQ-Jtmi8GMauJ2plIJ1P4

3. Magsambol, B. (2020, November 27). School time out during a pandemic? Pros and

cons of an academic break. Rappler. https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/pros-cons-

academic-break-philippines-during-covid-19-pandemic

First draft of the paragraph:

Filipino students protest to demand accountability from the government equipped

with placards and yelled, " National Academic Break Now" while following protocols
during recent calamities and coronavirus pandemic. Fed up with government
slopeness, youth activist from Ateneans wrote a manifesto urging other Filipiino youth
to stand with them in solidarity. " Our education is at stake here. We believe in the
bigger cause that we're fighting for. We believe that no student should be left behind in
the situation", De Belen said. Education is such and will forever be one of the most
prescious things in the world, but putting our difficult situation in profound
consideration, education can wait but life can never be put on hold. Due to continues
threat of COVID-19 pandemic, students were forced to attend class remotely. This
ignited a problems pertaining to connectivity and gadgets.
No student should left behind. During pandemic, education is only for those who
are privileges. As of december 2019, only 67% of the Philippine population have access
to the internet according to the National Telecommunications Commission. Not
everyone can afford the technology needed for elearning. Some parents cannot guide
their children to work on learning modules either they are busy making ends meet or
didn't reach the level education of their children thatare currently taking in. Thus, the
proponents solution is its better to have academic strike than have some children
advance in grade and others left behind. Distance education doesnot work, online
education and printed learning modules are no substitute to the traditional classroom.
The classroom is not just a lecturer standing in front of learners, they also facilitate
activities that aid in the acquisition of knowledge and develop their motorand social
skills. Distance education may relay knowledge and processes, but it cannot develop
motor and social skills.
The online classes setup include buying gadgets and paying for the internet, both
expenses that many Filipino families can not afford during a time of Pandemic.
According to the Philippines Statistics Authority, the unemployment rate in April 2020
escalated to 17.7%, which is equivalent to 7.3 jobless Filipinos. The idea of getting
academically left behind, however, is a mental and emotional pressure that many
students would do everything to avoid. One student exposed his encounter with a girl
in Omegle, an anonymous chatting platform. The girl was selling “nude” photos in
exchange for money, as she claims, for online classes. She’s not the only one resorting
to these methods to make money.Students are among the most vulnerable population
to mental health issues. Young people are still developing, and social interaction is an
essential component of their well-being. Due to the sudden isolation, a new survey says
that sixty percent of college students are experiencing depression.
Clearly, this is not the best time for academic burdens. There are also many
students who don’t find their homes particularly conducive to learning. Not everyone
has the privilege to have a separate, personal room from the rest of the family.
Academic requirements can take its toll on the mental health of young people.
Especially those who are also struggling financially. Therefore, mental health must also
be one of the aspects that the Department of Education is looking into.The digital divide
exists in the Philippine education system for the longest time, but the Pandemic
exposed just how bad it is. The digital divide is the barrier between those who have
access to computers and the internet and those who don’t. Educational attainment is
heavily affected by the digital divide, and this remains true to many countries in the
world. Many provinces in the Philippines have a slim to none access to the internet
connection. Students and teachers would have to climb high places to get internet
access. Also, as reported by STAR last year, 13 million Filipino households don’t have
electricity.
Therefore, the transition to online classes will put certain Filipino student
population at a stark disadvantage. If there’s no internet connection, how can the
students do research work? How can they interact with their instructors?How can they
learn? Education must not be exclusive for people who are privileged enough to have a
laptop and a stable internet connection. Education is for everyone. Imagine staying
online for weeks, paying for the internet, and going to computer shops, all for the sake
of compliance, while families are struggling and others have nothing to eat, thinking
only how to survive every day. Pushing through an “off-site and online” mode of
learning will just further resurface the digital divide evident in our educational sphere.
Not everyone has a stable internet connection and it would be hard or worse,
impossible for some students to reach a signal. Institutions equipped to implement this
method, by providing gadgets and student allowances, would just increase institutional
incompetence in resolving the problems with internet access (not to mention the proper
gadgets) of students across the country, as it would leave students of most institutions
behind due to incapacity to adopt such measures. Obliging teachers to prepare for the
next term is tantamount to overlooking their conditions as well. Cognitive skills may be
enriched through online classes, but it would only leave the class to be teacher-
centered while emotive and motor skills may be undermined, as there is no hands-on
guidance, physical experimentation, and practical activities.
 The pandemic has taken a toll on everyone, especially on students who are
struggling to cope with the demands of remote learning. Catapang said, that the
academic break would allow students and faculty members to focus on " more pressing
personal concerns, such as taking care of close or distant family members greatly
affected by the typhoons, cleaning or rebuilding their homes,as well as maybe restart
with their main or other sources of livelihood. More time for students, faculty members
to do volunteer work. An academic break would also allow students and faculty
members to do volunteer work especially in these times when thousands of families are
still reeling from the destruction caused by typhoons and severe flooding. "They can
focus on organizing or participating in ongoing relief operations. They may also join in
pandemic-response initiatives if they have no academic concerns to think about,"
Catapang said.
Students' losing momentum in learning while the imposition of an academic break
could bring relief to students and teachers, this would eventually affect their motivation
for learning. Cornelio said that the possibility of students losing their "momentum in
learning" is high."The students will lose the momentum of studying. Assuming that it’s
one for a year. 'Yun ngang (For just a) semestral break, it takes time for them to feel
motivated again. How much more if it's more than two weeks or so? We always have to
think of the weakest link. The smartest ones can always catch up," he said.Delayed
graduation impacts on employment opportunities. The academic break would have a
domino effect, affecting students' employment opportunities if they don't graduate on
schedule, which would eventually have an impact on the economy.

Evaluators: (with their feedback)

1.Rizzell Morco - Some students enrolled because they didn’t want to waste one-
academic-year and their goal is to pass, not to learn. Many students, specifically,
elementary students let their relatives do their home works wanted to only pass and not to
learn it. As students engage more on gadgets, they may lose interest in other things of the
environment surrounding them and lack interest in academics.

2.Jordan Caculitan - The message is good because he says the biggest problem of
flexible learning, what is the effect and what is the effect on students. It is basically telling
what are the bad effects and how uneffective the kind of learning that is provided for the
students.

Second/Final draft of the paragraph:

"Academic Break Now", appealed by Ateneans while holding placards to demand

responsibility for ineffective learning approach. Ateneans calling for support of Filipino youths to
be with them in solidarity to protest the new normal learning modes ' failure and it's
consequence. No man will left behind. Our future is involved, our nation's future is risked.
Education is one of the most valuable things in our lives but putting ourselves in strenuous
situation make us ignite concerns. Most of the Filipinos have not access to the internet due to not
everyone can afford the technology needed and unemployed. Some parents could not guide
theirs children, either busy making ends meet or could not attain the level of education.
Academic strike is one way or another. Rather than letting some children to advance in grade.
Distance learning strategy does not work, learning modules are no proxy to traditional learning
approach. New normal learning approach may impart knowledge and processes, but cannot
develop skills.
Online learning approach requires internet and gadgets, both are concerns in many
Filipino families because it will add up the burden to everyday expenses. During pandemic,
unemployed rate ascend to 17.7 % which equal to 7.3 jobless Filipinos. Most of the students felt
emotional and mental pressure from the thoughts of being left behind. Financially unstable leads
one student to vend nudes photos in exchange for money for able to provide learning
necessities. Students are unsafe of this kind of environment. Youths are still in process of
personal development and social interaction being under isolation may struggle anxiety and
depression. This is not the best for academic burdens. Some students could not find their home
as replacement for learning station. One student may have the privilege to study at ease but not
for everyone. Mental health must be at top to address in times like this. Many things exposed
during pandemic just like how bad our government and education system. Dilemmas does not
revolved in one place but all over the country. Most heavily affected are provinces have a bit
percent to not at all chances of access to the internet. Students and teachers would have to
climb up to hill just to get tiny chance of internet access.
Therefore, the transition of learning approach put certain learners to stumbling block. It
influence on how students do research work, how to have discussion between instructor and
learner, how will they learn without internet access. Education is for everyone, not for those
privilege enough to have laptop and capable to pay internet expense. Imagine unfortunate
families working every day to survive then small amount from work pay will go for learning
materials. Public and private institutions implement method by providing learning tools and
allowannce. However, due to lack of resources and shortage of learning tools not every one
granted ( not to mention the proper and quality of gadgets), as it would leave students behind
and adopt such measures. Cognitive skill may enhanced through visual classes, but it would only
make the class instructor-centered while other skills that need to develop may less stressed as
there is no physical activities and personal practices.
The pandemic has taken levy every students, especially those who are experiecing
hardships from the demand of remote learning. From the statement of Catapang, he said, " that
academic break would allow both the learners and teachers to focus more on personal problems
such as prioritize the distant family members, to take care of personal essential whom greatly
affected by calamities, cleaning or rebuilding new home as well as to restart small livelihood and
other sources. Academic break would also allow learners and faculty members to help
community, for an instance community pantry and volunteer work. In these times when
thousands of families affected from different natural calamity with Covid-19 surges cases, badly
need the bayanihan spirit of Filipinos. " They can focus on participating in organizing programs
for relief operationsand basic needs. When there are no academic concerns to talk about, they
may join pandemic respone initiatives," he said.
Students lose the urge to study and excitement to learn as the time goes by, academic
break could bring relief. Cornelio said," the possibility of learners losing their momentum in
learning has high chance, " given the situation, students only study for the sake of complying all
the task enable to passed not the other around. They just wanted to pass all the subjects without
the essence of learning. Assuming that it is once a year to give semestral break, it's take time to
bring back the feeling of being motivated again. How much more if it's more than two weeks or
so? We always have to think the weakest spot. The smartest ones can always catch up, " he
said. Delaying graduations give impacts om employment opportunities. The academic break
leads domino effect, affecting student's employment opportunities if they could not graduate on
schedule, which would eventually have an impact on the economy.
Evaluators: (with their feedback)

1.Cristel Santos - As what in the paragraph said, education during pandemic times can
be hard to some. Some students don't have enough gadgets to use and internet to
catch up on this strategy to continue in class. Many students do agree on having
academic freeze in this time of pandemic because not all students afford it. It is indeed
not the best time for academic burdens. Some may afford this online class but are we
sure that these some students really learning? Yes, education is important. But atleast
know the real situation of many Filipino youth nowadays. Not all of us can afford a
place to study. Not all of us do have a capacity to join in an internet class if they don't
have internet/signals. Because of new way of learning strategy, many of us struggling
in mental health.

2.Nemue Villamor - Yes, education should be the priority of all things but let's look in
our surroundings. Is this the best option? Or just wasting a time? Many of us don't
learn like those times when we are in schools. Government should think of a way on
how to at least go back into old times where students can study and learn well. Little by
little, because online classes, no matter how hard students try, is not the best option to
come up.