NARRATION

Opening of classes were fairly different and also the longest vacation I had. All of this was due to the pandemic
but I still had to continue with my education. And so,this is how I prepared for the opening of classes this year. My
parents bought a new laptop because classes will be held online and it could really help out a lot. Then, I also bought my
supplies online because I can’t go out to shop due to community quarantine. With this I am about complete with my
physical needs, I just mentally readied myself after that. My school also provided webinars about psychological first aid
so that helped, too. And with that I am ready for class. Preparation for this school year is relatively simple and easy task
because you won’t even need a bag. Just equipped and ready at home.

DEFINITION

Due to the pandemic, the different parts of the country opted for community quarantines but it has its different
classifications depending on the situation a place has. The ECQ meaning "enhanced community quarantine" is the
strictest of such measures. It is a hard lockdown where everyone stays at home except for essential workers and medical
frontliners. Public transportation is not allowed. No large gatherings are allowed. 

An MECQ is one step down from an ECQ. Again, most people are asked to stay at home except for essential
workers, medical frontliners, and those working in exempted offices and businesses. Again, public transportation is not
allowed. Mass gatherings up to five people are permitted. Essential industries are allowed to work at full capacity, with
others operating at a fifty percent (50%) capacity.

Next, there is the GCQ. Most people are allowed to leave their homes for work. However, persons below 21
years old, and above 60 years old or those at high risk for contracting the severe form of COVID-19 are required to stay
home. Public transport is allowed with strict social distancing. Gatherings are limited to ten people.

Fourth there is the MGCQ. At this level of quarantine, everything permitted during the GCQ is allowed. In
addition, 50% seating or venue capacity is allowed for movie screenings, concerts, sporting events, and other
entertainment activities, religious services, and work conferences. Full operating capacity for work in all public and
private offices is permitted.

DESCRIPTION

As the Covid-19 virus spreads throughout the world, it affected our mobility. It has significantly impacted our
lives and has created an unprecedented scenario as people around the world are locked down, and businesses and
government – private institutions are closed. One of the sectors that has experienced the major impact is
transportation. Governments across the globe shut their borders or restricted travel to try and quell the spread. This
travel restriction has significantly affected people's mobility behavior. Much of the changes in travel demand has been
attributed by individuals' adjustments in their daily travel activities such as replacing out-of-home activities with in-home
activities. 

COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

Both online and traditional classes require students to manage their time wisely. In traditional classes, students
structure their time outside of the classroom to allow for studying, projects and homework. Both online and classroom-
based courses also assess student participation. In traditional classes, students voluntarily participate in discussions or
ask and answer questions.  In online courses, participation is mandatory, usually through written discussions in chat
rooms or on message boards.

 In a classroom-based course, face-to-face communication creates a different dynamic for every class. Online
classes, however, lack this interaction, requiring teachers to use forums, chats and other online discussion media to
build community. While traditional classrooms let students gain support and personal relationships from teachers,
online courses only offer electronic communication. Traditional classroom instructors can offer virtually every type of
assessment, from written work to tests to oral examinations and presentations. However, online classes are more
limited in the types of assignments students can complete. Typically, online instructors grade students through papers,
open-book examinations and student contributions to online discussions. Because online students must be self-directed,
online instructors usually design assignments that are practical in nature. 

SEQUENCE/PROCESS

Handwashing is now the first line of defense in this pandemic. With that said, we should know how to properly
wash hands. This is how to properly wash hands according to guidelines. First, wet hands with water. Second, apply
enough soap to cover all hand surfaces. Third, rub hands palm to palm. Fourth, right palm over left dorsum with
interlaced fingers and vice versa. Fifth, palm to palm with fingers interlaced. Sixth, back pf fingers opposing palm with
fingers interlocked. Seventh, rotational rubbing of left thumb clasped in right palm and vice versa. Eighth, rotational
rubbing, backwards and forwards with clasped fingers of right hand in left palm and vice versa. Ninth, rinse hands with
water. Tenth, dry thoroughly with single use towel. Lastly, use the towel to turn off the faucet. Following these steps and
improving your health can be your safeguard amidst all of these. Stay at home and keep safe.

CAUSE AND EFFECT

Possible factors in the increase in COVID-19 cases in the country. At least 4 factors have contributed to the
increase – all of which, the DOH and researchers pointed out, contributed to sustained community transmission of the
disease. The DOH pointed to the country’s increased testing capacity as one factor behind the rise in cases with
laboratories processing some 17,000 to 22,500 tests. But while larger number of samples tested yield more positive
cases, researchers from the University of the Philippines (UP) earlier noted the positivity rate has also been going up,
suggesting the virus was still spreading. 

Positivity rates, or the share of tests that come back positive, are among key indicators the DOH closely observes
to get a sense of how prevalent the virus remains and how fast it is spreading. In an ideal situation, the more testing that
is done, the lower the positivity rate would be. The increased number of cases has prompted the DOH to  order all
hospitals to ensure they prepare a mandatory 30% of facilities to treat COVID-19 patients, and to allocate 20% more in
case of a surge.

Second is with the easing of quarantine restrictions nationwide, another factor behind the rise in cases was
increased contact among the population, said the DOH.  People started venturing outside of their homes after being
locked down for weeks as the government’s coronavirus task force said it needed to restart the economy and get people
back to work. UP researchers studying the outbreak’s numbers said the trend showed an increase of 50% of fresh cases
reported per day from one quarantine period to the next. While the government tries to shrink a balance between
health and economic priorities, the government reminded the public that one condition for returning to work and easing
restrictions was that minimum health standards must be followed. 

Third, forgetting to observe health standard. On the ground, however, not all minimum standards are religiously
observed. These health practices include always wearing a mask when out in public spaces, practicing frequent hand
washing, staying home, and practicing physical distancing. Experts and studies note that observing these practices can
greatly reduce the risk of contracting and spreading the disease. This means that the failure to follow and implement
health protocols poses a challenge in stopping the spread of the virus because it facilitates the transfer of the virus
among the people, allowing the disease to remain widespread. 

Fourth, Sustained community transmission. Due to the infectious nature of the coronavirus, the easing of
quarantine restrictions, frequent movement among people, and failure to always properly observe health protocols all
contribute to sustained transmission of the disease in community. Community transmission has been identified as a
primary driver of recently reported infections as multiple clusters have been found throughout the country.

And thus, those four were I think the possible reasons behind the continuous increase in COVID 19 cases in the
country.
PROBLEM AND SOLUTION

We are currently in the revolution of high technology and a fast-paced digital era, but there are still challenges
of distance learning to resolve. The impact is no longer just on the students, but the instructors at hand as well. Many
teachers are faced with challenges and issues which they have not foreseen before. Although students of this century
are born digital natives and many skilled instructors are fairly trained in online platforms, the difficulty of the “distance”
can still propose multiple challenges. Education in the physical classroom versus in the online classroom has disparities
in outcome. Teachers may experience a hard time expressing instructional content to their pupils, especially long
and complex assignments or assessments. The physical distance also proposed a difficulty in obtaining students’ level of
understanding in terms of course content. Since instructional content are not responded  to immediately, instructors
may have a hard time knowing whether the class is too challenging or too easy for students. Educator feedback suggests
that the “incidental opportunities” for communication that exist in a face to face class setting do not occur in an online
class. With the delay in feedback, communication via technology can occur as an obstacle in gauging student
learning.  Since communication is asynchronous, expectations in student performance may also differ between student
and teacher. Grading online assignments may entirely be based on subjective assessment of effort and artistry. Although
such assessment is similar in face-to-face classrooms, the difficulty comes from delivering the required expectations and
standards for each task.  Additionally, online assessments are most likely open book and are subject to the possibility of
cheating whilst absent of a proctor. While students may celebrate the lack of homework, the lack of examination isn’t as
exciting.

Preventing lag in academic performance during distance learning would be a priority of avoidance, especially for
instructors in accordance with concerned parents and students. The number one goal for institutions is  to ensure that
students are being assessed in their online classes similarly to their face to face classes.  Although the convenience of
working from home seems like a joyous idea, the idea may deter teachers from the added workload of preparing for an
online class. On top of documentation and various announcements, instructors are responsible for facilitating online
discussion boards when promoting participation and collaboration.

Much of the time, moderation includes a copious amount of reading and providing effective feedback to each
student. Furthermore, questions from students may appear at various times throughout the day, giving teachers
difficulty in delegating time for each student and task. Nonetheless, virtual learning still serves as major convenience and
efficiency in delivering educational content with no physical constraints, especially in this time of crisis. Along with the
added benefits of flexibility and personalized learning, being online means easy access to various media and
teaching tools as well as educational content. Education should not be a one-size-fits-all, and technology should be able
to reduce teacher workload.

Here are some suggestions that I think would help. First is leverage use of synchronous technology. Many
challenges teachers face with distance learning are the result of asynchronous communication. Having ways of
synchronous communication can lessen the troubles of not being face to face with students. Whether the means is
through web conference or audio lessons, the issue of distance can be “closed” by receiving live feedback. Instructors
can set aside time beforehand for live Question and Answer, or a scheduled live lecture in which students who attend
can give immediate reaction towards the content.  

Second, create rubrics for students to follow. Rubrics are a good way for instructors to fine-tune their objectives
and expectations of an assignment. A rubric can be as simple as a scoring checklist, in which students check off whether
their assignment contains each expected item. Alternatively, rubrics can also be designed to formulate standards for
levels of accomplishment and utilized as a guide to score performance, with standards clear and explicit to the
students.  

Third, peer review and delegation of small tasks. The workload for teachers in an online classroom may be too
much to handle. By increasing peer collaboration and review, it takes the weight of reviewing and feedback  off of the
instructors in the meantime. Additionally, long and complex assignments can be divided into phases for students to
submit deliverables in intervals. This allows teachers to make sure each student is on track with an assignment and make
instructions simpler. At the same time, having smaller pieces of a large instructional task can be easier to construct.