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West Visayas State University

(Formerly Iloilo Normal School)
Janiuay Campus
SCHOOL OF TEACHER EDUCATION
(Formerly Janiuay Polytechnic College, Don Tiburcio A. Lutero Nat’l Comp.
High School,Janiuay Nat’l Comp. High School, Janiuay National
Vocational High School, Janiuay High School)
Janiuay, Iloilo, Philippines
*Trunkline: (063) (033) 317-1894
* Website: janiuay.wvsu.edu.ph*Email Address: janiuay@wvsu.edu.ph

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Dear Student,

Welcome to your ED 211 (Special Topics 1) class!

We are in the new normal set up, and being face to face with you inside the classroom
is, for now, still impossible. Nonetheless, we are doing our best to keep you informed as well
as make you learn despite all the challenges and problems that you may encounter along the
way.

This three-unit course consists of eleven (11) special topics which are relevant to your
curriculum. Each topic contains task/s and assessment for you to answer after reading it
thoroughly. Topics 1-6 are intended for the midterm and topics 7-11 are for the final term. The
tasks and assessment mostly require explanation (essay), but some may test your creativity and
resourcefulness in coming up with a good output. All you need to have is a pad paper
(intermediate) for which you will write your answers or your activity. If there is a need for you
to use other paper/s (preferably short bond paper), make sure you stapled them together.

Remember, you still have other subjects to attend to. Please be conscious of your
time in answering each assessment and activity. We will create our Subject Group Chat
(GC) so that all your concerns regarding the course will be addressed to and be given
attention.

Should you have any questions regarding the module, please contact me in my
CP number. Internet access may sometimes give us stress but we will always look at
the brighter side of this new normal .

Be safe and God bless!

Doc Nilo Masbano ( 09616042544)

By
Topic 1: The K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum ant Its Implication to
Preservice Teacher Education

Learning Outcomes
1. Stated and explained at least nine (9) important features of the K to 12
curriculum.
2. Cited the implication of these features to preservice education and
development.
3. Explained the reasons behind the introduction of this curricular reform

Introduction

Beginning school year 2011-2012, a new curriculum called the K to 12 curriculum

was implemented for Grade I and Grade 7. This K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum
comes after the implementation of the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum, which in turn
was introduced after the 1983 New Elementary School Curriculum (NESC) and the
1989 New Secondary Education Curriculum (NSEC)

1983 NESC 1989 NSEC 2002 RBEC

K to 12 Curriculum

TASK:

Read about the K to 12 Curriculum from different sources including the internet.
and answer the following questions:

1. Why do think that the curriculum is called K to 12? (10 pts.)

2. What are some reasons why we need to introduce the K to 12 curriculum? (10 pts.)
3. List down important features or characteristics of K to 12 Curriculum. (10 pts}..

Abstraction

2002 BEC--- 6 years elementary + 4 years high school = 10 years

K to 12 ---- Mandatory Kindergarten + 6—year elementary + 4-year Junior high school

+ 2—year senior high school= K to 12

The K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum has the following salient features:

1. It has a mandatory Kindergarten (R.A. 10105).

2. Mother Tongue as a new subject from Grades 1-3 and is the medium of
instruction.
3. MAPEH is introduced as a subject with each subject given separate time
allotment starting Grade I.
4. Math, Science and other subjects are taught with the spiral progression
approach.
5. 5. TLE as a subject is based on Training Regulations of TESDA to enable a
student to obtain an NC I in Grade 10 to be ready for work.

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 6. 6. Senior high school offers five career paths in addition to core of academic
subjects. These core academics make the Grade 12 graduate also college ready.
7. The K to 12 is focused on the development of 21st century skills namely: a.
effective communication skills b. information, media and technology skills c.
learning and innovation skills d. life and career skills.
8. The K to 12 Curriculum goes beyond memorization, telling and isolated methods
of teaching because it is highly constructivist, inquiry-based, integrative,
collaborative and reflective in approach.
9. It observes a balanced system of assessment that includes traditional as well as
authentic assessment. It promotes use of formative assessment (assessment for
learning) to ensure mastery of competencies and self assessment (assessment
of learning) to develop independent learning.

Implications to Preservice Education

All these imply a serious look at preservice education to ensure that the Education
graduates are fully armed when they go to the field.
1. The offerings especially in the specializations for Math and the Natural Sciences
need to be thoroughly reviewed with spiral progression in mind.
2. The specialization in TLE needs to be re-aligned and intensified.
3. The Bachelor in Elementary Education (BEED) course has also to be aligned to
the introduction of the Mother Tongue as a Subject in Grades 1-3 and as a
medium of instruction from K to Grade 3.
4. The offering of MAPEH must likewise be considered in the BEED course
adjustments.
5. The Education graduate must possess the 21st century skills themselves so can
in turn develop them in their students.
6. He/she must be taught using the constructivist, integrative, inquiry-based, and
reflective approach, the traditional and authentic assessments and formative and
summative assessments.

Rationale Behind the Introduction of the K to 12 Curriculum

There is need for the K to 12 Curriculum for the following reasons:

1. To improve on the mastery of basic competencies by decongesting the

curriculum; focusing on essentials; using constructivist, integrated, inquiry-based,
collaborative, reflective teaching approaches and by utilizing a balanced system
of assessment comprising of traditional and authentic assessment and doing
formative, summative and self-assessments.
2. To cope with the 12-year basic education international standards for our
graduates to be recognized as professionals here and abroad.
3. To ensure that every Grade 12 graduate is work-ready and is college-ready.
4. To respond to a recommendation of educational researches to expand the years
of basic education which is long overdue.

Application/Assessment
Answer the following questions:

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 1. What does the K to 12 Curriculum have to do with me as a future teacher? (15
pts.)
2. Convince parents and other groups in writing who are against K to 12 Curriculum
to support K to 12. (15 pts.)

Topic 2: What Every Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Educator Needs to

Know
Learning Outcomes
1. Cited research findings that are in support of MTBMLE.
2. Described how the teacher does the bridging in the MTBMLE.

Introduction
Globally, rapid changes occur in many countries-knowledge, science and
technology, politics, economics to mention a few. All these changes that we see and
experience have increasingly challenged the field of education to address the demands
for relevance, quality and equity.
The response of the Department of Education to these challenges is reflected in
the K to 12 curriculum which is driven by the shared vision of every Filipino graduate
st
who is holistically developed and equipped with 21 century skills.
st
A UNESCO paper (2010) stresses that “in the 21 , learning is at the heart of
modern world’s endeavours to become a knowledge economy. It is the key to
empowering individuals to be today’s world producers and consumers of knowledge.
It is essential in enabling people to become critical citizens and to attain self-
fulfilment. It is a driver of economic competitiveness as well as community development.
Quality learning is not about becoming more competent, polyvalent and productive but
also about nurturing diversity and being well rooted in one’s culture and traditions, while
adapting to the unknown and being able to live with others.”
The above-cited UNESCO report resonates with urgency to take into account the
pivotal role of languages in achieving such learning. It is imperative that education
policymakers and language planners adopt the MTBMLE approach to provide quality
education to all. MTBMLE has additive value and therefore children should start
learning in the mother tongue or first language (L1) band later after mastery is attained,
learn other languages.
It is not true that learning additional language- the mother tongue-is taking away
the learning time that should be spent in mastering the languages of wider
communication, Filipino and English (in Phil. setting). It is not true as studies have
proven that learning the mother tongue or first language delays access and mastery of
science and technology and school language/s and international languages.
On the contrary, research findings reveal that when “academic language in the
mother tongue is sufficiently developed among the learners, and when their L1 is used
as a cognitive and linguistic resource through bilingual instructional strategies, it can
function as a stepping stone to scaffold more accomplished performance in the second
language or L2.
Concepts and Definitions
Bridging: The process of transitioning from learning one language to another,
introducing increasing amounts of instruction in L2, until either L1, is phased out
entirely, or both L1 and L2 are used as media of instruction.
Early –exit transition. The mother tongue or L1 is the medium of instruction (MOI) for
2-3 years, then switch to L2 and or L3 as MOI

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Late –exit transition. The mother tongue or L1 is the medium of instruction for 5-6
years or more, then switch to L2 and or L3 as an MOI.
Mother Tongue. The languages(s) that one has learned first; the language(s) one
knows best and uses most. Mother tongue may also be referred to as the first language
(L1), home language or heritage language.
Mother Tongue-based multilingual education. Learner-centered, active basic
education which starts in the mother tongue and gradually introduces one or more other
languages in a structural manner, linked to children’s understanding in their first
language or mother tongue. Teaching predominantly in the mother tongue for at least
six years, alongside the development of other languages Is required for this approach to
deliver high quality learning outcomes
Second language (L2). A second language learned after L1. It also refers to the
second language learned at school for formal educational purposes.
Difference between language and dialect from the linguistic point of view, the distinction
between language and dialect emphasizes intelligibility. If people sufficiently understand
each other and can communicate without difficulty, they are speaking the same
language or dialects of the same language. If they cannot sufficiently understand each
other, they are speaking different languages
Multilingual Education. Adopted in 1999 in UNESCO’s General conference Resolution
12; the term refers to the use of at least three languages, for example, the mother
tongue, a regional/national and an International language (UNESCO,2003

TASK:
1. Write at least 1- paragraph story about yourself written in mother tongue (Kinaray- a)
Translate it in Filipino and in English. Which of the 3 paragraphs you find it easy or hard
time to write? Why? Which one is easy to understand? (20 pts.)

Benefits of MTBMLE
There is ample research showing that students are quicker to learn to read and
write and acquire other academic skills when first taught in their mother tongue or
L1.They also learn a second language more quickly than those initially taught to read in
an unfamiliar language (UNICEF,1999).
MTBMLE programs benefit students who do not understand or speak the
official/school language when they begin their education.
There are 3 kinds of development on which a learner-centered MTBMLE is
focused.
1. Language development
2. Academic development
3. Socio-cultural development

The Bridging process

Strong MTBMLE program highlights the bridging process as an essential element
for its successful implementation.
Dr. Susan Malone of SIL International, underscores the importance of a strong
and well-planned MTBMLE program. Such program build a solid educational foundation
among the students when they:
 Enable and encourage students to develop oral fluency in their L1;
 Introduce reading and writing in the L1; help students to become fluent and
confident in L1 literacy; and

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  Build their capacity to use the L1 for everyday communication and for learning in
school
Furthermore, the same author describes MTBMLE programs that help learners build a
“good bridge” when they:
 Introduce reading and writing in the L2 by building on what the children have
learned about oral L2 and their foundation in L1 literacy;
 Build fluency and confidence in using oral and written L2 for everyday
communication and for academic learning.
To ensure that students achieve educational competencies or standards for each
grade established by education officials, Dr. Malone states that MTBMLE programs
need to:
 Use the L1 only for teaching in early grades, as students are learning basic
communication skills in L2;
 Use the L1 with the L2 for teaching in later grades,
 as students gain fluency and confidence in using the school language for
learning academic concepts.
 A Strong Foundation and A Good Bridge
It is essential to understand that second language acquisition in the
MTBMLE approach is seen as a “two way bridge” that enables the learner to
move back and forth between their tongue and the other tongue(s). In other
words, there is a free flow of learning from L1 to L2 and L3 and back to L1 for
greater language, cognitive, academic and socio-cultural development.
 MTBMLE Bridging in the K to 12 Curriculum
Bridging in the MTBMLE curriculum is planned such that children start
education from their mother tongue/heritage language/first language to the other
tongues or languages. It observes the principle of starting from the familiar to the
unfamiliar building children’s self-confidence and nurturing their creativity and
ultimately results in better learning outcomes.

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What does research say about MTBMLE?
Following are some research studies relating to MTBMLE, first and second language
acquisition, and language development.
Building a strong foundation in the L1:
The most powerful factor in predicting educational success for minority learners is the
amount of formal schooling they received in their L1.Only those language minority
students who had 5-6 years of strong cognitive and academic development in their L1
as well as through L2- did well in Grade II assessments.
-Thomas and Collier 2001
Knowledge gained in one language transfers to other languages that we learn.
-Cummins, J http://esl.fis.edu/teachers/support/cummins.html

The level of development of the children’s mother tongue is a strong predictor of their
second language development.
-Thomas and Collin, 2001

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  Children…with a solid foundation in their mother tongue develop stronger literacy
abilities in the school language. Children’s knowledge and skills transfer across
languages from the mother tongue…to the school’s language.
- Cummins, J. 2000
 The development of child’s first language with its related cognitive development
is more important than the mere length of exposure to the second language;
development of the mother tongue is critical for cognitive development and as a
basis for learning the second language. -Tucker, G. R.,1990

 The first language is the language of learning. It is by far the easiest way for
children to interact with the world. And when the language of learning and the
language of instruction do not match, learning difficulties are bound to follow.
-Word Bank, 2006
On the Importance of Oral Language:
Oral languages is the foundation of learning to read and write. At the initial
stages, reading builds on an oral languages. Any reading program designed to build
early reading skills must offer support for and connections to an oral vocabulary in a
spoken language. – Rashos et al., 2000
Planning a “strong foundation and “Good Bridge”. What Theorists and Researches Say
Building a strong foundation in the L1
-The most powerful factor in predicting educational success for minority learners is the
amount of formal schooling they received in their L1…Only those language minority
students who had 5-6 years of strong cognitive and academic development in the L1-as
well as through (L2)-did well in Grade II. (Thomas and Collier, 2001)
-Knowledge gained in one language transfers to other language that we learn.
(Cummins)
Introducing the L2 through listening and responding (no speaking at first.):
 The best (language learning) methods are those that supply
“comprehensible input” in low anxiety situations, containing messages that
students really want to hear. These messages do not force early production
in the L2 but allow students to produce when they’re ready,
 recognizing that improvement comes from supply communicative and
comprehensible input, and not from forcing and correcting production
(Krasher,1981,in Wilson,2001)
Building a basic level of oral fluency in L2 before introducing reading and writing in the
language.
 ..oral proficiency in the target language (is) of critical importance for the
development…of reading comprehension among third and fourth grade
students…(Droop and Verhoeven,2003).
Children should be helped to build up oral skills in the second language before reading
instruction in the language is started. Minority children’s knowledge of L2 vocabulary
determines their comprehension or oral text much more than mother tongue L2
speaker. (Droop and Verhoeven, 2003
…preliminary findings support the practice of providing literacy
instruction in (L1)…as means of helping (L1 speakers) acquire literacy in skills
in (L2).
By strengthening these students’ (L1) literacy, this practice also
enables them to use their native language as well, enhancing their bilingual
capability
Continue the development of oral and written L1 and L2 (that is both taught or
subjects), at least through primary school.
When children continue to develop their abilities in two or more languages throughout
their primary school years, they had given a deeper understanding of language and how
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to use it effectively. They have more practice in processing language, especially when
they develop literacy in both, and they are able to compare and contrast the ways in
which their two languages organize reality.( Jim Cummins, citing Baker and Shutnabb-
Kangas.)

Language (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills, BICS) refers to the language we

use when we talk about things we do and think about. It normally takes 1-3 years to
gain basic fluency in BICS. If the children do not hear or see the L2 outside of the
classroom, it will take significantly longer for them to be proficient in everyday
L2.language (Cognitive and Academic Language Proficiency, CALP, as called by
Cummins) refers to students’ ability to use the L2 to learn academic (abstract) concepts.
This is the level of language needed to analyse, evaluate and create. In a good
program, with teachers who are fluent in the L2, it usually takes student 4-7 years to
gain confidence in using his higher level of language (S. Malone, 2012)
Here are some of the evidence supporting MTBMLE approaches (from Save The
Children.org.uk)

A ten-year project in Lubuagan, Philippines is showing that children in schools using

MTBMLE are dramatically outperforming in nearby schools who have learn in Filipino
and English (neither of which they use at home). The MTBMLE children are scoring so
far higher in all key school subjects, including mathematics, Filipino and English.

In Mali, children in bilingual education were found to be five times less likely to repeat
the year, and more than three times less likely to drop out of school. End of primary
pass rates between 1994 and 2000 for children who transitioned gradually from a local
language to French were on the average, 32% higher than for children in French-only
programs.

In Guatemala, with long term bilingual units-cultural education, good repetition is about
half that in traditional schools, while drop-out rates are about 25% lower.

Application/Assessment
1. Illustrate by means of a diagram how the teacher should do the bridging in
teaching. (20 pts.)
2. Write your personal reflections and insights on MTBMLE. (15points)

Topic 3: Quality Assurance in Education through Voluntary Accreditation

Learning Outcomes
1. Participated, orally and in writing, in discussions of the salient features of
voluntary accreditation as the acknowledged process of quality assurance.
2. Demonstrated an appreciative understanding of the importance of voluntary
accreditation in ensuring quality assurance in education

Introduction
Quality is the degree of excellence or relative goodness, and so quality is not
excellence per se but it refers to an ascending degree of excellence- perhaps low
quality, moderate quality and high quality. Even among items or objects with “high
quality” one can have higher quality and another one may possess the highest quality.
The concept of quality includes a set of standards against which things, situations or
institutions are evaluated in order to determine the degree of quality that they possess.
Assurance is the declaration of a commitment aimed at giving confidence to one’s
intended clients, customers or public. Quality assurance in education is demonstrated
by a system of principles and practices arranged logically to achieve certain

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predetermined quality goals or objectives meant to give confidence to students, parents
and the public.

TASK:
Research about voluntary accreditation in the internet and answer the following
question:

1. Why we need to submit our educational programs for Voluntary Accreditation? (15
pts.)
Abstraction
History of Quality assurance
1.1 early civil engineering projects needed to be built from specifications like the
Great Pyramid of Giza which was built in 2560BC.
1.2 Royal governments purchasing materials were interested in quality control
as customers. King John of England (1199-1216) appointed William Wrothman
to report about the construction and repair of ships.
1.3 Middle Ages (1450-1500) guilds assumed responsibility for quality control of
their members, setting and maintaining certain standards fo guild membership.
1.4 The Industrial Revolution led to a system in which large groups of people
performing a similar type of work were grouped together under the supervision
of a foreman who was appointed to control the quality of products
manufactured.
1.5. In World War I, to counter bad workmanship, full time inspectors were
introduced into the factory to identify, quarantine and correct product defects.
1.6. In 1930, the systematic approach to quality started in industrial
manufacturing mostly in the United States of America. With the impact of mass
production, which was required during the Second World War, it became
necessary to introduce a more appropriate form of quality control which can be
identified as Statistical Quality Control or SQC.
1.7. During World War II, many countries’ manufacturing capabilities that had
been destroyed during the war were rebuilt. The United States sent General
Douglas Mac Arthur to oversee the re-building of Japan. During this time,
General MacArthur involved two key individuals in the development of modern
quality concepts: W. Edwards Deming and Joseph Juran, the fathers of total
quality management from which emanated assurance.
1.8. The beginnings of quality assurance in the Philippine private higher
education institutions occurred in the 1950’s when two (2) associations laid the
groundwork for the voluntary accreditation of private schools, colleges and
universities: the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU) and
the Catholic Education Association of the Philippines (CEAP). Later, PACUCOA
took off from PACU and PAASCU from CEAP.

2. LEGAL BASIS OF VOLUNTARY ACCREDITATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

2.1 Education Act of 1982
The first big boost in the voluntary accreditation movement was the
issuance of the Implementing Rules and Regulations for Batas Pambansa 232,
otherwise known as the Education Act of 1982.

Rule IV of the Implanting Rules and Regulations (IRR) outlined seven provisions to
govern voluntary accreditation: policy, definition, eligibility for voluntary
accreditation, benefits of voluntary accreditation, recognition of private voluntary
accrediting associations, agencies and life-span of deregulated status.

2.2. Creation of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in 1994

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 In 1994,Commissions on Higher Education (CHED) was organized by
virtue of Republic Act 7722.The following year ,September 25,1995,the CHED
Chair issued CHED Order No. 31,s.1995 which specified the policies on
voluntary accreditation in aid of quality and excellence in higher education.
Obviously, this issuance was promulgated in close coordination with FAAP
which was organized and authorized by CHED as the agency that would certify
the accredited status of programs granted by the 3 accrediting agencies
federated under the Federation Of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines
(FAAP) umbrella : Philippine Accrediting Agencies of Schools, Colleges and
Universities (PAASCU),Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities
Commission on Accreditation (PACUCOA),and Association of Christian
Schools, Colleges and Universities Accrediting Agency (ASCUAA)

The Member Agencies of the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the

Philippines (FAAP): PAASCU, PACUCOA, ACSCUAA
-The most recent issuance of accreditation, CHED Order No.1,series of 2005,provides
for Level IV as the highest accreditation status for programs and institutional
accreditation which is mandated to be built on programs accreditation. It is also
recognized the two accrediting agencies for public schools: Accrediting
Agencies for Chartered Colleges and Universities of the Philippines (AACUP)
and the Association of Local Colleges and University Commission on
Accreditation
3. VOLUNTARY ACCREDITATION AS MEASURE OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN
EDUCATION

In the Philippines and in the world, the accepted measure of quality assurance in
education is voluntary accreditation.

3.1 What is voluntary accreditation?

Voluntary accreditation is a concept of a self-regulation which focuses on self-
study and evaluation and on the continuing improvement of educational quality.
It is both a process and a result
As a process, it is a form of peer review in which an associations of schools and
colleges establishes sets of criteria and procedures to encourage high
standards of quality education among its affiliate members.
As a result, it is a form of certification granted by a recognized and authorized
accrediting agency to an educational program, where applicable, and/or an
educational institution, as processing certain standards of quality which are over
and above those prescribed as minimum requirements for government
recognition, based upon an analysis of the merits of its educational operations,
in terms of its philosophy and objectives.
3.2. Voluntary Accreditation is Mission-Centric
All higher education institutions include in their vision-mission/philosophy
statements explicit reference to quality or excellence and yet because of the
diversity in the institutional philosophies, characteristics and cultures of more
than 2,000 private higher education institutions in the Philippines, it is difficult to
arrive at a common definition of quality or excellence that will satisfy all types of
stakeholders Historically ,voluntary accreditation has been using as starting
points in minimum academic requirements and standards set by the
government, the legal requirements of certain professions, issuances of the
Professional Regulation Commission, and requirements from relevant industry
sectors With these as starting points, accreditation then proceeds to examine
conditions which are over and above or exceeding the minimum requirements
of the mentioned government agencies, in the programs being evaluated.
In the absence of common standards of quality and excellence,
accreditation has focused on the institutional vision-mission as the center of the
accreditation process. .Accreditation requires the school to state its institutional

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 vision-mission in its every department and program, and to define in concrete
terms the indicators which would show that the vision-mission and goals are
being achieved.
2.3. Rationale for voluntary accreditation
The rationale for accreditation is that it is a means of simulating and
accelerating the institutional growth and development of schools desiring to
achieve greater excellence, relevance and effectiveness. It is also a way of
encouraging those schools adjudged to have attained desirable standards to do
even better.
Accreditation thus provides a public confirmation that what the educational
institution is doing in its programs is of acceptable high quality.

3.4 Basic Principles/Characteristics of Voluntary Accreditation

(a) Accreditation is based on accepted standards. Each school seeking
accreditation is surveyed and evaluated in terms of appropriateness and
adequacy of its institutional philosophy-vision-mission-goals and program
objectives and in terms of the degree and competence with which they are
achieved.
(b) Accreditation is primarily concerned with the students’ learning,
welfare, growth and development.
(c) Accreditation provides opportunities for institutional growth through
self-study and evaluation and self-regulation.
(d) Accreditation admits periodic review, criticism and readjustment of its
criteria, policies and procedures in response to changes in education

3.5 Significant Practical Values of Accreditation

Accreditation benefits the institution as follows:

a. It improves the institution through self-study, self-evaluation and self-policing,

regardless of its corporate nature, philosophy and objectives.
b. It guides the public, parents and students, in the choice of quality schools that will
meet their individual educational needs.
c. It simplifies transfer of academic credits; it also facilitates the transfer of students and
faculty as well as faculty exchange and mutual cooperation.
D .It is one favourable factor considered in the grant of government assistance and
other incentives.
e. It helps assure the public of better qualified practitioners in the different professions.
f. It lends prestige to member schools, justified by the possession of quality standards
and unremitting effort to maintain and sustain them at a high level.
g. It helps identify schools whose competence and performance in a particular field
warrant public and professional recognition.

Assessment

Write 3-5 paragraphs on how you understand Quality Assurance in Education through
Voluntary Accreditation ( 15pts.)

Topic 4: Open High School Program: Learning Anywhere, Anytime

Learning Outcomes. At the end of the topic the students shall have

1. explained the advantages of Open High School Program.

2. explained how the Open High School Program (OHSP) is implemented.
3. cited the necessary conditions for the OHSP to succeed.

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Introduction
Reaching the unschooled and retaining the underschooled and retaining the
have a major to the public school system to the public school system. In SY 2011-2012,
the net enrolment rate at the secondary level was placed at 61.14%, indicating that 39%
of the children of high school age remained out of school. Compounding the problem of
low participation is the high early-school leaving rate which in the same school year was
placed at 8%. The cohort survival rate in the same school year was registered at
78.44%, implying some 22% of those in school were being left behind. The completion
rate was recorded at 73.34% in the same school year confirming the problem of high
attrition rate at the secondary level. Across indicators, the problem was greater among
boys than girls These twin problems of the formal school system cannot be addressed
by by delivering education the way schools have always done it. We must look at
schools as no longer a place, but a process that can take place anytime, anywhere and
which must be available to everyone. Thus was conceived the idea of a school as an
open learning system that will make education accessible to everyone, and will
recognize learning regardless of how and where it is acquired.

TASK:

1. Discuss the advantages of OHSP. (10 pts.)

2. Research on the mechanics of implementation of the OHSP. Come up with a
Flow chart to trace the steps involved in the OHSP. (10 pts.)

Mechanics of Implementation
1. Independent Learning Readiness Assessment
Learners who wish to participate in the Open High School Program shall take the
Independent Learning Readiness Assessment to be administered by the school, the
results of which shall be the basis for placing them in the appropriate learning mode:
a. Learners who are not yet ready for independent learning, are placed in the
transition program which will provide a bridging curriculum focused on the development
of the learning-to-learn skills. The program is school based, teacher-guided, and is self-
paced. There is no definite time period required for completing this program. As soon as
learners who are placed under the guidance of the teacher have acquired adequate
mastery of the learning-to-learn skills, then they can move to the next level.

b. When the learners are assessed to be almost ready for independent learning,
then they may be placed in the blended learning program when undertaking the
required curriculum. This is a combination of school-based, face-to-face learning and
distance learning or home schooling. This means that learners may be in school for
lessons that require guided learning if the teacher feels that learners need direct
supervision in accomplishing the tasks. Home schooling is allowed for lessons that the
teacher feels learners can already do on their own. The option for blended learning may
also be extended to learners who have been assessed to be ready for full independent
learning but who may prefer this learning mode.

c. Learners who are ready for independent learning may do the entire curriculum on
their own, or be home-schooled, with the option to seek teacher's guidance or help from
experts or resource persons in the community.

There are learners who may not just be able to do independent learning but who
can complete the requirements of the curriculum in a very short period of time. In as
much as learning is self-paced, then learners can be accelerated in subject areas that
15
they can learn fast on their own. Thus, the learners themselves will determine their own
rate of learning.
2. Learning Contract

Once the learners get into the program, they and their parents/guardians are
oriented on the mechanics and the requirements of the curriculum including
assessments. Then, they and their parents or guardians sign a learning contract with
the school. The contract commits the parents/guardians to ensuring that their children
complete their education. The school, for its part, commits itself to providing the
resources such as materials and learning facilitators to support the children's learning. A
prototype Learning Contract is provided to schools.
3. Curriculum

The core curriculum prescribed for those in the formal learning system is the same
curriculum that learners in the Open High School will go through, the only difference
being the mode of learning.
The learning standards in the curriculum define the expectations in terms of content
(i.e., what learners are expected to know, do, and understand) and performance or
proficiency level, which is defined generally in terms of learners being able to transfer or
use their learning in real-life situations, and doing this on their own or by themselves.
Modules shall be used as learning materials. These are arranged following the
phases of learning for understanding. The intention here is to guide learning from
acquisition of facts and information, to the processing or making sense of these to make
meanings or understandings, and culminating in the transfer of learning or
understanding to real-life situations.
The tasks as contained in the learning materials are aligned with the standards and
are differentiated according to the capacity of learners. Learners have the option to
begin with simple tasks and then proceed to performing more challenging ones. They
are not prevented, though, from proceeding right away to challenging tasks if they feel
they can handle them with confidence.
4. Working with Teacher-Facilitators

When the learners' readiness to learn independently has been established, they are
given the modules (or access to the online learning resources when these are available)
which they can take home. They go through the materials to have a sense of the
coverage. Then, they are introduced to the teacher-facilitators assigned to them for
assistance should there be questions or clarifications that they need to be addressed.
The learners then submit a learning plan, stating their learning goals and timetable for
achieving this, to the teacher-facilitators assigned to them. The purpose is to develop
among learners personal accountability for their own learning. Facilitators will track
learners' progress based on their learning plans. (Templates are available for this
purpose.)
Teacher-facilitators will schedule a period of interaction with learners, the frequency
of which will depend on need. The interaction may be face-to-face, online, or any means
available. The purpose is to ensure that learners are making progress and the
appropriate intervention or assistance is provided on a timely basis.
5. Assessments

16
Assessments are a critical component of the learning materials. The emphasis is on
formative or developmental assessment as a quality assurance tool.The guidelines in
assessing and rating learning follow those prescribed for the formal system.
Acceleration, however, is allowed for those who are advanced or who have completed
the requirements of the subject.

Issues and Challenges

The Open High School was designed originally as an alternative learning system for
those who are unable to start or complete secondary education due to problems of time,
distance, education design, physical impairment, or financial difficulties, and for those
living in areas of conflict. This design inadvertently created the impression that the
program was for at-risk students only.

This year, however, an honors program has been introduced to attract students who
are high performing, they being the most ready for independent learning. This is where
aggressive marketing of the program is needed as many parents are still reluctant to put
their children in an alternative delivery mode of learning, the belief being that the only
way to learn is by going to school.
The system is learner-centered and makes use of a wide range of teaching-leaming
strategies through a combination of print and non-print media. This is ideal if the
students can have access to a variety of multi-media materials so that learning can
become truly multi-channel. As it were, the system as applied in the public schools is
heavily dependent on modules as the basic mode of instructional delivery. This limits
students' access to the vast body of knowledge that would otherwise be available via
digital media.

Lessons and Insights

The program was initially micro-tested in a number of schools and was
subsequently revised to address some implementation issues. The revisions were
based on lessons and insights gained from the micro-testing.
One critical lesson is that self-directed learning, as a basic feature of the Open High
School Program, is ideal if students can indeed learn on their own, this implies that a lot
of capacity-building will need to happen before learners can be certified as ready for
independent learning. Experience has shown that those children who drop out or who
are out-of-school are usually incapable of learning on their own. Thus, as a safety net,
the program provides tutorials and intensive teacher guidance and monitoring until such
time when the learner can demonstrate capacity for independent learning.
Automatically putting at-risk students in the alternative delivery mode of learning on
the assumption that this is what they need in order to complete their basic education
outside of a formal school structure suffers from a too linear view of the problem of
school dropouts. Research has shown and, as our experience in' working with public
secondary schools reveals, that the problem is brought on by a host of factors, hence
the dropOut intervention cannot certainly be limited to how education is delivered.

17
 What has emerged from the experience of public secondary schools and their
communities is an integrated, systemic and collaborative approach to dropout reduction
that recognizes the uniqueness and capacities of schools and is personalized and
customized to the needs of at-risk students as it addresses the specific causes of
dropping out.
Necessarily, schools must own the program. Normally, schools would be assigned
to participate in the try-out. We learned, however, that success rate can be high if the
schools themselves volunteer to get involved. Thus, when the program was revised, the
criteria for participation were likewise refined and true enough when the invitation was
issued to the field, many schools even from far-flung areas signed up.
Moreover, in order to ensure that the program is sustained, the community must be
made to own it. The public schools do not have the resources to support multi-channel
learning. Thus, it will benefit the learners if the school can establish partnership with
non-government organizations, the local government unit, and the parents for additional
resources for learning. One of the requirements asked of participating schools is the
certification of financial support from the local government unit. Another requirement is
that the community must make available to the learners its facilities for off-school
learning. In addition, parents or guardians are required to co-sign with the learners the
learning contract with the school in order to establish joint responsibility for learning.
Lastly, a rigid monitoring and evaluation system must be in place in order to ensure
that learners have mastered the tools of learning how to learn and that they have the
capacity to benefit from the system. It is not enough that learners are given the
materials for learning. The school must be able to keep track of the learners' progress
and apply the appropriate intervention when necessary.

1. Schools is no longer a place, but a process that can take place anytime, anywhere
and which must be made available to anyone. School is an open learning system that
will make education accessible to everyone, and will recognize learning regardless of
how and where it is acquired.

2. Learners who wish to participate in the Open High School Program go through the
following steps:

a) Take the Independent Learning Readiness Assessment

 Learners, who are not yet ready for independent learning, are placed in the
transition program which provides a bridging curriculum focused on the
development of the learning-to-learn skills.

 Learners who are assessed to be almost ready for independent learning, they may
be placed in the blended learning program , a combination of school based, face-to-
face learning and distance learning or home schooling.

 Learners who are ready for independent learning may do the entire curriculum on
their own, or be home-schooled and may seek teacher's guidance or help from
experts or resource persons in the community if they want to do so.

b.) Sign the Learning Contract

18
 The learners and their parents or guardians sign a learning contract with the school
after they have been oriented on the mechanics and requirements of the curriculum.

c.) Go through the learning process independently through the use of modules or
with teacher-facilitators.
3. Learners of the OHSP go through the same core curriculum as the formal school
system. They are subjected to the same guidelines on assessment and grading system.

4. OHSP is not only for students at-risk. It is for all students including high performing
who actually are most ready for independent learning.

5. For OHSP to succeed, the following conditions are necessary:

 The learners must be ready for self-directed learning.

 The program must be owned by the school and community.
 A rigid monitoring and evaluation system must be in place and so the school
 must be able to keep track of the learners' progress and apply the appropriate
intervention when necessary.
ASSESSMENT
1. Discuss your views or opinions about the Open High School Program (15pts)
2. By means of the graphic organizer given below, give the conditions that must be
present for OHSP to succeed (10 pts.)

Success of
OHSP

TOPIC 5: CURRICULAR LANDSCAPE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

At the end of this module the students shall have:

1. described the emerging curricula for the 21st century teachers and learners.
2. identified skills necessary to address the 21st century curriculum.
3. practiced values reflective of the needs for 21st century teaching and learning.

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INTRODUCTION
The dramatic technological revolution ushered the new millennium. Global society is
now in the midst of diverse, complex, media-saturated environment. We are faced with
emerging issues like global warning, poverty, health issues, population explosion and
many more. However emerging technologies and globalization provide possibilities for
new developments like non-conventional sources of energy, advances in medical care,
communications, and exploration in space and into the depths of the ocean as well as
restoration of our damaged environment.
To address the dawning of the millennium, what should the 21st century education
be? According to www.21st Century Schools, 2008, education should be "bold that
breaks away from the mold". It will be flexible, creative, challenging and complex. It
should address a rapidly changing world, filled with new problems but with new
possibilities.
How then should the curriculum for the 21st century look like? What are the
elements of the 21st century curriculum?
These are difficult questions to answer, however, this special topic will attempt to
approximate a landscape that would most likely describe the curriculum in the current
century. The scenario is based on the global education trends as influenced by the
current and future worldwide needs developments.
The Context:
Some of the emerging factors or conditions frequently mentioned in various fora,
discussion, dialogues that will shape the curriculum of the century include the following:
 Globalization of economies where power is centered in Asia with China leading

 Dependence on international markets that need global perspectives from

entrepreneurs and workers

 Increased concern and positive actions about environment degradation, water and
energy shortage, global pandemics (AIDS, flu, others) - A curriculum Is needed that
requires knowledge of local and environmental issues. openness to change habits
to promote sustainability.

 Nations competing for power. This would require understanding for the need to build
alliances, understand the factors that generate conflict and mistrust, and find
solutions to there. Is a need for a curriculum that accommodates cultural diversity
and differences,

 Internationalization of employment due to increased global migration, increased

opportunities for working overseas, greater need to have multinational work teams.
s requires a curriculurn that develops higher cultural awareness and sophisticated
interpersonal skills.

 Science and technology edge as drivers of gaining economic edge

 The knowledge economy as the generator of most wealth and jobs - This would
necessitate a curriculum that will enhance the capacity to identify problems, work In
multi-disciplinary teams to find solutions, manage complex tasks and synthesize
ideas to communicate effectively.

20
 In short, the 21st century curriculum, shall prepare every learner for individual
success in order to contribute to a vibrant society and a robust economy of the world. It
will be a curriculum that will inspire and challenge lifelong learners to prepare for now
and the future.
Thus the 21st century curriculum would depend on an integrative approach -one
that unites core academic subjects, interdisciplinary themes, essential skills in which
modern pedagogies, technologies, resources and contexts work-together to prepare
students for modern life (Partnership 21st Century Skills, 2007).

A. Emerging Curricula for the 21st Century Learners

What curricula should schools have for the 21st century?
Curricularists say that the 21 st Century curricula should be inspiring and
challenging for both the teachers and learners. ACARA in 2012 mentions the following
characteristics of a curriculum:
 It should provide appropriate knowledge, skills, understanding and capabilities to
face the future with confidence. (interdisciplinary, connected to the community
(local, national, global).

 It should be based on strong evidence drawn from research. (research driven)

 It should be a product of highly consultative, collaborative development process.

(co-development)

 It is a curriculum that supports excellence and equity for all learners. (multicultural)

 It is accessible and ready for schools, teachers, parents and the broader
community. (sustainable)

If we want to see the future through our curriculum, then we need to present the three
big questions and relate these to a curriculum blueprint as the guidepost.
 What are we trying to achieve through the curriculum?

 How do we need to organize the curriculum to achieve these aims?

 How effectively do we evaluate the impact of curriculum and continuously improve

on it?

A curriculum blue print is a tool that guides curriculum makers and users in their
journey to achieve the goal. At the heart of this journey is the LEARNER. Each trigger
question What, How, Who, Where, and men will always refer to the heart of the journey,
the learner.

21
 A curriculum for the 21st century learners should nurture each learner to his/her full
potential, discover talents and to develop a passion for life-long learning. It should be a
curriculum which is strong in the core areas of literacy, numeracy and scientific literacy
as these core areas provide the foundation of future learning. There shall be reinforced
humanities to develop learners' ability to understand and appreciate different
perspectives, as well as nurture cultural sensitivities and civic awareness.
Perkins in Jacobs (1989) mentioned that a curriculum must go beyond content
knowledge with strong emphasis on the 21st century skills. In this situation, perhaps,
learners will have fewer pages from printed materials to read or topics to be covered,
but they will be learning even more. Curriculum is not textbook-driven or fragmented,
instead it is thematic and integrated. Knowledge is not memorization of facts and figures
but are constructed through investigation and inquiry, the results of which are connected
to previous knowledge, personal experiences, interests, and talents. Assessment is
authentic and requires real-world audiences.
Thus, from the descriptions of two contrasting classrooms, the critical attributes of the
21st century curriculum and education are:
 integrated and Interdisciplinary

 global classrooms/globalization

 student-centered research-driven

 technologies and media

 21st Century Skills

 relevant, rigorous and real world

 adapting to and creating constant personal and social change and lifelong learning

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B. Skills for the 21st Century Learners and Teachers

To study and work in an environment of the 21st century, learners and teachers
should embrace the necessary skills to address the need of the millennium. These
include among others (1) literacy, (2) numeracy, (3) information and communication
technology competence, (4) ethical behavior, (5) personal and social competence and
(6) intercultural understanding.

23
 Multi-literacies embrace overaching clusters that would address the different life
skills, not merely reading, writing and math. These literacies include media literacy,
financial literacy, arts and creativity, ecoliteracy, cyberliteracy, physical fitness and
health literacies, globalization and multicultural literacies and social/emotional literacies
(McLeod, S., 2008 in 21st Century Schools).
Building the Learning Society for the 21st Century implies assembling a coalition
that can draw innovations from all sectors of society for the benefit of learners. It needs
to mobilize new structures, new approaches and new technology to deliver a new
balance of skills to a lifelong learning population. (Cisco, 2010 as mentioned by
Cadwell, B and Lungmuir, F, 2010).
In the same report of the Learning Society, eight skills were identified as required for
learners of the 21 st Century. The list include the following skills to:
 gather, analyze, and synthesize information

 work independently to a high standard with minimal supervision

 lead others through influence

 be creative and turn such creativity into action

 think critically and ask the right questions

 understand others' perspectives and the entirety of the issue

 communicate effectively using technology

 work ethically, firmly based in both the society and the planet as a whole.

These were renamed as survival skills by Tony Wagner (2006) in his book, The Global
Achievement Gap as:
 critical thinking and problem solving

 collaboration across networks and leading by influence

 agility and adaptability

 initiative and entrepreneurship

 effective oral and written communication

 aaccessing and analyzing information

 curiosity and imagination

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 According to Howard Gardner (2006) from his book, Five Minds Of the Future, he
sees that the future demands five frames of thinking which would help in the
development of the necessary thinking skills. He summarized these as follows:

 The Disciplined Mind: makes use of the ways of thinking necessary for major
scholarly work and professions.

 The Synthesizing Mind: selects crucial information from the voluminous amounts
available, processing such information in ways that make sense to self and to
others.

 The Creating Mind: goes beyond existing knowledge and syntheses to pose new
questions, offer new solutions, fashion works that stretch the current genres or
configure new ones.

 The Respectful Mind: sympathetically and constructively adjusts to differences

among individuals and among groups; seeks to understand and work with those
who are different and extends beyond mere tolerance and political awareness.

 The Ethical Mind: abstracts crucial features of one's role to work and one's role as a
citizen consistently with those conceptualization, and strives toward good work and
good citizenship.

25
 Following the multiple intelligence theory, Howard Gardner presents an explanation
that each frame of thinking is attributable to the type of mind the learner has to use
inorder to survive the future.
Skills for learning necessary are Information and Communication Skills which
include media literacy, information literacy and ICT literacy. Thinking and problem
solving skills mentioned earlier that include critical thinking and systems thinking,
problem identification, formulation and solution, creativity and intellectual curiosity.
Interpersonal and self-directional skills, include flexibility and adaptability, initiative and
self-direction, social and cross-cultural skills, productivity and accountability and
leadership and responsibility.
What about the future teachers who will be teaching the learners of the 21st
century. What skills should they possess, in addition to the list given.
Are we still using yesterday's tools in the curriculum to teach students for tomorrow?
The choice of instructional tools and strategies is best made on a local level,taking into
account the resources, expertise and learning needs of that particular community of
learners. However, consideration should be made that such tools and strategies can be
accessed by anyone, in a global village.
A number of pedagogical skills should be developed to build learners' competence
in skills, (Bransword, 2000) There are various research-supported approaches that have
been proven to be effective ways of enhancing learning in the curriculum. Among the
many are:

 problem based learning (PBL)

 cooperative learning

 using real world context/experiential learning

 simulations

 re-living historical events

TASK: Building Teaching Resources from the Web (20 pts.)

Search the web and locate these teaching materials (lesson plans,
activities, projects, and power point presentations which you can use when you
teach. Print these resource materials in a long sheets of bond paper for
submission.
C. Core Values at the Heart of the 21st Century Curriculum
For a curriculum to stay, core values should be at its core. National curricula across
the world deliberately embed core values for all learners in their respective country and
as global learners.
Singapore's Ministry of Education (2012) for example, has the following core values
in their 21st Century Curriculum:
 respect—belief in self-worth and intrinsic worth of others;

 responsibility—duty to himself, family, community, nation and the world;

26
 integrity-upholds ethical principles and has the moral courage to stand up for what is
right;

 care—acts with kindness and compassion that contribute to the betterrnent of the
community and the world;

 resilience—emotional strength to manifest courage, optimism, adaptability and

resourcefulness; and

 harmony—seeks inner happiness and promotes social cohesion through unity in

diversity in multicultural society.

Basic education as expressed in the 2002 Philippine Revised Basic Education

Curriculum included four core values that were stated as: Maka-Diyos (pro-God), Maka-
tao (pro-man) Maka-bayan (pro-country) and Maka-kalikasan (pro-nature). In the
current K to 12 curriculum, in Values Education, at the core are Respect and Truth,
Love and Goodwill, Spirituality, Justice, Respect of Nature, Nationhood and Peace.
The core values mentioned above are examples that are shown in the national
curriculum of the two countries, which address the 21st century.
EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS:
The curriculum of the 21st century guides teachers and learners on how to navigate
their future. We have to reflect on our current educational practices that should respond
to the need of the times, otherwise, we will be left behind. Future teachers, will be
handling learners who are "digital natives" and digital learners, who are capable of multi
tasking, who are insatiable in searching and generating knowledge, who look for
evidence, and deliver outcomes.
The speed to the future is very fast. The world has become "flat". Education has
become borderless. Events are seen in real time. Multiple problems arise, likewise
multiple possibilities and solutions evolve. The ways of doing and assessing have
changed. In the new millennium, knowledge is power.
Schools must change its paradigm. Classrooms should be designed differently. Tools
and methods of teaching which have become irrelevant and ineffective should be
replaced. Teachers have to update, enhance and develop in order to catch up with the
21 st century skills.
All of these and many more are the challenges of the 21 st century curriculum.
I need to remember the following:
Concepts:
 21 st century curriculum demands 21 st century skills.

 21 st century curriculum is holistic, and integrative.

 21 st century curriculum focuses on essentials and deep understanding

 21st century curriculum respects diversity of culture and national boundaries and
enhances sustainability.

 21st century curriculum recognizes the five frames of the minds (discipline mind,
creating mind, respectful mind and respectful mind) which are necessary for thinking

27
 21st century curriculum develops learning skills; literacy skills, life skills, and citizen
skills (Survival skills)

 21 st century curriculum is anchored on universal core values.

 21 st century curriculum requires 21st century teachers.

 21 st century curriculum responds to globalization.

 21 st century curriculum defines education of the future.

Skills:
1. 21st century skills require higher level of thinking skills, doing skills and valuing skills.

2. 21st century skills refer to what can be utilized by both the teacher and learners in
understanding, creating and innovating.

3. Literacy in the 21st century goes beyond the fundamentals of listening, reading,
writing, speaking, and viewing but includes media literacy, information literacy, digital
literacy as well as content mastery. This refers to multi-literacies.

Values:
1. Core values are rooted in the 21st century curriculum.

2. National curriculum differs in the core values which is informed by the country's
vision, aspiration and culture.

3. Universal core values of the 21st century curriculum transcends nations.

Back to the Future: The Higher Education Curriculum in the 21st Century David Bridge
School of Education and Professional Development
University of Englia, Norwick, UK
Cambridge Journal Of Education, Vol. 30. No. 1, 2000

ABSTRACT
This paper begins by reviewing some of the dramatic changes which have been
taking place in higher education in recent years and which are disrupting the traditional
identities of place, of time and of the scholarly and student communities. These are
producing for the 21st century a higher education system which operates under a
greater variety of conditions than ever before (part-time/ full-time,
work-based/institution-based, face-to-face/ delivered at a distance, etc.) and which
brings with it a student experience and an informal curriculum, which are both changed
and increasingly diverse. The paper then looks more specifically at the competing
epistemologies which are struggling to shape the formal undergraduate curriculum of
the 21st century: the deconstruction of the subject, as reflected in, for example, the
modularisation of the curriculum; the cross-curricular 'key' skills movement; the learning
through experience movement and the shift of the seat of learning outside the academy;
the profoundly disruptive potential of web-based learning. It observes too, however, the
continuing power of the subject as a form of academic and organisational identity and

28
the way in which the current dynamics of the research assessment exercise, the Quality
Assurance Agency subject review process and even the Higher Education Funding
Council' s strategy for teaching and learning are working to reinforce the subject as the
unit of organisation in higher education. It is this that prompts the hint in the title that the
future may contain elements of familiarity as well as radical change.
ASSESSMENT
1. As a future teacher, how will you address the K to 12, considering knowledge,
skills and values you learned from this special topic? (20 pts.)
2. Are you ready to embark on the 21st Century Curriculum as a Teacher?
( Answer honestly the items by making a check mark on the column of your
choice)
Item Ready Not
Are you ready to do this with learners in your classroom? Ready
1. Use electronic gadgets such as computers and cellphones.
2. Locate necessary information from the worldwide web.
3. Accommodate all kinds of learners in your classroom.
4. Communicate to diverse learners in at least three languages.
5. Assess learning outcomes in both pencil-paper and authentic
ways.
6. Integrate other concepts from other subjects to your lesson
when necessary.
7. Allows learners to communicate freely but with respect.
8. Welcome participation of parents in all curricular activities.
9. Conduct action research with the learners and peers.
10. Bring the world to your classroom and your classroom to the
world.

TOPIC 6: THE TEACHER AS ACTION RESEARCHER

At the end of this Module the learner shall have:
1. enhanced competencies in conducting action research
2. operationalized action research as a determinant to effective teaching and classroom
management.

The Department of Education, in collaboration with government and nongovernment

agencies and stakeholders, has developed the K to 12 Basic Education Program. At the
start of School Year 2012-2013 two components of the Program have been launched:
 the Universal Kindergarten Education Program institutionalizing kindergarten as
"mandatory and compulsory for entrance in Grade l" per R.A. 10175; and

 the roll-out implementation of Grade I and Grade 7 in the K to 12 Program.

From the perspective of action research, the teachers, as well as instructional

leaders (school heads, education supervisors, district supervisors, department heads) it
becomes imperative to analyze existing practices and identify elements for change. An
optimistic view is laid down: action research can help teachers feel in control of
their professional practice.
Dr. Stephen Waters-Adams (2006) clarifies the use of action research, to wit:
Because you want to change your practice, you may be concerned that things might
not be going as you wish, or you may need to implement a new initiative but you are
unsure how to do it effectively. Bhat you want is a way of sorting out these concerns

29
that offers practical solutions, but that derives from the specific circumstances of your
practice. You know that someone else's solution may have merit, but that it is never
quite right for the individual situation within which you work You know that practice is
always influenced by context.

With the roll-out implementation of Grades I and 7 in the Kt012 program, action
research (Corr & Kemnies, 1986) can be used to:
 understand one's own practice.

A. What is action research?

Lawrence Stenhouse advocated that "it is rot enough that teachers' work should be
studied: they need to study it themselves" 1975, p. 143). As its name suggests,
Stenhouse emphasized that action reserch concems actors -- the teachers carrying out
their professional actions day to day. It is a research by practitioners, themselves on
their own practice; it is grounded in the working lives of teachers, their learners and
problems encountered and experienced. Carr and Kemmis (1986) describe action
research as being about:
 the improvement of practice,'
 the improvement of the understanding of practice;
 the improvement of the situation in which the practice lakes place.

Action research can be used to investigate everyday issues and problems

experienced by teachers. The following may help the teachers reflect on their concern
to improve the teaching-learning process:
 structured or semi-structured interviews

 class records

30
 audio and video tape recording

 field notes

 written and art work

 observation in the classroom, playing field, school canteen

TASK:
List at least 2 questions/concerns which may be topics for classroom-based
action research. (10pts.)
The action researcher views the classroom as "a small society with patterns and
beliefs, power relationship and standards for academic performance and student
behavior. Moral climate influences classroom environment."
Teachers as action researchers engage in continuous professional inquiry. "They
are students of teaching who observe others teach, have others observe them, talk
about teaching and help other teachers. In short they are professionals." (Baith, 1990).
The Department of Education includes conducting action research as one of the
duties and responsibilities of a teacher. It is, likewise, included as a Plus Factor in the
Competency-Based Performance Appraisal for Teachers (CB-PAST).

D. Action Research as Professional Inquiry

What is action research about? Action research is viewed as a practical approach to
professional inquiry. There is a particular relevance to teachers engaged in their daily
contact with the learners.
Action research did not arise in education (Lewin 1948), but was applied to the
development of teaching as its potential was identified. Of particular influence was the
work of Lawrence Stenhouse, who famously advocated that: curriculum research and

31
development ought to belong to the teacher: (Stenhouse, 1975 p. 142). He was most
adamant that "it is not enough that teachers; work should be studied: they need to study
it themselves" (p. 143).
Action research may be quantitative and qualitative. The anathema to action
research results from the misconception of pure academic research as in thesis writing.
Action research is NOT what usually comes to mind when we hear the word
"research." Action research is not a library project where we learn more about a topic
that interests us. It is not problem-solving in the sense of trying to find out what is
wrong, but rather a quest for knowledge about how to improve. Action research is not
about doing research on or about people, or finding all available information on a topic
looking for the correct answers. It involves people working to improve their skills,
techniques, and strategies. Action research is not about learning why we do certain
things, but rather how we can do things better. It is about how we can change
instruction to impact students.

Action research has shown that teachers who plan with regard to students' abilities
and needs and who are flexible while teaching are more effective than teachers who are
tightly focused on behavioral objectives and coverage of facts. 1983).
Studies have found that "flexibility, adaptability, and creativity are among the most
important determinants of teachers' effectiveness". Teachers claim that if they cannot

32
connect with students' interests, needs, experiences, and motives, effective teaching
that leads to student engagement and learning cannot occur.
Action Research (Ferrance, 2000), an edition in a series of "Themes in Education"
shared that collegial interactions and reflections allow teachers to grow and gain
confidence in their work. Studies confirm that when action research becomes part of the
school culture, teachers learn more about themselves, their students, their colleagues;
there is an increased sharing and collaboration across departments, discipline, grade
levels, and schools.
Teachers who attended trainings in action research shared their experiences (Stories
from the Field, Action Research) as follows:

33
 By doing our own action research we could gain a better perspecme into our own teaching and the students
learning. The changes that we would make in our teaching would come out of our own work Perhaps most
importantly, we would be working as a community of learners,

During the conference, we began to talk about a group of bilingual Cambodian students in our third and
fourth grades who were non-readers. Most of them are new to our school They would; of course, be referred to
special education for testing. The truth is, we see students such as these just about every yean At this age; time is
short and the testing process is time consuming Even when the testing is completed, we still need to develop a
program for them. Action research would prc,ide us the opportunity to try different strategies and see which ones
actually brought about significant change for our students

Over time, I came to see that action research demands the skills of two types of professionals: teachers who work
in the trenches every day, and educational researchers who can help us to assess our teaching in a way that gives
us meaningful information. Teaching, is, after all, quite subjective Our consultant helped us in the initial stages to
become aware of the need to conduct consistent data collection. He also helped me to think more about the
instruments of assessment I choose so that I am clearly witnessing the results of student change and not of
differing conditions. (Source: Rebecca Wisniewksi Charlotte Murkland School, Sowell, Massachusetts)

What makes action research so powerful? As a team, we interviaved our students and asked for their views on
urhich of our strategies helped them to become stronger readers. It is powerful to listen to students. Even as
seasoned teachers, we can make wrong assumptions about how a child is learning.

(Source: Rebecca Wisniewksi Charlotte Murkland School, Sowell, Massachusetts)

I documented student progress quantitatively and qualitatively on each element of their tasks. That is, I
counted and recorded the number of pages read during the 10-minute period and the number of words written
during the remaining 40 minutes. Qualitatively speaking, I was able to document students ' abilities to summarize,
relate the reading to their personal lives, and express their ideas in writing. I also began to document student
errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling and to use student work as the basis of explicit instruction of common
areas of weakness.

In the course of the past year, the students in this class have improved dramatically, as action research has
allowed me to address their needs and to document their progress. This has felt especially significant in the current
atmosphere of accountability. When testing time comes, I certainly hope that my students will be deemed "at
standard"; but if they are not, I will know more about their progress than the simple fact that they have failed. I
will know what they still need to teach the next level and how I can best help them to get there. Action research
has allowed me to see the bigger picture in my work.

(Source: Julie Noa. Roger William Middle School. Providence, Rhode Island 2004)

34
ASSESSMENT
1. Explain the importance of conducting action research? (10 pts.)
2. Research and print a sample of an action research conducted by a classroom
teacher. Read thoroughly and answer the following questions: (15 pts.)
a. What was the existing condition or problem encountered by the teacher?
b. What was the action/s or interventions applied by the teacher?
c. Describe the result of the actions or interventions made by the teacher.

TOPIC 7: SPIRAL PROGRESSION IN SCIENCE, A NEW FEATURE IN THE K to 12

CURRICULUM
At the end of this module, the learners shall have:
1. described a spiral progression approach

35
 2. discussed how concepts and skills and attitudes are sequenced to show
integration and a vertical continuity; and
3. designed a spiral curriculum in science.

INTRODUCTION
Today, everyone is highly motivated and interested to try the adoption of a spiral
curriculum in Science and Math Education. A CEAP-NBEC's Basic Education Summit,
held on February 20, 2012, headlined that "K to 12 will strengthen the Science and Math
Education". It cited the use of special progression in developing a spiral curriculum in
Science. Accordingly such an approach will:
 avoid disjunctions between stages of schooling

 allow learners to learn topics and skills appropriate to their development/ cognitive
stages

 strengthen retention and mastery of topics and skills as they are revisited and
consolidated.

In its comparison in the learning areas, the proposed K to 12 uses a) integration

and content-based instruction in K, Grades 1,2 and b) uses spiral progression approach
from Gr. 3-10. For the senior high school (Grades 11-12), it uses the discipline-based
approach.
DISCUSSION
The basic idea behind the spiral progression approach is to expose the learners
to a wide variety of concepts/topics, skills and attitudes that are deemed of "continual
concern of everyone" until they are mastered. Then they are revisited in a more formal
way and are carried one step higher to a new level, at the same time connecting them
to other knowledge, thus ending with a broader level of comprehensiveness. As the
learners continue upwards, new knowledge and skills are introduced in subsequent
lessons, resulting in a reinforcement of previously learned information.
The spiral progression technique facilitates the structuring of a spiral curriculum.
THE SPIRAL CURRICULUM
A spiral curriculum design is one in which "key concepts are presented
repeatedly throughout the curriculum, but with deepening layers of complexity." Such
treatment proposes to make students repeat the study of a subject at different grade
levels. The concepts/topics are systematically reintroduced at every academic level,
thus considering their developmental stages, In so doing' they Iearn through repetition.
Topics are introduced as a start and as they move on, the next lesson will be
introduced, at the same time reviewing on the previous lesson.
After a mastery of the initial topic, the student "spirals upwards" as the new
knowledge is introduced in next lessons, enabling him/her to reinforce what is already
learnt. In the end, a rich breadth and depth of knowledge is achieved.
With this procedure, two purposes are served: 1.) the previously learned concept
is reviewed, hence improving its retention, 2.) the topic may be progressively elaborated
when it is reintroduced leading to a broadened understanding and transfer of learning,
The spiral curriculum concept was proposed by Bruner, 1996. In structuring a
course, certain perquisite knowledge and skills must first be mastered which in turn
provides linkages between each lesson as the student "spirals upwards" in a course of

36
study. This process became a strong support of a spiral curriculum model in the 1980s.
The spiral curriculum design features and end stage of eventual mastery of the structure
of a large body of knowledge.
The science curriculum in the K to 12 curriculum presents concepts and skills in
Life Sciences, Physics, Chemistry and Earth Science. The concepts are presented with

increasing levels of complexity from one grade level to another following the spiral

progression approach. Furthermore, the concepts from the four sciences are presented
in an integrated manner thus ensuring a holistic leaming of the environment and well-
rounded application of skills to real life.

The learning spiral is a curriculum design framework which will help science
teachers construct lessons, activities or projects that target the development of thinking
skills and dispositions which do not stop at identification, instead facilitate
Implementation of the desired performance.
The learning spiral is a curriculum design tool which will help develop concrete
and practical thinking-centered lessons that make students' performances of
understanding explicit, it may be used to structure an entire project which can readily fit
into the regular curriculum and can help design thinking-centered lessons.

37
 Today, more than at any other time, science teachers are faced with the ultimate
challenge of producing responsible learners who : a) learn how to learn, b)access
updated information, c) apply what is learned and d) address complex real-world
problems in order to be successful. The teachers' academic goal is to make students
independent lifelong learners.

Equipped with an adequate continuum of knowledge and proficiency in preparing

a curriculum consisting of an integrated and a vertically deepening knowledge-search
and understanding gives an assurance of a "strengthened" science curriculum as
envisioned by the K to 12 Basic Education Program.
This learner-centered approach is now becoming a key in our present globalized
education, which is characterized by: 1) Learn with focus on the learners and 2)
Learning in a real situation as the teachers facilitate their students to learn from
experience, activities and work, leading to -the development of learners in all aspects
physical, mental or emotional, social and intellectual.
In adopting the spiral approach, the teachers will be enriched with varied
experiences in preparing every science lesson and curriculum a proper blending of
concepts, skills and values from the natural and' physical sciences and appropriately
sequenced from a start upward according to the level of difficulty. Henceforth, science
textbook developers and writers will be fully guided in directing efforts and resources
towards a "cycled curriculum" which will easily lead to specializations in science and
technology, achieving high academic standards especially in Science, mathematics and
English at all levels.
Not to be missed is the timely training of science teachers in preparing spirally
structured lessons and activities, thus contributing to the enhancement of the science
curriculum and course of study for lifelong learning and total development.
Teachers will to interact with their in situations, at the encouraging them to
develop their potentials to the highest level possible,
From the above example of a spiral curriculum in the science, a science teacher
will be able to afford students with the much-needed of concepts that are clearly
spiraled that is vertically across levels. There is a continuous organization of concepts
and skills with an increasing complexity, from a lower grade to a higher one, meaning a
higher level of difficulty and in breadth and depth.
One should always remember that one keeps moving upward, but keeps
returning to the fundamentals through reviews but adding more.
The spiral approach is recommended in developing and presenting science
lessons and curriculum to attain a full understanding, development of thinking skills and
assurance of a life-long search for knowledge. In science education, such a learner_
centered approach will at all-time focus on: the learner in a real environment, thus
learning from experience, activities and work.
The spiral approach was compared to the traditional sometimes called mastery
approach. In the spiral approach, the student learns through repetition, that is, the topics
are taught once and move on. The next lesson will review the previously taught concept
as the new one is being introduced. Generally, a wider variety of concepts are covered,
unlike in the mastery approach wherein the students "mastered" a concept in order to
be able to do more advanced concepts. They spend much time to master a concept
before moving on to the next topic.

38
 Bruner (1977) emphasized the gains that can be acquired by developing
students' powers of analysis, judgement and memory in order to increase capacity to
transfer leaming into new situations. Thus, the spiral curriculum approach is to be
encouraged. However, this must constitute more than merely a change in rhetoric. It
must be able to help students in learning how to learn, developing their metacognitive
skills and becoming increasingly sophisticated across grades as topics and skills are
developed. The idea of transfer of learning is particularly important.
Bruner's idea was that transfer of thinking processes from one context to another
required students to learn the fundamental principles of subjects and to explore ideas
on a deeper level rather than just mastering facts and rote learning procedures. He
believed the curriculum should revisit the basic ideas, repeatedly building upon them
until the student understands them fully -- the spiral curriculum. When this is
implemented it is essential that assessment accompanies this process and enables the
developmental continum of increasing sophistication in understanding and application to
be demonstrated. Without assessment being built into this process it is unlikely that a
spiral curriculum will be correctly implemented. In addition to including assessment in
curriculum changes it is also essential that teachers are able to work with this approach
to teaching and learning. The figure below illustrates how the three are interconnected.
Changing the curriculum without altering an approach to assessment to ensure that the
changes in thinking and transfer are emphasized may not lead to change. It is also
essential that teachers are shown how to introduce a new curriculum with its emphasis
on facilitation and assessment of higher order thinking and transfer skills. Without
changes in assessment and teaching, changes in curriculum can be regressive.
In the spiral progression approach, the first basic facts of a subject are learned
without worrying about d introduced, while at th etails. As learning progresses, more
and more details are emphasized many times e for same mastery.time they are related
to the basics which are re-
This means that teachers cover the same topics several years in a row, teaching
them progressively everytime. Thus in science a child learns about living things (human,
animals and plants) from Grade 3 up to Grade 10 with the lesson becoming more
complex across the grades.
TASK:
Prepare an example of a spiral progression in Grade 4 Science. (15 points)
In spiral teaching teacher moves upward but keeps returning to the
fundamentals.
Abstract:
National and International assessments indicate that U.S. students lose ground in
mathematics as they progress into middle and high school. It is suggested that the
organization of traditional mathematics textbooks, which form the backbone of
mathematics instruction, hinders acquisition of the foundational skills necessary for
success in higher mathematics, thereby leading to low math performance. Traditional
mathematics textbooks are organized into a spiral design where many topics are
covered, but none are covered in depth. An alternative to the spiral organization, which
is unique to Direct Instruction programs, is the strand design. Textbooks organized
around a strand design focus on a relatively small number of topics over a long period
of time. As topics are mastered, they are integrated into new strands that represent
increasingly complex mathematical concepts. This article examines the disadvantages

39
of the spiral design and shows how organizing textbooks into strands can increase the
effectiveness of mathematics curricula.
Source: Snider, V. E., & Crawford, D. (2004). Mathematics. In N. E. Marchand-Martella,
T. A. Slocum, & R. C. Martella (Eds.), Introduction to Direct Instruction (pp.206245).
Boston: Allyn & Bacon
ASSESSMENT
Why spiral progression approach is more beneficial than the discipline-
based approach? (15 pts.)

TOPIC 8: EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

At the end of this module the learners shall have;
1. identified the early childhood education in our country
2. discussed the issues about early childhood education in our country; and
3. wrote an advocacy paper about early childhood education in the
Philippines.
INTRODUCTION
This Module is aimed at providing the readers basic information about various
aspects and initiatives related to early childhood education in our country. This is not an
exhaustive discussion of specific programs or practices. It serves as a sort of an
introduction that will hopefully encourage you to explore and learn more after reading
this. Direct your attention on the words printed in bold within the paragraphs. These are
the ones you can google to immerse yourself more.
Successful nations have one thing in common—they invest heavily on educating
their young children. Countries like the United States, Great Britain, and Australia have
in place government programs that focus on early childhood education. The United
States, for instance have comprehensive programs like the Chicago Child-Parent
Center, Perry Pre-school, and Carolina Abecedarian Projects. These programs
targeted children in poverty. Findings of longitudinal studies decades later, point out to
the positive impact these programs made in the lives of these children who are now
adults.
Around the world, the scope of early childhood education accepted is that
education provided from ages 0-8. This is It therefore covers education provided for
infants, toddlers (1-2 year olds), preschooler (3-4 year olds), kindergarteners (5-year
olds) and primary-schoolers (6-8 year olds).
Numerous articles and papers in early childhood point out to the importance of
the early childhood as a very crucial foundational stage on which later development
depend. The readings take on different areas such as, among others, the socio-
emotional domain focusing on importance of nurturing relationships, the physical
domain that discusses how environmental factors can actually influence gene
expression. Below is a summary from the Center for Excellence in Early Childhood
development in Canada:
Human capital interventions should include, in addition to cognition and "academic
smarts ", social adaptability and motivation. (James J. Heckman)
"From pregnancy through early childhood, all of' the environments in which children live
and learn, and the quality q/' their relationships with adults and caregivers have a
impact on their cognitive, emotional and Social development. " (Jack P. Shonk0fJ)

40
We know that nurture in early life as well as nature is important in early human
development and that nurture in the early years has major effects on learning in school
and physical and mental health throughout the life cycle. (J. Fraser Mustard)
Experts then expressed how nations and communities should respond:
"As a society, we cannot afford to postpone investing in children until they
become adults, nor can we .wait until they reach school age a time when it may be too
late to intervene. The best evidence supports the policy prescription: invest in the very
young and improve basic learning and socialization skills. (James J. Heckman)
'The basic principles of neuroscience indicate that providing supportive
conditions for early childhood development is more effective and less costly than
attempting to address the consequences Q/' early adversity later. " (Jack P. Shonkoff)
"National policy and economic factors are significant for Early Childhood
Development. Although child development tends to be more successful in wealthy than
poor countries, the priority given to children in social policy can overcome national
poverty in child developmental outcomes. " (Clyde Hertzman)
These quotes came from excellent readings that certainly make everyone see
how vital early childhood education is, and that it is important to act now! In the
Philippines there are different programs that answer the needs for care and education of
children 0-8 years of age.
DISCUSSION
Several national government agencies are involved in early childhood care and
education here in our country. Among these agencies are the Department of Education
(DepEd), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and an inter-agency
council called the Early Childhood Care and Development Council (ECCD). The Local
Government units also play a vital role. The private sector, likewise contributes. The
following paragraphs present some of the initiatives and programs of these agencies
which are considered as key players in the field.
The recent reform in our basic education system, the K to 12 program, directed
our attention to kindergarten education in our country.
In January 2012, RA 10157, otherwise known as the Kindergarten Education
Act, institutionalized the Kindergarten Education into the basic education system of our
country. Kindergarten is now mandatory and compulsory for all 5-year-olds, and is
considered as the first stage of formal education. This law further affirms the country's
belief in early education, stating that,
"Kindergarten is vital to the academic and technical development Of the Filipino
child for it is the period when the young mind's absorptive capacity for learning is at its
sharpest.”
The Kindergarten law also emphasizes that, "It is also the policy of the State to
make education learner-oriented and responsive to the needs, cognitive and cultural
capacity, the circumstances and diversity of learners, schools and communities through
the appropriate languages of teaching and learning.

TASK:
Pretend that you will speak before the Philippine Senate to advocate for
early childhood education. Defend why a substantial budget should be given to

41
early childhood care and education programs. Write your speech which
enumerates at least 5 reasons and elaborate on each one. (15 pts.)

The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Kindergarten

Education indicate that Kindergarten education shall be inclusive. There shall be the
Headstart Program for the Gifted, Early Intervention Program for Children with
Disabilities, Kindergarten Madrasah Program, and Indigenous Peoples (IP) Education.
There will also be a Catch-Up Program for Children under Especially Difficult
Circumstances.
DepED

DepEd formulated the Kindergarten Curriculum Guide which contained the

principles, framework and standards for kindergarten education

It clearly depicts the developmental tasks and milestones of 5 to 6 year-olds and

how educators can guide them to develop holistically.
The framework is composed of two parts. The rectangular figures show the
teaching-learning theoretical bases, beginning with the comprehensive Developmentally
Appropriate Practices (DAP), then to the principles and leading to the approaches. The
circle consists of three main components, (l) developmental domains, (2) learning
areas, and the (3) themes. At the center is the Filipino child who is envisioned to be
functionally literate and holistically developed.
DSWD
Daycare centers in the Philippines, started in 1964 through the assistance of
UNICEF. Since then the number has grown tremendously. There are now more than
49,000 around the country. DSWD supervised thousands of daycare centers . Through
the years, resources and manuals were produced, as well as training programs for day

42
care workers were conducted. The goals centered on both the holistic development of
the child and the family. All these endeavors were in collaboration with different line
agencies like the DSWD, DepEd and Department of Health, and international
organizations such as UNICEF, World Bank and Asian Development Bank. The
University of the Philippines Child Development Center also provided its expertise.
In 1991, the daycare centers were put under the jurisdiction of the local
government units. Local governments units on the provincial and municipal levels have
their own collaborations with government, non-government agencies and educational
institutions for projects that benefit the children and families and the day care workers
as well. For example, the local government of Lipa linked with O.B. Montessori in
developing 98 day care centers into Pagsasarili Preschools (Montessori-Based). The
Quezon City government tapped the expertise of Miriam College in developing a
curriculum and training their daycare workers.
The DSWD has policies and procedures for accrediting daycare centers and
daycare workers. Accreditation is a process when DSWD through its authorized
personnel assess and evaluate whether a daycare center maintains a certain level of
quality. DSWD accreditation covers standards in five areas, namely, (1) advancement of
children's growth and development, (2) partnership with families, community and local
government, (3)human resource development, (4)program management and
administration, and (5) physical environment and safety.
In 2000, RA 8980, otherwise known as the Early Childhood Care and
Development Act or the ECCD Act was passed. It is an Act Promulgating a
Comprehensive Policy and a National System for Early Childhood Care and
Development (ECCD).
Its Declaration of Policy states, It is hereby declared the policy of the State to
promote the rights of children to survival, development and special protection with full
recognition of the nature of childhood and its special needs; and to support parents in
their roles as primary caregivers and as their children's first teachers. The State shall
institutionalize a National System for Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCL))
that is comprehensive, integrative and sustainable, that involves multi-sectoral and
inter-agency collaboration at the national and local levels among government; among
service pproviders, families and communities; and among the public and private
sectors, non-government oorganizations, professional associations, and academic
institutions, This for cultural diversity. promote the inclusion of children with special
needs and advocate respect include delivery for children from conception 10 age six
(6), educating parents ECCD caregivers, encouraging the active involvement of parents
and communities in programs, raising awareness about the importance of ECCD, and
promoting development efforts that improve the quality of life for young children and
families
This law calls for agencies and organizations concerned with early childhood
care and education to work together and harmonize the programs into an effective
ECCD Council
The Early Childhood Care Development Council (ECCD Council) is an
interagency composed of among others, the DSWD, DepEd, Department of Health
(DOH), Nutrition Council of the Philippines, and the Union of Local Authorities in the
Philippines (ULAP). It is under the Office of the President.
The ECCD Council came up with the National Early Learning Framework
(NELF). The NELF provides a body of sixteen (16) general principles as guides on a)

43
child growth and development b) learning program development and (c) learning
assessment development. This framework was also adopted by DepEd in its
Kindergarten framework.
The ECCD Council is also linking with local government units to establish
National Child Development Centers (NCDC). The NCDC's are intended to be model
early childhood centers that will provide quality programs for the children and their
parents.
Private Sector
Over the decades of the past century and up to the present, the private sector
contributed to early childhood education through the private day-cares and preschools
around the country. Many have put up centers or preschools that cater to children
ranging from 1-6.
Private centers/preschools represent a variety of settings, modalities and
approaches. There are those that are church-based, employer-supported, run by non-
government organizations, owned by private individuals as a sole proprietorship or in
partnerships. There are corporate ones that have franchises for branches in different
locations. Other preschools and kindergartens are attached to "big schools" that have
elementary and high-school programs as well. With the changing lifestyles especially in
urban areas, there are centers or preschools now located in shopping malls and
condominiums.
In terms of curriculum approaches, some are early childhood programs which
area academic-oriented, Montessori-based, and to developmental-interaction . Still
others claim to be eclectic, that is, applying the best features of the different
philosophies and approaches. The commonality among these programs using different
approaches that they all work towards the holistic development of the child. All of them
consider the different domains of development and aim to contribute to the development
of each domain,
IMPLICATIONS
 Pre-service teachers should have a thorough understanding Of the young child'»
development and environment, focus needs to be for children ages

 Pre-service teachers need to develop competencies in planning and implementing

an integrated curriculum within the proper context. They need to know the different
curriculum frameworks, especially that Of the ECCD Council and DepEd

 Learn about MTB-MLE. It is already mandated by law that young children be

educated first in the mother tongue. School administrators and teachers should be
equipped with skills and strategies on implementing this.

 Pre-service teachers should develop competencies in the use of creative strategies

that develop the child's critical and creative thinking in the different learning areas,
Strategies that are truly constructivist. Pre-service teachers should be excellent both
in content and pedagogy.

 We need research-oriented, metacognitive and intentional teachers. Research

should inform practice.

 Curriculum planners need to look into the early childhood education major subject
offerings to ensure they target knowledge and competencies that are most crucial
for early childhood practitioners.
44
 Curriculum planners need to provide sufficient experiential learning for preservice
teachers for them to have clear contextual understanding of both global and local
scenarios.

 The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) needs to constantly work in

consultation with "industry", experts and the academe to keep early childhood
education curriculum ever relevant and responsive.

 DSWD, ECCD Council and DepEd should continue to ensure quality of

centers/schools offering early childhood programs. An aligned set of policies and
procedures for licensing and accreditation would be beneficial to program providers.

 The DepEd, CHED and Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) need to take a
unified approach. DepEd policies on teacher standards should be among others, a
basis for the competencies and outcomes targeted by teacher education curricula
mandated by CHED. These same competencies and outcomes should be reflected
in the Table of Specifications that guide the Licensure Examination for Teachers
given by the Professional Regulations Commission Board.

At this point in time, it appears that it is well accepted that early childhood care
and development is very important. Therefore, programs and services must be in place.
However, the vital issue here is Quality. Programs and services not developmentally
appropriate do more harm than good. For example, services mandating that are
kindergarten for all five year olds appears to be good policy, but the question is the
delivery of quality of the kindergarten to all these children. What is necessary to ensure
quality? How can you contribute as a future teacher?
It is also important to have good teacher preparation. Early Childhood Education
teachers have a set of competencies that are necessary to teach children in
developmentally appropriate ways. There might be a good preschool or kindergarten
program, but the heart of it remains to be the teacher. In-service training for those
already teaching is also vital. Each one needs to develop a creative mind that sparks
the children's own, a hand that works hard, and a heart that truly loves the children.
There appears to be a need to have a very strong inter-agency collaboration of
all those concerned in early childhood so all efforts are harmonized. It is common
scenario even in well-organized societies to have different institutions or agencies
having multiple programs. For instance in the United States, the Department of Health
and Human Services DHHS) and the Department of Education (DE) both have
programs that serve the families and children ages 0-5. Headstart is with the DHHS,
while other Pre-k programs are with DE. However, issues still arise specially about
Headstart: Should there be more funding? Should it be under the Department of Health
or Department of Education? Should it be comprehensive, including needs of the
families, or should it be basically be more educational? Similar issues may also be
existing here in the Philippines.
The situation is that there are varied initiatives and programs from agencies and
organizations that may sometimes appear to overlap. Biddle, in her leadership book
identifies relationships, reciprocal learning and reflection as critical elements of
leadership in early childhood education. Everyone needs to take a proactive stand and
appreciate the strengths and expertise that each one brings to the fore. The aim to have
a National Early Childhood Care and Development System is a truly worthwhile
endeavor. Our country has millions of young children. Every organization, every
individual has something to share, for the love of our littlest ones.

45
I need to remember the following:
 Early childhood is a crucial stage in an individual's growth.

 Early childhood education is the first stage of education and is foundational. What
happens here has a strong and lasting impact on learning and development in later
stages.

 Several government agencies , non-government organizations have programs and

projects for early childhood education in our country.

 A wide range of preschool and kindergarten programs are existing in our country.

 Early childhood teachers need to develop a unique set of competencies that

prepare them to effectively work in various program settings and work with children
in developmentally appropriate ways.

ASSESSMENT
Discuss briefly the role of different national government agencies in early childhood care
and education in our country. (15 pts.)

TOPIC 9: Ethical Issues in Cyberspace

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, the students must have:
1. explained what cyberspace means.
2. cited at least 3 ethical issues in the use of cyberspace
3. taken an informed stand on the issue of cyberspace as boon or bane

INTRODUCTION
Ethics is a philosophical science drawn from man's consciousness of what is
right and wrong. Through the centuries, ethical norms have been translated into
customs and laws of societies. Ethics and laws naturally vary as cultural traditions
govern individual societies. Observably, the civil and criminal laws of democratic
societies differ, often as radical contrasts to societies governed by militaristic or religious
traditions. The laws of the United States and democratic countries of the Western World
differ sharply with the laws and ethical standards of societies in the Middle East and
Asia, such as those of China, South Korea, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.
As the world has awakened to digital consciousness and innovations, the reality
of cyberspace or the global computer network inclusive of the Internet, has opened
ethical issues. In opening electronic mail, modern man, using the Internet as his new
means of communication, finds messages which not only invade his privacy, but may be
misleading and exploiting. One finds messages such as winning the lotto, getting a
ticket for a Caribbean tour, offering promotional products, etc. . These make one thinks
that something is not right in cyberspace. Even the most powerful nations on earth like
the U.S. have come up with security warnings over so called "hackers" who have
destructive and sinister motives in the use of Cyberspace.
46
 Invasion of privacy, security breech, transmission of culturally offensive print or
video materials, undue proliferation of sexual materials, etc. call for consideration along
ethical norms which can guide and protect the millions of users who comprise the digital
generation of our technological age.
Understanding Cyberspace
The space which shrouds the earth is electrically charged. The streak of lightning
in our skies shows the powerful, often destructive, electrical energy around us.
However, man the fashioner, has learned to tap natural resources like fire, water, and
air for his benefit. Therefore, man has enlivened his cities with light, supplied potable
water to homes, and has tapped the air space for leisure, travel, and communication.
Radio, television and the Internet are the contemporary technologies devised by man.
Wireless radio, cable television, and Internet sites are the boon of modem age which
utilize the boundless cyberspace.
So far, not everything is clearly right and wrong with the use Of cyberspace. It
appears that modern man has the right to use cyberspace for his adNZt1tage_ while he
is also obliged not to infringe on other people'S rights over the same privilege.
Therefore, those who invade cyberspace privacy' security and intellectual property
rights appear generally to be in the Nvrong. Also, specific issues such as hacking,
spamming unwanted messages, extorting money from innocent Internet users; using
the Web for commercial sex, etc. call for more incisive assessment so that law and
order can be installed in virtual space. Owing to destructive negative impacts of
information and communication technology, clarification on and "wrong" needs to be
done, leading to the formulation Of laws that define the as OPPOSed to what is
criminal, in the use of cyberspace.

Among the issues which need to be addressed are:

 What information and other virtual materials can be transmitted through
Cyberspace?

 What information and virtual materials can be accessed and used infringement of
intellectual property rights such as copyrights for print materials and patents for
inventions?

 How can we secure information and protect our rights to information including
intellectual, financial and security properties?

 How can piracy on materials of computer sites be prevented, inclusive among

others of publications, researches, video, and cinema movies?

 How can we be protected from hackers who are bent on sowing anarchy and
destruction to Internet systems and data bases?

The Positive Role of Information and Communication Technology

Information and communication technology or the ICT has a central role in
commerce, industry, government, medicine, education, entertainment and society at
large. The economic and social benefits derivable from the ICT are so vast that they
continue to increase as technological innovations briskly advance. Today, cable
television has allowed homes to have access to television programs worldwide, use the
web-camera for person-to-person visual contact with friends and business colleagues,
get published through blogs and Web sites, get online jobs as writers or encoders,

47
possibly even gain instant popularity through videos uploaded on the U-Tube. These
are easily recalled examples of Cyberspace providing benefits to societies in this digital
age.
But the ICT has problematic implications as well. Three main types of issues with
ethical implications are identifiable: personal privacy, right to access, and harmful
actions. These can now be explored using public reactions to the effect of technology
on their lives.
In terms of personal privacy, modern man is able to exchange information and
communicate on a wide scale instantaneously and on a wide scale throughOUt the
world. In this situation, affront on privacy is possible depending on technology expertise
by privacy intruders. Thus, the spams from whoever in e-mails are situations which boil
down to the e-mailer taking necessary precautions to protect his/her privacy. In
protecting financial interests, it is well to be warned about giving disclosures about our
bank account or PIN numbers. For state and corporate agencies, high priority must be
given to install protective access systems to protect the interest of their members or
clients. Due to the advent of international business and finance, computer security and
access must be given high priority attention, most especially as there have been
attempts at illegal access on national military and scientific installations by computer
hackers. Needless to say, without protective systems, as well as administrative and
legal measures, Cyberspace cannot be secured from unethical or illegal access.
Harmful consequences can result by way of invasion on privacy, loss of intellectual or
real property rights, and costly damage to technological systems.

A Table can illustrate a broad classification of various activities that are unethical and
illegal in Cyberspace:

TASK:
1. Draw a symbol of cyberspace indicating its power (10 pts.)
2. List at least 5 advantages and disadvantages of cyberspace.

Efforts at Cyberspace Protection

In order to protect users from people eavesdropping on private information,
computer developers have proposed intrusion-detection systems which can detect any
illegitimate use of an information site or system. Both the national communities and the
international community have also given attention to comprehensive protection laws, an
example of which is a recent Cyberspace bill introduced by Senator Edgardo Angara in

48
the Philippine Senate. Meanwhile, technical systems have been devised such as the
setting up of protective firewalls on sites or systems. Of course in democratic countries
like the United States where there is a more liberal outlook on the right to free
expression, controversies are likely to occur. Such is the case of recent anti-Islamic
video uploaded on the U-Tube which has caused havoc in Muslim countries. Current
laws should therefore be reviewed so that Cyberspace can be a safe and wholesome
place for leisure, business, finance, diplomacy, education and other facets of human
life.
As to legislation which have been formulated by some countries, the following
are worthy laws and guidelines on the use of Cyberspace:
In the United States:
 The USA 1970 Freedom of Information Act allows individuals to access information
in Federal government offices;

 USA 1980 Privacy Protection Act provides protection Of privacy in Computerized

and other documents; USA 1987 Computer Security Act requires security of
information regarding individuals;

 USA 1997 Consumer Internet Privacy Protection Act requires prior written consent
before a computer service can disclose subscriber's information. USA 1997 Data
Privacy Act limits the use of personally identifiable information and regulates
"spamming"

In other countries:
 Japan 2000 MITI Legislation for Ecommerce Legal Provisions for Electronic
Signatures & Certification, and Foundation for Network-Based Social and Economic
Activities;

 Canada 2000 Information Technology Act as a legal framework for IT;

 Singapore 1999 Electronic Transactions;

 Australia 2000 NSW Electronic Transactions Act on application of legal

requirements to electronic communications,

 K 1998 Data Protection Act Data protection and right of data access.

New participating countries have started formulating statutory laws to secure

individuals from the potential invasion of privacy. In particular, the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD ) in the US. has specific guidelines on
data privacy on Internet data access in general, and those who use so-called "personal
data." Security toolbars, the digital ID system are also used.
On technical innovations, encryption technology (secret codes) are used by
banks, stock trading, e-businesses, Internet shopping, ATMs, point-of-sale machines.
The Sockets Layers (SSL), digital ISS, and firewalls are examples of innovations to
protect Internet users. All these said, national and international organizations, such as
the International Federation of Information Processors (IFIP), the Association for
Computing Machinery (ACM), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE),
the British Computer Society (BCS) and the Institute of Data Processing Management
(IDPM) have recognized the need for new codes of ethics to inform and advise their

49
members about relevant social and ethical issues. Since 1992, the ACM in the U.S. has
established a policy on professional ethics. National accrediting bodies, like the
Computer Sciences Accreditation Board and the Accreditation Board for Engineering
Technology, now require that accredited university curricula in the computing sciences
include mandatory instruction in the social and ethical effects of information technology.
Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 of the
Philippines was approved on 12 September 2012. It aims to address legal issues
concerning online interactions. Among the cybercrime offenses included in the bill are
cybersquatting, cybersex, child pornography, identity theft, illegal access to data and
libel.
Conclusion
The digital Virtual reality generation in cyberspace. should To expect be
expected both boon are and immense bane from benefits the new to humankindworld of
as Well as a wide variety of social, political, and ethical challenges. Through the
decades, both problems and gains in human relationships and social development are
to be expected in cyberspace. The main ethical issues on the use of ICT on global
networks shall along go astride personal privacy, data access rights, and harmful
actions on the Internet. Already, these basic issues are being partially solved using new
technological approaches, such as encryption technique, SSL, digital IDs and computer
firewalls. Besides these protection technologies, legal laws are also being formulated to
resolve Cyberspace issues. Along a positive vein, the digital generation—individuals,
governments and the international community-- should be able to generate the
appropriate responses to make Cyberspace truly the virtual space for progress,
harmony and peace during the millennium.
1. Cyberspace is used to describe the virtual world of computers. For example, an
object in cyberspace refers to a block of data floating around a computer system or
network. With the advent of the Internet, cyberspace now extends to the global network
of computers. So, after sending an e-mail to your friend, you could say you sent the
message to her through cyberspace.

2. Cyberspace is a domain characterized by the use of electronics and the

electromagnetic spectrum to store, modify, and exchange data via networked systems
and associated physical infrastructures. In effect, cyberspace can be thought of as the
interconnection of human beings through computers and telecommunication, without
regard to physical geography.

3. Cyberspace is both a boon and a curse. It is delivering untold benefits to

individuals, businesses, governments and society as a whole. But it is also a tool and a
target for those with more evil intentions.

4. A lot of measures have been introduced to protect ICT users.

ASSESSMENT
1. What is meant by cyberspace? (10 pts.)
2. Cite at least 3 ethical issues on cyberspace. (10 pts.)

TOPIC 10: CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AS LABORATORY OF LEARNING

Learning Outcomes

50
At the end of this module, the students shall have:
1. defined co- curricular activities.
2. enumerate the types of co-curricular activities.
3. discussed the need and importance of co-curricular activities.

INTRODUCTION
An effective teacher performs many roles and functions which are very essential
in promoting the holistic development of the learners. One of the roles that he/she
performs is the organization of co-curricular activities. These activities have existed in
schools even during the ancient times. The objectives of education cannot be realized
by academics alone. To achieve all round development - physical, mental, emotional,
socio-cultural, spiritual — varied activities outside the school or classroom activities
must be incorporated in the curriculum.
Co-curricular activities are as equally important at every stage of education. As
shown in the Figure below, they are integral parts of the educational program for they
provide avenues for developing leadership skills, social skills, responsibility, unity,
cooperation, and many more.
TASK:
What co-curricular activities you had participated in during your elementary and
secondary? Describe how it can help you to become a better person/ teacher. (15
pts.)

51
ASSESSMENT
Why co-curricular activities in school are important? (10 pts.)

52
TOPIC 11: Teach Peace, Learn Peace
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this module, the learners shall have:
1. reflected on the real meaning of teaching and teaching for peace.
2. acquired skills and the art of teaching in the daily class sessions.
3. appreciated that teaching for peace is akin to modelling.

INTRODUCTION
This topic while focused on Peace starts with the topic on teaching. It combines
the challenges involved in teaching and teaching for peace, thus the title.
To most, teaching involves keeping order in the classroom, pouring forth facts
usually through lectures or textbooks, giving examinations and making grades.
However, there is more to it than what appears, and this is where the art of teaching
comes
On the other hand, Peace is not a separate subject to be taught but the creation
of a dimension across the curriculum, a concern that may be explored in different ways
with any subject. Since Peace is not a subject to be taught, there is no clear
assessment form, it only happens because we witness the transformation of the person
or lack of it. Perhaps too, an indicator that is closest is when the person can say he or
she is at peace — which in itself is broad or general yet if one has it it could be gleaned
by a certain demeanor or behavior — this is why teaching for peace is more difficult and
challenging.
The good news is if we teach peace, we also learn peace!

DISCUSSION
Teaching as pouring forth facts through lectures or textbooks, giving
examinations and making grades is a stereotype which is badly in need of overhauling.
The following is a quotation from Martin Heidegger, a German philosopher in his
thought provoking definition of teaching:
Teaching is even more difficult than learning... and why is teaching more difficult than
learning?
Not because the teacher must have a larger store of information, and have it always
ready.
Teaching is more difficult than learning because what teaching calls for is this: to let
learn.
The real teacher, in fact, lets nothing else be learned than learning. His conduct,
therefore, often produces the impression that we properly learn nothing from him, if by
"learning" we now suddenly understand merely the procurement of useful information.
The teacher is ahead of his students in this alone, that he still has far more to
learn than they-he has to learn to let them learn. The teacher must be capable of being
more teachable than the apprentices. The teacher is far less assured of his ground than
those who learn are of theirs. Therefore If the relation between the teacher and the

53
taught is genuine, therefore, there is never a place in it for authority of the know-it-all or
the authoritative sway of the official. It is still an exalted matter; then, to become a
teacher — which is something else entirely than becoming a famous professor.
Indeed teaching is a noble profession which many of us agree with, but perhaps
without so much thought about it.
We know that the word let is a verb which means to allow, to make possible or to
permit to happen. When teachers let learn it means they allow, they permit or make
learning possible. It's very interesting and if we, the teachers meant this to happen,
however, how conscious are we about this?
The definition clearly pointed out what the real teacher does. The essence of
letting learn is allowing them to be, to fly if they can, to nudge them slightly so they can
fly and never ever be a hindrance when they begin to soar!!!
Why is teaching for peace more difficult?
While peace is something schools are aiming for, peace is not something that
could be taught like other subjects. It is a value and much like other values, it has to be
"caught".
Peace seems very elusive. For many years now, very many groups have
advocated peace, and yet peace has not been totally achieved. How do we make peace
less abstract? How do we know we have achieved peace? How do we make rubrics to
check if peace has been truly achieved?
What really is the nature of teaching for peace?
First, it has to be made quite clear that we are not talking about a separate
subject but the creation of a dimension across the curriculum, a concern that may be
explored in different ways with any age group and in any subject.
A bird's eye view of three classrooms will give some idea of this:
Classroom No. 1: Homeroom Session
Students are discussing the nature of peace. In particular, in small groups they
are identifying and sharing personal experiences of peace: moments of joy, shared
endeavour, giving and receiving, creating and celebrating. They then brainstorm some
of the main obstacles to peace: fear, prejudice, aggression, indoctrination. Later the
students engage in a series of activities aimed at developing their interpersonal skills,
especially those which have to do with listening to, communicating with, and affirming
others.
Classroom No. 2: Social Studies class
Students are reading comics. In particular they are analyzing popular images of
war and the different ways in which men and women react to violent conflict. One group
feels that women are always the victims, not the perpetrators of war. They are thus
shortly to prepare for a class debate; the motion is that 'It is male society which profits
most from war'.
Classroom No. 3: English class
Students are lying on the floor with their eyes closed. The teacher is leading
them through a guided fantasy in which they imagine the world as they would like it to
be in thirty years’ time. Afterwards they record their visions in words and drawings. They
then work backwards from the future to the present, listing the steps and changes that
had to occur to bring their preferred future about.

54
 What these glimpses all have in common is a shared process, that is an attempt
to maintain consistency between means and ends: 'There is no way to peace, peace is
the way'. The stress in education for peace is thus as much on method as on content.
Education for peace, is equally about the development of a range of attitudes and
skills such as critical thinking, cooperation, empathy, assertiveness, open mindedness,
respect and ecological concern among others. The attitudes are a reminder that we
must each begin with ourselves, that children need their own peace of mind and self-
respect before they can be concerned about others. The strong sense of fairness that
many students have can, given appropriate learning experiences, become part of a
commitment to justice, to caring for the environment, to becoming involved in political as
well as personal change.
But together with the knowledge it is the skills that are at the essential core of
education for peace. Whatever one is teaching these skills can be developed. It is
essential in a democratic society that students develop the skill of critical thinking so
that they are able to weigh up various arguments in order to make informed choices. It
is essential that they are able to recognize propaganda for what it is, whether from
advertisements or pressure group, and be alert to hidden bias, for example racism,
sexism, militarism, both in the media and in teaching materials. Similarly, being able to
cooperate and empathize makes conflict resolution more possible and the classroom
climate more creative. Being clear about one's needs and able to relate assertively
rather than aggressively is also at the heart of good education for peace. Such matters
need to be pursued across the curriculum.
If one is teaching for peace and not merely about peace, a close relationship
needs to exist between ends and means, content and form. If one is concerned about
developing self-respect, appreciation of others, concepts of justice and nonviolence,
they must also be part of the process of learning itself. This puts the teacher in the role
of a facilitator rather than in authority, creating a person-centred learning climate which
involves much more than just the intellect. Such a climate will encourage and
experiential learning; it will involve democracy in action through the development of
social and political skills in the classroom.
Indeed a tall order for teachers that is why teaching is not easy and teaching for
peace not easier. However, we have seen them happen so while it may be difficult and
challenging, it is not impossible.
Let's take a look at these examples from the classroom in order to get ideas how
some teachers do it:
1. The Helping Tree
Any good work towards another in this pre-school class is acknowledged by
writing on a leaf the name of the classmate who gave the help. The leaves are pasted
on the big tree attached to a board that is found in the classroom. The name of the
helper is written by the grateful classmate in recognition of the help given and as an act
of gratitude. At the end of the week, the children and the teacher survey the tree. They
are happy to see the tree full of leaves. The teacher removes the leaves (with names)
and new leaves are made available for the next week and so on.
The Helping Tree is a concrete example of instilling kindness, caring and
gratefulness. This activity eventually eliminates crying because they did not like me to
join in their game", "he boxed me", "she took my pencil" and many similar incidents that
display selfishness, lack of concern for others and bad feeling, In a competitive
environment, The Helping Tree can result in a competition on who gets the most leaves.

55
 Certainly there is learning here, and there is peace.
2. Learning Constitution
It is the first day of school, the second year class is talking about class rules that
allow everyone to learn. They want to call it the Learning Constitution where everyone
will sign. The teacher sets the tone by suggesting that the rules need to be stated in the
positive. The student starts with the preamble that reads: We, the people of Room 12, to
have a more perfect learning environment agree to the following rights and
responsibilities" They wrote the constitution on Manila paper and posted it on the wall
where it is easy to refer to.
Indeed the students tried to follow what they have written since they were the
"authors" of their constitution. If some changes were deemed necessary, the whole
class met to amend the constitution.
Sense of responsibility flows from the freedom of choice. In this case, the
Learning Constitution worked because the students participated in its creations and
because it is theirs, they own it, they follow it.
Teaching responsibility for their own learning is never easy. However, if the
teacher let her students be, in this case the drafting of their constitution with all the
solemnity attendant to it, keeping them responsible for following the provisions, help
them exercise good citizenship and good leadership they learn the true meaning of
responsibility.
Certainly there is learning here, and there is peace.

3. Students as Peace Mediators

A fist fight between two big burly boys was witnessed by many students school.
There is high tension and excitement in the air but before some hecklers begin to shout
encouragement, two older students, a boy and a girl came forward could stop the fight.
They are Peace Mediators. While the boy parted the fighters, the girl asked the crowd to
go back to their classes.
Once the combative boys calmed down, they were led to a place where they
could sit down to talk with the two Peace Mediators. The oft repeated line of the Peace
Mediators is: 'a fight's not going to solve anything". After a short while, the conflict was
resolved.
The two older students had mediator training: learning how to defuse conflict and
potentially violent situations without placing their own safety in jeopardy; learning anger
management and most importantly believing in the non-violent conflict resolution had
been learned and applied in this situation.
Certainly there is learning here, certainly there is peace.
4. Teacher Substitute Manager
Teacher Cring, a Grade 3 teacher is at home with flu and a substitute teacher
came. As the substitute teacher came to introduce that he will be their teacher for the
next few days, a raised hand was recognized. When acknowledged, this is what he
shared:
"I am the Class President and I have here the seat plan and a brief description of
how our class works. I belong to the committee called Substitute Teacher Manager and

56
we are here to help you. Let me introduce the rest of the committee: James as the
paper collector, Kyla as in-charge of trash, Bong as the peace and order guy and I am
to be your assistant.
After school, the substitute teacher wrote teacher Cring about how great her
class behaved. He explained that he had not realized that pupils at such a young age
could take their responsibility very seriously.
Certainly there is learning here, certainly there is peace.
5. Buddies
A buddy in this class meant the partner assigned by the teacher who will be
"responsible" for the academic performance and behavior of the partner in class. The
pair consists of a boy and a girl. The next day the teacher asked a girl why the
assignment of her partner was not correctly done. When she looked surprised, the
teacher then explained that the pair or the buddies will really have to work together so
each one will know what each one has done and how they could really help each other.
Helping here does not mean "copying" from each other, it means making the partner
responsible for his/her own learning.
The rest of the class watched how the pairs would find time to work together and
would not be bothered to join games and other social activities until their assignments
were done. Those who did not finish their work the day before would come early before
classes to work.
After a month, the class was an absolute delight! There were very good
discussions on the lessons, homework was done and there was not anyone who
misbehaved. The buddy system worked!
When the teacher announced the end of the buddy system, the students refused
to obey and asked for more time until everyone could be more responsible without
anyone checking on them.
Certainly there is learning here, certainly there is peace.
Does it mean we leave learning and peace to chance? No, we don't and we
should not! What we can do is to create the atmosphere for teaching and learning to
thrive. Once this is established firmly, anything can be learned.
TASK
1. Identify from examples from the classroom where learning is and where
peace is by filling up the form. (10 pts.)

Classroom Examples Learning Peace

1.The Helping Tree

2,Learning Constitution

3.Students as Peace
Mediators
4.Teacher Substitute
Manager
5.Buddies

The Learning Environment

57
 This writer has always pitched in the importance of classroom management.
Unfortunately, this is not learned but achieved by the dedicated teacher who wants to
ensure that the atmosphere for learning, just as the ambiance in a restaurant ("who
ordered ambiance? equipped Erap" from Eraptions) helps make dining more enjoyable.
So it is with the classroom. Take the time to make it nice looking yet comfortable, put
flowers, spruce it up so to say. That's why teachers in the pre-school and primary
schools take the time to decorate their room! What happened to the intermediate and
secondary teachers? This is a challenge even to the tertiary level teachers!!! The
ambiance is very important. This is what we now call Learning Environment Domain 2 of
the NCBTS:

TASK
2. Please look closely at each of the Desired Teaching Performances with
corresponding Performance Indicators and find out what activities could
fall under each:
2.1 Creates an environment that Example of activities or situations
promotes fairness when this applies:
2.1.1. Maintains a learning
environment of coustesy

58
 and respect for different
kinds of learners (e.g.
ability, culture,gender
2.1.2. provides gender-fair
opportunities for learning
2.1.3.Recognizes that every learner has
strengths
Have you experienced this
kind of atmosphere? How
does a teacher bring this
about?

GOD MADE TEACHERS……..

God understood our thirst for knowledge,
and our need to be led by someone wiser;

He needed a heart of compassion,

of encouragement, and patience;

Someone who would accept the challenge

regardless of the opposition;

Someone who could see potential

and believe the best others .

So He made Teachers

EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS:
 Product of teaching is learning.

 There is no way to peace, peace is the way'. The stress in education for peace is
thus as much on method as on content.

 It is the skills that are at the essential core of education for peace.

 If one is teaching for peace and not merely about peace, a close relationship needs
to exist between ends and means, content and form. If one is concerned about
developing self -respect, appreciation of others, concepts of justice and
nonviolence, they must also be part of the process of learning itself. This puts the
teacher in the role of a facilitator rather than in authority, creating a person-centred
learning climate which involves much more than just the intellect. Such a climate will
encourage participatory and experiential learning; it will involve democracy in action
through the development of social and political skills in the classroom.

 No matter what level students are in, the motivation set by the teacher through a
warm Learning Environment will always work, no matter the time and the era

A study entitled CHARACTERIZING A TEACHING AND LEARNING

ENVIRONMENT CAPABLE OF MOTIVATING STUDENT LEARNING by David
Rember, Amber HO and Celina Hong of University of Hong Kong, 3/F Run Run Shaw

59
Building, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong in 2008 investigated facets of the teaching and
learning environment which motivate student learning.
Interviews were conducted with 36 students from nine representative
undergraduate degree programs in Hong Kong. The interviewees were asked to
describe teaching approaches and learning activities typical of their program. They were
asked about the effect of these on their motivation. Analysis of the transcripts, using a
grounded theory approach, revealed that motivation was enhanced through a teaching
and leaming environment with eight supportive conditions, namely, establishing
relevance, establishing interest, allowing choice of courses, learning activities, teaching
for understanding, assessment of learning activities, close teacher—student
relationships and sense of belonging between classmates.
One interesting finding says: Generally, three important aspects for the
establishment of close teacher—student relationships could be identified from the
interviews. They were availability, friendliness and helpfulness. Teachers possessing
these three qualities were more successful in establishing close and helpful
relationships with students.
The conclusion states: There are academics who consider motivation to be a
function of the student. While individual differences are important, this study makes it
clear that teachers have a major impact on the level of motivation of their students.
This has strong implication on the role of the teacher.
While the study is conducted among the college students, the findings show that
indeed learning environment certainly help motivate students and teachers of all levels,
while we seem to be living in an impersonal environment where technology seem the
key player, it is good to know that this "hi-tech" world still needs the " hi-touch". And this
"hi-touch" is something that teachers can initiate by providing a supportive learning
environment.
ASSESSMENT
Answer the following after reading the discussion points:
1. Why is teaching difficult? (15 pts.)
2. Why is teaching for peace more difficult? (15pts.)
REFERENCE:
Special Topics in Education Volume 4
Brenda B. Corpuz, Ph.D
Paraluman R. GIRON, Ed.D
Rosita L. Navarro, Ph.D.
Lolita M. Andrada, Ph.D.
Purita P. Bilbao, Ed.D.
Avelina T. Llagas, Ed.D.
Gloria G. Salandanan, Ph.D.
Maria Rita D. Lucas, Ph.D.
Paz I. Lucido, Ph.D.
Milagros L. Borabo, Ph.D.
Heide Grace L. Borabo, MAEd
Amor Q. Torres, Ph.D.

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