The College of Education conducted two workshops, the first a requisite to the other, to enhance the teaching capabilities of mentors in these parts.
First in line was the Intel Teach Community of Learning Workshop at the CED Amphitheatre last February 12. Coordinating with the MSU-IIT and the Department of Education Iligan City Division, Intel Philippines funded the workshop that preluded the next training, the Project-Based Learning and Telecollaboration Workshop.
Supported by Korean Funds In-Trust (KFIT) through the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the 2nd workshop, also conducted by the CED, was held in Cagayan de Oro City February 15 to 18. Participating were 10 high schools in Iligan City (each represented by a principal and two teachers) and 13 members of the CED faculty led by Dean Esmar N. Sedurifa.
Insufficient preparation among teachers in the innovative learning techniques through the Understanding by Design (UbD) program, though already long introduced by the DepEd, prodded Prof. Amelia T. Buan to beef the participants up on the UbD vis-a-vis Project-Based Learning (PBL) concepts. Buan, a Senior Intel Teach trainer, to prepare the participants for the 2nd workshop, explained the similarities between the PBL and the UbD. She further added that the PBL is anchored on the UbD as both programs emphasize the principle of “assessment for learning,” and not the “assessment of learning.”
To further orient the participants to the UNESCO-supported workshop, the organizers reviewed the vision, mission, and goals of the community and the status of the activities of the Community of Learning (CoL). These activities included the Skills for Success Implementation Report by Dr. Manuel B. Barquilla and Jun Karren V. Caparoso, GS/Essentials Implementation by Joel Galibo, Action Research in the Classroom by Dr. Myrna E. Lahoylahoy, and the Overview and Presentation of Iligan CoL Activities for SY 2011-2012 by Rhea D. Febro.
