San Antonio added that while “using available means of communication between the teacher and the

learners is allowed,” this “should not be compulsory for all learners.”

 
DepEd has earlier urged the parents to provide guidance to their children in this new learning set up.
However, children.
n the education sector, schools and universities are now scrambling to enable digital and technical
infrastructures that will support whatever form of virtual learning that they will most likely to adopt. Right
now, online learning has been pushed further and deeper as a solution that addresses the challenges of
learning continuity amidst school closure at this time of the pandemic. Video-conferencing, which is being
used to replicate face-to-face instruction, has even made Zoom a household name. Access and usage to
video-conferencing tools, as well as to learning management systems, have spiked tremendously as
teaching and learning continue within the virtual corners of their online classrooms. Online learning has
been a great means towards continuous learning. Some schools have done it successfully, while some
faced major concerns and issues from students, parents, and even their own teachers. In the end, it seems
like the new normal is about online learning and having the digital platforms and tools to support and
enable learning. 

Yet, this new normal that is too much focused on technology tools or online learning needs to be
reconsidered and evaluated. Can we step back for a moment and think about those who will be
marginalized and underserved in the new normal? Can we remind ourselves that our digital and
telecommunications infrastructure cannot even decently connect every device in the country to the
Internet? Can we wake ourselves up to the reality that not all students, parents, and homes have access to
devices at home? Can we pinch ourselves to realize that a lot of Filipino families will undoubtedly use their
hard-earned money to buy food and other basic needs that will help them go through the day instead of
purchasing data to get online? And the harsh reality is that, even before the pandemic began, this has been
the situation for a lot of us in the country. 

As we grapple with and re-imagine the new normal in education alongside the new normal in the bigger
society, the following recommendations should definitely be considered as integral parts of the new normal.

1. “Maslow before Bloom” should be the new battlecry in education.

This pandemic is a litmus test for schools. A lot of schools rapidly transitioned to online learning due to
lockdowns that were enforced in a matter of days. Schools did not have much time to prepare and were
caught in the moment as school leaders and teachers went back to their drawing boards to plan out how
learning should continue despite the school closures. What was forgotten or considered late was the well-
being of students who are now at home learning on their own. The pandemic has brought anxiety to
families. It separated parents, who are essential workers, from their children because of the fear of bringing
the virus home. Some students are also grieving for family or friends lost due to the pandemic. Some
parents might not have enough money to buy food and other necessities for daily living, which the kids see
and witness at home. Moreover, the sense of isolation from classmates and teachers has disrupted the
normalcy of schooling. With these heavily-charged situations, it’s really hard to imagine and ensure that the
students at home are ready for learning. Nothing will enter and stick into their minds if they are hungry,
worried, and anxious. 

As a society in the new normal, we need to ensure that the basic physical, social-emotional, and
psychological needs of students are meant before they can even start learning. Reach out to and check in
with students before starting a class. Check in with parents and see what help their children might need.
Schools definitely need more guidance counselors or life coaches to help students navigate their emotions
and thoughts. More importantly, give students the time to adjust to the new ways of learning. Build
relationships with them.

2. Equitable access matters more than ever.

The pandemic has greatly highlighted the digital divide between the haves and the have nots, which we
have been experiencing even before this unfortunate episode of our lives. Now more than ever, we realize
that those who have access to a learning device and the Internet are the ones who will greatly benefit from
the online learning programs that schools are working on. So, if we know that there are families and
 students who can’t have a decent access to these digital tools and devices, what should we do then? Even
if they have devices at home, what if they also need to share that one learning device with their other
siblings who also need to study and catch up with the requirements of their class?

The new normal should advocate for equitable access to online learning. If a school chooses to go online,
then the school leaders must have a way to ensure that no student is left behind or barred from learning
because of a preference to one mode of learning. Can schools explore loaning devices for student and
teacher use at home? Can schools work with local government units in acquiring devices for loan to
students and teachers? If schools and parents can’t provide learning devices and connection to the
Internet, whose social and moral responsibility is it? On another note, why do we wait for a pandemic to
happen and then, seriously strive for equitable access? With or without pandemic, equitable access should
always be a goal that is constantly acted upon.

3. Multiple pathways of learning delivery should be considered in an emergency learning

continuity program.
Responding to the pandemic’s effect on schooling, the French Education Minister called for an educational
continuity, which ensures that all students, whether with or without access to the Internet, should continue
to learn even if they are at home. So, the French ministry of education employed online learning, open
education resources, and forged partnership with other key players to ensure that all students are reached.
In the same way, Dr. Nadia Lopez, principal in a school in Brooklyn, New York City, in our podcast, shared
how learning packets were prepared and given to parents so that their students can continue learning even
when they do not have connection to the Internet.

Given the reality of the country, or even schools, in terms of digital divide, the best thing to do is to provide
multiple pathways to education continuity. Taking into consideration the context of every student, teacher,
and family, those pathways need to address their teaching and learning needs. Aside from online learning,
there are learning packets that can be used, which is reminiscent of the correspondence mode of distance
education way back years ago. Broadcast stations in regions or localities can be used to air radio or TV
programs on lessons being learned in class. With these varying approaches to delivering learning,
educators and school leaders should also be opened to re-thinking the purpose of assessments and
grades. Are quizzes or long tests the best way to authentically access student’s learning in an online
learning environment? Should we still grade them according to our face-to-face learning standards? The
basic idea here is, while we aim for multiple pathways to learning or instruction, assessments and maybe
even the grading systems will have to be reviewed to serve their main goals at this point of the pandemic.

4. Better funding, stronger support, and more relevant professional development for teachers
need to be prioritized. 
A lot have been expected from teachers at this time of the pandemic. Teachers were expected to become
designers of online learning overnight, curate online resources and learn tech tools for their online classes,
and re-design assessments that are valid for the rapid shift in education. Teachers continue to work from
home while taking care of their own children. Teachers check in with their students to ask them how they
are and to provide support and assurance that things will be better. In short, teachers are frontliners, too!
They continue to give a sense of normalcy for students and support for parents, who are now experiencing
firsthand how the life of a teacher looks like. With all of these expectations, teachers deserved to be
prepared and given all necessary funding, support, and professional development to reach the society’s
demands and expectations.

Society should demand for a new normal that puts the teacher in a more valued and prominent position, in
words, actions, and policies. We do not get tired of being referred to as the most noble profession and we
honestly and sincerely love it. We love how our students and parents show their appreciation and gratitude
for the work that we do. However, it’s time to demand that the country invests more on training teachers to
be more flexible and knowledgeable of the new approaches to learning and teaching, whether online or
offline. We need to listen more to their needs and requests as they aim to teach better. We all know that
our country’s progress also depends on the quality of education that we have. Hence, a battalion of well-
trained, valued, and dedicated teachers can help develop a generation of better and responsible citizens,
who can greatly contribute to the development of the society and humanity.
It is common knowledge that education is the key to become productive citizens in our country so that
most, if not all, of the parents are working hard to earn money just to sustain the needs of their children. But
the present education system has encountered challenges in delivering basic education caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic, where holding of classes in schools is compromised due to prohibitions following the
implementation of General Health and Safety Protocols such as convergence and face-to-face contact. 

Thus, the School Year 2020-2021 shifted to distance learning delivery. 

The education system is greatly affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. But despite this, the Department of
Education (DepEd) Siquijor Division is still adamant to continue delivering basic education to all
Siquijodnons. 

This institution is doing its best to distinguish the effective modality to be implemented in every school.
These include different learning delivery modalities that the department will look into such as Online
Learning, Modular Distance Learning, Blended Learning, Radio-Based Instruction, and TV-Based
Instruction. 

Identifying the right modality was done through a survey using the Learners Enrolment Survey Form
(LESF) where the parents/guardians choose the modality suited or applicable for their children.  For
Siquijor province, the survey results show that Modular Distance Learning (MDL) is the modality that most
of the parents and guardians preferred. 

But how ready are the parents, learners or education sector in this system of learning delivery?

Undoubtedly, the shift of the teaching-learning delivery in schools to modular distance learning made more
challenging, on the part of the school personnel, the delivery of basic quality education. That is why DepEd
leaders are always finding avenues to solve the problems and capacitating its teachers and school heads
to become more effective in their field for the modular distance learning.

As frontliners in the educational system, they have undergone various trainings and seminars to be more
equipped in delivering better education amid the COVID-19 pandemic as it is a norm of the department to
train teachers not just for professional growth but to become ready for unexpected circumstances. 

Identified teaching personnel together with the Education Program Supervisors prepared modules starting
in May 2020 in all subjects for all grade/year level across four quarters in accordance to the “Most Essential
Learning Competencies”. These self-learning modules are already considered learning packages
containing pre-test, discussion, and a series of evaluation/assessment. They are distributed to all learners
with the modular learning class schedule. The class will guide the learners on what subjects and modules
they have to study and learn for the particular week.

Learners will just focus on two subjects in a week with the intended number of modules per subject.
Textbooks and other learning materials in schools are also ready for dissemination as additional learning
references.

However, issues on reading and writing instruction are among the expected problems, particularly for the
Kindergarten to Grade Three classes. Reading and writing are necessary in these stages, and the modules
cannot guarantee in building the fundamental of the said skills.

In this level, actual discussion is essential but because of the restrictions imposed on face-to-face contact,
the Schools Division Office organized a group composed of Kindergarten to Grade 3 teachers to shoot
videos aligned to the content of the specific modules. These videos will be stored in a CD or USB and
distributed to the K-3 parents/guardians which will be shown to their kids as part of the teaching-learning
process.

To gauge the learning mastery of the children, a graded test will be set. A summative test will be given
every Friday while a periodical test will be administered in the ninth week of the quarter. The results will be
reviewed and will be the basis for further intervention. Performance, as one of the criteria of the grading
system, will be assessed through the outputs and projects required in a quarter.
It is in this context that parents/guardians play a vital role for the fruitful outcome of this endeavor. Their
guidance and support inspire the kids to work hard and be motivated to study. Under the new normal,
school personnel, parents, and stakeholders must work jointly with each other for the learners to acquire
the best quality education that they deserve. (rac/PIA7-Siquijor)

t’s no secret that education systems here and abroad have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. And
while we sometimes hear about the difficulties of parents and students with online learning, teachers often
have a fair share of challenges. Teachers must ensure that the quality of learning remains, even with the
absence of face-to-face experiences, from the planning of lesson plans to the conducting of classes, and
distributing of assignments.
Preparing lessons during this pandemic is way more challenging than before since the concern is not just
limited to making sure that the learning will be transferred to the learners, but also to making sure that this
is actually delivered to them,” says Melanie, who teaches in a public high school in Cavite.

“The diversity of the learners in terms of academic performance and ability is now appended with their
diverse socio-economic status and ability to sustain education amid the pandemic,” she adds.

In the meantime, R-Jay Cayton, a teacher in the Alternative Learning System (ALS) mode of education,
finds pre-work more difficult than ever.

“The planning part is complex now since classes are online. My audio-visual materials, camera, and
microphone need to be tested at least two days before my actual class. Before, it was a day before
because I just needed to prepare my visual aids,” R-Jay, who teaches basic education-level English to
mostly adult learners.

Challenging conduct of classes

As a TV reporter and an online show host, Julius is used to speaking in front of the camera. And while he
doesn’t expect the camera to speak back to him, he knows that his messages are coming through because
people are responding to what he says on those platforms. This is not generally the case for online
courses.

Like every other instructor, Julius is used to communicating face-to-face with students. And even though
he’s facing the camera, this time for lectures, he does not get the same input from his class.

“Students are not required to open their camera because it consumes bigger bandwidth. With this, I am not
sure if I am really talking to my students or I am just doing my monologue during class discussions,” he
explains.

Julius also points out some of the challenges to holding hybrid learning sessions, or a combination of on-
line and on-site courses, as driven by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

“[Students] will be given modules in lieu of virtual meetings. Meaning, you have students with different
learning modalities. Medyo nakakalito ‘yun sa part ng teacher,” he says.
Classes for public schools are scheduled to begin on October 5th, which also happens to be World
Teachers’ Day. But even before that, Melanie had already conducted a dry-run of her online class,
particularly for her Grade 10 students, to recognize issues that need to be addressed. Like many teachers,
Melanie describes this “impersonal” learning method as very difficult.

“It takes a lot of reflective thinking and assessment since you would need to develop a uniform concrete
material addressing the needs of a diverse audience. I believe that [developers of Alternative Delivery
Mode] learning materials should therefore be very adept with the craft,” she shares.

Internet issue

Teachers themselves claim that having strong internet access is a key problem in the delivery of their
lessons.
“Not all families can actually afford the expenses [of securing a stable internet connection]. The internet
stability in our country is [also] really challenging, aside from the fact that the teacher’s presence in the
process of learning is actually compromised. [Limited] teacher presence affects the learning of the students
according to studies,” Melanie says.

Besides the fluctuating internet connection, R-Jay is often distracted by the unwanted background noises
he encounters, as these are distractions for both him and his students.

Shift in evaluating students’ learning

It’s normal for teachers to do seat works and quizzes inside the classroom. Since there is almost no
classroom to talk about this school year, teachers had to make changes in how to ensure that their
students either understood or learned from their lessons.

“I am lenient in terms of deadlines. I give ample time for the students to finish the required output, but we
strictly follow protocols on late submissions. They get deductions if they submit late,” Julius says.

“If they get to submit a superb TV or radio material, then it means they’ve learned something from me,” he
emphasizes further.

Melanie’s early preparations have had their benefits so far.

“Even before the opening of classes, [my learners and I] have been engaging in different online projects.
We struggled at first. As time went by, we were able to establish an organized system, though, only using
[Facebook] and Messenger, which are accessible even without internet data compared to other educational
applications available nowadays which require internet access,” she shares.

Managing virtual classroom behavior

Keeping a whole class attentive has always been a challenge for teachers, particularly at the level of basic
education, but the “new normal” has given it a whole new dimension.

Like Julius’ students, not all of Melanie’s cameras are switched on; teachers also find ways to control their
class actions.

“I engage them in discussions. Sometimes, I do request them to open [their cameras], usually at the end of
the meeting just to make sure that they are paying attention. Aside from that, their outputs reflect whether
they have learned something or not,” Melanie says.

R-Jay, meanwhile, keeps his students in check by remaining quiet when they’re being talkative.

Hopes for the “new normal” of education

At the end of the day, teachers hope that something about online classes and blended learning will turn out
to be beneficial to students.

“I hope students would realize that they should work hand in hand with their teachers for the pursuit of
online classes. Ika nga, kailangang magtulungan para maisakatuparan ang lahat ng ito. Hindi biro
ang blended learning approach sa mga bata. [In the] same way, challenge din ito para sa mga guro,
especially sa mga hindi techie,” Julius says.
“With careful planning, honest, and realistic feedback for processing, I believe that education will still push
through effectively. It just takes adaptability and synergy, as life should not end with the virus. It should
rather open broader and more positive possibilities without compromising the precious lives of our
teachers, students, and other stakeholders,” Melanie shares.

R-Jay’s students may be of age, but he also hopes that even a pandemic and a sudden shift in the actions
of classrooms would not prevent adults from continuing to learn.
“[I hope my students would] value themselves more, so they can dream bigger for themselves [because
education promotes equity].”

Salute and commitment

The role of our teachers in shaping the minds of the nation is, in itself, a sacrifice and an act of love, for it
takes time, attention, and patience. They’ve doubled, maybe even tripled, or more than this pandemic.

Clearly, teachers have been seeking ways to continue the learning process of students, refusing to give up
on their vocations.

BDO is one with them in the steady service of the community during these trying times.
As part of its contribution to continuing education in the midst of the pandemic, its rural banking arm—BDO
Network Bank—sponsored the Department of Education’s health and safety initiatives for teachers and
learners, donating ₱1 million worth of rubbing alcohol and washable face masks to 1,105 public schools
under the Brigada Eskwela scheme.

On the other hand, as part of the Balik Eskwela program, employees of BDO Network Bank were
encouraged to donate school products (school shoes, bags, and school supplies) to DepEd teachers and
students. Also, as part of this scheme, ₱420,000 worth of ICT equipment (laptops, desktops, and scanners)
was transferred to DepEd through a rural bank collaboration with the BDO Foundation and the SM
Foundation.

ALSO READ: Find Your Dream Place with Reverse Image Tool Online
The BDO Network Bank also provided school supplies to further support teachers and students by
contributing P1.4 million worth of printing papers under the Adopt-a-School program.

Like the country’s committed teachers, BDO looks forward to getting through the pandemic so that learning
activities can finally restart safely outside people’s homes and in actual classrooms.

children. The support of the parents is critical to the learning development of the children in the absence of
the teachers. 3.1.8 Communication Plan Communication plays an important role in the implementation of
the new teaching and learning modality. Haythornthwaite (2002) suggests the three types of
communication in sustaining e-learning communities: content-related communication, planning of tasks and
social support. It serves as a road map on how teachers, learners and parents connect with each other. To
be transparent with the stakeholders, a statement on the medium to be used need to be stated clearly.
There is a clear process on how important information, announcements and other updates reach the
stakeholders. Everitt (2020) emphasizes that transparency to stakeholders is very important to maintain the
two-way communication about the status of the newly implemented program. 3.1.9 Continuance The school
pledges that teachers have continuous learning and enhancement program on the use of technology and
other platforms. For this, an explicit statement is needed in the LCP to ensure quality in the teaching and
learning process. In addition, the school certifies the statement through a plan of continuous improvement
of its quality services in terms of training and seminars before, during and after the delivery of the new
modality. According to teacher.org (2020), professional development for teachers is very important as
education is an ever growing and changing field. This means that teachers must be updated of the current
trends in educational practice. However, teachers in the private schools cannot afford professional
development due to high cost of the training programs. Much more depressing is that schools cannot
finance their own teachers’ professional development. As a solution, schools only give free in-house
training for their teachers sponsored by some publishing book companies. 3.1.10 Monitoring and
Evaluation Under the new normal, efficacy of the monitoring and evaluation process is necessary. For
example, learners who were given the learning resources need to be evaluated and monitored both for the
learning process and the applicability of the learning modality. Support system is established for monitoring.
In this case, feedbacks from students and parents are necessary to identify major gaps in the
implementation and provide inputs for the improvement of the chosen platform. According to Kamalludeen
(2020), alternative means of evaluation have to be used to monitor the students’ progress and
achievement. The evaluation must focus on the results of students’ performance to measure the
achievement of the learning outcomes.