​

March 20, 2021 – More than 260,000 educators grabbed the opportunity to widen their knowledge on education technology after participating in the In-Service Training (INSET) initiative offered by the Department of Education (DepEd).

The INSET 2021 is organized by the Information and Communications Technology Service-Education Technology Unit (ICTS-EdTech) headed by Director Abram Y.C. Abanil, under the Administration Strand led by Undersecretary Alain Del B. Pascua and Assistant Secretary Salvador Malana III. It is part of the Public Schools of the Future (PSOF) Framework of the Administration Strand under the leadership of Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones and from direct instruction from Usec. Pascua as a continuation and follow through of SIPAG (Strand Interface for Programs and Guidelines.)

Despite the INSET 2021 being a voluntary activity, the ICTS-EdTech recorded a total of 269,718 enrollees from all over the Philippines as combined views in different streams reached more than 100 thousand on the first day.

“We thank our teachers who continue to embrace the demands of their profession amidst these difficult times. This kind of support from our dear teachers motivates us further to push for policies and programs on educators’ upskilling and welfare,” Secretary Briones said.

Sec. Briones also noted that the training materials are uploaded in the DepEd Commons and Learning Management System (LMS), allowing teachers to take the training at their own pace.

The week-long activity will feature discussions on integration and utilization of DepEd Commons, DepEd TV, DepEd Learning Management System (DLMS), and Open Educational Resources, among others.

ICTS-EdTech Head Mark Anthony Sy tackled some effective strategies in delivering synchronous teaching during the afternoon session of the INSET Day 1.

According to him, teachers must provide learners with an agenda, set their expectations and inform the students about it, encourage discussion among learners, conduct icebreakers before the session, have a shorter but recorded session, and strategically use the chat tools.

Sy underscored the need for more ICT training for teachers and appealed to concerned authorities to help provide a strong internet connection for education.

“We are not leaving you behind. We are listening. We know your struggles,” Sy emphasized.

The INSET training is being livestreamed on official DepEd Facebook, Youtube, and Streamyard platforms.

550 teachers pass Google Certificate Examination Level

Meanwhile, ICTS-EdTech also announced that around 550 Filipino teachers are now Google Certified Educators after demonstrating proficiency in using Google tools in their classes and passing the Level 1 examination.

“We’re happy to announce to you [that] since January 2021, nagkaroon kami ng Google Certification. We know that Google for Education has an important role in education by enhancing efficiency and productivity of teachers and students,” Educational Technology Specialist from Schools Division Office (SDO) of Makati Rowena Reyes said.

Region IV-A emerged as the top region with the most number of passers with 156, followed by Region II with 118 and NCR with 113. Meanwhile, three SDOs scored more than 50 passers namely Santiago City, Cavite Province, and Rizal with 91, 65, and 55, respectively.

Reyes encouraged educators to take the Google Certification examination due to its usefulness, especially in the time of the pandemic when almost everyone rely on technology.

“So continuous po ang aming training, naka-memo po siya. Everyday meron kaming session in different regions because our goal is to help teachers to review and pass the Google Certification,” Reyes said.

 

END