The newly established Gokongwei Brothers School of Education and Learning Design partnered with the Madaris Volunteer Program to develop and deliver online training in Science and Math for teachers in Muslim Mindanao. Through its Ateneo Teacher Center, GBSEALD delivered the 2021 Midyear Enhancement Capability Training Program (MECT), an annual training program for teachers from the madaris partner schools. The Madaris Volunteer Program is an initiative of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) and is implemented by the Ateneo de Davao University.
This year’s MCET was funded by the Global Community for Engagement and Resilience Fund.
From May 17-29, 2021, fifty elementary Science and Mathematics teachers from 13 schools in Cotabato City and the provinces of Maguindanao, Basilan, and Tawi Tawi received online training in designing learning modules contextualized to the needs of their respective madrasah. The online training consisted of synchronous and asynchronous sessions, focusing on how to teach Science and Math remotely to children in areas where there is limited electricity and internet connectivity, as well as very limited resources.
Mr. Ricardo Crisostomo, Ateneo Senior High School Science teacher and former chairperson of the Science team, helped Science teachers tackle the challenges of teaching mixtures and earth science remotely, enthralling the participants as he talked about how to help students conduct experiments and investigations that make use of materials available in the students’ homes.
Mrs. Marie Rose Lugapo, Xavier School San Juan Mathematics chairperson, taught the teachers to spot and address frequent student misconceptions in teaching fractions, engaged them in hands-on activities to experience how the use of the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract approach helps students understand abstract concepts, and equipped them with problem solving strategies.
A focus of the course was how to design units using the 5Es framework, shifting away from a daily lesson planning approach.
Participants found the course engaging, informative, and several simply said they felt happy! Of course, the challenging questions prepared by the trainers, along with the many prizes prepared by MVP for those that answered these questions, spiced up the sessions. One teacher spontaneously typed on the chat, “I learned that you can do experiments even in your own kitchen. So sa mga maliliit na madrasah katulad [namin] na walang laboratory apparatus pwede ng mag experiments kahit walang lab facilities.” And another chimed in with, “…there should be a story behind every mathematical sentence. Math teachers should go deeper.”
The heavy rains and floods during most of Week 1 further aggravated the weak wifi connection and the ability of those from far-flung areas without electrical supply to seek solar power connections, yet this did not deter the teachers from completing their units and proudly presenting the science and math units they had designed!
Two weeks had helped everyone bond and feel closer to each other, even if only virtually, and wishes to meet each other face to face soon were expressed over and over again. In their Closing Remarks, both Mr. Romulo Vinci Bueza, Lead Coordinator of the MVP and Mrs. Rita Atienza, Director of the Ateneo Teacher Center, congratulated the participants, the trainers, and Ms. Tessa Mae Alison and Mr. Datu Abdulah Uka III of the MVP for a very successful run of the 2021 MCET.