(Eagle News)–The Department of Information and Communications Technology is set to conduct online seminars or ‘webinars’ aimed at preparing teachers to adapt to alternative learning systems under the “new normal.”
In a statement, the agency said it has directed its ICT Literacy and Competency Development Bureau, Cybersecurity Bureau, and Regional Offices to “formulate and facilitate the conduct of webinars aimed at capacitating and upskilling the ICT competencies of teachers, administrators, educators, and students in different public and private educational institutions and state universities and colleges.”
The department said the activities were in preparation for the potential use of available “ICT enabled education services, such as online learning management systems, video conferencing platforms, and online educational resources” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This initiative is in accordance with the Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) which adopted the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan of the DepEd, directing schools to decide on the specific learning delivery modalities, such as blended and online learning delivery modes, to contain the spread of COVID-19,” the department said as Secretary Gregorio Honasan noted that “ICT has become crucial for retaining a sense of continuity for our society, especially in the education sector.”
Earlier, the department offered free online technical trainings to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and digital governance trainings to Chief Information Officers (CIOs), Planning or Policy Officers, ICT Service Officers, ICT Project Managers, Management Information System (MIS) Officers, and ICT professionals of government and private organizations.
“We will continue to work towards providing digital literacy and capacity to different sectors in order for our nation to better adapt to the new normal. All of these initiatives is in support of the administration’s efforts through the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases in mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 crisis” Honasan said.