Ano [Wi]Ka Mo Lecture-Forum on World Teachers' Day

They are not just teachers. They are a force who carry and share not just a wealth of knowledge but also life's lessons to students with ardent passion.

courtesy of Kuya Mhawi Rosero

In celebration of World Teachers' Day, our organization UP Layap conducted  a lecture-forum on the significance and relation of language and education both for students and teachers. Entitled "Ano [Wi]Ka Mo? Lecture Series on Language and Education, the forum was visited by a number of students from UP Layap and others from other courses where two speakers talked about the importance of changing the education system on General Education subjects and on Development Appropriate Practices for pre-schoolers. 

The first speaker, Associate Professor and major proponent of the Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education Dr. Ricardo Ma. Nolasco talked about the need of to evaluate teachers in their knowledge in their own fields so that the implementation of the program K to 12 would be maximized efficiently for the students. He discussed the low scores of teachers in different nationwide tests such as a the Test of English Proficiency for Teachers (TEPT) and Process Skills Test (PST) in Science and Mathematics. He pointed out that the teachers who took the test only got average scores between 36-50%, which is indeed alarming because this seems to entail a garbage-in garbage out system of teachers teaching students in an inappropriate way despite the two more years of basic education that should be utilized for the improvement of the education system in the Philippines. These appalling results also explains the low scores of the students in the National Achievement Test (NAT) because teaching in the country is low in quality, Dr, Nolasco added. There has been a weakness in content in teaching ever since the 1970's, he added. World Teachers' Day, therefore should be about changing the system of education in the Philippines and for the teachers to get out of their comfort zones in teaching and adapting the new system for maximum efficiency of teaching the students in the country.

With regards to the General Education subjects like Filipino, Dr. Nolasco pointed out that there is also a poverty of content with such courses and proposed that language should be taught using an integrative system and cited the importance of distinguishing Philippine and regional literature. He also emphasized that the new system and teachers should explore the possibility of teaching Wika 1 and Wika 2 in schools. Moreover, the GE subjects should be multidisciplinary and integrative as well, where Wika 1 should also be taught in different lenses of the study that is holistic, broad and and wider-ranging in understanding.

He also pointed out the significance of letting the students think big ideas and develop their critical thinking skills. In conclusion, he said that to revolutionize the system, there are three principles that should be put into action: 1) the theory should be on just grounds 2) there's a principle of defense and 3) there is a principle of restraint. 

The next speaker, Sir Ramon Jericho Santos of the Department of Family, Life and Child Development discussed about the Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) in relation to language and literacy development for children. He said that DAP is an approach in teaching that is grounded on research and it aims to maximize the child's potential in learning that is appropriate for his age. There are three considerations for this program: 1) age appropriateness, that involves the manipulation of children and incorporating their interests for them to enjoy and learn better. There should be increased interest in print materials and phonemic awareness by providing exposure to print materials and sessions. In conclusion, the teaching strategies should depend on the nature of knowledge on language that is appropriate for the child.

2) Individual appropriateness. This encompasses the knowledge of each child which includes language acquisition. That is, the teaching strategy on giving activities such as use of short sentences, phrases and words should be individually appropriate for each child. The reading materials should also accommodate the age bracket of the child. The speaker also said that the teachers should give the children the chance to choose their activities, opportunities to express their thoughts and develop the child's uniqueness. 

3) Socio-cultural appropriateness. This is the knowledge about the cultural and social background of each child that is essential in creating teaching strategies. These socio-cultural factors include language, religion, family types, parents' professions, socio-economic situation and residence type, among others. The speaker shared some of his experiences with regards to this aspect with his interaction with children of different backgrounds. He concluded that the teacher should be culturally sensitive when teaching the child. 

He also infused DAP with the use of language, where in kindergarten the students should already master phonemic awareness, spelling and writing. He said that language and literacy are interconnected from infancy onwards and should be holistic on speaking, reading, writing and listening. They should learn the things that are relevant and meaningful to them. 

He also discussed the characteristics of a good teacher-made material, which includes 1) purposeful 2) interactive 3) flexible 4) appropriate 5) sensorial 6) interesting 7) durable 8) safe and 9) indigenous. Things to consider in making materials should also based on the child's capabilities and being clear target skills. 

With regards to DAP and MTBMLE, the child's play should often be used to incorporate teaching, where cooperative play develops the his sense of socialization. DAP also lets the children speak out and develop their confidence. In conclusion, the developmentally appropriate practices anchor on the principles of 1) how children develop and learn 2) child's strength and individual interests and 3) taking into account the child's socio-cultural background.