Blended learning: Can teachers adjust?

DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Philippines — After 24 years, public school teacher Mary Ann Silay, 55, found herself changing the way she mentors her students as demanded by her superiors.

She has only about two months to adopt what the Department of Education (DepEd) calls a “blended” learning approach to replace the actual classroom setup in order to protect the students from the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Silay, who teaches Araling Panlipunan (Social Studies) at Amlan National High School in northern Negros Oriental province, said she had to ask the help of her 32-year-old son, also a public school teacher, to navigate the new learning system.

“This is a challenge for me. But what’s important is we can teach our learners. It’s important that we don’t delay their education,” said Silay, who relies on a slow 3G internet connection which she uses through mobile data or pocket Wi-Fi.

While they support the postponement of face-to-face classes or classroom sessions, several teachers in the Visayas have expressed reservations about the blended or distance learning approach being readied by the DepEd.

Rico Tañesa, president of the Negros Oriental High School Teachers’ League and a council member of the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition, said more time and resources were needed to get used to the new learning system.

Not enough time

Between now and the scheduled opening of classes on Aug. 24, the time is not enough for teachers to prepare for the system, he said.

“Our principle remains that no learner should be left behind,” Tañesa said in Cebuano.

The DepEd, he said, should also consider that many public school teachers were about to retire and were having difficulty adjusting to online learning.

While webinars have been organized to train teachers on the blended learning approach, not all have access to the new system, Tañesa said.

Even if they gain enough skills and confidence to facilitate online learning, another problem is the lack of access to a stable internet connection. He said the DepEd must provide a new subsidy to help teachers cope with internet expenses.

Additional burden

In Leyte, school heads and teachers are wary about having virtual classes.

“There could be some effects among schoolchildren who need constant follow-up on the academic side,” said Imelda Gayas, principal of San Jose Elementary School in Tacloban City.

For Max Montero, chair of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers in Western Visayas, it would be better to suspend all classes, not just face-to-face learning, until a vaccine for COVID-19 is developed.

Students, especially those from poor families who cannot afford to own or rent computers, mobile phones, tablets and internet services, would be disadvantaged, he said.

Montero said many families were reeling financially from the pandemic and requiring children to have online classes would be an extra burden.

Alternative methods

While the DepEd said 87 percent of teachers had computers, this does not mean that they are equipped to conduct online classes, he noted. “Many of these computers that were acquired through loans are outdated,” Montero said.

In Dagupan City, 39 public schools are preparing for alternative teaching methods, such as modular, online and radio.

According to Maria Celia Junio-Fernandez, city schools superintendent, online classes may be the best option for “independent learners” or those who are in Grades 4 to 6 and those in high school. These students are internet-savvy and are spending more time on their mobile phones and laptops, she said.

But Fernandez said online classes might not be applicable to “dependent students,” or those attending preschool until Grade 3, because they still needed the guidance of their teachers.

Poor internet connectivity will also prevent some students from joining online classes, she said.

“Access to internet is still a big problem in many parts of the country. Even in offices now, internet connection is not dependable and it often gets interrupted. What more if all students rely on internet [for their classes]?” Fernandez said.

Some remote areas, especially those with no COVID-19 cases, should be allowed to adopt the face-to-face teaching method, she said, but only 15 to 20 students should be accommodated in each class.

Modular teaching

“We have adequate classrooms and facilities for face-to-face classes. Parents need not fear that method because we would implement social distancing among the students. Besides, anyone can acquire the disease from other people and places, not schools,” Fernandez said.

Schools in Dagupan are also encouraged to consider the modular teaching strategy, which allows students to get modules and instructions from their teachers twice a week, she said.

“On Fridays, students will have to return their modules for assessment,” Fernandez said.

She said the schools division is also looking into the use of radio broadcast as a medium of instruction, with a local station already volunteering to air lessons.

“We must not stop just because of COVID-19. If we close our schools for one, two years, how are we assured that our children won’t get infected? They can get infected even by their parents. What is important is we practice discipline,” Fernandez said. —REPORTS FROM NESTOR BURGOS JR., JOEY GABIETA, NESTLE SEMILLA AND YOLANDA SOTELO