More than five hundred participants comprising of student-teaching supervisors, faculty, Teacher Education administrators and faculty, pre-service teachers, teacher aspirants, and other guests coming from the different provinces of Region 2 convened during the 7th Regional Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers’ Summit on April 24-26, 2019 spearheaded by Saint Paul University Philippines (SPUP) through School of Arts, Sciences and Teacher Education (SASTE).
Guided by its theme, “Reforms, Challenges and Opportunities towards Quality Teacher Education 4.0,” the summit aims to deepen participants’ understanding of the Master Plan for Teacher Education, the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers and the global trends in Teacher Education; equip pre-service teachers with innovative pedagogical approaches and instructional strategies in teaching various course s in the elementary and secondary level given the contexts and environment of the 4th Industrial Revolution; and showcase 21st century teaching-learning strategies for outcomes-based education through demonstration teaching.
To welcome the participants, Dr. Agripina B. Maribbay, SPUP’s Vice President for Academics, expressed her gratitude to the participants for their commitment in promoting quality Teacher Education programs. She urged the pre-service teachers to be open and responsive to the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Meanwhile, Dr. Julieta M. Paras, Director, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Region 02 inspired the participants by sharing her own experience of becoming a teacher. She urged all the teachers to use creative pedagogy without deviating from the curriculum in order to unleash the students’ passion for learning. “Facilitate the transformation from among our learners for them to properly transcend towards young adulthood,” she added.
Sr. Merceditas Ang, SPC, SPUP President, explained the educational landscape in the 4th Industrial Revolution. She encouraged the audience to harmonize the human aspects of a human and the cognitive flexibility of artificial intelligence. She reiterated on the development of soft skills and the maximization of technology for the benefit of humanity. Sr. Ang further shared that Quality Education 4.0 targets human creativity, innovation, emotion, values, ethics, and spirituality. She ended her message saying, “We teachers build people, form people – with harmony of the heart, the mind, and the soul.”
Dr. Estella L. Carino, Director, Department of Education (DEPED) Region 02 opened her talk on Teacher Education in the 4th Industrial Revolution with building integrity among teachers. She highlighted that teachers should possess ICT and soft skills as well as utilize innovative methods and approaches to address the demands of the current and future generation of learners. “The Fourth Industrial Revolution is here. It’s time to jump on board and join the ride – it is wild, but it is a rewarding one,” she ended.
Dr. Sofia C. Taguibao, Education Supervisor, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Region 02 and in-charge of Teacher Education, presented the several updates specifically Programs in Teacher Education with new PSGs and Basic Features of the New Higher Educ. Curricula.
Dr. Virginia C. Liquigan, Member, CHED Technical Committee for Elementary and Secondary Education (TCESE), underscored Teacher Quality and the Philippine Professional Standards for Teacher (PPST). Her lecture also included the Proposed Master Plan for Teacher Education. She challenged all the pre-service teachers to get acquainted with all the domains and indicators of PPST from beginning teacher to distinguished teacher.
On the evening of second day, the participants converged at SPUP gymnasium for the Socialization Activity. Representatives from St. Joseph College of Baggao Inc. and Isabela State University-Cabagan Campus emerged winners for both Mr. & Miss Star of the Night and Quiz Bee Competition. Parallel sessions on six learning areas (English, Mathematics, Science, MAPEH, Social Science, Mathematics, demonstration teaching and research presentations) marked the highlight of the second and third day of the summit.
Atty. Lily Freida M. Milla, CHED OIC Deputy Executive Director and International Affairs Director, capped off the third day with her talk “Internationalization in Teacher Education.” She mentioned that the internationalization policy for Philippine higher education has the primary goal of improving the quality of education that would translate into the development of a competitive human resource capital that can adapt to shifting demands in the regional and global environment to support and sustain the country’s economic growth. Over the long-term, it is hoped to build and strengthen a knowledge-based society. The government together with all the support agencies will do this by continuously upgrading the quality of Philippine HEIs through academic and knowledge transfer outcomes, resulting in improved QA, accreditation, and standards comparable with international levels. She cited existing international practicum programs for Pre-Service Teachers and encouraged the TEIs present to avail of those programs.
Indeed, “it was a learning-filled encounter with high caliber speakers,” uttered one participant from Cagayan State University-Gonzaga Campus “So fast, it’s over. The summit made me understand my profession better,” said one participant from Lyceum of Aparri.
A short awarding ceremony closed the summit.
