To celebrate the International Day for Education, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), organized the Open Educational Resources (OER), Dynamic Coalition Webinar titled, “The OER Recommendation: The Information Communication Technology Competency Framework for Teachers (ICT CFT)/ OER Project” on 4 February 2021. The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) Chancellor, Dr. Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria, as the Co-Chair of the OER Dynamic Coalition Advisory Board on Quality Inclusive Multilingualism, took part as one of the speakers for the webinar.
Dr. Bandalaria shared about how the ICT CFT Project can strengthen the implementation of the different action areas of the UNESCO OER Recommendation. She provided the Philippine implementation of the ICT CFT/ OER Project as a sample case and tackled the OER Recommendation action areas with steps geared towards the UPOU’s r goal to establish the University of the Future. Her points centered around supporting the capacities of Filipino teachers by training them how to make OERs, providing them the right work areas, templates, models, and a platform, in which they could share their works that promote awareness and collaboration with other people.
The event was held with the aim of exploring the linkages between the UNESCO OER Recommendation and the UNESCO ICT CFT. The pandemic has provided an excellent spotlight to prove the effectiveness of the advancement in terms of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in a way that also put it to the test. There’s an obvious need for teachers who have strong capacities to make use of these technologies, and it’s imperative to take the necessary steps to build and support these kinds of endeavors, such as to train teachers and utilize OERs to the fullest.
This webinar was aimed to inform interested individuals to participate in the activities of the project. It was attended by representatives of institutions or Ministries of Educations, teachers, Non-Government Organizations working in the field of teaching, UNESCO staff and facilitators. Exploring the linkages between the UNESCO OER Recommendation and the UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers, the webinar proceeded with the provision and exchange of information between the speakers and the participants.
Sustainable Development Goals
Written by Keizer Phillip Ancajas
Edited by Joane V. Serrano and Anna Canas-Llamas