Another episode of UP Open University’s (UPOU) Open Talk went live on 5 May 2021. OPEN Talk’s Episode 5 featured a discussion on the challenges and lessons learned when classes shifted to remote learning. It carried the title “My Classroom in my Monitor: Challenges and Lessons Gained.”
The resource speakers for this episode included Mr. Renzdy A. Mejilla, a public high school teacher from Dr. Maria D. Pastrana from National High School, Mauban, Quezon; Asst. Prof. Kahrein Salvador, a faculty member from FAITH Colleges, Tanauan City, Batangas; and, Mr. Jericho Jay Q. Abacco, a college student from Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, La Union. Dr. Juliet Aleta Villanueva of the UPOU Faculty of Education moderated the discussion, while Ms. Margaret Jarmin-Suarez, UPOU Researcher, served as the host.
(Clockwise from Top Left) Dr. Aleta Villanueva, Asst. Prof. Kahrein Salvadaor, Mr. Jericho Abaco and Mr. Rendzy Mejilla.
Mr. Mejilla shared that learning must continue even though there were different challenges that teachers encountered such as going to the computer shops to make modules and meet with students online. He also mentioned that there are resources available that teachers can maximize such as those done in partnership with various Local Government Units (LGUs). According to Mr. Mejilla, supplies such as bond papers, riso machines, laptops, internet allowances and other provisions for module writing were provided by the school. He said that when things go back to normal, both students and teachers can look back at the learning experiences during the pandemic and remember that it might have been difficult at first, but help was available to ensure that everyone was able to cope with the challenges.
Mr. Abacco, a student leader, shared that they still continue with their clubs and interest groups in school. They conduct webinar series similar to Open Talk with topics ranging from journalism to communication and media research. He agreed with Mr. Mejilla about valuing the experiences both in face to face and online learning. He reiterated that engagement is important to students and this is where they gain valuable experiences that add to their holistic growth.
Asst. Prof. Salvador shared that her school conducts training on blended learning for their faculty and staff. She shared that another challenge to teachers in the shift to online mode of delivery is assessing students. According to her, the importance of feedback is important to know the effectiveness of the assessments. In the end, she shared that the learnings throughout the pandemic can be adopted when the pandemic ends and students go back to school.
Dr. Villanueva engaged the speakers in an active discussion. She also posed questions that were asked by the viewers which the speakers were able to answer effectively.
The fifth Episode of OPEN Talk was aired live via the UPOU Networks and the UPOU Networks Facebook Page. More than 700 people watched the webinar live. The episode may be rewatched on www.networks.upou.edu.ph.
Sustainable Development Goals
Written by Moireen Espinosa and Anna Cañas-Llamas
Edited by Joane V. Serrano
Poster by UPOU Multimedia Center
Screen Capture by Moireen Espinosa