The global pandemic forced teachers to conduct synchronous classes via online platforms, such as Zoom and Google Meet. It also led to the establishment of DepEd TVwhich is the Department of Education’s (DepEd) main platform of delivering lessons to all grade levels through television (TV). The initiative required teacher-broadcasters to deliver the lessons on TV. Out of more than 4,000 applicants, Jerson Q. Orbiso, a Diploma in Language and Literacy Education (DLLE) alumnus and a Master of Arts in Language and Literacy Education (MLLE) student at the Faculty of Education (FEd) of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), is one of the selected teacher-broadcasters for the subject Pagbasa at Pagsusuri ng Iba’t Ibang Teksto Tungo sa Pananaliksik in Senior High School.
Jerson had undergone a tough and rigorous selection process before being declared as one of the teacher-broadcasters for the DepEd TV initiative. For the application, he submitted a 5-minute video on a lesson with a completed application form. Out of the more than 4,000 applicants, only around 100 teachers were selected and underwent training for three days. They were then tasked to submit a 5-minute video for the final screening and selection.
Jerson admitted that being a national teacher-broadcaster is challenging as the tasks and methods were novel to him and to most teachers today. Nevertheless, he is proud to be part of DepEd’s new mode of learning, to be trained in teaching using TV-based instruction, and be given the chance to be part of attaining DepEd’s Learning Continuity Plan. He acknowledged his learners as his source of motivation and he is grateful to have utilized his knowledge and skills in teaching Pananaliksik through DepEd TV.
After a year of being a teacher-broadcaster, Jerson, along with the other teacher-broadcasters, has been recognized as a member of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), which was made possible through DepEd’s Educational Technology Unit. Moreover, he has been declared as one of the National Demonstration Teachers following the release of DepEd’s memo recognizing teacher-broadcasters as such.
Aside from his new role, Jerson is also one of the seven Filipino subject teachers who qualified in the MIMAROPA Region for E-Saliksik: a national program of DepEd aimed at empowering research for Filipino subject teachers. The program aimed at strengthening the culture of research in DepEd and critically analyzing the problems and concerns in teaching Filipino subjects from Kindergarten to Senior High School. Thousands of teachers submitted their papers to be involved in this research initiative by the Bureau of Learning Delivery, but only around 100 teachers were selected. Such a feat should not come as a surprise for Jerson who has been awarded as the Best Research Presenter in MIMAROPA Research Summit in 2018 and 2019.
Before teaching, Jerson revealed that his first love is research writing. In fact, Jerson has participated in several local and international conferences where he had the opportunity to present and share his research, which focused on crafting reading interventions in the new normal using blended distance learning. This year, he was able to present his papers at the Reading Association of the Philippines (RAP) and the International Conference on Open and Distance eLearning (ICODeL).
If he is not busy teaching or writing, Jerson is coaching his students on campus journalism. He shared that through intensive training, he and his students won in the division and regional competitions and qualified in the national competitions. As a hobby, he takes care of his pets, which are Oranda and Ranchu Goldfishes.
Despite his achievements, Jerson admitted that being a public school teacher and a UP student at the same time has never been easy. He remembered an instance where he struggled submitting a course requirement along with his deliverables at work as a teacher. Eventually, he learned to follow a regular schedule, which is usually from 8 PM to 2 AM, to complete his output and other course requirements. He claimed that being a UPOU student is an advantage for it allowed him to be trained by the best professors in Language and Literacy. Furthermore, he credited the courses in his master’s program as very useful in the actual context of being a language teacher. This enabled him to explore the depths of language and literacy underpinnings and use it directly in his work as a language teacher.
To his fellow UPOU students and alumni, Jerson said, “We are indeed lucky. You may not be able to appreciate the relevance of your courses right now, but you will surely benefit from the intellectual journey we have as UPOU students.” He encouraged the UPOU alumni to be good examples for the younger generation of UPOU. He reminded the UPOU students to immortalize what they have learned from the University, to always hold strong to the philosophy of the University, and to uphold honor and excellence in making a difference.
Written by Jaime P Guimbao
Edited by Joane V. Serrano, Anna Cañas-Llamas and Kimberly Bacareza
Photos from Jerson Q. Orbiso