By Merlina Hernando-Malipot To equip teachers and parents with the right tools and techniques to utilize digital learning amid the COVID-19 crisis, the Department of Education (DepEd) and Globe Telecom on April 21, Tuesday, hosted an e-skwela webinar to discuss learning at home if classes will continue to be suspended or disrupted. “The pandemic is challenging educational institutions that are in varying stages of developing and implementing their online learning capabilities,” Globe said in a statement. “One of the urgent plays for the education industry is to create the demand for schools to onboard their teachers and their institutions with the right tools and techniques in maximizing and utilizing digital learning while they stay connected, informed and at home,” it added. Globe myBusiness tied up with DepEd for the second e-skwela webinar session with the theme “Making Homes the Extended Classroom: Parent-Teacher Collaboration in the time of COVID-19." The e-skwela series is intended to help faculty members and parents integrate technology tools and interactive activities at home that are intentionally experiential, collaborative, and reflective in order to maximize learning experience. Leading the discussion are notable educators, thought leaders, and technology experts including DepEd Undersecretary Alain Del Pascua and Ginger Arboleda, co-founder and COO at Taxumo Inc. and CEO at Manila Workshops. They were joined by representatives from Globe including Mark Arthur Payumo Abalos, education industry lead and learning technologies scholar; Michelle Peralta, campaign and communication strategist and founder and moderator of Fab Inay; and Miguel Martin Bermundo, head of citizenship and advocacy marketing division. During the webinar, Pascua noted that in this pandemic, “the sentiments of teachers are the same concerns of parents and students such as work computation of grades, examinations online, graduation rites, and school opening.” Aside from these, Pascua said that teachers also raised some concerns on work arrangements and participation in COVID-19 initiatives by their respective local government units (LGUs). “We have already addressed the issue on work arrangement and we guided them on what they can do in their homes,” he explained. Meanwhile, he noted that since DepEd has the largest bureaucracy in the government, with almost one million personnel, it is often requested by LGUs to assist in COVID-19 responses on a voluntary basis. When it comes to end-of-school-year rites such as graduation, Pascua reiterated that these activities are “postponed” for the meantime. “We’ll have to undertake it later when the circumstances will change and if the situation would warrant to have a gradation, then these schools will have their own graduation at that time,” he added. On the possibility of changes in the school opening schedule, Pascua explained that the potential adjustment in the school calendar is still being discussed by DepEd, “whether we open in June or move it to July or August.” “Everything is dependent on what is happening in Metro Manila and in other parts of the country,” Pascua said. “It will depend on how we would contain COVID-9 and how we would undertake precautionary measures to address this.” Pascua also discussed the online learning platform of the department (or DepEd Commons), which has now over four million unique users. Aside from public schools, the online learning platform was also made available for private schools and alternative learning system (ALS). Meanwhile, the rest of the panel also discussed key questions such as how parents and their school-age kids are coping with the crisis; what activities parents and their children can do together to augment the latter’s learning experience; what challenges have they observed and experienced with the use of technology in teaching and learning at home in this period; how they can maximize learning time with their kids while at home; and how parents and teachers can work together to promote continuous learning from home. Abalos shared some tips on how teachers, parents, and learners can maximize learning at home during this crisis. He noted that pedagogy, curriculum, and technology tools are very crucial when integrating technology in the learning system. “Taking notes will help you remember lessons as you watch them and it’ll be also be useful for reviewing later,” he explained. Parents, teachers, and learners were also reminded to be proud of their achievements when learning at home. “Studying at home isn’t easy so you have to reward yourself for each small success,” he added. Globe myBusiness, in partnership with DepEd, said that it will continue to “advocate the adoption of technology to create future-ready schools and educational institutions.” Among the information and communications (ICT) services that Globe pushes are high-quality connection, automated school administration tools, and advanced learning management systems (LMS). “Besides easing school operations and facilitating digital learning, ICT will also prepare students to be globally competitive now and in their future ventures,” the telco said in a statement.