“Educators’ Seminar Workshop: Making Teaching and Learning More Effective and Exciting for 21st Century Learners”

A two-day seminar on “Educators’ Seminar Workshop: Making Teaching and Learning More Effective and Exciting for 21^st Century Learners” was held on May 30-31, 2018at SKILLS campus. The resource speaker wasDr. Elsie Inocian- Ysatam, Director of EP. Inocian College Foundation, Inc. She has extensive experience in teaching and servesas consultant, visiting professor, researcher and administrator in various academic institutions. She has several engagementswith professional groups, most recently on the principles of teaching, curriculum development, phonetics and research.

This training was participated in by SKILLS SHS academic personnel, tech-voc trainers and non-teaching staff. The workshop seminar was organized into 2 main themes which addressed the greatest contemporary challenges for educators and ensuring academic success for the full spectrum of learners.  Its primary goal was delineating and guiding application of sound principles of curriculum design.

Among the topics covered were the following:

·         21^st Century Teachers. Emphasizes the ideal characteristics of teachers as EMPOWERED: mnemonically-Expert, Mediator of Learning, Personal and Professional, Organizer of Learning Environment, Worker of Change, Effective Communication, Researcher, Evaluator of Learning and a Decision-Maker.

·         The 21^st Century Learners: Generation Z (the millennial). Discovering the unique attributes and characteristics of diverse learners.

·         General Principles of Learning. Talks mainly on students’ meta-cognition or the learning beyond learning.

·         Approaches to Classroom Management. Introduces different classroom management approaches, with discipline (reinforcement and punishment) and the 14 desist approach at opposite ends.

·         Stress Management. As teachers, option to flight or fight is given.Discuss the stress responses and suggestions for reducing stress.

·         Child Protection Policy. Overview on DepEd Order no. 40 S. 2012

·         Magna Carta for Teachers. Reviews on administrative offenses- grave, less grave and light offense. For teachers seen as a professional worker whose authority and place in society depends on a special role and competence.

·         Brain Based Learning Strategies and Differentiated Instruction. Addresses the difficulty of teachers on the diversity of learners populated their classrooms and the variance of instructional planning.

The presentations of the seminar reinforced the teacher’s consistency and efficacy inside the classroom. With the 4 elements: students (whom they teach), learning environment (where they teach), content (what they teach) and lastly instruction (how they teach). It also emphasizes how we teach, particularly ways of teaching for student understanding and to their success. Dr. Ysatam also encouraged the teachers to be adaptive in flexible grouping, interest-based instruction, responsive environment and a host of instructional strategies that will cater students’ ideas and skills necessary to their way in the world of employment.

Simply put, quality classroom evolve around powerful knowledge that works for each student. Ergo, they require quality instruction which could aid the current understandings of teaching and learning process. Collaboratively, students benefit when teachers share understanding about students’ holistic needs, classroom routines and growth towards curricular goals (Tech-Voc called it portfolio assessment). Ended with the quote “Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, and your values become your destiny” of Mahatma Gandhi.

That valuable session help the organization identify next steps, client-centered and ways that may work together to advance access in the community.