Learning on the line

Getting a huge brunt from the current pandemic, the Department of Education (DepEd) took the challenge to craft new class setups to continue quality education amid the crisis.

On 15 June, DepEd released the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC) guidelines. It includes new work arrangements that will be effective for School Year 2020-2021 to start on 24 August.

The said guidelines created changes including curricula and materials in the K to 12 system.

Molding real-life competencies

MELC is a streamlined set of competencies which were either “retained, merged, dropped or rephrased” aimed at character development and enhanced skills for the learner.

A learning competency is essential if it is aligned with national frameworks that can produce “scientifically literate Filipinos.” It is also classified as such if it “connects the content to higher concepts across content areas” and can be acquired through formal education. These are skills that the learner should be able to apply in real-life scenarios.

Adaptive modes of learning

Online learning is one of the modes that DepEd is looking at to render lessons for the new school year by establishing DepEd Commons.

Through the DepEd Commons, teachers, students and parents can access materials containing the entire flow of every subject under MELC. It can be accessed for free in Globe and TM-powered smartphones.

Online teaching will also come in the variation of live and recorded videos.

Well-aware that not all families have access to gadgets and the Internet, DepEd is looking at television and radio programs as potential media for learning.

Aside from the usual textbooks and online videos, self-learning modules will also be provided. Public school students will receive free modules from DepEd.

Currently, teachers and other school personnel nationwide are collaborating for a smooth enrolment process done through text messaging to ensure everyone’s safety.

On 15 June, DepEd released the Most Essential Learning Competencies guidelines. It includes new work arrangements that will be effective for School Year 2020-2021 to start on 24 August.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALFONSO PADILLA AND YUMMIE DINGDING FOR THE DAILY TRIBUNE @tribunephl_al @tribunephl_yumi AND GREATSCHOOLS.COM Online or distance learning is the new norm (above). Commencement exercises take a new form with robots marching for the graduates (below). School-age children are barred from going out during the quarantine periods, thus, parents queued for their enrolment for the resumption of classes in August (below left).