LA TRINIDAD, Benguet (PIA) — The Department of Education-Cordillera Administrative Region (DepEd-CAR) continues to enhance the proficiency level of the key stage 1 learners particularly Kindergarten to Grade 3 through the Class-in Connect Project, integrating technological advancement with the use of interactive smart board.
This is following the assessment of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) that Filipino learners have low proficiency levels in Numeracy, Literacy, and Science.
On Sept. 26, 2024, the DepEd-CAR launched the first ever interactive smart board in the region. The launching program demonstrated the Class-in Connect project through the use of an interactive board, which enables both face-to-face and online class learning at the same time. This can cater to up to 200 students online.
The smart board has a built-in camera that focuses on the on-site learners, and another camera tracking the teacher, which are both projected in the smart board together with the online learners. This equips real-time interactive and innovative learning phases for both on-site and online learners.
In support to this initiative, 553 smart tablets from the National Learning Camp were turned-over to the eight pioneering schools division offices(SDOs) in the Cordillera benefiting 31 schools during the 3rd Quarter Kapihan sa DepED Cordillera.
The SDO of Abra, Apayao, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and Tabuk City received 60 tablets each; 70 for the Baguio SDO and 123 tablets for Benguet SDO.
DepEd-CAR Regional Director Estela Cariño assured that the tablets issued are mainly for learning and not for games as their ICT has disabled apps that will entertain games.
She explained that there is a prescribed 4-hour usage of the tablets and the interactive smart board per day. She called on the parents to pay attention on their children’s usage of smartphones at home to help address the issue of poor eyesight due to gadget radiation.
“Our problem is, we may be prescribing them to use it only at least a maximum of four hours in a day but when they get home or even while in school, they have their cellphones. And they might be using their cellphones more than using their tablets to learn. So, ‘yun ‘yung challenge din sa atin,” Cariño said.
Cariño also thanked officials for their support in DepEd’s technological advancement. The inaugural interactive board was donated by Benguet Representative Eric Yap.
In his message, Yap pledged to donate three more interactive boards to cater to more learners in Benguet.
“‘Yung mga kabataan ang future ng Benguet. I am just here to help the teachers mold ‘yung mga future leaders natin,” Yap stated.
Meanwhile, Teacher Hya, one of the 40 identified teacher- facilitators of the Class-in Connect Project, shared her experience during the demonstration.
For two days, they were capacitated on how to manipulate the system or the platform.
“We are really grateful that we have this kind of platform so we could also teach the children better, we could enhance our strategies. Since this Class-in is an interactive platform, we could incorporate activities from different resources like videos, audios and the like,” Hya said.
Odea and Aaron, grade 3 learners of the Class-in Connect Project, said that they had a good experience especially seeing their classmates physically and online during the Project demo. (JDP/DEG/John Paul Moyano, PIA CAR- PHINMA UPang Intern)
