MANILA, Philippines – To enable various sectors in the new normal of online teaching and learning, leading telco PLDT, through its Infoteach Outreach Program, is conducting a webinar series called “Gearing up for the New Normal in Teaching and Learning.”
The webinar series recently kicked off with the topic “Preparing your course for online delivery,” and was attended by almost 15,000 registered participants. These include teachers and students who were selected by PLDT in coordination with the Department of Education (DepED) Schools Division Superintendents, while the program’s long-time partner UP Open University (UPOU) provided the learning modules. The session was also extended to the public through the UPOU Networks’ Facebook Live and YouTube streams, with peak views reaching over 8,000 individuals.
“We echo our Chairman’s commitment that there should be no learner left behind. Amid the pandemic, we continue to empower our teachers and students by providing them with digital capabilities. Our webinar series aims to equip them for a smoother transition to a blended learning set-up,” said PLDT Public Affairs Head Ramon Isberto.
“Through the webinar series, we advocate the culture of sharing. We become architects as we design our own modules. Through this, we enable our fellow teachers to learn from our best teaching and learning practices,” said UPOU Chancellor Dr. Melinda Bandalaria during the first session.
There are several topics educators can watch out for, including engaging learners online (August 3), assessment of online engagement tools (August 7), and supporting online learners (August 10). Students will be given an online course on preparing to be an online learner (August 5), while parents will be offered a special webinar on how to support their children as online learners (August 18). There will also be a webinar session on cybersecurity open to the general public (August 14), led by PLDT Chief Information and Security Officer Angel Redoble.
“This webinar series in partnership with the UPOU is a milestone that aims to uplift our country’s new digital education system. We continue to take strides in ensuring that we utilize our resources in helping the teaching and learning community,” he said.
Recognizing the vital role that the local government units (LGUs) play in supporting the education sector’s transition to digital learning, PLDT will also hold a special webinar session for them on August 12.
For more details on how to participate, visit the UPOU Network’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/UPOpenUniversityNetworks/
Through the shared goal of enriching the country’s education sector, PLDT and UPOU are dedicating this webinar series not only to the teachers, but also to the whole ecosystem of the teaching and learning process: the students, their parents, and their communities.
About the Infoteach Outreach Program
Now in its 16th year, the PLDT Infoteach Outreach Program started in 2004 as a barangay-based initiative on digital literacy training and was later transformed into a school-based program. As the company’s flagship educational program, it champions digital literacy by empowering public school teachers and students nationwide. Its partnership with UPOU started in 2012 and has already produced over 30,000 graduates from different public schools all over the country
