PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

UP NISMED Conducts Training Program on Interactive Courseware

Responding to the needs of Grade 2 mathematics teachers of Region IV-A, the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) collaborated with UP NISMED to conduct a training program, titled “Developing Technology-Enhanced Lessons for Improving Grade 2 Pupils’ Mathematics Skills” within May to June and October to November 2016.

The training program, which consists of four batches, is part of the Mobile IT Classroom project of the DOST-SEI which aims to expose the teachers and students to state-of-the-art education technology and promote appreciation of Information and Comunications Technology (ICT) as a tool for teaching and learning science and mathematics in areas where ICT facilities are either scarce or absent. For each batch, 20 teachers were selected to participate in the 3-day training program.

Ms. Edna G. Callanta of UP NISMED models the implementation of a technology-enhanced lesson.

Teachers explore the lessons in the interactive courseware.

The Elementary School Mathematics Group designed the training program to build the teachers’ capability to integrate an interactive courseware in their mathematics lessons. It was also meant to enhance the teachers’ content knowledge on the concepts covered in the 8 lessons of the interactive courseware for Grade 2 through discussions about these concepts. The interactive courseware for Grades 1 to 6 mathematics was jointly developed by DOST-SEI, DOST-ASTI, and UP NISMED from 2011 to 2014.

The interactive courseware in elementary school mathematics, as well as those for high school science and mathematics, are provided for free to public schools. They are also made available as online resources for teachers and students.

The training for the first two batches had already been conducted. The first batch of teachers, from the Division of Biñan City, Laguna, had their training on 31 May – 2 June 2016. The second batch of teachers, from the Division of Calamba City, Laguna, had their training on 7-9 June 2016. Both training programs were conducted in the Mobile ICT Classroom. The two batches of teachers rated the training program favorably.

The last two batches of teachers will be from the Division of Bacoor City in Cavite and the Division of Batangas City in Batangas. The schedule for these two batches has yet to be finalized.

JFC-Coop Sponsors Training of Elementary School Mathematics Teachers in Geometry and Algebra

Jollibee Foods Corporation Employees’ Multi-Purpose Cooperative (JFC Coop) in partnership with the UP NISMED Elementary School Mathematics (ESM) Group conducted the three-day “Training Program on Upgrading Elementary School Mathematics Teachers’ Competence in Teaching Geometry and Algebra.” The training was participated by 30 teachers of Palatiw Elementary School, Pasig City. It was held on 3, 10, and 17 September 2016 at UP NISMED.

The objectives of the training were for the teachers to gain a better understanding of concepts related to Geometry and Algebra, develop and implement lessons in Geometry and Algebra using the teaching through problem-solving approach, and improve their ability to critique activities and lessons in Geometry and Algebra.

The training program included a lesson implementation modelling the teaching through problem-solving approach. Also included were sessions on assessment, selected topics in Geometry and Algebra, and a workshop. In the workshop, primary grade level teachers (Kindergarten – Grade 3) were grouped together and so were intermediate grade level teachers (Grades 4 – 6) to collaboratively develop a lesson in either Geometry or Algebra based on the K to 12 Curriculum using the teaching through problem-solving approach. These lessons were

Teachers perform an activity on finding patterns.

implemented and post-lesson reflections and discussions (PLRD) were conducted after each implementation. In the PLRD, input on content as well as comments and suggestions on how to further improve the lessons were provided by the teachers themselves, the school principal, and the ESM Group facilitators.

UP NISMED Partners with DOST-SEI for Project HOTS

UP NISMED, in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), conducted a seminar-workshop on Hands-On Teaching and Learning of Science Through Inquiry (Project HOTS) for Grade 4 Science teachers of the Division of Taguig – Pateros. Project HOTS consisted of two phases. Phase 1 ran in four batches: Batch 1: 12-14 April 2016; Batch 2: 26-28 April 2016; Batch 3: 4-6 May 2016; and Batch 4: 24-26 May 2016. It was a three-day seminar-workshop on developing inquiry-based lessons and assessment for a science lesson. There were 113 Grade 4 science teachers from 28 schools who participated in Phase 1.

Phase 2, the lesson study component which is a school-based professional development program, followed the seminar-workshops. The Science activities developed in Phase 1 were subsequently incorporated in lessons and implemented twice by different teachers of the team in each school. Implementations of lessons were observed and post-lesson reflection and discussions were conducted to further improve the lessons based on pupils’ feedback and suggestions made by members of the team, as well as by academic supervisors, DOST-SEI, and UP NISMED staff.

The initial ten schools that participated in Phase 2 were chosen based on the following criteria:

  1. The schools sent at least two teachers to the seminar-workshop (Phase 1).
  2. The schools did not implement lesson study in 2

A teacher spins an animal wheel as the pupils watch during the implementation of a research lesson on animal body parts used to adapt to water habitats.

However, there were three schools that requested not to implement lesson study for the following reasons: a) there were no classrooms large enough to accommodate all of the observers, b) ongoing classroom construction, and c) fear that the teachers who participated in Phase 1 will not be able to deliver the required outputs in Phase 2. The DepEd supervisor then chose replacement schools based on the capability of the teachers. From these ten schools, DOST-SEI chose two schools as the “Most Promising Implementers” based on a set of criteria.

UP NISMED and CRICED Conduct Seminar-Workshop on Japanese Curriculum,Textbooks and dbook

In cooperation with the Center for Research on International Cooperation in Educational Development (CRICED) of the University of Tsukuba (UT) of Japan, UP NISMED conducted a free three-day seminar-workshop on 21, 22, and 28 October 2016 held at the Elementary School Mathematics Laboratory, UP NISMED. The objectives of the seminar-workshop were: (1) to expose participants to the Japanese curriculum, textbooks, d-book, and teaching mathematics through problem solving; (2) to help them develop thinking skills among learners through the use of these textbooks, and; (3) to enable them to use dbook software in developing lessons and activities. There were 32 participants in this seminar-workshop, consisting of 28 elementary school mathematics teachers from both public and private elementary schools, one public high school teacher, two school administrators, and one former UP NISMED staff.

Participants experience using the Japanese textbook in dbook formatto explain their ideas on measurement.

Participants prepare teaching and learning materials in dbook format.

Dr. Masami Isoda, a professor at UT and the current director of CRICED, was the resource person for the first two days. He talked about the Japanese curriculum and also introduced the Japanese textbooks for elementary school mathematics. There was a discussion on the contents of the textbooks from Grades 1-6. The participants were exposed to different tasks that involve problem solving. They were challenged to think and give different solutions to each task presented to them. During the second day, the participants were asked to identify topics in the books which highlight the difference among shapes, figures, and plane figures. Towards the end of Prof. Isoda’s session on the second day, the participants who worked in groups presented their plans in discussing the topic that they selected. As an assignment, the participants were asked to work on a topic that they want to present using the dbook, a software that can be used for creating interactive e-textbooks.

On the third day, the participants worked together on their outputs. These outputs were presented for critiquing and were revised based on the comments and suggestions by their fellow participants and the UP NISMED staff. Mr. Guillermo P. Bautista, Jr. of the High School Mathematics Group conducted a session on how to use the dbook and on its features. The participants were then asked to convert their outputs using the software and to present the draft versions of their outputs.

Aboitiz Foundation Partners with UP NISMED

Participants work on an activity on Interactions.

The Aboitiz Foundation sponsored a three-day Seminar-Workshop on Teaching Selected Topics in Science for Special Science Elementary School Teachers on 13-15 December 2016. The Elementary School Science Group together with the High School Biology and High School Earth and Environmental Science Groups prepared and conducted sessions for 16 teachers from Sto. Tomas South Central School, Tiwi Central School, and Taguig Integrated School. The seminar-workshop aimed to enhance elementary school teachers’ competencies in teaching science through inquiry to develop learners’ higher order thinking skills, process skills, and scientific attitude. The seminar-workshop also gave the teacher-participants the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the learning competencies in selected strands of the K to 12 Science Curriculum.

Dr. Soledad A. Ulep, UP NISMED Director (extreme right), and representatives of the Aboitiz Foundation, Mr. Wilbert T. Brua, Project Officer, and Ms. Risa C. Madrid, Accounting Manager (2nd from left), award the certificate of participation to one of the participants.

MSE Sponsors Professional Development Program for Teachers of Iloilo

UP NISMED staff from the Elementary School Science and Mathematics Groups carried out the second of two visits under Phase 2 of the Marikina Shoe Exchange (MSE) professional development program for elementary school science and mathematics teachers of Iloilo on 22-26 February 2016. Seven schools were involved, six of which were in the district of Oton. Phase 2 entailed two consecutive research lesson implementations, each of which was followed by a post-lesson reflection and discussion involving members of the lesson study teams, with UP NISMED staff and UP High School Iloilo faculty acting as knowledgeable others. In all, 9 lessons in mathematics and 8 in science were developed.

Teachers of Oton Central Elementary School duringa post-lesson reflection and discussion following a lesson implementationon “How Heat Travels.”

Grade 4 pupils of Cadinglian Batuan Elementary School perform an inquiry-based science activity.

This program, funded by MSE, started with a seminar-workshop on lesson study and teaching science through inquiry and teaching mathematics through problem solving held on 19-22 August 2015 in UP Visayas Iloilo City Campus. The school-based follow-through under Phase 2 started with the first visit on 24-27 November 2015. The conduct of the second visit ends this professional development program.