VERSION 2.0: The Better Teacher in Me
For two consecutive academic years, the teachers, learners, and parents faced a sudden challenge of the new normal in education while experiencing the COVD-19 pandemic. Lockdowns and restricted movement made student life difficult. Different learning modalities were hardly accepted as an approach to learning. What has been normal going to school suddenly became more difficult and most parents complained about how they teach their children as home school was accepted with no other choice but to continue learning. Others have felt and expressed empathy towards teachers for they have felt the difference of facilitating learning to 50 learners each day, while parents only take care of their kids as learners at home. No one was spared from a sudden shift in educational approach in the whole country as well as internationally.
The idea of HyFlex learning comes to respond to the challenges of the new normal in learning. If planned carefully, this idea gives a unique opportunity for teachers and learners to experience an effective blended experience in learning. The incorporation of face-to-face and online instruction outcomes and academic achievement of the learners are more substantial than either face-to-face or online classes.
Significant learning: A Reflection
The LUNDUYAN SA KAHUSAYAN program indeed becomes a significant platform for the excellence of learning. It has become a center of excellence proven by the facilitators and enthusiastic learners during the series of online sessions. it is one way of responding to the needs of 21st-century teachers who seek personal growth and professional development as their response to the new normal in education. I see the whole process as continuing pedagogy for my own and my learners’ benefit in attaining goals in education.
I can say that I am a product of a traditional face-to-face learning modality approach until I became interested in the ICT teaching and learning opportunities offered by the internet technology, school programs, and the latest challenge of conducting online learning modality. I may not be technologically behind but the broad and various variety of learning made me able to appreciate the efficiency, beauty, and effectiveness of integrating HyFlex learning with my learners. Our school may have not offered an exhaustive integration of ICT for our learners but the preparation itself is overwhelming and exciting, realizing that there is no going back, it is always moving forward in adapting to the new normal in teaching and learning.
I have personally gained insight in terms of planning, developing, and assessment of the different ICT-approach in HyFlex teaching. As I have opened myself to becoming a HyFlex teacher, I can now manage my own screen time and personal time by purposively focusing on what is essential in teaching and learning as well as the learners’ experiences where collaboration and creativity come. In HyFlex learning, the learners may have many options by using mobile access and or modules in their own self-paced individual time according to their capacity and needs. These same ideas also apply to me as a HyFlex learning facilitator.
My attentiveness to the specific needs and concerns of my learners are more emphasized as I move toward the new curriculum approach to developing reasoning, resilience, and a sense of learners’ responsibility. Thanks to the new 3Rs in the curriculum.
Professionally, feedbacking never failed to help me in reinforcement and redirection between me and my learners. As the school adopts various feedbacking methods, the multi-level feedback method allows everyone to listen and share constructive critiques and assessments. Somehow this helps me personally and professionally in developing my skills as an educator.
Development must be people-centered. This makes me eliminate or lessen my own bias for the least while giving equitable empowerment to all in the community. Everybody participates in the development of both school personnel and stakeholders. I must say that the success in the implementation of our school program and my personal education goals and strategies depend also on how I receive feedback from others. My self-assessment and being receptive to feedback become the basis for improving myself personally and professionally.
Lastly, my well-being can be and still improve by focusing on my wholistic engagement with others while maintaining a good feeling, living life one day at a time meaningfully, establishing supportive and meaningful relationships with others, and being mindfully engaged in life in general.