FILIPINO LITERATURE IN MOTION. Philippines

Transcription

1 FILIPINO LITERATURE IN MOTION Philippines INNOVATION DESCRIPTION Descriptive Background Information St. Thomas Academy is a private, co-educational secondary school in rural community, south of Metro Manila. The innovation involves 56 students in the third year with ages years. The students are of mixed cognitive ability levels. While all the teachers are encouraged by the school to integrate ICT (information and communication technology) in teaching, only the teacher in Filipino is involved in the innovation. The latter is applied in Philippine Literature, specifically in the area of Filipino poetry. Summary of the Innovation In the Philippine context where the application of ICT is usually made in subjects using English as the medium of instruction, the use of technology in the national language, introduced in the school in 1997, is considered a novelty. It is an innovation in instruction, the goal being the development of the students ability to express their understanding of the lesson, in this case a poem, through activities like poster making, slogan making, poetry writing, painting, and slide presentation, all requiring the application of the technology. The students are expected to create their products (e.g. poster, poem), present them in class, and submit them to the teacher for assessment. This is a departure from what is traditionally done in the teaching of poetry, in which the students would only be asked to read or recite a poem and interpret its message according to their understanding. Presentations using PowerPoint were produced as group outputs. The groups were self-managing in that the students would, on their own, go to websites to browse for pictures or events, explore clip art, try out colours and fonts and apply animation and sound effects in their presentation. Decisions on which colours to apply, which pictures to include and which animation would be appropriate were made collectively by the students. MESO-LEVEL CONTEXT OF THE INNOVATION School Background St. Thomas Academy is a private, sectarian secondary school established by the Catholic Archdiocese of Lipa in It is managed by the nuns of the Franciscan Missionary of the Infant Jesus (FMIJ). The school is located in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, which, although a rural community, has access to major telecommunications in the country. The school has a population of 2060 students. The first language of the students is Tagalog. 1

2 The school has 61 teachers, majority of whom are female. The teachers are all trained in the use of ICT. School Culture The school s mission is to produce students who are integrated persons capable of harmonious relationships with God, self, others and the society, and who recognise the use of technology as a tool in enhancing their Christian values, attitudes and habits. The vision in teaching and learning is the integration of technology in the school curriculum and the development of the full potentials of the individual through the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes. The idea of the innovation came up at a meeting with the nuns in another FMIJ-managed school, during which there was sharing of experiences about the latter s use of ICT. This has inspired the nuns at STA to take a similar track, their goal being the transformation of STA into a lead school in ICT use among other schools in the community. The idea gained the support of the school administration, convinced that the students who live in the province have the right to learn the new technology. The opportunity to learn more about ICT use came when Net Curricula, a private service provider, sponsored a seminar in 1997 promoting the use of technology in education. The Principal of STA attended the seminar, and the training enhanced the confidence of the school to implement the innovation using ICT. The Principal became a prime mover in the application of ICT, as she herself introduced the innovation to the administration and the school council. Teachers perceive the Principal as a hands-on leader in that she uses the technology herself in her work, sending s to teachers, for instance. The Principal admits that she should be knowledgeable about the innovation to be able to convince the parents and the teachers about the importance and benefits of the use of the technology. The Principal is one of the Core Faculty members being trained by Net Curricula to give ICT training to the teachers. She also acts as one of the school s System Administrators trained by Net Curricula. As such she assists teachers when there are technical difficulties with the application of ICT. Her major role, according to the Principal, is to motivate the teachers in order to implement the innovation. The innovation has been in place for four years, and the Principal is satisfied with how well it is being adopted in the school given the latter s limited ICT resources. The majority of teachers have been sent to training programs conducted by Net Curricula and are applying ICT in their classes even in such subjects as Filipino and Christian Living. The Administrator admits that at first there was resistance from the teachers to apply the technology but this later changed when they realised the benefits that they would derive from the innovation. Being a relatively new experience for the teachers, the application of the technology in teaching and learning provides opportunities for teacher collaboration. Teachers plan, share information such as newly discovered websites, and draw on each other s experiences to solve instructional problems on the use of the technology. Teachers likewise assist each other when there are 2

3 technical problems in the use of the computers. The support being provided and the teamwork created may have contributed to the general acceptance of the innovation. Teachers would feel confident about adopting the innovation when support is available and is readily accessible. Beyond the usual collaboration among teachers, the school considers getting the support of parents as equally important to the acceptability of the innovation. The parents were informed about the innovation during the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meeting. It was deemed important for the parents to be informed, as they would be asked to pay an additional monthly fee for the Internet Service Provider (ISP). The parents support in this regard has implications for the sustainability of the innovation as will be presented in a later discussion. ICT in the School and Beyond The integration of ICT in all subject areas as envisioned in the school s Technology Plan is in keeping with the general vision of developing technologically creative learners who will be useful in the society of the 21 st century. According to the ICT Plan, technology shall be used to link the classroom, the curriculum and the students to the rest of the world. This vision is shared among the teachers and the school administration. Teachers believe that the integration of ICT can become an effective tool for communicating knowledge and developing the students skills. This is possible, according to the Technical Coordinator, if each classroom can be equipped with at least one computer for the teacher s lecture-presentation. The school has already provided educational software for teaching and learning in the following subject areas: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Earth Science, Language, Creative Arts, History, Economics, vocational subjects and computer education. In addition, prototype lesson plans in Science, Filipino, and other subjects have been developed by teachers to serve as models of integration of ICT. Teachers who have undergone training conducted by Net Curricula have become adept at using the technology. To enhance their computer skills, the Principal provides enrichment training on other computer applications and techniques. Students are equally competent in applying the technology. They have access to the ICT resources in the computer laboratory, Internet room and Klik Station. The latter uses prepaid cards and may be accessed for the students personal use. It is also available for use by the community even on Saturdays. Most students do not have access to any other ICT resources except those provided in the school or what may be commercially available. ICT Support Structure in the School The school has 15 computers connected to the LAN, 16 are connected to the Internet and 3 are for multimedia purposes. In the Internet room, which also serves as the innovation classroom, there are 8 computer units with LAN and Internet connection. Other computers are in the faculty room, at the Office of the Treasurer, and at the Office of the Principal. There are also 40 computer units in the computer laboratory. Peripherals are available for student and teacher use. These include colour printer, scanner, LCD projector, CD-Writer, CD-ROM drive, devices for digital image or video processing. Likewise, there are software available for teaching and learning. These are MSWord, MSPowerPoint, Desktop Publishing, Spreadsheet, 3

4 Statistical/Mathematical Programs, Drill and Practice Programs, Tutorial Program, Internet Browser, Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM), software, and software supporting Microcomputer Based Laboratories. To maintain the ICT resources, the school has designated two system administrators who are both trained in managing the network, supervising and assisting the teachers and the students in the use of the computers in the Internet room, and who can do troubleshooting. The Technical Coordinator takes charge of the CDs and other software provided by Net Curricula. However, technical support is provided primarily by Net Curricula whose services can be requested online. In general, there is satisfaction with the ICT resources available and the technical support being extended to the teachers and the students. Beyond the assistance being provided by Net Curricula, teachers also receive professional help from a network of teacher specialists the Core Faculty organised by Net Curricula as part of its contract with the school. The Core Faculty is a select group of teachers who have been trained to conduct ICT training programmes for other teachers in the school. The training programmes include Technology Planning Workshop, Electronic Desktop Workshop, Integrating Technology into Curriculum Projects, and Maximising the Web for Instruction. The training is usually done in the summer. MACRO-LEVEL CONTEXT OF THE INNOVATION National and State/Provincial Policies The school, being a private institution, is authorised to formulate its own ICT policies and translate these into educational programmes. The policies that the school has crafted in this regard are meant to guide action at the level of administration, teaching and learning. At the level of the administration, the policy is to sustain the innovation by providing funds to support the training of faculty and other personnel involved in the program and the acquisition and installation of software, hardware and other physical facilities needed for the IT project. At the level of teaching, the policy is to integrate technology to support and enhance the implementation of the curriculum and use technology in the preparation of instructional materials such as lesson plans, syllabi, etc. At the level of learning, the policy is for students to observe the code of ethics in the use of ICT, and encourage them to use ICT in conducting research, and, accessing information through the Internet to enhance the learning process. THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE INNOVATION Curriculum Content, Goals, and Assessment The innovation class is in Filipino III in the third year. The content of the course is Philippine Literature. The topic addressed in the innovation is a Poem entitled Ang Punong Kawayan [The Bamboo Tree] written by a local poet. 4

5 The innovation allows for a two-day activity taking a total of 80 minutes at 40 minutes per class period. The first day is largely a teacher-led activity involving a multimedia presentation of the lesson, which the teacher herself develops. The second day is a student-centred activity, where the students work in groups on the assignments given the previous day. The innovation is designed to contributed to the curriculum goal of enabling the students to practise and speak, write and read the national language skilfully. In specific terms, the students must be able to speak or communicate in various contexts; explain fully the meaning of the given ideas/messages of the author; create phrases in an orderly arrangement of ideas; and analyse the ideas being communicated in a selection. According to the Principal, there is no change in the curriculum content, but the innovation is an enrichment of the lesson. The school follows the DECS prescribed curriculum for secondary education. The change, however, is in the instructional approach as there is a shift from the traditional way of reading a poem from the textbook and memorising it for recitation in class to recreating it through various images using ICT. With the application of ICT, a further change is in the relocation of teaching and learning from the classroom to the Internet room. This is in effect a reconfiguration of where teaching and learning traditionally take place. The laboratory for learning need not be a physical space. The assessment of learning has changed, too, with the inclusion of group outputs as an indicator of performance and the application of ICT as a basic consideration in the assessment. Assessment is based on the quality and content of the students presentation. As the students themselves attest: We get high grades when we present many slides, good colour combination, much content and good presentation. The teacher evaluates student outputs based on a set of criteria. The Principal explains: Students are required to submit their projects in diskette form so the teacher can view their output to check the content and assess the totality of the product. The teacher admits that the application of ICT is a factor in the computation of grades. Traditionally, assessment is mainly limited to teachermade tests. The students, through peer evaluation, likewise do their own assessment. This is done through the presentation of each group s output in class. Teacher Practices and Outcomes After the usual prayers and the morning greetings, the teacher introduced the lesson with a prefatory statement that the lesson would be somewhat different, as computers would be used. On the first day of the lesson the teacher mainly utilised a multimedia presentation (a module software which she authored) as her instructional tool. She used this from the beginning to the end of the lesson. The multimedia presentation was an interactive lecture, integrating the application of technology in the different phases of teacher activities. The instructional procedure followed the same steps as in non-innovation lessons, that is, from the priming activity to the 5

6 development and wrap-up of the lesson and evaluation of learning. The only difference is that ICT is integrated as a tool for carrying out the lesson. The introduction of the lesson is designed as a priming activity. For the particular lesson under study, the teacher introduced the poem with slide show of the legendary origin of the first Filipinos, named Malakas and Maganda, coming out of a split bamboo. A narration, which the teacher herself recorded, provided the background information on the slide. Several slides of a scenic and peaceful rural setting were subsequently shown, while a lively Filipino folk song evoking the gentle rustle of the bamboo was being played in the background. Having introduced the subject matter, the teacher went on to the development phase of the lesson. The teacher presented the poem, Ang Punong Kawayan [The Bamboo Tree] using slides about the bamboo. As each line in the stanza was projected on the screen, a voice-over recited that line. After the presentation, the teacher asked: Anong katangian ng punong kawayan ang binibigyang halaga sa tula? [What characteristics of the bamboo are given importance in the poem?]. This question was also flashed on the screen in the form of a slide. Students raised their hands if they wanted to answer. The question drew several spontaneous answers from the class. At times, the teacher would ask the students to elaborate on their answers or to complete their answer in the form of a statement. Sometimes the teacher would probe as when a student answered, Sila ay nagdadamayan [They support each other]. The teacher s follow-up question, Paano sila nagdadamayan? [How do they support each other?], was intended to elicit an explanation that would go beyond a declarative statement. To provide feedback to the students, the teacher flashed on the screen the expected responses to the question. The teacher then went on to expand the scope of the discussion by situating it within the context of Philippine history. The purpose was to enable the students to draw an analogy between the characteristics of the bamboo and the Filipino character that evolved in the course of the nation s history. To set the tone for the discussion, a nationalistic song, Ang Bayan Ko [My Country] was being played in the background. Slides were shown depicting historical events, such as the Filipinos fighting for independence during the revolution of 1896 and the 1986 EDSA Revolution. This was followed by another set of slides showing such Filipino traits as unity and cooperation. At this point, the teacher asked the students to compare the Filipinos with the bamboo. The common trait - resiliency in the face of crisis or difficulty - was successfully elicited by the teacher. In the process, the teacher likewise succeeded in integrating Values Education into the lesson. Towards the end of the lesson, the teacher focused her multimedia presentation on the message of the poem, which was about the future of the country. The slides reflected the progressive transformation of the country and the promise of a brighter future. Pointing to the slides showing high-rise buildings, the teacher linked the Filipino legacy of resiliency to what the nation had become: Ang mga ito ang nagsisimbulo sa hinaharap ng Pilipinas. Kung mayroon tayong mga minanang mga katangian sa ating mga ninuno, paano mo ilalarawan ang hinaharap ng Pilipinas? [These symbolise the future of the Philippines. Given 6

7 those Filipino traits that we inherited from our ancestors, how do you see the Philippines in the future?] The class response of magiging maunlad [It will be progressive], was an interpretation of the image being communicated by the slides. Thus, the message of the poem was made concrete as slides were presented, and this facilitated the students understanding of what otherwise would have been abstract lines from a poem. The lesson ended with the teacher flashing a slide showing the Philippine flag flying high on top of a bamboo pole. The slide was meant to symbolise that like the bamboo, the Filipino people have remained resilient, overcoming adversities in their history as a nation. To cap the lesson, the class sang a nationalistic song, Malaya Ka, Filipino [You are Free, Filipino], which was the music played as part of the slide presentation. Thus, though the lesson was a poem, the teacher drew on a musical selection to reinforce the message and firm up student learning. Being confident that the lesson had been understood already, the teacher projected on the screen the activities expected to be done the next day. The teacher asked some student-volunteers to read each task orally. After this, she explained to the class how the assigned projects were expected to be done. There are certain teacher competencies required for carrying out the innovation. One, the teacher has to be knowledgeable about computer applications. Two, she should know how to access the Internet. Three, she should have a working knowledge of other learning areas so she can apply a multidisciplinary approach to the lesson. Lastly, she has to be creative to ensure a well-crafted presentation that will generate and sustain student interest. The innovation has changed the teacher s role from a typical lecturer or largely an informationgiver to being a facilitator of learning. As facilitator of learning, the teacher s tasks involve mainly the presentation of the material for learning and guiding the learner in the construction of meanings. The first task is concerned with the application of ICT in the delivery of content, whereas the second is carried out through the art of questioning. The technical coordinator confirms that teachers involved in the innovation serve mainly as facilitators. They only provide the instructions and the students will work on the application. When the activity involves group work, the teacher s tasks as facilitator include providing direction and clarification when necessary, and monitoring student progress. This may be noted in the following extract from a classroom observation: The teacher approached the group who at that point was selecting pictures from the clip art. Initially, the teacher viewed the pictures, checked how the group members were proceeding with their work and then she pointed at one of the pictures saying, Yan kabataan [The youth]. Then the teacher asked the group: Ano ang maganda dyan? [What is beautiful about that?] or Ano ba ang gagawin ninyo? [What will you do?] to which the students replied poster. The teacher advised the group to add more details and to choose a good colour combination. 7

8 Aside from the change in the teacher s roles, the innovation has likewise facilitated the task of teaching. The multimedia presentation has concretised the learning material, thus making it easy for the students to understand what would otherwise be abstract literary selection. The teacher explains: A poem is simply read by the students. With the use of ICT, there is much expression in the lesson, it can be animated. Similarly, the multimedia presentation of the lesson has added novelty to the usual chalk-andtalk delivery of content. The graphics and the animations that go with the presentation do stimulate students interest and this makes it easy for the teacher to keep the students on-task. Teachers claim, however, that with the use of ICT in teaching, the time needed for preparing lessons is much longer than what they would normally spend without ICT. 'We need more time to prepare our presentations.' 'With the innovation, the time allotment is insufficient. It takes a lot of preparation.' But while the preparatory work may take longer and would require much more effort, the use of ICT, however, during the lesson has reduced the teacher talk and has lightened the work of the teacher. The innovation does not only serve as an instructional tool for teachers but it has also created some positive impact on them by boosting their self-confidence. The innovation teacher admitted in an interview: 'We receive recognition from our fellow teachers and administrators'. As an innovation teacher, she was selected to represent the school in the annual Net Curricula Best Practices Symposium, as teacher presenter. The tacit recognition gave the teacher a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of pride in her craft. Student Practices and Outcomes Student activity in the innovation is best seen during the second day when the students are expected to apply their learning in the form of group outputs. For the lesson under study, the second day started with a list of expected activities, which was flashed on the screen. The teacher reviewed this one by one to clarify expectations. The class was then divided into seven groups. Membership in the group was done by counting off from one to seven and then putting all those belonging to the same number together in one group. Then the teacher asked for volunteers who would act as group leaders. After this, the group proceeded to their respective workstations. Each group was assigned one workstation. There was a division of labour among the members of the group. The leader led the brainstorming on the concept, the script, the layout or design. Then he made a draft of what the output would look like. The leader presented it to the members, for comment. Additional ideas were solicited on how best the output might be presented. When consensus was reached, the group proceeded to carry out its agreements. The leader sat before the computer, and manipulated the keyboard and the mouse. A member on his right dictated from a draft the text of the presentation, for encoding. The rest helped by way of giving remarks or comments on the fonts used, colour combination, layout, design, animation, sound effects, etc. Everyone in the group had the opportunity to speak or express what would look good or what needed to be changed. The students appeared to be quite adept at using the computers, having learned the tools from their computer education class. 8

9 At times the students asked the assistance of the technical coordinator who was present throughout the activity. At one instance, one group asked for a headset to record the voice of one member as the latter recited the poem they composed. At some point the students sought the help of the System Coordinator who dropped in to check on their work and see if there was any problem with the network. The groups came up with various outputs. Group 1 developed a slogan using MS Word. The slogan reflected the message in the poem. Group 2, using MS Word, wrote a short poem dwelling on the same message of the poem used in the lesson. A picture provided the backdrop to the poem. Group 3 drew a tree in bloom, using MS PowerPoint. They related the characteristics of the tree to the positive traits of the Filipinos. Group 4 created, from pictures taken from the Internet, a collage of events depicting the recent People Power in the Philippines. Group 5 wrote a short poem using MS Word. Like the work of group 2, a picture was used in the background. Group 6 developed a slide presentation using MS PowerPoint. The slides depicted the message of the last stanza of the poem. Group 7 made a poster using MS PowerPoint. It was an illustration of the positive transformation of the Philippines. Each group was called by the teacher to present its output. The leaders and the members presented their respective group outputs direct from their workstations and projected these on the screen using an LCD projector. One presentation about a drawing of a tree ran this way: The leader and three other members took turns in reading the description (projected on the screen) of the characteristics of the parts of the tree (e.g., roots, trunk, leaves, fruits) and the positive Filipino traits reflected in those parts. After the presentation, the leader introduced the members of the group as their names were being flashed on the screen. The teacher led the class in giving the group three rounds of applause. This acknowledgment was done at the end of every group presentation. The innovation has created positive impact on the students, according to those interviewed. Aside from the values of teamwork and cooperation that have been developed through group work, student motivation is high. Leadership and communication skills are developed and enhanced. Likewise, students claim to have learned the content easily and that they are able to internalise the lecture because of the visuals. Other teachers observe that 'the students are more challenged and have become interested to attend classes.' The parents, on the other hand, believe that the students computer 9

10 skills are 'very important to their learning and would be very helpful in their future career. The computer skills can be a big help to the family business.' In the immediate context, however, the computer skills that the students have acquired can be a boost to their learning. The students have learned how to do information search as they access the Internet. In the process, they learn that there is a wealth of information beyond the books and what the teacher can provide. They have learned how to process information as they download materials from various websites. In other words, the students have learned how to learn and with this is the realisation that they can learn from each other and from other sources, not just from the teacher. Kinds of Technology and Ways They are Used Basically, the computer is the main innovation tool both for the teacher and the students. The teacher uses a multimedia computer in developing her presentations. In regard to the software, the teacher uses MS PowerPoint to create and develop her multimedia slide presentations. Similarly, the students use this software in creating and developing their assigned projects such as poster, collage, etc. For the textual component of the slide presentation, the teacher and the students use MS Word. The Internet is used to search for content material and download pictures, graphics or events from the World Wide Web that are incorporated into the multimedia presentations of both the teacher and the students. Some students also access the Internet for their research. Some of the peripherals include the following: scanner, which the teacher uses for scanning some photographs taken by a camera as materials for her multimedia presentation; digital video, which is used by the teacher to document some events or materials outside the classroom as part of her multimedia presentation; colour printer, which is used to print out samples of group outputs; and LCD projector, which is used to project on the screen the multimedia presentations of the teacher and the students. There are accessories, too, like the headset, which is used to record the voice-over for the PowerPoint presentation The ICT resources are relatively few, but they are vital in adding variety to what is traditionally done in teaching and learning. The application of ICT in a subject that is conventionally taught through oral interaction and communication does add novelty to the teacher's approach to instruction. The innovation has made it possible for the teacher to concretise using creative imagery what would otherwise be pure abstractions. Problems and Solutions Related to the Innovation With the introduction of the innovation, the school administration initially faced the problem of lack of financial resources. It would require a big amount of money to finance and maintain the ICT infrastructure of the school. This problem was addressed through a cost-sharing scheme with the parents whereby the latter would help defray the cost of the technology by paying a user's fee. 10

11 There is also the problem of acceptance of the new program by the teachers and the parents. The teachers were apprehensive that they would have difficulty integrating ICT in the curriculum. After undergoing training, however, they were able to overcome their fear of the technology. The support of peers and the administration in terms of technical assistance gave the teacher the confidence that help would always be available. In the case of the parents, their resistance stemmed from the financial burden associated with the innovation. But when they realised that the benefits that their children would derive would outweigh the cost of the technology, they were willing to shoulder the increase in school fees. One parent was even appreciative, as her to the school would indicate: As we face the global communication and as society becomes technologically capable, information technology is a prerequisite for all educational institutions. That's why I send this to express my deepest admiration to STA for its successful integration of technology in all subjects. (Published in New Echo, June-September 2000 Issue) Sustainability The continuity and sustainability of the innovation in the school is affirmed, being made explicit in the school s vision and mission as well as in its Technology Plan. The latter provides for a Future Setting Statement that articulates the school s commitment to sustain the innovation. The statement reads in part: To make education relevant and responsive to the needs of the changing society, the STA community will share the responsibility in achieving an effective teaching-learning process. They will plan and work together to evoke a technology-based curriculum that will uphold the Christian, Filipino, human, and Thomasians values and ideals. Students, staff, parents and the community will benefit from the training on the use of technology for they will have the knowledge of a variety of technologies for adapting to the changing conditions. Similarly, there are statements of support from teachers. When asked about the continuity of the innovation, the unanimous response was: Yes, even if the agreement with the Net Curricula is terminated. Teachers are already skilled and trained to implement the innovation on their own. The Administration is equally determined to see the innovation through: Other services by the Net Curricula will still be implemented. Yes, for the school to continue and improve the innovation It is practical to implement. The Plan is explicit about roles of the school administration, teachers, and students, as well as courses of action that will contribute to what it hopes and expects to attain. The Plan provides for continuing efforts at procuring, maintaining and upgrading hardware, acquiring and exploring educational software, and linking with other networks. Continuous development of ICT skills of teachers and students is also assured as the Plan provides for skills training along the use of ICT as tool for teaching and learning. 11

12 Teachers are required to undergo training and apply new technologies, and teach students to appreciate the use of computer network, hardware and software. Students as well, are expected to use technology to acquire information, and enhance skills, learning and productivity, and to develop positive attitudes and values. The Plan also includes courses of action meant to motivate parents to continually support the use of ICT in the school. Any withdrawal of parental support would threaten the continuity of the innovation. The development and existence of a Plan as specific as a Technology Plan is an affirmation of the school s long-term objective of sustaining the innovation, and possibly coming up with other innovations in the future. Transferability At the time that the school was laying the groundwork for ICT use, it clearly defined its objective that the intention of the program was for the development of the students. The anticipated beneficial effects of the innovation especially on the students serve as the rationale for the administration to decide in favour of using ICT. As far as the school administration is concerned, the transferability of the innovation in the near future would most possibly be within the school. They believe that the innovation can be extended in the school and continued on their own even with the termination of the services of Net Curricula. The Technical Coordinator has confidence in the capability of the teachers saying that, they are already trained to be self-sufficient though they still need to have continuous training/seminar to update them with the new techniques and technology. On the other hand, the teachers support the transferability of the innovation in the school but there should be some necessary actions to be taken. The innovation teacher remarked that teachers have to develop their own courseware first. Doing the innovation with the Net Curricula is very expensive. One teacher says, We are willing to get involved in the innovation. But we are disappointed with the lack of facilities in the school. The implication is that teachers support the transferability of the innovation within the school, and this would be easier and more flexible, if there were more ICT facilities. They believe that the school should first address its own needs and requirements before the innovation can be transferred to other schools. They practically know the problems of a school adopting the innovation for the first time because they have been through it. Even the innovation teacher admits that, it would be hard to transfer the innovation to other schools if that school has no ICT facilities. The school however is not closing its door to the possibility of transferring the innovation to other schools. The administrator said that they should be able to transfer the innovation at least to other schools within their congregation where STA can provide the training of teachers. In the case of the other schools in the community, like the public schools, transferring the innovation would depend on the agreement of both parties. The extent of sharing the innovation outside the school would be more in the area of teacher training since it would serve as an apostolate of the congregation in community sharing. On the other hand, the public school teachers should be given encouragement to undergo a similar training. 12

13 APPENDIX GLOSSARY Co-educational Core Faculty - an institution of learning for male and female students - a term coined by Net Curricula that refers to a group of four selected teachers from a contracted school attending the Trainors Training Program. Department of Education, Culture and Sports - is the government agency in-charge of basic education in the country. Filipino (as a subject) - one of the subjects required in the secondary education curriculum and is offered from first to fourth year (grades 7-10); covers the study of grammar and literature in the national language. Filipino (as mother-tongue/language) it is the medium of instruction used in the Filipino subject Filipino (as nationals) - refers to the citizens of the Philippines Philippine History Thomasians Values Education - subject taught in the first year of the secondary education curriculum; it chronicles the development of Filipino nationhood. - refers to the alumni of St.Thomas Academy - one of the subjects required in the secondary education curriculum and is being taught at all levels. It is equivalent to Christian Living in the case of private schools. PHOTOS 13

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