MANILA, PHILIPPINES – As learning shifts to virtual classrooms this school year, there is also a rush to transition teachers, students, parents, and even out-of-school youth to this digital environment. But despite government efforts to quickly respond to pressing needs for blended and remote education, the work to be done is so massive that it requires the combined efforts of various sectors of society.
Globe, being a strong advocate of quality education, is also doing its part to make the government’s task a little easier. Globe lends its resources to inspire those from the education community to deliver quality education even from a distance.
“Globe has always considered the provision of quality education a top priority. This commitment propels us to continuously evolve our learning programs and encourage the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in schools. With the current circumstances, we are again helping our educators, students, and parents adjust to the demands of the times even beyond connectivity, ” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability Officer and SVP for Corporate Communications.
Training the teachers
Starting with its Global Filipino Teachers (GFT) program, Globe made several modifications to its teacher training workshops to make them more responsive to current needs. In partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) and in collaboration with Habi Education Labs, Teach for the Philippines and the Philippine Mental Health Association, Globe came up with learning modules covering tech literacy, blended learning, 21st century learning approaches, early childhood literacy, and mental wellness. The modules are currently being shared through webinars, panel discussions and in-digital training sessions.
In addition, Globe holds the E-Skwela Webinar Series to further enrich knowledge and skills of educators in distance learning, learning delivery methods and technologies. It also has the E-Skwela Online Training Program for teachers which is free for Globe client schools but can be open to interested teachers and schools for a fee. Participants can choose how much learning content they want to access, at their preferred time and pace.
Focused on reshaping Philippine education through digital technologies and learning methodologies, educators and institutions from all over the country can come together at Forefront: The 2020 National Conference on Digital Learning to exchange views on the new modalities of remote teaching and learning. Participants from K-12 and tertiary institutions are encouraged to join dialogues on learning across different academic disciplines and geographic areas.
Engaging young minds
Since learning does not end in the classroom, Globe makes its eLibrary (https://globeelibrary.ph/) readily accessible to K-to-12 students where they can have free and quick access to hundreds of age-appropriate and engaging ebooks and videos provided by DepEd and other sources.
At the same time, Globe envisions to strengthen students’ knowledge and skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and increase their appreciation and love for the said subjects to help nurture innovation and equip the nation with the workforce of the future. In partnership with key schools, universities and companies, Globe empowers and enables educational institutions such as De La Salle University and Mano Amiga to develop their STEM track with relevant tools and content.
Reaching out to the youth
Likewise, Globe takes into account the needs of the non-formal education sector and has provided connectivity and communications assistance to the Philippine Business for Education (PBed) and the Foundation for Professional Training Inc. (FPTI) to enable their students to transition to digital and distance learning beginning this school year.
The support was through prepaid SIM cards and load cards which 600 trainees under PBEd’s YouthWorks PH Program and 160 scholars under FPTI’s Lifelong Development for Women Program can use to connect to the internet for three and six months, respectively, to access relevant digital tools and content.
Keeping the digital environment safe
Being constantly online, however, makes children and young adults more vulnerable to online exploitation and abuse. Globe’s Digital Thumbprint Program (DTP) aims to keep the youth safe from the threats lurking online by helping teachers, parents, and students understand the value of digital citizenship, online safety, and the responsible use of the internet. With the push to online education, Globe modified the in-class DTP workshop modules and is tackling them through a series of webinars for teachers and parents. Globe is aso creating DTP e-modules with bite-sized, easily digestible information that are easily accessible online.
Ensuring connectivity
Connectivity is vital in distance education and Globe does not only upgrade and expand its network to provide better voice and data experience but also provides connectivity solutions to the education community. It supported DepEd’s blended learning program by making a donation of 1,000 Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi modems under the WiFi2Teach Program to equip selected public school teachers with connectivity.
At the same time, Globe assists schools and universities with prepaid WiFi kits, a SchoolSURF lineup of internet promos specifically designed for students and instructors, and a customizable suite of apps to aid the learning process. So far, Globe has supported the connectivity requirements of schools such as Ateneo de Davao, Cebu Technological University, Arellano University, STI, Coronado School, De La Salle University, and General Santos Foundation College.
Globe also partnered with PHINMA Education, a fast-growing network of schools in Southeast Asia, to propel the FlexLearning@PHINMAEd program, enabling students to maximize mobile data and making the internet highly accessible for those from underserved communities.
Taking into account the needs of the local government units, Globe, through its enterprise division Globe Business, has provided 11,000 LTE pocket mobile WiFi devices to the City of Manila for its public school teachers, as well as free connectivity solutions via BatangMaynilaSurf Plans. The Quezon City government also granted Globe’s bid to provide students from 160 QC public schools with strong connectivity, Through Globe Education Solutions, specifically, GovEducPlan and Managed Load Up, pupils from Grades 7 to 12 can benefit from the same quality of online education that private school students experience.
Customers of Globe and TM are given free data access to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Online Program at https://www.e-tesda.gov.ph/ , the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) learning portal at https://phlconnect.ched.gov.ph , and DepEd’s online learning delivery platform https://commons.deped.gov.ph so they can sharpen their skills and knowledge without worrying about data connectivity cost.
Providing productivity tools
To support distance learning, Globe sent pre-owned laptops to various public schools in the provinces to help disadvantaged teachers and students who have no access to a computer.
On the other hand, its small and medium enterprise arm, Globe myBusiness ensures that learning becomes possible anytime, anywhere with productivity tools designed for the virtual classroom such as GSuite for Education and Edmodo which teachers and students can use to collaborate on lessons and assignments. Brightspace provides teachers with the right tools to create lessons that will help students stay inspired and focused on their goals. All these types of Learning Management System (LMS) administer, document, and track educational courses and training programs.
Schools that already signed-up for the educational tools include Philippine Women’s University, Dalton Academy, JPI Technologies, College of our Lady of Mount Carmel, Saint Claire College of Region 2, Santiago Trillana Academy, Top Achievers Private School Inc, Saint Patrick School, San Pablo Colleges, Colegio de San Jose, Arriesgado College Foundation, Bukidnon Faith Christian School, Cebu Doctors University, Indiana Aerospace University, Rosemont Hills Montessori College, Saint Anne Learning Center of Mandaue, Saint Peter’s College, Medici Di Makati College (formerly Makati Medical Center College) Light of the World Christian Academy of Makati, and Divine Word School of Semirara.
Globe myBusiness also partnered with Google for Education, an ecosystem of products, programs, and training grounded on the platform’s innovative tools and resources in order to provide a comprehensive onboarding process, tailor-made teacher training, and strong after-sales support for partner schools and institutions nationwide. It also joined hands with Edukasyon.ph, the largest online youth platform in the Philippines, for education technology solutions that support seamless learning and operations for the school’s evolving needs.
Together with teachers, students, administrators, and even parents, Globe redefines the education experience by taking the school online and encouraging everyone to discover new ways to create, collaborate, and communicate.
Globe is a strong advocate of quality education which is one of the 10 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that the company has committed to support. For more information about Globe sustainability efforts, visit: https://www.globe.com.ph/about-us/sustainability.html#gref
