Region 2 parents, studes taught distance learning

By Oliver T. Baccay

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan -- The Dept. of Education Region 2 has instructed divisions and school heads to conduct parents' orientation on new learning modalities that will be implemented starting August 24.

Regional Director Estela L. Cariño said they need to orient all parents and guardians as they play big roles in alternative learning strategies that will be implemented considering face-to-face learning has a very slim chance to be approved due to increasing number of Covid cases nationwide.

"Aside from this, we continue to receive several questions, doubts, inquiries as well as misinformation about the learning modalities, so we really need to orient them," Cariño said.

Octavio Cabasag, chief of curriculum learning management division, during media orientation, discussed basic information parents and learners should know, especially on learning materials and modalities they will adapt.

He said each learner from Kindergarten up to Grade 3 will receive self-learning modules and the learner may also write directly at the activity sheet in the modules, however, due to limited funds, Grades 4 to 12 maybe given self-learning modules, separate learning activity sheets and other learning materials.

"For independent learners, we will give them textbooks, learning activity sheets and learning materials but for 'learners with difficulty' they will preferably be given self-learning modules and learning activity sheets," Cabasag said.

He added that TV/radio-based instruction (RBI) can be blended with printed and digitized modules, learning activity sheets, learning materials and textbooks.

Cabasag said for TV/RBI modules, the broadcaster will mention the pages on the module as guide to the learner while for TV/RBI "stand alone," the broadcaster will discuss topics or contents while activities can be done using various learning materials.

He also said TV/RBI module based will be adopted for Kinder up to Grade 3 while stand alone or module-based will be adapted for Grades 4 to 12.

"But the schedule for Kinder to Grade 3 is preferably in the morning while for Grades 4 to 12, it can be in an afternoon's session and late evening," Cabasag said.

For online learning, he added there will be an official chatbox per group of classes where teachers will upload recorded discussion for the day in the chat box.

"We will also include in the orientation to parents the health risk of overusing gadgets by learners that is why we emphasize that they need to follow the maximum number of minutes per day of exposure to radiation and if possible we also request the teachers to provide reminders on the harmful effects of overuse of gadgets after lessons," Cabasag added.

Cariño said the alternative delivery mode depends on choice of parents and learner, and applicable in their respective areas.

She added teachers will still be responsible in teaching the students using their preferred modality.

The DepEd will hire "volunteer" teachers who will take charge of students who do not have anybody to guide them. -- PIA 2 Cagayan