3rd National ICT in Basic Education Congress

ICT in education congress prepares public schools in technology-based learning
Educators and information communication technology policy makers will converge this September in Cebu City for the 3rd National ICT in Basic Education Congress. Their mission: to help prepare students and teachers in public schools all over the country for the challenges of technology-based learning.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said the multi-sectoral meeting will also be
attended by officials from different colleges and universities and members of
non-government organizations from September 10 to 12, 2008 at the Waterfront
Hotel. They will discuss issues that seek to integrate ICT in basic education, and
how this strategy will benefit public schools.
Ethelyn Taqued of Cordillera Regional Science High School has been teaching
for four years. After various stints in private schools, she was inspired to teach
science and technology in a far-flung public school in Cordillera. She believes
this 3rd ICT Congress – her first ICT in Education Congress – will “broaden my
ideas on ICT integration and is a welcome addition to my understanding of ICT
education.”

“I know I will learn from this congress, and share a part of what I know with other
participants,” said the 46 year old high school teacher. But above all, Taqued
wants to attend this congress as her way of giving back: “DepEd has invested
so much in ICT training for teachers. I want my students to survive in this highly
competitive world. What I will learn from this congress will enable me to
accomplish that,” she added.

DepEd Chief Jesli Lapus is a strong advocate of technology-enhanced
education. Under his watch, the department has pushed ICT as a tool to extend
the reach and quality of basic education.

Lapus is expected to unveil DepEd's 5-Year ICT4E Strategic Plan during the first
plenary session of the Congress. This will be followed by the presentation by
Assistant Secretary Jesus Mateo of the Department's ICT competency
standards for teachers. Also speaking at plenary are Dr. Philip Wong Siew Koon
of the National Institute of Education in Singapore, Dr. Jan Herrington of the
University of Woollongong in Australia and Prof. Patricia B. Arinto of UPOU.
Teachers like Taqued will surely bring home with them learning from the two
day-exchange of best practices, where forty-eight presentations and
demonstrations will be given at concurrent sessions along three main tracks: 1)
ICT integration into and across the elementary and secondary school curricula;
2) Teacher professional development and instructional support; and 3) Distance
education.


The Department of Education (DepEd), University of the Philippines-Open
University (UPOU), and the Foundation for Information Technology Education
and Development (FIT-ED) have been collaborating for a sustainable and
responsible integration of ICT in local education.

Guided by the theme “Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy, and
Challenge of 21st Century Learning,” this event is jointly organized by DepEd
and the University of the Philippines Open University, which is the country’s elearning
competency center.