DepEd, CHEd support MTAP
trng for Ilonggo math teachers
By Harold Cartagena
NO LESS than the Department of Education and the Commission of Higher Education have officially endorsed the holding of the training in mathematics of math teachers in Western Visayas set September 27-29, 2013 at Iloilo Grand Hotel, Iznart Street, Iloilo City.
Initiated by the Mathematics Teachers Association of the Philippines-Iloilo Chapter (MTAP-IC), Inc., the MTAP Regional Seminar-Workshop and Conference is set to be participated in by hundreds of mathematics teachers in the region. They will be trained by math instruction experts headed by Dr. Rechilda Villame, vice president of the MTAP-National and the Mathematics Trainers Guild (MTG) of the Philippines, and Dr. Ian June Garces, math professor of Ateneo de Manila University and former chairperson of the K-12 Technical Panel for Mathematics.
The three-day event is to be held in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) through DepEd Order No. 84 series of 2013 which requires every school division to bring official representatives to the event On Official Business, meaning usual expenses are chargeable to local funds. Signed by Regional Director John Arnold Siena, the order strongly enjoins private and public basic education (grade school and high school) teachers to participate and be given due skills how to eventually train their co-teachers the fundamentals of teaching math when they go back to their respective fields.
Before signing the memo last July, Dir. Siena told the group of MTAP officers that it his intention to make sure that “math education in Western Visayas is competitive not just nationally but also internationally, hence, training the teachers (to train their co-teachers) how to handle this challenging discipline in the classroom is vital and worth investing upon.”
For his part, Dr. Herman Lagon, president of MTAP-IC, Inc., said: “This regional training deems to create a ripple effect among teachers in the light of the K-12 curriculum challenge. We hope that the skills that they will get from this series of workshops will cascade down to the thousands more teachers in the ground so that it can translate into more meaningful, relevant, and effective math instruction in the classroom.”
In the same note, CHEd Order 114 series of 2013 also invites college teachers, post-grad professors, and education students to join the said seminar-workshop. Penned by Regional Director Dr. Virginia Resurreccion, the commission deems that many tertiary educators will join in order for them to be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge cope with the demands of the ever-evolving K-12 curriculum and acquire effective content and pedagogical skills to train other educators in math.
Dr. Resurreccion said, “My goal (of supporting the training) is to invite and provide teachers with the venue to learn how to put math to the level of their students. Every teacher must make it a point to show to students the relevance and use of math in daily lives; to prove that math may be difficult to some but it is sure worth it, for it does make sense.”
Centered on the Theme: “Trainers’ Training: Catching the Fire in the K-12 Mathematics Curriculum,” the convention includes trainers’ training, plenary sessions, workshops, and general assembly. Aside from Dr. Villame and Dr. Garces, about 15 other math doctors and professors will serve as facilitators and trainers in the three-day training.
After the general sessions, the participants are to break down in 10 grade levels in 10 different function rooms. They will have separate, rigid trainings with select math experts in the field, including Sr. Coronel and Dr. Villame. The tertiary teachers shall also have their separate training-lectures with Dr. Garces as the main trainer. All the set training sessions will be designed in alignment with the competencies set by the new curriculum.
Registration of PhP2800.00 for interested parties is still going on. It covers five (5) snacks, two (2) lunch meals, seminar kits, certificates, plenary speakers’ fees and other expenses to be incurred in the affair. MTAP-IC, Inc. members who have renewed their membership for the calendar year 2013 will be given a discount of PhP 200.00.
For inquiries regarding the convention, participants may contact MTAP-IC, Inc. president Dr. Herman M. Lagon (09202294759) or Seminar-Workshop chairperson Prof. Jonathan C. Glorial (09199316073). Reservation and/or payment in advance may be done through Prof. Rhodora Cartagena (09096207595). Reservations must be made through Dr. Lagon as soon as possible for the training has limited slots only.