Principals and Teachers urged to optimize existing ICT programs

Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Jesli Lapus calls for the optimum
use of information and communication technology to deliver quality education
and enhance institutional efficiency worthy of the 21st century.
Lapus sounded the call during the National Educators Congress in Baguio City
where he also cited the department’s effort to provide ICT-enriched learning
materials, internet connectivity and computer laboratories to public schools
through the assistance of the private sector.

The DepEd Chief stressed that “it is about time that we effectively use ICT in
teaching and learning as well as in managing the delivery of services.”
Some of the sessions on the second day of this year’s Educators’ Congress will
focus on ICT tools that can be used to enhance productivity among teachers,
school heads, education managers, and field office administrators.
These sessions aim to provide real and live examples of practices of DepEd’s
ICT partners.

“Introducing new stuff to educators and learners can be useless if they cannot
harness and build on existing ICT initiatives,” said Lapus.
Ayala Foundation, Intel, USAID, SMART, Oracle and Microsoft are just some of
the institutions that support DepEd in its goal to bring digital literacy to Filipino
students and make them competitive with our more progressive neighbors.
DepEd has increased its ICT-related efforts to sustain the initiatives that these
groups have started. Just this year, Lapus instructed the department’s budget
chief to provide additional operating funds to schools which have dropped
connections to cover internet subscription fees and incremental electric
consumption charges.

Lapus explained that “Before I assumed leadership at DepEd, the department
has several programs that, when improved, continues to be relevant to our
public schools. Alongside the creation of new programs on digital literacy, there
is still a need to build on and continue existing meritorious programs.”
The department’s ICT4E or Information Communication Technology for
Education – the strategic plan of which has just been completed – builds on
earlier efforts, strategies, and interventions developed by DepEd in partnership
with its stakeholders. It is a road map on what, when, where, why, and how
DepEd will employ and integrate ICT in the delivery of learning competencies
initially in the core subjects of English, Science, and Mathematics.

Source:
http://depedteacher.blogspot.com/search/label/ICT%20news