SGF LAUNCHES WEBINAR SERIES, TAKES OFF WITH URUSIPAN 2.0

To empower student leaders amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Student Government Federation (SGF), USANT Junior High School Department’s official student council, introduced Urusipan 2.0: The Webinar Series last night, August 22, 2020 with the theme “The Possible Gains and Losses of Learners in a Transition to Online Distance Learning.

SGF invited senior high school faculty member Mr. Christian I. Lamud to discuss the University’s transition from face-to-face to online classes.

In a pre-recorded interview presented during the webinar, Mr. Lamud tackled the challenges being faced by the students and the teachers during the shift to online classes.

“Unang una diyan yung problems sa internet connectivity both ng teacher and then ng students. So alam natin dito sa Pilipinas isa yan sa problema talaga natin and then hindi naman talaga tayo totally nakapag prepare for the online classes,” Mr. Lamud explained.

He also mentioned how teachers struggle with discerning whether the students truly understood the topic.

“Bukod dun sa internet connection, yung struggle in managing the students and then the lessons, because unlike before, pag face-to-face, mas madali kasi yung pagtuturo dahil nakikita mo talaga sa mga estudyante kung nahihirapan sila o kinailangan ng intervention,” he added.

Mr. Lamud admitted that at times, he doubted whether students understood the points in his class and added that in an online setting, it can be difficult for teachers to attend to students who are falling behind in their lessons.

“Sometimes, when you are so busy lecturing and then giving the lessons, minsan hindi mo na nakikita kung naiintindihan pa ba nung students, so minsa, parang may roon akong doubt kung nakuha ba talaga siya (the lesson) ng lahat ng estudyante or baka may mga ilan sa kanila na naiiwan na and yet I am unaware of their struggles. Isa yan sa mga, kumbaga, na-eexperience ngaming problema ng teachers kasi parang meron kaming duda minsan kung nadedeliver pa rin naming nang maayos yung lesson kaya kinakailangan talaga every now and then magtatanong ka,” Mr. Lamud disclosed.

Mr. Lamud also shared some tips on how teachers can better engage their students in their discussions, citing one of his strategies in giving out recitations.

“One of the strategies I’m using for my students in the senior high school and college departments, I always engage them in the discussion. Nagbibigay ako ng point system sa kanila.”

He highlighted how it is important for teachers to emphasize the importance of class participations.

“Kapag ganoon kasi kapag na-emphasize nung teacher yung importance ng class participations, I believe that students will have that drive, that motivation, to still enter the class the following day. Hindi sila mawawalan ng gana dahil alam nilang inaacknowledge mo sila everytime na nagkakaroon kayo ng discussion.”

Mr. Lamud also shared tips for teachers on how to better adapt to the shift to online distance learning.

“Sa part naman ng teachers, dahil nga bago sa amin din itong online learning na ginagawa natin ngayon, unang una dapat yung preparations na gagawin talaga ng teacher doon sa trainings, sa webinars, na inattendan ng teachers, kailangan ibigay mo yung time, then yung effort mo in preparing the lessons so that we will make sure na madedeliver pa rin natin yung quality ng instruction the same with the quality that we provided before noong nagkaroon pa ng face-to-face classes.”

The webinar earned rave reviews from the participants, who came from both the junior high school and senior high school departments.

“Ang feedback ko po rito is napaka raming lessons na napag-aralan especially sa mga sinabi kanina ni sir. As a freshman po, natutunan ko na po na even though we were not doing face-to-face at least you have a high quality education po. Congrats po! Enjoy much,” wrote grade 7 student Mark Alan D. Nuyda Grade 12 participant Janine Sheemarie V. Petalio wrote that “amid the pandemic, the SGF have managed to continue their service toward the students.”

“The webinar was really informative and the resource speaker was very excellent in addressing his knowledge towards the participants of the webinar. Congratulations SGF officers!,” added Ms. Petalio.

SGF USANT is expected to host more webinars in the future, all with the aim of helping student leaders adapt to the new normal brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.