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INNOTECH Flexible Learning Management System

Dr. Pefianco's video presentation, titled "Educating for Peace and Understanding"

The Japan Prize Video Library at SEAMEO INNOTECH's Learning Resource Center. Search here.

SEAMEO Events

● 3rd International Conference on Science and Mathematics Education, Improving Science and Mathematics Literacy: Theory, Innovation and Practice (CoSMEd), SEAMEO RECSAM, Penang, Malaysia, 10 -12 November 2009
● International Seminar on Open Distance and e-Learning, SEAMEO SEAMOLEC, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 11 -13 November 2009

ICeXCELS Expands in the Philippines. A new batch of 1,600 school heads from across the Philippines are participating in the next run of the flexible course Instructional and Curricular Excellence in School Leadership and Management for Southeast Asia. Faced with unwieldy challenges, these school heads are expected to retool themselves as effective instructional leaders to improve teaching and learning in their schools. The Philippine Normal University, recently recognized by law as the country's National Teacher Training Institution, serves as a partner in course implementation. The Philippine Department of Education sponsors the participation of the school heads.

Center Director Dr. Erlinda C. Pefianco and DepED Undersecretary Ramon C. Bacani do their part repainting blackboards.

INNOTECH's CSR Program. Director Erlinda C. Pefianco led Center staff in repainting classrooms of the Culiat High School and Elementary School in Quezon City, Philippines. They join the nationwide drive (called Brigada Eskwela) of the Department of Education to prepare the country's 42,000 schools for the opening of classes. Brigada Eskwela has been a successful public-private partnership that has saved the Department millions of pesos in school maintenance costs.

Usec Boransing observes a class during their benchmarking in Brunei and Malaysia in May.

Madrasah Benchmarking in Brunei and Malaysia. DepED Undersecretary for Muslim Affairs Manaros Boransing led a group of local education officials on a study visit to learning institutions in Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia to benchmark on best practices in implementing madrasah education. Usec Boransing was accompanied by DepED officials involved in the design and management of Madrasah education programs in the country. SEAMEO INNOTECH facilitated the benchmarking program in cooperation with the DepED Office for Muslim Affairs.

Focus group discussions enabled the participants to identify impact of decentralized education management, including success factors and areas for improvement.

SEA Educators Discuss Impact of Education Decentralization. Educators from the eleven SEAMEO member countries converged for three days in May 2009 to tackle the current state of education decentralization in the Southeast Asian region. The said educators presented country papers and actively engaged in focus group discussions that intended to generate new insights, ideas and possibilities on how best to pursue the decentralization of education management in Southeast Asia. SEAMEO INNOTECH facilitated the forum with the intention of starting a tradition of annually gathering Southeast Asian educators to keep abreast with the latest education developments.

Mr. Purnell shakes the hand of Dr. Bhumirat during the MOA signing at NIDTEP in Thailand

INNOTECH Partners with Thai Institution. A memorandum of agreement was signed between SEAMEO INNOTECH and the Development of Teachers, Faculty Staff and Education Personnel (NIDTEP) of Thailand during the orientation-training on ICeXCELS in the latter's campus. The partnership between the two institutions details how the Center’s flexible learning courses will be implemented to Thai school heads and education officials. Programs Director Mr. Philip Purnell signed the agreement for the Director Dr. Erlinda C. Pefianco, while Dr. Chinnapat Bhumirat signed for NIDTEP.

NIDTEP participants of ICeXCELS during the orientation

ICeXCELS Goes to Thailand. A total of 45 school heads from various schools in Thailand, along with officials from the NIDTEP are currently taking part in the ICeXCELS short course package of INNOTECH. Dubbed “ICeXCELS Thailand,” the training program will run until June 2, and will involve Mary Yap Kain Ching, the superprincipal from Malaysia, as one of the flexible learning tutors. Practice sessions for the four classes took place from May 4 to 5, following the orientation late in April.

INNOTECH Dr. Erlinda C. Pefianco speaks at the World Teachers' Day in Bangkok, Thailand

Competency Framework for Southeast Asian Teachers. SEAMEO INNOTECH’s newly crafted Competency Framework for Southeast Asian Teachers received favorable feedback during the 4th World Teachers’ Day in Thailand, which was held alongside the 12th UNESCO-APEID International Conference on March 24-26, 2009. The Competency Framework was presented by Center Director Dr. Erlinda C. Pefianco as part of her paper, titled “Competency Standards for the 21st Century Teachers in Southeast Asia.” The framework for teaching competencies was validated through a DACUM workshop participated in by experts from SEAMEO member countries.

Professionalizing the In-Service Teacher Training in Bangladesh. A number of master trainers from different teacher education institutions in Bangladesh underwent an intensive capacity building program facilitated by SEAMEO INNOTECH from March 23 to May 15, 2009. The special eight-week training program intended to enhance the competencies of the Bangladeshi educators in conducting in-service training for secondary education teachers in their country. The program's major output was a Trainers' Training Design on Enhancing the Teaching-Learning Competencies of the Secondary Teachers in Bangladesh. (See photos here.)

Defining Teaching Competencies of the 21st Century Southeast Asian Teacher. High level education officials and teacher education experts from SEAMEO member countries gathered in a meeting to discuss the current state of teaching competency standards in the region. The meeting was undertaken through a Center-initiative called SEAMEO INNOTECH LEARNTECH II Regional Educational Program (SIREP). Under SIREP, the Center intends to come up with a meta-analysis of teaching standards in the region, taking into account the different systems of development, methods of implementation, and monitoring and evaluation processes. A DACUM workshop immediately followed the said experts’ meeting to identify and validate teaching competencies of the 21st Century Southeast Asian teachers.

Peace education experts listen on as SIREP Program Manager Dr. Lilibeth Taa explains the mechanics of the workshop

INNOTECH Strengthens Thrust to Promote Peace. The Center's commitment to promote a culture of peace and respect for cultural diversity gets a boost from an effort to develop new materials that would train school heads in this advocacy. The SEAMEO INNOTECH Regional Education Program (SIREP) is funding the project that would produce two self-instructional, flexible learning modules addressing one of the 13 major skill sets of the Competency Framework for Southeast Asian School Heads. In including this competency in the framework, the Center's Governing Board previously acknowledged that the region's school heads cannot be fully effective unless they build schools of peace in their communities. Two workshops to develop the appropriate curriculum and prepare the writers for the development of the learning materials were held recently.