Digital Education Conference for Teachers

 

The Philippine Normal University (PNU), the country’s National Center for Teacher Education, conducted a conference last May 7, 2012 billed as Teaching Powered by Technology: 21^st Century Skills and Tools for Teachers   at the AV Theater of Edilberto P. Dagot Hall, PNU campus in Taft Avenue, Manila. This event is in collaboration with Vibe Technologies, the technology arm of Vibal Publishing House, Inc. 

Gaspar A. Vibal, President/Executive Director, Vibal

The event is also in support of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) thrust towards the integration of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in education. DepEd Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro has issued DepEd Advisory No. 212 s. 2012, calling for the participation of school administrators, supervisors, principals, school heads, coordinators and classroom teachers from both public and private schools all over the country.

Among the speakers in the conference are Mr. Erico Habijan (Director, National Educators Association of the Philippines), Hal Plotkin (Senior Policy Adviser, US Department of Education), Michelle Casio (Education Lead, Microsoft Philippines), Fr. Johnny Go, S.J. (President, Xavier School) and Michael Xia (Regional Sales and Marketing Manager, McGraw Hill).

Highlights of the event include the launch of Vibe Tablet, the first Philippine tablet specifically meant for school use, and the formal donation and turnover of the open courseware repository of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to the PNU for the use of their teachers and students.  MIT is recognized as a leading engineering and technology university globally.

In further collaboration, Vibal Publishing House, Inc. is donating a “classroom of the future” concept which will serve as the official home of the continuing year-long course with degree units at PNU.  The facility will be equipped with mobile PC tablets, an interactive whiteboard and LCD projector.  The project is also in line with PNU’s objective to enter into a twinning agreement with Columbia Universityʼs Center for Technology and School Change, which has a reputable international technology curriculum.