The Department of Educational Communication (DEC) conducted a Strategic Action Planning Workshop and Partnership Review with its school partner, Bernaldo N. Calara Elementary School (BNCES) on 12 September 2024 at the UPLB Obdulia F. Sison Hall.
Themed “Keeping the Strength of our Engagement: DEC-BNCES Strategic Action Planning Workshop 2024,” the event aimed to evaluate and reaffirm the eleven-year partnership between DEC and BNCES towards the implementation of future collaborative projects.
The Strategic Action Planning Workshop is an activity under the Kalinga sa Eskwela (KSE) Program Project 2 on the Conduct of Planning and Review Towards Program and Partnership Improvement of DEC. This project aims to set the direction and vision of the KSE Program by evaluating past achievements and setting milestones and performance indicators to achieve them. Over the years, DEC, through the participation of DEVC 144 (Media-Based Learning Systems), produces and turns over instructional materials for BNCES school children such as big books, educational games, e-modules, and other learning resources. Additionally, DEC also conducts capacity buildings, trainings, and short courses for teachers and other school stakeholders, such as visual design and action research.
This activity set a milestone for the partnership, as this was the first time a planning of such sort was conducted.
Representatives from different school stakeholders were present. These included Principal Dr. Redemcion Andrea J. Miras; Teachers Ma. Ellen A. Camacho, Eugene Joy B. Canicosa, Imelda M. Mejia, and Maria Cristina S. Torio; School Parents-Teachers Association (SPTA) President Chona N. Alcana; and Supreme Elementary Learner Government (SELG) President Maxene L. Mendoza. They were joined by DEC academic staff and KSE Program Team Members, Asst. Prof. Elijah Jesse M. Pine (Department Chair and Program Leader), Assoc. Prof. Mildred O. Moscoso (Project Leader), Ms. Renz Frances D. Abagat-Manrique (Activity Leader), Asst. Prof. Rovil A. Espiritu (Project Leader), Dr. Liza A. Cabrera, Ms. Ma. Anais Villapando, Mr. Antoni Kristofer R. Lim, Mr. John Anthony D. Mendoza, and Mr. Zeus Charles D. Gunsay.
In addition, students taking up DEVC 145 (Distance Learning Systems in Development Communication Practice) and DEVC 126 (Participatory Development Journalism) students also joined the strategic action planning workshop, as they intend to create academic outputs for and with BNCES stakeholders this semester.
The workshop was divided into four activities – first was ‘Balikan Natin!’ where participants created a timeline of the partnership and highlighted the yearly milestones, followed by ‘Report Card,’ an evaluation of the partnership based on different dimensions such as capacity building, Media-Based Learning Systems (MBLS), support services and others. Next was ‘visioning exercise’ where participants created short, medium and long term visions for BNCES and stakeholders in general. The final activity was creating a ‘Year book’ containing new partnership targets, action plans, and timeline.
“Nanggaling ako sa ibang paaralan at hindi ganito ang partisipasyon ng mga stakeholders… Grabe ang suporta.…Maging academics man ito, or paggawa ng instructional materials, pagde-develop ng isang teacher, ng mga bata, mga magulang…ay parang di na tayo lilingon pa sa iba…Andyan na lahat, isang package na talaga,” Dr. Miras said in her response.
In September 2023, DEC launched “Pananaliksik para sa Paaralan: A Kalinga sa Eskwela Initiative,” action research training-workshop for BNCES teachers with multiple sessions which lasted until April 2024. DEC also received a plaque of appreciation from the Department of Education (DepEd) Los Baños Sub-Office in recognition for the partnership through BNCES. Lastly, four laboratory sections of DEVC 144 (Media-Based Learning Systems) were able to turn over their MBLS outputs early this year. (Zeus Charles Gunsay)
