DepEd Sarangani launches SMART-ED Initiative

In a move to improve learning delivery in schools in the Philippines, Vice President and Secretary of the Department of Education, Sara Duterte, has emphasized the importance of integrating ICT into the education system in her Basic Education Report on January 30, 2023.

Following this call to action, the Sarangani Division has stepped up the implementation of its innovation, LRonWHEeLS, which stands for Learning Resources on WiFi Hub for expanded e-Learning in Sarangani.

In a recent consultative meeting and instructional supervision, the Curriculum Implementation Division identified that further strengthening of the ICT infrastructure and development of digital learning materials is necessary to enhance the program's implementation.

As a response, the Sarangani Division has launched the SMART-ED Initiative, which aims to improve the quality of education in the region.

 
“There are many teachers in Sarangani who are employing 21st Century teaching methods. To complement that, we will be providing them with gadgets like TVs and tablets,” Chief of Curriculum Implementation Donna S. Panes said.

“In terms of classroom structuring, we would like the pilot schools to adopt a classroom arrangement that would allow for group dynamics where learners collaborate with one another,” she added.

DepEd Sarangani is also working on the digitization of learning materials, which will be uploaded to a centralized repository where teachers can easily access and download them for classroom use.

“The LRonWHEeLS was designed for distance learning at the height of the pandemic. Now that the learners are already in school, we had to redesign our content to suit the needs of our learners in the face-to-face setup,” Learning Resources Management Section Supervisor Judith B. Alba said.

Working together with the CID, the initiative's partner is the ICT Unit, led by ITO Roy Detoyato.

 

“Our role is to provide technical assistance to the CID to make sure that we will utilize technology properly,” Detoyato said.

With this partnership, the Sarangani Division hopes to provide better access to digital learning materials for students and improve their learning outcomes.

This move towards digitization is expected to improve the accessibility and availability of learning materials, especially in remote areas where physical books and other resources may be scarce.

The digitization of learning materials will also make it easier for teachers to customize their lessons to fit the needs of their students, making learning more engaging and effective.

 

DepEd Sarangani is set to roll out this new system in phases, starting with a pilot project in selected schools before expanding to other areas. 

The implementation of the SMART-ED Initiative is expected to bring positive changes to the education system in Sarangani.