ICT in Education Planning and Management

Last October 4, 2013, instead of enjoying with my fellow teachers in the World Teachers’ Day celebration in our school, I attended a seminar workshop about Information and Communications Technology in Education Planning and Management. But I didn't regret accepting the task to attend to this event, because I knew that I would learn something new from this.

The learning event was sponsored by Felta and Intel. It was held at Astoria Plaza, Escriva Drive, Ortigas, Pasig City. Educational supervisors, ICT coordinators and computer teachers from different divisions of Metro Manila were invited to this event. The keynote speaker, Mr. Benjamin Vergel De Dios, guided the participants into a modular approach of developing an ICT program for every DCS.

First, every division was asked to present the CHALLENGES that we were currently encountering about ICT program implementation. Then, the speaker talked about the uses of ICT in Education particularly in teaching and learning process. He also discussed about the stages of ICT development and its pedagogical uses. I was amazed when he presented the ICT Master Plan of Singapore and Korea. How I hoped that we could do the same in our education system. Mr. De Dios said that they succeeded because they had a vision.

Mr. De Dios, while discussing the Stages of ICT Use

The next activity was about writing our VISION. In writing our vision, the speaker gave us the following guide questions:

• What do we do?
• How do we do it?
• From whom do we do it?

After stating our vision, which we proudly presented to all other ICT leaders, we were guided by the speaker to come up of at least TOP 5 PRIORITIES for ICT program to achieve our vision.

Lastly, all ICT leaders were encouraged to conceptualize an ICT PROJECT by setting goals and objectives, identifying components and activities, and allocating funds. He even shared some of the ICT projects and best practices of other schools around the country to serve as our inspiration in working with our own.    

Conceptualizing ICT projects for your division

Mr. De Dios, in his closing, shared a challenging quote from Karen Salmansohn, “Don’t shrink your dreams. Super-size your courage and abilities.” It is indeed a challenge to transform our education system through ICT. With limited resources and cynicisms, we might really shrink our dreams and just settle for pre-historical approaches. But an ICT in Education leader should strive with his super-sized courage and abilities by upgrading himself and improving the learning situation of his school/division.