Never had I imagined that our education would drastically shift from face-to-face into distance and virtual learning because of this COVID-19 pandemic. Yes, in the past, I was quite envisioning that we would really transitioning into a technology-mediated teaching and learning scenarios, but not in this hastily and very frustrating way. The digital divide in our country is so real that we cannot totally rely on virtual distance learning alone, knowing that many learners do not have online access. It is not just really equitable. Good thing is that the Department of Education offered different modalities so that learners with totally no online access can somehow continue their learning with the help of Self-Learning Modules (SLMs). But is it fair, knowing that there are learners who have 24/7 online access and all the gadgets and technology tools at their disposal to participate in online classes and constantly communicate with their teachers? I just feel sad for these learners who were deprived of these technology tools because of poverty. In our city (at Valenzuela), we are fortunate to have Rex Gatchalian, as our visionary and vibrant city mayor, who found a way to lend distance learning tablets for all the Valenzuelano learners, who do not have gadgets to watch livestreaming, video lessons, and participate in follow-up sessions. The tablet they borrowed even has a free SIM card with free internet load.
This distance and virtual learning modalities we are all in right now would somehow continue until everyone is vaccinated against the virus. We can just all hope and pray that we will surpass this trying time early this year, knowing the vaccines are soon to be rolled out next month. Meanwhile, what we can do is just to still give our very best as their virtual and distance learning teacher, extend more and more patience for those who cannot comply with our prescribed tasks and outputs, and practice the art and science of time management, because in this work-from-home setup, we all need to know when to start and when to stop working. Make time for your self-care, because your mental health also matters.
This was during our prerecording session for DepEd NCR's Video Lesson Project
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