The British Council facilitated a three-day face-to-face training course for teachers on Core Skills Professional Development Programme last 20 to 22 January at Miriam College. The programme, which was led by Edizon Fermin of Miriam College, introduced to some 30 participating teachers Core Skills and the importance of integrating these in the classrooms for the enhancement of 21st century learning.
"Core skills are skills like critical thinking and global citizenship that, more than ever, young people need for higher-level employment and to be productive members of society."
The training course was split into the core skills of citizenship and the critical thinking strand. Ed Fermin, Core Skills facilitator, said that “citizenship in not just a status but it should a feeling; you have to get a sense of it,” elaborating on the need to be part of the cause. The participating teachers also took part on planning for surprise demonstrative teaching where they were given the chance to collaborate and critique each other’s works.
"Core skills are skills like critical thinking and global citizenship that, more than ever, young people need for higher-level employment and to be productive members of society. Teaching core skills is a challenge that every education system faces, and we are delighted to be working with Miriam College to bring our core skills programme to the Philippines." Nicholas Thomas, Country Director of the British Council, stressed during his opening remarks.
On the final day, the participants were brought to Tañong High School where they presented their modules for demo teaching on selected sections of the eighth and tenth grades, highlighting the different approaches they could use depending on the type of audience.
“The training is very useful, comprehensive, and timely. I hope that more teachers in the country would be able to attend this kind of program. It apparently changed my view of the teaching-learning process in a very positive manner,” participant Fatima Guarino of De La Salle Dasmariñas said of the programme. Further to the programme, logistic plans were also discussed to monitor the nine-week school-based implementation of the Core Skills acquired by the teachers.
