Telecollaborative Learning: Enhancing 21st Century Skills in English, Filipino, and Social Studies

1. Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning 10 to 11 September  Cebu City, Philippines The TAO Project: Telecollaborative Learning Across the Curriculum Roberto R. Binag – Davao City National High School Darna Balang – Benguet State University High School Unit Erich Shih – Ateneo de Manila University High School Unit September 11, 2008

2. Objectives: The project aims to enhance the subject areas of English, Filipino, and Social Studies. Thus, equip the students with the following 21st century skills: • Interpersonal and Collaborative skills – to demonstrate teamwork and leadership, adapt to varies roles and responsibilities, work productively with others, exercise empathy, respect diverse perspective; • Information and Media Literacy skills - to analyze, access, integrate and create information in a variety of forms and media; • Communication skills - to understand, manage and create effective oral, written and multimedia communication; • Accountability and Adaptability - to exercise flexibility in school, and community workplace contexts; setting and meeting high standards and goals for one’s self and others; Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

3. Objectives: Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning • Creativity and Intellectual Curiosity - to develop, implement and communicate new ideas to others; to open up and be responsive to new and diverse perspectives; and • Critical Thinking and Systems Thinking - to exercise sound reasoning in understanding the interconnection among systems and make complex choice.

4. The Learners Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning This project was participated in by the students of: • Davao City National High School IV – Datu Bago Students • Benguet State University - High School Unit Third Year Students • Ateneo de Manila University – High School Unit I – Section A • Intelligence: verbal / linguistic, logical / mathematical/ kinesthetic/ spatial • Cognitive abilities: average and above average • Technical Abilities: average and above average

5. How was the project implemented? Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning • The teachers started their Class Orientation during the second week of August. The Telecollaboration started toward the end of August up to the second week of September 2007. • Orientation • Identified the IPs within the locality. • Students were grouped into small groups of 6 to 8. • For Ateneo de Manila Students: • Field work; • Interviewed subject experts including the late Ramon Obusan, national artist for dance; • Conducted a field trip to IP’s settlement. • All groups used library and online research. Two sessions of computer laboratory work were also done with the entire class prior to actual output. Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

6. Davao City National High School Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning • Interviewed the following IPs: • Maguindanaons  Tausugs Badjaos • Bagobo  Maranaons  Mandaya • Students also interviewed Ma’am Norma the Executive Director of IPPS, a Non-Government Organization. • Conducted a Symposia. (During the symposia, the students distributed flyers, and brochures about IPs.)‏ • Students uploaded some of their outputs to Multiply to solicit ideas, opinion regarding the outputs. Benguet National High School • Published with a Online Newsletter featuring the IPs of Benguet • Class TV Patrol Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

7. ICT Tools and Outputs Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning • Internet – for researching and sharing of outputs • Email – for communicating with experts, teachers, telecollaborative partners • Videoconferencing – for communicating with telecollaborative partners • Social Networking sites (youtube, yahoogroups and multiply) for uploading and sharing of output • Powerpoint presentation - for presentation of outputs • YM and Skype - for the tele-conferencing with the collaborators • Research on the plight of the IPs within the locality • Multimedia presentation (video or powerpoint presentation)‏ • Online newsletters • Live play, radio play • Tele-conference with the students of these three participating schools. Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

8. Reflections/Self-Assessment Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning • WHAT WORKED: • Students in all classes were able to encounter “real world” resources, in this case, the indigenous peoples' themselves • Field trip to their communities • Interviews with IP groups and NGOs who work with Ips • Watch them as they showcase their dances and music in a local festival 2. Students were able to draw out from their data gathering activities the plight of IPs and the challenges that they face in these modern times 3.Students were able to present their findings using different kinds of technology tools 4.Students were able to share their outputs online, through YouTube and Multiply. Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

9. Reflections/Self-Assessment Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning WHAT DIDN'T WORK: Telecollaboration did not work smoothly primarily because of: a.) schedule of classes for partner classes in the telecollaborative part were at times conflicting; b.) technical problems (lack of bandwidth available for teleconferencing, unavailability of computer laboratory and unavailability of technical support for class); c.) more time could have been allotted for the field trip. Since the trip was done during the rainy season, students were only able to go to the foot of the mountain where the IPs were. More planning could have been done to compensate for this. Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

10. What about the project did you (the teacher) find easy? Difficult? Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning • DIFFICULT: • finding time designing the telecollaborative project • a lot of time was also allotted in formatting the project for uploading to the web • the teacher exhausted all efforts in tapping into available resources (FREE) to upload the material for ready viewing anytime by the students • it was not also foreseen that bandwidth would prevent smooth implementation of videoconferencing • difficulty reserving the use of the computer laboratories since the labs’ priorities were IT classes • organizing the filed trip with the less expenses at the soonest possible time also posed as a challenge given the limited timeframe to finish the project (timebound to school calendar)‏ • EASY: • orienting and implementing the research work for the classes • less teacher talk • pen and paper evaluation of the project Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

11. What about the project was easy for your students? Difficult? Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning • DIFFICULT: • Project had a tight deadline • Group work had to be done mostly on weekends • A good amount of time was allotted in editing video for those who chose that format • Synthesizing all research into one output format • Following some instruction in the beginning since they had minimal instruction from teacher since they are pioneering a teaching- instruction strategy. • EASY: • Researching for information Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning

12. Enabling factors (drivers) / Hindering factors (barriers)‏ Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning • ENABLING: Support from school administration  Support from FIT-ED  Cooperation from teacher-partner for telecollaborative dimension  FIT-ED led design for project  Students responses of the activities • HINDERING:  Projects had a tight deadline  Group work had to be done mostly on weekends • Difficulty reserving the use of the computer laboratories since the labs’ priorities were IT classes Teaching the Net Generation: Curriculum, Pedagogy and the Challenge of 21st Century Learning