Introducing The Brave New WiFi-World, BNW2. Is The Internet The New Medium For Learning? Yes, When Using Your Head!

Today, I must say PH Vice President Leni Robredo has inspired me in the way she has been playing her officially diminished VP role with style and substance anyway. (Oh yes, I voted for her as VP in 2016.) Here she is in effect lecturing Secretary of Education Leonor Briones on how to be a good Secretary considering that the coronavirus pandemic lockdown has revised the terms of educating the Filipino youth – while Miss Leonor has not put together the pieces to complete the puzzle. With her meaning-well thoughts expressed, Miss Leni must have advisers with good minds thinking about teaching! Good teachers are hard to find.

Of Miss Leni, Bonz Magsambol says, “Ahead Of School Opening, Robredo Proposes Solutions To Readiness Issues, Teachers' Concerns[1]” (13 August 2020, Rappler.com); Miss Leni is a lawyer by profession, so she is careful with her words:

We are, ultimately, united in the goal of ensuring the continuity of learning and the welfare of our educators. We submit these insights and recommendations in the spirit of solidarity so that we may all, as one nation, build the better normal that our people deserve.

I note that: “Build the better normal.”

Miss Leni recommends:

Internet setups – “Setting up Internet hubs in schools and communities where they are needed.”

Teacher issues – “Effective communication would help solve issues such as concerns of teachers in terms of getting copies of the self-learning modules.”

Framework for communication – "A clear framework communicating why these programs are needed, and how to implement them."

Local governments – "Schools with proactive local governments can cope better.” Which means, the DepEd should also educate the LGUs.

Teachers’ health – In case of teachers getting infected with the coronavirus, Miss Leonor says, “No budget for treatment of teachers with coronavirus.” I say, what is she doing with the DepEd except not looking into the possibilities of accommodating those positive teachers?!

Miss Leni is talking much sense where Miss Leonor is not.

In any case, Brave New World is thinking beyond the mechanics and into the mechanisms of something like a new education paradigm for PH education –

Introducing: The Brave New (WiFi) World! The BNW².
(digital WiFi image from friendlywifi.com[2])

While the DepEd may continue with whatever resources it can gather between now and start of classes, I am thinking ahead and fleshing out my new brainchild, BNW². The simple and yet not-so-simple way to execute BNW² is to adopt/adapt Harvard professor Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, MI, with its 9 smarts:

body smart, world smart, people smart, self-smart, word smart, number/reasoning smart, music smart, nature smart, picture smart.

With WiFi running day and night. Thus, MI can easily fit in any classroom lesson or situation anywhere – learners understanding a lesson using one’s own intelligence. Walang bobo sa MI – there are no dull students with MI.

WiFi also means Wild Figurings, deliberately done to stimulate the mind to consider other possibilities.

BNW². That would be the greatest day of learning ever!@517

 

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[1]https://rappler.com/nation/robredo-pens-proposal-address-readiness-issues-teachers-concerns?fbclid=IwAR2NsL9AUN2pWTFcePN9-waipX0NZW2_GUaXWwby1CMJ42-0GS4vJ7v7iec

[2]https://www.friendlywifi.com