INNOTECH eNEWS

September 2015

In this issue

• GIZ and SEAMEO INNOTECH presented Fit for School program at the Global Forum on Research and Innovation for Health 2015

• Celebrating the Teacher in Us: Journeying as Teaching, Teaching as Journeying

• SEAMEO INNOTECH International Conference to focus on youth’s voice about the future of education

• SEAMEO INNOTECH conducts OER policy forum

• INNOTECH signs MOU with NOTED

In the Spotlight

GIZ and SEAMEO INNOTECH presented Fit for School program at the Global Forum on Research and Innovation for Health 2015

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and SEAMEO INNOTECH participated in the Global Forum on Research and Innovation for Health 2015 held on 24-27 August 2015, in Manila, Philippines to present the Regional Fit for School Program ... READ MORE

Celebrating the Teacher in Us: Journeying as Teaching, Teaching as Journeying

Teachers, educators, and administrators of Teacher Education Institutions from different parts of the Philippines gathered on 30 September 2015 at the Pearl Hall of the SEAMEO INNOTECH Center to celebrate the National Teachers’ Month. The celebration was held through ...READ MORE

Previous Issue

SEAMEO INNOTECH will hold its 14th International COnference this December 8 – 9, 2015 at SEAMEO INNOTECH Centre in Manila, Philippines. This year’s IC will be a future-oriented two-day forum where participants, which consists of youth leaders and education professionals, will collaborate to develop the region’s Education Development Agenda.

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GIZ and SEAMEO INNOTECH presented Fit for School program at the Global Forum on Research and Innovation for Health 2015

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and SEAMEO INNOTECH participated in the Global Forum on Research and Innovation for Health 2015 held on 24-27 August 2015, in Manila, Philippines to present the Regional Fit for School Program.

This forum discussed the importance of research and innovation in addressing global health challenges. Participants, consisting of representatives from government institutions, universities, international development organizations, and private companies from all over the world, underscored the importance of inter-sectoral partnerships. Bringing together health, education, and other sectors and linking research, policy, and practice were emphasized at the forum.

H.E. Mr. Lytou Bouapao, Vice Minister of Education and Sports of Lao PDR, led the presentation of the Regional Fit for School program during the panel session on capacity development for research. He emphasized that education and health go hand in hand and that the quality of education suffers if children are not healthy.

The Fit for School program, jointly conducted by GIZ and SEAMEO INNOTECH, originated in the Philippines and is currently being implemented in Cambodia, Indonesia, and Lao PDR. The program aims to develop schools as healthy learning environments for children. Healthy children can learn better, attend school more often, and grow up to be a more productive citizen. The program consists of a package of interventions, such as improving access to washing facilities in schools and institutionalizing evidence-based recommended hygiene practices –including daily supervised handwashing and tooth brushing, as well as bi-annual school-based deworming.

To know more about the program, watch the video of Fit for School.

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Celebrating the Teacher in Us: Journeying as Teaching, Teaching as Journeying

Teachers, educators, and administrators of Teacher Education Institutions from different parts of the Philippines gathered last 30 September 2015 at the Pearl Hall of SEAMEO INNOTECH to celebrate the National Teachers’ Month. The celebration was held through a forum entitled “Celebrating the Teacher in Us: Journeying as Teaching, Teaching as Journeying”.

Dr. Ramon C. Bacani, SEAMEO INNOTECH Center Director, opened the celebration. In his remarks, he emphasized the importance of teaching. He also mentioned about the Strategic Dialogue of Education Ministers (SDEM) that the Center has facilitated. The dialogue yielded seven priority areas of SEAMEO for 2015-2035, one of which is on teacher education and making teaching a profession of choice.

Mr. Aniceto “Chito” Sobrepeña, President of the Metrobank Foundation, was also present in the event. He talked about the Annual Search for Outstanding Teachers and some of the Foundation’s awardees for the past years. He also mentioned that the National Teachers’ Month is the longest celebration in the Philippines as this celebration does not end by just thanking the teachers but continues as long as we recognize teaching as a noble job.

The forum was facilitated by Dr. Allan de Guzman, President of NOTED (Network of Outstanding Teachers and Educators), Inc. and Dean of the College of Education, University of Santo Tomas. It was a fun and interactive event where participants were able to rekindle their passion for teaching.

The panelists—Dr. Hilda C. Montaño, 2012 Outstanding Teacher for Higher Education; Ms. Amcy M. Esteban, 2015 Outstanding Teacher for Elementary Education; and Ms. Milagros C. Banan, 2015 Outstanding Teacher for Secondary Education—shared their teaching experiences by answering prepared questions from the worksheet. They were asked about their beginnings asteachers,theirstruggles,theclassroominnovationstheyhaveintroduced,andtheirfulfilment

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as stewards of learning. They also shared some tips for the pre-service teachers present in the forum.

The event concluded with two video tributes for teachers. Ms. Josephine C. Calamlam, 1999 Outstanding Teacher for Elementary Education, gave the closing remarks. She emphasized howimportantteachingandteachersareforthefutureofthenation.Shefinishedherremarksby asking everyone to rise and say to the teachers next to them: “Stand up teachers and the world will stand for you!”

“Celebrating the Teacher in Us: Journeying as Teaching, Teaching as Journeying”, is a forum jointly organized by SEAMEO INNOTECH and NOTED (Network of Outstanding Teachers and Educators, Inc.) in celebration of the National Teachers’ Month and World Teacher’s Day.

SEAMEO INNOTECH previously published a book entitled, “Passion for Teaching” which can be downloaded for free on the SEAMEO INNOTECH iKnow portal.

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SEAMEO INNOTECH International Conference to focus on youth’s voice about the future of education

Theworldhasheardeducators,governmentofficials,specialists,technocrats–practicallyeveryone–talk about their perspectives, plans, and prescriptions concerning the future of education and learning. The big question is – where is the voice of the young people?

SEAMEO INNOTECH is convening the young people in the region, and everyone else who are passionate about education and learning, in an inclusive dialogue that will take us a step closer to ensuring a better future for every learner in Southeast Asia. Using Open Space Technology (OST) as the conference methodology, the participants converse on particular issues they feel passionately about. OST creates the space where crucial and diverse viewpoints are shared and discussed. The collective views and plans would then be presented to the region’s education leaders, adding the voice of the youth in the global discourse.

This conference would also be a venue for the young people and the education experts to network and collaborate through the different conference activities. There would be poster presentations where different organizations and individuals share their innovative approaches and practices to address youth issues like civic engagement, career preparation, employability, and life-long learning. Participant will also have a chance to showcase their country’s culture through the youth bazaar where they can sell their products through silent auction. Participants can expand their networks through the celebrative dinnerpartyonthefirstnight.Theonlinecommunitywillalsobemaximizedthroughtheconference’ssocial media sites which will be continually updated before, during, and after the conference.

Thisisdefinitelyamust-goconference!SEAMEOINNOTECHisinvitingyoutojointhe14thInternationalConference this 8-9 December 2015, to be held in Quezon City, Philippines. If you are a youth leader from Southeast Asia, willing and passionate to develop the education for every learner in the region, register now and join us! Let us work together for a better future for every learner in Southeast Asia!

SEAMEO INNOTECH International Conference is a biennial event that aims to bring together new ideas and diverse experiences from education stakeholders in the region and beyond. The conference serves as a platform for focused conversations on key issues in education and development.

For more information, visit the conference website and follow us on various social media platforms [Facebook | Twitter | Instagram]. Join and follow the discussions on #ICaBetterFuture.

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SEAMEO INNOTECH conducts OER policy forum

SEAMEO INNOTECH, in partnership with UNESCO Paris, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and UNESCO Southeast Asia Center of Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Development (SEACLLSD), facilitated an Open Educational Resources (OER) Policy Forum on 23-24 September 2015. The two-day forum, held at the SEAMEO INNOTECH Center, was participated by representatives from UNESCO, CHED, Department of Education, UNESCO Paris, and SEAMEO INNOTECH. The primary objective of the meeting is to draft a policy reform that would support and promote the use of OERs.

OpenEducationalResources(OER)isdefinedbyUNESCOas“teaching,learning,andresearch materials in any medium, digital, or otherwise, that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions.”

OER is seen as a vital resource in today’s education trends. Through OER, students and teachers in formal and non-formal schools can have better access to educational resources. In 2012, a Paris OER declaration has been signed, ensuring that educational materials developed with public funds be made available under open licenses.

“Let’s strive to make OER widely available and accessible to achieve inclusive growth,” said Dr. Ramon C. Bacani, SEAMEO INNOTECH Center Director, in his welcoming remarks.

This forum is part of UNESCO OER Policy Project which supports the OER policy development cycles in selected countries. This aimed to raise awareness of and harness the potentials of

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OER in advancing education, facilitate understanding of essential knowledge on OER, build capacityofpolicymakersindevelopingsector-wideOERpolicies,anddevelopthefirstdraftofOER policies in the Philippines.

Digital licensing, OER initiatives of the different agencies, and quality of the online materials were some of the issues raised during the sessions. Examples of other countries’ good practice were also discussed.

At the end of the two-day forum, the participants agreed to draft an OER policy and master plan which will be included in a memorandum to be signed by the heads of their respective agencies. They hoped that this memorandum will progress into a national law.

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INNOTECH signs MOU with NOTED

On 30 September 2015, SEAMEO INNOTECH and NOTED (Network of Outstanding Teachers and Educators, Inc.) signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize their partnership. This partnership seals the two organization’s cooperation, focusing on education development issues. This includes sharing of knowledge, best practices, and expertise, as well as collaboration on researches, programs, and projects.

The MOU was signed by SEAMEO INNOTECH Center Director, Dr. Ramon C. Bacani, and NOTED President, Dr. Allan B. De Guzman. Also present as witnesses in the signing were SEAMEOINNOTECHKnowledgeManagementandNetworkingOfficeManager,Mr.BennetBenoza, and NOTED Secretary, Ms. Olivia E. Caling.

NOTED is an honor society composed of all the winners of the Metrobank Foundation’s Search for Outstanding Teachers. It aims to strengthen leadership skills among its members, foster creativity and academic excellence at all educational levels, promote professional fellowship and cooperation as means to improve action, and to contribute to the solution of education, social and cultural problems of national and international concerns.