J.H. CERILLES STATE COLLEGE Mati, San Miguel, Zamboanga del Sur School of Teacher Education 2nd semester, A.Y. 2020-2021 NAME: DEXTER M. CLAMOHOY Program/Year/Course: BSEd 1a – Educ 102 INSTRUCTOR: MRS. FERLOR ANGEL G. RODRIGUEZ [LESSON 8] LET’S DO THIS! Write a short story depicting the advantages and disadvantages of learning modalities discussed. My Distance Learning Story I woke up on my bed and prepared myself for school. I am Angela and I was a Grade 12 student when the COVID-19 trucked. It was a nice day with pleasant weather. But with the pleasant day comes with the unfortunate news I heard from our TV. I was shocked when China declared an outbreak of “2019-nCOV” (the temporary name given before COVID-19). Possibly, all of the workplace and institutions that require social interaction will be temporarily closed for a long time since the virus is airborne, as what the news said. My excitement for our graduation day had lost. I went to school and the teacher announces that possibly our graduation ceremony will be postponed as what the government suggested to avoid the spread of the virus. The remaining days of classes has been canceled. It was unfortunate for me since, the opportunity of wearing “Toga” for the graduation has been taken by this stupid virus. As many days passed, the COVID-19 cases went up and reached almost every country. Home quarantine has been implemented and going outside without facemasks is prohibited. The Dep-Ed and CHED have announced the implementation of Distance Learning. This was done to avoid the further spread of the virus and to make the students' health safe. As I was enrolling for college, the institution used their website for students’ enrollment, the system is done “online” so no more going to school and have social interactions. In enrollment, students would need to select which type of distance learning is convenient for them either Online Learning, Blended Learning, or Modular Learning. I chose the Online learning since I have a good internet connection and I can easily get updated on the teacher’s instructions online. The classes had started, I was feeling good for the learning modality I chose. It was convenient for me because I have the chance to study in my own time. I also have time to do my hobbies. I can also take time to understand the lesson clearly because the school website has an ‘online library’ that we can access in the internet. It teaches Clamohoy, Dexter M. – BSED-1a March 31, 2021 J.H. CERILLES STATE COLLEGE Mati, San Miguel, Zamboanga del Sur School of Teacher Education 2nd semester, A.Y. 2020-2021 me as a student to be disciplined and do my works in respect to the deadline. Our weekly online meetings make me happy because I get the chance to meet my classmates and teachers using video chat platforms. The online meeting, we did was as effective as the traditional discussion. With the loads of schoolwork’s, I still have time to help my mother in the household chores. Basically, the online learning made me flexible, especially using my time. Not all times were good, my internet connection fluctuates sometimes and I didn’t get the chance to attend our online meetings, or the video was sometimes buffering. It was one of the disadvantages I encountered. Sometimes I felt headaches because of the length of time looking at my laptop screen. There was even a time I got a fever. Sometimes I felt lonely because I didn’t have a chance to interact in-person with my classmates, I felt like isolated. Especially on group activities one time, we cannot coordinate that much because of various reasons like having no load credit or poor internet connection. As the leader of the group, I am the one who made most of the activity. There are also lessons that were not effective only through discussion and requires hand-on experience for us to understand clearly, but we didn’t get a chance. It makes me think that I can learn more about those things if we get to do it face-to-face. But, despite all of those challenges, I still strive to give my best. One time, I was done with all of my activities for that day and decided to go and visit my cousin Layla. Layla is a Grade 12 student. She said their instructor chose the blended learning modalities for them so that they can have a short face-to-face discussion, especially in their ‘research project’ defense. Of course, their teacher used all the measures to avoid the spread of virus like taking their temperature when entering the school, using alcohol, and using distanced seat with plastic coverings. She told me that it was convenient for her because sometimes she can’t buy load credit. The school provided them modules and additional online files and discussions in order for them to understand more. It is good since she can interact with her classmates and teachers inperson. She told me that she can understand the lesson in the modules clear after having in-person discussion. I wished I can also have the opportunity to meet my classmates in-person. I think the flexibility it gave is same as online learning. On my side, sometimes I feel concerned for her health because who have known if she interacted with a person that caught the virus. I think it is one of the disadvantages of the modality. We also have the same experience on the online meetings like having internet problems and video buffering. I also get to understand the situations of their teachers being overworked going to school every day, then giving online instructions at night. After visiting Layla, I went back home and I was greeted by my younger cousin Freya, she’s elementary. She offered me that if I helped her do her homework in her Clamohoy, Dexter M. – BSED-1a March 31, 2021 J.H. CERILLES STATE COLLEGE Mati, San Miguel, Zamboanga del Sur School of Teacher Education 2nd semester, A.Y. 2020-2021 modules, she will buy me ice cream. I laughed for a second on her funny offer but as a helpful cousin, I decided to help her in her modules. Their school choose the modular learning modality since almost all of the elementary students didn’t know how to use computers or didn’t have any gadgets for online of blended learning. We started answering her module. But I let her do the task, I just told her how to answer and discussed the lesson on it. I realized that all of the learning modalities given offers flexibility for learners. While teaching my cousin I also had given a chance to practice my teaching skills since my college course is teaching. Finally, we finished her modules. Freya’s mother submitted the module on the school. She told us that some parents would try to submit unfinished or unanswered modules. She told us that they were unable to answer it because the learner’s parents are illiterate. And so, what Freya’s mother did is she let her copy the module of Freya because she felt bad for them. I think it is one of the disadvantages. I am glad that I got a chance to teach Freya on her lessons but I felt pitiful for those students with illiterate parents. So, I decided that I will also teach them. I invited them on our house for group study, well, I pretty sure they didn’t have the virus. I thought them on their modules like a real teacher. I was touched and almost cried when I saw their happy faces and understood what I taught them. Clamohoy, Dexter M. – BSED-1a March 31, 2021
