The STRIDE Special Diploma Program
(Special Teachers' Retraining via Internet Enhanced Distance Education)
The advances in information and communication technologies affected the unprecedented growth of electronic education. This phenomenon is also influenced by globalization making the universities borderless. In the field of education, it has become imperative that executives and teachers are prepared to perform their respective functions effectively in the environment of the future.
To prepare for the immediate future in the Philippine setting, directions and efforts have been exerted towards the preparation for electronic-education. The PSU-OUS in partnership with SEAMEO-INNOTECH launched the Internet Enhanced Continuing Education Program for School Executives and Teachers to prepare them for their new roles in electronic-education. As a counterpart, the PSU-OUS tested the electronic-education based program to 38 Ferrer-Magsanoc Scholars (Funded by Ferrer-Magsanoc Scholarship Program under the administration of the PSU Development Foundation Inc., ) in the STRIDE Diploma Program. This program was adapted by the Pangasinan State University-Open University Systems for a period of one (1) school year, starting Summer 2002 until the end of the Second Semester of Academic Year 2002-2003. STRIDE stands for:
S - Special
T - Teachers'
R - Retraining Diploma Via
I - Internet Enhanced
D - Distance
E - Education
The STRIDE Program is equivalent to at least 18 or maximum of 21 Graduate Units for accreditation purposes in the masteral or doctorate levels, which ever is appropriate. The program utilizes 32 printed modules, 7 videotapes and computer-based instruction via Internet, chatting, and submission of outputs and answers to exercises, assignments and examinations via E-mail.
In the original STRIDE Diploma Program, grantees reported to the PSU-OUS on scheduled Saturdays. At times, they reported to the PSU-OUS on selected weekdays if available. The rest of the learning sessions were done at home, school, and by learning action cells in their homes or work places.
During the Academic Year 2003-2004, Mayor Atty. Domingo A. Doctor of the Municipality of Burgos, a western town of the Province of Pangasinan, sponsored the Scholarship of thirty one (31) public school teachers in the elementary and secondary levels to pursue the STRIDE II Program. The grantees winded up their studies with their practicum consisting of action researches and development projects at the end of Summer Term 2004.
Goals and ObjectivesThe STRIDE Diploma is a special development program, for School Executives, Supervisors, and Teachers. The main goal is to prepare the selected officials and teachers to manage and/or teach in the learning environment of the 21st century. This will include to a major extent the use of information and communication technology in education to attain higher levels of effectiveness of their respective functions of teaching-learning delivery systems. At the end of the program, the individual grantee shall be able to:
Manifest a managerial and professional personality that reflects a balance between the spiritual and temporal aspects of life (or between one's spiritual and physical well-being),
Demonstrate strong sense of professional responsibility and accountability for one's decisions and actions,
Demonstrate higher level thinking skills (critical, creative, problem-solving, etc.),
Demonstrate ability to access, process, select and utilize information and be a competent source of knowledge for lifelong and life-wide organizational and individual learning.
Develop habits of organizational and individual self-directed, independent learning through strategies not limited to traditional means of learning.
Manifest skills in creating institutional and classroom teaching-learning environments for effective learning, emphasizing or recognizing the theory of Multiple Intelligences and the impact of Information Technology on teaching-learning.
Initiate and pursue continuing professional development program for teachers and support staff.
Demonstrate at the individual and team levels the ability to relate the institution to the demands of the changing environment.
Demonstrate creativity and inventiveness to raise one's level of productivity in his profession.
Practice efficient and effective management of institutional and community resources for sustainable development (even beyond the realm of one's profession)
Practice good communications and interpersonal skills for greater understanding, peace and harmony.
Perform one's duties and responsibilities as citizen of a country and the world.
Manifest emotional intelligence.
Strategies
The PSU-OUS implements the STRIDE Program with the following strategies:
Needs Assessment - Before the start of the program, a needs assessment survey is conducted among the selected participants. The results are matched with the contents of the program for specific revisions, adjustments, sequencing and scheduling of learning activities.
Realignment of the contents to the needs of the grantees - Notwithstanding the results of the needs assessment survey, experts realign the priority needs of the grantees to the contents of the program, and include new activities if required to the conditions of the region.
Balance of Technological Applications - A good mix of teaching-learning delivery systems and technological applications are considered. In particular, the following are considered:
Face-to-face mode of interaction between the Professors and the grantees with 30 printed learning modules and 8 audio-video materials. These are undertaken in the scheduled sessions at the PSU-OUS on Saturdays.
Research via Internet by grantees. In the beginning, the grantees report to the PSU-OUS for training in the use of computers and accessing the Internet. When available in their school or neighborhood shops, grantees are allowed to do research and reporting via Internet if they are considered proficient.
Distance-mode through the E-mail. Assignments and exercises are sent to the grantees. Grantees send back their finished assignments and exercises through the E-mail.
Action-Research/Development Project -Assignments and exercises are based on the actual work of the grantees. At the beginning of the 2nd Semester, the grantees are required to submit their plan for an action research or development project based on their institution/classroom problems. This is implemented before the end of the second semester. A written report is submitted and presented individually to a selected panel of Professors.
Professional Development through voluntarism. The heart of the program is self-initiative, self-directed learning, and teamwork among the grantees even with individuals in contiguous locations in informal groupings. The groups are leaderless and unstructured to facilitate intellectual exchange.
Requirements
To facilitate the attainment of the goals and objectives of the program, the following are required:
Regular attendance of grantees to the scheduled face-to-face interactions with the Professors, preferably scheduled on Saturdays.
Performance of exercises and assignments via E-mail.
Regular research in the Internet.
Regular discussion of key lessons in the modules.
Presentation of the results of the individual action research to a selected Panel of Professors before the end of the Summer Term.
STRIDE Modules
Module No.
Title
1 Word Processing Using Microsoft Word 2 The Internet 3 Emotional Intelligence 4 Multiple Intelligence 5 Knowing Yourself 6 Transcending 7 Higher Order Thinking Skills 8 Life-Long Learning 9 Caring and Nurturing Learning Environment 10 Various Roles of 21st Century Teacher 11 Developing Leadership Skills 12 Teacher Empowerment 13 Introduction to Distance Education 14 Envisioning an Ideal Teacher 15 Preparing Schools for the 21st Century 16 Towards Greater Productivity 17 Constructivism in Teaching and Learning 18 Coping with Change 19 Planning and Implementing a Professional Development Program 20 Developing Teamwork 21 Classroom Action Research 22 Wise Use of Resources 23 Classroom Management 24 ICT Tools for Education 25 Time Management 26 Cooperative Learning 27 The Learning Society 28 Communication and Interpersonal Skills 29 The Filipino Culture 30 Classroom Assessment 31 Responding to Cultural Diversity 32 The Teacher as Community Extension Worker