"The essence of intercultural education is the acquisition of empathy--the ability to see the world as others see it, and to allow for the possibility that others may see something we have failed to see, or may see it more accurately. The simple purpose of the exchange program...is to erode the culturally rooted mistrust that sets nations against one another. The exchange program is not a panacea but an avenue of hope...." - Senator William J. Fulbright
Research Question for International TravelWhat are schools in the Philippines doing to prepare students for Career and College? What programs are in place within the schools to provide students with more than just a “textbook”education. How are students being prepared for college and careers (in a global context)? What are the programs/tracks/opportunities that exist for students? How do these compare and contrast with programs at Benson High School?
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It is extremely difficult to come up with just one question or area of focus. As teachers most of us want to know as much as possible and we are constantly asking questions about everything and anything that comes up. This was no different for me. Prior to and during my travels I found myself wanting to know as much as I possible. A sponge for knowledge and cultural experiences, I tried to soak up as much as I could. However, being inundated with knowledge and experiences I was overwhelmed. I quickly realized how valuable and important it is to have an area of interest and focus to narrow down some of my questions and to focus my attention.
As part of my initial coursework and prior to international field experience I was prompted to consider how my learnings and experiences as a TGC Fellow could and would impact my teaching and my classroom. Contemplating the student population I teach at Benson Polytechnic High School and their diverse experiences, I thought a lot about about how it was that my experiences could engage them and I was curious about how student experiences at Benson (a unique Portland high school) were comparable to those of the schools and students I would visit and work with in the Philippines. Benson is a school that is known for its Career Technical Education program with the mission to prepare and equip students who graduate with the skills, knowledge and experiences to become productive and contributing.
Initially I thought I wanted to focus on a question around my specific content area. I was curious and brainstormed questions about literature and writing instruction. What I questioned was focused on what was normal, what I was used to, and what was safe. However, in being more reflective prior to travel I was reminded of the value of stepping away from what is safe and comfortable and focusing my attention on a topic that is purposeful and real for my students. I realized there is value in focusing on a question that is going to challenge me intellectually and professionally and that is going to really force me to be more intentional in some of the choices I make about how I am globalizing education in my classroom and in my building.
Therefore, I decided to focus on what is happening in schools to prepare students for life after grade twelve. I wondered, what are schools in the Philippines doing to prepare students for Career and College? What programs are in place within the schools to provide students with more than just a “textbook”education. I asked, how are students being prepared for college and careers (in a global context)? What are the programs/tracks/opportunities that exist for students? How do these compare and contrast with programs at Benson High School?
I discovered that the Filipino education system is in a period of significant transition as they are in the midst of adding compulsory kindergarten and senior high school (grades eleven and twelve), thus resulting in a 13 year education system as opposed to ten years. The decisions of the department of education to make these significant pedagogical shifts came about in 2011, when at that time the Philippines was one of only three countries in the world that had only ten years of compulsory education prior to college, and they were the last country in Asia with this system of education. The phased implementation of a K-12 education system in the Philippines is not only an indicator of their commitment to education, but also a recognition that students needed more opportunities to garner knowledge and build skills to make them more prepared to enter a global workforce, college or other pursuits.
While in the Philippines I was fortunate to visit a diverse representation of schools. I saw private schools, public schools, vocational schools, colleges, universities, alternative schools, special education schools, parochial schools and schools for indigenous youth. What I observed is that they are all in very different phases of preparation for the implementation of this new curriculum, however, I was surprised to find that the new system has such a strong focus on career and technical education. Essentially by adding the two additional years to make up senior high school, students select “tracks” that focus on interests and skills. The Department of Education has developed tracks with a focus on graduating, being employable and possessing the skills to match the demands of industry. Despite the edict coming from the Department of Education on a national level, individual schools have been given the freedom to select the tracks that best meet the needs of students in their school and that reflect individual communities. Some of the tracks students can pursue include traditional academic tracks, tracks for sports, arts, STEM or other technical/vocational programs.
As part of the new curriculum this is happening in all schools, not just in CTE schools, which is noticeably different than here in the United States. It was fascinating to see that there are a fair number of technical vocational high schools and programs in the Philippines, many more than are seen here in the United States. With orders being issued from the government and the Department of Education, the technical vocational programs have nationally regulated skills assessments to show what students competencies for different jobs are. On the contrary, here in the United States the majority of our schools still have curriculum that is focused on a traditional model, not necessarily giving students the chance to develop hands on skills or areas of expertise.
Most educators and administrators I spoke to about the shift in adding three more grades reflected and commented on it being a necessity so Filipinos have experiences comparable to their similarly aged peers and so that they are on par with the rest of the world. Despite some of the trepidation around the implementation of the new curriculum, educators, administrators and government officials I spoke with realize how necessary this shift is. The Filipinos do not want their students to be excluded or left behind their contemporaries in other parts of the world.
One of the major challenges faced by Filipinos is similar to the challenges schools in the United States face, and that is that there are dramatic disparities in resources and access between schools, districts and states. Some schools have the funding, resources and ability to make changes in curriculum and course offering, while others are having to be extremely innovative to be able to do the minimum. Regardless, countrywide these changes are being implemented, which says something about the priorities in the Philippines to improve their education system and their students’ experiences in schools.
These shifts in schools in the Philippines really became the impetus for reflection as I contemplated how countries all over the world are making shifts in curriculum and instruction to insure their students are sufficiently prepared with knowledge and skills of globally competent citizens. Schools are giving students opportunities to engage, to bolster their skills, to be challenged, to grow and to learn.
I am proud of what we are doing at Benson and the innovation of the programs we have. I also am now more invested in determining ways to more clearly incorporate core subject areas into what students and teachers are doing in the career and technical education programs. I have been thinking a lot about shifts in the traditional Language Arts classroom so that it is not just reading literature and writing essays. I have been inspired to consider a broader range of sources and more diversity in the types of writing and assessment I use so students are able to see the relevance and importance of developing certain skills. While there are some of these shifts embedded in Common Core State Standards that have been adopted in the state of Oregon, however, just because the standards exist does not mean shifts are happening. Having seen these shifts happen on such a massive scale in the Philippines proves changes are possible.
Because the changes in the Philippines are in transition I am curious what the outcomes will look like in the next five years as the first group of senior high students graduate. I am curious what their experiences will be and what that will do for them as far as being prepared for either careers or higher education? Will it impact the current unemployment and underemployment rates?
There are still questions I have and wonderings that have yet to be answered. Regardless I have begun the process of making changes to my own classroom but the need to make ongoing changes is a priority. Changing classroom instruction to insure I am preparing students for college and careers is not something that will just happen in one unit or after one summer. I continue to wonder what changes I can make that will support these shifts in a core subject area? How do I supplement experiences my students are having in other classes and outside of schools? What skills overlap in career technical classes and how to I build on those? How effective will these changes be if other teachers are not making similar alterations to what they are doing? How can I use my experiences in the Philippines as exemplars and rationales with my colleagues to bring greater change and collaboration to our school? With so many unanswered questions, I look forward to continuing my work in my Language Arts classroom so that students are having meaningful educational experiences that prepare them for whatever post-high school options they elect to pursue.
As part of my initial coursework and prior to international field experience I was prompted to consider how my learnings and experiences as a TGC Fellow could and would impact my teaching and my classroom. Contemplating the student population I teach at Benson Polytechnic High School and their diverse experiences, I thought a lot about about how it was that my experiences could engage them and I was curious about how student experiences at Benson (a unique Portland high school) were comparable to those of the schools and students I would visit and work with in the Philippines. Benson is a school that is known for its Career Technical Education program with the mission to prepare and equip students who graduate with the skills, knowledge and experiences to become productive and contributing.
Initially I thought I wanted to focus on a question around my specific content area. I was curious and brainstormed questions about literature and writing instruction. What I questioned was focused on what was normal, what I was used to, and what was safe. However, in being more reflective prior to travel I was reminded of the value of stepping away from what is safe and comfortable and focusing my attention on a topic that is purposeful and real for my students. I realized there is value in focusing on a question that is going to challenge me intellectually and professionally and that is going to really force me to be more intentional in some of the choices I make about how I am globalizing education in my classroom and in my building.
Therefore, I decided to focus on what is happening in schools to prepare students for life after grade twelve. I wondered, what are schools in the Philippines doing to prepare students for Career and College? What programs are in place within the schools to provide students with more than just a “textbook”education. I asked, how are students being prepared for college and careers (in a global context)? What are the programs/tracks/opportunities that exist for students? How do these compare and contrast with programs at Benson High School?
I discovered that the Filipino education system is in a period of significant transition as they are in the midst of adding compulsory kindergarten and senior high school (grades eleven and twelve), thus resulting in a 13 year education system as opposed to ten years. The decisions of the department of education to make these significant pedagogical shifts came about in 2011, when at that time the Philippines was one of only three countries in the world that had only ten years of compulsory education prior to college, and they were the last country in Asia with this system of education. The phased implementation of a K-12 education system in the Philippines is not only an indicator of their commitment to education, but also a recognition that students needed more opportunities to garner knowledge and build skills to make them more prepared to enter a global workforce, college or other pursuits.
While in the Philippines I was fortunate to visit a diverse representation of schools. I saw private schools, public schools, vocational schools, colleges, universities, alternative schools, special education schools, parochial schools and schools for indigenous youth. What I observed is that they are all in very different phases of preparation for the implementation of this new curriculum, however, I was surprised to find that the new system has such a strong focus on career and technical education. Essentially by adding the two additional years to make up senior high school, students select “tracks” that focus on interests and skills. The Department of Education has developed tracks with a focus on graduating, being employable and possessing the skills to match the demands of industry. Despite the edict coming from the Department of Education on a national level, individual schools have been given the freedom to select the tracks that best meet the needs of students in their school and that reflect individual communities. Some of the tracks students can pursue include traditional academic tracks, tracks for sports, arts, STEM or other technical/vocational programs.
As part of the new curriculum this is happening in all schools, not just in CTE schools, which is noticeably different than here in the United States. It was fascinating to see that there are a fair number of technical vocational high schools and programs in the Philippines, many more than are seen here in the United States. With orders being issued from the government and the Department of Education, the technical vocational programs have nationally regulated skills assessments to show what students competencies for different jobs are. On the contrary, here in the United States the majority of our schools still have curriculum that is focused on a traditional model, not necessarily giving students the chance to develop hands on skills or areas of expertise.
Most educators and administrators I spoke to about the shift in adding three more grades reflected and commented on it being a necessity so Filipinos have experiences comparable to their similarly aged peers and so that they are on par with the rest of the world. Despite some of the trepidation around the implementation of the new curriculum, educators, administrators and government officials I spoke with realize how necessary this shift is. The Filipinos do not want their students to be excluded or left behind their contemporaries in other parts of the world.
One of the major challenges faced by Filipinos is similar to the challenges schools in the United States face, and that is that there are dramatic disparities in resources and access between schools, districts and states. Some schools have the funding, resources and ability to make changes in curriculum and course offering, while others are having to be extremely innovative to be able to do the minimum. Regardless, countrywide these changes are being implemented, which says something about the priorities in the Philippines to improve their education system and their students’ experiences in schools.
These shifts in schools in the Philippines really became the impetus for reflection as I contemplated how countries all over the world are making shifts in curriculum and instruction to insure their students are sufficiently prepared with knowledge and skills of globally competent citizens. Schools are giving students opportunities to engage, to bolster their skills, to be challenged, to grow and to learn.
I am proud of what we are doing at Benson and the innovation of the programs we have. I also am now more invested in determining ways to more clearly incorporate core subject areas into what students and teachers are doing in the career and technical education programs. I have been thinking a lot about shifts in the traditional Language Arts classroom so that it is not just reading literature and writing essays. I have been inspired to consider a broader range of sources and more diversity in the types of writing and assessment I use so students are able to see the relevance and importance of developing certain skills. While there are some of these shifts embedded in Common Core State Standards that have been adopted in the state of Oregon, however, just because the standards exist does not mean shifts are happening. Having seen these shifts happen on such a massive scale in the Philippines proves changes are possible.
Because the changes in the Philippines are in transition I am curious what the outcomes will look like in the next five years as the first group of senior high students graduate. I am curious what their experiences will be and what that will do for them as far as being prepared for either careers or higher education? Will it impact the current unemployment and underemployment rates?
There are still questions I have and wonderings that have yet to be answered. Regardless I have begun the process of making changes to my own classroom but the need to make ongoing changes is a priority. Changing classroom instruction to insure I am preparing students for college and careers is not something that will just happen in one unit or after one summer. I continue to wonder what changes I can make that will support these shifts in a core subject area? How do I supplement experiences my students are having in other classes and outside of schools? What skills overlap in career technical classes and how to I build on those? How effective will these changes be if other teachers are not making similar alterations to what they are doing? How can I use my experiences in the Philippines as exemplars and rationales with my colleagues to bring greater change and collaboration to our school? With so many unanswered questions, I look forward to continuing my work in my Language Arts classroom so that students are having meaningful educational experiences that prepare them for whatever post-high school options they elect to pursue.
NOTE: This TGC Capstone Project is not an official U.S. Department of State website. The views and information presented are the grantee's own and do not represent the Teachers for Global Classrooms Program, IREX, or the U.S. Department of State.