August JamoraAugust Jamora has been with the Department of Education (DepEd) since 2002. He started as a schoolteacher and was promoted to education program supervisor (EPS) in learning resource materials and development system for DepEd Rizal in 2015. He was also selected by DepEd to be a curriculum writer for the K-12 program from 2011 to 2015.

His experience as EPS allowed him to review and decide on plans that would best help teachers teach important topics in Araling Panlipunan to their students.

“Mabilis yung process of learning ng mga bata. Hindi lang dapat nakikita at nababasa ng learners yung materials. Dapat napapanood niya ito, navi-visualize niya,” said Jamora.

With this context in mind, Jamora came across Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. (KCFI), which developed multimedia learning materials for public school learners, provided schools ways to access these through technology and trained teachers on 21st century pedagogies.

He encouraged teachers to prioritize multimedia and maximize it in their teaching through ABS-CBN TVplus as it carried Knowledge Channel. It was a cost-efficient way for schools in Rizal to gain access to hundreds of educational multimedia resources at minimal cost.

Jamora’s dream got the green light when DepEd Rizal and KCFI inked a formal partnership.

“Nakita namin na…the package of the materials is aligned with the K-12 program and curriculum guides ng public school. In terms of implementation, no question about the curriculum content [of Knowledge Channel]. The pedagogical approaches shown in the videos are not so different from those of the teachers.”

Jamora added: “Sixty schools ang meron nang [ABS-CBN TVplus]. Ang target ko talaga, out of 200 elementary schools and 89 secondary schools and 40 SHS [senior high schools], at least 50% on the first year for 2016. More or less nasa 30%...”

Based on interviews with teachers, the impact on the children has been positive.

“May isa pa ngang nag-excel sa academic contest sa Bilibiran ES [Elementary School],” Jamora said.