Project WRITE

 

To respond to the clamor for textbooks and manuals for the implementation of the new teacher education curriculum, PAFTE launched its Project W.R.I.T.E. (Writing Resources for Innovative Teacher Education) in 2006. To date more than 60 resource materials that included textbooks, manuals, worktexts. LET reviewers have been published and more are forthcoming. These were all based on the National Competency-Based Standards and the Table of Specifications of the Licensure Examination of Teachers. With the coming of the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST), the incoming resource materials are now based on the PPST. All these resource materials have been outcome-based from the very beginning.

​

The Professional Teacher Magazine (PTM) is another evidence that Project WRITE is very prolific. The PTM is published bi-annually just on time for the PAFTE conventions. It can serve as a reference material for teachers’ lessons, lectures, talks and speeches. It gives updates from Board for Professional Teachers, Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education.

​

All these resource materials including the PTM are produced by PAFTE for PAFTE.

 

PAFTE and the Table of Specifications for the LET

 

The first batch of the 2004 Teacher Education Curriculum took the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) in 2009. A year before 2008, PAFTE officers and members throughout the country were involved in the development of a new Table of Specifications for the LET based on the 2004 Curriculum and the National Competency-Based Teacher Standards (NCBTS). Dr. Brenda B. Corpuz, then Officer-in-Charge of the Board and other members of the Board Dr. Josefina T. Cunanan, Dr. Flordeliza Mayari, and Dr. Norma Adamos, called on PAFTE, subject supervisors  of the Department of Education and members of the Teacher Education Council (TEC) to do the gargantuan task of crafting the new TOS. At least five workshops were conducted throughout the country with funding from the Teacher Education Council through Executive Director Dr. Beatriz G. Torno. This present TOS for LET will be used until 2021. 

 

PAFTE and Research

 

Paper presentation has been a regular feature of annual and midyear conventions. Papers that met standards are published in the PAFTE-refereed journal. Steps are being undertaken for the PAFTE Research Journal for CHED accreditation.

 

The Educational Tours

 

Introduced by Dr. Amor de Torres, PAFTE President for three terms, educational tours both local and international, have become part of PAFTE. These educational tours included visits to universities particularly, Colleges of Education, and basic education schools. Educational tours are a way of benchmarking.

​

The first study tour - Bangkok, Thailand - was well received as there were about 200 teachers who joined. This Bangkok tour included a visit to Ramkhamhaeng University. This tour was followed by educational tours to other countries in Asia, Europe, Canada, Australia, United States of America and the Middle East.

 

PAFTE and Continuing Professional Development

 

With PRC Resolution No. 2016-9090, s. 2016 and the enactment of RA 10912, otherwise known as the Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016, Dr. Brenda B. Corpuz, PAFTE President (2012-2016) applied for the accreditation of PAFTE as CPD provider. PAFTE became an accredited CPD provider on September 2016, No. 2009-007.  Its providership was renewed for another three years last August 2018. As a CPD provider, it applied for the accreditation of all its midyear and annual conventions since 2016. PAFTE national shared this privilege of CPD providership with regions who expressed interest to do. CPD examples of these are PAFTE XII under the leadership of Dr. Annaliza Valencia, PAFTE-CAR led by Imelda Parcasio and PAFTE IV-A with Dr. Mercedes Macarandang.

 

PAFTE and Social Responsibility

 

PAFTE is indeed power only when it can empower other than its officers and members.

Indeed, empowerment is providing opportunities for others to succeed. Dr. Filomena T. Dayagbil, PAFTE President 2016-2018, introduced Senior students’ scholarship during her term. To date PAFTE has supported 3 scholars in the country. The first PAFTE scholar, Salvacion N. Capito, is a graduate of Daraga Community College, Albay, is now teaching at Southern Luzon Technological College, Foundation, Legazpi City. The PAFTE scholar from Bacolod Eda Jean S. Sumugal just passed the Sept 2018 LET. She received service award on her graduation day.

Mary Ann E. Libunao, PAFTE scholar from Cebu already graduated with the degree, Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English at Consolacion Community College (CCC) Consolacion, Cebu.

 

PAFTE and European Erasmus

 

PAFTE goes international. The Philippine Association for Teachers and Educators (PAFTE) Inc., can now participate in European Union grants.

 

The first European grant that was approved for the PAFTE to participate in is the Erasmus+ Programme on Capacity Building in Higher Education project entitled “Formation of Teachers in Emerging Challenged Areas in the Philippines (FORTH).” The project’s main proponent is the Board of the University of Groningen, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RUG), The Netherlands. The project seeks to address the Capacity Building objectives to improve the quality of higher education and enhance its relevance for the labour market and society and to improve competences and skills, with the development of a curriculum in training teachers for challenged areas in the Philippines.

 

This curriculum development project fully addresses the priority ‘Education’ for Asia. Its focus on training modules for future and practising school teachers targets under performance in socio-economically disadvantaged areas in different regions of the Philippines.

 

PAFTE was tapped for this project because of its role as a professional national association of teacher formation and of its unique position in appraising the status of teacher formation programs from the perspective of academic institutions nationally. It can serve as a consultative body on aspects of the project’s relevance with the academia and the directions of CHED and the Department of Education. The project envisions PAFTE as a venue of dissemination of the training program in its modules and ancillary materials through PAFTE’s annual national conventions and regional conferences.  It can be asked for feedback on intellectual outputs that result from the training. 

 

In retrospect, PAFTE owes its present stature and prestige to the leadership, (past and present) representation, participation and cooperation not only of its national Board of Directors, Chapter officers and members but also of institutions (such as the Teacher Education Council, CHED, TESDA, DepEd, PRC, Technical Panel for Teacher Education, FAPE and HEI’s) and University/ College Presidents who are supportive of   PAFTE activities.

 

Mahatma Gandhi’s principle, “There go my people, I must hasten to follow them, for I am their leader”, has guided the past and present leaders of PAFTE through the years.