Distance learning under a pandemic

Gone are the days when students have to depend solely on their teachers, textbooks, and printed lessons. New information is just a click away, whether helpful or not. With search engines and social media networks, learning a bit or too much about something has become inevitable.

This is why the initiative of the Department of Education to launch DepEd Commons is timely, because Filipinos are among the top users of the internet.

DepEd Commons is a cyber-space channel that makes distance learning possible. Distance learning, in a nutshell, is an educational setup where lesson absorption becomes “unhindered” by the physical separation of teachers and students, and the lack of actual presence in classrooms, usually prompted by emergencies, calamities, and other unfortunate events.

A visit to the DepEd Commons website will allow us to view and even download learning materials for our K-to-12 students. DepEd Commons makes distance learning convenient for teachers, students, and even parents, making it an ideal supplemental learning tool.

But while DepEd Commons is a very helpful innovation for learners and teachers, some students will still be left behind. Technology is progressing, but not everyone can catch up with technological innovations. The convenience that DepEd Commons brings to people with gadgets and a working internet will not be available to people in the rural areas or among the urban poor lacking such tools. May it be a national goal to make these technological innovations accessible to everyone.

Jesus Tomas C. Virtucio Jr.
Principal
Luy-A Elementary School
Aroroy East District, Masbate