Globe's GFT program: Helping teachers thrive in the 21st century

MANILA, Philippines - 33-year old Arnel Bautista teaches Biology at the Cangawa National High School in Buenavista, Bohol. Like other teachers in rural areas across the country, Bautista teaches hundreds of High School students about living organisms armed only with chalk, a meter stick and some teaching materials written on Manila paper.

But as school year 2010-2011 opened, students at the Cangawa National High School saw a big difference in the way lessons are taught. The school is part of the Globe Internet in Schools Program (ISP), a project that provides broadband internet service to public schools in areas served by Globe. To complement internet connectivity and availability of computer hardware, Bautista underwent training on how to effectively use the internet as a teaching tool under the Global Filipino Teachers (GFT) Program of Globe. Spearheaded by Globe Bridging Communities, the corporate social responsibility arm of Globe, in partnership with the Department of Education and Coalition for Better Education (CBE), GFT is a rigorous 54-hour module that trains teachers on how to utilize and integrate information and communication technology (ICT) tools like computers and the internet in teaching basic subjects like English, Science, Math, and HeKaSi. The module is also equivalent to masteral degree units. Bautista, along with 96 other public school teachers from Bohol and the rest of Central Visayas, completed the course last December 2009.

Before the school year closed last March, Bautista has been able to put what he learned to practice by helping his students with various projects. He has also began training 36 other co-teachers in Bohol.

“We began familiarizing ourselves with various software and uses of the computer right after the GFT training. We used Photostory™ for a Sibika project. I taught my students to design cards, brochures, create graphs, and write poems and other literary forms with the use of various software applications. Lessons have become a fun and challenging project that can last throughout the week. The students enjoy the challenge of coming up with the neatest ideas for their work,” Bautista shared.

Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu said GFT is a concrete expression of the unwavering commitment of Globe to invest in our country through relevant corporate social responsibility programs. “We believe that honing the skills of our teachers will make a significant contribution to the learning experience of our students,” said Cu.

“With the GFT, we reaffirm our commitment to improve the quality of education in the country by strengthening our CSR programs through the effective use our core products and services to uplift the lives of our countrymen,” Cu added.

To date, there are 97 GFT graduates across the country. Globe expects to train more teachers this year, bringing the total number of ICT-trained public school teachers to over 200, by launching GFT in more areas such as Cavite, Batangas, Oriental Mindoro, Biliran, Samar, Leyte, Panay Islands, Negros Occidental, and Misamis Oriental.