MENTORING the MENTORS: the JBLFMU GS Experience (A.Y. 202O-2021 & 2021-2022) (Presented during Research Colloquium and Sharing of Best Practices on JBLFMU’s 75th Foundation Anniversary)

I. INTRODUCTION

Mentoring the Mentors Program in JBLFMU Arevalo had been existing for quite sometime.

At first, we paired the newly hired faculty to those who had stayed long in the university

Mentoring by subject areas was such an effective approach. Actually a research paper was made to share its effectiveness. In the later years , it was sustained by the JBLFMU Graduate School.Then Pandemic came…

Pandemic had affected each and everyone of us. Even the way we do things, the way we communicate and the way we teach as well. True enough that the Fourth Industrial Revolution made us tech savvy. This pose a very big challenge to all of us educators.

It is in this context, that the JBLFMU Graduate re-visit its Mentoring the Mentors program  and conducted webinars on the use of different platforms  of technology and interactive teaching  strategies. An appr

II. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PRACTICE

´  Virtual Training for JBLFMU GS  and the JA Faculty as well

´  In order to address the  needs of the faculty during this pandemic and to support them to become effective teachers, virtual seminars were arranged by the Graduate School to its faculty members. Other JBLFMU-AREVAlo faculty also joined.

´  Different mediums of virtual apps were used in the likes of Zoom, VooV, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams

´  The hyflex/Hybrid learning was also introduced in the  later part of the virtual seminar.

´  Here is the list of the training:

III. RESULTS OF THE PRACTICE

1. Zoom was used by all Faculty members in their synchronous classes. The university had invested for the purchase of the Zoom App.

2. VooV Meeting  , which is a free app was also an effective tool for delivery of instruction. When in fact many  of our faculty members find it friendly to use.

3. The use of JeL was greatly enhanced . This was used by the faculty members during asynchronous sessions.

4. MS Teams was used during meetings and classes as well.

5. Analysis of data of research findings was a great help. Faculty members were taught how to analyze data using SPSS.

6. The  search engines had helped faculty members to look for reference materials in their lessons and research on the new trends of teaching.

7. Using the 6 thinking hats in the classroom, makes the students attentive and know what to state their responses to questions asked by the teacher. Knowing the role of each hat makes the delivery of instruction interactive.

8. Knowing the different technology used in presenting the lessons such as the TPACK Model and  SAM Model resulted to technology integration  helps faculty to make questions  that would elicit how to  Create, Evaluate, Analyze,Apply, Understand and Remember.

and ePortfolio Making  enabled the faculty to use weebly.com, google sites, wixsite.com

9.The introduction of HyFlex/Hybrid Learning is an avenue for the university for a flexible learning scheme before the in-person classes. But seminars and trainings offered by the university  is hyflex/hybrid type.  HYFLEX and HyBrid Modalities are such very challenging . We need to embrace it in this new normal situation

IV. LESSONS LEARNT

1. The use of technology is already a way of life of faculty members.
2. Patience as a virtue is really true for those faculty members who would like to learn, re-learn that technology is very important if their delivery of instruction especially during the time of pandemic.
3. It taught the faculty members to be interactive in their classes so their students will be alive in the  virtual classroom.
4. Virtual setting was a challenge to everyone but there is a need to embrace change.
5. Yes, pandemic had taught us a lot of lessons, but why do we have to wait for pandemic to be creative, interactive and understand our students.
6. Hyflex learning is now the new trend.  We are now in the post pandemic era. Let us all embrace it. We just need the support of the university to make it happen as to logistics and needed devices to make it work well

V. CONCLUSION

Pre-pandemic, pandemic, post Covid -19 era , the use of technology is still our battle cry.

Embracing   the GREAT Reset of our academic  endeavors today will bring us to the University of the Future.How do we do these? We need each other. We need to mentor each other.

This best practice had imparted a lot of change in the university-

The classroom is already in the cloud. Who will enhance this? Is is us mentors.

That is why Mentoring really matters

For Mentoring:
”Mentoring is a brain to pick,an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.”(John C. Crosby)

For Best Practice:
“ Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it.”( Lao Tzu)

by : Geneva M. Eler,Ed.D.