by Sheila Covarrubias
ZAMBOANGA CITY, 09 March. (PIA 9) - - A Filipino teacher from the Taluksangay National High School, this city bagged the top prize in the 2012 Innovative Teachers Leadership Award for her project-based learning activity on mangrove planting in the Muslim-dominated village.
Shateen Searaña, who has been assigned in Taluksangay for a year now, bested 9 other finalists from all over the country. As the top winner, she will be the Philippine representative in the Asia Pacific competition set to be held in Auckland, New Zealand from March 20-22.
As this developed, Mayor Celso Lobregat expressed elation over Searaña’s feat and commended her for her innovation on mangrove planting, a topic that is very crucial in the face of serious global challenges specifically climate change.
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| Innovative Teachers Leadership Top Awardee Shaneen Searaña, Filipino teacher of Tuan Datu Abdullah Nuño Memorial High School (Taluksangay National High School) listens intently as Mayor Celso Lobregat and Councilor Abdurahman Nuño exchange views concerning mangrove planting during her courtesy call in City Hall Thursday afternoon. ROLLY CARPIO |
Councilor Abdurahman Nuño, who is Taluksangay barangay chairman and Councilor Lilia Nuño proudly presented Searaña with some of her co-teachers and students to the mayor yesterday afternoon in City Hall.
As one of the incentives for Searaña, Mayor Lobregat committed to provide additional allocation for Summer Program for the Employment of Students (SPES) slots this year to help accelerate mangrove planting in the coastal village of Taluksangay. The mayor also gave the teacher a cash incentive and re-affirmed the city government’s all out support to mangrove planting.
The project has multi-pronged objectives but ultimately it intends to develop communication skills of students using various communications media by engaging them to conduct community extension activities that address a relevant issue which is rampant disregard for the environment, specifically cutting down of mangrove trees.
The project involved students and parents of various Muslim tribes- Samal, Yakan, Tausug and Badjao. Despite limited technology, students were able to document their project and did seminars on mangrove planting in the community which led to greater awareness on coastline rehabilitation through mangrove planting. The impact that the project made on the lives and values of community members earned the judges’ nod.
In an interview, Searaña said the project is an output of a seminar-training program on project-based learning (PBL) approaches held at the behest of the Coalition for Better Education (CBE), a Cebu-based organization.
PBL approaches focus on collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to learning using the 21st century skills as bases for learning competencies. This training program is conducted annually by CBE in partnership with Globe Telecom and the Department of Education.
As part of the project, the students developed a website: www.taluksangaynhs.multiply.com and www.facebook.com to collaborate with other students in the country and even abroad. The students also posted documentaries on you tube which can be accessed through http://www.youtube.com/watch?v-j8yvpkS7UhQ for the National Greening Program;http://youtube.be/fDyYmlvQC7U or http://taluksangaynhs.multiply.com/video/item/6/My PBL Movie.wmv for the photo story of the project.
For the Asia-Pacific competition, Searaña will involve the other communities and schools in the city. (JPA/ SC/CIO/PIA- ZBST)
