Can everyone feel the summer? I bet everyone feels the same way. The scorching heat is embracing the country, and that is because of the El Niño we are experiencing. Amidst the heat, everyone still has the resilience to attend school and prosper, achieving the growth everyone is aiming for this year.
Welcome to another blog where we will add color to our rainbow. Let’s choose the color blue. The color red is a symbol of education. Let me entitle this blog, Resilience of Education: Amidst the Scorching Heat. Take a seat and have fun reading my piece.
Does the heat also hunt you? The Philippines is experiencing a phenomenon called El Niño, which we experienced in 2018–2019. Drought haunts not only the lives of farmers but also those of educators and students. The excessive heat is disrupting the classes and activities that must be done for the whole school year. Especially this school year, where there are classes during April and May, known as the hottest months of the year. It is unbearable for some people; that's why extra precautions are taken to prevent accidents. The Department of Education is concerned enough to expand and apply a learning modality that is applicable during this time of El Niño. With this, I believe that educators and students are building resilience amidst the scorching heat.
The University of Cebu, where I study right now, is currently providing the students with a blended learning modality. During the peak of the heat from the past week, the university did not cancel classes, even though most of the schools in Cebu cancelled their classes. Our school gave us precautions and advice on how to stay safe during the week. Students were not devastated, yet they questioned why the school didn't cancel the whole week since the temperature was so high. The next week, UC made an announcement through their social media that the classes would be cancelled until further notice. Following that announcement was an important notice. The school will start using blended learning as a modality. So here's our new schedule:
Monday & Tuesday
Face to face classes
These are the days where I can see my classmates and study with them. We do performance tasks together and sometimes we gather after class to have some fun.
Wednesday & Thursday
Online Classes
These are the days where somehow discussions get boring since I can't seem to follow the exact execution of the formulas for the math subjects. :(
Friday & Saturday
Asynchronous classes
These are the days where students can get a rest. It depends on the teacher if they will have a class or just give tasks for the students. So no discussions will happen during friday and saturday.
The new schedule was better than not having classes, since examinations are fast approaching. Everyone is so participative in the new modality, and the learning never stops! Blended learning is an effective way of learning now that I have actually experienced it. Students can still learn with the heat above the roof and still catch up even with the dry climate. It is also safer for everyone; heat stroke can be prevented, which affects mostly students that are in school since the space in a classroom can be cramped for some students.
Educators and students are together on this journey. We might not be able to stop the heat, yet we choose to go on and learn. We know this will end soon, and so there's no need for education to stop. We persevere during these times and learn that building resilience is the power of unity for a prosperous education.
That's it HIVErs! Thank you so much for reading my blog and reaching this part. Before I bid a farewell, I want everyone to take note of these following:
📌Drink plenty of water.
📌Wear thin and light clothes.
📌Use umbrella when you go outside.
📌Wear SPF 50 sunscreen.
Reminder: Prioritize your health and safety!
