GLOBE Telecom, one of the giants in the telecommunications industry, launched Thursday, September 29, over a thousand educational e-books appropriate for K to 12 learning through the Global Filipino School (GFS) program.
Miguel Bermundo, manager, Citizenship Department of Globe Telecom said that as the world embarks on a digital world, it is but necessary to enable digital learning efficient and accessible.
“We want to make digital learning better and easier especially to students and teachers to improve the education system in the country,” he said in a press conference at the Café Demitasse, Torres St., Davao City.
The thousand educational e-books will be made available to over 15 million public elementary and high school students and some 500,000 public school teachers nationwide beginning September 30.
The GFS Library launch coincides with the National Teachers Day celebration of the Department of Education (DepEd) at the Ateneo de Davao University.
For Davao Region, Globe through the GFS program partnered with three public schools: Catalunan Pequeño National High School in Davao City, Davao del Sur, National High School in Carmen, Davao del Norte, and Matti National High School in Digos City, Davao del Sur.
This is in line with the company’s ongoing activity to expand GFS to all 221 school divisions of the DepEd nationwide within a five-year period.
Fernando Esguerra, Globe Director for Citizenship, for his part, said with the expansion of the GFS Program and awareness of the GFS Library around the country, “the public schools can more effectively make use of reading resources and promote digital learning to more students and teachers nationwide, particularly in schools where access to quality books is limited and usage of technology for learning is not maximized.”
GFS Library.com is a web-based platform that provides free and quick access to digital story books for children and young adults as well as textbooks on core subjects such as Math, Science, English, Filipino, Music, Arts, among others. The e-books may be opened via their desktop, laptop or mobile device using any basic e-book reader.
The website is a component of the GFS program, a long-term Globe educational initiative that seeks to transform public schools into centers of information and Communications Technology excellence and innovative teaching methods in order to set the stage for 21St Century Learning.
Under GFS, schools are provided with unparalleled online connectivity to give homeroom teachers access to limitless teaching and learning engagements available on the internet that will help improve their craft and make learning fun and interesting for the students.
The schools are also given a Globe Digital Laboratory package containing netbooks/tablets, wifi devices, and a mobile cart with a built-in projector screen and workstation while teachers are trained on ICT education and project-based learning through the GFS Master Teachers Workshop and Online Coaching Course.
All schools under GFS are intended to become teacher-training hubs and training partners of the DepEd Division Offices in conducting teaching workshops for neighboring Schools of each division. The workshops include lessons on Digital Thumbprint Program (DTP) cyberwellness advocacy that which comes on a three modules.
“This (DTP) is designed to increase students’ knowledge of digital citizenship and cyber safety by taking a critical look at their online behavior and helping them develop insights into the influences of the online world and the choices they are making,” Bermundo said.
Likewise, teachers in select schools are also trained in science through Globe and Mind Museum’s Science Wonder Workshop that is guaranteed to make classroom learning more fun, interactive, and interesting.
“Through digital learning and digitalizing books, it would be cheaper and is for long-term purposes,” Dr. Josephine Fadul, School Division Superintendent in Davao del Norte Division, said.
