The KaSaMa Teachers Community (KTC) launched its latest website, dubbed KTC 3.0, on 25 March 2022 and is now live on https://kasamateachersph.ning.com. The event, which presented the new website’s interface and features to KTC members and prospective members, also featured a ceremonial signing up by two community members—Mr. Raquim Capoy II, a preservice teacher at Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology and Mr. Joven Murias, a Master Teacher II at Anini-y Central School, in Antique.
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| Mr. Raquim Capoy II leads the live sign up at the new KaSaMa Teachers Community site. |
The launch of KTC 3.0 website also marked another milestone in the partnership between UP NISMED and Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF). The partnership, whose shared goal of promoting excellence in STEM teaching, sees in KTC 3.0 the prospect of building the largest professional learning community of Filipino STEM educators in the Philippines. In her welcome remarks, UP NISMED Director, Dr. Sheryl Lyn C. Monterola underscored the importance of professional learning communities (PLCs), like the KaSaMa Teachers Community, in ensuring quality education. KTC, as a professional learning community, allows teachers to engage in collective reflection and inquiry and thus nurture their professional growth and development. Aside from being venues for reflection and collaboration and a means of keeping abreast with new research and emerging classroom technology tools, Dr. Monterola also mentioned how PLCs can help build stronger relationships among their members. For the part of GBF, Ms. Grace R. Colet, the Executive Director of Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, shared how GBF’s three-year partnership with UP NISMED grew the community to more than 7,000 members who share and access teaching and learning resources, attend and lead STEM events and webinars, and discuss compelling and inspiring stories together. Ms. Colet affirmed GBF’s commitment to provide KaSaMa Teachers Community with strong marketing and promotional support, believing that STEM education is the key to nation-building and progress. Representing the KTC members was Ms. Ivy Jan O. Simbala, the Vice Principal of Philippine School (Bahrain)’s Secondary Education Department, who recounted her personal and professional journey as a member of KaSaMa Teachers Community since 2016, how the bayanihan spirit of the community helped many teachers here and abroad cope with the many challenges of remote teaching and learning during the pandemic. She considers KTC a family!
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| Mr. Michael Anthony B. Mantala, a member of KTC’s Kabayanihan core team, presents a detailed walkthrough of KTC 3.0’s interface and features, as well as sections of the website where teachers can engage in discussions, share stories, and access resources. |
The launch concluded with a message from Ms. Celia R. Balbin, the project lead of KaSaMa Teachers Community. Ms. Balbin emphasized the role played by the community, especially during these challenging times, in reassuring teachers that they have one another to hold on to and kabayanihan to help them see through the challenges of remote teaching and learning. Ms. Balbin also described how the spirit of bayanihan, which the KaSaMa Teachers Community embodies and exemplifies, has shaped the community’s “ambag” and “silbi” to Filipino science and mathematics teachers and nurtured their professional development to benefit the Filipino learner.
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