Seminar for new teachers focuses on facilitating learning
On its 82nd edition, the Seminar on Teaching (SOT) for new full-time and affiliate faculty members imparts the value of facilitating learning.
Intended for new teachers for Second Semester AY 2019-2020, the on-going SOT is being held on Jan. 6-11 at the Animal Science Lecture Hall 2, Institute of Animal Science.
According to Rosemarie Eusebio, a co-facilitator of the workshop and a faculty member at the Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Physics, the seminar now focuses on facilitation rather than on teaching.
“Teaching is one-directional dissemination of knowledge through a teacher, while facilitating is accompanying and shaping a learning process together with the learners,” she explained.
Organizing SOT is the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, led by Dr. Portia Lapitan.
During the opening of SOT, Dr. Lapitan discussed the duties and responsibilities of UPLB faculty members in their three functions of instruction, research, and extension.
The week-long event also covers administrative policies, philosophy of education, designing visual presentation, and psycho-social needs of students, among others.
In his welcome remarks, Chancellor Fernando Sanchez, Jr. highlighted the importance of the seminar workshop to the 24 participants.
“While most of you already have an idea on how to conduct your classes and what teaching and learning assessment techniques you are going to practice throughout the semester, we believe that it is also important to introduce you to other relevant teaching methods and approaches that you can apply in the conduct of your classes,” he said.
“This is also important especially in preparing and training UPLB students to be more adept to and ready for the opportunities and challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution — a wave of change in our society brought about by the increasing convergence of digital, biological, and physical innovations,” Chancellor Sanchez added.
Aside from the new full-time and affiliate faculty members, returning faculty members who wanted a refresher are also taking part in the SOT. (John Glen S. Sarol)
