Learning in the new normal is now in the digital platforms. Schools have shifted the learning modalities into online and flexible. As educators of today’s navigate a challenging virtual educational landscape it is imperative that they must be fully equipped with sufficient knowledge and skills to be able to integrate creativity and innovation in the virtual classrooms.
The World Council for Curriculum and Instruction Philippine Chapter conducted a webinar on Creativity and Innovation in Virtual Education via Zoom and streamed live through Facebook on August 24, 2021. The aims of the webinar are aligned with the advocacies of WCCI Philippine Chapter and its Special Interest Groups (SIG) which is to redesign the learning environment in the new normal, and to contribute to peace building, global citizenship, environmental stewardship, gender, and development.
In her opening speech, Sr. Merceditas Ang, SPC (President, WCCI Philippine Chapter) expounded on the theme and the objectives of the webinar. She reiterated, “We have shifted into the digital platforms of learning, this is a challenging transition that we are exploring, redesigning, creating and innovating towards greater learning engagement and better outcomes.” Sr. Merceditas also added that educators of today must find effective ways to successfully integrate technology in today’s curriculum and instructions.
The keynote speaker of the webinar is the WCCI Executive Director, Dr. Sonja Arnak. She is an online educator and a professor at Alliant International University, San Diego, CA, USA. Dr. Arnak’s presentation is focused on encouraging educators of today to be creative and innovative in their teaching strategies and to keep pace with international standards of quality and competencies for 21st century learning. She explained, “A 21st century learner must be a problem solver, a critical thinker, a collaborator, an innovator, information and media literate and enriching his/her full potentials to become an Educational Technology Professional.”