Since its founding in 1992, the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation has aimed to make a lasting impact on the education system in the Philippines, mainly by supporting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education-based initiatives.
As part of this mission, GBF partnered in early 2019 with the University of the Philippines National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (UP NISMED) to help improve the KaSaMa Teachers Online Community by creating a better, more comprehensive, and up-to-date hub for communication, collaboration, learning, and development for all Filipino K to 12 Science and Math educators. KaSaMa stands for “Ka-Science” and “Ka-Mathematics,” symbolic of the cooperation, pooling of talent and resources, and sharing of knowledge in this online teaching community.
The people behind the new KaSaMa Teachers online community: UP NISMED and KaSaMa Teachers core team led by Director Dr. Aida Yap, Gokongwei Brothers Foundation Executive Director Grace Colet, and the Summit Media team.
After nearly a year of development, the updated and thoroughly redesigned KaSaMa Teachers Community website is ready to be explored by members, old and new. Developed by Summit Media, the website addresses the original intention of UP NISMED when it started KaSaMa, which is “to offer alternative, technology-enabled professional development to science and mathematics educators, and to disseminate science and mathematics education information and resources. It also aims to advocate for the teaching of science through inquiry and of mathematics through problem solving.”
By visiting the website and joining the KaSaMa community, members have access to a slew of features and functions intended to make their job of teaching easier, better, and more productive.
The UP NISMED and KaSaMa Core Team with Gokongwei Brothers Foundation’s Executive Director, Grace Colet, during the ceremonial turnover of the new website on the institute’s 55th anniversary.
Communicating made easy
Educators can have reliable, real-time conversations with each other thanks to the website’s improved chat feature. It also allows KaSaMa members to attach and transfer files for sharing, even on the go. And for members who want to talk about the trending news, issues, and topics, they can go to the website’s Discussions page where they can share their comments and reactions.
Convenient access to resources
The difficulty of finding reliable references is no longer a problem. Members can get access to UP NISMED’s exclusive repository of teaching and learning materials—free of charge. The new platform is also an excellent venue for teachers to collaborate in developing or improving these materials for the benefit of the whole community.
Community centered on learning and development
One of the primary goals of the community is to help its members to further develop their teaching skills, knowledge, and techniques through specialized training sessions. The website uses a webinar platform that they can use to conduct workshops or upload video materials tackling various topics, practices, and issues.
Dr. Aida I. Yap, Director of UP NISMED, is excited and positive about this undertaking. “This worthwhile project will not only provide teachers, students, and other stakeholders access to quality teaching and learning resources, but also serve as an avenue in achieving quality education in the country.”
GBF Executive Director Grace Colet believes that this project goes beyond creating a website—its real vision is to empower teachers to help themselves and each other, creating a culture of collaboration and cooperation. “The community we are building aims to empower science and math educators to be the best of themselves, to help not only their students but the entire teaching community as a means of uplifting our country.”
The National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development is a research unit and an extension arm of the University of the Philippines. It aims to raise the level of teaching and learning of science and mathematics in the Philippine educational system. It also aims to be a major source of quality information and services for stakeholders in science and mathematics education.
All K to 12 Science and Math teachers are invited to be a part of the all-new KaSaMa website. Visit kasamateachers.ph to sign up.
For more information on the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, visit www.gokongweibrothersfoundation.org
