There is hope after the storm

MANILA, Philippines - Ernani Fernandez, a teacher at Palo National High School, was still reeling from the onslaught of super typhoon Yolanda last year when he received word that he made it to the prestigious Microsoft in Education Global Forum, a worldwide educator recognition program.

It took time for the realization to sink in.

“I was thinking of only one thing then: ‘God, let my family live.’” He was among those airlifted to Manila after the typhoon claimed more than 800 casualties and rendered thousands of families homeless in his native town of Palo, Leyte.

When he regained his bearings, he realized that he was on to bigger things in his mission as a teacher.

Fernandez stands tall as a graduate of the Global Filipino Teachers (GFT) program, an initiative of Globe Telecom and the Coalition of Better Education that aims to train teachers on the integration of information and communications technology as well as problem-based learning approaches in the classroom.

As such, part of his responsibilities and advocacy is to provide quality education through technology integration in teaching.

When he adopted a project-based learning approach for his Business Technology class to motivate his students to learn and acquire business and accounting skills through technology integration, the effort earned him a spot in the Innovative Teachers Leadership Awards Competition in 2012.

Because of his vision and skill, he was chosen as one of 30 GFTs nationwide to serve as a peer coach, which allowed him to share his GFT expertise with his colleagues.

It was a break that eventually earned him a coveted place in the 2014 Microsoft in Education Global Forum.

Focusing on making Accounting exciting, Fernandez’s  entry featured innovative and engaging ways to teach an often dreaded subject. His students used Microsoft Excel, designed comics on Microsoft programs, and eventually, established real-life applications of what they learned, thus maximizing technology to bring learning into the 21st century.

“We are proud of our GFT graduates. A number of them, like Ernani, have been recognized by various local and international organizations for their projects which started with the GFT program. It shows that we are on track with our goal to make our teachers globally competitive,” said Issa Cabreira, senior vice president for Globe consumer mobile marketing.

The GFT program is part of Globe prepaid’s strategy to improve the quality of education in public schools and is one of the pillars of Globe Telecom’s Project Wonderful, which aims to assist in nation-building and to help Filipinos live better lives.

Meanwhile, in March 2014, the Microsoft forum took Fernandez to Barcelona, Spain where his entry reaped praise from judges, making it one of the top picks. His group entry along with other delegates in the Learn-a-thon fared much better – it earned them the top prize.

Fernandez shares, “Seeing the effort of my students who were involved in the project which I submitted, I am proud of their wonderful achievement. I take pride in the fact that my innovation in teaching has proven to be globally competitive.”

Today, he continues to persevere in elevating his students’ learning experience, telling them these words of advice, “Even if we are holding classes in a tent, the important thing is for you to learn. Education is important.”