Secretary Jesli A. Lapus

Welcome to the Second National ICTs in Basic Education Congress! It is with utmost pleasure that the Department of Education co-organizes with the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) and the Foundation for Information Technology Education and Development, Inc. (FIT-ED) the Second National ICTs in Basic Education Congress in Cebu City, with the theme “Innovating with Technology: The Challenge to Education Policy, Leadership, and Management”.

As education has become the key to promote participation in today’s global knowledge economy, more and more people are seeking innovations using digital technologies that would facilitate a paradigm shift in education processes and outcomes. To this end, education managers need to create a dynamic school environment that will provide its learners the opportunities to explore the potentials of information and communications technology (ICT) and acquire the core competencies required in the 21st Century.

With this goal in mind, the Second National Congress will be remembered as an important initiative for educators to develop a frame of reference from whence on-going and future programs and projects on ICT in basic education may be pursued. Furthermore, it will have provided a venue for education managers to share a wealth of experiences and lessons learned in the development and deployment of ICT programs and projects.

It is hoped that this Second National Congress will be a step towards the effective and efficient management of ICT initiatives and resources in order to strengthen the competitiveness of our human resources in the global community.

Our special thanks go to all who have contributed and supported this initiative, which is a step towards accelerated collaboration across educational and technological boundaries.

We look forward to the success of the Second National ICTs in Basic Education Congress!

SECRETARY JESLI A. LAPUS

The Second National ICTs in Basic Education Congress on 6-7 September 2006 is indeed significant as we are confronted with challenges in our aspiration to be globally competitive as a nation.  Education is our window to many opportunities, not simply limited to fulfilling our economic needs but more so for greater knowledge and higher learning. Our efforts towards providing quality education at all levels should be collaborative and responsive to the needs of the time. Information and communications technology (ICT) has been a universally recognized potent tool in enhancing service delivery and achieving results, and with ICT in education we are accorded better means of imparting knowledge and encouraging innovations. 

It is thus with great pleasure that I welcome the participants to this year’s Congress.  With the theme, “Innovating with Technology: The Challenge to Education Policy, Leadership, and Management”, participating policymakers, educators, school administrators, and other stakeholders will be imparted insights on the many ways that ICT can bring about more efficient and effective school management and enhanced teaching and learning processes for both our mentors and students. 

Organized by the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), the Foundation for Information Technology Education and Development, Inc. (FIT-ED), and the Department of Education (DepED), the Congress hopes to provide clearer directions and strategies through the plenary sessions scheduled within the 2-day event.  Various paper presentations and demonstrations on ICT in education will likewise be an enriching activity during this Congress, as experiences and lessons from implemented programs, frameworks, and standards will be shared. 

We in CICT, through our ICT4E Program, share the objectives of this Congress — from providing infrastructure to educators’ training, to applications development and content development — that are closely aligned with DepED’s thrusts for ICT-enabled education.

I wish the organizers and the participants a successful and enriching Second National ICTs in Basic Education Congress!

The Foundation for Information Technology Education and Development (FIT-ED) cordially welcomes you to the Second National ICTs in Basic Education Congress. We are delighted to once again co-organize this bi-annual event with the Department of Education (DepED) and the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT).

Since its establishment in 1998, FIT-ED has been committed to supporting the efforts of Government to realize the potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs) as a tool for transforming society through transformative education. We continue to pursue our mission and advocacy, shared with DepED and CICT,  of promoting the appropriate, cost-effective, and sustainable use of ICTs to enhance the quality of basic education for all Filipinos. 

Among the activities in our institutional agenda, we count the National Congress as the signal opportunity for both critical reflection and collaboration with fellow practitioners.

In the past decade, we have seen the gradual infusion of technology into our schools. This process has been fueled for the most part by experimentation at the micro-level—by teachers and students in their classrooms. Despite severe resource constraints, models of technology integration have indeed been built and tested. The question remains, however, if proven models can be sustained and taken to scale. 

It is in this context that the Congress poses the question of policy, leadership, and management, and invites Congress participants to critically reflect on their own pivotal role in the education reform process as we seek to reinvent our schools and educational institutions for the 21st Century.

FIT-ED wishes you a productive two days of exchange, debate, and reflection!