Embracing Adversities with the New Normal: Midway Best Practices…
Finally, the long wait is over as Midway Colleges re-opens its door after nearly 3 years of challenging times brought on by the siege of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The arrays of posters, mementos, and health placards loudly stream and resonate the voice of the institution on its new theme “Be Driven, Be Transformative “. This a rock-solid statement of the Midway Family that wails for the comeback of appeasing and affirming educational and training experience for those student hopefuls.
With the opening of the Academic Year 2022 – 2023, the institution implements Phase II of the Midway Learning Continuity Plan – Blended Learning Modality following the Odd-Even Cyclical Framework.
The Odd and Even scheme follows the Week 1-15 Calendar wherein the students have a respective schedule for when to report on-campus and virtual classes. The College of Business and Institute of Technical Skills and Development will conduct the full face-to-face implementation of blended learning. On the other hand, the College of Maritime Education will have a schedule for the on-campus and virtual classes. The schedule will be based on the student’s year level which is in accordance with the odd-even numbers of the Academic Calendar.
Freshmen will report onsite during the odd numbers of the week which will fall during weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15.
Moreover, sophomore and junior students will report onsite during the EVEN Numbers of the week which will be on Week 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14.
NOTE: Certain provisions may be applied if situations arise or in need of an additional schedule to report onsite for laboratory tasks and assessments.
The main goal of reopening the campus for its limited face-to-face laboratory instruction is to allow students to continue their learning journey and for students to satisfy their laboratory requirements before they are considered Completed Curriculum Instructions which soon join the rest in the industry workforce. Part of the minor goal is to similarly help bring normalcy as students lack the social face-to-face interaction that is needed for holistic transformation to persons of competence, conscience, and compassion.
Midway has always been rooting for Transformative Education, a kind that particularly focuses on adult education and young adult learning which makes us truly distinctively exceptional. And should there be any minor obstacles, we will help students and their parents. Long-term, we would like to see a healthy learning environment that uses both online and face-to-face learning (also known as hybrid instruction). Asynchronous online learning will be integral to the conventional Classroom set-up of a learning environment.
MCI High Flex learning is proven to be an effective way to acquire knowledge and skills because it often combines different ways of learning including writing, reading, discussion, presentations, projects, group work, film clips, demonstration, and practice. Students were able to concentrate harder on their learning because there’ll be fewer distractions than if they were at home at most times. They gain greater understanding, stories, and real-world examples from their instructors and other students both online – onsite arrangements at their most convenient time while having a better chance of completing their courses successfully by having it in a virtual or classroom setup. (Completion rate of teacher-led classes is almost 5x higher than that of online learning as the study shows)
Students’ positive feedback and results also reveal that they feel more comfortable and learn more easily in a familiar, traditional classroom situation during on-campus instruction. They access more information and richer understanding through instructors’ and other students’ body language and voice. A much bigger opportunity to connect with, problem-solve, and network with other students from a wide range of backgrounds.
Midway Colleges as approved by our Regulatory Bodies and Local Government Units has adopted a flexible blended approach with a limited in-person arrangement as it transitions its nearly fifteen hundred students back to full face-to-face classes by November — as a deadline set by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Passing across, Driven students are required to wear their masks and uniforms lined up for a temperature check and squirt of hand sanitizer as strict implementation of health and safety protocol inside the Campus.
To further promote health and safety awareness and improved sanitation scheme, contact tracing, and monitoring of student-employee status is being facilitated by the MCI Crowd and Crisis Department in cooperation with various departments and offices. It’s gonna be a safer, more engaging, and thriving Academic year for everyone! #ANGAT KA DRIVEN!
Mobile gaming and esports, although relatively new, are industries that are skyrocketing these days. Competitions have sprung left and right, with the top events giving away millions of dollars in prizes. It has truly become a multi-million dollar “sporting” activity. Corporations and investors have taken notice of this, as well as educational institutions.
On June 23, 2020, Midway Colleges, Inc. conducted a webinar titled “Operationalizing Flexible Learning Plan” led by the Dean of the College of Education, University of the Philippines Diliman, Dr. Jerome T. Buenviaje. The webinar oriented the participants on the nature, principles, and strategies for the implementation of flexible learning amid the current crisis situation.