schoolscolleges2020 hed news

The chairperson of Xavier Ateneo’s Development Communication Department was among the participants invited by the US Embassy in the Philippines to take part in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) from September 28 to October 20 in key cities in the United States.

Rechelle Ann Tolinero-Barraquias, the sole participant from Mindanao, completed the nine delegates joining the “Promoting Media Literacy through Education” project of the IVLP, a premier professional exchange activity of the US State Department.

The project aims to provide the participants with “tools and methodologies to incorporate critical thinking and responsible consumption of information” in the nationally-mandated Media and Information Literacy (MIL) curriculum. It specifically targets to (i) assess MIL implementation models; (ii) explore MIL teaching pedagogies and teaching resources; (iii) examine MIL curriculum and instruction reflecting creative and efficient teaching; and lastly, (iv) examine the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in promoting and enhancing MIL.

“I am more looking forward to how I can share my learnings here to the MIL teachers in our country, if not, at least in Cagayan de Oro City, especially in XU Senior High School,” said Barraquias, who was among the pioneer teachers of MIL in XUSHS in 2016.

Unlike other exchange activities, the IVLP does not accept applications, but rather, the participants are nominated by the US Embassy community members and selected by a special committee.∎ (Photo by Marlon Nobrando)