Filipina English Teacher Makes Strides in the Classroom

An English language and literature classroom is typically associated with traditional forms of instruction, with students reading aloud from The Grapes of Wrath and writing essays expounding on its central themes. But for visionary teachers such as Mercelita (Mercy) Labial of the Philippines, YouTube and Facebook have a place alongside Hemingway in the 21st century English classroom.

Mercy Labial has taught English at a private high school in Cagayan de Oro City, located in the Misamis Oriental region of the Philippines, for the past 16 years. With a passion for teaching students and training her colleagues, Mercy tries to find new ways to engage her students in what some may call a classic, traditional discipline. The challenge is not that students are averse to technology; rather, English teachers are not trained to incorporate such tools into the curriculum. “There is an attempt to use technology in the classroom, but [most teachers] do it such that students interact with the technology as individuals, in the case of computers, or as a whole class, in the case of film viewing,” wrote Mercy.

Mercy’s commitment to improving the quality of education for her students distinguished her for participation in the International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP) in the spring of 2009. One of the unique aspects of this five-month teacher professional development program is its emphasis on exploring how technology can enhance student learning and engage students in a lesson. For example, ILEP Fellows have learned how to use an e-learning platform to hold forum discussions, facilitate student collaboration on projects, and give feedback on homework assignments.

Inspired to train other Filipino English teachers to utilize technology in their classrooms, Mercy applied for and won funding through the competitive ILEP Alumni Small Grants Program. These grants support original project ideas of ILEP alumni to improve education in their home countries. Mercy used the grant funds to conduct a five-day workshop for English department leaders to learn how Google, PowerPoint, and YouTube can all be used as part of the English curriculum. The workshop was a success and drew praise from participants and school administrators alike. “The participants have acquired skills on how an English class can be planned to become engaging, relevant and meaningful to the students by integrating technology in teaching English language and literature,” Mercy wrote.

As a result of her outstanding, innovative work to integrate technology into the English curriculum, Mercy recently received the Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Teachers Award. This award recognizes the most outstanding teachers in the Philippines for their commitment to educational excellence and the improvement of youth. Mercy was one of ten recipients that were honored by the President of the Philippines, Benigno Simeon Aquino III, at a special ceremony in August.

Not one to go idle after receiving an award or completing a project, Mercy continues to seek new opportunities to further develop the quality of education in her school and nation as a whole. Following the success of the first workshop, she conducted two similar trainings at the request of nearby local high schools, and has plans to conduct a technology workshop for public school teachers sometime next year. Mercy is also conducting research for a work entitled “The Secondary Teachers’ Levels of Technology Integration in the Classroom and Their Impact to the Academic Achievement of the Students,” a project funded by the cash prize she received as part of her Metrobank Foundation award.

The International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP) is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, and implemented by IREX.