Filipino mothers in the 21st century are not the same as those in the 1800’s, who only stayed at home and took care of their children. Present-day mothers pursue a career as well as manage their household. Thus APIIS (Asia Pacific Institute of International Studies) Goducate Academy designed an education system for children that busy mothers can apply. For the Goducate Academy team, the system involves the production of quality and interesting videos that the mother can play any time of the day and let her child watch it while she is busy working.
Moreover, the videos stimulate of love of learning in the child. Student M, for example, who is in the Rev Up class (a nursery-level class) likes playing games on iPad and did not want to go to school. His mother has reported that since being enrolled in APIIS Goducate Academy, her son is showing some changes. The once unmotivated child now loves watching educational videos, enjoys tracing lines, and is always excited to join the online class.
Student S, whose family lives in Thailand, has also improved with the Rev Up class. Her mother reported that at the age of two, S could only utter two words: “mama” and “papa”. The doctor told them that if their daughter could not talk at the age of three, they must bring her to a speech pathologist. After S joined the Rev Up class at age 4, her mother noticed that she became excited and interested in her lessons. She even reminds her mother “I have class mom”. Rev Up lesson videos, such as mountain-climbing adventures, give S the opportunity to learn new songs and words. She can sing almost all the songs that she has been taught. When her mother wanted to enroll her in a school in Thailand, S refused to go because she likes her current Goducate Academy online class.
Another kind of video that the Goducate Academy produces is the Parent Guide Video, which directs parents on how to teach their children. It includes instructions on some specific tasks that the child has to accomplish for the week – for example, household chores such as sweeping the floor, washing plates, tidying the bed, and folding clothes. The video also teaches a mother how to train her child to be independent and responsible by doing things all by himself or herself, such as brushing teeth, combing hair, and changing clothes. The children enjoy learning these tasks from their mothers, so the learning sessions become a good bonding time for mother and child.
P’s mother tells us that the videos are easy to access and the Parent Guide Video reminds her what to do next for her son’s lesson whenever she becomes busy at work and forgets what tasks her son has to finish for the week. The Parent Guide Video shows the tasks that the parent has to accomplish in a week. The video explains in English every task that the parent needs do to from Day 1-Day 5 or Monday to Friday.
Another parent has testified that the learning materials are great, they are not stressful, and her child is happily watching the videos.
The APIIS Goducate Academy team is thus creating more interactive and engaging videos that would help millions of Filipino children whose mothers can help to give them the best education and life that they deserve.
*Our Guest writer is Rebecca Depalubos, a Goducate staff.