REX Bookstore, Miriam College for Teachers’ Press

ON September 30 REX Book Store and Miriam College signed a memorandum of understanding, which cemented the founding of The Teachers’ Press.

Presented as the press by teachers, for teachers, REX Book Store and Miriam College have decided to unite their expertise to transform the landscape of Filipino education. The Teachers ‘Press is the Philippines’ first comprehensive publishing house exclusively dedicated to producing traditional and emerging professional training and development resources for teachers.

At the launch held at The Manila, COO of REX Book Store Inc., Don Timothy I. Buhain said the vision for REX is constantly evolving. This iterative review is rooted in their greatest advocacy, Para sa Bata, which is based on the whole child philosophy.

“We are committed to providing a comprehensive learning solution for the whole Filipino child and a partner program for the whole school, the whole teacher, the parents and the whole the community, which nourishes the whole child. As it takes a village to raise a child, collaborative and collective work between the main players in the education sector is essential, ”said Buhain. “This is why we are proud to share this vision with Miriam College, a center of excellence in teacher education, designated by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). Both institutions have heard and have risen to respond to a higher call to make a significant and remarkable contribution to the education sector and the nation it serves.

In total, 10 of the 74 national centers for development and excellence in teacher training were selected for the initial phase of the project. University of the Philippines (Diliman), Normal University of the Philippines (National Teacher Training Center), West Visayan State University (Iloilo), University of the Southeast Philippines (Davao), State University of Mindanao Iligan Institute of Technology (Iligan City), Angeles University Foundation (Pampanga), Saint Paul University, Philippines (Tugegarao), Saint Louis University (Baguio), De La Salle University and Miriam College.

Dr Edizon Fermin, Director of Innovation Development at Miriam College, presented the plans for the first Teachers’ Press title. The “InnovNation” series presents essays on the innovative delivery of teacher education programs which are expected to be published by December of this year. The volume aims to capture perspectives on innovation in teacher education in the Philippines. The collaboration will eventually involve professional educational organizations such as the Philippine Association of Teachers and Educators, the Association of Teacher Educators of State Universities and Colleges, and the Philippine Association of Teachers of the Foundation for Teachers. education – Professionals united in the development and advancement of teacher education.

“The teachers’ press is made by teachers for teachers. That alone is a revolutionary approach to how we see pedagogical, craft and procedural knowledge about teaching highlighted. Here you see teachers collaborating with each other to identify best practices that are happening in the field, ”said Dr Fermin. “Let’s write about these practices telling people the very result that these practices generated. So what you consume in The Teachers’ Press are actually the results of outstanding practices in teaching and learning, and what better way to teach results-based education than by consuming exactly what looks like these results from the perspective of the very people who manage the teaching and learning process.

Dr Marivic Irriberi, head of the CHED Central Office Program Standards Development Office, was present at the event. Their office is responsible for evaluating teacher training institutions (TEIs) to qualify them as centers of development or excellence.

“On behalf of the Higher Education Commission, we applaud this project, led by Miriam College, which resulted in this research / publication project of some centers of excellence in teacher education. As we all know, Miriam College is one of the institutions with the autonomous status of the Commission on Higher Education, and its teacher training program is designated by [the] CHED as a center of excellence, ”said Dr Irriberi. “We hope that Miriam College will offer more publications so that it will also help strengthen our other higher education institutions, especially when it comes to producing or producing good research results, which are really worth publishing. “

Dr Marie Therese Bustos, dean of the UP Diliman College of Education, said they were looking for resources, especially resources made in the Philippines that would support classroom and field activities. They had always had to rely on foreign books as a reference, and this endeavor would pave the way for the production of comprehensive textbooks that would support teachers in the area of ​​the Filipino child.

This would be in line with Dr Fermin’s call to “glocalize” teacher education in the Philippines. He explained that this process covers the documentation of practices implemented by Filipino teacher-educators to compete and adapt to the changes occurring in education on a global scale.

“The point is, the world views Filipino teachers as world class teachers. They know how to adjust the instruction at any time. So maybe by glocalizing our approach to documenting Filipino teacher practices through The Teachers’ Press, we might be able to say to the rest of the world, “Well, here are the local teachers in the Philippines who are actually saying to the whole world this is how good we are ‘… then the Teacher’s Press will be the voice of the Filipino teachers telling the rest of the world,’ hey, you have to watch out for the Filipino teachers because they are doing more ‘”, Dr Fermin mentioned.

The event also highlighted the unveiling of The Teachers’ Press logo, the meaning of which was explained by Jeanne Marie Tordesillas, CEO of REX. The logo consisted of an owl, which embodies the teacher and represents wisdom. Behind it is a two-tone circle symbolizing the sun and the moon, consciousness in the superconscious and consciousness in the subconscious. Together they represent heightened awareness, which begins with the use of undivided attention with a purpose.

Below the circle is a stack of books representing publishing, sharing learnings and ideas and embodying the pipeline of ideas and branches of energies. Collectively, the entire image resembles a light bulb, which represents concepts of innovation, learning, ideas and discovery. Finally, the green leaves represent truth, hope, renewal, renewal and growth. The leaves come from the Upas tree where the Philippine owl is typically seen roosting. This represents exemplary research and knowledge generation.