STARBOOKS NEW
Breaking Barriers, Bridging Knowledge: DOST Rizal and DepEd-CSDO Antipolo Spearhead STARBOOKS Orientation-Training for 18 Public High School
August 28, 2024
by DOST Rizal
Following the successful signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) inked last May 27, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) through its Provincial Science and Technology Office (PSTO) Rizal conducted a comprehensive orientation and training at the San Isidro National High School (NHS), Brgy. San Isidro, Antipolo City, Rizal for learners and administrators of the Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly Operated KioskS (STARBOOKS), a joint initiative between DOST and the Department of Education (DepEd)-City Schools Division Office (CSDO)-Antipolo.
The orientation and training was attended by principals, librarians, ICT coordinators, and selected students from the 18 public senior high school beneficiaries of the STARBOOKS. Present in this momentous activity were Dir. Fernando E. Ablaza, Provincial S&T Director of DOST-PSTO Rizal and Dr. Cristina C. Salazar, Chief for the Curriculum and Implementation Division (CID) of DepEd-CSDO-Antipolo to represent Dr. Lerma L. Flandez, Schools Division Superintendent (SDS) of DepEd-CSDO-Rizal.
To formally start the orientation programme, Mr. Ronaldo I. Ata, Principal IV of the San Isidro NHS acknowledged the attendance of the guests and participants. Dr. Shielah May M. Villamor, Education Program Specialist (EPS) for Science then stated the objective of the event which was to integrate the distributed digital library in their instructional materials. In his message, Dir. Ablaza highlighted the benefits of STARBOOKS for both learners and teachers, emphasizing its potential to make lessons more engaging and interactive. Dr. Salazar acknowledged the ongoing advancements in Science and Technology (S&T) education and how STARBOOKS aligns and complements with the goals of 21st-century learning.
Next, Ms. Arthea Marie M. Genova, Project Technical Aide IV and Alternate Provincial STARBOOKS Focal from the DOST-PSTO Rizal, began the orientation proper with a brief overview of the recent installation of STARBOOKS in 18 Antipolo City public high schools. She has also provided background information on STARBOOKS, its goals and mandate, and its inclusion in the national priority plan for academic institutions and the local government units (LGUs). Ms. Jennefer Jeazon P. Medina, Science Research Specialist II and Provincial STARBOOKS Focal from the DOST-PSTO Rizal then guided the participants through the STARBOOKS application, focusing on navigation for learners and user manuals for administrators. An open forum concluded the orientation and training. To date, the provincial STARBOOKS team has installed 32 units of STARBOOKS across 13 Antipolo City public high schools and plans to complete the installations in the remaining 5 schools within the month.
STARBOOKS is a public good initiative by the DOST-Science and Technology Information Institute (STII) which includes kiosks that serve as the information access portals in key areas in the Philippines. LGUs, non-government organizations (NGOs), the academe, and private institutions can avail this one-stop Science and Technology (S&T) information source.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/dostrizalofficial/posts/pfbid02iWJCwpy36c5fPkxKbzTLpoGfpRDzpMizHgZMXRyKHmNPybzMzvm9md9w2Me3wj9cl