REAP introduces REAP FORTE

The Recoletos Educational Apostolate in the Philippines (REAP), Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno held its REAP Forte (formation and Teaching) program.  REAP Forte is designed to provide a venue for the presentation of the conversation pieces to find the commonalities and points of convergence as regards to academic and formation programs on distance learning; to figure our Augustinian Recollect distance education program in the Philippine context; to craft a REAP Framework and philosophy for distance education; and to define the parameters of Augustinian Pedagogy and Augustinian education online. 

The committee to implement this program is chaired by Fray William Villaflor, OAR whose members are: Fray Dexter Tanquis, OAR (Vice Chair for Basic Ed-Academics); Fray Rafael Pecson, OAR (Vice Chair for Higher Ed –Academics); Fray Joseph Ocheda, OAR (Vice Chair – Basic Ed –Formation); Fray Don Besana, OAR (Vice Chair for Higher Ed. – Formation); and Dr. Julieta Catipay – Lay Representative.

A 3-day program of activities was designed to meet the objectives of REAP Forte:  Meet –up for Basic Educators and Higher Educators on July 13, 2020 at 9:30; Webinar on Distance Education/Online learning on July 15, 2020 at 9 am; and Forum on Augustinian Identity and Formation on July 17, 2020 at 9 am.

First Day of REAP FORTE

The Recoletos Educational Apostolate in the Philippines (Formation and Teaching) was opened last June 13, 2020 with the Meet-up for Basic Educators and Higher Educators through a zoom conference by the team from San Sebastian Recoletos de Cavite led by Fray Rafael Pecson, OAR.  The program opened with a minute of silence and prayer.  Fray William Villaflor, OAR, OAR Provincial Councilor and REAP President, gave the opening remarks.  He hinted the transition from traditional to online learning and talked about the future of Recoletos Education.  He posted the questions:  Where are we, Augustinian Recollect Schools in this virtual world? Where is the Augustinian way of education?

Fray Rafael Pecson, OAR, President of SSC-R de Cavite and Vice Chair of the Higher Education (Academics) reminded the participants that the characteristics of the Augustinian Pedagogy of being spiritual, intellectual, moral and the will should be integral and could not be taken individually. He also said that LOVE should be the foundation of the Augustinian education. We have to be concerned of our students, especially their feelings.   After his talk, a short sharing came from the religious and lay administrators from the different recoletos schools.

In the second session, Fray Pecson clearly differentiated the terminologies for better comprehension of the online education. The key terms were  “in-class”, “on-line”, “on-screen” and “on task”. He also shared the 3R’s of online class which are Roles, Rules and Routine.  He ended his talk on the Augustinian way of Education as based on structures, policies, strategies, and practices.

The participants had break-out sessions and discussed the programs that worked and did not work in their areas.  After the sharing, a plenary was called in to gather reactions. The whole session ended at around 12 noon with the closing remarks of Fray James Dexter Tanquis, OAR of San Pedro Academy.

There were 186 participants representing University of San Jose –Recoletos, Cebu; USJ-R, Balamban;  San Sebastian College –Recoletos, Manila; San Sebastian College –Recoletos de Cavite; San Pedro Academy – Recoletos, Caidiocan, Negros Or.; San Pedro Academy, Valencia, Neg. Or.; Colegio de San Nicolas de Tolentino – Recoletos, Talisay, Neg. Occ; Colegio de Santo Tomas – Recoletos,San Carlos City;  and University of Negros Occidental –Recoletos, Bacolod City.

REAP FORTE 2^nd Day

With more than four hundred participants for the second day, the group was to be divided into morning and afternoon sessions.  The group from USJ-R which was more than two hundred was met in the afternoon while the rest of the participants from the REAP Schools were met in the morning of July 15, 2020.  The REAP Formation and Education program opened with a moment of silence and prayer.

The theme of the day was Distance Education/ Online Leaning.  Fray William Villaflor gave the opening remarks and welcomed the participants for the day. Most of the participants were faculty members of the different REAP schools in the country.   The sharer of the day was Fray Rafael Pecson, OAR, President of San Sebastian –Recoletos de Cavite.

Fray Pecson shared the need for REAP to shift to online learning in this time of the pandemic. He gave a picture of a true Augustinian Recollect Education as student –centered and considers the context of the school. He also clearly gave the conflicting concepts about teaching online and teaching on the line, learning hours and class hours, competencies and competences, and discussion and lecture online.  He also discussed the use of Assessment, learning outcome and learning experiences.  This was also the main frame used in the break-out sessions.

He often reminded everyone that Augustinian Pedagogy is like a department store where one would pick up what he needs and leaves the things that he does not need. REAP will not impose anything but will simply look for commonalities in the new practices we do in this “new normal”.

Third Session of REAP FORTE

The third series of REAP Forte entitled “Designing  an Augustinian Online Education Integral Formation Program” was done at 9am, July 17, 2020 using ZOOM technology.  Fray William Villaflor, OAR opened the session with the situation that we have to use the new media being given to us.  The new media is the new world. We have to be “in”. 

Fray Edgar Tubio, OAR, OAR Provincial Councilor and in-charge of Pastoral Formation gave his message.  He advised the participants to see the school as a pastoral field where there is a need for evangelization. He advised the CMO’s of REAP Schools to be innovative in their programs during this pandemic.  Although, he assured the participants that this is just temporary for we know that with God’s help , we can go through and evangelize everyone.

Fray Pecson, sharer of the day, opened the session with a review of the “Big Ideas” during the previous days.  He shared on the main topic of “online formation”.  He started with the predicament that “Augustinian Recollect education is not just on the academics but an integral formation.  The talk was focused on formation programs, formation services and academic programs.  He also shared the Formation Design Process which involves Formation outcomes, Assessment, content and student tasks. After the sharing, the participants were into the break-out session and had a workshop on the topic.  The day’s activity was closed by the closing message of Fray Joseph Dexter Palagtiosa, OAR of San Sebastian College-Recoletos de Cavite.

Photo credits: San Sebastian College-Recoletos de Cavite and Atty. john Paolo Vilaflor (UNO-R School of Law)