|
|
|
|
|
Today is |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By Edward V. Cruz, D.M.D., PhD One day in 1998, as I was searching the net, I chanced upon the web site of another Philippine state university that actually pioneered in distance learning. They are offering a Master in Educational Management program by the distance learning method. It immediately caught my attention. I tried to sending an e-mail to the web site administrator but I guess it was not a good idea as I did not get any response. However, this did not discourage me and in July 1998, the first thing that I did after arriving in Manila was to visit the Open University Office of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. My credentials were assessed, I was asked to take the entrance exam and, then found myself enrolled in the program. The first few months in the program were most difficult for me. I did not know how to deal with the modules that I got from the Open University. I had nobody to ask but myself. I thought that it was going to be very easy for me because I didn't have to attend classes but there was more to it. There was even a time when I tried to rationalize (well, I wanted to give up, to be blunt about it) by saying, "What do I know about educational management? I could teach, I could compute my students' grades and perhaps, I don't really need this after all." One night when I could not fall asleep, I took one module from the shelf and started to read it. It was not as difficult as it seemed, I told myself, and I started answering the exercises. Soon, I was going through one module after the other with so much enthusiasm. Fear of term papers and other requirements became things of the past. I even finished all the academic requirements ahead of time. I took the comprehensive exam, wrote my thesis and defended it with flying colors. The program looked easy and simple from an "outsider's" point of view. However, one must realize that a course such as this would require a lot of discipline on the student's part. Priorities have to be set. Time management has to be considered. Independence is one of the key words to remember if one is to succeed. In such a short period (approximately two years), I learned so many things and actually realized my weaknesses as a young dental school instructor. And I realized that there was so much more to teaching and computing grades if one is to become a dental educator and decide on pursuing a career in dental academics. Some people say that a Master's degree in Education is of very little significance in dental education, if at all. What's more important is one's clinical training so that he could impart his knowledge to his students more effectively. This is only half of the entire picture. As dental educators, we should realize our limitations and try to bridge the gap between dental practice and dental teaching. We may have the expertise to treat patients but the technique by which we impart our knowledge among our students may be wanting. This may be one of the reasons for the poor performance of dental school graduates in the Philippine dentist licensure examinations. Dental school teachers have to be academically equipped to be able to contribute effectively in improving the quality of dental education in the Philippines. As one dental educator said, we should not be dentists trying hard to teach. Instead, dental school teachers should strive to become dentists qualified to teach.
|
|
||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ŽAll Rights Reserved Filipino Dentist.Com 2004 Comments, suggestion & Inquiries email the webmaster Disclaimer / User Agreement / Privacy Policy Last Updated |
