Knowledge Channel Concludes "WATCH.LEARN.TEACH." Series with Math Focus Session, in Partnership with City Savings Bank
By Angel P. Cruzada
PASIG CITY, Philippines – Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. (KCFI) successfully concluded its "WATCH.LEARN.TEACH. With Knowledge Channel: An Online Training Series for Teachers on Break" with a final session dedicated to mathematics. The series, held in partnership with City Savings Bank, was live-streamed and viewed by 240,000 participants on Knowledge Channel’s Facebook page on May 30, 2025.
The session featured Dr. Gladys Nivera, Professor of Education and Mathematics and Dean of the College of Teacher Development at Philippine Normal University, who led the second and final session. She began by highlighting the critical role of estimation in real-life applications, emphasizing its contribution to building number sense and fostering flexible thinking in learners.
Dr. Nivera challenged teachers to effectively teach numerosity, measurement, and computational estimation by providing practical strategies. She demonstrated how techniques like "double," "double-add-1," and "double-add-2" can significantly enhance learners' numeracy skills. To make estimation relatable, she suggested integrating it into daily routines, such as guessing the number of candies in a jar, estimating distances, or determining the weight of everyday objects. This approach helps students fully grasp the importance of quantification and estimation.
Teachers are tuning in on Day 2 of the WATCH.LEARN.TEACH with Knowledge Channel: A Training Series for Teachers on the break.
The training's second segment focused on various counting strategies. Dr. Nivera presented four key approaches: manipulative counting (using physical objects), backward counting, counting on, and skip counting (e.g., 2, 4, 6, 8, 10). She strongly advocated for the use of physical objects and visual aids like dice, dominoes, candies, and popsicle sticks over solely writing equations on a board. This hands-on method is crucial for building a strong foundation in numeracy, especially for young learners.
The third and final part of the training addressed the teaching of problem-solving skills. Dr. Nivera posed a fundamental question: "If a learner cannot read or comprehend a problem, how can they solve it?" She then introduced scaffolding strategies, explaining that scaffolding provides temporary support to help learners tackle grade-level work. This support is gradually reduced as students gain independence. Effective scaffolding techniques include simplifying problems, using visual aids, asking guiding questions, and encouraging peer collaboration.
Dr. Nivera also reviewed the classic problem-solving steps: understanding, planning, performing, and checking.
The session highlighted Knowledge Channel's "MathDali" videos as valuable tools for creating engaging math lessons.
This online training series aimed to boost teachers' basic math instruction during their break, providing effective, research-based techniques and practical tools through Knowledge Channel videos and discussions. Participants who completed the pre- and post-tests earned two Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points. For updates, follow Knowledge Channel's Facebook page.