SAN JUAN, Manila — Montessori De Sagrada Familia (MDSF) Vice Principals Jomar Dela Cruz and Dan Angelo Bagadiong took center stage at the Frontiers and Innovations in Teaching Conference (FITCon) 2025, calling on educators nationwide to shift to purposeful, real-world project-based learning (PBL) that transforms classrooms.
In their breakout session titled “From Traditional to Transformational: A Provincial School’s PBL Success Story,” held at Xavier School in San Juan, Manila, the two academic leaders from Baliwag, Bulacan, laid out how MDSF broke away from rote learning and embraced real-world, student-driven experiences. Their message echoed FITCon’s theme: “Deeper Learning, Greater Impact: Why Authentic and Real-World Learning in the AI Era.”
“We strive to preserve what’s essential from traditional teaching while boldly moving toward progressive, transformative practices,” Dela Cruz, Vice Principal for Academic Affairs, said.
He retraced the school’s story from traditional methods to inquiry-fueled, problem-solving tasks, first seeded before the pandemic and fully blossomed during it.
The session spotlighted several grade-level projects that bridged classroom concepts with real-life impact: Grade 1 students honored school workers, Grade 4 learners explored sustainable farming practices, and Grade 6 tackled environmental innovation and social equity through solution-driven programs.
Bagadiong, Vice Principal for Curriculum and Innovation, also pushed educators to dismantle content-heavy structures and instead weave the real world into learning.
Their call to action stirred a crowd of over 500 educators facing similar obstacles in modernizing their curricula. The session followed riveting keynotes from thought leaders like David Lee of Singapore American School, who urged educators to embrace their role as linchpins—creative forces who drive innovation and amplify student agency, and Rita Atienza of Ateneo Teacher Center, who urged teachers to reclaim learning as a human, values-driven pursuit. Atienza’s plenary on PBL reinforced the role of educators as facilitators of curiosity, not just conveyors of content.
By the end of the day, one truth rang loud: education must evolve, and MDSF is forging ahead.