Campblog participant brings up ICT integration for the hearing and visually impaired

Just when we think we got it all covered, a teacher participant brought up how special education can be integrated in the Information and Communications Technology curriculum of Public High Schools in the Philippines.

Carmencita P. Lorenzo of Batac National High School in Ilocos posed this question during one of the morning sessions in Pampanga Agricultural College today. Dr. Jose Lloyd D. Espiritu from Dela Salle University, resource person for the said session, replied that right now, a prototype hardware for the visually impaired called Brail Globe is available already in the United States.

Espiritu explained that the Braille globe is similar to a mouse which has a text to signal capacity with sound registry. Developed by a Korean Group of Microsoft, this technology unfortunately has not yet been made available in the Philippines. But as to those with other impairments, he said that in Dela Salle, ICT curriculum for those with Dyslexia, Autism and with hearing difficulties are already being used.

In an interview, Espiritu opined that the question is worth thinking about especially if there is really a commitment to bridge the digital gap in the archipelago.

As of yet, the iSchools and eSwela projects does not include ICT instruction training to be used for people with learning difficulty in its agenda. Maria Melissa D. Tan, Project Manager for the eSkwela, explained that although recently this has been a topic of conversation among people in the CICT, no funding is available to include this in both projects in the very near future.

Make the web yours.-Espinosa

Alejo Espinosa uttered these words before the participants on the 5^th of the ten-day Camp Blog held here in Pampanga Agricultural College.

Matured as it is already, he pointed out that the internet and email has been around for more than 40 years already He appealed to them that it is time to exploit the benefits of Information and Communications Technology in their schools for better teaching and learning activities.

Citing Multiply, Youtube, Joomla among others as examples, he illustrated how they from the University of the Philippines Open University have been able to use it extensively in their instructions.

In his session, he allowed participants to try out doing an online quiz using a new software called Plone. Akin to Moodle as a Virtual Learning Environment and a Content Management System, he pointed out the innovative benefits of this new technology.

The Camp Blog will run from May 18-28, 2009. The affair pooled together teachers and students and are expected to create their individual blogs which will contain digital contents that can be used in their respective schools.

The activity is sponsored by the Commission and Information and Communications Technology, the lead agency in the implementation of the iSchools project.

CICT briefs students on the blogging requirement for the Camp

“Sharing something one cannot read in books.” This is what Jose Feliciano Josef, Project Officer of the eSkwela, said during a briefing for students before they were to create their own blogs.

Along with Avelino Mejia, also from the eSkwela, both  emphasized that the campblog is intended to capture learning content in English, (Technology abd Livelihood Education (TLE), Science and Math which have been missed-out in normal classroom environment. Mejia continued that it is important to contextualize their blogs in a way that lessons learned and their experiences posted thereat will be something that other students can find interesting and easy to relate to.

Josef cited that one can dwell on, say, Global Warming. But it has to be localized in way that it will highlight how these students actuality experience this phenomenon in their immediate environ. They warned however that their topics should be credible, simple and those that needs to be further examined or discussed in class or outside. They also encouraged students to be creative in putting up their blogs. Like any other blogs, students can be inventive in the design of their blogs so that it does not come out attractive only in substance but also in form. That said, pictures, graphics and a good combination of colors may do the trick.

Christian Placido Calma, from the iSchools project, in an interview said that as opposed to teacher participants who are expected to come up with learning modules for their individual blogs, students will be allowed to become a little loose and informal in their blogs. The purpose he said is to let the students bring out their opinions or perceptions about their learning experiences without losing hold of what this Campblog is all about. That is merging all ideas together in the mainstream, the net, and let the public get a share of it-know about it and learn from it.

This affair is attended by teachers and students from beneficiary Public High Schools across the country and sponsored by the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), The lead agency for the implementation of the iSchools project.

Campblog participants think of topic for their blogs

How can something seemed complicated turn out simple? CICT people has the answer.

Students from beneficiary Public High Schools (PHS) who attended the Campblog were instructed to think of a topic and pare them down to the most specific and workable for them.

Toni Torres, iSchools Project Manager, Avelino Mejia Jr. and Jose Feliciano Josef, eSkwela Project Officers, helped out in the distillation of the blog topics. Ranging from Global Warming, Genetics, Mythology to Collloids, the panel of three were able to identify topics that best suit the students and their respective schools and community.

The student created a web mapping of their chosen broad topic and create series of links and connections leading to more detailed topics where students will work around as output for the rest of the camp days.

Not to veer away from the academic and educational orientation of their intended blog contents, the panel reminded the students that it is essential that their blogs have to fit the criteria set by the CICT. That is, it has to be informative, inviting and attractive and based on facts. Torres reminded the students that blogs are powerful platform that empowers people to engage in the exchange of ideas over the world wide web.

Under the heading of Environmental Protection, the recent Oil Spills in Guimaras province got the attention of the panelists as well as the rest audience present. One of the project writer present commented that apart from the informative nature of blogs, these can be a powerful tools to lobby for change. Poised as an advocacy, blogs that has social relevance has so far captured a wider audience compared to others which dwell on a personal level rather than reaching out to far reaching and wider concerns .

For the next six days starting May 21, 2009, the students will be busy loading up contents to their blogs. As a culminating activity, all outputs will be exhibited at Saver’s Mall in Angeles for public viewing on the 28^th of May.

And the Campblog morning rushes in

All agog and excited, participants from the Campblog here in Mimosa Leisure Estate Clarkfield Pampanga braced for the second of this 10-day affair.

After a 30 minute ride from here to Pampanga Agricultural College (PAC), participants broke out in to two groups. The groups of teachers in a separate session room listened to three invited Resource Speakers. Prof. Katherine K. Estevez from the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) discussed the Use of Learning Objects in Integrating ICT in Education. Dr. Jose Lloyd D. Espiritu from the Dela Salle University once again presented a topic this time on Designing Instruction Online and finally Ms.Jill De Dumo, from UP Diliman, came in and discussed Learning Object Demonstration.

On a separate session area, students got their hands on for online research.

After the day all wrapped up, the participants were all ferried back in Mimosa where they were all billeted for the entire training days.

In a related note, the camp organizers chose to conduct all hands-on digital inputing  by teachers and students in PAC instead, in compliant with the one to one computer participant ratio set by the Commission on Information and Communications Technology which Mimosa has far long ago expressed could not provide.

This activity has been hosted by PAC and another round of this activity is already in their drawing board to be conducted soon.

Secretary Chua reaffirms CICT commitment in bridging digital divide

This he expressed in his keynote address delivered by Commissioner Angelo Timoteo Diaz de Rivera in his behalf before the participants of the iSchools Campblog.

In keeping with President Arroyo’s national ICT agenda, Chua boasts of the 360 Public High Schools nationwide who have been provided computer laboratories. Equipped with workstations, multimedia projector and relevant trainings for their laboratory managers, these laboratories are in full circle save for a few PHS whose internet connectivity are still being worked out.

He congratulated the Human Capital Development Group (HCDG) for a job well done in bringing together in one venue the participants from different PHS across the country in one event which is the Campblog. He said that through this activity, the youth and the students in the process are given the change to participate in the educational process and contribute to the betterment of the society. In a nutshell, he puts in that this is what the iSchools project is all about, crossing boundaries, democratized participation in the learning system and breaking the digital divide in computer technology.

an interview with Diaz, he said that since the onset of the project, President Arroyo made it clear that this is her priority project and that since then, she was in constant communication with the CICT to know how far has the project been hitting its mark.

The project has covered already implementation years 2006 and 2007. CICT has yet to complete 2008, 2009 and 2010 implementation.

Perez: We will empower you to think out of the box

Rather figurative, Commissioner Consuelo S. Perez of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) hurled these words before the participants of the 1^st ever Campblog here in Clarkfield, Pampanga.

Atty. Perez emphasized during this welcome address the importance of breaking away from the traditional confines of the classroom. One, she said, that ICT can provide.

She adds, “We will expose you to and teach you how to swim in the vast pool of free educational tools and resources over the internet.” She continued that CICT will be there to assist all the beneficiary public high schools to discover, explore and experiment how the iSchools project can very well change teaching and learning experience that is more responsive and effective.

The welcome address was also witnessed by CICT commissioner Tim Diaz de Rivera, Pampanga Agricultural College President Dr. Honorio M. Soriano Jr. along with his Vice Presidents and Ms. Toni Torres, Project Manager of the iSchools project.

1st iSchools Camblog officially begins

So what do Einstein, Darwin, Berners Lee and Shakespeare got to do with the Ischools Campblog? Absolutely nothing.

But the organizers decided to use them anyway, if only to kick-off this ten day activity that will run from the 18^th to the 28^th of May 2009 at the Mimosa Leisure Estate here in Clarkfield, Pampanga.

Participants coming from the beneficiary Public High Schools (PHS), that stormed the venue, were to identify which from the four luminaries they could relate the closest or have the slightest similarity.

Turned out, the activity was to form four groups. As their first activity, participants were then assigned to think of anything that represent themselves. Using paints of varied colors, the participants drew on their complimentary bags. Their outputs were then displayed at the plenary hall for public viewing and, was lauded by no less than the commissioners of CICT herself, Atty. Consuelo S. Perez.

This affair is designed to tie-all the loose ends after the long stretch of trainings that the PHS went through. As an output, all participant teachers and students are to apply all lessons learned and come up, at the end of the training days, digital content that they will use as part of their curricular instruction.

This first ever campblog is hosted by Pampanga Agricultural College and is projected to become an annual activity by the Commission on Information and Communications Technology, the lead agency for the iSchools project.

What’s in a name?

If most of us are adamant to this question, well, Stephen isn’t. And he’s got an email to prove it.

Overqualified! This is what Stephen got, through email, from the organizers of the ten day Camp Blog about his disqualification to attend the affair. It informed him that it was because he fared far above the criteria set for the project. Normally, one can only either be qualified or otherwise, but overqualified? This is what Stephen couldn’t quite understand. Shaking his head with a dent of smile anyone would conjure as a sign of disbelief, he narrated how he felt the first time he read the letter. He said, “I was so frustrated, I was so emotional and felt so helpless.” Suddenly I didn’t know how to feel because apparently he was so distraught I was beginning to regret having brought up this topic. Anyway, I thought it’s too late to stop right there and so I decided to continue with what I was intent to do for that day.

“So what did you do afterwards?,” I asked. “I wrote a letter”, he said.

To whom?

To CICT.

What did you say?

That it was unfair to disqualify somebody who did their very best to make it on the On-line English Proficiency Test that they were administering prior to selecting those who will be included in the Camp Blog.

Citing the score that he got from the test, with hands clasp and intermittently looking up the heaven as if he was trying to appeal to God and said, “I really wanted to be included in the list.” I asked why and he said it’s because since he will be in his last year of high school, he felt that that might be the last time he will be attending this kind of training.”

Is that all?, I asked.

He looked back at me and told me that the  he told his classmates already that he is attending.

I realized then that this kid is apparently smart but is not used to handling frustrations. I don’t know if the sound of carpenters pounding hard with their hammers at the background is capable of piping down sudden swings of emotion, I tried to find resolution to our obviously gloomy discussion. I asked him if CICT responded to his concerns and he said yes. He explained that he was overqualified because the organizers have set certain score limits. Incidentally he got a score far exceeding the range which convinced the organizers, given the extent of competence he exhibited though the test, that he may not benefit anymore from the training.

Emphasizing that though he even scored higher than his teacher who took the test, he just accepted the explanation of the Camp Blog organizers. At this point I was a bit ambivalent whether he was being humble, a little bit proud or downright honest, I didn’t care anymore.

So before I decided to wrap up my interview, I saw him gasped air helluvahlot as if preparing to do or say something. I was right. In seconds past, he said, “But I really wanted to be in the list.” The first time I heard him say it, I thought he just blurted it out like any impulsive teenager who seemed to have bought a lifetime supply of immunity to say whatever he wants say, so God help him. He added, “I hope they will reconsider.”

Days later, CICT called up his teacher to inform them that six slots are still available and that it was decided that Stephen might as well attend anyway. Learning about this development, Stephen asked permission from his Dad. Suddenly, his sulky mood was back again. I asked what his Dad said. Recollecting their conversation, Stephen said that his Dad was strongly hesitant. He said that his Dad commented that it’s hard enough that his son got frustrated the first time, and he would only be a “panakip butas” this time. I asked him how he felt about that conversation and replied to me that he had to accede. Then for the third time, he said again, “But I wanted to be in the list.”

After that I was convinced that this boy can make up his mind on anything, and make it iron clad solid. Eventually he convinced his father to come along.

Stephen got an attitude that may strike others as an utter arrogance, upfront even. In a society where being vocal about their feelings may seem a little too much or disrespectful to others, Stephen was just trying to be honest. He knows what he wants and is unrelenting to find how to get it.

Stephen has been on top of his class almost his entire school life. He heads a chosen number of students whose interest in Information and Communications Technology practically sets them apart to other students.

So what’s in name anyway? Probably a lot. Stephen’s family name is Paraan, a derivative of the tagalog term “maparaan” which means “resourcefulness”. A coincidence? Maybe. But we have to agree nonetheless-he is living up to his name, at least, by every chance he gets.

iSchools Project Writers

For now, we will be anything else but Professors from Universities. We will be journalists, photographers, interviewers, critiques, story tellers, and historians. If we sound so thrilled by it, well, that’s because we are.

Good that we met specific requirements for writers of the iSchools project, we were sent to trainings. Instantly, we became gadget aficionados and avid fans of new online software for writers.

Unexcited anymore by the proverbial print media, we were exposed to real time journalism. We became bloggers, flckers, Multiplyers, Ploners, this and that. After that, we were never the same again.

In this Camp Blog, we always have our cameras ready to capture “hallmark moments.” We hover around eavesdropping for nuggets of wisdom from speakers and participants. We always keep our digital recorders in tow.

If we are not bugging somebody for a brief interview, you can find us at the nearest corner trying to conjure what to make sense from our notes and a barrage of audio recordings. This is while earphones plugged-in working on our transcriptions and with our eyes surveying the entire venue not allowing anything interesting to escape our stern vigilance.

Once the articles all ready to be sent to Jo Torres and Fort Nicholas, we will have to brace ourselves for later in the day for another round of “katayan”. That with their usual journalistic feistiness.

I cannot say we will be able to imbibe the entire discipline of journalism that they so patiently tells us, well, probably because we are not really journalists. I have to admit though that so far it was nothing less interesting. We are learning the whole nine yards if you know what I mean.

So far we have our deadlines. We are beating them. We have specific assignments and we are accomplishing them. We get random lectures and we are enjoying them.

This is us, the project writers. This is what we do. And it’s an all new feeling. I guess we got more than we bargained for. And we’re glad as hell just the same.