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Archive for the ‘Learning’ Category

Two Things I’d Like to See for Philippine Education

Posted by jun On February - 5 - 2010

(Or for the Whole World for that matter)

1. That every Filipino who wishes to learn could attend one

2. That the curriculum include learning Life Skills as an integral part of education

That every Filipino who wishes to learn could attend one

The problem of lack of resources such as access, schools, teachers, books and budget has been the issue ever since – no budget. Even if our economy improves 10% per year, the problem would still be there.

One solution I can see is e-schooling: Create an e-Learning school that can be accessed fromany terminal via the internet or by plugging a USB drive. The technology is already there. We just have to create the content (to be discussed on another post).

Yes, there will be issues such as access, resources and manpower – not to mention the possible disruptive nature it will bring to paid schooling, the book publishing industry and education in general. These have to be addressed too, and they can be. But from a bigger persepctive, the concept is very viable – the global education trend is going this route.

For matters of discussion, let’s say this system is meant for those who want to learn but can’t because the brick and mortar schools can’t accomodate them, because of money or time constraints. Think of the children and adults who dropped out. Think of the places with no schools. Think of those people who need to earn a living by day and no night school is available for them. Think of those who cannot cope with the current pace of regular schooling. You get the picture.

Let’s say the e-school is built. And these folks “attend” school online or offline via USB. All they need to have is access to a computer. What if they can be “loaned” a netbook or even given access to a barangay computer in the community centers?

We would have a more “schooled” population.

That the curriculum include Life skills

While schools are character builders and motivators, I propose that Life skills, Character Building and Positive Mindset be an integral part of education, formal and informal. (I also propose that these be the first lessons for the e-school.)

Good conduct and good citizenship are incorporated in many lessons and discussions in schools today. They may not be enough. I think that we should put more emphasis on values and virtues in the curriculum compared to what we have now. If the children can imbibe goal setting, positive thinking, going the extra mile, perseverance, integrity, self-esteem and other virtues at an early age, perhaps we would have an more enlightened population. If each child are taught to be lifelong learners, positive thinkers and extra milers – we would probably have a Golden Age in the Philippines.

There. Two things.

It is my opinion that these will be key to turning this nation and the whole world around.

Learning, Life Skills, e-Learning

Fare Thee Well, Jim Rohn

Posted by jun On December - 6 - 2009

Thank you for your wisdom, influence and positive example.

Rest in peace.

A Tribute to Jim Rohn

Learning

EFREN PENAFLORIDA WINS CNN HERO OF THE YEAR AWARD

Posted by jun On November - 22 - 2009

If Efren Penaflorida was running for president now, he will get my vote. Even if he didn’t win the award, he would still get my vote.

Efren Penaflorida, CNN Hero of the Year 2009

But win it, he did! Read the CNN post here.

Congratulations to efren and his team and to the many kids whom he helped.

The mere fact that he tried to do something awesome makes him a champion and a true hero, in every sense of the word.

For me, a hero is someone who thinks of others beside himself and does something, or merely wishing or dreaming. Whether he succeeds in his endeavor or not, the mere attempt is very laudable.

What is more laudable is how he sees heroism.

Their program, K4 which stands for Kariton Klasrum, Klinik & Kantin (pushcart school, clinic and canteen), takes it where it would really be felt most: To where the kids are. Without fanfare, without the glitz, cameras and photo-ops we usually associate with one-time-then-forget-it missions. It’s plain old drive and compassion that propels each cart, each volunteer.

You are a hero, Efren. May more of us emulate your example.

A quote from the hero in their group’s website, Dynamic Teen Company:

“When people regard me as a hero, I always tell them that they should look inside them too because I believe that there’s a hero inside every one of us and all we have to is just to open our eyes wide and feel what’s going on, then let our hearts be willing to accommodate the needy, the desperate and the hopeless simply by extending our hand to them, and there you will unfold the hero that is in you.” - Efren G. Peñaflorida, Jr.

You make us proud Efren. Continue to push your carts and make the change. Thank you for being a hero and believing that there is one in each of us.

photo from CNN

Events, Featured, Heroes, Learning

Google Stimulus for Philippine SMES

Posted by jun On November - 5 - 2009

Press Release

Innovative Business Stimulus Package Provides Philippine MSMEs New Lifeline in Economic Downturn

Assistance scheme by the Commission on Information and Communications Technology, Go Negosyo, Google and STI Colleges enables 800,000 local MSMEs to cost-effectively find new customers in the Philippines and reach out to international markets

November 3, 2009, Manila, Philippines – The current economic downturn has turned up the pressure on Philippine companies, particularly the 800,000 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), to find new customers for their products and services. At the same time, 25 million Filipinos and over a billion people worldwide use the Internet and search engines to find information on products and services such as prices, reviews and even where to buy locally. To connect Philippine MSMEs to these millions of Internet users at home and abroad, the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), Go Negosyo, Google, and STI Colleges are partnering to offer a Business Stimulus Package that enables local businesses to harness the cost-effectiveness and reach of the Internet to access a wider market and increase sales. Any MSME can take advantage of the package by signing up at www.google.com.ph/stimulus between now and December 15, 2009.

MSMEs in the Philippines are crucial to the country’s economy. They make up 99.7% of the country’s businesses and create 70% of the country’s jobs annually. In order for them to bounce back from a crisis that has left them with decreased sales and smaller budgets, they need to grow their businesses without breaking the bank. Google’s online advertising platform enables a business, no matter how small, to reach out to tens of millions of Internet users in the Philippines and 73% of all Internet users globally. At the same time, MSMEs only pay when a potential sales lead clicks on their online ad.

The Business Stimulus Package aims to help local MSMEs:

Be available 24/7 to any potential customer by establishing an online presence on the Internet
Grow the business cost-effectively through a user-friendly website and an online marketing campaign
Connect with 25 million Internet users in the Philippines and over one billion globally

Any Philippine company that has a product to sell and a valid business permit can apply for the package. Participants will enjoy:

A company website developed by STI College to promote their products and services. The first 200 MSMEs who register for the package and do not yet have a website will get it for free; subsequent participants need only pay a one-time fee of PHP3,000 to STI College for the website development work.
PHP2,000 worth of free credits from Google to start an online marketing campaign with Google AdWords, Google’s online advertising platform.
A free tutorial from STI College on starting a website, marketing products and services online, and using Google’s technologies to promote their business.

CICT Commissioner Mon Ibrahim affirmed his support for the Business Stimulus Package, asserting, “In line with our mission to develop an ICT-enabled business community, we support this initiative as way to get more Philippine MSMEs online and use online advertising and websites to engage both a local and global audience. We are very excited to be part of a program that uses technology as the foundation of economic progress, and we look forward to promoting this package in our roadshows around the country.”

“The Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship, through its banner program Go Negosyo, supports this business stimulus package as a way of aiding hundreds of thousands of MSMEs in the Philippines,” said Joey Concepcion, founding trustee of Go Negosyo and Presidential Consultant on Entrepreneurship. Go Negosyo is actively promoting the package to its members and in its nationwide entrepreneurship events. “Through this partnership with Google, local entrepreneurs will have a new targeted channel to promote and grow their businesses without having to invest millions of pesos in marketing infrastructure typically only afforded by large companies. We are proud to be part of a program that will enable Pinoy businesses to sell their Philippine-made goods and services to the whole country and beyond, no matter where they are physically located.”

“Misconceptions about the high cost of technology and lack of technical knowledge have prevented local MSMEs from adopting technologies that can help them promote their business to more customers,” said STI President and CEO Monico Jacob. “The Business Stimulus Package addresses these concerns, as we will be building websites for MSMEs and teaching them how to maintain it in addition to training them on conducting an effective online advertising campaign. The hope is that these skills will enable MSMEs to become self-sufficient in sustaining their market presence online.”

Derek Callow, Head of Marketing, Google Southeast Asia said, “MSMEs understand that the Internet provides a great opportunity for them to expand locally and into new markets across the world, but they don’t know how to get started or are unsure of the benefits of online advertising. With the Business Stimulus Package, we make it easy for local MSMEs to create a website and use it as an effective sales channel with a free trial of Google AdWords, an affordable, measurable online advertising platform.”

In addition to these partners, the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA) and the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) have also pledged to support the package by promoting it to their members and attendees of their many events and trade shows. (Please refer to the accompanying quote sheet for more information on these two organizations.)

Comments from Google AdWords’ customers on the benefits to Philippine MSMEs

V.Y. Domingo Jewellers Inc.
V.Y. Domingo designs and makes custom-designed jewelry in the Philippines for a global customer base and sells them through its website, http://www.vydomingo.com. The company has benefited greatly since it began using Google AdWords three years ago. “We found that online advertising expanded our customer base to individuals, schools, and businesses all over the world interested in buying from us, or becoming our distributors,” said Janette Resurreccion, export manager and IT head of V.Y. Domingo. “Google AdWords now generates 70% of our sales. In addition, 99% of our visits are from other countries, which we could not have reached had it not been for Google AdWords. It’s a great investment we intend to continue, and we are busy with orders from around the world because of the sales leads generated by Google AdWords.”

About the Commission on Information Communications Technology (CICT)
The CICT is the primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, regulating, and administrative entity of the executive branch of the government that promotes, develops, and regulates integrated and strategic ICT systems and reliable and cost-efficient communication facilities and services. Its mandate is to develop the country into a world-class ICT services provider, provide government services to stakeholders online, provide affordable Internet access to all segments of the population, develop an ICT enabled workforce, and create an enabling legal and regulatory environment.

Go Negosyo (Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship [PCE])
The Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE) is a non-stock and non-profit organization that aims to make the Philippines a thriving entrepreneurial nation through entrepreneurship education, and to instill a mindset of optimism and a culture of entre- and intra-preneurship among Filipinos. Go Negosyo is PCE’s support ecosystem, comprising entrepreneur mentors from different business sectors, government agencies, and academic institutions whose thrust is to provide information, tools, and resources to aspiring and existing entrepreneurs. The PCE, through Go Negosyo, has four core programs: communications and advocacy, capacity-building/business assistance through seminars and forums, mentoring, research and idea generation for database and policy development, and program partnerships with educational institutions and other agencies in the field of entrepreneurship and economic development.

About STI Colleges
STI Colleges started with two IT schools in 1983, and has since expanded to providing ICT-enhanced education in more than 100 campuses in the Philippines and all over the world. Aside from ICT, it also offers courses in Engineering, Healthcare, Business and Management, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Education, and Nursing. Its mission is to be the leader in ICT-enabled human resource development through innovative learning and career planning methodologies, paving the way for a technologically empowered society whose development and growth is driven by a knowledge-based workforce.

About Google Inc.
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit http://www.google.com.ph/.

Google and Google AdWords are registered trademarks of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

Learning

Project 10 to the 100

Posted by jun On September - 25 - 2009

My vote goes to: MAKE EDUCATIONAL CONTENT ONLINE AVAILABLE FOR FREE.

Whether it wins or not, I know that this is already happening, but on a limited and clustered scale. My dream is that a concerted effort that produces quality content that is offered by a self-sustaining, free state/country certified school recognized in all countries. The content themselves have to be dynamic, easily update-able and open for improvement, remixing (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 licensed) and can be localized when needed. It should run on most platforms and be packaged with its own open-source learning management system like Moodle.

: Make educational content available online for free

Then it should be download-able and can be used without an internet connection, fitting in a standard USB drive.

Wouldn’t that be a truly revolution in education?

Project 10 to the 100 is a Google.com initiative that crowdsources ideas that would be implemented with Google funding.

Join me and vote for: MAKE EDUCATIONAL CONTENT ONLINE AVAILABLE FOR FREE.

Events, Featured, Learning

Learn at Every Turn

Posted by jun On August - 3 - 2009

How hungry are you for new knowledge? How eager are you to acquire new skills? How open-minded are you about new ideas? How discerning are you about what you read, see or hear?

intentionally The best way to improve one’s self is to learn at every turn. Each experience is a learning experience.

Intentionally seek for answers to your questions. Write down things that you want to know. Make a list of ideas and topics that you are curious about. They may be about your job, about your culture and faith, about your hobbies and passions.

At every opportunity, with purpose, journey to find what you do not know.

Featured, Learning, Life Skills