Passion Finding Expression

School launches IT-for-Education Event in Quezon

Fresh from attending the iSchools Project’s Camp Blog last November 2009, teacher Reynald Cacho was determined to produce a similar ICT-for-education activity in his hometown of Lopez, Quezon Province. His is a mission driven by the desire “to share iSchools experiences and inputs and to set a school-level ICT-in-education training,” reveals Cacho.

Thus, after months of preparing the field, Cacho, together with his fellow Camp Blog alumni, launched their iteration of Camp Blog – eBlogit, which stands for “Evolve to Better Learning Order Guided with Information Technology”. The intensive 10-day course was held at the Lopez National Comprehensive High School (LNCHS) from April 12 to 23.

A Germ of an Idea Bears Fruit
Taking root from Camp Blog, eBlogit focuses on making the potential of ICT for teaching and learning bear more fruit. The modules include:

• Basic IT literacy including hands-on PC maintenance and troubleshooting
• Gmail and advanced Google applications
• Online research and writing
• Blogging using the Ning networking platform

Initially, the seed of an idea was grounded on as a small activity confined within their school community.Eventually, a total of 34 students and teachers from LNCHS participated in the event. Student participants were mostly in their 2nd and 3rd years while the teacher participants taught classes in English, Math, Chemistry, Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE), Filipino, and Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health (MAPEH).

The buzz surrounding eBlogit's efflorescence was so great that even the DepEd Division of Quezon took notice. Dr. Noy Ogayon, Assistant Schools Division Superintendent, was similarly excited about the activity’s potential. So much so, that he invited participants from neighboring schools to attend the event. Eventually, Ogayon intends to replicate the activity Division-wide.
At the heart of Cacho’s drive to make eBlogit happen was his “passion for teaching and learning mediated by technology.” Thankfully, his passion sowed seeds that made eBlogit germinate, burgeon, and yield gains reaped by its participants.

iSchools Support
Eager to see for themselves how the activity progressed, the iSchools Project Management Office (PMO) sent its Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) team to the school to map the groundwork. Seeing it first-hand, M&E Officer L.A. Abalos shares how she liked the participants’ “eagerness and perseverance to learn new things.” In fact, she was amazed with everyone’s attitude, gushing, “as in bibo talaga lahat!”

“This is exactly the progression we are hoping recipient schools take,” quips iSchools Project Manager Toni Torres, “people are duplicating what they learned in Camp Blog.”

Torres is quick to express support for eBlogit, adding that the iSchools PMO “is always more than willing to assist in the design preparation and even in teaching some of the modules.” Looking forward, Torres is hopeful about the future endeavors the iSchools Project will be undertaking.

“Maybe our succeeding Camp Blog runs can inspire a new batch of teachers and students to heed the challenge of bridging the digital divide.”