FIRST LINUX CAMP TO REINFORCE iSCHOOLS' SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS

FIRST LINUX CAMP TO REINFORCE iSCHOOLS' SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS

Recognizing the need to standardize the competencies of its trainers, the iSchools Project invited 36 instructors from 20 State Universities and Colleges (SUC) from all across the archipelago to the first Linux Camp to be held at the Aklan State University in Banga, Aklan from October 20-30, 2008. This assembly is composed of those who have hurdled the International Open Source Network (IOSN) Lab Assessment Exam last year.

The usage of Linux-based operating systems is an integral component of the iSchools Project, which views Linux as a reliable yet cost-effective operating system that is not restricted by expensive proprietary licenses and upgrades. These are precisely the characteristics that make Linux the perfect complement to the iSchools initiative.

This intensive ten day advanced Linux and Open Source training is in preparation for attendees who would eventually take the Linux Professional Instructor – 1 (LPI-1) certification exam. Once they qualify, participants will be certified to teach Linux to public high school teachers in their respective localities. In turn, it is intended that the teachers would transfer this knowledge to their students.

The Linux Camp was designed “to develop a pool of Linux Professionals who would help sustain the project,” shares Ms. Antonette Torres, iSchools project manager. The camp was made possible in collaboration with the UNDP, ASEAN and Dr. Alvin Marcelo, director of UP-Manila National Telehealth Center.

To ensure quality of instruction, the iSchools Project tapped 4 experts from government and academe. Mr. Eric Pareja, coordinator for technology for the National Telehealth Center, and Mr. Harvey Diaz, system administrator for the City Planning and Development Office of Surigao City, would serve as Senior Trainers for the camp. They will be ably supported by Mr. Francis Dimzon, a computer science professor from UP-Iloilo, and Mr. Reuben Campos, an IT officer from the UP School of Economics in Diliman. All are certified Linux Professional Instructors and advocates of the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) movement.

The iSchools Project is a flagship initiative of the Commission on Information and Communication Technology - Human Capital Development Group (CICT-HCDG). The project aims to integrate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education, by providing training modules and increasing ICT access in the public high school sector. To date, the iSchools Project has endowed 360 computer laboratories across the Philippines.

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If you'd like more information on the topic, or to schedule an interview with Ms. Antonette Torres, please call Mr. Kris Rimban at (02) 920-0101 loc. 299, or email him at krisrimban@gmail.com.