Understanding eGovernment and eGovernance

It's been a while since I last posted in this blog as I had been quite busy last year.

Anyway, I just wanted to share one of the projects that I did last year, which concluded early this year. My organization developed e-learning content about eGovernment and eGovernance. One of my organization's advocacies is the use of ICT to improve public service, promote greater transparency and accountability in government and citizen empowerment. The content has 4 modules and were uploaded on YouTube. We hope that this material can help people learn and understand an overview of eGovernment and eGovernance. We also hope that policy makers, non-profit organizations, educators and scholars can make use of these modules.

On eGovernment


eGovt 2.0


On eGovernance 


mGovt and mGovernance

Sesame Street and Rico Blanco partner on new education campaign | Manila Bulletin Newspaper Blog Online

One of my idols in the music industry and fellow Ateneo alumnus Rico Blanco will be involved in an educational campaign of one of our favorite children's educational shows Sesame Street. Read about it below:

Sesame Street and Rico Blanco partner on new education campaign | Manila Bulletin Newspaper Blog Online

To know more about the campaign, visit www.sesameworkshop.org.

14 Laguna public high schools receive laptops - Technology - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News

Toshiba, a GILAS partner, donated laptops to public high schools.

14 Laguna public high schools receive laptops - Technology - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News

Digital Literacy Campaign for Women and Girls

Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) have numerous potentials in making a positive impact and difference in the lives of girls and women. However, according to telecentre.org, there are many women who do not know the basics of digital literacy such as operating a computer, sending email, connecting with their loved ones. How can girls and women realize the potentials of ICTs when they lack the knowledge and skills on how to use them? Thus, the campaign by Telecentre Women was launched. The launch was done in time for the celebration of International Women's Day. Here is a video they used for the launch of the campaign.


In the Philippines, the campaign has been launched via this Facebook group. Click here to join!

More on tablet PCs

My friends and I talked about the tablet PC last night. Apparently, these tablets have already found their way in some schools in the Philippines. The DepED and DOST have also been piloting projects that makes use of tablet PCs in schools. It would be interesting to find out how the schools implement the use of tablet PCs.

Moreover, I just stumbled upon an online resource where the author, Dr. Tim Rudd of Livelab have compiled several resources on iPads for education. The online resource can be found here.

Tablets for Schools

Tablets have now become an in-thing for technology consumers with the launch of popular tablet brands such as Apple's iPad, Samsung's Galaxy Tab, and many other tech brands are coming up with their own tablets. My husband and I have also tried out these tablets when we purchased our Apad/iRobot, an Android tablet that looks like an iPad, and a Cherry Mobile Superion, which has almost the same features as the first version of the Galaxy Tab but for a lower price. Like most, if not all technologies, these tablet or tablet-like devices are making their way in the schools.

I remember learning about Senator Dick Gordon said during the campaign for Presidential Elections that he wants to distribute Kindle to all students in lieu of textbooks (see http://richardgordon.blogspot.com/2010/01/e-books-for-pinoy-studes.html). Kindle is considered more an e-book reader than a tablet device. But I also learned that St. Paul College in Pasig will be using Android tablet devices in lieu of textbooks (see http://www.yugatech.com/blog/toys-gadgets/the-st-paul-android-tablet-for-student-project/). And I read that a company called Brainchild has recently launched an Android tablet e-book reader designed for education called Kineo (see http://schoolcio.com/ShowArticle/36382), but I believe this is only available in the US.

Using such devices look promising. However, there are certain issues that need to be addressed in order for such devices to work well in schools, some of which were mentioned in the St. Paul Pasig Android tablet article in yugatech.com. Do these devices have enough content, i.e. have textbook publishers agreed to digitize the textbooks? It's very likely that these devices will be customized for use in the schools. Are the teachers ready to use these devices for instruction? I hope the teachers will get training on how these devices will be used and maximized for teaching and learning. How will these devices be secured to make sure that they will not get stolen or lost? These devices are valuable, and I believe schools need to institute policies to secure these devices. How about support? I believe schools that will adapt the use of tablet devices should carefully plan on how it will be implemented.

ICT Sustainability and Leadership Training for School Administrators

From October 2010 to January 2011, we piloted a training on ICT Sustainability and Leadership Training for School Administrators of the public high schools. This training was sponsored by GILAS. This training was attended by 209 school administrators and second liners, from 124 public high schools in 13 DepED divisions, namely Laguna, Batangas, Tabaco City, Albay, Cebu Province, IGaCoS, Panabo City, Camiguin, Bukidnon, Malaybalay City, Surigao del Norte, Siargao and Benguet.

In this pilot training we covered topics such as ICT in 21st Century Education, 21st Century Educational Leadership, ICT Educational Applications, Computer Laboratory set-up and Common Technical Concerns and Technology Planning. After the training, each school had to develop Technology plans on implementing ICT to support instruction, training and school management.

Here are some of the photos from the trainings:

Better learning with ICT

Teachers.tv presents that can help teachers enhance their knowledge on using ICT in the classroom.

The direct link to the videos are in http://www.teachers.tv/series/better-learning-with-ict.

Online Workshops

For teachers who would like to engage in professional development in the use of ICTs for teaching, I recommend that you check out the Concept to Classroom Website. The site features a series of FREE, self-paced workshops covering a wide variety of hot topics in education. Some of the workshops are based in theory, some are based in methodology - but all of the workshops include plenty of tips and strategies for making classrooms work.

Using New Media to Promote Advocacies

I just learned that Ms. Mary Joyce came to Manila to share her experience with the Obama Campaign. Had I known, I have probably attended! Anyway, even if I wasn't there, she posted her presentation online. She is really using New Media!
Winning with New Media: The Obama Campaign Experience

View more presentations from MaryCJoyce.

Resources for the promotion of literacy

Google, LitCam and the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning have collaborated to form The Literacy Project, a website containing various resources on reading and education.

In this website one can search for books, scholarly articles, videos, and innovative projects that promote literacy through the help of Google's information search features. One can also link up with educators, organizations, clubs and groups that engage in reading as well as child and adult literacy.

For more information you may visit the website of The Literacy Project at http://www.google.com/literacy/.

How ICT brings people together despite the differences

It is very well known that Israel and Palestine have a long standing conflict. But citizens of both countries have tried to cooperate and work together on certain things.

In one instance I had a chance to witness how Israeli and Palestinian teens work together at the Intel Computer Clubhouse Teen Summit. The Computer Clubhouse Program is present in both countries, among more than 100 communities, are doing well in building creative and technological skills of underserved youth. Read the story of Raz and Mohammad.

Another company called Global Hosted Operating System or G.ho.st, also feature Israeli and Palestinian software engineers working together on a free web-based virtual computer. You can read their story here.

It's amazing how information and communications technologies become instrumental in bringing people to work together despite major differences. :)

Let's Get FOSS into a Higher Level of Philippine Education

by Gener Luis Morada

The Pilipinas Anti-Piracy Team or PAPT which is mainly composed of the elements of the Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation and the Optical Media Board, have recently announced they would be intensifying their campaign against the use of pirated software for 2009. Time and time again the PAPT has made this pronouncement and yet it seems that they are still having a difficult time in curbing the use of pirated software in our communities in spite of spending millions of pesos of tax payer’s money and countless hours of investigative work. It is not that they are not trying hard enough for it they have raided and persecuted in court countless companies that they caught using pirated software. Maybe, they have failed to realize that there is something in our system that has been telling people that using pirated software is not a crime considering that they have been using it and have been setting as an example to countless numbers of today’s students.

Being an Open Source Educational Technology Advocate has been very frustrating. I have the opportunity to visit a number of public and private schools in the different parts of the country. Might it be the schools that offer elementary and high school levels to technical vocational schools, still I find a majority of them using pirated software in their offices and computer laboratories. Worst some public schools were given computer units that they could use by the Commission on Information and Communication Technology with Edubuntu software installed then later being formatted to pirated Windows systems.

It is time for us in the open source community to exert our influence in asking for a definite policy on technical education with regards to the use of pirated software in our school system from the Department of Education. We have always been wondering why there is a breakdown in the value system in our communities and these breakdown will continue as long as our schools are setting an example that it is just fine to break the law since they are openly showing that they are using pirated software in their operations. The Department of Education should make it clear to the school administrator might it be coming from the public or private schools that if they could not afford to buy licensed software then the best thing to do is to use open sourced software for their operations. We will be able to break the cycle of corruption in our society by the schools providing an example that as one of the basic pillars in our society they are following what is required by law.

I happen to spent the day yesterday at the Rosario National High School in Rosario, Cavite as part of the team of Agham and CPU that handled the career orientation seminar of the fourth year students. There I met Mr. Noel Z. Alberto the ICT coordinator of the said school. Having been enlightened on the need to use open source software as part of the values formation of the school, he embarked on a program in which he mass migrated the computer systems that they are using in their school from pirated Windows XP to Ubuntu 8.10. In the course of the day we were able to talk what he is currently experiencing in the sudden shift from proprietary software to open source software.

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I think that education will play a big part in gaining more appreciation for FOSS.

ICT4E - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Link

E-Bonding

Bagay na bagay ang comic strip na ito sa aming magkakapatid. Nang magkaroon ng wireless router sa loob ng bahay, at magkaroon kami ng sari-sarili naming mga netbook, parang katulad ng nangyayari sa comic strip ang nangyayari sa amin ngayon!

Text/SMS language does not ruin spelling

Instead, it requires users to have sound knowledge of sentence structure and grammar.

More on this at this article.

Private sector gives P4B for education

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Private sector assistance in education has been gaining ground with more than P4 billion so far given this school year, Education Secretary Jesli A. Lapus said on Wednesday.

Mr. Lapus said the Education department is asking for more participation from business chambers, nongovernmental institutions and corporations in the program.

The Education chief was here for the inauguration of the rehabilitated Gabaldon building at the Zamboanga East Central School.

"We solicited assistance from the private sector through the adopt-a-school program with the government providing 150% income tax deduction as an incentive," he said.

Mr. Lapus, who has spent more than two decades in the private sector before joining the government, said most of the private sector assistance went to rehabilitation of schoolbuildings and acquisition of text books, chairs, computers, and even medical care for public school students.

He added the P4-billion assistance from the private sector proved the success of the department’s networking program.

"It takes the entire community to build and support a school. It’s a community effort," Mr. Lapus noted, adding that the support in education has to be consistent.

He said strong private involvement in upgrading public schools was shown during the "Brigada Skwela" (school brigade) where participation doubled in rehabilitating schools nationwide. The program is conducted before the opening of the school year.

In the 2009 budget, the Department of Education allotted P167.94 billion, a 13% increase from 2008’s P149.25 billion, for school rehabilitation, but Mr. Lapus said the amount is still "inadequate."

The growing support of the private sector and international donors has offset the fund lack, he added. "Denying the children schooling is denying the human being a fighting chance for the future," he said.

Meanwhile, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has allotted more than P6 million for training programs of out-of-school youth in Western Visayas.

Buen Mondejar, TESDA regional director, said the program will start this month.

"The funds will be equally divided among the 18 congressional districts in Western Visayas, amounting to P330,000 each," Mr. Mondejar said during the opening of the sixth Aklan Product Showcase held in SM City Iloilo.

Some 50 out-of-school youth will benefit from this project. The agency will train the qualified applicants, provide allowances and other expenses, Mr. Mondejar said.

He added the project is part of pro-poor and livelihood programs. TESDA Director-General Augusto Syjuco was assigned by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to spearhead the pro-poor and livelihood programs in Western Visayas.

TESDA was tasked to formulate a comprehensive development plan for middle-level manpower based on the National Technical Education and Skills Development Plan. — Darwin T. Wee and Harthwell C. Capistrano, BusinessWorld

Edu 2.0 The Future of Education

Edu 2.0 is a free online learning management system. There are a number of free learning management systems, but Edu 2.0 looks promising, as it combines learning management with social networking features. It was pretty cool exploring it, as it is quite user-friendly.

The CICT was privileged to have hosted a workshop on Edu 2.0 facilitated by no less than its founder, Mr. Graham Glass. The workshop participants were mostly from the public high schools. I believe that Edu 2.0 can be a useful tool in implementing ICT in education, without the attached cost! I really hope that schools use it. :)

An article about Mr. Glass's visit was published at Inquirer.net:

Edu 2.0 founder: E-learning is evolving
By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 15:20:00 11/13/2008

MANILA, Philippines –In electronic learning environments, you are both a student and a teacher.

E-learning is evolving. But one of the more common trend is that it has been used to automate how classes run, said Graham Glass, founder of Edu 2.0, as he discussed trends in e-learning.

E-learning, he added, does not necessarily involve distance learning. It also involves automating grading and assignments and messaging. E-learning also gives parents access to their children’s performance, said Glass.

Edu 2.0 is a social network designed for students and teachers.

The service allows anyone to teach and learn by combining the power of blogs, online classes, automated grading, online quizzes, lessons, e-mail, games, forums, calendar, instant messaging, among others.

E-learning, however, becomes crucial when teachers want to reach people in the provinces, added Glass.

“E-learning makes it very easy for teachers to create a class and teach children wherever they are in the world,” he said. E-learning allows interaction among teachers and students.

Edu 2.0, for instance, allows online interactions through various Internet tools like chat discussions groups, blogs, community billboard and interactive games.

Glass said e-learning allows students and teachers from different schools to interact and exchange resources, while discussing common lessons.

“When you set up a school within our website, you have to follow a set of policies that can be customized. When you select a ‘walled community,’ then students within that school can only interact with each other,” said Glass.

The Edu 2.0 has 24,000 members. Filipino professor Joel Yuvienco who has been a member since February 2008, said he uses the e-learning system to teach special children.

“[E-learning] has empowered both learners and teachers,” added Yuvienco.

eSkwela at Loyola Heights

Another eSkwela center has been opened recently in Barangay Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Read article below. Taken from Inquirer.net

CICT opens new e-learning center in QC
By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 10:35:00 11/11/2008

QUEZON CITY, Philippines -- The Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) has opened its seventh e-learning center in Loyola Heights under its eSkwela project.

The CICT through its Human Capital Development Group (CICT HCDG) launched in 2005 eSkwela to provide disadvantaged youth with educational opportunities to help reduce the digital divide and enhance their capacity to be successful participants in a global and knowledge-based economy.

The Loyola Heights center received an enrollment of 55 learners, mostly aged below 20.

The eSkwela project hopes to provide opportunity for Filipino out-of-school youths and adults (OSYAs) to go back to school.

According to a 2004 study by the Department of Education, there are 15 million Filipino out-of-school youths and adults. A major cause of this is poverty. Instead of going to school, children from poor families start working at an early age to help provide for their families.

According to the Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), public education in the country is free but the poor find it difficult to cover transportation, food and allowances cost of going to school.

Angelina Malabanan, mobile teacher at the new center, said the site will offer the opportunity of alternative education for more OSYAs in the area.

Malabanan was fielded by DepEd’a Bureau of Alternative Learning System (BALS) as a mobile teacher.

“Under eSkwela, we call the enrollees as learners compared to students in formal schooling; we teach them based on their own pace,” said Malabanan. “We employ interactive topic modules to teach them the five learning strands geared to help them develop basic skills in preparation for employment, vocational courses or tertiary education.”

The five learning strands include communications, critical thinking and problem solving, productivity and sustainability of natural resources, development of self and sense of community, and expanding one’s world vision. The modules include audio and text materials in English but for discussions, learners can use Filipino or English.

Since eSkwela is a play on Filipino terms “iskwela” meaning school and “kwela” meaning fun, the five strands uses BALS-based interactive modules which learners can access via the Internet.

Malabanan said this strategy helps students develop computer literacy while studying the modules.

Malabanan added that they also encourage peer-teaching, in which fast learners help slow learners in some topics. “This gives learning a community experience,” she said.

Amy Mosura, eSkwela project staff, said they are continuously expanding as more communities learn about and adopt the program.

“Communities contact us to seek guidance on how to set up an eSkwela center. Since this is a “bayanihan” effort, the local community helps provide a room or a center to house the learners and the computers to be used. Then, mobile teachers are fielded and teach at the center.”

The community in which the eSkwela center is located manages the center.

Mosura said the local community, which includes LGUs and local DepEd or civic organizations, are oriented about their responsibilities to maintain the sustainability of the project and become stewards of development for their learners.

Mosura added that they are gaining enrollees as more learn about the benefits of the eSkwela program: ICT-based learning and flexible schedules.

She added the program also eliminates awkwardness for adults to learn in a formal school environment.

She cited as example a 40-year-old who gave up schooling in Grade 6 due to being bullied for her physical disability. She enrolled at the eSkwela center in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, took the accreditation exam and ranked eighth among examiners in the area.

“The current education system is a one-size fits all program but for some reasons, it cannot work for some people -- like the young who start work at an early age and those above 30-years-old who feel awkward to go back to secondary school. We cannot keep them marginalized because they are assets of the country towards development.”

But there is a long road ahead for eSkwela.

According to Amy Mosura of the eSkwela project, challenges for operations and further expansion include lack of mobile teachers and funding. Budget for eSkwela comes from CICT and grants from foundations, such as the APEC Educational Foundation, mainly provide budget for eSkwela’s operations.

In the Loyola Heights center, lack of desktop computers is a big challenge since all 55 learners share the five computers available, said Malabanan. To address this, learners have limited hours of computer use and were divided in morning and afternoon shifts.

The new center is the second e-learning site in Diliman, the first is located at Roces Avenue. Provincial centers are located at Bulacan, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Ormoc and Zamboanga.

DepED's ICT4E Strategic Plan

Last September during the 3rd National ICT Congress in Cebu, Secretary Jesli Lapus announced the 5-year Information and Communications Technology for Education (ICT4E) 5-year Strategic Plan. Its vision is about enabling 21st Century Education for All Filipinos, Anytime, Anywhere. Consultative workshops have been conducted among the various education stakeholders (teachers, administrators, DepED management, students, parents, other government agencies and the private sector) in the formulation of this plan. While I believe in this plan, I think it is about time that we have this plan, I am quite concerned on how it will be operationalized. The DepED has eyed quite a big budget for this, which is hoped to get approved by our legislators. While this is still being awaited, projects with the DepED will continue. Today, we learned that Oracle will expand its online learning project, called ThinkQuest in partnership with the DepED. For us, a fellow government agency, will continue the iSchools and eSkwela projects.