CSU iSchools recipients join the 2D Artwork Competition using GIMP

Nine (9) of the CSU iSchools recipients were chosen to participate in the final round of 2D Artwork Competition during the 3rd Caraga ICT Congress hosted by CSU and other collaborators on February 24, 2010 at Almont Inland Hotels and Convention Center.The student participants were given 3 hours to finish their piece with a theme: “Green Computing” which was explained to them as the environmentally responsible use of computers and other related resources.

iSchools Caraga hires LA..

The iSchools team hired additional man power to mobilize the conduct of Computer and Internet Literacy Course (CILC) training to seventeen public high schools within Caraga region on September 15, 2010, one o’clock in the afternoon at the Computer Laboratory room 2, CSU-NSB.

 Vacancies were open to all interested applicants. Experience in laboratory assisting is a plus. The applicants were given 3 hours to finish the hands-on activities on word processor, spreadsheet and impress topics.

Five Caraga State University (CSU) IT faculty hurdle ICDL Exam

Five IT faculty members from the College of Engineering and Information Technology (CEIT) revealed their skills and expertise on OpenOffice application by passing the Open International Computer Driving License (ICDL) certification examination held on June 20, 2010 at Bukidnon State University, City of Malaybalay.

The examination was conducted by the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) simultaneously in three (3) testing venues, as follows: for Luzon-based examinees: Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite; for Visayas-based examinees: Carlos Hilado Memorial State College, Talisay City, Negros Occidental; and for Mindanao-based examinees: Bukidnon State University, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.

Committing to the iSchools Project

“You can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave!” Words from the song Hotel California by the Eagles were tagged as the favorite line the speakers and even the program hosts uttered when they saw the participants’ faces trying to grasp the topics of the commitment setting and planning workshop for iSchools writers conducted at UP Hotel last month.

The SUC iSchools writers from LUZVIMIN were aspired to fulfill the training objectives that will make it easy for them to prepare for the activities of the year. Strategize and schedule major activities of the content development components of the ischools project, and how knowledge management and development concepts and principles can be applied. Other objectives they aimed to fulfill were on how to obtain SUC writers’ commitment to meeting the objectives and how to facilitate the drafting of SUC specific communication plan.

CSU hosts Mindanao-wide SPW

The Northern Mindanao State Institute of Science and Technology (NORMISIST) iSchools Project Team successfully hosted the iSchools Project Sustainability Planning Workshop (SPW) last April 15 - 17, 2009 held at the Almont Inland Resort and Hotel in Butuan City.

 

The SPW is an essential part of the Social Preparation Phase of the iSchools Project Life Cycle geared to equip concern officials of the project's recipient schools, enabling them to craft an effective and realistic Sustainability Plan – a tool that shall establish a backbone to the existence and sustenance of ICT delivery and efficiency for their respective schools.

Commissioner Ibrahim addresses 1st Caraga ICT Congress

Commissioner Monchito B. Ibrahim of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) graced the occasion and served as the keynote speaker of the 1^st Caraga ICT Congress held at the Almont InlandConvention Center in Butuan City on February 18, 2009.

 

Commissioner Ibrahim talked about the huge opportunity that the BPO Industry has during this difficult economic times and global recession. The Commissioner served as the plenary speaker for the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) session. He was chosen for his in-depth knowledge and expertise of the topic and his leadership role in the implementation of the government’s program in identifying the next Cyber Cities outside Metro Manila.

iSchools team present project in CHED's search

Mr. Jaymer Jayoma and Engr. Jeffrey Dellosa delivered the iSchools Project to the panel of Caraga Region's Search for Best Extension Program today at the CHED's Regional Office in Butuan City.

Mr. Jayoma discussed the primary aim and objectives as well as the activities of the program implemented to the seven recipient schools in 2006-2008.  

 

The search for the Best Extension Program in the Region is spearheaded by the CHED Caraga Office. The search encouraged all higher academic institutions in Caraga to submit at least two extension programs that fit to the requirements outlined in the search for the best extension program. 

NORMISIST submitted to CHED pertinent reports, MOA and other supporting information that would support the project's implementation.

The other participants who presented their own extension programs were FSUU from Butuan City and SSPSC of Surigao. Winner of the search will recieve Php300,000 for the project and will be recommended to compete for the nationwide search.

Blog: My thoughts on the iSchools Project tonight

I am not sure how many have noticed the inactivity of the many iSchools blogsites in the past few months. [I am not writing a news or feature story tonight but on my thoughts on the blogsite and on the project as well. So this will be simply a blog.]  

Back in the days when we were implementing the project for the 2007-2008 recipients, there were just too many news and feature stories to write that actually I haven't done them all to satisfy my hunger for writing and publish them in this blogsite. 

Worst of all, the inactivity happened right after the advanced online writing training - workshop in Kalibo, Aklan! Hmmm, for sure Ms. Chua and Ms. Rimban who were our trainers will be VERY disappointed to us if they happen to know about it... 

Part of the reason that I failed to update the site is my full-time commitment to my students, being an instructor and at the same time as a BSECE adviser. This is apart from the many extra-curricular activities that I have and yet to do from being an officer of the IECEP Caraga, from coaching ICT and ECE quiz teams to the Engineering website administrator to name a few...

 

As much as I want to create more stories, I cannot just get out of the campus and visit the school sites because of the full load plus some units overload and those that i have mentioned above. (:

And the other reason among the reasons I mentioned above is the lack of proper equipments to do the documentation - the news and feature reports needed for the project. Until now, probably most of us iSchool project writers have not yet acquired the equipments we need to cover news and feature stories.

I hope our readers (if there are followers to this site) can somehow give some considerations with regards to the updating of this blogsite. 

But here are some good stories to tell in summary from July to present, and activities about to happen in the next few months:

1. Internet connection is almost a "done" deal. Meaning all schools in Caraga will enjoy the promised internet connection before the year is over. The team is working on the bidding of the companie who will provide internet connections to all schools.
   
2. There is a new list of schools who will be recipients for the 2008-2009 project implementation. The list is yet to be released to the recipient schools but they have to wait for the final confirmation in some few weeks time.
3. There were about 31 instructors or faculty who passed the Internation Computers Driver License (ICDL) Examination from the different CICT partners across the country. The result was released Sept. 29.
4. The Advance Online Writing Training, for those who failed to attend last May and for the new CICT partners, will be held this month in the Island Paradise BOHOL! (Sayang, di na kami makakasama).
5. Community Mobilization for the new recipients is expected before the year is over, probably on November - December. 

These are just the few things highlighted to me as our team's writer and hopefully I can add more in the next few weeks as the 1st semester ends. But here are some goals I would like to make when the 1st semester is over:

• Hit the road and visit the 7 school sites to do a documentary with my small CANON camera and hopefully gather some few good stories how the computer laboratories are currently working; and most of all, how the computers have transformed the students lives in the last six months!

Perhaps, someone somehow could think of a good motivation to keep the site updated regularly...What about the best iSchools blogsite?  

But for now, for tonight, I have to switch to my powerpoint presentation notes for my lectures tomorrow 7AM (Tsk! tsk! You've heard me right, we still have classes while other schools are on vacation already).

Good night!

   

iSchools 2007 kicks off with new recipients

The 2007 iSchools Project activities starts with identifying and inspecting new public high schools as recipients to the project.

The NORMISIST iSchools project team began inspecting high schools on June 4 this month covering both Caraga region and the province of Compostela Valley.

Engr. Jeffrey T. Dellosa and Engr. Jerry Halibas conducted the survey in Compostela Valley Province. Among the schools inspected in Compostela Valley were the following:

• Compostela National High School - TH Valderrama Annex, Bgy. Ngan, Compostela, Compostela Valley province
• Bantacan National High School in Bantacan, New Bataan, Compostela Valley
• Maparat National High School in Bgy. Maparat, Compostela, Compostela Valley
• Andili National High School in Bgy. Andili, Mawab, Compostela Valley
• Siocon National High School in Bgy. Siocon, Compostela, Compostela Valley
• Nabunturan National Comprehensive High School, Nabunturan, Compostela Valley
• Manat National High School in Bgy. Manat, Nabunturan, Compostela Valley
• Compostela National High School in Poblacion, Compostela, Compostela Valley
• Pantukan National High School in Poblacion, Pantukan, Compostela Valley
• Tambongon National High School in Bgy. Tambongon, Pantukan, Compostela Valley
• Montevista National High School in Poblacion, Montevista, Compostela Valley
• Monkayo National High School - Pasian Annex in Bgy. Pasian, Monkayo, Compostela Valley

On their way back to Caraga region, both visited the following schools:

• La Fortuna National High School in Bgy. La Fortuna, Veruela, Agusan del Sur
• Veruela National High School in Poblacion, Veruela, Agusan del Sur
• Bayugan National Comprehensive High School in Bayugan City, Agusan del Norte

Engr. Meriam Makinano and Engr. Jonathan Tiongson both visited the schools in Surigao del Norte and the Dinagat Island.

Reports will be consolidated and submitted to CICT to finalize the official list of recipients depending on the results of the survey.

An iSchools story in Linabuan

This was the final piece created by Ms. Mara Nanaman of MSU-IIT and this author during the final day of the Advanced Online Writing Training - Workshop in Banga, Kalibo, Aklan on May 19 - 23, 2008.

SUCs tech writers finish online writing training

Fourteen technical writers from the different State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) across the country completed the 5-day Advanced Online Writing Training-Workshop held in Aklan State University, Banga, Kalibo, and Aklan.

Day 3: Working deep with Audacity and Soundslides

Three days down, two days more to go.

I am not counting the days left before Saturday or the weekend comes. While it would still hold true, we're more concern about the tedious activities we have to go through for the Advanced Online Writing Training-workshop here in Aklan State University in Banga, Kalibo, Aklan.

Today was no ordinary day as 14 official participants from the different state universities and colleges tried to complete the workshop requirement for the day - producing slide show using audacity and soundslides plus.

We were required to:

• provide captions for the selected photos from the iSchools activities we have in our area
• come up with an appropriate narrative audio fitting for the photos selected using audacity, and finally,
• come up with a slideshow with both photos and the narrative audio mixed together using soundslides plus.

Sounds easy? Not to us rookies on the audacity and soundslides plus tools.

With just 2 hours to gather the captions of the photos, the appropriate storyline, and the final slide show, it made most of us going nuts. I could hear Ley of Cavite State University airing her concern about her hypertension problem in doing all these exercises.

While most of us complain about the very short time to prepare, I felt a sigh of relief, I have been able to meet the deadline today. Just enough before the final "buzzer" went out from Ms. Yvonne Chua, one of our trainers for the training. There were only five of us who beat the clock.

What was best after the most exhausting day so far was a visit to the Sampaguita Gardens outside the Aklan State University campus. It was a relief for all in a day's work.