IMPRESSIONS

IMPRESSIONS

According to Oxford dictionary, impression is an idea, a feeling or an opinion that you get about somebody/something, or that somebody/something gives you.

Here are some impressions from training participants of two iSchools Project training roll-out.

PC recycling training workshop is a 10-day lecture/hands-on recycling or reuse of computers or other electronics.

“It was indeed an experience of a lifetime to hold a crimping tool as well as the soldering tool.” – Maria Aurora M. Miguel – teacher from Baybay National High School

“I learned to never take for granted the rights of the software – basin mapreso, tagam.” It means if caught infringing intellectual property rights like unlicensed software, one could be put to prison thus regretting for the rest of his life. – Marife Calungsod - teacher from Baybay National High School

Computer and Internet Literacy Course is a 5-day training / workshop that aimed to give basic ICT literacy to teachers and students.

“We are so glad that we had a training like this because it enhanced our skills nd knowledge in terms of improving our strategies in teaching through the POWER OF MEDIA. It's really mean a lot !” - Teresa Miape – teacher from Lim-ao National High School, Kananga, Leyte

“The participants to this training are very fortunate because aside from the knowledge acquired we were provided with 2 snacks and 1 meal and t-shirt for free. We were very enthusiastic to learn particularly in making a presentation that we hardly noticed that its already late in the evening.” Armelita Polistico – principal of Waterloo National High School

These are just some of the many impressions that we received. Surely, the other implementing state universities and colleges of the iSchools Project more or less heard or received the same impressions. It is just apt to say that the iSchools project is able to bridge the digital divide. It might not be for all, but atleast, for some.

The year that was 2010

For Visayas State University (VSU), the year 2010 is a year of many achievements. Instructors and students alike received national awards. Nine academic programs of the university got level 1 accreditation by the Commission on Higher Education. As part of VSU’s extension project, the implementation of the iSchools Project in VSU for year 2010 also proved to be fruitful.

These were the trainings conducted and hosted for the year 2010 by VSU for the implementation of the iSchools Project.

• ICT Integration – Training on the most effective way of integrating information and communications technology in the teaching strategies of the teachers
• PC Recycling – Training on how to make use salvageable parts of the wasted computer to minimize electronic wastes.
• Web Development Trainers Training – trained different web developers to create a training design for the roll out
• Web Development Roll out Training – participants of the recipient schools was taught the basics on web development using Joomla! - an open source content management system.
• Basic Online Writing Technique – writers from all participating state universities and colleges were taught on the tips and techniques for online writing to better document the iSchools project activities.
• PMEIS – stands for Project Monitoring and Evaluation Information System aimed to educate the trainees on what information to gather and how to gather them for the upcoming closeout of the project
• COA meeting – auditors, accountants and representatives of the implementing universities gathered in VSU to better understand the iSchools Project and the financial matters it involves.
• SPW Rollout – The sustainability planning workshop roll out that was attended by the recipient schools’ principal, lab manager and PTCA representatives. It aimed to equip them on how to continue the operation of their computer laboratories and how to manage financial issues even if iSchools project is not there to assist them anymore.

Visayas State University iSchools team was also able to do roll out for the Computer and Internet Literacy Course Training to the different iSchools Project recipient under the monitoring of VSU. The recipients schools are from Leyte, Cebu and Bohol.

The members of the team also attended different capability building trainings conducted by other partners of the iSchools Project.

This year, 2011, will it be as fruitful and busy for Visayas State University being an implementing university for the iSchools Project? The answer lies on the days to come.