KISS

KISS

It is not kissing as mwah mwah… tsup tsup as friends and lovers often do. KISS stands for Keep it Short and Simple.

Kiss is the method used for the Camp Blog teacher participants for setting the mood of their morning session. To express their emotions, instead of long words, they use emoticons such as :-) to express happiness and satisfaction: short and simple. Others have :-)? to show that they still are confused and overwhelmed of the over-all Camp Blog idea.

Now, how is that for self expression? Express it with kiss!

Everything is not what it seems

Ask a high school student about the internet and you get hundreds of answers in a matter of a second. Just like when you search or “google” something on the web, thousands of related topics in a matter of a second.

But, really, is it really that easy to look for information over the web? Just a few clicks of the mouse?

Indeed, it is really easy if you know the tips and tricks on browsing over the internet. It may seem difficult at first, but when you get your hands to it, everything is not what it seems.

Ms. Katrina Stuart-Santiago discussed some tips and tricks when browsing for information on the web.

• credibility of the writer or organization
• date of creation or revision of the article you are reading
• purpose of the information and of the content
• be critical of the language, tone and opinion of the writer
• start with a keyword then narrow down your search with a more specific word of what you are looking for

And there, you go. As what Ms. Santiago said, “Get over the fear of online research!”

Try mo

One of the workshops during the 10-day Camp Blog is to use the internet to find sources of a given information. It is not just any sources, but credible sources. Ms. Katrina Stuart Santiago is the speaker of the day for the students workshop.

Here is an example, try mo and tell me how many minutes can you answer the following:

Find the texts online and write down proper citation:
• author
• title of work
• title of website
• date of work
• owner of website
• last website update
• URL

Poetry:

Ngunit walang nasalang ang kanyang mga daliring
pilit lumalamukot sa dilim. Muli,

magsisimula siya sa dulo, magmumuni
kung paanong ang lahat ng awit ay umuusbong

mula sa pangangatal ng katahimaka.
Paanong tatanganan ang haraya?

Oh, sige nga? Kaya mo yan!

Learning old lessons the new way

In this age of the Internet, when students spend more time surfing the Web, it is ironic that lessons continue to be taught the traditional way: teachers give a lecture, students listen.

This passive learning process will soon be history with the introduction of the use of new technologies in education.

One of the growing online tools being used for education is the Weblog or blog. Learning resources can be accessible to students through blogs.

The Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) is holding the country’s first Camp Blog, a ten-day activity that is being held at the Pampanga Agricultural College from May 18 – 29.

The theme of the activity is “Building Educational Resources for All.” Teachers and students from public high schools around the country will attend the camp.

Among the resource persons of the activity is Dr. Alejo J. Espinosa from the University of the Philippines-Open University. He will lecture on the topic “Transforming Traditional to ICT-Based Resources.

Traditional learning has proven that it is effective. But it does not hurt to learn new tricks. These new tricks might just be learned in the Camp Blog.

Getting there

Sarah Aurora Tabada, fondly called “Princess”, a second year student from the Visayas State University Laboratory High School, in Visca, Baybay, Leyte, was excited. It was her first time to ride a plane.

Princess was one of the high school students from all over the Philippines who were invited to attend the Camp Blog that carries the theme “Building Educational Resources For All.”

The ten-day camp was held at the Montevista Villas, Angeles City, Pampanga, from May 17 – 29, 2009.

Princess knew that getting to the venue is just part of the excitement. Getting there is also part of the learning experience that awaits the participants.