.

Regional Kapihan in Bicol

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:29:00 +0000

From Pels:

REGIONAL KAPIHAN IN BICOL
Partner Institution: Bicol University

The PeLS Kapihan was introduced last August 2007 to establish and strengthen networks and linkages among e-Learning practitioners and institutions over a cup of coffee. It also aims to encourage PeLS members to share their best practices to other members of the Society in a full and open discussion on eLearning topics of mutual interest.

On May of 2009, the PeLS Kapihan goes to the Bicol in order to reach out to its members and to commence with the planned establishment of PeLS regional chapters. This month’s kapihan will again feature the Board of Trustees as they share their expertise to the current and upcoming regional members in order to further build a community of eLearning practitioners in the Philippines.

The 14th ESEA Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:17:00 +0000

From Ateneo de Manila University:

The 14th ESEA Conference
26-28 November 2009
Ateneo de Manila University , Philippines

On 26 to 28 November 2009, the Philippines plays host, through the Ateneo de
Manila University, to the 14th English in South East Asia (ESEA) Conference.
This conference carries the theme "English Changing: Implications for
policy, teaching, and research."

The ESEA conference series is the result of collaboration between the National
Institute of Education (Singapore), the University of Malaya (Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia), the University of Brunei Darussalam, Curtin University (Perth,
Australia), Ateneo de Manila University (Quezon City, the Philippines), Hong
Kong Institute of Education, Sanata Dharma University (Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
and King Mongkut's University of Technology (Thonburi, Thailand).

*Theme and topics

*Educators today face the challenge of teaching learners who need different
Englishes for diverse purposes all while English and its uses are themselves
also changing. These changes raise new questions for policy, teaching, and
research. How should governments and educational systems respond? In what
ways should classrooms change? What kinds of research are needed given these
new realities? The 14th ESEA conference aims to provide a venue for the
discussion of these issues from a variety of perspectives and for stimulating
new work in these areas.

TOPICS

*Policy*

* The relationship of English and other languages in education,workplace,
and society
* The systems for language education and the improvement of their
capacities
* The way research and teaching informs policy

*Teaching*

* The practice of teaching in light of new Englishes and various contexts
of use
* The materials, media, and curricula appropriate for teaching and
learning
* The transformation of teacher education and development

*Research*

* The challenges presented by the South East Asian context to received
knowledge about language teaching
* The applicability of different research paradigms for investigating
various issues in English language teaching
* The connections between different strands of research in English
language teaching

*The keynote speakers*

*Dr. Vaidehi Ramanathan
*Linguistics Department, University of California , Davis , California

Vaidehi Ramanathan is an Applied/Socio-Linguist in the Linguistics department
at the University of California, Davis. Her research interests include
language policies, pedagogic practices, dynamics between English
and "vernacular" languages, teacher-education, academic writing and
globalization. She is also interested in issues around language, ailments and
bodies. Her recent publications are The English-Vernacular Divide:
Postcolonial Language Politics and Practice (2005, Multilingual Matters), The
Politics of TESOL education: writing, knowledge and critical pedagogy (2002,
Routledge), Alzheimer discourse: some sociolinguistic dimensions (1997,
Lawrence Erlbaum). Her book Body Matters in Applied Linguistics: language,
ailments, disabilities is forthcoming with Multilingual Matters. She co-edits
a book series with Alastair Pennycook and Bonny Norton called Critical
Language and Literacy (Multilingual Matters).

*Dr. Brian Morgan
*Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics York University ,
Toronto , Canada

Brian Morgan is an associate professor in the Department of English at Glendon
College/York University in Toronto , Canada . His academic interests include
research and pedagogy on language and identity in English Language Teaching.
Another research interest involves critical multiliteracies and their local
and international applications. Other academic concerns include language
teacher education, English for academic purposes, and language policy and
planning. Brian has published in journals such as TESOL Quarterly; Journal of
Language, Identity, and Education; Journal of English for Academic Purposes;
Bilingual Education and Bilingualism; Language Policy; and the Annual Review
of Applied Linguistics. He is the co-editor with Vaidehi Ramanathan of the
2007 special issue on Language Policies and TESOL: Perspectives from Practice
in TESOL Quarterly. His first book, The ESL Classroom (1998), is published by
University of Toronto Press .

*Dr. Edilberto C. de Jesus
*President, University of the Cordilleras, Baguio City

Edilberto C. de Jesus recently completed his term as Director of the Southeast
Asia Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Secretariat. Previously, he
was the Secretary of Education for the Republic of the Philippines and also
was President of the SEAMEO Council. While President of Far Eastern University
in Manila , Dr. de Jesus served on the boards of the Coordinating Council of
Private Educational Associations and the Private Association of Colleges and
Universities, which elected him President in 2002. He was Presidential Adviser
on Rural Development and Deputy Commissioner in the Peace Commission while
serving on the Cabinet of President Corazon Aquino. As the Associate Dean for
Research at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), he led a team to
establish the AIM Policy Forum, and then served as its first chair. He is
currently the President of the University of the Cordilleras in Baguio City ,
Philippines .

*FIRST Call for Papers*

PRESENTATION FORMAT

20-minute paper presentation followed by a 10-minute discussion

PROPOSALS

All proposals for paper presentations must include the following information:

* Name of the proponent
* Institutional affiliation
* Contact details (email address, mailing address, telephone number)
* Biodata of 50-75 words
* Title of the paper
* Abstract of 100-150 words
* Status of the research project (ongoing or completed)

DEADLINE

All proposals must be submitted by 31 March 2009. Proponents will receive an
acknowledgement letter from the organizers beginning 30 April 2009.

SUBMISSION

Submit proposals online through the Proposal Submission Form on the ESEA 2009
web site .

Or email proposals to Isabel Pefianco Martin, head of the Program Committee,
at the following contact details:

esea2009@admu.edu.ph
Department of English, Ateneo de Manila University
Katipunan Road , Loyola Heights , Quezon City
1108 Philippines Telefax (632) 426-6120

-----
Department of English
School of Humanities
Ateneo de Manila University
Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights
Quezon City 1108
Philippines
PHONE (+632) 426 6001 ext. 5310/5311
TELEFAX (+632) 426 6120
URL soh.ateneo.edu

The 9th Philippine Computing Science Congress (PCSC 2009)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:00:00 +0000

From the Computing Society of the Philippines (CSP):

The Computing Society of the Philippines (CSP) invites you to participate in the 9th Philippine Computing Science Congress (PCSC 2009).

The CSP organizes this conference to enable local and neighboring computing educators, researchers, and ICT professionals and students to interact and to share their work in computing, computer science, computer engineering, computational science, and information and communications technology (ICT).

For more information please click here.

The 15th Conference of the International Association for World Englishes (IAWE)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:55:00 +0000

From Linguistic Society of the Philippines:

The 15th Conference of the International Association for World Englishes (IAWE) is a forum for the exchange of ideas among linguists, applied linguists, sociolinguists, writers, scholars, and educators, on the philosophy of World Englishes and issues of convergence and diversity in the three major aspects of World Englishes, namely, language, literature, and pedagogy. The theme covers a wide range of topics in the domains of education, government, industry, and media.

For more information, please click here.

ACCESS: the 1st Philippine International English Language Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:42:00 +0000

From British Council Manila:

ACCESS: the 1st Philippine International English Language Conference and the 11th UK Education Fair is a weekend education extravaganza happening on 31 January – 01 February 2009 at the SMX Convention Centre in Pasay City. It showcases the exchange of strengths and expertise of British and Filipino experts in the areas of English and study opportunities in the UK.

for more info please click here.

7th National e-Learning Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:59:00 +0000

The 7th National e-Learning Conference and Techno Fair of the Philippine e-Learning Society (PeLS) will bring together various stakeholders in e-Learning in an academic forum with focus on learning and technology. The conference addresses the needs of educators, trainers, managers, media specialists, technologists, researchers and students in designing, developing and deploying e-Learning programs, products and services.

7th National e-Learning Conference
Collaborative E-Learning in the Global Arena: Linking the Academe, Government, Industry and the Development Agencies
October 16-17, 2008, SGV Hall, AIM Conference Center Manila

REGISTRATION:Download (right-click, Save As) the Registration Form and Conference Details.

Or inquire at +632 5712532 or 4061603/

Or email pelsconference2008@yahoo.com or pelsconference2008@gmail.com

Conference Rates

Onsite Registration
(10/16/2008) P4,000.00

Regular Registration
( 10/01/2008 - 10/14/2008) P3,500.00

Early Bird
(06/01/2008 - 09/30/2008) P3,000.00

Note: Participants of the 7th National eLearning Conference will automatically become a member of the Philippine eLearning Society (PeLS) for one year.

1st Philippine Open Education forum

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:48:00 +0000

1st Philippine Open Education forum Programme
Arellano University
School of Law
23 April 2008

830-900 :: Registration

900-915 :: Invocation

915-1000 :: Introduction to Open Education
Speaker/org: Creative Commons Philippines
Atty. Jaime “Jimmy” Soriano
1000-1015 Q&A

1015-1030 :: Break

1030-1115 :: Creative empowerment and liberal education
Speaker/org: Friedrich Naumann Stiftung fur die Freiheit
Mr. Sigfried Herzog
1115-1030 Q&A

1130-1215 :: The public direction of Philippine education (primary and secondary)
Speaker/org: Department of Education
Atty. Geronimo “Indy” Sy
1215-1230 Q&A

1230-130 :: Lunch Break

130-215 :: Private initiatives towards open education: International/Local
Speaker/org: Creative Commons Philippines
Atty. Michael Vernon “Berne” Guerrero
215-230 Q&A

230-315 :: Private initiatives towards free and open books
Speaker/org: Bayanihan Books
Mr. Greg Moreno
315-330 Q&A

330-345 :: Break

345-430 :: commercial/business reaction to open content
Speaker/org: Vibal Foundation
Ms. Kristine Mandigma
430-445 Q&A

445-500 :: Closing remarks

for more info please check: http://philippinecommons.org/

From PeLS: PeLS SUMMER KAPIHAN on April 19, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 03:25:00 +0000

The PeLS Kapihan was introduced last August 2007 to establish and strengthen networks and linkages among e-Learning practitioners and institutions. It also aims to involved PeLS members who are experts in their own specialization to share their best practices and knowledge to other members of the Society. This informal discussion over a cup of coffee is intended to be lively and thought provoking as it also encourages the participants for a full and open discussion on the topics presented about eLearning.

When : April 19, 2008 (Saturday)

: 10:00am-03:00pm

Where : to be announced

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION

Evaluation in an Online Course

Dennis Berino
Assistant Professor, De La Salle University

m-Learning

Ma. Regina E. Estuar, Ph.D.
Research Director, Ateneo Java Wireless Competency Center

COMPUTER HANDS-ON TRAINING

Publishing Your Content using EXE LEARNING

The eXe project is developing a freely available Open Source authoring application to assist teachers and academics in the publishing of web content without the need to become proficient in HTML or XML markup. Resources authored in eXe can be exported in IMS Content Package, SCORM 1.2, IMS Common Cartridge formats or as simple self-contained web pages. (http://www.exelearning.org)

Designing and Developing an Online Course site using MOODLE

Moodle is a course management system (CMS) - a free, Open Source software package designed using sound pedagogical principles, to help educators create effective online learning communities. You can download and use it on any computer you have handy (including webhosts), yet it can scale from a single-teacher site to a University with 200,000 students. (http:///www.moodle.org)

NOTE: This Summer Kapihan is open to all PeLS members with a registration fee of 500.00 pesos inclusive of food and certificate. The sessions on EXE Learning and Moodle is an applied hands-on computer training so everyone is encouraged to bring softcopy of course syllabus with learning activities, lesson plan or a training program for actual application and uploading in EXE and Moodle.

Only 40 slots are available. To register please contact MS. LOVELY REYES at +639174914996 or email her at pels_secretariat@yahoo.com.ph

Workshop for IT educators/school IT administrators!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 03:46:00 +0000

From Ms. Aileen's post:

Google for Educators

We're hosting a workshop for IT educators/school IT administrators!

Here are the details -

What: Internet for Educators

Speakers: Jeff Keltner, Product Manager, Google Apps for Education
Aileen Apolo, Google Country Consultant - Philippines

Topics: Google Apps for Education/Tools for Classroom

More info here.

Multiple Intelligence and Learning

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 05:57:00 +0000

According to en.wikepedia.org:

Multiple intelligences is educational theory put forth by psychologist Howard Gardner, which suggests that an array of different kinds of "intelligence" exists in human beings. Gardner suggests that each individual manifests varying levels of these different intelligences, and thus each person has a unique "cognitive profile." The theory was first laid out in Gardner's 1983 book, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, and has been further refined in subsequent years.

What has it to do with learning?

It implies that no student is not capable of learning things. As a teacher, we must consider the different levels of intellegences of our students because it is in theory of multiple intelligences and our understanding of our students that we can be able to produce certain approaches and situations for them to learn in their context not ours.

For more information about multiple intelligences please visit the following links:

and better yet take this MI test to see for yourself your MI levels.

MMORPG and Learning

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 05:56:00 +0000

At first I thought of the possibility of integrating massively multiplayer online role-playing game aka MMORPG and learning. It makes sense because games are an integral part in one's life most specially true to young people. There is no better way to learn than to learn in a virtual world wherein virtual communities thrive and virtual individuals make their mark. As I wander aimlessly in surfing the net I stumbled upon an article from Sir Joel Yuviengco's blog. Lo and behold, Sloodle!

Sloodle is a mash-up of a popular virtual reality game, Second life and virtual learning environment, Moodle. The idea of MMORPG and learning of mine is now a reality and it will be an exciting prospect for both the learners and the educators alike.

digitalsandbox recommends: Creative Commons

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 05:43:00 +0000

From creativecommons.org:

Creative Commons provides free tools that let authors, scientists, artists, and educators easily mark their creative work with the freedoms they want it to carry. You can use CC to change your copyright terms from "All Rights Reserved" to "Some Rights Reserved."

We're a nonprofit organization. Everything we do — including the software we create — is free.

For more info read here.

Constructivism Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 05:37:00 +0000

According to en.wikipedia.org:

Constructivism is a theory of learning where humans construct meaning from current knowledge structures. This philosophical framework is a set of assumptions about the nature of human learning that guide constructivist learning theories and teaching methods of education. Constructivism values developmentally appropriate facilitator-supported learning that is initiated and directed by the learner.

What has it to do with learning?

It implies that learners have previous idea about the things we teach. The problem lies whether the ideas that they have will be complete or incomplete or right or wrong. It is our task to bring out these ideas and attempt to complete and correct them.

For more information about constructivism please visit the following links:

digital sandbox recommends: Free Online Seminars

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 05:10:00 +0000

It is not always that we read or hear free seminars. Seminars are expensive but what if we have all the means to have it without even digging our pockets? Enter Concept to Classroom website where it offers the following courses below to jumpstart your way to upgrading your teaching knowledge:

Afterschool Programs - From Vision to Reality
Assessment, Evaluation, and Curriculum Redesign
Constructivism as a Paradigm for Teaching and Learning
Cooperative and Collaborative Learning
Inquiry-based Learning
Interdisciplinary Learning in Your Classroom
Making Family and Community Connections
Tapping into Multiple Intelligences
Teaching to Academic Standards
WebQuests
Why the Net? An Interactive Tool for the Classroom

All the informations and ideas pertinent to these courses can be found here. If the link does not work then copy and paste this link: http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/

PELs Kapihan Highlights

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:32:00 +0000

I was fortunate enough to attend the Pels Kapihan. Sir Jun and Sir Gelo were kind and generous hosts to us in the said event. Here are some of the excerpts of PELs Kapihan:

It started with Sir Joel's presentation concerning Personal learning environment or PLE. It is
related as a system wherein learners can control and manage their learning. He is optimistic about elearning. He said that, "ple/elearning can push the economy forward." As for the question of answering the issue about 90% of Filipinos who did not expose themselves to elearning, he responded that "we have to push the envelop further" which means that all of us should go hand in hand to make use of the technology for education. He also discussed the elgg advantage over other social networking websites.

Eddie Mendoza's presentation was about eLearning in a Corporate Setting. He mentioned that the potential of elearning is HUGE but there are certain challenges that he stressed.

First challenge, was how many Philippine companies are participating in elearning?
Second challenge, have we ever considered the motivation of people to learn?
Third challenge, if self instruction works then how is it that in training manuals/modules don't have self learning?
Fourth challenge was the issue of self-study, there has been hesitation of in the part of trainors because they weren't sure if the learners are going to learn.
Fifth challenge, the technology and instructional design are there but organizational change must be important in order to make things work.

The corporate perspective according to Mr. Mendoza: learning for learning sake will not be effective, learning should take place in consideration for the company's future and growth. His suggestions for the corporations must seek initiatives like:

new recruits must be pushed to learn
give them exam/certification test to push others to learn/apply certification model in order to
push them to study
focus in the things that are important, consider economics even if there is a resistance.

Atty. Michael Vernon Guerrero's presentation was about Creative Commons Philippines. Its current version was 3.0. He discussed the following:

Copyright Misconceptions: "You Don't Assign a Copyright"
"enable the legal sharing of cultural, education, and scientific works." CC mission
concerted efforts on "open education" in the Philippines
the definition of Expression against the Derivative....
the importance of using the CC license in my creative works....
you can change CC licence from NC to Commercial just make sure that it is your OWN work...
WEST CC adopts Liberal licences while EAST CC adopts Restrictive licences.
The difference of CC licence from other licence. CC is not a litigator.
Inventions or documents that pertain to inventions are under patents

Ninia Calaca's presentation was about eLearning Roadmap and PeLS Initiatives. She also reported about the Usage of Appropriate ICT in the Philippine Educational System
2007 APEC e-Learning Program. She observed that there were so many efforts and initiatives but it is fragmented. She suggested to us to upgrade the quality of elearning and observed that in the formal education setup, the problem is the quality of content. She shared a solution to this problem by saying that content should come in CHED and DEPED for quality standards and it will be cascaded to the institutions. Although there were a lot of things to hurdle, she maintained that we need a collective effort in order for us to push e-learning in the Philippines.

10 Reasons why you should use Moodle(my personal thoughts on content management system)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 01:37:00 +0000

Question: What is the cross between beef and ramen?
Answer: Moodle.

Moodle sounds like a brand of a product for beef flavored noodle but, kidding aside, it is actually an open source content management system, virtual learning environment, or free elearning software for the rest of us. Last summer, I have had the opportunity of using it in my Introduction to Literature class and here are the two centavos worth of the summary of my experience.

1. Moodle is Free

Unlike Blackboard and WebCT, Moodle can be downloaded freely in its official site, moodle.org. Since it is an open source software, its development is revolutionary rather than evolutionary. Programmers, developers, and users around the world are working gratis towards the improvement of Moodle. Unlike other freewares, Moodle offers full functionality, 24/7 support in moodle.org forums, and simply best value for money because it is free.

2. Moodle is Easy to Use

Whether you are an administrator, educator or learner, you will find Moodle easy to use due to its graphical user interface which we are all familiar with. For example, you can include like a quiz in a given topic by choosing from the list of activities under the activity menu. Not to mention the icons specifically created to understand better the nuances of course creation under the Moodle environment. The eye icon hides and unhides a particular resource or activity. The up icon moves a resource or activity within the lesson up. It means you don't have to be a programmer in order for you to use it but you need to invest some time in order for you to familiarize and get the hang of navigating yourself in the Moodle environment.

3. Moodle is Intuitive

Due to its ease of use, many of its functions are geared toward student learning thus Moodle was designed with educators in mind. With the vast array of options to enhance learning, teachers find it very helpful. As for me, Moodle helped in a way to bridge the content gap in my class. I realized that no matter how i taught in class a particular lesson I find myself asking if what I have gave them is sufficient. Moodle's intuitive features like resource and activity pull down list makes course creation a breeze. Let us not forget to mention the endless options offered in Moodle that you can give as for students' activity.

4. Moodle is Feature rich

As I have mentioned earlier, Moodle has an endless list of resources and acitvities. As a Moodle facilitator, I have my way of "enrolling" my learners in the virtual class. I can assign an "enrollment key" to filter away those users who are not supposed to be included in my class. I can also assign my learners into groups. In relation with resources, I can create links to any content rich sites outside Moodle without leaving its environment or opening a new browser(though it can be done as an option). As for activity, here are some of the many activities found in the list forum, quiz, wiki, and workshop. You have to explore Moodle to appreciate its wonderful features for student learning.

5. Moodle has Pedagogies

Usually in the creation of educational software, nobody asked what learning framework should be its guide. Unfortunately, most commercial software are geared towards how many features it offer rather than addressing the obvious. How will the learners learn while using it? As for Moodle, Constructivism, Social Constructivism, and Connectivism are all adopted as for its pedagogy. It means to say that knowledge can be built and developed through constant interaction and cooperation. All the more that knowledge is processed then therefore learners are also immersed during the process.

6. Moodle is Student-Centered/Active Learning

Many believed that learning occurs in the structured set-up wherein there are classroom, teacher, and a group of students. Inside the classroom the usual approach is the teacher gives lecture, quiz and homework and then the students listen, answer the quiz and prepare for homework. Using Moodle gives teachers another alternative for students to learn independently and interdependently by giving them the opportunity to study online. Students learn how to assimilate and process information(as in Constructivism), and also learn to cooperate and interact with one another while engaging themselves in student centered learning activities like wiki projects, workshops and forums(as in Social Constructivism). Students learn while fulfilling tasks set upon by the teacher in Moodle.

7. Moodle gives Instant Feedback

Using Moodle, gone are the days wherein you have to manually correct student papers . Students who took their tests , quizzes , and projects in Moodle can view their grades and results almost instantly. All teachers need to do is to assign how students are to be assessed and just choose an option of points(let's say the total score for an activity is ten or one hundred). When teachers and students are all simultaneously logged in, they can give and read their comments and replies using chat and forums in real time.

8. Moodle is Integrated

The learning resources, activities and features are modular which means it can stand alone but they are also designed to complement each other. Examples are: the default news forum can be complemented with the calendar which is offered as an optional block. Resources like text and web page can be complemented by uploading files like podcast to enhance the learning experience of your students.

9. Moodle is Multi-functional

The Moodle environment offers feature rich elements starting with the block elements like calendar, student activities and text upto activities like chat and forum and wikis. Since it is not exclusive unlike commercial softwares , Moodle supports operating systems like Linux and its other versions. Moodle can be used also as a project collaboration site, news website, school portal, and the list of possible uses is limited only to the users imagination.

10. Moodle is Interactive

Whether you like it synchronous or asynchronous, it will never be a problem when you use Moodle. It is designed to engage learners to participate and collaborate with one another. Elements like chat and forums are there to instill the value of active participation and self-initiative. Projects like wiki and workshop helps learners to study the inner workings of the ideas found in a lesson and to study it with others interdependently.

I end up by saying that when you experiment with Moodle and use it, you will not benefit yourself but your students too. Just don't take my word for it. Try it! :)

digital sandbox

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 04:50:00 +0000

Digital sandbox is conceived as a hatching ground of ideas concerning technology and education.