I remember responding to Al in one community site thread re Beyond the Lantern Parade. I also remember asking him about types or forms of social networking sites.
I just had this idea that maybe there is way to support the UPOU community site depending on what stage of development it is in.
It was a concern because for obvious reasons, I was an active user of the comm site and I was wondering how the site's usage can be sustained and maximized by both faculty members and students. So, let's say it is in an exploratory stage, what can a few users do to make it work.
For example, in community organizing or even when one looks at child development, one is aware that there are such things a stages or phases of development. A child is at a certain developmental stage and given that, a child would need this kind of support or intervention. A community would have a core group and at what depending at what stage the group is in, the organizer would provide some kind of consciousness raising or group mobilization depending on the group's level of participation. So maybe I was thinking perhaps, if we know at what stage the community site is in, we know that this is the level of facilitation it needs for it to thrive.
At least now I know, it isn't social networking sites perse which I was concerned about. The correct label would be 'virtual communities', 'online communities', 'communities in cyberspace' or 'computer mediated communities'.
And so, at a curiosity level, this paper is of significance to me. So far, my readings point to the fact that there are levels of community in virtual communities. There are indicators of a 'sense of community'. These concepts are mostly applied to 'virtual learning communities' not particularly to a community site outside the domain of a specified virtual learning community.
At a program chair level, this paper is of significance as I would like to find out in what ways have I communicated or connected effectively with students through this site and maybe in what ways have I excluded/ limited myself from connecting with other students because of this site. I think though, it has benefited me in a way but has it benefited my students?
At the level of my own research pursuits, this paper is of significance because it is a step away from my comfort zone. My previous research has always been within the practice of basic education using a case study design. It will be the first time for me to explore other methodologoies--such as the use of narrative inquiry. First time for me to do research with knowledge of a research paradigm, a knowledge of a theoretical frame to analyze data.
At the level of faculty relations, this paper is of significance because it will be the first time for me to co write with a UPOU colleague. I have yet to figure out if we are working on this from the same level, though I am aware that I've set minimum expectations or bare essentials as indicators that this co writing is indeed working.
Now, as to what this paper can contribute to existing theory...hmmm, I have no idea!
Showing posts with label UPOU Community Site. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UPOU Community Site. Show all posts
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Monday, December 28, 2009
The Word Community
My first job was at...COMMUNITY of Learners
My MA degree was COMMUNITY Development
My specialization was COMMUNITY Practice
I managed to work as an area coordinator with an indigenous COMMUNITY
in a resettlement.
Alongside this job, I did COMMUNITY-based training for daycare workers.
My first job at UP was as a COMMUNITY Extension Specialist.
After I gave birth to my first child, I worked in the Beacon School Community.
Now I am part of the UPOU COMMUNITY, and most of all, a Platinum Boarder at
the UPOU COMMUNITY SITE.
Btw, the first words my son played around was the word COMMUNITY.
He'd attempt to spell out the word, any word like this: "...I-N-K-S-P-....COMMUNITY"!
My MA degree was COMMUNITY Development
My specialization was COMMUNITY Practice
I managed to work as an area coordinator with an indigenous COMMUNITY
in a resettlement.
Alongside this job, I did COMMUNITY-based training for daycare workers.
My first job at UP was as a COMMUNITY Extension Specialist.
After I gave birth to my first child, I worked in the Beacon School Community.
Now I am part of the UPOU COMMUNITY, and most of all, a Platinum Boarder at
the UPOU COMMUNITY SITE.
Btw, the first words my son played around was the word COMMUNITY.
He'd attempt to spell out the word, any word like this: "...I-N-K-S-P-....COMMUNITY"!
Why Write when I can Co-write
The initial idea of this study I must say was a product of serendipity.
I think I started seriously thinking about writing something related to distance ed sometime September when Pat Arinto, a co-fac at FEd, emailed me about a possible paper presentation for the DE Colloq series. She asked my however for something related to the SS program. I wasn't ready to do that as it didn't fit the goals of the colloq series and primarily the SS program. The greater need then was to fix the SS program. What was immediate to my thoughts then was something about the comm site. However, I felt that if there was one person who can rightfully write a paper about the Comm Site, it was not I but another co-fac, Al Librero of FICS.
But of course, being an active member at the site, I also had ideas brewing in my brain and it was more because I wanted to share to my co facs how the site has helped me as PC to figure out ways to improve the AA program. What held me back was the thought that perhaps my views were highly subjective as admittedly I am one of the most active members hence from the very start my purposes for engagement were clear then a few goals evolved while I was in the thick of interacting with students. I ask myself...Are my views valid enough? Do other students see the site in the same way I do? Does the site moderator share the same views? Am I the only one making this kind of meaning regarding the Comm Site?
And so I let it rest...only to find out, it did not deserve to rest.
Primo asked for an article for Chancy's mag-type year end publication.
This paper idea popped once again. The good thing about it is Primo, a research guru like Mam Jean, was most encouraging. I also emailed Mam Jean to consider this paper idea to be part of my completion of EDRE 206. She said yes. Now the last layer of approval is a potential co-writer, the veteran site moderator ( as he himself coined this term to refer to himself).
But then why co-write? I just felt that the best person to introduce and narrate the development of the site is the author himself. I am but a humble user who is indebted to the author. In the same way that if students do agree to jump with me on this, then they themselves are the best people to share their narratives.
What was a bit surprising is this: in the whole time (let's say a year) that the comm site was evolving into what it is now, it never crossed my mind that the site moderator/author himself had his own concerns/ pursuits. Only because I dared to ask and solicit his support that the idea of this became clearer and perhaps was meant to be. Librero, surprisingly, was curious over student use of moodle, vs community site, vs. much more and how students are connected. Therefore I realized that my initial ideas in this paper could be part of a possible and even bigger research pursuit he was aiming for.
Hmmm....the things one can chance upon over online exchanges! Aha!
The idea of co writing isn't new to me. I've done this once and almost 2x with Ani Almario. For me, it was a good way of validating classroom practices and ideas. I managed to do the review of lit on my own and I had my own paper. She had her own working outline of a paper. We met and merged our ideas...and there you go. But Ani and I had prior working relations, with a strong F2F foundation.
While I have not worked directly with Al, there lies a question as to whether this co writing will in fact work. I am not sure about how he works but I simply have to trust him that when he says yes, he means yes. I simply have to adjust to his work style.
Now if this doesn't work out, then it doesn't...such as it is.
But, it should be worth a try as long as I know my limitations and I am aware that I am determined to write this paper. And well, the abstract acceptance is one indicator that this paper is in fact worth our time and effort.
I think I started seriously thinking about writing something related to distance ed sometime September when Pat Arinto, a co-fac at FEd, emailed me about a possible paper presentation for the DE Colloq series. She asked my however for something related to the SS program. I wasn't ready to do that as it didn't fit the goals of the colloq series and primarily the SS program. The greater need then was to fix the SS program. What was immediate to my thoughts then was something about the comm site. However, I felt that if there was one person who can rightfully write a paper about the Comm Site, it was not I but another co-fac, Al Librero of FICS.
But of course, being an active member at the site, I also had ideas brewing in my brain and it was more because I wanted to share to my co facs how the site has helped me as PC to figure out ways to improve the AA program. What held me back was the thought that perhaps my views were highly subjective as admittedly I am one of the most active members hence from the very start my purposes for engagement were clear then a few goals evolved while I was in the thick of interacting with students. I ask myself...Are my views valid enough? Do other students see the site in the same way I do? Does the site moderator share the same views? Am I the only one making this kind of meaning regarding the Comm Site?
And so I let it rest...only to find out, it did not deserve to rest.
Primo asked for an article for Chancy's mag-type year end publication.
This paper idea popped once again. The good thing about it is Primo, a research guru like Mam Jean, was most encouraging. I also emailed Mam Jean to consider this paper idea to be part of my completion of EDRE 206. She said yes. Now the last layer of approval is a potential co-writer, the veteran site moderator ( as he himself coined this term to refer to himself).
But then why co-write? I just felt that the best person to introduce and narrate the development of the site is the author himself. I am but a humble user who is indebted to the author. In the same way that if students do agree to jump with me on this, then they themselves are the best people to share their narratives.
What was a bit surprising is this: in the whole time (let's say a year) that the comm site was evolving into what it is now, it never crossed my mind that the site moderator/author himself had his own concerns/ pursuits. Only because I dared to ask and solicit his support that the idea of this became clearer and perhaps was meant to be. Librero, surprisingly, was curious over student use of moodle, vs community site, vs. much more and how students are connected. Therefore I realized that my initial ideas in this paper could be part of a possible and even bigger research pursuit he was aiming for.
Hmmm....the things one can chance upon over online exchanges! Aha!
The idea of co writing isn't new to me. I've done this once and almost 2x with Ani Almario. For me, it was a good way of validating classroom practices and ideas. I managed to do the review of lit on my own and I had my own paper. She had her own working outline of a paper. We met and merged our ideas...and there you go. But Ani and I had prior working relations, with a strong F2F foundation.
While I have not worked directly with Al, there lies a question as to whether this co writing will in fact work. I am not sure about how he works but I simply have to trust him that when he says yes, he means yes. I simply have to adjust to his work style.
Now if this doesn't work out, then it doesn't...such as it is.
But, it should be worth a try as long as I know my limitations and I am aware that I am determined to write this paper. And well, the abstract acceptance is one indicator that this paper is in fact worth our time and effort.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
A Good Start, maybe?
Primo- a co fac was the first to listen to my ideas.
He was supportive of my intention and in fact, asked me to write an article for Chancy's mag-type publication.
So here's a product of that exchange...a way for me to briefly state what the UPOU community site meant to me:
The UPOU Community Site has helped me in many ways as Program Chair and a member of the UPOU community in general. For one, this virtual site allowed me to interact with students differently. I see the site members as representatives of the current undergrad population and the grad students to some extent. Some have shared pieces of themselves which I think I would not have known on an ordinary day at the LC. Getting a feel of their online selves all the more allowed me to think of ways to make their stay at UPOU worth it.
I would sometimes have ideas in my brain as I interact face to face with fellow faculty members. Then I'd go to the site to give the students a pinch. There were light and funny posts about "Weird and Fun PE classes" and still earnest ones such as "Looking Back, Moving Forward" and "Volunteer Work: Anyone?". Students can be really quick to bite. I get immediate feedback to plan for things which I think they need or will be really good for them. These plans, of course materialized after further discussions with faculty members. Now, I'm glad to say that we have PE Hatha Yoga, Walking for Fitness and CWTS, bits of which were a product of interaction with students at the site. It really is a good platform to validate initial ideas, gather data, and work for program improvements.
The site is also a good way to tickle brains, raise consciousness and try to get students involved in matters beyond their usual course work. I've witnessed interesting exchanges with them about these topics: Student Org/ Governance at UPOU, AA as Backdoor Entry, Suggested BA Degrees, Online Grades Submission.
The site is also like a playground for me. Sometimes I use it as a motivation to do better work--I look forward to making 'tambay' because I know I deserve it after doing a bunch of admin related-paperwork. In between responding to worries and queries via email, I take a break in this virtual tambayan to breathe fresh air. While at it, I find students needing to breathe out as well with a few complaints and assertions which I try listen to.
Most importantly, I also see the site as a means of building our history as a community of real people. Through the site, I've made little steps to facilitate community building among the students who bother to use it and spread the word on latest events and ways to get involved. A few well meaning activities I was able to do with different groups of students came in assorted flavors: from groundworking and mobilizing for a AA General Assembly/ Fellowship, and the memorable Centennial Lantern Parade, to a cozy field trip to National Museum. Through the site, we learned about the possibility of participating in the Student Regent election and we managed to pilot run an online election for UPOU students. We were also able to pull a few and able volunteers for the Biomodd project. The site documented slices of all these initiatives from both students and reliable faculty members who cared to respond...all these to identify with the "university of the people".
The site has yet to reach the larger community of faculty, staff and students. As it is, the community site in itself is an interesting find, officially unofficial hence a _____________ nuance which makes me all the more wonder about puzzle pieces that make up who we are as UPOU beyond the usual and expected academic work. Life in UPOU is not simply about accessing information, but accessing what people can share about themselves.
What have you learned from these experiences in terms of making students feel that they're part of a larger community?
I'd have to admit that I had a major struggle early on as faculty member. I found the work environment indifferent. I am not used to working in a cubicle isolated from the rest of my co-workers. I guess some students feel the same way as first timers both in UP and in a virtual classroom. I chanced upon the site while googling LB-based co facs (Mam Jean, Mam Fe, Sir Primo, Sir Luna and Sir Al) and the rest was history. I was glad enough to know that somebody cared enough to set it up for students and I simply picked up on it at time when I was almost giving up on the AA's. And so I think, that's what the site did for most of us members who care enough to connect with others at UPOU. Some may just drop by, some choose to stay, some lurk, still there are some who bother to share big chunks at one time and come back after a few months. But in moments these people are in this virtual tambayan, they bother to connect in their own special way.
At best, the site simply allows us to simply 'BE' as we continue to define our rules and create a culture we can claim as truly ours . With that comes looking at and questioning one's views in the light of others' views--be it crazy, warm, funny, green-ish, deep, weird, foolish, laughable, extreme...you name it. THAT, ultimately is being human the U.P. way! Care enough to join us?
He was supportive of my intention and in fact, asked me to write an article for Chancy's mag-type publication.
So here's a product of that exchange...a way for me to briefly state what the UPOU community site meant to me:
The UPOU Community Site has helped me in many ways as Program Chair and a member of the UPOU community in general. For one, this virtual site allowed me to interact with students differently. I see the site members as representatives of the current undergrad population and the grad students to some extent. Some have shared pieces of themselves which I think I would not have known on an ordinary day at the LC. Getting a feel of their online selves all the more allowed me to think of ways to make their stay at UPOU worth it.
I would sometimes have ideas in my brain as I interact face to face with fellow faculty members. Then I'd go to the site to give the students a pinch. There were light and funny posts about "Weird and Fun PE classes" and still earnest ones such as "Looking Back, Moving Forward" and "Volunteer Work: Anyone?". Students can be really quick to bite. I get immediate feedback to plan for things which I think they need or will be really good for them. These plans, of course materialized after further discussions with faculty members. Now, I'm glad to say that we have PE Hatha Yoga, Walking for Fitness and CWTS, bits of which were a product of interaction with students at the site. It really is a good platform to validate initial ideas, gather data, and work for program improvements.
The site is also a good way to tickle brains, raise consciousness and try to get students involved in matters beyond their usual course work. I've witnessed interesting exchanges with them about these topics: Student Org/ Governance at UPOU, AA as Backdoor Entry, Suggested BA Degrees, Online Grades Submission.
The site is also like a playground for me. Sometimes I use it as a motivation to do better work--I look forward to making 'tambay' because I know I deserve it after doing a bunch of admin related-paperwork. In between responding to worries and queries via email, I take a break in this virtual tambayan to breathe fresh air. While at it, I find students needing to breathe out as well with a few complaints and assertions which I try listen to.
Most importantly, I also see the site as a means of building our history as a community of real people. Through the site, I've made little steps to facilitate community building among the students who bother to use it and spread the word on latest events and ways to get involved. A few well meaning activities I was able to do with different groups of students came in assorted flavors: from groundworking and mobilizing for a AA General Assembly/ Fellowship, and the memorable Centennial Lantern Parade, to a cozy field trip to National Museum. Through the site, we learned about the possibility of participating in the Student Regent election and we managed to pilot run an online election for UPOU students. We were also able to pull a few and able volunteers for the Biomodd project. The site documented slices of all these initiatives from both students and reliable faculty members who cared to respond...all these to identify with the "university of the people".
The site has yet to reach the larger community of faculty, staff and students. As it is, the community site in itself is an interesting find, officially unofficial hence a _____________ nuance which makes me all the more wonder about puzzle pieces that make up who we are as UPOU beyond the usual and expected academic work. Life in UPOU is not simply about accessing information, but accessing what people can share about themselves.
What have you learned from these experiences in terms of making students feel that they're part of a larger community?
I'd have to admit that I had a major struggle early on as faculty member. I found the work environment indifferent. I am not used to working in a cubicle isolated from the rest of my co-workers. I guess some students feel the same way as first timers both in UP and in a virtual classroom. I chanced upon the site while googling LB-based co facs (Mam Jean, Mam Fe, Sir Primo, Sir Luna and Sir Al) and the rest was history. I was glad enough to know that somebody cared enough to set it up for students and I simply picked up on it at time when I was almost giving up on the AA's. And so I think, that's what the site did for most of us members who care enough to connect with others at UPOU. Some may just drop by, some choose to stay, some lurk, still there are some who bother to share big chunks at one time and come back after a few months. But in moments these people are in this virtual tambayan, they bother to connect in their own special way.
At best, the site simply allows us to simply 'BE' as we continue to define our rules and create a culture we can claim as truly ours . With that comes looking at and questioning one's views in the light of others' views--be it crazy, warm, funny, green-ish, deep, weird, foolish, laughable, extreme...you name it. THAT, ultimately is being human the U.P. way! Care enough to join us?
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