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?
