Thesis...Anti-thesis, and so I go on this way

And so, grades are done. I have emptied myself of all university work-related worries and I only have 2 weeks left for the month before my mind gets filled up again with: report cards for Builders School, TP& LP study I plan to do for my ThaiTESOL conference.

These 2 weeks I badly need to reformulate my  topic proposal. I am now back to rethinking about my original topic. Now if only I can get rid of these: anger towards my adviser who did not respond to my first few emails about my topic, and instead told me to go for eLearning Readiness only to say again the I can actually go for curriculum dev for the Open HS and...get rid of anger at myself for having such a muddled brain which can never work for a sustained, and focused study on this thing called thesis.
Thesis work entails a disciplined mind which practically goes against the fiber of how my brain is wired. But because I still believe in the power of the mind and rational thinking, it goes to show that I just need to rewire ME.

I need to find meaning in all these. So what's the plan, aLeTa?
Or what WAS the original plan? Listen here...

If I were to develop curriculum for OpenHS to cater to students coming from nontraditional schools (such as the Builders' School), I already have a layman's formula in mind. These are what I'd do:

A. A Critical Look at Current VHS
-look at  standards and best practices in Virtual HS programs abroad
-examine common issues and challenges in VHS programs
-examine the current state of OpenHS in the Philippines
-analyze gaps/areas of concern
-revisit aims, goals and objectives of OpenHS
-identify gaps and key areas of concern

B. A New Lens for VHS=the OHSP Kind
-reformulate aims and goals of OpenHS programs to be more inclusive of all types of HS learners (not just for students in extraneous circumstances)
-propose a curriculum framework for OpenHS curriculum grounded on a position of online learning  NOT as an alternative but as the norm
-design sample courses which integrates core skills based on learning presence:   learner self regulation and self efficacy skills, independent learning and collaborative learning skills and attitudes, principles of networked learning)
-mount sample courses in blended online platforms: asynchronous and synchronous platforms

C. Laying the Ground for Success
-recommend teacher training and staff development schemes grounded on the COI framework (Communities of Inquiry)
-propose  curriculum management (monitoring and supervision)schemes
-propose management and maintenance of  CMS--knowledge bank of resources for instruction in the subject areas

The above may be valid if this were up to me.

But since I am in this PhD mode, may as well theorize and do a thesis on this. I have a product and process in mind---how to get there using my thesis 2B?!? I can just do this on my own, but then I would be contradicting what I set myself out to do: to develop this curriculum scientifically and systematically because this is what it means to be part of the academe ergo a lover of research.

I need to make full use of my time whether I push for Plan A=stay in my home university or Plan B=go for a university in India.

So starting from scratch all over again, here goes:

Working Outline for Review of Lit:

I. ODeL and Virtual High School Programs

-definition
-current state, best practices and gains

II. Curriculum Issues in ODeL and  Virtual HS
-current issues and challenges
-current issues particularly related to curriculum development, implementation and management esp in developing countries

III. Research into Curriculum Development Models and Course Design  of VHS
-models which have worked
-conditions/context why models and designs work
-gaps in the models

-applicability in other contexts

IV. OHSP of the Philippines
-goals and aims
-needs and areas of concern;
-directions and gaps
-why a framework for curriculum development is needed

Aims:

• -to develop a framework for curriculum development of Open High School Programs (OHSP) in the Philippines
• -to design samples/models of online courses for students of OHSP
• -to draw out schemes to manage and monitor proposed curriculum for the OHSP

Research Questions:

• Which theory of curriculum development is best suited for Open High School Programs in the Philippines (OHSP)?
• Which existing model of curriculum in ODeL can be integrated into this theory of curriculum development for OHSP?
• What framework of curriculum development can be proposed for the OHSP?
• What sample online courses can be designed based on this framework for OHSP?
• What curriculum monitoring and supervision can be recommended for the OHSP?

With the above, I am only giving myself 1 month (January) to get myself out of this Anti-theses mode because clearly, I refuse to accept failure when I have not exhausted all possible means to make this f**king theses work. In the end, I cannot blame my adviser, nor the existing body of knowledge...I only have ME to deal with so I AM dealing with this shit, PHD (Piled Higher and Deeper).

Panel Says.....

So there I was feeling happier that I now have a set of focused research questions based on a topic suggested by my adviser. Prior to my topic defense, I submitted a draft to my adviser. In her opinion, I should be able to connect 2 topics--eLearning Readiness + Curriculum Dev framework. But after much brainstorming she suggested to focus on the basics which is  the eLearning Readiness. (See earlier blog with excerpts from my 10-page topic proposal)


Then came panel defense of my topic. General feedback are as follows:

Panel member 1=adviser:  I am still coming from the field of ODeL. My topic is framed according to ODeL. I must remove myself from UPOU=Open Unive and go back to the field of Curriculum Studies.

aleta's brain says: ok, perhaps I need 2 paragraphs devoted to the field of Curr Studies if embedded threads re Curr Studies in the paragraphs ain't enough.

Panel member 2=chair: He is seeing 4 themes and a bit confused whether I want to develop curriculum for OpenHS or not. He suggests that I redirect my theses towards: A Framework for Curriculum Development for Open HS programs. He wants me to go back to the basics which is to start with the Curr Dev instead of settling with eLearning Readiness

aleta's brain says: hmmm isn't eLearning Readiness the more basic step to take (or part of)  before getting into the whole cycle of CurrDev. And my questions never stated my research intends to dev curr right away for OpenHS...hence precisely it is about eLearning Readiness

Panel member 3=FIC: He was listening carefully and made mention of the works of SEAMEO Innotech project on eLearning modules.

aleta's brain says: Yes, I've seen that. In fact I'm looking for the process behind the product and how they  did their situational analysis before the modules and program were developed.


Clearly the panel is telling me, my current topic proposal is not there yet.

So how do I bend my brains to fit into their mould of how I should do my theses.  

Education, the UP kind,  is kinda tiring. It's an exercise of tolerance, humility, and patience.

A part of me feels frustrated because my first topic proposal was rejected--my panel says, it was into Social Studies and that there is no such thing as progressive education in the Philippines. Another one said that teachers are not curriculum designers.

Then this second topic which is into ODeL and not from my field of doctoral studies.

Looking back, I earned a Low Pass in my comprehensive examinations.

All the above are indicative of how my brains work:  I still draw a lot from my informal learning, on the job practices and prior experiences and hardly from my formal studies.

I guess Panel Says, that ain't acceptable....unless I leave Curr Studies, move on, start from scratch and get into ODeL.

The Wonders of Chatting with iPhone Siri=the Colleague Kind

The Wonders of Chatting with iPhone Siri=the Colleague kind

I was at UPLB GK for our usual onsite visit to have students get the feel of the place, what they're getting into and why CWTS, though a non acad course, is just as serious as any academic course. I'm not going to rattle about CWTS and instead try to remember what triggered thoughts and this good e-Xchange with Roel, a colleague I shall put in the ranks of my PhD support group, where I already have Sol, Peter and Kalyan. slotted in there somewhere.  Sol=drawing board, who is there to draw and write neatly on a clean white sheet my thoughts therefore showing the direction of my ever ADHD thoughts. Peter=cheering squad. I turn to him over chat so I can be reminded that this PhD is a step at the right direction, a means to maintain a university career which allows me (and will allow me to achieve other dreams). Kalyan=painting. He reminds me of my Agra trip to the Taj Mahal and that it can happen again as long as I will it to be because such is the power of the mind.  I shall take a closer view of the Taj Mahal, this time with my daughter, like a midway reward once I get my theses outline approved. Roel=my academic sounding board, over chat and tidbits whenever I get a chance to pick his brains F2F.

So what triggered for me to finally put into asking Roel, the iPhone Siri colleague, missing pieces in this conceptualization called theses to finally wrestle with the thought that my ANTI-theses shall lose this battle. GK Site at UPLB is a community of  urban poor resettlers. The place is surrounded by trees and at the hilly side of UPLB. Its air is fresh hence it no longer reminds its resettlers that they are urbanly poor. Instead, the multicolored row of houses remind them than they can choose to be better, when given the chance to make ends meet. External assistance is well received because having a new home (initially given), taking responsibility for its maintenance and eventual land ownership will be their counterpart. In the end, they return to themselves.  The whole idea is novel and good. The community however, may still be struggling in some areas of their lives, hence there is still a sense that they are not living the lives of middle class=the new poor (lol).

The narrow paths (not exactly concrete roads) from the back entrance leading to the Sibol daycare, are proportional to the narrow spaces they have within their households. The stay at home working females were sorting/packing collected bottles for reselling. A few houses have small stores and carinderia to make ends meet. In one store, you find 3-female umpukan around a tablet playing a music video of Taylor Swift.

This could be classic image plus a hundred others, of areas where I would like my  instrument for readiness to be used. But I am confused...readiness for eLearning, online learning or ODeL?  My initial thoughts were school community readiness because one cannot take curriculum planning and implementation of distance learning in isolation. School community=local barangay/community settlement, households, the school which may run center-based/school-based ed programs and NGO's or the parish running a community/home-based programs. Should my instrument be just about assessing readiness for elearning? It needs additional components to accommodate realities of the Filipino child learner and the kind/phase of society he/she is in. The instrument should not marginalize but as I've phrased earlier, empowering....

I caught Roel as green light at my chatbox=CAN be interrupted, in the same way that I know,   Sol, Peter and Kalyan are at different times of the week.

5:14 PM me: hi roel

pwede ako mag consult

re terms of usage

sa distance learning

Roel: hi ma'am.

5:15 PM ok

sa abot ng makakaya ko po.

me: online learning vs. elearning vs open and distance elearning

5:16 PM online learning prang nasa instructional level

ang elearning parang ewan at ang isa parang mas ewan

ano ba ang mga kaibahan

5:17 PM Roel: sa nababasa ko ma'am sa literature ang "online learning" at "elearning" ay synonymous.

mas popular lang ang elearning sa mga educational consultancies kaysa sa online learning na mas neutral.

me: okie gets ko rin yun kase nag google ako

5:18 PM masmarami ako nakukuhang articles re elearning related to readiness vs online

Roel: ang open and distance learning ay mas malawak dahil puwedeng print ang delivery o broadcast.

me: parang mas gusto ko yun sa study ko itong ODeL

5:19 PM School Readiness for ODeL

kase hmmm

ayokong isiping laos ang correspondence mode

nakapaloob ba yun sa ODeL

Roel: icorrect ko sarili ko sa elearning dahil iyong nga palang isang respected na journal na nagsara na ang pangalan ay elearning papers.

5:20 PM correspondence ay nakapaloob sa ODeL

me: is a correspondence mode a necessary phase to get to the elearning mode

5:21 PM for some communities

school communities

yung shifting nila bale

5:22 PM Roel: historical ang categories of delivery.

me: can that be applicable to what some societies may possibly go thru

5:23 PM Roel: may paper na nag-aasociate ng mga delivery modes na ito sa DE stage (hindi ito ang term)

Depende sa infrastructure ng bansa.

me: oonga eh

Roel: Puwede namang mag-leapfrog kung lumakas ang infra.

Karamihan sa studies diyan sa Africa.

me: talga

Roel: Kaya may mga nagleapfrog sa mobile learning.

5:24 PM me: nag leapfrog

wow

Roel: dahil sa penetration ng mobile.

me: yun ang sabi ng favorite teacher ko noon

Roel: mahal kasi ang wired net infrastructure.

me: hehe the future of educ is in the mobile phone

mga 2005 nya ata sinabi yun

Roel: tablet na ngayon hehe

5:25 PM lumaki na ang smarphone.

me: well iniisip ko lang kase if I go for School Readiness for eLearning surely

meron mamamarginalize sa study ko

5:26 PM kaso baka kelangan ko yun to limit the scope of my study

Roel: malamang oo dahil sa client equipment magkakatalo.

me: its like saying a big portion of our schools can never be ready if it is elearning lang

Roel: kung sa labanan ng terminology baka mas mabuting sundan ang related lit mo.

5:27 PM me: ang exisitng models kase for readiness nasa

area ng elearning eh

not for ex; open and distance elearning or open schooling

Roel: pero kung may grant ang study mo de ikaw ang magpoprovide ng laptop at net connection :)

5:28 PM me: but how sustainable is that diba

Roel: siguro dahil malaki ang component ng ict readiness (nanghuhula lang)

me: oo

yan kase mga nababasa ko

school and technology readiness

Roel: oo, mga 2 years lang junk na makina.

me: so baka mag end up ang study ko with ICT enabled schools

5:29 PM lang

well unless

5:30 PM gagamit ako ng instrument based on existing models

Roel: malamang, wala akong makitang point sa pagpapadala ng research instrument sa isang barrio school na walang kuryente.

me: patatakbuhin ko sa ibat ibang set ups

lalabas may ku;lang sa existing instrument

5:31 PM and therefore when i draw out a framework for readness

it should be inclusive of all those

ginagawa kitang sounding board

haha

Roel: ok lang.

5:32 PM me: so kaya nga

kung ang readiness ko is for ODEL ibig sabihin

pwede ko dalhin sa baryo

Roel: puwede laluna kung may katulad noong radio school na combination ng two way radio at print.

me: kaso ang lawak pala

5:33 PM tipong kase anong tawag dun

dapat may consideration of

school communities in the context of a country

with a dgi dvide

5:34 PM and yung parang anong tawag dun sa societies

ibat ibang uri ng society tayo

Roel: yup, isa sa objectives ng ODEL ang pag-reach sa marginalised sector.

Nasa isang UNESCO statement yata iyon na ginawa sa France.

5:35 PM me: i am missing a term to describe _________societies

Roel: multi ethnic? multi cultural?

5:36 PM class society?

me: hmmm...teka baka laos ito

Roel: underdeveloped?

me: ex traditional, feudal capitalist

kaso ngayon parang we have allthose

5:37 PM at one given time

economic-anthro term siguro

naguguluhan ka na sa kin?

gets mo ba sinasabi ko?

5:38 PM Roel: ang unawa ko ay parang quilt ang lipunan natin, may namumuhay sa 1500, 1800, 1950 at 2012.

me: yun yun yon

5:39 PM may perspective ba na ganoon?

valid ba yun?

Roel: Dito sa amin, urbanised na pero may sitio na walng ilaw dahil sa iyong lupa ay hacienda na tinatangkang i CARP.

5:40 PM me: baka pwede i tweak means of production ergo the means through which we produce knowledge

Roel: sa development economics may mga terms sila. Di ko lang matandaan.

me: yun nga diba

a framework of whatever is always grounded on one's view of society

5:41 PM diba?

Roel: fragmented digital divide

me: school community is part of that society

5:42 PM and therefore

pagkatapos ng ganuung pagsusuri

ano ang ibig sabihin ng ODEL sa atin

at bakit di sapat ang elearning lamang

5:43 PM ang modelo ng readiness

Roel: tama, paano masusukat ang readiness kung walang kuryente?

me: oo

ang readiness ba batay sa

Roel: kung may ibang paraan ng delivery, may iba ring measure ng readiness.

me: kuryente at ICT

di pwede

oo

dapat may ganung sensitivity at inclusivity

5:44 PM otherwise

its like any other instrument bound to measure what is obvious

Roel: do kung print ang delivery, ano ang readiness variables.

me: 0 na tayo simula palang

readiness variables

5:45 PM how is that diff from from factors?

Roel: pero iyong nga ang exciting, kung may instrument na kayang mag differentiate ng target learners.

kapag category A, print ka muna.

me: yun nga

Roel: kapag category B, radio ka muna.

me: yun yon gusto ko

Roel: kapag category C, broadcast etc.

5:46 PM me: or okie lang talga kung dun ka magsisimula

Roel: magdevelop ng indices tungkol sa locality ng targtet.

me: o kung yun ang kaya mo

and that is not necessarily being less ready

Roel: o geomap ng bansa. color coded.

me: you are just ready for something else

Roel: mga area na pang print lang.

mga area na pang broadcast.

5:47 PM GIS ang kailangan.

me: pwede ba yun

?

i mean

Roel: oo, magandang tool for planning iyon.

me: can it all exist simultaneously

kaya mahalaga ang readiness din ng family as part of school community

kase andun minsan ang resources

5:48 PM esp kapag OFW

nagpapadala

ng gadget

Roel: another map.

me: sa kamag anak

Roel: o layer ng map.

me: kakatawa kanina naisip ko yun

kase nasa GK UPLB ako

site visit namin

sa cwts

Roel: kung descriptive lang. pero may prescriptive ba na itaas ang isang area to another.

5:49 PM me: medyo urban rural ang dating

i mean

rural urban poor

kakalito yun tapos

may tablet nanood kay taylor swift

Roel: haha

5:50 PM me: tekah binabalikan ko itong tanong mo

descriptive prescriptive

5:51 PM Roel: kung descriptive sasabihin ng instrument na ito ang readiness ngayon. kung prescriptive ano ang gagawin para umabot sa ibang kategoriya ng readiness (nasa labas na ito ng study pero iniisip ko lang)

5:52 PM me: yun ang gusto ko ensakly

kaso i want to veer away

from a framwork which shows parang a ladder

and at the top is elearning

parang thats the one to aim for

5:53 PM ba lagi?

how is a model different from a framework?

5:54 PM Roel: pagkakaunawa ko a model is an abstraction of a system. Is a framework a construct?

5:55 PM iyong tungkol sa elearning reminds me of the progressive era noong prewar kung saan ang development ay nakafocus sa industrialisation.

me: oo

Roel: parang nasa ganoong sitwasyon tayo sa ODL kung saan ang elearning ang direksiyon.

5:56 PM kahit yata magisip ng ibang klaseng network disruptive ang ict eh.

5:57 PM me: is disruptive tech

used na parang its progressive

5:58 PM Roel: pero sa aking, use what works. May sampalataya pa rin ako sa broadcast radio at print lalo na sa malayong lugar.

me: yun

kaninong work ang kelangan kong basahin

sa ganung pagtinging

Roel: disruptive in the sense na kung may alternative network sa isang locality kung saan natututo tao pag pumasok ang tech nagiging individualist ang tao at nawawala ang community.

me: dapat may ganun tayong appreciation kse

5:59 PM kaso sa pinoy kase

ang tech gamit collaborative kase

Roel: hindi ko masabi ngayon kung aling libro, pero malamang mga studies mula india, china, at africa.

me: lagi kulang at may need to share in order to survive

6:00 PM Roel: baka mayroon sa irrodl at eurodl journals.

me: ang dami kong kelangan basahin pero ito kase yung

area na

dapat kong palawigin kse

that instrument for readiness

has to have a base

diba

6:01 PM otherwise its just like anything out there

6:02 PM o sige

salamat

baka ma overwhelm ako

ilalagay ko ito sa blog ko

hehehe

roel=iphone siri

haha

if only siri can process the way you do

hahaha

6:03 PM funny yun

tumawa ka

Roel: http://wikieducator.org/images/3/30/PID_641.pdf

6:04 PM lol

LOL

6:05 PM me: uy salamat

baka di lang ito ang huling time

na kukulitin kita

Roel: ust yata may ganitong perspective sa DL para sa marginalised see http://www.fit-ed.org/congress2006/Distance%20Education%20for%20Marginalized%20Communities%20%28Cruz%29.pdf

6:07 PM me: zalamat. binbabasa ko kase din yung webpage ng national institute of open schooling sa india

ang india kase malinaw

kung nasaan sila

and they are not always looking towards the west

6:08 PM Roel: right. pero at the same time napakalaki ng marginalised sector nila kaya hindi matatago.

o hindi makakalimutan.

me: in other words gusto ko rin pala ng instrument na pwedeng gamiting ng mga ngo's esp community based educ programs nila

6:09 PM Roel: puwede nilang dalhin sa service area nila tapos makatulong sa needs assessment kung anong ODL bagay doon.

me: tekah di na ata yun school

kaya gusto ko school community

Roel: paaralan ng kalye.

me: baka sakalin ako ng adviser ko

hahanapan na naman nya ko

ng malinaw na

Roel: har har.

me: curriculum studies area ito

6:10 PM Roel: formal ed talaga ha.

6:11 PM me: hmmm. anyways...2 itong readings na binigay mo ano?

Roel: nagoogle ko lang.

6:12 PM me: ano ginamit mong search terms

Roel: broadcast print marginalised distance learning

6:13 PM me: okies. ito na muna. maloloka na ko

di pa nga mismong kalagitnaan ng theses eh

6:14 PM Roel: ok. tumining sana ang conceptualisation.

me: tumining...nice word. im so not that. haha

6:15 PM bye po!

Roel: bye.