What the UPOU Community Site Is All About

Written by Al-Francis D. Librero Wednesday, 02 July 2008 22:30

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Operating under this paradigm, no other constituent unit has embraced the World Wide Web like the UP Open University. Armed with an online learning management system, the need for classroom sessions became even less necessary as it has proven to be effective enough in deploying courses with little or no sacrifice to the quality of education. It is now even more likely to have a student finish a degree without ever seeing any of his or her classmates.

As much of a milestone this may be, I do recognize an issue here. In my opinion, being a true UP student goes beyond just the academics -- the discussions, exams, papers and projects. When a student leaves a classroom, he or she continues to go about his life... among fellow students. Whether it be 15 minutes or the rest of the day, these interactions become a crucial element in the perpetual shaping of a student's character. In my personal experience, this is a huge factor in a student's decision to join an organization or embrace an ideology. At the very least, the UP student is exposed to this diverse social environment just by being there among colleagues and I do not know how many other universities encourage such freedom to do so more then UP. For better or worse I strongly believe this is one of the things that help set UP students apart from the others. Some people may disagree, but in my part, the bottomline is that I would not love UP as much as I do just because of my studies.

Holding on to this belief, I have seen a bit of a problem in UPOU: distance learning and the Internet has made it possible for students to never experience these close interactions. Call it a digital divide of a different sort, if you may.

I have thought of this issue long before I received my appointment as a faculty. As powerful as a learning management system is (whether it be Moodle or the older IVLE), it's just not supposed to handle extra-curricular activity. The UPOU website is only allowed to include content officially sanctioned by the university officials. For some students, these may be all they need. But I am sure the rest are visualizing this gaping hole these systems are unable to fill. This is where the UPOU Community Site comes in.

This piece of virtual real estate aims to cater to the need for people in UPOU to interact with one another beyond the academics -- a site where students can get to know their classmates better, a site where alumni can keep in touch, a site where faculty and staff can interact with everyone else in a more informal manner.

The UPOU Community Site can never really replicate the up-close interaction as experienced in the other constituent units. But for us, this may as well be the next best thing.

aleta

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Jan 15 2009 02:43:30 This piece of virtual real estate aims to cater to the need for people in UPOU to interact with one another beyond the academics -- a site where students can get to know their classmates better, a site where alumni can keep in touch, a site where faculty and staff can interact with everyone else in a more informal manner. Why am I still here and not somewhere else? At first it was really just out of curiosity, boredom, a break from multiply, and love of nothing. Then I thought it was just because of the AA's. After all, the site has much potential in terms of meeting my purposes for the program. As FEd faculty, I can choose to simplify my life by just moodling or by merely doing the admin stuff and paperwork expected of me. However, coming from years of doing hands on work with children in progressive schools and communities, I have always believed in taking concrete steps to know my learners and their needs...and perhaps to do what I can cuz that's what I'm paid to do. Surprisingly, in this site, I get to do more: to simply BE, pick people's brains, play hopscotch, make others laugh, get senti... who knows what other surprises will come my way. This site does fill my basic human needs: to wonder, learn, care, connect, dream ...and of course, have fun, but still within the safety of other people who are just as willing to take chances with me.

#1876

tupaz_09

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Jan 28 2009 05:42:38 It's a gentle companion in the middle of the night to veer in the wee hours of the dawn trying to hold back the time to beat schedules for submissions. Tinkering the computer keys, competes the earshot, fading noise that makes me hear the empty air. With matching TV SHOW minus the sound makes me hear the sweet irritating sound that hails from the sleeping souls vying time in bed to get ready for school. Patience, Oh my left eye, one more hour and I'll get by.

#2166

tupaz_09

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Apr 19 2009 19:17:34 [file] aleta wrote: [quote]This piece of virtual real estate aims to cater to the need for people in UPOU to interact with one another beyond the academics -- a site where students can get to know their classmates better, a site where alumni can keep in touch, a site where faculty and staff can interact with everyone else in a more informal manner. Why am I still here and not somewhere else? At first it was really just out of curiosity, boredom, a break from multiply, and love of nothing. Then I thought it was just because of the AA's. After all, the site has much potential in terms of meeting my purposes for the program. As FEd faculty, I can choose to simplify my life by just moodling or by merely doing the admin stuff and paperwork expected of me. However, coming from years of doing hands on work with children in progressive schools and communities, I have always believed in taking concrete steps to know my learners and their needs...and perhaps to do what I can cuz that's what I'm paid to do. Surprisingly, in this site, I get to do more: to simply BE, pick people's brains, play hopscotch, make others laugh, get senti... who knows what other surprises will come my way. This site does fill my basic human needs: to wonder, learn, care, connect, dream ...and of course, have fun, [file] quote]

#3293

bgomez

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Apr 19 2009 20:10:04 I'd say this is THE website where all the magic happens. I'm glad that I'm a part of it and I continue to work with the community of scholars to make UPOU a better place. Naks! LOL!

#3294

aleta

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Apr 28 2009 07:26:14 Finally, I dared to twitter. I did enjoy it for what it is but there's nothing like a community site where I get to tickle different parts of my brain. So glad that we're back. Am I the only who missed the site or what?

#3304

iyen

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Apr 28 2009 16:59:33 Ako, namiss ko ang site at kayong lahat

#3309

tongkakoii

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Apr 28 2009 20:05:38 Namiss ko rin to. Buti na lang bumalik na ulit. Ewan ko kung kailan ako makakalog-in dito pag nasa China na ako.

#3313

bgomez

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Apr 29 2009 10:35:10 finally! the Comm site is back! miss you guys!

#3314

aleta

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Oct 28 2009 05:04:41 Uuuuuyyy.... si Blaise blooming! Blooming ka na nga dito sa profile pic mo. Tapos kanina sa LC... Ahm, napansin nyo ba na may "Tambayan ng Bayan" o UPOU Community sa loob ng Moodle natin...na iba pa sa site na ito? E sabi agad dun, "Please observe netiquette." So ninerbyos ako, kaya di ako makaisip ng maaring i-post. Parang pwede ba akong magtanong dun ng "What's your Shampoo brand?" o "Anong nasa desktop background mo?". Parang siguro, mahuhusgahan akong bobang propesora. E tunay naman na tanong yung tanong ko kase sumasagot kayong tunay diba? Subukan nyo nga kaya magpost dun? Kase kung di kayo mauuna, baka ma-tempt akong subukan kase trip lang tapos titignan ko lang kung paano kakagat ang mga tao sa tanong ko: "Naniniwala ba kayo sa multo?" Pwede kaya ghost name para hindi halata na ako ang nagtanong? So what will be the difference between that site and this? And who created that site, btw?

#4891

jaimee.cruz

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Nov 25 2009 00:33:57 hi, prof v, i was also wondering about that community site link in Moodle. I was always checking it and then realized that the active one's here, nagtataka pa ako kung bakit walang naguusap doon not sure what they meant about netiquette, wala po atang set ng rules na nakaindicate on how to ago about the forums. pero sayang din kasi nagmumukhang walang interaction mga tao dun. senxa na kung nakikidaldal ako, im pretty new here, excited makipag-interact after the assembly

#5831

aLeTa

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Nov 25 2009 00:41:01 @ Jaimee Akala ko ako lang nakapansin ng ganung dating. May ibang dating kase sa kin ang rule na yun e. At kase rin parang masyadong malapit sa classroom ang tambayan...parang bawal ang maingay. Parang may nilagay na tambayan tapos may sign na "Bawal ang graffiti dito" E masaya ang isang graffiti wall diba.

#5833

bgomez

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Nov 25 2009 01:03:58 haha. I don't know but for me the only rule in this comm site is you should have fun. ^_^ That's what makes this comm site very dear to me.

#5836

jaimee.cruz

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Nov 25 2009 01:06:12 @Prof V, yes, it defeated the purpose of it. I was elated to learn that this site we're on now actually existed. I was very disappointed before when i thought that that was the only official community site, and no one bothered to even post anything, let alone an introduction or set of rules to follow we can't even tell who the supposed moderator was. regarding what netiquette means, here's what i found: www.dtcc.edu/cs/rfc1855.html it's a lot to read, maybe I'll stick to this site nalng

#5837

jidao

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Nov 25 2009 01:15:49 netiquette is like etiquette lang naman sa non-cyber world, you don't really need to see it as a rule system. Jaimee, you're doing good sa mga posts mo, may netiquette ka naman. You don't WRITE IN ALL CAPS, or curse, or flood. So netiquette na 'yun. (sandali baka reresbak ang moderator, hehehe) ^_^

#5838

aLeTa

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Nov 25 2009 01:22:27 Quick feedback nga ulit...well I remember asking Dave one time how I was in my postings and he was honest enough to tell. What's a flood-er and am I one? But wait...well, I should not be even quick to judge. Perhaps, it's there for research? It could be an offshoot of a committee I was supposed to attend one time.

#5839

bgomez

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Nov 25 2009 01:33:57 aLeTa wrote: What's a flood-er and am I one? Prof V. A flooder is someone who posts useless stuff in a forum parang they vandalize the forum walls with their posts. You're not one of those ^_^

#5840

Mobi

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Nov 25 2009 02:13:00 Wow..ngayon lang ulit ako nakapaglog in..hehe.. I agree.. nakakamiss tong site.. yung mga rules for me ay aus lang..hehe.. basta walang magaaway o makakasakit ng emotions, ok lang debate sa isang particular topic..as long as may respeto pa rin sa isa't isa at walang tinatapakan..

#5841

jidao

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Nov 25 2009 12:18:14 早安! Sabi nga naman ni Prof V, PLUR Babyyyy... Peace, Love, Unity and Respect ^_^

#5861

aLeTa

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Nov 25 2009 20:01:48 jidao wrote: 早安! Sabi nga naman ni Prof V, PLUR Babyyyy... Peace, Love, Unity and Respect ^_^ Dude...did you hear me say that "Babyyy..." Hmmm like when?! Well, I can be anti-PLUR at times. At any rate, great to have new people around here. It's like a noisy tambayan at night anoh. Can't have that within the U.P. campus. So the Comm site becomes some kind of LB square at night.

#5862

jidao

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Nov 25 2009 22:26:44 Hahahah agree sa noisy tambayan. Kulit! PS I just added the Babyyyy hehehe. Ba't ka naman nagiging anti-PLUR?

#5871

jaimee.cruz

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Nov 26 2009 05:09:31 @jidao, thanks, kakabawas ng kapraningan sayang lang kasi, someone's oughta start spreading PLUR sa Moodle Community Site kaya lang nagkakahiyaan ata kasi nga wala man lang post ung mismong supposed moderator

#5896

Al Librero

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Nov 26 2009 06:04:31 I guess 5 kami na puwedeng tawaging moderator dun... Kaso ako man walang idea kung sino naglagay nun.

#5901

mahal

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Nov 28 2009 06:23:01 May "Forum Rules. Please Read.." din kaya dito c sir Al. Under Rules and Guidelines pa. Parang nagsasabing umayos ka.. kaya nga ngayon lng ako nagpost..months ko muna pinag-isipan peace! Pero masaya pla d2.. Daming tao..

#5966

aLeTa

Re:What the UPOU Community Site Is All About Nov 28 2009 11:46:20 mahal wrote: May "Forum Rules. Please Read.." din kaya dito c sir Al. Under Rules and Guidelines pa. Parang nagsasabing umayos ka.. kaya nga ngayon lng ako nagpost..months ko muna pinag-isipan peace! Pero masaya pla d2.. Daming tao.. Ako man nagbasa ng rules kaso mahina ako sa rules e. So testing testing ako...walang nagrereport sa moderator naman. Tapos nagtanong din ako sa 2-3 members kung kumusta mga postings ko kaya hayun...pero paminsan talagang nasubukan ang aming samahan dito. As in....pero lalong nangibabaw ang pagka-UP ng mga tao dito. Kelangan good sport at matutong sumakay sa mga usapan. Pansin ko lang, hmmm, kailangan mas mangahas(=take risks) pa kayong magsimula ng thread. Pakita nyo talino nyo at kakulitan nyo

#5968