Technology in the Philippines
Walking along the dirty streets, listening to the constant ramble of public transportation muddled with the now not so foreign language being spoken all around me. Two years in the Philippines. I reflect a lot on the time I spent among those people. When I received the assignment for the argumentative essay, I knew I wanted to write an argument that had a focus on technology in the Philippines. My own personal experiences in the culture showed me what country wide poverty really looked like. Still, there are some technologies that are general throughout the population. I was surprised how many of these destitute families owned cell phones, cheap though they were, purchasing and loaded text as needed. Even more surprising to me at the time was the sheer number of computer savvy people I saw. While very few Filipinos can afford any kind of computer of their own, there is an abundance of Internet cafés available to the public. Even in many of the most remote locations I visited I was able to find at least one place providing internet access at very low hourly rates for an American.
The initial question I came to then was to ask how Filipinos are using this powerful interconnecting resource to improve conditions in their country. It made me wonder particularly about its effect on their educational and political spheres. To narrow it down I chose the educational aspect. So my argument had a starting point. I wanted to know about how Filipinos use online resources to improve education in the Philippines.
I have been inside some of their schools before, but I was lacking in information on just how much online technology is being offered and how much is used. I searched for online education in the Philippines and found that there are Filipino universities with online classes. The University of the Philippines Open University, or UPOU, is one school offering its online educational resources and degree options to its people. One surprising concession about education in the Philippines is given directly in this university’s website. “It is common knowledge that the country’s educational system is facing a host of challenges. High population growth, limited school capacity, poverty and other factors have led to high student dropout rates” (Garcia 1). The site also offers some of their successes on this issue and hopes for the future. “We have seen how advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs) had fuelled interest in the application of technology to improve access to education and enhance teaching and learning” (Garcia 2).
Next I wanted to know what kind of assistance the Philippines was receiving from foreign sources. I was directed to the Intel website where I found information on Intel providing resources to improve education in the Philippines. “Each year Intel invests USD 100 million to help teachers teach, students learn and universities around the world innovate-particularly in the areas of math, science and technology.” (Intel 1) Intel also provides support for educating teachers how to use technology in the classroom. “For a decade, the Intel® Teach Program has been helping K–12 teachers to be more effective educators by training them on how to integrate technology into their lessons, promoting problem solving, critical thinking and collaboration skills among their students.”
There are great things happening in the Philippines. I was able to find information on a one laptop per child program being piloted in the Philippines. One hundred laptop computers were provided to two k-12 schools on the island of Lubang, Occidental Mindoro. Besides benefiting these children, one article gave other possible benefits. “Another good part is the parents will also learn how to use the technology because these pupils can bring these laptops to their homes” (Rufino 1)
Perhaps the biggest issue for a financially struggling Filipino family or individual is primarily the cost of a higher education, and second, the availability of employment. It is just as common for an average Filipino to take up work in public transportation (another very saturated career) or become some sort of street vendor as to consider any kind of educational degree. In a society where borrowing rice to feed the family for another day is normal, it is understandable why the last thought in their mind would be considering paying for education, however cheap. That is why programs like the one laptop per child might give the upcoming generations a jumpstart and some provision for future graduation from a college or university.
As yet however, it is difficult to identify any real country wide effects from the efforts being made to improve education in the Philippines through technology. Often educationally successful Filipinos will look for work abroad simply because the ratio of pay between their own country and another’s is usually vastly polarized. Another avenue of research that I could research is to consider what study abroad programs are available. There is always the counterargument that there may be financially successful Filipinos who never got a higher education. What vocational careers are available without the need of a formal education? Obviously there are some questions that I have yet to answer. In conclusion, my thesis will be something to the effect of “How Are Filipinos Using the Internet in Education to Improve Conditions in the country?” In consideration of all of the research that I have done so far, this seems to be a logical supportable argument.
UPOP: University of the Philippines Open University. University of the Philippines, 29 Mar. 2011. Web. 18, Nov. 2011
UPOU web site: http://www2.upou.edu.ph/
(Garcia 1 Par. 1) (Garcia 2 Par. 10) Garcia, Primo “UPOU tackles overlooked sectors in education in new bachelor’s program” UPOU. University of the Philippines, 25 Oct. 2011. Web. 18 Nov. 2011
(Intel 1) “Intel® Education Initiative, Philippines” Intel. Intel, Nov. 2011. Web. 18 Nov. 2011
(Rufino 1) Rufino, Pia “‘Laptop per child’ programme pilots in The Philippines” Asia pacific FutureGov, 14 Dec. 2010. Web. 18 Nov. 2011
http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2010/dec/14/laptop-child-programme-pilots-philippines/
No comments:
Post a Comment