<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" id="internal-source-marker_0.9845034423417603">Last
year I posted about a little known project that was started by Asia
Pacific College, one of our education partners, in which Education
Kindling played a very minor role. The project was conceptualized by
Director Dennis Reyes, Prof. Ray Baquirin and Managing Director Teresita
Medado. The project was funded by CHED (Commission of Higher Education)
with partnerships from 11 public High Schools and eKindling. </span><br><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I would describe how the whole thing started but it’s better that you hear it from Professor Ray Baquirin himself: </span><a href="http://slightlypre.posterous.com/muscovado-the-start-of-something-sweet"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">http://slightlypre.posterous.com/muscovado-the-start-of-something-sweet</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">As you can tell, even at its inception the goal is rooted in service. </span><br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ve
been fortunate enough to be one of the judges and had a look at the
projects first hand. I’m amazed at what the kids have accomplished for
very little time and guidance. The projects were done by high school
students (equivalent grade 7-10 in US) on their own, during after school
hours and in a span of about 6-7 months. College professors acted as
guides and mentors. Their main target audience are our pilot kids in
Lubang. </span><br><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br>
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">There
were projects that are clearly still in their rough stages but what a
great beginning! I am proud of how the high school students used their
creativity,logical thinking and independent thinking in creating
projects that try to engage 3rd and 4th graders to learn. They’ve mostly
used Scratch with one Etoys exception. One of the important things
about this endeavor is how it got those high school students to think
about the use of technology to develop applications/programs to benefit
someone else. Production rather than consumption. A far cry from my high
school days in the Philippines where word processing was considered
computer science. </span><br><br><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Thank you APC and Muscovado Team! <br>
<br>Project page: </span><a href="http://apc.edu.ph/muscovado_contest" target="_blank">http://apc.edu.ph/muscovado_contest</a><br><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br>
Grateful,<br>Cherry Withers<br><br></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span>