KNFOSSociety joins Software Freedom Day ’11

Software Freedom Day (SFD) is an annual worldwide celebration of free and open source. SFD 2011 was celebrated with a team of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) students and Koronadal National Comprehensive High School (KNCHS) vocational teachers great zeal to reach out and unite with the global ICT community and SFD’s main advocacies on the 21st of September this year (2011).

Following the steps of KNFOSSociety ’09- vied one of the three “highly recommended entries” out of the more than 1,000 teams worldwide for Best Software Freedom Day (SFD) EventCompetition, this time was a bigger celebration. It was celebrated in two places- San Vicente National High School in Banga, and in Esperanza National High School by two groups- the 4^th year and 2^nd year DOST students reaching out and  advocating the campaign and promotion of FOSS, the group was officially recognized by the Software Freedom International as part of this year’s global SFD teams.

The tour was led by 32 seniors and 36 sophomores KNFOSSociety members and four teachers. The group was then divided into two groups, the 4^th year group will handle the 3^rd and 4^th year students while the 2^nd year group handles the 1^st and  2^nd year students. Each group introduced FOSS to more than 250 high school students through orientations, demonstrations and presentations on various open source applications.

Speed-geeking sessions was then held on GIMP, Scribus, Inkscape and other common open source education and entertainment software.

KNFOSSociety Adviser Latreia Estabillo opens the session by giving an introductory talk about Free and Open Source Software to the students at San Vicente High School.

The seniors and sophomores presented the meaning of FOSS to different groups, different venues.

Getting to know different open source programs through speedgeeking sessions

Maam Lati giving prizes to the winners of the trivias givenThe prime movers of SFD 2011

 

The prime movers of SFD 2011

GETTING READY FOR SFD 2011

The month of September is when Software Freedom Day (SFD) is celebrated all over the world. This is a global, grassroots effort to educate the public about the importance of software freedom and the virtues and availability of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).

The involvement of Team KNFOSSociety in 2009 who made it to the top three of the most commended entry, encouraged the present batch to do better each year.

To keep the FOSS spirit alive, KNCHS Fossociety under the Vocational Department will be participating in this year’s Software Freedom Day competition.

We’ve designed a series of events that will highlight FOSS as well as encourage active participation to those involved:

September 14 – Internet Awareness and Security, with Pidgin hands-on session

• Selected ICT DOST students
• Resource speaker: Philippine News Agency
• Venue: Computer Laboratory, 1-4pm

September 21- KNFossociety on Tour, whole day

• The DOST 4^th year- ICT students will be visiting two schools and hold an orientation and demonstration forum. Two schools are targeted: San Vicente National High School, Concepcion National High School and San Vicente National High School
• The DOST 2^nd year ICT students, for the first time will join in the tour series of events. Target school is Esperanza National High School.
• Expected give-aways and prizes: cd’s and SFD stickers

September 29 – Multimedia Tools for teaching

• Expected participants are selected KNCHS teachers and invited teachers from other schools
• Teachers will be having hands-on sessions on the creation of presentations and videos with web-based activities

With the support of the school principal, Mr. Fernando Hilomen, our SFD 2011 will surely be another FOSS hit.

 

KNCHS COMPUTERIZATION PROGRAM REPORT

(by Latreia Empleo- Estabillo)

In the past fifty years, especially, technology has made information, once a scarce resource, abundant. With computers and Internet technologies in particular, more people can now have access to more information more quickly than ever before.

Educational institutions acknowledge that they must move apace with the technology driven changes in society and economy. In today’s knowledge society, not only must schools ensure that learners possess the competencies to wield these new information and communication tools productively, they must equip learners with the critical and analytic tools necessary to live and flourish in an information-saturated environment.

Computer Education means gaining a thorough education in the use of computer technologies that affect us in all aspects of our daily life. Students are given the hands-on computer experience, knowledge, and skills that can qualify graduates for careers in business, education, commerce, mechanics, technology, healthcare, and nearly every other field.

BACKGROUND

Bringing the latest technologies for improving education is an important goal for Koronadal National Comprehensive High School.

In 2002 and 2006, the school received from the Department of Trade and Industry the PCPS for Public Schools Project, Phase 1 with 20 units and Phase 2 with 10 units.

The curriculum being followed for the computer program is based on the Career Pathways Technology and Livelihood Education (CP-TLE) Program.

Mrs. Latreia Estabillo, the school’s designated ICT Coordinator, introduced the use of free and open source software which has proven to be cost-effective and rewarding tool as it provides varied programs that comes expensive if paid for. The school saved in terms of costs in services, product acquisition and licensing and with it, it offers stability, reliability with flexibility and support.

PHYSICAL FACILITIES

1.      In 2007, two laboratories were formally created. The first laboratory runs Windows operating systems and applications while the other laboratory runs Ubuntu, a linux operating system with open source applications. The computer laboratories at the moment houses 37 computers, all are networked and provided with internet connectivity funded by the Deped Internet Connectivity Project. Operating systems were upgraded as well as peripherals used.

2.  The wireless connection service offered made surfing the net more accessible to teacher and students with portable devices.

Teachers and students were able to work on their research and other school works even outside their classrooms with the help of free wireless internet connection service.

3.      Additional audiovisual, multimedia materials and equipment helped increased the level of awareness and enhancement for teaching and learning ICT experiences. Some “in-house” materials created by students were uploaded on the internet for public sharing.

With the help of technology, realistic visual aids/ illustrations were provided for students to help enhance learning experiences in the different areas of TLE subject.

4. Through the local funding for DOST classes, the school library was equipped with three complete set of computers, networked and provided with internet connectivity running Ubuntu, a leading open source program. These were maintained by DOST ICT class as part of their project.

DOST students make use of computers provided in the library for their research and other school tasks.

5.      Computers we also used for administrative and management tasks. The teachers of the Vocational Department found the use of the technology helpful to their teaching as it enables them to seek more resources over the internet.

Internet connection was provided in the Vocational Office to encourage Vocational teachers to seek available resources online.

ICT PROJECTS/ACTIVITIES

ICT students (KNFOSSociety) embark every year on doing FOSS-related activities during the Software Freedom Day (SFD) every September  for the last four years. These activities were noticed by an international group, Software Freedom International based in USA, and gave recognition to the group and school and helped open doors of opportunity for the teachers and students involved to be part of the community that supports the program/curriculum of schools. The school’s entry made it to the top 6 and is one of the Highly Commended Entry, tying with entries from India and Trinidad and Tobago and besting 700 entries in over 50 countries.

The KNFOSSociety SFD Team 2009

Still on the path of building bridges and connection through skills sharing sessions in other public schools, KNCHS ICT students relate to other students the value of using licensed programs and its legal alternative.

KNFOSSociety showing how open source can benefit the students of Bacongco National High School.

Students of Saravia National High School saw the beauty and fun of using open source as shown by the KNFOSSociety.

Basic installation, computer troubleshooting and maintenance, networking activities, audio-video and photo editing sessions were developed for ICT students to instil the value of careful handling and accurate assessment of computers, portable devices, and different programs.

ICT students getting a hang of crimping network cables.

Recycling can be fun!

GIMPing is so much fun! Here's some sample...

Teacher training-workshop on creating multimedia materials was held during the MPRE week.

Mrs. Latreia Estabillo talked about varied ways of creating multimedia materials both from online and offline resources, focusing on integration of technology

The creation of the school website, www.knchs.schoolpad.ph, helped establish that KNCHS uses modern technology in strengthening the links between students, parents, teachers as well as the community. The site was put up as part of the ICT class project.

The development of the ICT blog, www.knfoss.wordpress.com, helped in sharing what ICT students learn and do in school as well as show their learning environment and varied activities.

Getting the SFD fever...

The open source "effect"...

KNFOSS SFD TEAM 2009! CONGRATULATIONS!

Puppets, anyone?

Storytelling has been around since the beginning of time. Everyday we tell each other stories about our day, the people we meet and what we dream about.  It is how we make sense of the world and those who are in it.  Story telling is an essential part of the human experience.

The 4^th yr DOST ICT class came up with another way of integrating ICT and storytelling and came up with using the power of puppetry.

Using Audacity to edit audios and record voices, and accompanied  storytelling with music and sound effects, the 4th yr (Newton & Galileo)became so involved with their interaction with the puppets that they do not realize they are learning a lot with it.

The singing idol puppet

Truly, puppets strike a deal with their creators. When you move them, and they move you. Whatever their materials, whatever their size, however cheaply they have been put together, all puppets come to life as characters.

"Follow the penguin"

"Holding a puppet is not so easy, its really hard work"

"Are you enjoying our show?"

"Coordination in puppetting is hard work"

The "animated" puppets

"Puppets help relay stories that are real-life experiences of its creator"

Storytelling is not only for children but is something we should all strive to keep and to honor, for it is through the creative imagination that real stories grow, with hope and inventions are birthed.

KNCHS’ ICT program gets boost through Asia Source 3

Koronadal National Comprehensive High School’s (KNCHS) fast-growing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) program received a major boost with the recent participation of one of the programme’s movers to international open source camp Asia Source 3.

Latreia Estabillo, newly-designated ICT coordinator of KNCHS and adviser of the KNFOSSociety, was selected as one of the more than 140 fellows that were selected by camp organizers International Open Source Network (IOSN) and InWEnt of Germany to become a part of the third edition of the Asia Source camp, which was held in Silang, Cavite last November 7-12.

This year’s Asia Source, which is so far considered as one of the biggest gathering on the free and open source software or FOSS in Asia, was joined by leading open source advocates, technologists, academics, software developers, networking experts and other ICT experts coming from corporate, government and non-government sectors across the region.

KNFOSSociety joins Software Freedom Day ’09

By Khamis Tugbang and Brendel Mae Zarate

A GROUP of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) students and teachers of the Koronadal National Comprehensive High School (KNCHS) has linked up with the global ICT community as part of this year’s Software Freedom Day (SFD) celebration.

SFD is a worldwide celebration held every third Saturday of September that highlights the free and open source software or FOSS advocacy.

Carrying the banner of the KNFOSSociety, a recognized school organization advocating the use and promotion of FOSS, the group was officially recognized by the Software Freedom International as part of his year’s global SFD teams.

THE SFD EVENTS OF KNCHS

September 11, 2009- Photo and Video Editing Seminar for ICT students

September 18, 2009- Educators Open Source Seminar-Workshop

Endorsed and supported by Region 12, ICT Teachers from the nine divisions of the region will be attending.

September 25, 2009- KNFOSSociety on Tour

The KNFOSSociety will be heading to Marbel 7 National High School in the morning and in the afternoon they will be at Koronadal Central Elementary School 1. There will be so much exciting fun and activities prepared for the students.

SEE YOU IN ANY OF OUR SFD EVENTS!!!!!

SFD markers, the KNFoss way!

We have our own way of expressing ourselves especially about open source. As we will be celebrating SFD, the artists of KNFossociety now reveal their  own designs for bookmarks. We will be giving these away during our FOSS tours.

KNFossociety will join in SFD ’09 celebration

The month of September is when Software Freedom Day (SFD) is celebrated all over the world. This is a global, grassroots effort to educate the public about the importance of software freedom and the virtues and availability of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). Local teams from all over the world organize events in September.

To keep the FOSS spirit alive, the Information and Communications Technology Classes known as the KNCHS Fossociety under the Vocational Department will be participating in this year’s Software Freedom Day competition.

We’ve designed activities wherein weekly event  will take place. There will be a Video Editing Seminar, like the one we had last year, only for the graduating classes. We will be sponsoring a hands-on training for Teachers, we call it Open Source  Tools for Teachers. The best part will be when the group will go out, we call it KNFossociety On Tour. We identified some public schools in the city division and we will be going there to share the message of FOSS plus exciting activities and give-aways are on the list.

We look forward celebrating SFD 2009.