A Lesson in Photography…

Camp Blog 2011 brought new lessons to my life.  Lessons, not just in terms of what I learned to improve my writing skills as a blogger, but more on how to value what I have in life.

And I learned a lot during our lecture on Video Production and Photography.  It was simply awesome!

One big realization dawned on me when we had our photo session in Baybay City Public Market last Friday.

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From Print to Electronic

An old newspaper from examiner.com

It has been an amazing journey to see how journalism has evolved over the years or more appropriately, over the centuries. From crude scrolls and papyrus to typewritten newsletters to broadsheets and tabloids produced in printing presses… And now to a whole new level – electronic.  How’s that?

Let us take some time to look back and see how it all began…

I found this article, “A Brief History of Newspapers” while browsing the net and I’d like to share a part of it with you.  (Source:   http://www.historicpages.com/nprhist.htm)

“The Origins of Newspapers

The history of newspapers is an often-dramatic chapter of the human  experience going back some five centuries. In Renaissance Europe handwritten newsletters circulated privately among merchants, passing along information about everything from wars and economic conditions to social customs and “human interest” features. The first printed forerunners of the newspaper appeared in Germany in the late 1400’s in the form of news pamphlets or broadsides, often highly sensationalized in content.  Some of the most famous

A very old newspaper (Courtesy of ophelias-flowers.com)

of these report the atrocities against Germans in Transylvania perpetrated by a sadistic veovod named Vlad Tsepes Drakul, who became the Count Dracula of later folklore.

In the English-speaking world, the earliest predecessors of the newspaper were corantos, small news pamphlets produced only when some event worthy of notice occurred.

The first successively published title was The Weekly Newes of 1622. It was followed in the 1640’s and 1650’s by a plethora of different titles in the similar newsbook format. The first true newspaper in English was the London Gazette of 1666. For a generation it was the only officially sanctioned newspaper, though many periodical titles were in print by the century’s end.”

So you see, the modern writers and publishers have come a long way from the news pamphlets or broadsides of the 13^th century and the handwritten newsletters of the 16^th century.

As the adviser of the SLS Eye, I am quite happy to know that through the electronic form the humble works of our student writers out here in our small  corner of the earth can be read by people from all walks of life all over the world at any time of the day. 

everything on line…(photo courtesy: obamapacman.com)

And as a writer, I am quite privileged to have an avenue where I can publish my humble writings.  It is such an honor to see another blogger has read an article that I have written and, in a way,  has listened to my heart.

Shakespeare would drool over the wonderful opportunities the modern-day poets and writers  have at their fingertips. 

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WordPress: Alien turned ally

I first met WordPress in 2009.  It was in far away Pampanga when we had Camp Blog 1B.  And looking back now, it seems a long, long time ago and quite far, far away…

The ischools logo back then…

And in a way I feel nostalgic for it was such a memorable camp blog.  It made such great impact on me as a blogger for many reasons.  First, it was held in luxurious Mimosa Leisure Estate where we stayed in villas for eleven (11) days and enjoyed fine dining day in and day out.  Second, it was the most challenging camp blog ever because it was my very first.  Third, WordPress was an alien I had to conquer, tame and take home with me.  And I waged the biggest war in the history of blogging in my life.  I turned this alien into an ally in the end, in God’s grace.  It even earned my humble blog a small recognition.  What a conquest!

Anyway today, we met once more – WordPress and I.  Were there surprises?  You bet!

There were new things to learn about WordPress. Blogging took on a new dimension for me simply because we met again today…

WordPress gave me fresh ideas how to make my blog more appealing to readers.  It showed me what articles most online readers look for and enjoy reading.  It even presented new techniques to me so that readers will find my blog  a lot easier and more fun to visit.

So you see, meeting my ally again was worth it!

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Entry #1: On the Dynamics of Online Newspaper…

Entry #1        What I learned from the lecture on online newspaper   –   EVSU

The opening program...

(Written 6/21/2011 6:35 p.m.)

I headed for VSU this morning feeling so excited to learn how to make an online newspaper.  So did I learn something today?

 Let’s see…

If I can remember the most important points given in Sir Joe Torres’ “tele-lecture” (skype lecture as they put it) then maybe I did not live in vain in the past few hours.

But first, let me share with you how it was…the “tele-lecture” that is.

In this age of technology explosion, it’s a little funny to say that this is the first time I got to attend a workshop with the speaker miles away (out there in Manila) and we, the participants, were out here in our dear Baybay City, Leyte.  We listened to Sir Joe with all our being even if it seemed he was a mere silhouette on screen.  But wonder of wonders, sans eye contact and all we were able to really understand the things he was saying and to respond (hopefully) in the way he wanted us to.  We were even able to enjoy and laugh at his usual verbal antics.  Such is the ‘magic’ of technology – bridging not just the digital divide but the geographical divide as well.

We could hear Sir Jo but this is all we could see…

So going back to what I learned…

I actually wrote a lot and noted almost everything he said.  And if I put all those here I’m afraid I might quote Sir Jo word for word.  So let me put it as concisely as possible.

First, I learned about the difference between the print and online publication – the linear and the not linear thing, the finite and the infinite, the interactive thing, etc .   I was also enlightened about the history of the internet and the world wide web.  It was quite interesting to note that educators started it all. Hurray to the teachers!

Then, he emphasized that relationship is the core of online writing.  It’s all about sharing and linking.  One more important thing to remember when writing online is to consider the users’ demands.  And also there is this beauty of online writing in which both the old and the new information have their place.

Finally, he pointed out the lessons  writers should learn and take note of when writing online.  Among those that I remember most are the following:  

• online publication must be well-organized and clearly explained (Everything included is useful to the users.)
• writing must be done in an enjoyable and conversational manner but direct to the point
• tell the users directly what you offer and be clear about it
• make it easy for the users
• adapt your writing and presentation to the screen and
• write in a way that helps search engines index your site.

All in all it was a very informative and  interesting  session!  Great job, Sir Joe!

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Blogging Again!

Hi there bloggers!

It’s ‘de ja vu’ all over again…Chad and I are doing our writing tasks again in another camp blog.  We’re in Visayas State University (Baybay City, Leyte) now attending the Camp Blog 2011…no wordpress to pressure us, no LO’s to keep us from having a good night sleep but this time we will be racking our brains to create a ‘sensible’ online newspaper for our school.  How’s that for another camp blog challenge?

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Back to Camp Blog

 

Camp Blog time again… nerve-wracking as ever (Photo courtesy: Camp Bloggers)

It has been unexpected…but yes, I’m back here blogging, writing, sweating it off, burning my midnight candles, and you bet, struggling with another software.  WordPress?  Oh no!  I have befriended that in the past five months, it’s called Xerte…sounds like “swerte” but when you start with it you’re everything except that.  I’m still wrestling with it at the moment trying to refine my lifeless Learning Object.

I feel blessed being with these great teachers from all over the country who are great bloggers as well.  I know I’m not supposed to be with them for I have not updated my blog for a long time for reasons too shallow to even mention.  I’m mighty glad, though , that Sir CP was so considerate as to include my name among theirs in that “master list”.

We’re in Talisay City now, particularly in Nature’s Village Hotel.  It’s in one of the cities of Negros Occidental.  It’s not as fabulous as Mimosa but  its unique  beauty  has a way of getting under your skin.  It’s my first time here in Talisay City, but I’m resigned to the fact that I will not have the time to see its sights and hear its sounds.  Writing tasks in Camp Blog 2A are just too draining and too demanding for me to have the time and energy to go around the city.

Finally, my LO has come into being…whew, what a task that was!  If you’re curious what it’s like click here.

And if you’d like to see the masterpieces of my fellow camp bloggers click here.

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It’s Tough to be Tough

The Warays have earned a reputation of being tough.   Some of our folks might have built this reputation way back  when they started migrating to Manila and other provinces.  They had to survive in unfamiliar territories and deal with total strangers.  And to succeed they had to  be tough.  I just hope they did not bully the other folks.

The later generations  found themselves in big trouble.  Wherever they went the reputation followed them.  As one  Camp Blog RP mentioned to me, he had a buddy in College who was a Waray.  He said that  he was the “barkada’s” hero  and champion for he was tough.  I said, “It must have been tough for him living up to the reputation of the Warays.”

I have never been tough in a literal sense.  So when I’m in another place and people ask me about how tough I am, it’s simply tough!

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Camp Blog Updates

This is how we do it.

How’s my Camp  Blog experience so far?

So far, not so good!  I can hardly say “so good!” because it isn’t.  It just gets more challenging everyday.

How am I coping?  I don’t know the answer.   Hmmm… maybe the critics can enlighten me a little, but I really dread facing them.

What do I like best about the Camp Blog?  I guess I like everthing about it… even the “bloody” part.  I’m learning a lot and everyday is a new experience.

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Camp Blog 1B Surprises

A mimosa flower portrait

I came, I saw, I was blown away!

I came to Pampanga with some expectations of what the iSchool Camp Blog experience would be like.  I knew beforehand that it would be mostly lectures  and  writing tasks.   However, nothing prepared me for the enormity of it all.

Things come in large scales here.  The Mimosa Leisure Estate  where we are right now is huge, with a full size golf course for your pleasure.   I call it the “sprawling hotel” for instead of suites in a ten-storey building we actually stay in luxurious villas!  Yes, your eyes do not deceive you… its villas, plural of villa.

To top it all, the organizers pamper us with fine dining and all the comforts any group of writers may wish for.  And I’m almost sure you’re  having the impression we’re having a good time here.  In a way maybe we do, but honestly speaking  it’s not the case most of the time.

As they say, there’s always a price to pay.  And the price for being here in this Camp Blog comes in a large scale too.  The tedious lectures and the “bloody” workshops that sometimes seem like forever.  The mind-boggling tasks that transport us  from our seats to the virtual space of the world wide web and beyond.  The complicated terms and procedures we have to master just to “bridge the digital divide”.  They drive us crazy!

At the end of the day, however, when you see the fruit of your labor you tell yourself  “It was worth it!” .   Then you can  sit at dinner, a little bit dazed perhaps,  but ecstatic over what you’ve learned and accomplished.

Hurray to the organizers and RP’s!

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