I’d been going back and forth as to whether or not I should, or should even bother writing about this. It’s definitely not a new issue. But it does continue to bother us at UPOU on a regular basis. Then there is this thing about confidentiality which may or may not apply (I’ve never actually…
Blog
Blogs about work, life and everything in between.
MMS 172: Multitracking Demo
This entry was originally posted in the discussion forums of MMS 172 last 2015 in the hopes of guiding students to properly execute one of their assignments. Unfortunately, almost nobody read this. I hope the future classes do. I recorded a demonstration of how I would typically approach multitracking. The video clocks…
Maraming Salamat Po, Ma’am Gigi
Today was Dr. Grace Javier Alfonso’s last day as Chancellor of the UP Open University. It brings up a lot of memories and stirs a lot of strong emotions. It was around a year ago when I realized that I had only had a meaningful working relationship with one big boss my whole life. Of…
Visa Application: United Kingdom
As I write this, I still may or may not make this trip to London which I had been thinking about for the past month. But it didn’t stop me from applying for a visa despite the cost, anyway. Applying for a visa is always a stressful undertaking for me, as it may be for…
The most difficult students
Blogging has been an integral part of my courses for more than five years now. And throughout that time, I have read so much insight from students which I would never had known. It also helped me get into their heads. The things I learned from them has helped me in my perpertual effort in…
The BAMS Survival Guide
Update for 2019: While valid at the time of writing, I am afraid much of what I wrote here is already outdated and may not be consistent with current policies. For your academic advising needs, please visit the UPOU FICS website and consult the BAMS Program Chair. Thank you. Version 0.21 (May 8, 2016) changes:…
Nasaan Ka Kaya? – the first product of the UPOU Soundtrack Project
By now, you’ve probably heard of Mix 3 for the song Nasan Ka Kaya. In case you’re still not familiar with it, this song was written by one of the BAMS students, Bem Favorito. Al Librero · Nasaan Ka Kaya? Now, Bem was kind enough to let us use his songs for what we’re currently…
No longer just for adult learners
The degree programs of UPOU, or at least most of them, were designed and developed with the adult learner in mind. It made sense since most of what we have are graduate degree programs catering to working students. And then came the Associate in Arts program, then Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Studies, and then…
DIY Project: Acoustic Panel/Blank Canvas
Setting up my home office has so proven to be more costly and work intensive than I had first imagined. I took for granted the fact that furnishing it does not end with a good-sized desk, a small steel cabinet and a few shelves. But everything that I have done so far has been fun…
The five courses that impacted me the most
* This is a re-write of a past blog. Along with a few dozen others, I lost it when I screwed up my site’s database late last year. Honestly speaking, I am taken aback by the seeming obsession of some UPOU students with their grades. It would be ok, if this obsession went hand…
New guitar: to where the dreaming began…
I remember the time my parents took me to the mall to buy my first electric guitar. It was the old Park Square 1 in Makati around 1993. There were like four music stores there at the time. But it was in JB Music where my eyes got fixated to this guitar sitting on a shelf…
The philosophy of the pig
Last week, I had a brief conversation with one of my former teachers in UP Los Baños, Dr. Pidz Agbisit, who is now the Director for the Animal and Dairy Sciences Cluster in the College of Agriculture. We were having a little discussion on some opportunities for collaboration. We’ll see where that leads to in…
RIP: Jerico Tolentino
Last night, I received unexpected and unpleasant news which stirred a lot of memories and emotions. I was supposed to write about the UP Academic Leadership Conference that I just came home from. But this news prompted me to write something different, instead. October 2007 – I was probably within my first week on…
An open letter to my students on meeting deadlines
In May 2014, I started to serve as Chairperson for the BA Multimedia Studies program of UPOU. It was strange every time a BAMS student congratulated me for my promotion. I would thank them, but I would explain to them why it was not a promotion. I had already been serving as the Chair for…
On mental and emotional health and my inability to address them in class
I would like to think that, over the years, I have significantly improved as an online communicator within an academic context. Having to deal with such a diverse set of students kind of forced me into it. However, there is something that I will openly admit that I am not at all qualified to deal…