Discussions101: July 4, 2015
The first ever sharing we had was on last Saturday, July 4, 2015 at exactly eight o’clock in the morning. It was full of ideas about what Technopreneurship, as a subject, really is. Our facilitator shared a lot of his experiences on this subject. About the contests they had joined, the people they had met, the recognitions and awards they had received, the activities they had done and other a lot of things, most especially to those things which were unforgettable for him and to those things which made him proud of the students of our University. In every discussion or sharing, there are times that it is unavoidable to have an interests about some specific topics or feeling bored while listening to it or perhaps, you just do not want to hear or listen to those kinds of things. To start this five thousand words reflection about the things that we discussed already. I will figure out those things or topics which I liked most and then I liked least. The first thing that I liked most is when we had our first and last quiz, like what our facilitator called it. When we were instructed to get a one whole piece of paper, but unfortunately, I intendedly left my paper because I never thought of having that kind of activity on that day. So he told us, whoever had no paper should not ask from their friends or classmates or else they will pay a twenty pesos to whoever they asked for each piece of paper. That time, I do not know what to think, maybe it is a crazy idea to pay a twenty pesos for just a piece of paper, but because I do not want to miss the next instruction, so I did pay a twenty pesos for a one piece of paper. The next instruction is to get a pen and it should be a black pen. So we were instructed to right our names, our last names first. Other starting to write their last names already, but maybe I am confused that time because our facilitator always told us to follow the instruction and I cannot really hear what his instructions really is. So I never wrote anything on the paper for a while, after that, his instruction was not yet done. It should be written on the bottom left part of the paper and should have no erasures, so others bought a piece of paper again and pay a twenty pesos again. Then I start to write my last name on the bottom left part of the paper. Then he told us to get a blue pen, but I never brought any other pen besides the only black pens I have, which I had three black pens. Because of the fact that we all have no blue pen, so he told us to imagine our black pens being a blue pen with a red ink. I was actually confuse about what he told us but then I disregarded it. Then told us to write a comma (,) after our last name. But I was too rush to write it, and his instruction was not yet done, again. It should be written on the top most center of the paper. I never erased the comma (,) after my last name, but instead I just put another comma (,) on the top most center of my paper to avoid erasures. Then he told us to write our first names after the comma (,), because I already learned from my mistake, I was waiting for his next instruction before I write anything to my paper. Then he told us to write it on the bottom right part of the paper. So I wrote it there and he instructed us again to draw a nine dots or circles on our paper, it should be on the center part. Because we got used already about following his instructions, we were confused if what kind of center it should be written. Then he never told us an instruction again, so we decided to fold our paper into half vertically and horizontally which forms a cross on the center, so that the nine dots should really be in the center. So then he told us to draw a lines on the nine dots. They should be connected from each other and it should only be four strokes of line. He then gave us enough time to figure out how to connect the nine dots with only four strokes of line, and without lifting up our pens which he told us, and which I was confuse about it. He also told us not to use a scratch paper and there should be no erasures. So I decided to just close again my pen and start thinking how to solve it while I am trying to connect the dots with my covered-pen. I draw several imaginary lines just to figure it out but I ended up not writing anything on it. The time I am trying to solve it, it always end up connecting with five strokes of line. So I thought that the instruction of our facilitator is lacking. Then the time is up, he started to call names to solve the problem. But then the first two who tried to solve it was failed. So he asked for a volunteer who could try to figure it out. So there were actually two who raised their hands, then the other one was called to answer it. He get the marker and starting to draw the lines. I never see it coming, he actually connect the nine dots with only four strokes of line. The lines were actually extended around the nine dots. As I saw how he connect the nine dots, I said that, I never thought about doing it, it could really be possible. I am just too dumb for not solving a simple logic question like that. But then that was not about not figuring out the answer, it is about what is the lesson of that activity. Obviously that the nine dots was connected by only four strokes of line, and the other lines were extended outside the default form of the nine dots which was a box. The lesson of that activity is to think out of the box. It tells us to widen our mind, to think other things not just only the things that we are used to. It is a lesson for us because we were required to think of a new ideas or an innovations that we could pass to the contests that we need to join. We were required to pitch the ideas that we could think of. An ideas that are not common, ideas that does not still exist and ideas that could help change the world. We should think out of the box, out of the comfort zone that we are used to be. We should think of some ideas that are unique and could lead us to a successful path. It is not only about thinking out of the box for new ideas, but it is also applicable to all the aspects of our lives. For those things that we could experience having a hard time to solve it, we could apply thinking out of the box perhaps it could really help us in our everyday problems.
The things that I liked the most along with the activity is the SEED Model. S stands for Self-mastery. E stands for Environment Mastery. The other E stands for Enterprise Mastery. And D stands for Development of Business Plan. The SEED model is simply part of the things that we have to learn in order to create something wonderful. I also liked the part where our facilitator tackled about the importance of technopreneurship.
The other thing that I like and got more interested among the other topics was the main purpose of our subject, Technopreneurship I, is to change our Default mindset into an Alternative mindset. Default mindset is what we all thinking towards our future. We all thought of the same things. We were sent to school, to learn new things or the things that we needed to learn. We graduate in grade school, in high school, and then in college. After that, we will look for a job to make money. Then after we were sent to school by our parents, we will be then help them in exchange of them sending us to school and study. We will provide the things that they provided for us to be able to finish our studies. We will now then give them everything that they need to recoup everything they have given to us. We will now the one who will provide them food and shelter. It is like an exchanging gifts in Christmas Day, they gave us gift and in exchange, we will also gave them gift with the same quality that they have given to us. That is our default mindset. Another mindset which will the one to change our default mindset is called Alternative mindset. We were sent to school, to learn new things or the things that we needed to learn. We graduate in grade school, in high school, and then in college. After that, we will not focus on looking for a job, as just an employee. We should aim being an employer of own business, if it will grow bigger, will become a company sooner or later. We could make money with our own way, with our own business. So then we could everything that our family, not only needed, but also the things they wanted. If things could get better, we could be famous in the whole world. We will become the boss, we will give our people their tasks. We will forget about the Default mindset that we always have in our mind. It could make a big change in our life.
I actually has no interest to be a technopreneur now or maybe in the future. I also has no interest to build my own company and become a president of it. I do not want to lead a group of people and just tell them what they need to do. I was not born to be a leader nor to become a leader. I do not want to lead, I am much preferred to be just a follower. I am much comfortable of following instructions that the leaders gave.
I also like not only about the topics that our facilitator discussed, but also his sharing about the things that he encounter in this subject, about the contests they had joined, the people which was part of it and the things that made him proud of the students. He mostly shared about the contests they already joined. One of its which marked in my mind is about them winning the top five in the Smart Sweep. Not only mean that they got only the fifth place, but also the fourth place, the third place, the second place and also the first place. They all got the five places, which made our facilitator very proud of those students. Well, he actually want us to do the same in the next Smart Sweep contest. He actually want us to double it out. He want us to get all the top ten. Which made me, maybe not only me but also my other classmates, feel pressured because of our facilitator who expect too much on us, too much because that is what I notice about how he told us those things. It is actually too hard to think a new ideas or innovations that could beat the top five that they receive. This kind of field is not my thing, I do not actually have no interest about it that is why I have a hard time thinking about it. Now that we need to pitch some new ideas for us to join the contest because of the fact it is one of his requirements, it give me a second thought if I could really survive this course I am taking now. Besides that, it also actually inspires me to pursue this course I already taking. Not only that when we will be one of the top participants, we could receive money, we could be known because of having some new ideas, but also our school will be recognize because of the achievement we could achieve. It gave me inspiration to study more hard to finish my study and to help my family. I am actually trying my very best to have a good grades, to recoup the sacrifices that my parents did just to let me have a better future. Even though there were times that I wanted to give up already, but then I was thinking if ever I will decide to just to stop from studying and would not pursue on graduating in college, the sacrifices that my parents did would be useless. I always tried my best just to not receive a failing grades. Despite of the obstacles and hard times I experience or I am experiencing even right now. I will never forget the main reason why I need to encounter those kind of things. I always think that it is not only for the reason that I need to recoup to my parents sacrifices, but also it is for my own good and to have a better future. So sometimes, I tend to disregard the things that give me problems. There were times that even though I am experiencing a hard time, I just make fun of it just to never give up just because of those things. Every obstacles and problems I encountered, I just made them my inspiration why I need to pursue and finish my study, and I made them the lessons that nobody could ever experience. I always thought that I am lucky to experience those kind of things, because of those things, I am now who I am right now. Such as being procrastinator, which I tend to make my task when the deadline is almost near. Sometimes, or let me say, all the time, I make my school works when the deadline is getting nearer. Where the times I learn how to finish things in a rush way. Sometimes because of too much procrastination, I ended up not finishing my works. I ended up not to pass it in desired schedule because of my laziness. Because of that, I learned my lessons not to do things in a rush way because there are two ways that will end it up. The first one is, I could pass it before the deadline comes but I could not check it again because of lacking of time. While the second one is I could not finish it and could not pass it before or on time because of lacking of time. But now, even though I am still procrastinator, I always tried my best even though it could deprive me from sleeping. As of now, I want to enjoy my life as a college student, but I would not disregard the fact of why I am sent to school and in the future I will decide what path would I wanted to pursue, is it to be an employee or an employer of my own business.
We also discussed about the Silicon Gulf. Silicon Gulf is a nickname for Davao City and extends to the Davao Region, at Southern Mindanao, Philippines. The nickname refers to the growing number of Information Technology and IT Enabled Services (or ITES) companies sprouting in the area. The name was adapted from Silicon Valley, referring to the high tech cluster located in the San Francisco Bay Area in northern California.
Davao Region is one of the regions of the Philippines, located on the southeastern portion of Mindanao. Davao Region consists of four provinces, namely: Compostela Valley, Davao, Davao del Sur, and Davao Oriental. The region encloses the Davao Gulf and its regional center is Davao City. Silicon Gulf is part of the Philippine Cyber Corridor. The Silicon Gulf Initiative was officially announced on October 6, 2006, by Jason Banico during the ICT Davao, Inc. launch at the Royal Mandaya Hotel in Davao City. The initiative emphasized radical collaboration between government, academia and industry in harnessing technical talent and information-oriented manpower as the key driving force in transforming the city from an agricultural / industrial economy to a knowledge-based one.
The primary objective of the Silicon Gulf Initiative is to build Davao City's Information and communications technology (ICT) capacity through developing talent in the areas of "technopreneurship", IT project management, and core technical skills. Silicon Gulf has a number of ICT organizations, and they all are under an umbrella organization, ICT Davao.
ICT Davao Incorporated, also known as ICT Davao and IDI, is the umbrella organization of all information and communication technology groups hosted by Davao City. Like many multi-stakeholder organizations, ICT Davao has evolved a history of its own. With the assistance of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the ICT Council of Davao was born in 2002 to champion the needs of the industry. It adopted its new name ICT Davao in 2006 and has revitalized its membership which now includes the ICT educational and technical training institutions, the sub-sector association of various IT-enabled and BPO services such as contact centers, transcription providers, FOSS users, IT software and hardware vendors, i-Café operators and inventors. Includes Association of Computer Businesses in Mindanao (ACBM), Business Process Outsourcing Association of Davao, Inc. (BPO-Davao), Corporate IT Association of Davao, Council of Deans in I.T. Education (CDITE-Region XI), DabaweGNU, Davao Inventors Association, Davao Technical Expert for Computer Hardware & Software Support, Inc (TechSupport), Internet Cafe Association of Davao, Inc. (ICAD), Philippine Society of I.T Educators (PSITE-Region XI), and Transcription Alliance of Davao, Inc. (TADI).
Also involves the Universities and Colleges which are Holy Cross of Davao College, San Pedro College, Brokenshire College,Davao Doctors College, AMA Computer University, AMA Computer Learning Center (ACLC), Ateneo de Davao University, University of Mindanao, University of the Immaculate Conception, University of the Philippines - Mindanao and lastly University of Southeastern Philippines.
And also IT-Enabled Services and Training which are Callbox Inc., Davao First Transcription Center Corporation (DFTCC), G-Com Ltd., JIB E-Academy, Link2Support, MTC Academy, Nakayama Technology Corporation, Outsource IT to Philippines, PeopleSupport, TeamAssist, TryBPO Outsourcing Solutions and Global Connect eSolutions.
Our facilitator also include discussing about what happen to Dado Banatao. Dado Banatao’s family were living in the rural Philippines. Their family were poor but still he graduated from grade school because his father strive hard and work hard to let him study. Most of his friends and classmates prefer to not continue studying in high school but instead they want to help their family in the farm. He also want to help his father in working in the farm, yet his father want him to continue his study to high school even though his father will double his effort in working in the farm. He started his high school and as a normal student, he never avoided having an insecurities or discouragements. He always thought that he feel out of place, because of the fact that he came from a farm, a rural place, compare to his classmates who were living in city. Maybe he had a rough time dealing with them because they had a different lifestyle. Maybe he never had a friend or companion in his high school life. It is hard to live in a place where you are far from your family and yet you did not have even just a one friend. Still he survive and finish his high school, despite of difficulties he had experience. After he graduated, he then took up a degree course in engineering. The situation of their family made it his inspiration to continue studying. After he finish his course, he then look for a job that fits the degree that he finished. Unfortunately, his dream to be a designing engineer is not possible here in the Philippines. He could not find a job which he want to be. So he decide to travel abroad and look for a job. Instead he took up a master in engineering first before he look for a job. He studied in Stanford University, so he expected to be intimidated with the people around him or his classmate. They were smarter compare to him. He thought he is smart enough, but then when he went there, he was wrong. Despite of that and other difficulties, he afford to finish his master degree. Obviously, it was hard for him to study and live there because he was too far already from his family. Compare to when he was just studying in high school, and he is still far from his family. After he graduated, he look for a job. He designed the first chipset on PCs today. Then he decided to make his own company. Unfortunately, it failed. No one told him he can do it, so that was the reason he thought why he failed. So he told to himself that he can do it. Then, unexpectedly, it was a success. Now he has been a successful and famous person. He succeeded because of his hard working.
One thing that Dado Banatao also do was he believes in his self, his talent, his skills and whatever he is capable of. Like when he started studying in high school, he feel out of place because he was just the only one who is living in a farm compare to his classmate who were living in the city. He had a different lifestyle compare to his classmates. Maybe he got a hard time having a friends in his high school days. Having a friends is one of the factor to enjoy the school. It is hard to not have a companion and just being alone. While his classmates were wasting time playing basketball, he prefer to spend his free time just studying. Despite of being different from the others, he still believe he can study well and finish what he started, that is why he graduated and succeeded in his high school life. He thought he can be successful here in the Philippines, so he prefer to travel to other country and find the real meaning of success. When he went to America, he believes that he can be successful there even though he was not that sure that he could succeed. When he took up a master in engineering, even though most of his classmate were smarter than him. He still believe that he can finish what he started and just study harder. Until he made his own company, even though no one told him that he can. He still believe in his self, his skills, his talents and his capability. He never thought he could be that successful. It is not that bad to believe in our self, in our skills, in our talents and in where we are capable of. If we know that we are good at something, we should enhance it and develop it more. It could help us to make our future a successful one. Like when you are good at drawing and you also love doing it. You should practice it more so that you will really be good doing it. You do not know the future, maybe you would become a famous animator to one of your favorite anime. Or maybe you are good at writing, a song, a poem, a story or anything that you can write. Someday you will become a famous song writer or an author. We should just believe in our self like what Dado Banatao did. Because he want the Filipino people to be like him, to be successful, we should also do what he did. We should always believe in our self to make everything impossible possible.
Our facilitator also includes the story of a mother and his daughter in Khaleej Times video clip. The mother was a fruit vendor who wanted to give everything for her daughter. Every time her daughter helps her from cutting fruits for them to sell, even though her daughter does not know how to cut those fruits, yet she still want to help her mother. As a mother, of course she wanted to teach her daughter on how to cut fruits properly but because she did not go to school, she does not know how to teach her daughter. So she thought maybe she can teach her daughter on how to cut fruits by showing her the exact thing on how to do it. It made her happy because it does teach her daughter on how to cut those. One day, when her daughter went home from school, saw some of her school mates buying ice cream on stick. As a child, her daughter really wanted to buy one yet she cannot afford to. The sad part that hurts her is that she saw her daughter staring on those children who were happily eating ice cream. And because she wanted to give everything for her daughter even though they cannot afford everything, she got an idea on how to make her daughter happy. The only thing they have are fruits which are their goods for selling. She made her own fruit ice cream which was specifically made from a pineapple fruit. She cut it into pieces and put a stick on it. She dipped the pineapple on stick on a container filled with ice cubes overnight. After that day, she gave it to her daughter and it made her happy because she made her daughter happy. While her daughter was eating the pineapple ice cream, she thought of a bright idea. Her daughter told her that it tastes good than an ice cream, so maybe they could sell it. She thought also about what her daughter told her. Then after that day, her daughter started selling their new product, the pineapple ice cream. Her daughter peddled in the market and trying to sell their product the whole day. Until the afternoon, the ice cubes were already liquefied and she planned to go home. Her daughter was wondering and asked her, how come no one wants to buy her pineapple ice cream. She then recall the time when her daughter does not know how to cut the fruits. Where she show her how to do it in a right way. So she told her daughter to go to the market and to see how vendors sell their goods. Her daughter then went to the market and observed what every vendors do to sell their goods. Her daughter noticed that other vendors used banners to show what goods are they selling, also other vendors were announcing about what their products are or how much is it and others were giving a promo which every consumer’s pleasure. Then her daughter decided to make a mini banner for her pineapple ice cream and she need to learn how to sales talk. After that day, her daughter started to peddle again and unexpectedly, everybody wanted now to buy her pineapple ice cream even the children who were eating ice creams that day.
Despite of the things that I liked most, in every discussion, things that I could like least is unavoidable. One of the things that I liked least is the fact that we need to join not just one contest but many, because it is part of our requirements for this subject, Technopreneurship I. I am not a fan of joining contests. Especially that it is about a contests of sharing a new ideas or innovations in front of many people. I actually has no interest to be a technopreneur now or maybe in the future. I also has no interest to build my own company and become a president of it. I do not want to lead a group of people and just tell them what they need to do. I was not born to be a leader nor to become a leader. I do not want to lead, I am much preferred to be just a follower. I am much comfortable of following instructions that the leaders gave. It is actually too hard to think a new ideas or innovations that could beat the top five that they receive. This kind of field is not my thing, I do not actually have no interest about it that is why I have a hard time thinking about it. Now that we need to pitch some new ideas for us to join the contest because of the fact it is one of his requirements, it give me a second thought if I could really survive this course I am taking now. Besides that, it also actually inspires me to pursue this course I already taking. Not only that when we will be one of the top participants, we could receive money, we could be known because of having some new ideas, but also our school will be recognize because of the achievement we could achieve.
The other thing that I do not like is making this kind of reflections. This reflections which required a thousand of words, not only just a thousand but a minimum of five thousand words. It actually has an advantage and disadvantage. For me the disadvantage is that, due to the fact that I am not good in speaking English, I am actually really bad at English. So I found a hard time doing this kind of things. It is hard for me whenever I am not good at something. While the advantage for me is that, it could help my writings skills, if ever I have that, which helps me practice writing in English which is one of my weaknesses. It could help me improve my English vocabulary which is actually only limited to common words. I actually hate doing it even though it has still some advantages for me. I never like writing even just a short essays. I do not like composting English words into sentence, into paragraph, into a thousand words of reflections. Even when in my high school days, I really do not like making essays or even talking with my classmates and friends in English language because our English class that time required us to speak in English or else we will be punish or maybe we will need to pay for not talking in English. Even now in college, I am still not good with it. Maybe I hate English because I am good in math subjects. That is just a myth because I met some people who are good on both subjects. If there are people who actually not good in English but good in math subjects, just like me. There are also people who are good in English but not good in math subjects. Maybe it is not only that they are naturally good wherever on those subjects. Maybe it is also a matter of having interests with the said subjects.
I could not remember anything anymore that I could least liked. Honestly, I am not focus on what the topics are. But I am focus on what our facilitator shared about his experiences and many more.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_Gulf
