Thursday, July 16, 2015

July 4 2k15 Meeting Reflection

Which I liked the most?

            It was the 4th of July. It was Saturday which supposedly a no class day for us and also a happy 4th day of July for us but all of a sudden we suddenly have a makeup class for our technopreneurship course. No more happy 4th day of July, I guess. But the tables have turned when this day becomes very inspiring when the class has started.

            As Sir Gamboa entered the room, he said out of the blue that we will have a quiz. Everyone was in a shock mode, especially us the so called “virgins”. We do not know what to answer or what will be the quiz is all about. So everyone gets panicked and asked those who have the papers to lend them some. Including me. But there were twists, to each paper that will be given to the one who asks should pay twenty pesos. It was business immediately. He even let us look for a blue ink ball pen and said that each who will borrow the pen must pay fifty pesos. But, there was insufficient supply of the blue ink ball pen so he let us used the black ink ball pen instead. I saved fifty pesos, I told myself.  He then instructed us to put our last name on the bottom left of the paper, a comma on the middle top, and our first name on the bottom right of the paper. I got confused about the instructions so I have put them in different orders. I got wrong thrice so that means that I asked for papers thrice and that means I have and must pay the owner thrice. Bye, sixty pesos, I thought!

            Sir Gamboa then showed a slide where there were nine black dots. He told us to copy those nine dots on our paper placing them in the middle of the paper. Then, he instructed us what to do with those. The dots were arranged 3x3 in columns and rows.  I thought that we will be connecting those nine dots as what I have been doing whenever I saw some dots randomly. I thought of this activity as a very simple one. I started on connecting the dots but I did not put some lines on the though. I thought of connecting them in my mind. But it was different, he instructed us that we should connect the dots with only four strokes and lifting of the pen is prohibited. The activity does ring a bell to me. I do not know when and how but I think I have encountered this kind of activity way back elementary or high school days. Then, I remembered it. And I have answered it.

            Few moments passed, Sir Randy asked some of us to answer the activity. There were three who tried to answer it. The first and the second one did not get the right answer. The third one got the correct answer. The activity has a lesson though. It says that you have to think outside the. Our facilitator, explained the meaning of the activity and the lessons. He said that we were contained inside the box and that we failed to see that there are solutions beyond the box. It was very true that we were really contained and imprisoned thinking that the answer to the activity is only on the corners of the nine dots. The instruction was only to connect the nine dots with only four strokes without lifting our pens; he did not say that we should only connect the dots inside the box nor he did not say that connecting the dots outside the box is prohibited. That is cue that I think we never sought for any other way to find solutions in the activity. I think that we got jitters of answering the activity and we were subconsciously focused on the box and never did realize the instructions clearly. Though, I have answered the activity correctly, I got hit on what Our facilitator has said towards us. His message was not only for those who have not get the right answer but to all of us who have participated in the activity. You should not limit yourself to your self-found resources but you have to search for more than that. The message of the activity is not to depend on the existing solutions, we must found another one that is unique and has easier features so that it can help to make life easier. Instead of just using the existing solutions, why not find alternatives or much better solutions and explore things beyond our limitations until we satisfy ourselves with the solutions that can solve our problems. The lesson in this activity is indeed worthy to apply in ourselves, in myself. The lesson that I learned in that activity is to look beyond what you can see. This made me realized of what kind of person I am now. Before I did used to think that I should look beyond what I can see but as time goes by that faded in my mind. Since I entered college I never thought of that and started seeing thinks just the way they are. Now I realized that all those machine problems and projects that I had in the past were useless. I never did learn from those things. I just looked at them as an academic requirement that I need to pass the subject.  I forgot what learning meant for me. I forgot that we should think beyond the simple meaning of a certain thing. Now I’m just studying to graduate and I just view things as ease. A mindset that I used to hate in the past. I mindset which I did not realized that I am having all along. Now that I realized these things, I would be switching my perspective and change the way I view things. Just like what Our facilitator said we can never learn anything from him. He would never teach us anything and we cannot learn any lessons about theories, programming languages, and writing programs. In contrast to what he has said, I would like to say that I have learned a thing from him. Just by listening to him, you can learn not that academic related learning but life lessons. Life lessons that will help us improve to who we are right now or even make us the better version of us from now on.

                The activity was really nice.  It gave me a great lesson in life. It showed me a new perspective in viewing things. Though that was just only a ten minute activity, it has given a new life lesson that I would like to bring for the rest of my life.

The activity was just the introduction to our subject, Technopreneurship. Our facilitator introduced what is really technopreneurship, how it is different from entrepreneurship, how did technopreneurship started, how technopreneurship contributed to Davao City.  Our facilitator taught us the meaning of technopreneurship, how is it way far from entrepreneurship. Well, as what I have remembered the word Technopreneurship was derived from the words technology and entrepreneurship. The two differs on the where it is furnished. Technopreneurship is furnished on the technological side mixed with the business and its market. Aside from selling innovative products, they sell their ideas to whoever badly need their ideas in order to solve their problems. Technology plays a massive impact in the lives of everyone. Almost all individual nowadays is really dependent on the rapid evolution of the technology. We cannot hide the fact that we are always into the emerging products of technology. Only the technology can binds us, whether you are miles away from each other or even just meters away from each other. Technology is everywhere.

In the three hours lecture, Our facilitator shared how technopreneurship was brought in Davao City. How he and his colleague started it. As what I have remembered, he and his colleague were given an offer to have a seminar about technopreneurship outside of the country, somewhere in Australia, for two years. Considering the distance apart, the years, they doubted about the offer. But, they gave a contrary offering to the ones who wanted them to be in there. Instead of the two of them going to Australia, why not send some technopreneurs from Australia in Davao City and teach the people who are willing to learn technopreneurship. And that is where it all started.

They have invited some names in Davao City that was already involved in the technological part of the city, deans of different colleges as well as the local organizations in the city that is also involved in the IT world. Well, not just only in the city but also in the entire region 11 so that the neighboring provinces will be able also to learn from the two Australian technopreneurs who will conduct a seminar about technopreneurship. With that gathering, they had meetings, lecturing and monitoring sessions about technopreneurship. Sir Randy and his team thought of making technopreneurship as one of the subject for the IT course. They had brainstorm sessions in order to make the course outline and what it is really all about. How can this course be an agent to the fast growing economy of the city. And then, Our facilitator and his colleagues made this Technopreneurship subject as one of the subjects of the IT course and with the approval of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) it has been implanted and now I am currently enrolled into this subject as of now. Their advocacy of making technopreneurship as one of the subjects is that the youth, in the first place, should be prepared of what is waiting for them in the near future especially the youth who are enrolled in IT courses or IT related courses. Since, the world has this fast changing environment, rapid change on trends, they must atleast have the ideas in their minds when they are young so that in the near future, if their ideas will implanted and comes into a reality then it can and it will help the society they are belong to .I really liked their advocacy because they are not doing it for the betterment of their selves but they want to help their society, as well as their countrymen. This kind of advocacy creating a way to make changes in the technology we had experience because through technopreneurship, we can think innovative ideas and we can share our innovations that will surely benefit the people and also, we could earn money.

Different schools have implemented this subject and included this on their course prospectus. Even others had their incubation hubs to support the ideas or the capstone projects that was made from the ideas of the IT graduates in every institution in the city. According to Our facilitator, Brokenshire College was one of those schools who had their incubation hubs. An Incubation hub is a place where a graduate can make his ideas into a reality. The resources are given just to support them all the way to make their capstone project a reality. For them to commercialized it also in the market.

Moving on, Sir Randy also shared about the “Rationale of Technopreneurship – Davao Academe Perspective”. It is a slide where there were outlines about how the perspective of the IT educators in Davao City regarding the IT education not only in the city but nationwide. They wanted to make a big impact and change the mindset of every student, a student of IT or not. Putting up Technopreneurship as a subject in every IT curriculum in Davao City could make the graduates come into a decision to chase their technology-based business plans and strategies as a start-up in technology incubators and they will be able to channel their inner business side. With this, venture capitalists will invest in their feasible high technology products. The start-ups they had created will be established into constant and firm IT enterprises and in the long run, it will locate them in IT parks. I really like this kind of idea having technopreneurship as a part of IT curriculum because nowadays IT enterprises compete and participate in the domestic and global market and impel the growth of economy in the local area. It is so nice to know that our local IT industry blooms and it catches the attention of more locators and shareholders.

As I was able to absorb of what our facilitator was saying, all I think was how awesome Our facilitator and his colleagues are. They have thought of a possible solution that can help to make Davao City one of the best cities. They have thought of a solution that can make the economy here in Davao progress like in the Metro. They have of a solution that can make Davao a center of IT education in the Philippines. Slowly but surely, their dreams are coming true. They have not only contributed to the progress of Davao City, they have also contributed to the success of their students. Although they are not that “powerful” people in Davao City, however they used their knowledge wisely and effectively to make changes in Davao City in terms of the things that involves in IT industry. They are influential enough and brilliant minded people that they were able to get the trust of the people behind these good schools and universities and organizations not only in Davao City but also in the region 11 to support them in their advocacy. Like what our facilitator said that he is not teaching us, he is neither our teacher nor instructor. On what he is doing every time in our class is just like storytelling, he shares his experiences in his life and from that experiences of him we got to take a lesson, not just how to be a person who has a good character but also on how to be a person who stands up with his decision and to be a person who is wise enough to make a way making his dreams do come true. They want us also to learn and to be wise. For him, what it takes to be a great person is to have a great attitude. Not just towards the others but also to yourself. It is nonsense if you don’t have a good attitude to act. Our attitude will reflect on who we really are. Our facilitator taught us also to dream high. Not to be contented as an employee but we should aim to be an employer. Not to limit our selves and be open minded on everything; thinking the advantages and disadvantages of doing such things. To go beyond the boundaries and explore new ideas that could help us in producing innovative ideas soon. Although, he always required us to make this very long reflections, I know that someday doing these very long reflections can help me also.


Which I like least?

            Our life in the future lies in our mindset today. We have so many life goals being listed on a sheet of paper saying that one day I will be able to this and that and so on and so forth. People may have different mindset but one thing is for sure, we all have the same goals. To be successful, check. To be able to help our families, check. To be able to make our dreams come true, check. But, the question is can all of these happen?

            Throughout the three hour class discussions, there were many things that were introduced to us, especially to myself that has never been introduced since I existed in this earth. Though, all of the topics that have been discussed were likely likeable. I have to choose some of them that at least I like the least so that I can be able to write a reflection about it.

During the three hour class discussion and many were mentioned, many things have been tackled, many things have been talked about, what really caught my attention was the topic about the mindset of everyone who goes to school.  There were two mindsets that were introduced to us; the usual mindset and the alternative mindset. The usual mindset or also known as the employment mindset. The usual mindset is what have been every students practicing until these days. This is a never ending cycle. This kind of mindset has been passing through generations by generations. And until now, this has always been the mindset of every student. While on the other hand, the alternative mindset is a contrast to the usual mindset.

The usual mindset is the kind of mindset where students be like – “I go to school. I want to graduate. I want a high paying job.” The results of this mindset can be beneficial and can also be destructive depending on one’s point of view. In schools that are subscribe with this mindset, in their perspective, this is beneficial. Schools with this mindset just have the same perspective as with our parents who have this mindset. Parents will be proud of their children’s success as well as the school will take pride with their best graduates that sought after by companies, offering them some compensation. Education which was defined by Google is a systematic process through which a child or an adult acquires knowledge, experience, skill and sound attitude. It makes an individual civilized, refined, cultured and educated. For a civilized and socialized society, education is the only means. Its goal is to make an individual perfect. Every society gives importance to education because it is a panacea for all evils. It is the key to solve the various problems of life. For short education is the key to every ignorance of individual this is the solution to every confusion to every things. Along these lines on and onward, we all live up to expectations. The way these kids will think will influence their future. It is similar to the folks who had impacted the kid and encased his reasoning and sights to what the folks like their youngsters to be; to have work in a high salary company. This is the old personality set.

In contrary to the usual mindset, the alternative mindset have these following statements: "Go to school, get good grades, create and own a company", "Use your knowledge, skills, core values, creativity and passion to create and innovate through technology", "Contribute and be involved in the technological development of Davao".As we all know this mindset talks about Technopreneurship. This kind of mindset leads to the following benefits. Firstly, the graduates will remain in Davao to pursue their technology based business plans as their start-up in technology business incubators. The venture capitalists will invest in their high technology products, this is a great help especially when you don’t have enough money for the investment. The start-ups mature into stable IT enterprises and eventually locate in IT parks and buildings. We should know that we, the students, treated our school as our second home. This where our personality gets mold, and this where we usually learn through our experiences. We should always bear this in mind that we go to school not only to get the better things in life, but the best things in life anyone can receive or achieve. We must learn to aim higher. Let’s not stop on aiming to land a high paying job, we just have to keep aiming that someday somehow we will be able to name our own company. We will be able to cut the ribbon during the ribbon cutting because you have launched your newest product that can help the society. That can help the City. This kind of mindset is well made of the relation between realistic and reasonable technological ideas mixed with the business mindset of an individual. Everything started from scratch. Who knows when you have the greatest idea, maybe that one can be commercialized and that will serve as a stepping stone onto your next journey of your life being a successful technopreneur and or maybe with your idea you’ve got what it takes to be the game changer. There is as of now something that we need to do and achieve and to do that is to remain in our own particular and choose the things what we need to be. Emulating the option outlook can free us on the things that we do and arrive at what we need to achieve. Emulating our own particular objective may not lead us to the right way, yet the imperative thing that we learn is the things that show us on how life ought to be. Elective mentality taught us on how critical to make the best choice. Indeed thought we get some wrong choices in life however the vital thing to never forget is that encounter is the best instructor and it will help us to be an individual who knows how to remain by it and be free enough to face each trials and difficult times in life. It is not about on how great you are on different things however it is about your enthusiasm and the adoration you settle on in every choice we take. We ought not to restrict our psyche, our desires in ourselves and particularly in our capability to accomplish more than the basic. We ought to look past to make this come. In the event that we look in our surroundings, there are part of individuals; a youngster, adolescent, and grown-ups who are proficient to work. In this circumstance happening in our general public are getting greater and greater and we simply put aside this which we could have any kind of effect with that. In the event that all individuals think like an ambitious person they could assemble their diverse plans that might be set up as a business even a little one yet can help to bring home the bacon is all that could possibly be needed.

As the discussion gets deeper about these mindsets, I have thought of what mindset I have ever since I have started going to school. It was always been the usual mindset, or the employee mindset. And I just realized that having this kind of mindset is an immature of me thinking about my future as an employee not as employer. Though, it passed once in my mind the “what ifs”, what if I am an owner of a company, what if I am the boss. Too many what ifs in my mind but I always ended up to looking in my future as a servant of the one who’s at the top, serving someone who is my superior and calling someone boss.

            The usual mindset is like a default setting to each and everyone.  A virus that will never be treated unless you get yourself treated by yourself also. “Go to school, get good grades, land in a high paying job”, that is what the goals of a person who has the usual mindset. Not just ourselves has this kind of mindset, our parents, the people who surrounds us also have this kind of mindset for us. They will send us to the school from nursery up to the highest level of schooling for us to work with high pay in the future. Since, they accepted the thought that having high evaluations will bring us from high-paying occupations. Including me. All I wanted after all these sleepless nights and cramming days of being at school for almost half of my life, all I wanted is to end up getting paid with a bigger amount that can satisfy my needs and my family needs, all I wanted is to have a job, that’s it. That’s what I want since I have learned how to read a b and c and learned how to count numbers 1,2, and 3. Ever since I have started school whenever I will encounter the question “why do want to go to school?”, I will always answer like this “I want to go to school because I wanted to graduate so that I will be able to have work and have huge amount of money and I will be able to help my parents and pay them from all their sacrifices.”. Childhood stage or even now that I am already a college student; this has always been my answer. Consistency, that’s what it is. Someone told me that after graduation mostly the first job you will get is not the job you really want but years after when you have enough money you can now change to the job you really want but this is the usual mindset or the default mindset of every person.

            As for myself, if I am not enrolled into this subject and technopreneurship was not introduced to me, then I think I will still stick to this usual mindset. There is nothing being an employee after all. But what made me choose the alternative mindset between the two is that I will be able to showcase what is inside of me. This kind of mindset will challenge me not only just my thinking skills, my capacity towards handling some issues that may come but also the leadership that I think I do not contain inside of me. Since, I was really used to that someone is superior to me. How about      me being the superior to the others? Can I control them? Can I lead them well? That is the biggest question as of now.  

            It is not bad to have this usual mindset. What is bad is that you only limit yourself on becoming an employee, a slave of a superior. What is wrong in aiming to be the boss. Everyone wanted to have a better life that is why they will actually grab once the opportunity has come whether the lowest kind of job or the highest paid job nowadays. But, is that what all you’ve got? Why settle for less if you know you can have more? Why settle to be an employee if you can be an employer? It might take lots of time, sweats and blood but I think nothing that has been done with perseverance and hard work is not worth it. Being ambitious, motivated and inspired will help us reach the top. The people that surround us will help us in our sweetest downfall, they will be the ones who will lend their arms to help us stand again. There is nothing wrong in trying. If you failed, at least you have tried.

            Truth to be told, I am still in doubt what really my mindset as of this moment is. I do not know, whether it is the alternative mindset or the usual mindset. I do not what is running in my mind right now. All I want to do is to finish this reflection and sleep. Kidding. I still do not to which kind of mindset I should possess. Though, I wanted to take and possess the alternative mindset, I am still in doubt of my capabilities as a person and as a human being. I do not know if I will be able to take a step higher than i thought, to be better than I thought. Even though this is just a mere preparation for me in the near future, I still do not see myself as a leader, a person who handles big roles in each life. I do not want to take risks that can affect my lifestyle if ever I will fail to make it through that risk. I do not dwell on my failures but sometimes I just can’t let it go immediately if I knew that I am reason why. Truth to be laid on this table having the usual mindset is inevitable. It is the kind of mindset that everyone grows up with. Even until now that the alternative mindset has been introduced to me, there is still a bit of the usual mindset that is in under my system. But, one thing is for sure, if I am going to follow the mindset ofa technopreneur possess, I am going to take them step by step. One step at a time.

            “Always think outside the box”, “Always know that you have the capability of making impossible possible”, thoughts which I think are very useful in terms of thinking for better things which many people can benefit from. People only focuses on what they just see which I myself can relate. Things which we can just see or the things which we only see through our vision are only the things which we think are the only problem. But thinking way deeper to things we can think that there are many things which we should innovate and think for a better solution. Every problem has a corresponding solution and for every solution comes happiness, these are the things which I always keep in mind. The default mindset of everyone is not a bad thing but thinking for bigger possibilities the alternative mindset should be applied.

            This is the part of the three hour discussion I least liked because of what it affected my mind and my imaginations. This is such an interesting part of the discussion because it made me think of it also of what I want to be in the future. If I want to be an employee or I want to be an employer. But before reaching those statures, I have to start from the bottom; I have to start from scratch because nothing successful started big. It will always be small. If only that the alternative mindset could be the default mindset then there is no worry then. But the two mindsets have their own advantages and disadvantages. I can’t say that right now because I am no place to state that because I am still a student who has a superior in me and I haven’t experience them paJ
            



Source:
Rationale of Technopreneurship (DAVAO ACADEME PERSPECTIVE)
https://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCMQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.psite4.org%2Findex.php%2Fmembership-form%2Fdoc_download%2F54-techno-present&ei=Ix-kU6OYA8WhugTCpoLQDw&usg=AFQjCNFJsFUXz-HRyzDutTAEpRMKSE2IjQ&sig2=3nalYejc0cyAXHt6yZR0Fg&bvm=bv.69411363,d.c2E



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