By Travis Thompson
Ponheary Ly Foundation media students jumped into a jackpot of tech ideas at BlogFest 2012. The event posed a perfect opportunity for PLF students to learn from other tech savvy people from across Asia.
PLF Director of Instructional Technology Diana Gross (left) and PLF Media Teacher Sokha Khoun with media students.
More than 200 bloggers from Southeast Asian nations converged on Siem Reap for the third annual event that started in 2009 in Hong Kong. Festival organizers chose Siem Reap as this year’s location because they say Cambodia is growing and that there’s a need for the flow of information and knowledge in this part of the world. PLF Director of Instructional Technology Diana Gross and PLF Media Teacher Sokha Khoun organized and facilitated the trip for PLF students.
Cambodia has seen an information boom, as has much of the rest of the world. Just two years ago the country’s internet penetration was at 1% according to recent statistics. Today it’s 3% and rising. Tech education is not only important for our students to have more work options when they finish school, but also important for them to tell their stories and connect with the world. We’re putting a lot of emphasis on PLF tech programs, just this year we’re expanding programs at many of our schools with new technology, new computers, new teachers, and more.
BlogFest 2012 topics included internet power, internet security; freedom of expression and information; and the media in Southeast Asia. Stay tuned we’ll have more information on this awesome event from our student bloggers!
PLF students from left to right: Sam Oun, Sen, Nary, Sopha, Chenda, Reaksay, Media Teacher Sokha.
It was, by far, one of my favorite days of teaching. Even when the content and language was beyond their current understanding, our students handled themselves with grace and dignity among ASEAN bloggers who are out there and doing. It was simply beautiful!
This is awesome! Independent thought creation via the change generation.