Impact Center, OTOP, and a new project at STOU

When we left in the morning there was a supply boat delivering bulk items, like pop and cooking oil, to stores near the river. The economy of Thailand is like a dense ecosystem with many niches. I guess it is like a tropical ecosystem in the sense of multiple niches within which to survive. The United States, with large stores and many franchises is more like a mono culture, there are a few niches dominated by very large stores. There are also many places for people to work in Thailand, some of them not too efficiently. For example we buy a boat ticket, then two steps later we give the boat ticket to a person just standing there. I suppose this helps with auditing, and it sure helps in distributing income, but I am not sure if it is the most productive use of a human's time. Part of what makes Thailand interesting is the dense and multiple levels of economic activity. It is not boring.

There are other boats that cross from the Klong Toey dock to other communities. There is a large long tailed boat that hauls people from Bangkaobua where we catch the bus to the Klong Toey dock, they are fast, powerful, and interesting. Sometimes they almost look like a hydroplane with their rooster tails of water being thrown up from the propeller.

I am getting new assignment at STOU. I am going to gather examples of different faculty web pages, I will look at the range of content as well as design. I will be able to work at home for much of the assignment. I will be using many examples from the University of Alaska Fairbanks faculty web pages. I will also use materials from the Center for Distance Learning at the University of Alaska. It is an interesting assignment that will apply to my work when I return to Alaska. I will be looking at web sites and resources that do not use a learning management system like ATutor or Blackboard.

I also will be working with the photographers at STOU on content and composition. I need more details on this assignment because I am not a commercial photographer. Photography for me is a personal means of expression. Just because I take photographs that express a unique world view does not mean that I have the skills or interests to help people create commercial or illustrative photography, but my mind is open and I will share and help any way that I can.

Pong, Jit's friend, is arranging a trip for us to Phuket. We might be leaving this Thursday for four or five days. I want to see Woody Leonhard and also the Non-Formal Education Center in Phuket.

We visited a show, the Best of Nonthaburi at the Impact center. There was an excellent display of e-learning resources at the center. It looked very good. Nednapa was there and it was great to see her.

The Impact center is a huge national exhibition hall, almost overpowering in scope. There is a large covered arena, football or soccer size, being built next to the current Impact Center. The Impact Center is very near to STOU.

At the exhibition were many "One Tambon One Product " items for sale. The packaging and presentation is top quality, the people doing the selling were deeply committed to their products. There were food items, gift items, and functional items all created and sold under the OTOP program. The OTOP idea is really working.

A Tambon is a unit of government in Thailand, similar to a county in the United States. Each Tambon chooses one product to promote and then gets assistance in presentation, packaging, and marketing. The quality of the goods that I saw was very high. The OTOP idea might be useful in Alaska for rural villages. I was very impressed with the variety and quality of the goods being offered.

In many places in Thailand you will see the OTOP logo, if you visit look at the items in detail, you will find high quality, good prices, and the items will be directly helping local communities. OTOP is the real deal.

Tuk gave me an large in-depth evaluation of STOU e-learning to read. the study, Recommendations For E-Learning Development at Sukothai Thammathirat Open University by John S. Green of The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand was written in 2001. I can see many improvements in technology since the report was written, but the culture of course creation and method of delivery is still the same. The report is very critical of the "text book, work book", method of course delivery. I agree with the criticism.

Most of the people I meet at STOU are talented, creative, and committed to the mission of the university, I do not think that professionals at STOU have the administrative freedom to use their ability. I am torn between my care for and enjoyment of the people I have met, and the thoughtfulness they have shown Jit and I, and my objective belief in what education means. What I do not see is the ongoing magic interaction that is the essence of teaching. I do not see a variety of approaches and experiments in delivering education. I think there is a problem of institutional leadership, not talent or vision. People need a means and support to initiate change. I also have been impressed by the students that I have meet at the provincial centers, in seminars, and on the street. Many good things are happening at STOU, but there is so much more to do to unleash the talented potential of the professional staff and faculty that I have met.