Hua Hin, the Distance Learning Foundation, the Wang Klaikangwoo School

12/17/05 to 12/19/05

Driving back to Bang Krachow in the Taxi I saw two people who were disabled pushing a wheelchair over the bridge that goes over the new flood control canal under the Mega-Bridge. I also saw a pedi-cabs being pushed over the bridge with the passengers still riding. The hill is pretty steep for people to peddle over.

There is a new 7-11 on the read to Bang Krachow. It was built very quickly, almost a pre-fab, it is about half way out on the peninsula. That makes three mini-marts on the peninsula.
Before we went into Bangkok to get a ride to Hua Hin I went for a long walk in the park it was windy and I got goose bumps. The weather really is cooler now, people wear coats and hats sometimes. To me it is a relief.

We took a taxi to the Thai Farmers Bank under the Ari Sky Train station. We met Dr Siriwan Anantho with the School of Communication Arts at Sukothai Thammathirat Open University and rode with her to her parent's house at Cha Am.

We looked at the Cha Am beach, it reminded me of when we went there with Jit's family in 2001. When we were visiting Cha Am in 2001 we also stayed at Pan's house at Kaeng Krachan National Park. Going to a place again, remembering how I experienced it, and then comparing that experiences can be a revelation. My perspective is very different, what was strange is now normal.

We went to the palace of Rama VII. It was closed, but we walked on the grounds, the trees are huge. We went to Hue Hin and saw the old Railroad Hotel, now the Sofitel Central. It was really a beautiful old hotel, with a nice beach and swimming pool. There was a large Christmas tree and a large neon sign that said Merry Christmas. The hotel is an immaculate restoration. I think it would be an excellent hotel to stay at and relax.

I liked Hue Hin, it was not crazy like Patong Beach in Phuket. I will try to stay there in the future. We also saw the train station, it was ornate and interesting.

We then went to Siriwan's parent's house, it was near the beach and beautifully designed with beautiful wood floors and architectural details. We looked at the village and saw their old home on the beach. She has many family members in the community. There are many high rise hotels, but where we were, is an original village. The land will probably be developed, but for now it is a wonderful place to live. I love watching the ocean waves.

At Dr. Siriwan's parent's home we had a wonderful meal and were joined by Dr. Scott Mclean from the University of Calgary, Dr Kamolratchim and Dr. Nhing of STOU. We talked until 9:30 about the roles of the faculty, the uses of technology, and globalization. It was a deep and thoughtful conversation, when we were not teasing each other. It was also great to be able to use English and to understand the conversation.

We stayed at Dr. Siriwan's parents home, we had a separate room. It was very restful. In the morning we walked down to the village and did some photography.

We then went to the Distance Learning Foundation which is sponsored by the King. The Wang Klaikangwoo School is a Royal school that is also the source for the comprehensive set of distance education broadcasts that are available throughout Thailand as well as Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Yunnan province in China. The Distance Learning via Technology system is television based, supplemented by Fax, print, and the Internet. The video technology was first class.

Two things that were thought provoking were the use of a school as the source of the broadcasts. The actual classes were bring broadcast in real time, there was tape delay available, but it was for time shifting. Having the educational programs of actual live classes I think has real advantages in making the presentations interesting. We saw a class being taught with two high quality television cameras. The school, which is a Royal school, is the source of the programs, each of the class rooms is equipped for broadcasting.

The purpose of the DLT is to serve remote schools and schools that have few teachers, it sounded much like rural Alaska. The broadcasts are also available on UBC cable, channels 1-6 are for elementary school, channels 7-12 are for secondary school, channel 13 is for vocational broadcasts, channel 14 is for International broadcasts, and channel 15 is for use of the University. The broadcasts and supporting materials are also provided to the general public and for non-formal education students. Being under Royal patronage gives the foundation an advantage for gathering funds and in encouraging cooperation.

We saw a video of the King addressing the staff of the foundation. The King is impressive in action, he seems like a thoughtful concerned person who truly cares about the needs of the people. In Alaska I see the picture of the King on many walls and on calendars, it seems sort of silly, but being in Thailand and hearing his speech on his birthday, and seeing his influence, I am impressed. Most of all the King seems genuine, a real caring compassionate person, not a politician.

Another web site that supports the broadcasts is http://www.dlfeschool.in.th/

Some statistics, there are 3,107 secondary schools, 8,140 remote schools, and 16 remote boarding schools for orphans because of AID's or tragedy, that have distance learning reception with the correct satellite equipment. Everything is free of charge. The web site www.dlf.ac.th provides Internet support to the educational broadcasts. The material is even used Internationally. There is also a Wat in Los Angeles that provides materials to Thai citizens in the United States.

Video in Thailand makes a lot of sense, most people have access to television, although many can not afford cable. The audience that needs to be convinced to use the material is the teachers. As is usual there are problems getting the teachers to use the materials. There is printed support material of a high quality for the courses. What I saw was educational television done correctly with resources and support. The idea of an actual school being the source of live broadcasts is also interesting. The broadcasts were not taped and then re-used, except for time shifting. The material was fresh and real.

After the tour, and in depth discussion, we went to Rama VII's palace on the beach. The palace is very open and cool, there are huge trees on the grounds that provide shade. The feeling is almost like living outdoors. The palace is called Klai Kangwon "Far From Worries". The various buildings and rooms are on pillars that are connected by raised paths. Everything is in the air and the flow of air and feeling is bright and breezy. It really is an interesting building.

On the way back to Bangkok, we stopped in a town, Tha Yang, near Petchaburi, to have Pad Thai. The place is supposed to be famous, and it was excellent. There was nothing to distinguish the place, just a normal Thai food place in a market, but the word of mouth has created popularity. The food was excellent. The area was also interesting, there were many traditional wooden, unrestored buildings. The street we were in had not been overwhelmed with concrete shop houses.

We got dropped off where the road cuts off to Phra Pradaeng. We caught a taxi. There was a lot of construction, probably for the ring road that will connect to the Mega-Bridge.