Blogging, photography impress students

The prospects and opportunities of blogging and photography dazzled junior high students from Bali’s rural areas taking part in a three-day journalism workshop in Sanur.

When The Jakarta Post introduced its public “in my opinion” blog, imo.thejakartapost.com, on the second day of the workshop, all 44 participating students and 11 teachers were curious and enthusiastic on how they could use the blog to make themselves heard over the Internet.

It was the students’ first experience with a blog, a type of online journal maintained by an individual with stories being posted based on their personal interests.

Most of them attributed the lack of information on blogs to limited access to Internet connections at schools and at home.

The students, however, did not have any difficulties to getting their heads around the concept, registering at imo blog, and posting stories in English in their imo blog accounts.

Suadnyana, a student from Junior High School SMPN 3 Ubud, wrote in his school imo blog that he wanted to play for Manchester United like Eric Cantona.

“My hobbies are playing soccer and playstation,” he said.

Another student, Ni Kadek Astini from SMPN 3 Rendang, posted in her blog that she idolized Susi Susanti, the most successful female badminton player in the country.

“I like playing badminton because it’s very healthy,” she said.

One teacher,  Putu Widi Ciptaningsih from SMPN 5 Busungbiu, said blogging gave her the idea to put information about her school and her area on the internet.

“I create an account on imo with the tag line Dingin Musim Kopi or the Cold Coffee Season as my area is so cold when we harvest coffee,” she said during the journalism workshop jointly organized by The Jakarta Post foundation and the Australian government.

The workshop participants expected the Post could continue help them post their stories on the blog site following the workshop.

Students also enjoyed the photography session in the workshop, where they could learn composition, color, and lighting.

Equipped with pocket cameras and mobile phone cameras, they took pictures of any objects they found on Sanur beach near Werdhapura Hotel.

Students produced pictures such of wooden boats, statues, people on the beach, and close-up facial expressions.