Text2Teach mobile tech 'invades' Albay schools

MANILA, Philippines - Learning Math, Science and English becomes more fun and exciting for Grades 5 and 6 pupils of select public schools in Polangui and Tiwi towns in Albay as the Text2Teach alliance brings to the province an innovative way of teaching via mobile technology beginning this school year.

Text2Teach is a collaboration between the private and public sectors composed of Globe Telecom, Ayala Foundation, Nokia, Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO INNOTECH), the Department of Education, and the local government units.

Using the power of mobile technology, students in 24 public elementary schools in Polangui and another 12 in Tiwi, can now watch any of the 400 educational audio and video materials loaded on the N86 8MP phones donated by Nokia and equipped with the Nokia Education Delivery (NED) application.

NED allows teachers to play the educational audios and videos on math, science and english specifically designed for the project, providing a highly effective visual aid for teachers. 

It also creates an interactive, student-focused learning environment in the classroom which makes the students eager to go to school.

Globe Telecom, on the other hand, provides prepaid SIM cards, free P150 monthly load allowance for one year to each beneficiary-school to be used for helpdesk concerns, and an additional P1,000 load if there are new or updated materials to be downloaded through the mobile phones using its network. “Text2Teach shows how mobile technology can be used in various ways, not only to call, text, and browse the Internet but also to enhance the educational experiences of the students. Through the Text2Teach alliance, we at the private sector together with our public sector counterpart, are able to work hand-in-hand in harnessing this technology to give our underprivileged students a chance to gain access to the kind of education that other children around the world are enjoying,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe head for corporate communications.

Students can watch the videos using 29-inch television sets donated by Kolin Philippines. The lesson plans were created by the DepEd master teachers themselves to meet local education guidelines and standards, and are fully integrated into the basic education curriculum.  

SEAMEO INNOTECH has also started training the teachers to prepare them on the use of the Text2Teach technology and educational materials in the classroom to ensure the high quality and standard of teaching using the program. 

During the launch, the municipalities of Polangui and Tiwi turned over P951,000 and P360,000 to the Text2Teach alliance, representing the local government’s counterpart funds for the project implementation.

The 24 recipient schools in Polangui are Agos Elementary School (ES), Alnay ES, Apad ES, Balangibang ES, Balinad ES, Danao ES, Itaran ES, Kinale ES, La Medalla ES, Lanigay ES, Lidong ES, Magpanambo ES, Magurang ES, Matacon ES, Maynaga ES, Maysua ES, Napo ES, Polangui North Central School, Polangui South Central School, Ponso North ES, Ponso South ES, Salvacion ES, Santicon ES, and Sugcad ES.

In Tiwi, the 12 recipient schools are Bagumbayan ES, Baybay ES, Belen ES, Bolo ES, Cale ES, Joroan ES, Libtong ES, Mayong ES, Misibis ES, Nagas ES, Putsan ES, and Tiwi Central School.

Since 2003, more than a million public elementary school students and almost 2,000 teachers and school officials in 452 schools in the country have benefited from Text2Teach. 

On the other hand, the launch of Text2Teach in the towns of Polangui and Tiwi puts the number of schools using the NED technology at 247 to date, with more than 1,200 teachers and almost 30,000 students benefiting from the program.