Telco's free Internet offer a big help to education

CEBU, Philippines - The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in a support material published for educators, said "the Internet was invented especially for education."

For one, research is made easier, and it brings learning resources into every classroom.  Online learning also democratizes access to quality education with massive open online courses from the world's leading universities now made available to anybody with data connectivity. 

The Internet allows for more open and rapid communication between teachers and students.  For instance, school announcements, requirements, and even quizzes and examinations are posted on an online site that both students and teachers have access to.

This is why both teachers and learners are thankful of the free Internet offer from Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) as this puts the limitless world of online resources easily within their reach.

"The free Internet is a trailblazing move from Smart," says Arcie Mallari, founder of Silid Aralan, Inc. (SAI), a non-profit organization that teaches underprivileged and low-performing students to learn and love learning.  "Smart's offer helps our learners because it gives Internet access without cost or time constraints to worry about."

It also helps SAI instructors.  "We get to check our learners through our online database since we also advocate paperless instruction. With Smart's free Internet, we are able to access our learning plan online without cost," adds Mallari.

Founded in 2007, SAI has been a partner of Smart in supporting community-based education.  The group, based in Montalban, Rizal, developed the customized learning modules used by Smart for its CommuniTeach initiative and Read-to-be-Smart summer reading program.

"Naniniwala kami na walang bobo.  Lahat smart (We believe that no one is dumb. Everyone is smart)," says Mallari, adding the free access to a gateway of information can contribute in helping school kids become smarter.

For Braille  Pacot, a third-year student at Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), having free access to Internet empowers students to be knowledgeable and up-to-date with the rest of the world.  "Smart's free Internet is a great help to students like me because we can directly search through Google the meaning of difficult words or any topic we are not familiar with during classes."

It works for his professors too. "It is also a big help to my teachers because they can easily send online PDF files and other materials to supplement lectures. We can access those files using Smart's free Internet promo," adds Pacot.

He goes on to cite how free Internet access contributes to a young person's work-life balance.  "Aside from our online assignments, we can also access social networking sites like Facebook and keep in touch with our friends and loved ones for free."

Mony Romana, a music business lecturer at De La Salle College of Saint Benilde, says that the special offer of Smart is a welcome development, as is any effort to make Internet access affordable and accessible to those who need it.  He and his students benefit from the free Internet offer because it helps them communicate with each other, a requirement when working on their many group projects.

Bayaning Guro awardee Fe Lustanas, a teacher at La Huerta Elementary School in Paranaque City, is grateful for what she considers a gift from Smart.  She advises her almost 400 students to make the most of Smart's free Internet service.  "I encourage them to be online during their free time especially when they have assignments. They have fun in researching and they discover more information because it's for free. My students are updated on the latest issues and trends."

Smart launched its free Internet promo last September initially for Smart, Talk 'N Text, and Sun prepaid subscribers.   The promo was later extended to include postpaid and broadband subscribers as well.  The promo period was also extended from end-November to January 5, 2015. 

This initiative from Smart was launched to provide to a larger number of Filipinos the opportunity to try out and experience mobile Internet and enjoy its many benefits.

Many students are now doing their research online via mobile devices. (FREEMAN)