Let’s face it: cellular phones have become an important part of our modern lives. Detractors of this simple truth will say that back in the day, when there weren’t any cellular phones, people got along just fine. That’s okay, and very true. But that was back in the day. We live in the “now,” 2010; no flying cars just yet, but George Jetson’s talking computer box is very much a part of this reality.
Everyone, from high-rolling executive bigwigs to isaw vendors, has a cellular phone. Aside from the Internet and Internet-ready devices, cellular phones give users ready access to communication, entertainment, and news. Paired with service providers, these machines have created a new venue where people can stay informed.
The versatility of the cellular phone does not end with the individual user. The same technology and principles can be applied to groups. How these palm-sized gadgets have found a fitting place inside the classroom isn’t surprising.
The use of mobile phone technology for educational purposes is a fun and new way for youths in underserved schools to learn and to be exposed to new media. In the Philippines, the “Text2Teach” program is garnering positive results from all of its partner schools. A project of Bridge IT, Nokia, The Ayala Foundation, Globe, SEAMEO Innotech, and The DepED, Text2Teach aims to make a significant contribution to the quality of teaching and learning in local Filipino schools.
The set-up is simple and very effective. In cooperation with local government units, the partners of the Text2Teach program provide participating schools with teacher’s guides, a TV, a Nokia Smartphone device (Nokia N95 8GB,) and an RCA cable, and a stipend for prepaid load. Lessons in math, science, and English are already pre-saved on the phone. All the teacher has to do is plug the unit into the TV and select what video to play. The videos are DepED approved, and the teachers are trained to integrate the videos into their normal lesson plans.
Since its inception in 2003, Text2Teach has more than tripled its number of partner schools, catering to 129 schools in 11 areas around the country. About 21,000 grade five and grade six students are benefitting from the program. “We decided to stay within these two grade levels because our research showed that this was a highly developmental stage in a child’s life. Their brains are like sponges at this age, and it is at this point where they begin to reason and think cognitively,” says Marisse C. Catangay, manager for the Center of Social Development of The Ayala Foundation.
Children are more receptive to learning by means of visual aids. These short videos are found to be interesting among students, and have led to many good things like more positive attitudes towards learning and reduced absenteeism. Furthermore, teachers have less of a burden when preparing lesson plans and are more confident with their knowledge of technology application as well as in teaching.
In case the Nokia Smartphone unit is missing some videos, teachers can use the Nokia Education Delivery (NED) application found in the phones to quickly download upcoming lessons. Using 3G technology, teachers are able to select from the available 387 topics under such subjects as math, science, and English; download these, and store the data on the phone for future use. The great thing about incorporating 3G into Text2Teach is that the NED application is able to deliver these educational videos to remote, hard to reach areas.
By 2011, the Text2Teach program aims to reach out to 221 more schools in 20 areas and at the rate things are going, the outlook is promising.. By making lessons interesting and encouraging the desire to learn, education to make our citizenry world-class is enhanced. This is one good way to integrate technology in the grassroots level.
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For more information about the Text2Teach program, visit Nokia’s website at www.nokia.com or The Ayala Foundation’s website, www.ayalafoundation.org
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E-mail me at enricomiguelsubido@yahoo.com.