|
Thursday, March 17, 2005
Smart pilots teachers’ learning center in Lapu school
Smart Communications Inc. has chosen a public school in Lapu-Lapu City as the pilot school in the Visayas for its Smart Schools Program (SSP) facility.
Science and Technology Education Center (Stec) is now host of the SSP facility, a teachers’ learning resource center equipped with 10 networked computers and peripherals, such as printers, scanner and Web camera.
“The Smart Schools Program is part of the PLDT (Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.) group’s modest efforts to help make computer technologies and the Internet accessible to teachers and students of public high schools.
We hope the Smart Schools facility here at Stec will help our teachers learn how to use computers and the Internet in teaching their students,” PLDT and Smart Communications chairman Manuel Pangilinan said during the launching of the facility last week.
Pangilinan said the network is connected to the Internet via Smart subsidiary Meridian Telekoms Inc.’s wireless broadband solution. The Internet service will be given for free for one year.
The SSP is anchored on three components: access (Internet access), content (access to online content and various hosting solutions), and training (information and communications technology training for teachers and stakeholders).
It also offers entrepreneurship training and workshops to help prepare the schools to run the facility in a sustainable way.
The SSP facility is expected to serve Stec’s 14 elementary and high school teachers as well as faculty members from nearby public schools.
Stec is home to gifted students schooled in science and technology-based curricula, Division Superintendent Serena Uy said.
Smart recently launched its facility at its pilot school for Luzon, the Malabon National High School in Malabon City.
The facility will soon be inaugurated at the Jolo National High School in Sulu, Jolo, the pilot school for Mindanao.
The three pilot schools will demonstrate the various technologies that the PLDT group has applied to provide Internet connectivity. Stec is using Meridian Telekom, while Malabon National High School is connected via PLDT’s myDSL. The Jolo National High School, on the other hand, will be connected via the satellite service of PLDT’s Mabuhay Satellite.
Smart will set up 10 more teacher learning resource centers, like the one in Stec, all over the country. Smart also aims to provide Internet connectivity using different technologies to about 40 other schools that have existing computer laboratories but no Internet connections.
The SSP is being implemented with the Philippine Business for Social Progress, of which Pangilinan is also chairman, in cooperation with the Department of Education. (JBN)
(March 17, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
