First Sat-ed School Site Running

[CTO]

Give them the tools, and they will stun you.

I don't get emotional except when trying to raise funds normally, but today I admit I got a little emotional.

I often hear about teachers, and many times it's complaints, so I need to write here about my visit this morning to the Mathayom Bangbangkapi, or Banbangkapi High School, in Bangkok.

For those living in Thailand, your first response will be, "But it's summer holiday, the school is shut" and you'd be correct. The school is supposed to be closed. But it's not, thanks to a visionary Headmaster and dedicated staff and students.

This school is the first of 11 Sat-Ed are installing the Sat-Ed Digital Library System under a project in Thailand with SIPA (Software Industry Promotion Agency), MoE (Ministry of Education) and the Southern Border Provinces Center. The other schools are in the 3 deep south provinces, the "Red Zones". The installation is happening now, but this is the first time it was in use, weeks before school resumes. Why?

Sat-Ed with support of the above, is providing in schools IPTV based Video (education) on Demand, and caching of often used or needed web sites for the PC rooms.

Sat-Ed's core principle is technology should never be seen, just used.

And the system, after a long development time, works perfectly as I saw today, but I expected that.

Because we have the best content partners, the content the students and teachers use is excellent, and the speed of access is instant, the students using PC's are not distracted waiting for sites to open, and in classroom, use the TV and remote control to enhance and supplement the teachers own skills and knowledge.

But WHY was the school open?

I had a email on Monday from our COO, Charkrit , who after a lengthy email said:

"I am very impressed and so proud"

We made this system, he was employee number 1, he knows it back to front, I know it back to front, so why so impressed and proud?

Apparently the school had organized a 5 day summer camp for this week just to use our system and access the content we provide. Anyone wanting to see the system being used, ask the teachers and students what they think, please get in touch with me. The camp runs all this week 9 - 12.

So I went to see the system being used at the urging of Charkrit, of course it works I thought driving there, what's so special? Yes, this is the first school in SE Asia, possibly the first of it's kind anywhere that does as much as our system does, the first commercial roll out of IPTV VoD in schools in Asia, the first true Digital Library deployment in Thailand/Asia possibly, the first to have a complete end to end Digital Library system that covers TV- and PC-based content, adding and removing content, low cost, etc, but so what, we know that, driving in the rain I don't really need to see it being used do I? I'd rather be looking for $ to keep things going.

But it was what THEY, the Teachers, Students and Headmaster had done that made me stop and think.

Frankly, if I was seeing someone else's network, I would have been just as impressed. Technology is nothing, it is just a tool to be used, but WHEN that tool is used correctly, with such passion and dedication as I saw this morning, then that's impressive.

I stood and saw students sitting in the 3 classrooms with our IPTV VoD, very seriously working, pausing the VoD, rewinding over something not understood, teachers explaining a difficult concept, parents watching to see why their child wasn't on holidays but in school. Teachers in another room using the VoD to learn and improve their own English. "All teachers must learn to use this system, and especially English" the Head told me.

Students using our system, seamlessly, effortlessly, and saying to us when we asked.

Miss Ratnenar "This has so much more information than any books we have here"

Miss Kimolat "This is great, it's a great help and teaches me so much"

The teachers, the students, the Head gave up their holidays so they can learn to use our system, to access more education than they had before, 2000 hours of education on demand over the year will be at their finger tips, and the content list is growing. Technology not replacing teachers but supporting teachers.

And from next term, the Head announced that school is now going to be open on Saturdays, demand to use the Sat-Ed Education on Demand is so great. All the schools in the district are coming to see "her" system!

Looking at the three classrooms fitted with IPTV, teachers and students all very seriously studying, giving up their time, and wanting to do so every Saturday onward when school starts, I stood back, humbled by the passion of the students and teachers. I saw the proof of what I have, what Sat-Ed has been saying for so long, give people access to education in a way they can use, and they will use it. I was impressed by the great tiny team I have around me who did this, proud of the teachers and students giving up holidays for the the chance to learn, and happy 10 other schools next term will be using the same system in the South of Thailand. And very proud to work with a Headmaster who could see a opportunity and run with it. Ajarn Chanisa your a great headmaster, you have great teachers working with you. Your students are lucky to have you.

The first site took us a few years to get too, the next 10 will take a day each to install, Sat-Ed now has Satellite bandwidth over Asia and Africa, 1 million schools to go, who wants to come for the ride?

CTO - Sat-Ed

Edited October 10, 2007 by CTO