Bad Choice.

[a99az]

Money to burn, easy when it's not yours.

A school I work at here in Thailand, has recently installed 42inch flat screen TVs and computers into the classrooms. The idea being that lessons could be placed on to the TV instead of having to be written on to the white board, saving the teacher time.

However the screens are so small that the amount of readable material that can be shown at any one time, makes this almost useless and nothing more that a toy. It looks good but if you are unlucky and end up at the back of the class, you will need a pair of binoculars to see anything.

What makes this doubly frustrating is the fact that the lazy teachers now spend the whole lesson sat on there ass behind the computer pushing buttons and talking to them selves. There is no interaction and no teacher support. And the older teachers don't know how to use it, a blessing in disguise.

Now it could be said that buying a TV and a computer was a bad choice, bourn out of ignorance.

But the fact is a year before, I had brought with me to the school a portable projector and sound system connected to a lap top, that allowed me to present my lessons within two or three minutes of entering the classroom ( I now have my own room so require no time for setting up)

The cost for projector, lap-top and amp with two mikes, twenty seven thousand Baht.

Cost for the schools TV and computer with no sound, thirty nine thousand Baht + .

The screen size I use is over two and a half meters, and I use a remote so that I can be any where in the class, encouraging and supporting students.

What can you say, "Amazing Thailand."

End of rant.

Edited November 3, 2011 by a99az

[Scott]

When someone comes up with an idea like this one, it's a good idea to try in a classroom before investing a lot of money.

[wayned]

I taught in a government secondary school ESL program where all of the rooms were equipped withLCD projectors and computers. I taught math and didn't use the system but neither did any of the other teachers other than for geography which was taught by a Thai in Thai. She sat , pushed keys and talked while all the kids played games or texted on their mobile phones. Other than that they were used by the children to watch movies downloaded from the internet.

When someone comes up with an idea like this one, it's a good idea to try in a classroom before investing a lot of money.

[happysanook]

perhaps the flatscreen make the school look more "modern"? but far from adequate for your purposes ... a shame they didn't go with the projectors....

[Ijustwannateach]

The purpose of educational equipment purchases in Thailand is not education. It is kickbacks plus the slight status for the school of the presence of the equipment (never mind if it works or what it's for).

[otherstuff1957]

I teach Science, Geography and History and frequently use my laptop and a projector in my lessons. Being able to display a diagram or map or graph on a screen can really bring a lesson to life. However, a typical projector screen is much bigger than a 42' TV screen!

Technology can make a teacher more effective, but it does not replace effective teaching.