Thai Education Ministry Demonstrates Computer Tablet Usage

[webfact]

ELECTION CAMPAIGN'S PROMISE

Ministry demonstrates tablet usage

WANNAPA KHAOPA,

SAOWANEE NIMPANPAYUNGWONG,

SUPINDA NA MAHACHAI

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The Education Ministry yesterday showed Prathom 1 students easy ways to access their computer tablets and enter lessons and applications. The Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) approved of the simple access.

"They just need to touch on the screen a few times, and then enter any programmes they want," an official said.

First, the official touched an icon called Por 1 in Thai (Grade 1). The tablet showed the new page with icons of five subjects including the English language, maths, Thai, social studies and science, songs for learning and other applications such as voice recording, lost and found and the academic calendar.

When he touched an icon for any subject, all the learning objects for each period on that subject appeared. Students could enjoy learning from the multimedia lessons they preferred.

Obec secretary-general Chinnapat Bhumirat said it had reduced the access procedure after pilot schools using the tablets said there were too many steps for entering applications and lessons.

As many as 336 learning objects for the five subjects would be installed in each tablet, plus PDF files. Chinnapat said Obec would provide a dictionary and drawing and painting applications and was considering if it should provide a multiplication table, chanting book and other applications.

Chinnapat said all the information installed in each tablet would use at least half of the 8GB memory. If any schools found other helpful applications, there would be space available to install them.

Education Minister Suchart Tadathamrongvej said the government would buy one million tablets for Prathom 1 students in both government and private institutions, requiring a Bt2.4 billion budget.

He said vocational institutions in 77 provinces would help with maintenance, and Shenzhen Scope Scientific Development would give a two-year warrantee.

The Information and Communi-cations Technology Ministry is drafting the purchase contract. Reports said the contract would be checked for approval by the Office of the Attorney General first.

Chinnapat said the first batch of 2,000 tablets would come to Thailand 15 days after the contract is signed.

Obec will train 549 supervisors to help instruct 54,900 Prathom 1 teachers during this summer vacation to be ready to teach their pupils using the tablets when school reopens.

-- The Nation 2012-04-04

[thaicbr]

So the contract STILL hasn't been signed and the trainers have not been trained. AND there is going to be ONE trainer per Ten THOUSAND teachers. WOW....Amazing Thailand.

[whybother]

So the contract STILL hasn't been signed and the trainers have not been trained. AND there is going to be ONE trainer per Ten THOUSAND teachers. WOW....Amazing Thailand.

One trainer per one hundred teachers.

That's about the size of normal classes, isn't it?

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

[rkidlad]

"They just need to touch on the screen a few times, and then enter any programmes they want," an official said''

MSN

What's App

Angry Birds

Cooking Mama

etc

[mijan24]

I for one would be very interested to view the programmes especially the Thai, English and Maths. This raises the question are they "the suite of programmes" availabe for purchase? by interested parents?

Edited April 4, 2012 by mijan24

[americaninbangkok]

So the contract STILL hasn't been signed and the trainers have not been trained. AND there is going to be ONE trainer per Ten THOUSAND teachers. WOW....Amazing Thailand.

One trainer per one hundred teachers.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

Maybe it's time for trying out the math app?

Edited April 4, 2012 by americaninbangkok

[americaninbangkok]

So the contract STILL hasn't been signed and the trainers have not been trained. AND there is going to be ONE trainer per Ten THOUSAND teachers. WOW....Amazing Thailand.

Yes... a shocker that the contract has not yet been signed!

Pronouncements and vows... the govt is good at making them.

Action? Not so much.

[animatic]

Well it is a bit of action to see an actual apparently working set of programs,

and that the test versions have been used on the age group students in the real world.

Of course they have said nothing about this till now. And say nothing much about the actual apps design or functionality.

Edited April 4, 2012 by animatic

[whybother]

So the contract STILL hasn't been signed and the trainers have not been trained. AND there is going to be ONE trainer per Ten THOUSAND teachers. WOW....Amazing Thailand.

One trainer per one hundred teachers.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

Maybe it's time for trying out the math app?

"Obec will train 549 supervisors to help instruct 54,900 Prathom 1 teachers".

The maths app I have on my laptop says I'm correct.

[americaninbangkok]

So the contract STILL hasn't been signed and the trainers have not been trained. AND there is going to be ONE trainer per Ten THOUSAND teachers. WOW....Amazing Thailand.

One trainer per one hundred teachers.

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

Maybe it's time for trying out the math app?

"Obec will train 549 supervisors to help instruct 54,900 Prathom 1 teachers".

The maths app I have on my laptop says I'm correct.

Apologies for lack of clarity. I was referring to the original posting (thaicbr, 1 per 10,000) and not your correction (1 per 100).

[hellodolly]

Well it is a bit of action to see an actual apparently working set of programs,

and that the test versions have been used on the age group students in the real world.

Of course they have said nothing about this till now. And say nothing much about the actual apps design or functionality.

Well they did say the test versions were to complicated.

Wonder why they would put the multiplication tables into a grade one pad. A little early for that maybe the two times tables.

Edited April 4, 2012 by hellodolly

[phiphidon]

Well it is a bit of action to see an actual apparently working set of programs,

and that the test versions have been used on the age group students in the real world.

Of course they have said nothing about this till now. And say nothing much about the actual apps design or functionality.

"Of course they have said nothing about this till now"

OK I'm curious why "Of course, they have said nothing about this till now " - What would "they" gain from keeping it quiet?

I suspect your post has more to do with you "saving face' over your previous posts demanding, in super large font size, where the software was.

Edited April 4, 2012 by phiphidon

[Gone]

So are these to be used "in class" or for after school?

If it for in-class use then I think that this really takes away the "personal" effect of teacher to student and will just turn into a teacher's nightmere.

Can you imagine 1 teacher in a classroom of 54 P-1 students trying to walk around and control what they are all doing and making sure they are all on the "same page?"

Normally class lessons are only 55 minutes anyways. It will take at least half of that just to get them all on the same lesson no?

I personally feel that these tablets will have an anti-productive effect on teaching and will give the teachers a clear path to just sit back, not teach like they are supposed to and let the kids play with their tablets. The same as the lazy teacher who puts on a video, turns the lights off and rests for 55 minutes.

I don't know why they would resort to this way of teaching to be honest. When I was teaching I always thought it was good when I had made a "Power point" presentation for the class that they could all watch on the same screen which was more interesting to them then just books and get into 1 lesson as a class. That way I could tell who wasn't paying attention and who was. Withe these tablets........omg......kaos

[thanchart]

So are these to be used "in class" or for after school?

If it for in-class use then I think that this really takes away the "personal" effect of teacher to student and will just turn into a teacher's nightmere.

Can you imagine 1 teacher in a classroom of 54 P-1 students trying to walk around and control what they are all doing and making sure they are all on the "same page?"

Normally class lessons are only 55 minutes anyways. It will take at least half of that just to get them all on the same lesson no?

I personally feel that these tablets will have an anti-productive effect on teaching and will give the teachers a clear path to just sit back, not teach like they are supposed to and let the kids play with their tablets. The same as the lazy teacher who puts on a video, turns the lights off and rests for 55 minutes.

I don't know why they would resort to this way of teaching to be honest. When I was teaching I always thought it was good when I had made a "Power point" presentation for the class that they could all watch on the same screen which was more interesting to them then just books and get into 1 lesson as a class. That way I could tell who wasn't paying attention and who was. Withe these tablets........omg......kaos

Well the experience from the pilot projects done in Philippines run contrary to what you said, The devices were not only used only in the classroom (cannot bring home), the kids loved this period so much they actually put on their best behaviours to avoid the teacher cancelling the eLearning class and going back to paper-based for that period.

So what u think is not what it is. From what u said, I don't think u understand how kids respond to eLearning. You are seeing it from yr adult perspective

Edited April 4, 2012 by thanchart

[kanderson]

So are these to be used "in class" or for after school?

If it for in-class use then I think that this really takes away the "personal" effect of teacher to student and will just turn into a teacher's nightmere.

Can you imagine 1 teacher in a classroom of 54 P-1 students trying to walk around and control what they are all doing and making sure they are all on the "same page?"

Normally class lessons are only 55 minutes anyways. It will take at least half of that just to get them all on the same lesson no?

I personally feel that these tablets will have an anti-productive effect on teaching and will give the teachers a clear path to just sit back, not teach like they are supposed to and let the kids play with their tablets. The same as the lazy teacher who puts on a video, turns the lights off and rests for 55 minutes.

I don't know why they would resort to this way of teaching to be honest. When I was teaching I always thought it was good when I had made a "Power point" presentation for the class that they could all watch on the same screen which was more interesting to them then just books and get into 1 lesson as a class. That way I could tell who wasn't paying attention and who was. Withe these tablets........omg......kaos

The way we learned or taught in the past is just that - the old way. Make way for a new day.

[billd766]

Well it is a bit of action to see an actual apparently working set of programs,

and that the test versions have been used on the age group students in the real world.

Of course they have said nothing about this till now. And say nothing much about the actual apps design or functionality.

I am not quite sure what you mean by the real world test.

It may have been tested at "selected" schools in BKK but what about the real world schools out in the provinces where access to computers is probably limited to the local internet shop where they play online games for about 10 or 20 baht an hour.

I don't think my 7 year old son will have a big problem as he is computer bright as he uses my old laptop and in his class (which we pay extra for) has only 23 pupils which makes supervision and teaching easier than a class or 45 or 50.

I would like to get a copy of the programs so that I can put it on "his" laptop at home.

[Gone]

Well if the test projects proved to be good then I stand corrected. Yes I am old school.

True enough that the "new world of technology" is coming or here already.

[IMA_FARANG]

Of all the doubts I might have about this project...and I do have some...the very least worry is that the children won't be able to learn how to use the tablets easily.

In fact, from what limited experience I have wih "computer" based learning...the children are the first to get the way to do it...and then they are the ones to show their less "computer friendly" parents what to do.

I've seen 5 year olds in Thailand who spoke no English use a picture based system and learn how to make it do what they wanted to in less than half the time their English speaking parents needed.

The problem was that the words in English inended to explain what to do got in the way of just touch-and-try to see what happens just with the pictures.

Thats how young children learn best.

Edited April 4, 2012 by IMA_FARANG

[hellodolly]

Well if the test projects proved to be good then I stand corrected. Yes I am old school.

True enough that the "new world of technology" is coming or here already.

"Obec secretary-general Chinnapat Bhumirat said it had reduced the access procedure after pilot schools using the tablets said there were too many steps for entering applications and lessons."

Apparently the test projects were to complicated and they had too simplify it down.