Bangkok Administration Takes Step Forward With Smart

[webfact]

EDUCATION

BMA takes step forward with smart

Asina Pornwasin

The Nation

Pilot project aims to test effectiveness of tablets as learning devices

BANGKOK: -- A Prathom-4 student at Na Luang School enjoys using the tablet in her mathematics classroom, thanks to the "Smart Classroom Project" initiated by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

Taya Teepsuwan, deputy governor of Bangkok, said that under the "Smart Classroom Project", which aims to provide the best technology for young minds in the classroom. As part of the BMA's strategic plan to develop ICT management for education, fourth-grade classes in four different schools throughout Bangkok are involved in the pilot programme.

In each of the four schools, the supplied tablets were equipped with different operating systems, including Android for the Prachaniwet School, Windows 7 for the Rittiyawannalai School, iOS for the Wat Pathumwanaram School and Windows 8 for the Na Luang School.

"This programme is aimed at testing the effectiveness of tablet-PCs as learning devices in the classroom. The Department of Education and the BMA is now hiring King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi to evaluate the four schools' results after using the tablets to expand the project in the future," said Taya.

She also added that by the end of this year, the evaluation result will come out and then the BMA will consider whether to further trial or expand the Smart Classroom Project. However, she emphasised that technologies in learning matter are important tools to help both teachers and students to have better learning methods for better understanding of the subjects.

"Technologies for education are an important thing that we cannot avoid. The challenge is how to apply technologies in education with the most efficiency," said Taya.

Tracey Fellows, president of Microsoft Asia Pacific Region, said that Na Luang School is one of four pilot schools in the project that is supported by Windows 8-based tablets from Microsoft. Na Luang School is the first school in the world to pilot the Windows 8-based tablet, which is scheduled to be officially launched by the last week of this month.

Microsoft donated 43 Windows-8-loaded Acer Iconia tablets to the Na Luang School. The teachers and students are the first group of people to experience the soon-to-be-released Windows 8 operating system.

The Windows 8 tablets also include a variety of Windows 8 Apps from the Windows Store, the Microsoft Learning Suite, including among others, Microsoft Math and Math Worksheet Generator, as well as other fun educational tools like Kodu Game Lab, Microsoft AutoCollage, Windows Live Movie Maker, Interactive Classroom and many more.

"Highlighted features and benefits of the Windows 8 operating system are - Windows 8 supports both tablet and notebook devices; the operating system is highly flexible and its user interface supports both keyboard and touch input," said Tracey.

Windows 8 Apps, that are free education apps featuring the Windows 8 style design, play key roles as "edutainment" tools for students in all subject areas.

The Microsoft Learning Suite, as the Partners-in-Learning free education tools, in desktop mode also plays a crucial role in combining the benefits of desktop mode and Windows 8 style. Kodu Game Lab, which stimulates creativity and logical thinking skills in young kids, is among the many highlights of the learning suite.

In addition, the Interactive Classroom programme allows teachers and students to interact and share content between PowerPoint and OneNote, creating a more fun, interactive learning experience.

The Microsoft Partners in Learning' (PiL) project will provide professional development to government officials, school leaders, and educators around the world to help them take new approaches to teaching and learning. The PiL programme supports the Na Luang School in ICT training for teachers and teaching pedagogy on how to integrate and use tablet-PCs in the classroom to maximise the students' learning potential.

In the last 10 years, Microsoft has been supporting education in Thailand with many schemes. Microsoft emphasises on providing training to teachers with the belief that understanding and knowledge of technologies will help teachers to better create and develop courses for learning subjects using technologies.

"Microsoft has already trained 100,000 teachers in Thailand by applying technologies throughout the decade," said Tracey.

She added that the company is ready to support other education schemes of BMA and the government.

A commitment to education

Microsoft has supported the education sector in Thailand for a decade in the two decades it has done business in the country. The following are some of the projects that Microsoft has developed to support the education sector in Thailand.

MultiPoint Mouse Project

In 2009, BMA and Microsoft Thailand worked closely together to implement the MultiPoint Mouse Project in 435 schools in Bangkok, reaching 340,000 students. The MultiPoint software was developed by Microsoft Thailand and allows large groups of students to take part in lessons at the same time, using the same electronic courseware on just one computer. The software makes studying more enjoyable and therefore enables students to learn faster.

Partners in Learning

The Microsoft Partners in Learning initiative supports the dual commitment by Microsoft to advance the quality of education and provide alternative channels for economic progress since 2003. By building partnerships with governments and schools around the globe, Partners in Learning works to integrate technology into daily teaching, learning, and research. To date, nearly 3.5 million educators in more than 100 countries have been trained through the Partners-in-Learning curriculum, reaching more than 80 million students worldwide. Locally, more than 150,000 educators have been trained and reached more than 7 million students nationwide.

Microsoft Imagine Cup

The annual Imagine Cup competition requires students to design software that solves real-life problems. Last July, in Sydney, Thailand became the first country worldwide to win three grand prizes and one first runner-up award. Details about the 2013 edition will be announced soon.

Microsoft DreamSpark

Reaching out to more than 140,000 students and educators, DreamSpark is a Microsoft program that supports technical education by providing access to Microsoft software for learning, teaching and research purposes.

DreamSpark gives students Microsoft professional-level developer and designer tools at no cost so that students can chase their dreams and create the next big breakthrough in technology, or just get a head start in their career.

DreamSpark gives educators the resources to ensure their classrooms always have the latest technologies to challenge, motivate, and keep students engaged in new ways.

Microsoft YouthSpark

The YouthSpark programme was introduced in September 2012. Funded by a US$300,000 (Bt9 million) grant from Microsoft, the programme will target young entrepreneurs aged 16-25, and focus on the latest ICT applications for SME development.

Over the next 24 months, the pilot project is expected to reach more than 20,000 people and close to 1,000 SMEs from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. It will help prepare the young generation to reap the benefits of the Asean Economic Community.

-- The Nation 2012-10-10

[asiawatcher]

It is a shame Microsoft is teaching the world how to misspell the English language along with other Microsoft issues.

[chowny77]

Technology is good if used in the correct way. Thailand has jumped too far ahead of itself thinking it is ready. Stick to the whiteboards and loud speakers!!

[khunken]

Microsoft has a history of attempting to brainwash primary, secondary & tertiary students into using their products to the exclusion of other equal & superior software. This article seems to have been written by a reporter who has been a victim of that brainwashing.

[DaBloodyMess]

Microsoft has a history of attempting to brainwash primary, secondary & tertiary students into using their products to the exclusion of other equal & superior software. This article seems to have been written by a reporter who has been a victim of that brainwashing.

Dont kid yourself, Apple are just as guilty of this... why else do you think they heavily discount Macs for students and educational institutions...

[thunder30101]

Hmm 4 different operating systems on prob 4 different tablets, this should be an interesting evaluation. Yes apple is much worse than microsoft when it comes to the pigs trough of education budgets, who buys legit ms products in thailand anyway lol.

[drdoom6996]

It is a shame Microsoft is teaching the world how to misspell the English language along with other Microsoft issues.

Do you ever have anything nice to say about anything at all. You are the expert and the ESP analyst on all things Thai. When will you get off your high horse and live down on land with the rest of us?????????????????????????