Thailand signed up for “One Tablet PC per Child:
Education for All” project.
This decade, technology becomes one of appropriate
tool in classroom, human is use technology to close the gap between their life
and everything. Using technology in classroom will make pupils more active than
the pass, they can control their own learning goal, enrich their learning
experiences, encourage project-bases instruction and give students’ skills
which they need to become lifelong learners and critical thinkers (Pitler, 2007).
Concerning to using tablet PC in the classroom, tablet
PC is a type of computer that can be used without a keyboard, it has been
examined as possible tools for classroom use. Tablet PC has the potential to
educational process, it changes the way students and teachers interact
significantly (Jacko, 2009). Using tablet PC is more comfortable for students
to take notes, sketch out ideas, test assumptions or perform problem-solving
activities (Mastrian, Gonigle, Mahan & Bixler, 2010).
According to Thailand, Thai government has attempted
to improve some aspects in Thai education by addressing more standards of
education quality. They decided to buy up to 900,000 tablets PC from China via a government-to-government contract with
payment made in cash and produce for its One Tablet per Child scheme
(Kunakornpaiboonsiri, 2012). This campaign has been start in April 2012,
the education minister gave away almost a million tablets for first grade
students who study in the pilot schools. The pilot schools will show how
Thailand’s new tablet PC work and how the next generation students are going to
be prepare for using new digital technology in the classroom. Although, using
tablets in classroom for 1st grade students still be an important
argument whether it’s appropriate or not but all Thai people still waiting for
the result of the pilot schools and deeply hope this new digital technology can
develop Thailand educational process better than yesterday.
References:
Jacko, J.A. (2009). Human-Computer Interaction.
Minneapolis (MN). Springer.
Kunakornpaiboonsiri,
T. (2012). Thailand to Import 900,000 Tablets for Education. Asia Pacific
FutureGov. Retrieved December 2, 2012, from http://www.futuregov.asia/articles/2012/feb/15/thailand-import-900000-tablets-education/
Mastrian, K., Gonigle, D.M., Mahan, W. & Bixler,
B. (2010). Integrating Technology in Nursing Education: Tools for the
Knowledge Era. Sudbury (MA). Jones and Bartlett.
Pitler, H. (2007). Using Technology With Classroom
Instruction That Works. Alexandria (VA). Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development.
Youtube:
Kusuma, the same project has started to be conducted in Turkey,too. Turkish government aims at providing every child with tablets for free towards the end of year 2014. There are some pilot middle schools where the project has been implemented.
ReplyDeleteDear Asli, this project just started this year in Thailand and everything is not go along as the way Thailand government plan. However, using this new technology in classroom might help teaching process move forward and improve Thailand educational system in the future. We still waiting for the result from pilot schools next year.
DeleteHey Kusuma, thank you for you post. We spoke in class about Flemish tablet classes, where usally the parents have to pay the full ammount of the device. I think that can lead to the fact that only students from richer families can afford to join such tablet schools or classes. So I like the idea that the state to provides every child with a tablet, but I was wondering , who will pay for the reparation cost of the tablets.If one child breaks his tablet device, will he just get a new one? And if yes how it can be assured that the children treat the tablet in a good way?
ReplyDeleteSorry for late answer. AS your question, it is good question to concern and wonder for, Thailand is developing country so, Thai government cannot expect the parents to pay for the device even, it's necessary for new teaching-learning strategy in their classroom so, they decided to provide it for all children but only for borrow. They have to return their device when they graduated and school will pass it to next generation. However, there is still question about it that how can be sure that the device still good for use and who have to pay for repair.
DeleteHello Kusuma.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting and important your post. It show us that Thailand already have its own technology progress in the public educational system.
Also was an subject we spoke in one of the first classes if I'm not wrong and as Paula mentioned.
And I would like to share with you a similar project that in Portugal was implemented in 2005, "Magallen Project".
This Project became within a communication strategy and technological development in Portugal, "To ensure that technology would be adopted, integrated into the home and classroom, and supported for years to come, Portugal’s government, in cooperation with public and private partners, developed a comprehensive educational technology program. The program combines age-appropriate technology and content with the training, support, and Internet connectivity students need to develop 21st-century skills." (The Maggelan Project.pdf)
Nowadays we can see the big difference in the new generation on using the new technologies for their different life spaces - Education, Social environment, Communication, Rentals, Study, Shops, etc. Also the schools, educational actors and students are more familiarized with the use of Pc’s, general devices and internet.
Although this project has had a major impact nationally and generator of others, brought innovation technology as daily practice in the education system but has not reached all the children at the same time it was felt as a target of discrimination.
If you would like to read more about the portuguese project follow this link:
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:DKmB-674TOMJ:download.microsoft.com/download/B/B/3/BB39CA9C-79B8-49A7-B867-824B8C6C6298/TheMagellanProject.pdf+&hl=pt-PT&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgoGLmaNXePbO9p1sK-WItzpiMWuZ7ea7f1mOKHUtw5WDzyY3SH1-CNLePhtFtla5sLkHqu8SDQWUy1fzA23zV0pia_SUopNSyKH-ew3BY-YHoZoXL2uPM0LaLY09vz7c-tA701&sig=AHIEtbQ6tMGTzxvBPSiblBJ9Yg5Uc1v2KA
Reference:
- The Magellan Project. December, 2012, retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CGgQFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.microsoft.com%2Fdownload%2FB%2FB%2F3%2FBB39CA9C-79B8-49A7-B867-824B8C6C6298%2FTheMagellanProject.pdf&ei=F4HUUIntFYWyhAevkYHgBA&usg=AFQjCNGovyoY0i_Imdp_Wx0bxoYDl3VRXw&sig2=wro1tqcfqdpkS2xyEUDdvQ&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.ZG4
Thank you so much! Madalena for shared me such a valuable information. I searched the results of many countries which try to adopt the device to the classroom as new strategies but it seem like there are both advantages and disadvantages from using it. I really do hope this big change of Thailand education can be useful and drive our education field in the better way.
Deletehi kusuma, am thinking that this idea is becoming so trendy in recent times.on march 15th 2012, the government of Ekiti state in nigeria led by the governor Dr Kayode Fayemi commenced the distribution of laptops to pupils in the secondary schools in the state.According to the governor, human development could not be achieved in this age without information and communication technology.
ReplyDelete[www.punchng.com/news/ekiti‑distributes‑free‑laptops/]
Hi, Samuel. Can you give me a link once again? I cannot open this link and I think it seem so interesting. Thanks in advance.
Delete