Jan

7

Two major telecom providers in the Philippines, along with their partners, are focusing on their corporate social responsibility in building up education in the country through information communications technology, promoting digital literacy among Filipino students in order to prepare them well in a future where the personal computer is the common tool and the Internet is the major means of sharing information and communication.

Their efforts highlight their trust in the potential of  the students in the Philippines as engineers, developers, scientists, communicators, innovators and leaders.

.

Globe Telecom has expanded its investment in the use of information and communications technology (ICT) for education with the creation of the Global Filipino Schools (GFS) program, a competency-building initiative to help students, teachers and school heads in select public high schools nationwide.

Using ICT to encourage learning, enhance teaching, and ensure better school management, GFS is a three-year program which involves the upgrade of the school’s ICT infrastructure such as Internet connection and computer laboratory; ICT capacity-building for teachers and school heads; and implementation of programs that will enrich development and self-sufficiency of the communities.

Assisted with the Coalition for Better Education (CBE) and Microsoft, Globe will lead in GFS project management and resource mobilization with Department of Education (DepEd) as co-convenor.

Through participating public schools, DepEd will help craft the blueprint of the program for replication, and monitor its implementation and results. CBE, on the other hand, will design and implement the GFS capacity-building phase while Microsoft will integrate its own ICT for education programs under the Partners in Learning initiative, provide program design and technical assistance, and give special academic rates for software licenses.

More public high schools which have the potential to become “ICT excellent” will be identified later on, with the end goal of creating at least one GFS per region in the next three years beginning 2011. Globe also plans to invite local government units to take a look at the program and help fund one GFS in their own municipality in the next 10 years.

…

Leading wireless services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (SMART) recently gathered more than a hundred key officials from academic institutions based in Luzon and NCR for the first ever Schools Conference held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Makati City.

With the theme “Shaping Communities for the Future: Empowering Schools through Mobile Solutions”, the event was spearheaded by Smart’s Community Solutions department, which partnered with the academic community to develop breakthrough applications that benefit both the school administration and the student body.

One of the conference highlights was the recognition ceremony for partner schools of Smart’s Infoboard information system (Infoboard). A two-way web-based information system that allows schools to send and receive real-time announcements via SMS broadcasts, Infoboard has become a preferred information tool of schools all over the Philippines.

Infoboard facilitates the effective dissemination of relevant updates and information, and likewise gathers feedback from among members of the school community through a customized SIM card. The innovation has earned a nomination in the 2009 GSMA Global Mobile Awards held in Barcelona, Spain.

To date, there are more than 200 partner campuses across the country that have been distributing to their students customized SIM cards powered by Smart’s Infoboard technology. SMART recognized several partner schools during the conference based on four Infoboard categories.

.

.

FTE Outsourcing – Ideal Outsourcing Partner!

Sources:

  1. Reyes, Mary Ann. “Globe expands ICT investments for education.” 23 December 2010. The Philippine Star. Accessed 2 January 2011. Link Here.
  2. “Smart’s school conference promotes new technologies for education.” 16 December 2010. The Philippine Star. Accessed 2 January 2011. Link Here.

Comments

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Recommended Providers

Recommended Articles

Ask the Expert


Please click here or send an email to jeff@outsourcing.ph with your questions about outsourcing.