Negros public schools to be given interactive whiteboards, other educational tech

A US$100,000 project between the Department of Education and the private sector seeks to equip several public schools in Negros Occidental with high-tech equipment.

 

The Department of Education signed a memorandum of agreement with the Betty Bantug Benitez Foundation and Playtech for the project that will benefit schools in Victorias City.

 

"(T)he first three years of the current administration were spent dealing with backlogs in the number of classrooms, teacher items, textbooks, furniture, and sanitation facilities. The second half will be spent providing schools with something beyond basic resources,” DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro said. 

 

Under the project, 13 public elementary schools in Victorias City will get 13 Promethian Interactive White Boards, while seven public high schools will get 200 desktop computers.

 

Luistro described this as an "early Christmas gift” to the schools.

 

For his part, Victorias City Rep. Alfredo Benitez said this is "what the private sector can do to help the government in advancing education.” 

 

Meanwhile, Luistro cited the “limitless possibilities of technology” and said the interactive boards are being studied by the DepEd to maximize their use in education.

 

“It will be a waste if we use this with the old mode of teaching – the teacher standing in front giving information. We are studying how to use these so that learning becomes interactive. After all, the best way to learn is when the students discover things on their own,” he said.

 

For his part, Playtech CEO Moran Weizer cited the advantages of using the whiteboard that connects to the Internet and has touch-screen capabilities.

 

Playtech employs around 1,000 Filipinos in Manila, the DepEd noted.

 

“We know that it works. We’ve tested this is schools in Israel,” he said.

 

“This is only the first of many steps to further contribute to Philippine society. This is part of our role as a private company,” Weizer said.

 

Presently, the DepEd target is to provide computer packages for all public high schools with electricity nationwide within 2014.

 

Beneficiaries of the Promethean Interactive White Board include:

 

-Villa Miranda Elementary School

-Estado Elementary School

-Victorias North Elementary School

-Dona Andrea Palanca Elementary School

-Estado Elementary School– Mimi extension

-La Consolacion Elementary School

-Valencia Ko Elementary School

-Gawahon Elementary School

-Santiago Franco Sr. Memorial Elementary School

-J.L. Suarez Elementary School

-DJ Gaston Elementary School

-Romana Elementary School

-Amanda Elementary School

 

The following schools will get desktop computers:

 

-Victorias National High School, 50 units

-Brgy. Estado National High School, 20 units

-Alfonso Sta Ana Memorial High School, 20 units

-Victorias National High School Gaston Extension, 25 units

-Victorias National High School Brgy I Brillantes Extension, 20 units

-Victorias National High School Canetown Ext, 20 units

-Negros Occidental National High School, 45 units — KDM, GMA News