‘They press keys on paper pages’
Social good collaboration brings end to paper-based ICT learning
The Digital Learning Hub project by SM Foundation, in collaboration with SM Retail and Mastercard helps Jefmin Elementary School in Concepcion, Tarlac produce ICT-ready pupils.
he pupils of Jefmin Elementary School (JES) have long struggled with putting into life the lessons in Teacher Jeri Micka Galang’s subject: Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Galang has tried her best to show students how certain computer features work—even if it meant leaving it to the students’ imaginations how basic computer software like Paint and Word function by looking at them through the pages of an ICT book.
Despite these efforts, Galang felt that ICT is an inherently practical subject, which may only be effectively taught with actual computers like the ones provided by the SM Foundation and its social good partners, an initiative that the teacher has called a leap towards readiness for dealing with the evolving technology.
The DigiHub is expected to support the learning of approximately 300 students per school year in JES due to the complete computer setup, helping ICT educators like Teacher Jeri Micka Galang demonstrate lessons effectively.
“The hardest part is seeing that the students need to have hands-on activities, but we only have books as a reference. They press the keys on paper pages. But without computers, how will the students know that when you press this key, this function pops up?” Galang said, stressing the importance of interactive experience in ICT classes for lesson retention.
The teacher added that digital literacy, now more than ever, is a crucial tool to help students properly navigate digital platforms and protect themselves from scams.
With only 25 tablets, three students had to share one device during classes, adding to the hindrance of ICT learning for Galang’s students.
“We seldom use the tablets because they take so much time to charge, and the applications load very slowly. There are also lessons that cannot be conducted with tablets,” Galang explained.
Students of Bayanan II Elementary School in Mindoro are excited for the full operation of the newly turned-over DigiHub as they are bound for interactive and practical ICT lessons, which could prepare them for secondary education.
The collaboration’s DigiHub provides 20 computer sets, a smart TV, headsets, and enhanced safety with upgraded wiring and window grills.
Galang added that less than five students per class owned a computer at home, but these students also happened to be the children of her co-teachers.
Greater heights
Beneficiaries of the DigiHub project are being transformed by the digital equipment provided to the schools, allowing them to further compete in digital competitions, such as in Sta. Filomena Elementary School in Iligan City.
Apart from the expected strengthening of JES students’ digital literacy, the DigiHub project has also given the school a headstart to finally compete in the collaborative and desktop publishing category of the Division Schools Press Conference (DSPC).
“Before the SM DigiHub, we had no capacity to train students for the desktop publishing competition. We only send contestants for the writing categories, so this is one of the activities made possible by the DigiHub project that I really look forward to,” Galang said with optimism as JES has performed well in the schools press conferences, clinching first place in some categories.
“This DigiHub will really equip our students for high school. The computers will help them have a background on how to use word processors, which is also crucial for research subjects,” Galang said.
At JES, more than 300 students from grades 4 to 6, with three sections each, are set to benefit from the DigiHub, supplementing their existing tablets.
“We are so grateful that they did not hesitate to support to the children. They gave us hope that our students will leave the school with knowledge of digital tools,” Galang said.
The DigiHub, an initiative by SM Foundation and its social good partners Mastercard, Ace Hardware, and SM Store, aims to bolster digital education to help bridge gaps in digital literacy.
