Uncategorized

Samsung invests in young, savvy technology learners!

My interaction with the cute but clever learner’s was to experience on first hand the Samsung Smart School launch of the converged digital education package that provides learners and educators with access to 65 inch interactive eBoards (whiteboards and Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 devices).

For the uninitiated, this simply means introducing the first of its kind solution aimed at empowering learners with interactive and efficient educational tools in South Africa. Aha!

Furthermore, learners are able to access their school information at any
time, whether at home or at school and are able to interact with their peers and teachers via online portals and engaging communication tools.

Through this they are better able to share their views and queries on school work as well as engage with follow students and teachers in real time.

Pilot project, “not exactly but it means toying and investigating ideas on how to improve sophisticated technology at school’s for early learners,” was the response from Craig Fleischer, Product Manager at Samsung SA.

“This is the first in SA, and following its success we could expatiate to other schools with specific needs.”

Samsung partnered with Advtech Group which operates schools, colleges and varsities countrywide.

Latest startling reports indicates that South Africa is ranked 65th globally in terms of the quality of education in maths and sciences behind India, Ghana and Nigeria. That’s an ear-sore!

Such abysmal rankings makes it obvious that corporate South Africa needs to wake-up and smell the coffee by coming on board to be innovative within education to bring real solutions to this sector, for true economic impact.

The report further state, by 2020 mobile education would contribute $70 billion into the market, which is a critical factor in changing the education landscape of today and in contributing to skills development.

Tim Allen, Head of Academics at Advtech says, eLearning in classrooms will be a permanent feature by 2014.

“School’s will no longer use blackboards but opt for technology which means productive participation by the entire class, seamless approach and interactive learning,” says Allen.

Put to Fleischer why not opted for less privileged schools with no resources but hungry minds to learn, he vaguely said it had to do with the partnership which Advtech identified as key to them.

“Obviously we’re probing other schools in areas with strong network on how we could implement such programmes and (un)fortunately we had to start at Crawford.”     

“Our plea is to convince the Government to come on board and help us through as much as possible.”
 
Learners Tumelo and Kaitlin, (with gigantic screen in front) who through their excited but distracted teacher showed us a thing or two, agreed it was cool using the gadgets and how convenient now that chalks and boards are ancient history!

Aha, future Generations has spoken folks, and if only now we could improve our standings on maths and science globally!

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.