The iSchools Project is the brainchild of former CICT Commissioner Emmanuel C. Lallana. Dr. Lallana recognizes the need to modernize the educational system. He believes that education, like medicine and business, should take advantage of the benefits of ICT and explore what ICT has to offer. According to Dr. Lallana, unlike the other fields, the educational system is still stuck with 19th century methods of teaching and learning. It's time to bring education to the 21st century.
Internet for Public High Schools - Bridging the Digital Divide
To promote the use of ICT in basic education, the iSchools project deploys Wireless Internet Computer Laboratories (WILL) Public High Schools all over the country. The WILL is composed of top of the line computer laboratories complete with one year internet subscription.
With the help of partner State Universities and Colleges, the project is able to reach even the most remote high schools. The WILL will be the Public High School's window to the sprawling web of online education material.
The iSchools WILL is composed of the following:
1. 19 Desktop computers w/ LCD monitors
2. Server w/ webcam
3. Laptop
4. Four-in-one printer
5. Multimedia Projector
6. All computers come with speakers and UPS
Capability Building for Teachers
The WILL is but one part of bridging the digital divide. The project understands that even the most sophisticated technology will be useless without the knowledge to use them. For this reason, the project also conducts training programs to help teachers master the use of ICT in education. With expert resource persons, the project holds workshops like the Computer and Internet Literacy Course (CILC), Laboratory Management Training, Web Development Trainings and Sustainability Planning Workshop.
Use of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)
The project believes that open source software provide equal or better quality than their proprietary counterparts. That is why computers deployed by the project are based on open-source software. All the computers of the WILL run on Edubuntu Linux. The Edubuntu comes complete with all the necessary applications. It provides fun and educational content with the power and security of the Linux Platform.
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1. Project Description
The iSchools Project is one of the flagship projects of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology – Human Capital Development Group (CICT – HCDG). It supports the efforts of the Philippine Government and the Department of Education in integrating ICT in education in Public High Schools.
The Project focuses on strengthening classroom learning and instruction by expanding access to various sources of information. The Project aims to enhance the ability of public high school students throughout the country to compete for jobs, future education and other growth opportunities.
2. Goal and Objectives
The iSchools Project aims to help establish an ICT enabled educational system.
Objectives:
· to Improve teaching and learning through the use of ICT at the secondary level of education; and
· to Improve school governance.
The iSchools Project is not about distributing ICT equipment but is about building ICT skills and interests of public high school teachers to integrate ICT in education. The project aims to build the ICT literacy (and soon competency) of public HS Teachers to be able to integrate ICT in teaching and learning.
The CICT believes that the lack of teachers and educational resources can be addressed by the numerous freeware, educational materials and open source applications available over the internet. The presence of iWILL in all iSchools recipients will provide the vehicle for teachers and students to have access to various sources of information.
The distribution of basic computer laboratory package and the conduct of basic ICT literacy training are designed to become the foundation that will provide basic resource requirements to attain the goals and objectives of the project. Similar to other development projects, strong cooperation of partners and beneficiaries are critical in the success and attainment of objectives.
The program will provide these students with the opportunity to acquire the necessary skills to take advantage of modern information and communications technology.
