If planning for a decade, plant trees; if planning for a lifetime, educate people.
The seeds of i School m-Learning takes root in Kaohsiung for the digital age. |
| Kaohsiung Municipal Elementary Schools Launch i School m-Learning |
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Rapid advances in digital technology such as smart phones and tablets have revolutionized how people live and interact with each other in recent years. The winds of technology are now blowing through Kaohsiung's municipal elementary schools. Students no longer have to lug a heavy schoolbag to school. They can now instead enjoy learning with "i School" with a light and convenient tablet. |
| "i School" is a highly interactive mobile learning model that combines the Internet, tablet PCs and innovative teaching materials. The KCG Education Bureau began working on the "i School m-Learning" program last year to set up an effective digital environment and improve teaching performance. Teachers in all fields and IT specialists were also recruited to develop the interactive teaching software. The i School program will initially consist of five municipal elementary schools:" Yongqing, Huashan, Qieding, Houjin and A-lian. Once the 2011 academic year begins, children in these classes will no longer need thick text books and can enjoy mobile learning to their heart's content. |
| Integrating Resources to Let Digital Seeds Flower |
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The success of the i School program depends on the integration of three components: software, hardware and network. The KCG Education Bureau has now developed interactive software for tablet PCs such as "m-Learning Teaching Material Editor", "m-Learning Teaching Material Reader" and "Parent Contact Book". The Education Bureau also actively negotiated with private enterprise to sponsor 200 tablets and 3G wireless networking service. Thanks to a partnership between the city and private sector, the digital seeds planted by "i School m-Learning" will now incorporate m-learning into school life. Once the i School program goes live, students can "listen, look and learn everywhere". |
Teaching materials featuring lifelike pictures and special effects make learning just like playing games so it's fun and easy for students to study on their own as well. Unlike conventional e-backpacks, the program's cloud service allows students to update their teaching materials and search for information at any time on campus. Students effectively have an ocean of knowledge on tap.
The Education Bureau said that the system will not only boost student-teacher interaction but also includes an electronic "parent contact book" function that is more convenient than paper-based contact books. Parents can use the system to keep track of their children's progress and teachers can also learn about parents' thoughts on education. The electronic contact book will therefore become the newest and best method for parents and teachers to stay in touch. |
| Digital Creativity Expands Future Horizons |
In the future, the Education Bureau will train more teacher cadre. The teacher cadre will develop digital teaching materials and gradually revise the e-learning model based on the results of the experimental classes. The "i School m-Learning" will then be progressively rolled out to other parts of Kaohsiung.
Thanks to the interactive environment created by "i School", students learn how to search for information online at an early age. They can also stay on top of international cultural trends through the borderless nature of the Internet to realize the goal of "Staying in such with world progress" and providing the next generation with even broader horizons in the future. |
Data source: Drum Monthly "i School m-Learning" Program Makes Text Books Obsolete From Kaohsiung Monthly
翻譯資料來源(正體中文)：來源 |
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