24 NEW TEXT2TEACH SCHOOLS

With passionate advocacy from the local city government, Ligao City in the province of Albay (522 kms south of Manila) embarks on implementing text2teach in half of its public elementary schools as the project launched last August 10, 2010.

The community launch was immediately followed by the deployment of the technology package and the start teacher training. The technology package includes a Nokia N86 mobile phone with the Nokia Education Delivery (NED) software, a Globe prepaid SIM card, and a 29-inch color television from Kolin Philippines International.

The Memorandum of Agreement had previously been signed between the Department of Education-City Schools Division of Ligao, Ligao City LGU and the Ayala Foundation.

The text2teach package enables teachers to download educational videos in English, Math and Science on their Nokia phone through the Nokia Education Delivery software, which can then be connected to a television set for viewing in class. The videos are integrated into the lessons developed by SEAMEO INNOTECH and DepED under the framework of the Revised Basic Education Curriculum for Grades 5 and 6 to enhance classroom teaching and learning.

Ligao City LGU is unique in text2teach implementation in that it sought out Ayala Foundation to implement Text2Teach in Ligao and provided substantial counterpart funding. The city passed assessment by Ayala Foundation based on its access to power and Globe signals, counterpart funding, commitment from the schools and community to sustain the project, and ICT-readiness of the schools. DepEd is tasked to monitor implementation in participating schools.

More than a million Filipino pupils across the country’s public elementary schools now benefit from text2teach, which has proven to increase learning gains and reduce absenteeism and dropouts.