Monday November 11th 2013 marked an exciting milestone for the learning community at the Omololu International School. Through a generous grant from Windsong International Foundation, each child has been provided with a Learnpad and every classroom equipped with a Promethean Board. Teachers have all been provided with personal laptops to facilitate the advanced preparation of lessons. The equipment is secured by an extensive camera and alarm security system.
Both teachers and children welcomed and quickly embraced their new tools with its specially tailored educational software that has been developed for use in learning institutes.
With the technical assistance provided by Smith Services, who recently installed a complete ICT network and Promethean Interactive Boards, all children were introduced to the latest and most modern Information Technologies.
Tamara Hughes, Instructional Technologist, rendered valuable services during the launch as she highlighted the impact that technology has on a community of learners – teachers and children – learning together. She observed that teachers, and students and peers, engaged in multi-faceted shared learning during the introduction to the technology.
The curiosity and natural brilliance of children shone from the moment they picked up their LearnPads and enthusiastically explored different tools and programs. Preschoolers engaged in exploring dynamic and multi-sensory content such as colour recognition, shapes and patterns, nursery rhymes and ‘read-to-me’ stories and animations. For the older students this touch sensitive device provides a gateway to a wealth of knowledge and resources in the various learning areas.
Through its secure interface, teachers determine the content on the LearnPads. Students can scan lessons with a QR Key on their device and access particular exercises, reading materials, games, and websites pre-organised by the teacher and electronically submit their work.
During the month prior to the launch, OIS faculty received intensive training from the US based distributor of the LearnPads, Educational Resources. The workshop focused teachers ‘ attention on use of the Learnpad, lesson preparation, loading of the content onto students’ LearnPads, and sourcing and utilizing educational content to integrate the LearnPads with the Promethean Interactive Boards Technology.
The celebration was marked by the cutting and sharing of a special supersized cake that in the students’ view was a fitting mark to such an auspicious occasion.
OIS is delighted to announce that these technological resources will be leveraged to offer technology programs (as part of the OIS Community Program) which will be open to all children and adults within the Anguillan community.
OIS would like to express its sincere thanks to Windsong International Foundation who invested considerable resources in this significant step as part of the broader plan to implement large innovative technology projects in the Caribbean Classrooms.
For more information on the Omololu International School kindly visit us at www.omololuschool.org or call us at 1 (264) 497-5430.
-Press Release
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
