Olashore
to integrate iPads & Apple technology in Classroom learning
In
its quest to be one of the most technologically advanced schools in Africa and
prepare its students for the new competitive knowledge economy, Olashore
International School is integrating technology fully into its curriculum and
will soon introduce Apple iPads in all the classrooms as part of the daily
learning process.
When
this plan is rolled out, the students and the teachers will be solving complex
problems and discovering latest research information simultaneously with the
teachers in real time. This will be powered by the Apple iPad and a full
educational technology back up from Core Group Africa- ‘the home of everything
Apple in Nigeria’
This
new and unique technology enhanced teacher-student connection for fast track
learning was announced at the recent Apple iPad Summit in organized by Core
Group Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa. According to Prince Bimbo Olashore,
the Chairman, Board of Governors of Olashore International School, “Nigeria can
no longer wait and be playing catch up with technology or keep waiting for
technology transfer. We have to leapfrog to catch up and get our young
Nigerians prepared for the new technology driven world. We are pleased to be
making substantial investment in this direction.”
The
iPads in Classrooms program is expected to be achieved by setting up LAN
Network Distribution in Classrooms and Hostels, Proper Wireless Distribution in
the classroom (one per class), indoor wireless device with high frequency,
Firewalls to manage internet access on the iPad, Proper audio and visual
multimedia systems in the classrooms that will support the iPad integration,
Learning Management System that will not use the Internet, and a Mac Server for
Mobile Device Management that will be used to manage the iPads. The School
Principal, Mr Derek Smith also stated that “Olashore International will also
review its overall technology framework, through a curriculum mapping program,
faster internet connection, a new mobile device management (MDM) to check
unproductive online presence. It will also make professional development for
teachers mandatory, constant and purposeful, and finally, reinforce Students’
responsibility in taking charge of their lives.”
The
Apple Summit was aimed at running a successful students’ centered classroom,
integrating technology in the class for differentiation, putting learning at
the center of the class not the technology, enabling a successful flipping of
classroom, maximizing the learning time rather than the teaching time,
encouraging collaborative learning system as well as making learning more
experiential and interactive for the students.
Resource
persons were invited from all over the world and most especially North America
to facilitate the different sessions which catered for different levels of
involvement in the deployment of iPad in the teaching learning process. Some of
the invitees were: Kathleen Monnin, Assistant Professor of Literacy at the
University of North Florida, Tom Daccord, Tellagami, Beth Holland, amongst
others.
The
Summit took a cursory look at how students could be empowered through
creativity, how teachers can connect with students on a one-on-one basis and
make learning last; how teachers can help students achieve learning using an
iPad app called ‘Explain Everything’; how a collaborative web solutions like
drop box, ever notes, Google docs, and ‘Socrative’ can help teachers and
students share resources; how teachers can prepare video (screencast) of their
lessons on the app called ‘Explain Everything’ and share this video with their
students to watch before coming to the class and then students’ practice in
class, rather than the traditional method of teaching by delivering
instructions online outside the classroom.
The
Summit also looked at how the Substitution Augmentation Modification
Redefinition Model (SAMR model) in which a progression of the adopters of
education technology often follow as they progress through teaching and
learning can be adopted.
Mr
Derek Smith restated the commitment of Olashore International to remain the
pride of Africa in secondary school education
Prince
Bimbo Olashore, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Olashore International School,
Osun State, Nigeria
No comments:
Post a Comment