Select public schools under the Global Filipino School (GFS) program of Globe Telecom can now further enhance digital learning and promote love of reading among K-12 students through the help of 220 tablets donated by Cloudfone, one of the leading providers of smartphones and tablets in the country.
Globe and Cloudfone launched the partnership by holding a different kind of reading session at the Andres Bonifacio Integrated School in Mandaluyong City where 40 grades 5 and 6 students enjoyed stories told by Globe employee volunteers using the tablets.
The first 11 schools which implemented the GFS program received Cloudpad 900 TV tablets pre-loaded with an ebook reader app. The tablets are on top of the regular Globe Digital Laboratory package that are provided to all GFS containing netbooks/tablets, wifi devices, and a mobile cart with a built-in projector screen.
“Part of Cloudfone’s advocacy is to equip the youth of today with technological devices such as these Cloudpads, to make their learning experience awesome and worthwhile,” said Eric S. Yu, President and CEO of Cloudfone.
“Through this partnership with Cloudfone, more students and teachers can have access to a vast library of information previously out of their reach. Students can go beyond what they learned in the classroom with just a few clicks while teachers benefit too because the information they get from the internet can make for more interesting and enriching lessons,” said Yoly Crisanto, Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications of Globe.
With the help of the tablets, students and teachers can fully explore the GFS Library (http://www.gfslibrary.com), a free, web-based platform that provides free and quick access to digital story books for children and young adults as well as textbooks on core subjects such as Math, Science, English, Filipino, Music, Arts, among others. They may also use the Globe-provided internet service to connect to the GFS Library and to download as many titles as needed for their learning needs.
Under GFS, schools are provided with unparalleled online connectivity to give homeroom teachers access to limitless teaching and learning engagements available on the internet that will help further improve their craft and make learning fun and interesting for the students.
GFS Library is a component of the GFS program, a long-term Globe educational initiative that seeks to transform public schools into centers of Information and Communications Technology excellence and innovative teaching methods in order to set the stage for 21st Century Learning.
All schools under GFS are, likewise, intended to become teacher training hubs and training partners of the DepEd Division Offices in conducting teaching workshops for neighboring schools of each division.
There are currently 80 schools under the GFS program, with Globe expecting to put up a GFS school in each of the 221 school divisions of the Department of Education (DepEd) nationwide within the next four years.