Tambubong Elementary School in San Rafael, Bulacan has scaled up its standard of education as the Department of Science and Technology, together with the Department of Education (DepED) and the National Engineering Center of the University of the Philippines, recently led the distribution and installation of computer systems for digitized instructional and learning materials.
The school received 16 cost-efficient thin clients and a server from said institutions. Thin clients are computers or computer programs relying heavily on another computer, usually a server, for usual functions. Said thin clients make the power-consuming and costly CPUs unnecessary, so with the hard disk storage and many peripherals of traditional desktop computers.
In the partnership, DepEd is tasked to provide the content, covering all subjects in the elementary level, particularly those for Grades 5 to 7. This will guide teachers on the conduct of their lectures and exercises.
This is only one of many activities under the Cloud Top Project which aims to reduce the acquisition costs of computer hardware and software by promoting the use of thin clients for educational purposes and government cloud applications such as GovCloud, as sustainable energy solutions.
GovCloud is a private cloud for government agencies and their employees with basic cloud applications such as GovMail (government email), web hosting, and payment gateway applications. Cloud applications or cloud computing is a system where users can store all their files in different applications of the cloud such as email. Google, Yahoo and Hotmail are examples of cloud computing.
“I believe that students would be encouraged and inspired more to study their lessons; as devices like computers could offer them new approach in learning… their curiosity on how to use it (will help), compared with traditional learning materials like textbooks and workbooks.” said Gerardo Olchondra, principal of Tambubong Elementary School.
Alpha Testing was also conducted in Tambubong Elementary School to test the efficiency of the thin clients and the server live within the classroom settings. The testing phase will also continue in several public schools in Luzon including San Roque Elementary School and Sampaloc Elementary School in Bulacan, which will be the next beneficiaries of the thin clients and server. Kamuning Elementary School in Quezon City will serve as test laboratory, given its proximity to the Cloud Top Project Center at University of the Philippines.
Aside from producing and installing the thin clients and servers, Cloud Top Project is also developing long-range Wi-Fi communication equipment for several schools in target areas.
To strengthen implementation of this project, the team is also coordinating with proponents of other government projects, such as TV White Spaces Technology (TVWST), for stronger internet connectivity. TVWST is an equipment that can deliver wide-range and cost-effective internet connectivity in all parts of the country, particularly in local barrios, through unused TV channels.
Cloud Top at work. Selected Grade 6 pupils of Tambubong Elementary School in San Rafael, Bulacan try using the Cloud Top, a collaborative project between the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Education. Cloud Top consists of thin clients and servers for educational purposes that will minimize the acquisition costs of hardware and software for computers. It will also use government cloud applications for sustainable energy solutions. (Text and Photo by Allan Mauro V. Marfal, S&T Media Service, DOST-STII)
