The Repurposing Project
The importance of training on how to use the HDi Screens.
Technology Core is excited to be working with Australia Collaboration Cambodia (ACC) charity to deliver and install refurbished HDi Interactive Screens into schools in Cambodia that have a great need for technology to help further the lives of children there. With nearly 40% of people in Cambodia at or below the poverty line and living in very difficult conditions, it is extremely important that children be given every opportunity to learn so they can have brighter futures that help rebuild Cambodia.
While having access to technology can make a difference, not knowing how to use that technology properly means that the benefits in having them may not be fully realised. The HDi Interactive Screens are great for watching videos and webpages, there is so much more they are capable of but that needs someone to show teachers how to get the best from them. To help with this, during the January trip to supply and install refurbished HDi Interactive Screens, Technology Core’s Max Stevenson will be providing onsite training, with further training provided by the company’s trainer, Peter Merrick, by video conferencing from their Melbourne Showroom.
With every screen installed, Max will be showing those there the various ways to connect to the screens, but mainly how to use the added OPS (Open Pluggable Source) computers added to the screens. Having the OPS reduces the reliance on extra equipment that many schools in Cambodia just don’t have the money to be able to buy. Christopher Carolane, from the ACC, gives an example of a school with more than 400 students and how they are trying to teach how to use computer skills, “They are trying to teach their Grade 6 students of which there are 60 kids and to do this they only have 3 computers in the school,” he says.
Having an OPS in the screens, allows Max and Peter to train the teachers how to get the best using the screens with apps that come free on the Windows devices. Starting simple they will be showing teachers how to use Microsoft’s Edge browser to help teach English and Khmer by using the Immersive Reader’s translate function, will let students and teacher pick websites they like and be able to show that in far more readable format as well as translate instantly between the two languages. The power in being able to show side-by-side comparisons between the two languages, due to the larger screen space, on any web page text, will give considerably more depth to teaching students how to read both Khmer and English.
To make full use of the interactive features of the HDi Interactive Screens, Peter will also show how Microsoft’s Whiteboard, Google’s Jamboard and the inbuilt HDi Note applications can allow the children to interact with the screen in ways such as practicing their writing, manipulating objects to sort them into categories and giving their thoughts and ideas on topics. By demonstrating to teachers ideas on how to best use these apps, they will give them greater options in being able to keep referring to work they have done, allow the students to more readily engage with what they are leaning and then give them the ability to be save their work for later review.
One of Max’s main concerns during his trip and work with the schools, is how well he will be able to get the information about the screens across to teachers there. “I am a bit concerned about the language barrier,” he says. However, during the trip, Max will have an experienced guide with him to be able to translate for him so that he can give as much training as he can to those teachers he meets as he is installing the screens. Max continues, “Although the screens are very user friendly, I want to ensure they get the most from the screens. This barrier could be quite small or quite large. We will see!”
If you would like to help make a difference in the way that older tech is reused, please visit: www.australiancollaborationcambodia.org where donations can be provided to assist the group with being able to do even more in Cambodia.
