HCCD launches iPad classrooms

Holy Child College of Davao (HCCD) recently launched the first ever iPad classrooms for early childhood education in the country.

This project is in partnership with Apple Philippines and Switch Davao, providing one classroom equipped with 40 new iPad minis in each HCCD branches - Jacinto Campus, Green Meadows Campus, and Buhangin Campus.

HCCD-Information Technology School Head Ma. Chrystella Suzette Velasco, in an interview, said this initiative is taken to align the school's way of teaching in the modern educational system in which technology is being used in the learning process.

Velasco said the classrooms will be used by the students from pre-school and grades one to three. The classes will be scheduled by subject with a mximun time use of three hours.

"Early exposure to technology does not always result to negative effects for as long as the gadgets will be used to teach the child and not to be used for gaming," Velasco said.

She said Apple Philippines was supportive to the project as this is the pioneering iPad classroom project in the country provided for early education.

Switch, an Apple Premium Reseller, also provided discounts on all the purchased iPad minis.

"The teachers were also trained last summer on how to use the apps installed in the iPads to ensure the sustainability of the teaching method," Velasco said.

Velasco said HCCD is looking forward to the expansion of this project to more grade levels as this is part of the school's advocacy. However, an assessment still has to be done a year aftert.

HCCD, she added, is hoping of an increase early childhood education enrollees for the next school year now that this program is already available. BSC