Thread: First tablet PCs going out to kids soon

You pay now 1600 for that place you call home? While you stole old model ipad from a rich Korean tourist at MBK, SIM was cancelled couple of hours after. So that leaves you where?

Originally Posted by Butterfly

You are confusing administrative precision with strategic decision making.

No I'm not. That's how it is. thats why they spend 12-16 hrs a day, 7 days a week for 1-2 months putting each budget act together. Its utterly buttery insane

Is nostrum a real person or some bot that posts sentences made of random words?

Originally Posted by hazz

Is nostrum a real person or some bot that posts sentences made of random words?

he is a floating turd that goes from thread to thread, don't pay attention

nostromo does seem a tad random

He was accusing gerbil of being a russian on overstay the other day, not quite sure what that was about

^ probably forgot to take his pills, he seems to be having another tourette episode

Originally Posted by Butterfly

Originally Posted by hazz

Is nostrum a real person or some bot that posts sentences made of random words?

he is a floating turd that goes from thread to thread, don't pay attention

Thought that was you

Originally Posted by hazz

Originally Posted by Butterfly

You are confusing administrative precision with strategic decision making.

No I'm not. That's how it is. thats why they spend 12-16 hrs a day, 7 days a week for 1-2 months putting each budget act together. Its utterly buttery insane

Is nostrum a real person or some bot that posts sentences made of raCndom words?

Certainly I am highly developed artificial intelligence cloud based machine with skynet connection of average 12 million terabits. You should feel serious fear, if you argued against me

I assume than that we are talking to skynet 5; which would make your mind under the control of Serco Ltd. So what happening in Afghanistan?

I'm lost now...

^Sorry skynet is the computer that destroyed earth in the terminator film. It is also the name satellite communications and IT infer structure, predating the terminator films, thats been used by the british MOD for years. currently this is known as skynet5 and is operated under a rape the taxpayer pfi contract operated by serco Ltd and Astrium et al

^ I understand a tiny bit more now...

I would agree that there isn't much to gain by issuing out the tablet PC's, unless you also put in the parallel infrastructure to support their use.

Crikey, the networks in my own place spend an awfull long time down these days.

However, if they are supported properly then they will undoubtadely benefit the educational performance of the students, and their access to the endless wonders of the information available.

They will be able to converse with me and Calgary and nos and betty and the rest of the balanced wise sages out there and thus achieve educational excellence.

But, there is the conundrum, do you think for 1 minute the thai axis of evil want the reds youngsters becoming educated? The PAD yellow nutters who would ethnic cleanse the N and NE, by denying the folk a vote

Technological awareness education is the key to unlocking the door out of poverty and oppression.

You only have to see how the 2006 illegal coup backfired on the thai axis of evil to understand that.
The truth is out there, and more and more young thais are finding it, and understanding it.

Modern technology spared the reds a real anhilation at the hands of the thai axis of evil, simply because other folk were looking in

You cant argue with that

definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result

Originally Posted by Hampsha

These tablets are the stupidiest thing yet.

I would go a long with that assessment, but its an electoral promise, and one of the easier ones to deliver. So I suspect its going to be delivered irrespective of weather the project delivers a revolution in teaching or expensive shims to stop desks wobbling.

When the idea first announced the idea, given the prices they were quoting. I was expecting something like a kindle clone to deliver school text books to the schools. This probably would be something useful for the schools. I guess that at Hampsha's school the provision of school textbooks is no better than its provision of desks.

I suspect that is an alter are motive behind these tablets. Its quite possible that table computers could become a common part of education around the world. these tablets will need software. By jumping in early, I think they are hoping to seed thailand with experience and expertise in creating the educational software and become a world leader in this area. This fits within the the 'world hub' fetish has been feature of all governments in thailand for a very long time.

from what Hampsha been saying, what thailands schools, teachers and students really need a sense of pride and self worth. because its clear in his school they are lacking in both.

Originally Posted by hazz

To me putting 10Gbit fibre connections in to the schools does seem over kill

direct connection to impressionable eyeballs for the propaganda machine

lee kwan yew and media corp must be green with envy

Originally Posted by Hampsha

Some will get rich from this

lessons were learned from the contract to originally supply the police with computers

Originally Posted by hazz

I suspect that is an alter are motive behind these tablets. Its quite possible that table computers could become a common part of education around the world. these tablets will need software. By jumping in early, I think they are hoping to seed thailand with experience and expertise in creating the educational software and become a world leader in this area.

This govt doesn't seem to be able to think past next month's wedding, it's difficult to imagine them planning for something so far ahead.

I think they just figured the idea of their kids getting tablets would sway lots of voters. Lots of Thais I know think it'll be Ipads given away.

Bangkok Post : Why Thailand's children need tablet computers

Why Thailand's children need tablet computers

• Published: 17/12/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

The current government has promised to introduce free tablet computers to all school children and already 1.6 billion baht has been put aside to purchase 470,000 tablet PCs for first-grade students.


Students at Wat Thammapanya School in Nakhon Nayok, enjoy working on free laptops given to each student in Mathayom 1 and 2 (Grades 7 and 8) under the pilot ‘‘One Laptop Per Child’’ project in March 2008.

Predictably, gainsayers have lined up to pick at this policy and one argument recently tabled is that there are not sufficient educational programmes in Thai, leading to children using the tablets mainly for English learning.

The problem with that, so this contention runs, is that young children should be concentrating on Thai; if they get involved in English this will distract them from the more crucial purpose of mastering their native language.

Even if this were correct, it is rather negated by the fact that there are several companies which currently have educational programmes available in Thai language and more would become available, as this market will grow once the tablets are in every child's hand.

However, it is worth discussing the concern about Thai children studying English too early. Indeed, is it even desirable to make English a major component of the education of Thai children, and if it is, at what age should they be introduced to English, and finally, what part could tablets play in learning?

Of course most businessmen, educators and politicians recognise that English is a vital component of Thailand's future expansion in international business. Yet despite acclaim for the importance of English and despite the dismal state of English education in most parts of Thailand (partly because Thai students have few chances to practice English outside the classroom, and which could be partially remedied if tablets loaded with self-access English programmes were available), in 2010 the last government turned down a reform committee's recommendation to make English a second official language, saying that such a move could make people think Thailand had once been colonised!

This ambivalent attitude to English (somewhat mitigated by the large numbers of the middle class and rich sending their children to schools with international programmes) combined with the outright fear of the internet shown by governments, needs to change if Thailand is going to take its full role internationally.

Agreeing then that English is essential in the global environment that Thailand operates in, at what age children should start learning English. Is 3, 5 or 8 too young and should we wait to 10, 12 or 15? Let's consider Singapore. At independence from Britain in 1963, rather than choosing to downgrade English in favour of a local language, Singapore put aside patriotic fervour and kept English to the forefront. This was based mainly on economic reasons and I think few Singaporeans regret this choice, and most would attribute some of Singapore's amazing success to the widespread use of English. Singapore introduces children to English at a very young age, usually around 3 years old years in the pre-school education system. Does this introduction of a non-native language at such a tender age cause problems? Well, while it may not be absolute proof of the benefits, it certainly shows that a nation can introduce English as a second language from a very young age and achieve excellent results. How much Singapore is aided in international business by the widespread use of English is unknown, but it surely doesn't hurt.

So agreeing that English is okay, even for young children, what are the reasons to give tablet computers to every child?

They are many, but briefly: the divide between the quality of education received in rural areas compared with Bangkok, and even within Bangkok between the well-off and the less fortunate, could be narrowed, I believe, by children having tablets.

Would it completely eliminate the gaps? No, simply because self-access learning is only one factor supporting education; quality teachers, input from parents and a host of other influences will still play their crucial roles. But at least giving individual access to useful applications, especially for English, mathematics and science will be a boon to the ambitious and intelligent children of rural Thailand.

Specifically, the one-to-one nature of tablet content gives children direct input in a way that a classroom with many students and only one teacher usually cannot. Most applications also intuitively pace the user to suit their current abilities, allowing the gifted to romp ahead and the slower to get the extra repetition they need. Further, it will allow streaming of the best teaching videos, many of them interactive, both from within Thailand and internationally, right to the student's classroom or home.

My own children, now fully bilingual, were introduced to computers from age 3 and I installed vocabulary, mathematics and science applications. All were educational and, because of the game-like competitive nature of them, highly motivating. This, mind you, was some 16 years ago, when educational programs were a fraction of the sophistication of today's. My children still attribute part of their academic success to those early years spent playing those "games".

Will there be problems and will some children not take advantage of the opportunity? Yes undoubtedly, but this is a world of choices and children, too, can see advantages in study and be funnelled into the activities that will be feed their natural curiosity and zest to succeed.


Robert Kirkpatrick lectures at the Master of Education faculty in Shinawatra University, is a reviewer of "Studies in Self -Access Learning" journal, and the editor-in-chief of "Language Testing in Asia" journal.

^ I just don't know how I coped with all the books, paper and pens I used to use at school.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

in 2010 the last government turned down a reform committee's recommendation to make English a second official language

Interesting. I think I missed that being reported.

Bangkok Post : Tablet PC plan under fire again

Tablet PC plan under fire again

• Published: 9/01/2012 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

The government's controversial "One Tablet PC Per Child" policy is being piloted in five schools despite a study suggesting it could have negative impacts on the recipients.


Woravat: Handed out 600 tablet PCs

The government had decided the device will be distributed as promised, regardless of the results of the study, said Amnuay Sunthornchot, head of the Khaniyom Pheu Srang (values for building the nation) Chat Club.

He opposes distribution of the device to Pathom 1 (Grade 1) students, as he believes the children will probably use it for entertainment purposes rather than to aid their studies.

Education Minister Woravat Au-apinyakul handed out 600 tablet PCs to about 500 Prathom 1 and 4 students in five pilot schools to study the potential impacts of the devices on pupils.

The five schools chosen for the pilot are Rachawinit School in Bangkok, Anuban Lampang School in Lampang, Anuban Phangnga School in Phangnga, Sanambin School in Khon Kaen and Srinakharinwirot University Prasarnmit Demonstration School in Bangkok.

Srinakharinwirot University has been conducting a study of the pilot scheme.

"The study has no benefit," Mr Amnuay said.

"If the study finds the project has a negative impact on students, what will the government do next?" he asked.

The government had said the project would go ahead anyway, so the study was a farce, he said, adding the pilot schools should have been selected from different environments so as to get an idea of the impacts across a cross-section of society, but all five pilot schools are located in urban areas.

Khaniyom Pheu Srang Chat Club also conducted a survey on the tablet policy, seeking the views of 407 parents, teachers, Chulalongkorn University students and pupils from Triam Udom Suksa School and Triam Udom Suksa Pattanakarn School in Bangkok and Benchamarat Rangsarit School in Chachoengsao.

It found that 94.1% disagreed with distributing tablet PCs to Prathom 1 pupils because of their very young age.

Surveying the students' computer-use behaviour, 74.9% of all computer time use was found to be for entertainment purposes and only 25.1% for learning.

"They mostly use a computer for visiting Facebook and playing the Angry Birds game," he said.

But Mr Woravat is insisting the project will go ahead, saying the first batch will be given out in the next academic year.

There are more than 800,000 Pathom 1 students across the country but the first batch of tablet devices will go to about 470,000 students.

Of them, 345,000 pupils are under the Office of Basic Education Commission and 125,000 belong to the Office of Private Education Commission.

Chanwit Tabsuphan, secretary-general of Opec, said that 125,394 out of a total 175,000 Pathom 1 students in private schools will be given the device in the next academic year.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Surveying the students' computer-use behaviour, 74.9% of all computer time use was found to be for entertainment purposes and only 25.1% for learning.

I must admit I am very sceptical about the value of this program, particularly when you consider the physical state of many schools around thailand. However I cannot see anything in this article that even suggests it has failed.

Even the usage states are meaningless, without more information. If they are spending 75% of their classroom time using the things for Facebook et al then the author has appoint. but is the kids are using it at school for learning and then entertainment at home..... that could well be a gain. playing angry birds has to rate better than watching thai soaps and game shows.... but then so would slowly chopping off your fingers one by one.