Public relations - wise, it's been a tough week for BTL - first, the controversy over unpaid GST arrears, and, then, the high profile CEO abruptly resigned.
But, undaunted, the company last night forged ahead with one of its most ambitious community oriented programs. It's called DigiLearn - a flagship education initiative which has created a Digital Learning platform for students at the secondary school level. The program incorporates the use of individual laptops, tablets, learning software, and a 500 meg internet connection for selected schools.
Here's more about it from the launch event last night at the Biltmore:..
Rochus Schreiber, C.E.O., B.T.L.
"If I had to summarized what DigiLearn is, it is a compelling idea. It's a simple idea, but a very compelling idea that together we can come with approaches that overcome present hardships, that overcome synicism and we invest into the future and the future are the young minds which are currently studying in the schools."
Janine Salazar, Deputy Chief Sales and Marketing
"Today, I am ecstatic to share that we have successfully launched within 9 secondary schools over 400 participants effective April 2019. The pilot consists of a laptop per child, access to an educational platform, 500mbs of internet per school, a fully integrated wifi solution, expert training and support."
"DigiLearn will allow students to gain the necessary skills they need to strive in an increasingly digital world and prepare them for future opportunities. Interesting to note is that 65% of children will end up working in an occupation that does not exist today. Technology is moving so rapidly and new occupations are on the rise. Now they can be prepared for the future and become empowered to achieve more."
Dr. Carol Babb, Chief Education Officer
"Our students are digital natives. They are on board and embrace this kind of learning. We have received some very positive feedback for DigiLearn. According to one school, students are gravitated to the use of the system and are more in tune to the use of the system more quickly than the teachers. Students use the dictionary online to find meaning and definitions. Students are able to do research more easily. Presentation of work has improved. Students love using power point compare to the use of posters and charts that were used in the past. Platform use to cover and demonstrate different examples for a concept is more easy. We have also found out that with DigiLearn the students are excited to come to school. They want to come to school."
The program has been piloted in 9 schools for a limited rollout of one class at each school - and in September, over three thousand should have access.
Administrators from the pilot schools spoke about the surprising initial successes:
Sister Clara Teul, Principal, Palotti
"I am so grateful for the assistance and I pray that we continue to use it wisely and continue to encourage our parents to monitor, because it's not that they have it we leave them on their own, more so that they need to be vigilant in what they do."
Sandra Diaz Cadle, Counselor EP Yorke
"I'm the counsellor at EP York High and this homeroom had a lot of referrals for me all the time and when this program was implemented at our school I had to ask her what happened, because I received no more referrals from her class and you would pass in the hall they were all quite as they work diligently on the device."
Salome Tillett, Principal, SCA
"Kids were so protective and very responsible with how they manage the device and I think that's a testament to the value they put to the learning that they get using it."
On June 19th, the Ministry of Education Digi signed a letter of intent finalizing the agreement - which aims to eventually roll out the service to 28 thousand high schoolers nationwide.
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