PCs For Public High Schools: Engineering teachers learn to troubleshoot, network

Members of the academe from 18 partner colleges and uni-versities of Smart Communica-tions Inc. recently participated in a five-day Basic PC Tech-nology Training held at PLDT Innolab.

The activity is part of Smart’s continuing efforts to strengthen the linkages between the Smart Schools Program and the Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program – two of its community service initiatives that support the improvement of education.

The training was meant to prepare all 34 participants from SWEEP schools in performing networking and troubleshooting tasks in computer laboratories of public high schools under the Smart Schools Program.

SWEEP is an industry-aca-deme partnership that aims to help raise the standard of Elec-tronic and Communications Engineering Education (ECE) in the country.

On the other hand, the Smart Schools Program is a community service initiative that supports ICT in basic education by providing Internet access, online content and training to public high schools.

The training consisted of lectures and lab exercises on PC Fundamentals, Parts Identification, Hard Disk Preparation, OS Installation, PC Troubleshooting, and Network Fundamentals, conducted by information technology training officers of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co (PLDT.

For this training, Smart tapped its parent company, PLDT. "This is a good example of how we are leveraging on the synergies of our different programs and partners for one common goal – that of improving ICT competencies in education," says Ramon Isberto, Smart’s public affairs group head.

"We believe in helping schools to be self-sufficient through increased IT training capability," says Alexander Kibanoff, center head of the PLDT Training, Development and Career Management.

"We can share in the vision of helping out by training others to be able to replicate what we can do here at PLDT. By sharing, you replicate and expand that knowledge," he adds.  

SWEEP schools are no strangers to this "paying-it-forward" practice as they have been playing an active role in the implementation of the "training" component of the Smart Schools Program.

Engineering professors and instructors from SWEEP schools have been conducting trainings in basic computer literacy to public high school teachers.  

In fact, this component of Smart’s community service initiatives was part of a case study on the Smart Schools Program that Isberto presented at the ICTs in Basic Education Congress in Cebu City.

In just over two years, some 400 SWEEP trainers from 40 universities and colleges nationwide have trained over 3,000 public high school teachers on Basic Microsoft Office Users Specialist.

Most of the training participants came from Smart Schools Program partners while some are from nearby schools.  

This time around, the SWEEP schools are being tapped to play an even bigger role by assisting in computer laboratory networking and troubleshooting needs.  

Under the "access" component of the Smart Schools Program, the computer laboratories of these public high schools are either upgraded or provisioned with computer equipment and peripherals on top of free broadband Internet connectivity for one year.  

Through this tie-up, SWEEP schools are each required to provide the computer laboratory networking requirements of two to five Smart Schools partners close to their areas within a year from completion of the Basic PC Technology Training.  

In addition, they are to teach their "adopted" schools to install licensed Microsoft software, set up their lab, do basic troubleshooting, and protect themselves against viruses.

The SWEEP trainers recognize the opportunity that comes with being "big brothers" or "big sisters" to these public high school teachers.

"By taking part in the community extension of Smart, we are also able to further our own school’s community service," says Carina Malilin, CoE and ECE Department Head of St. Mary’s University in Nueva Vizcaya.

Similarly, Leah Talusig, head of University of Baguio’s ECE Department, considers the SWEEP partnership with Smart Schools as a chance to advance their school’s outreach program, something that is required for school accreditation.

Her school is likely to be tapped to assist Smart Schools partners in Benguet, Bontoc, and Sagada.

Al Mussreen Hamis of Ateneo de Zamboanga is especially excited over the prospect of sharing what he has learned to the community.

"Schools especially those in far-flung areas will be reached," says Hamis, a faculty member of the engineering department.

Aside from the opportunity to do community outreach, the SWEEP trainers also value the knowledge they gain. "Theories and concepts are translated into concrete examples. The training we receive from Smart is of tremendous significance to us instructors," says Al Horteza, Instructor I of the College of Computer Engineering of University of Cebu-Main.

With the number of Smart Schools partners fast approaching the 100-mark, SWEEP partner schools can look forward to more opportunities for reaching out and sharing their knowledge.