Malcolm Owen
Enterprise and educational device management firm Jamf is helping a group of 150 Haitian students to engage with the digital world, by shipping an 'innovation pod' providing iPads and other technology, as well as a digital curriculum, to a school in one of Haiti's impoverished areas.
An extension to Jamf's 2017 project to provide students and teachers with Internet access, hardware, and training, Jamf's innovation pod will be stationed at Hope School, located in one of the overpopulated areas near Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. The school itself is part of Healing Haiti, an organization that aims to improve the lives of the country's citizens.
The innovation pod is a portable classroom fitted into a shipping container, constructed by Modular Life Solutions. Each pod includes five collaborative workspaces for children to use during lessons, along with an interactive display powered by an Apple TV.
Every student and teacher in the pod has access to an iPad while working, with each enclosed in a Logitech Rugged Combo case that adds the flexibility of an integrated keyboard along with the iPad's existing usefulness. Teachers will be able to set up filters with Securly, preventing students from viewing inappropriate content, with eSparkLearning used as the main platform for teaching the students.
As well as taking advantage of apps like Duolingo and Khan Academy, students will pass through Apple's Everyone Can Code curriculum, providing a vast array of resources. Lastly, Sphero SPRK+ robots will be included for hands-on activities, specifically focusing on coding skills and STEM, including the use of Swift Playgrounds.
"We want to get technology into the hands of kids as an avenue to a brighter future," said Jamf CEO Dean Hager. "It is our mission to not only introduce these kids to iPads, but more importantly, to get them excited about the possibilities that technology could bring into their lives."
The equipment included in the innovation pod was installed before an unveiling event at Modular Life Solution's facility in Jacksonville, Florida on March 1. The pod will soon ship to Hope School, with the aim of arriving at its destination sometime in the spring.
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4 Comments
Very cool!
It looks like there is only room for about 12 students though...
Looking at the pictures there looks to be 4 or 5 chairs at each table. Would that mean 20-25 students?
Awesome to bring in tech. Colossal waste of funds regarding pod. Customs will have a hay day and if this actually gets installed I will be amazed. Sadly the funding it’s going to cost to bring in a container. That’s what it is. Hot and cramped and unless there’s highly paid security at site will be vandalized within months.
These small overpriced feel good projects get media attention then fizzle out rapidly.
Better way and efficient way to handle this?!! Several thousand iPads and the tech brought in sans fluff. Still educate but each city has a course available for kids to learn. Not just one tiny outpost. Reaching 1000’s of minds at a lesser cost.
One such place I know of on the ground trying to do this same thing but she lacks the materials is Jakmel Expression. Empower the small groups already doing the work. You’ll go farther and see tangible results at a fraction of the cost