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Philip Hickey
July 16th, 2009PreSchools across Ballyfermot/Inchicore receive teaching aids from VTech as a result of the Ballyfermot RAPID Programme and the IT Forum’s latest initiative!
Children in Dublin are set for an enhanced learning experience as Vtech, the Ballyfermot RAPID Programme, the Ballyfermot IT Forum, and Dublin City Council have joined forces to provide teachers with a learning aid which will excite and interest children across 18 pre-schools in Dublin.
This unique project brings together a group of organisations who have been able to address an identified need in the area. Technology has become such a major part of life in recent years that every opportunity must be taken to introduce children to this technology in a non-threatening way. The earlier this introduction takes place the greater the educational opportunities for these young people as the fear of technology in the school environment is dispelled. In pre-school, the emphasis is on fun in education and Vtech provides fun educational technology, therefore the partnership between the two seems ideal.
On the 16th January 2007 The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr. Vincent Jackson, presented the Ballyfermot/Inchicore Playgroup Federation with a total of 36 VTech laptops to be used in 18 pre-schools in the areas. The Community Development Section of Dublin City Council will also present a cheque for €5,000 to the Ballyfermot IT Forum, which will be used to provide essential managerial support to the initiative.
When discussing the scheme the Lord Mayor of Dublin stated, “children must be challenged from an early age, but this challenging must be done through varying means and must be fun so that children will stay engaged. This is a new departure for pre-school education and will, having assessed the technology and learning tools available from Vtech, prove very beneficial to the children, increase their education potential and ensure that pre-school education contains sufficient fun and challenges for their stimulation.”
Having pioneered the category of Electronic Learning Computers, VTech’s wide range of laptops and desktops offer the best in quality, content and value. VTech computers are pre loaded with age appropriate learning activities covering a variety of subjects including English, maths and science. The curriculum is cleverly woven into challenging games that kids love to play and master. There are many special features including stereo sound, foreign languages, typing tutors and logic games that make learning fun. Training has been provided to the teachers and helpers in the preschools on the technology and its application in the preschool format. The Ballyfermot IT Forum Association specifically designed this training. Through the Ballyfermot RAPID/ IT Forum’s initiative it is hoped that the VTech Laptops will provide teachers with a more diverse learning tool to help encourage and motivate children to develop their learning.
The Ballyfermot IT Forum is a voluntary non-profit, non-sectarian, non-political, not for profit organisation. Their aim is to enable every resident in Ballyfermot to have awareness and affordable access to information technology to enrich the quality of their lives and to seize life opportunities. Pat Teehan, RAPID Co-Ordinator comments, “We are delighted that VTech have agreed to help us with this project. The Laptops VTech are providing will, I believe, make a difference to the learning experience of hundreds of Pre-Primary School children in the Ballyfermot/Inchicore area. The general ethos of the company and the quality of their products is something we are proud to be associated with and we are grateful for their generous contribution to this project. This project shows what can be achieved when groups and organisations get together and combine resources. This integration of services is a fundamental tenet of the Ballyfermot RAPID Programme”
VTech believe that the age appropriate curriculum utilised in all of their products will be a benefit in the classroom. Managing Director of VTech, Andrew Dickson comments that, “The Challenger Laptop which is being provided has the potential to make a real difference to children who are struggling more with certain aspects of the curriculum, e.g. if the child struggles with fractions the laptop will focus on fractions but deliver the questions in a fun and engaging way. The Ballyfermot IT Forum is doing an important job for the community and we are extremely pleased to be supporting such a great initiative.”
