Bringing digital knowledge to the mountains

Overcoming difficulties to bring digital platforms to the classroom

At many schools in the mountainous areas of Tuyen Quang , where 99% of students are ethnic minorities, the digital transformation journey is truly a bumpy road. At Hong Quang Primary and Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, Ms. Nong Thi Khoa - Principal said that the school has more than 600 students but the computer room only has about 20 computers, many old computers have to be "learned" at the Primary level.

Not letting difficulties get in the way, the school flexibly organizes for boarding students to study in the IT room, while the students at home are guided by teachers on how to study on their parents' devices. "We try to make sure that every student has access to technology, even if it is just through an old phone," Ms. Khoa shared.

Located near the border, Cao Ma Po Primary and Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities has mostly Dao, Mong, and Han students. Teacher Nguyen Cuong said that initially, bringing the Khan Academy Vietnam (KAV) platform into the classroom was a big challenge because “families had few phones and weak internet signal”. Not giving up, teachers switched from handing out assignments on paper to combining online exercises, “as you learn, give assignments”.

At Doan Ket Primary School, Ms. Vu Thi Ngoc Lan admitted: "Most students do not have computers, and parents rarely have phones, and if they do, they have low configurations." To implement KAV, teachers "brought personal computers to school for students to use."

From those hardships, the journey of "carrying technology up the mountain" gradually became a beautiful symbol of the spirit of educational innovation in the highlands. Opening the digital transformation journey in remote areas.

Students and parents have changed dramatically in their awareness and belief in digital education.

Accompanying parents on the digital journey

The biggest challenge is not only the equipment or the internet, but how parents – farmers – can study with their children at home. Teacher Nguyen Cuong admitted that the school had many difficulties in instructing parents on how to operate the phone, because most of them had never used online learning applications.

However, at Doan Ket Primary School, the teachers’ perseverance has brought unexpected results. When the school assigns assignments via the KAV platform, students go home to “try to log in”, and if they encounter difficulties, their parents will support them. Parents who are not yet proficient even “come to the school to get guidance from teachers.

The image of Dao and Tay parents – who were only used to farming – now proactively going to school to learn how to log in and send lessons to their children shows a strong change in awareness and belief in digital education.

“We are not only teaching students, but also teaching parents to get familiar with technology. When they understand, they are ready to accompany their children,” Ms. Lan shared. Having knowledge and technology will help people develop the economy and escape poverty.

“Sweet fruit” from the journey of sowing digital capacity

These persistent efforts are clearly bearing fruit. At Hong Quang Primary and Secondary Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities, Ms. Khoa happily shared that students from grade 1 have had early access to information technology. Older students know how to guide younger students, creating a pervasive learning environment.

At Doan Ket School, Ms. Lan affirmed that the KAV platform helps the school transform digitally, positively affecting both teachers and students. Now, most of the students are proficient in using computers, even on phones.

From being unfamiliar with computers, students in the mountainous areas of Tuyen Quang can now learn Math on their own through videos, do visual exercises and actively explore knowledge. More importantly, they are developing digital skills - indispensable luggage for the future.

Behind that journey is the image of teachers in the highlands who are persistent, creative, and quietly “carry” technology into the classroom every day. They not only change the way students learn, but also contribute to shortening the digital gap between the highlands and the lowlands – so that every school in the highlands becomes an “open school” in the digital age.

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/mang-tri-thuc-so-len-non-cao-post756502.html