CONNECTING STUDENTS TO KNOWLEDGE
EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING
WITH TECHNOLOGY
Get ready for a new world of learning
In an increasingly digital world, where knowledge is just a mouse-click away, millions of children are
being left behind in so many countries. Unfortunately, the school closures due to COVID-19 have
further exacerbated the gaps that existed even before the pandemic, putting at risk the development
of an entire generation.
According to UNESCO, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than 1 billion children around the
world - and this is a scenario that no one wants to see happen again, or to get worse.
Over the past two years, we had the chance to talk with hundreds of professionals in the educational
community just like you, who have also struggled to assure that their students have access to quality
education through technology. Some of them have their schools located in very remote challenging
environments with a lack of school infrastructure and connectivity. Others are faced with dated
content and difficulties getting that updated. But all of them have something in common: they are
part of the community that is working to enable sustainable education worldwide, which we believe is
the key to creating a better global future! We would love to share with you how they are using
technology in their environments, how they overcome the challenges, and what are the results, so we
all can learn from each other and use technology most effectively in the classroom.
We would guess that you are searching for solutions to make it possible for students to have access to
a consistent, quality learning environment; we hope that this e-book will help you on that mission.
Connecting Students to Knowledge is our mission. Join us.
Critical Links
-1-
1
2
3
4
THE DIGITAL DIVIDE ON
EDUCATION
USING TECHNOLOGY
IN THE CLASSROOM
THE FUTURE OF LEARNING
CONNECTING STUDENTS
TO KNOWLEDGE
-2-
1
C H A P T E R
THE DIGITAL DIVIDE ON
EDUCATION
www.critical-links.com
-3-
LESS THAN
10%
Of schools are connected
to the internet across
many developing countries
Source: WorldBank
www.critical-links.com
-4-
THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
ON EDUCATION
The w o r l d is changing. Teaching
and
l e a rning
are
completely
diff e r e n t today than they were a
deca d e a go. Techno logy changes
by th e m i nute and it is particularly
i mpo r t a n t to prepare students for
thi s e v e r - c hanging w orld.
Desp i t e
the
pos itive
trends
towa r d s a dopting technology in
the c l a s s r oom, the full menu is
sti l l n o t u n iversally available to all
stud e n t s .
Nowh e r e is the ‘d igital divide’
more
e v ident
than
in
K-12
educ a t i o n ,
particularly
in
the
emer g i n g
countries
where
i nfr a s t r u c t ure and co nnectivity are
sti l l p r e c i ous resour ces – and the
COVI D - 1 9 pandemic left these
vul ne r a b i l i ties of th e educational
sect o r e v en more exposed.
Acco r d i n g to the report from the
Part n e r s h ip on Measuring ICT for
Deve l o p m e nt and the International
Tel ec o m munication Union (ITU),
when i t c omes to schools, “while
i nte r n e t
access
has
been
uni ve r s a l l y
achieved
in
the
maj or i t y of European and other
OCED
countries,
internet
conn e c t i v ity is lagging behind in
most d e veloping countries. It
rema i n s u n der 10 percent in some
coun t r i e s from all developing
regi o n s , i ncluding Latin America
and t h e Caribbea n, Asia, and
Afri c a . A nalysis has shown that
whi l e c o u ntries may have some
succ e s s i n building a computer
i nfr a s t r u c t ure, conn ecting these
devi c e s t o the internet may lag
behi n d . ”
In
most
developed
countries
scho o l s h a ve wireless, high-speed
digi t a l n e t works and students
www.critical-links.com
either own their own computers or
have access to the internet
outside of school hours.
In contrast, in some developing
countries, millions of students
undergo schooling in challenging
environments, without access to
technology
and
lack
of
connectivity.
This creates a huge disparity
between them: those who can
access the internet have an unfair
competitive advantage over those
who don’t, having access to the
latest technology and the best
available learning aids. As a
result,
they
have
a
better
opportunity to achieve excellence
in education and it can be
reflected
in
their
future
professional lives. These were
also students who, during the
lockdown, felt the least impact on
learning since they were already
familiar with the technology in a
classroom context.
However, and despite COVID-19
has exacerbated how precarious
access to ICTs is in many parts of
the world, closing the Digital
Divide is not a recent concern.
Recently,
in
many
cases
government entities have tried to
enable education - possibly with
3G or 4G - but even that level of
connectivity struggles to provide a
solid foundation for learning, as
usage and demand have grown
faster than connection speeds.
Simply stated, failled projects
around the world have shown that
3G/4G/4G
LTE
simply
don't
provide the robust connectivity
needed for digital learning.
05
Consi der the case of 4G wi rel ess i n a country such as I ndi a. Accordi ng to
research publ i shed by Quartz, the average 4G LTE speed i s 5 – 6Mbps. Whi l e
that mi ght sound strong, consi der that a si ngl e YouTube vi deo i n 720P can
take al most 1. 5Mbps; thi s means that three students attempti ng to better
thei r l earni ng wi th a vi deo l esson can bri ng the enti re school to i ts knees.
In regi ons l i ke thi s, even i f tech gi ants donate equi pment or mi ni stri es of
educati on al l ocate si gni fi cant fundi ng, students are too often cut off from
the cl oud-based l earni ng resources enj oyed i n the more devel oped worl d due
to l ack of regul ar or robust connecti vi ty, or other i nfrastructure l i mi tati ons
such as power outages and fl uctuati ons.
Interrupti ons to educati on can have l ong-term consequences, especi al l y for
the most vul nerabl e, who are more l i kel y to be exposed to ri sks l i ke chi l d
l abor, or fami l y vi ol ence.
Thi s i s t he oppor t uni t y t o r et hi nk and r ev amp
t he educat i onal sect or :
How can we ensur e t hat i nt er r upt i on t o
l ear ni ng i s mi ni mi zed as much as possi bl e?
How can we pr epar e our school s – and our
st udent s – f or t hi s new l ear ni ng r eal i t y ?
How can we pr epar e t he educat i on sect or i f
we hav e t o go t hr ough a pandemi c agai n?
What shoul d l ear ni ng l ook l i ke f or f ut ur e
gener at i ons?
.
One thing is for sure - now is the time to prioritize
students and closing the Digital Divide is more
necessary than ever!
www.critical-links.com
06
HOW ANY SCHOOL, ANYWHERE,
CAN LEVERAGE THE CLOUD
TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE ON EDUCATION
Digital Divide is the gap between demographics and regions that have
access to modern information and communications technology and
those that don’t or have restricted access.
To combat thi s gl obal probl em, i ndustry l eaders are dri vi ng an i nnovati ve
new technol ogy archi tecture – known as a mi cro-cl oud l earni ng
envi ronment – that al l ows gl obal i zi ng l earni ng on a l ocal l evel , even i n
these i nfrastructure-chal l enged envi ronments.
A mi cro-cl oud i s a compl etel y sel f-contai ned but cl oud-enabl ed e-Learni ng
envi ronment that al l ows students and teachers access to cl oud-based
l earni ng management systems, curri cul um, content, and resources – even
when the school has no connecti vi ty or power.
Wi th thi s approach, the l earni ng i nfrastructure, as wel l as the curri cul um,
content, and resources are staged on the mi cro-cl oud pl atform i n the
school . Students connect on a l ocal Wi -Fi that appears to be an i nternet
connecti on, hence the abi l i ty to use a cl oud-based e-Learni ng paradi gm
even i f there i s no i nternet connecti on or even wi thout power.
Val uabl e i ncremental resources (such as YouTube vi deos, si mul ati ons,
i nteracti ve maps, l earni ng games, educati onal apps, Wi ki pedi a content,
etc. ) are housed l ocal l y i n the mi cro-cl oud.
Aspects of an educational micro-cloud
07
WI-FI
Embedded
LMS
Locally
cached websites
Locally
cached content
Centralized curation
& Management
Enterprise-grade
Networking & Security
Universal
Access
Resilient
www.critical-links.com
K E Y
P O I N T S
T O
R E M E M B E R
Teaching and learning are completely different today than they
were a decade ago
Technology changes by the minute and it is important to prepare
the students for this ever-changing world
Nowhere is the ‘digital divide’ more evident than in K-12
education, particularly in the emerging countries where
infrastructure and connectivity are still precious resources
– and the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed these
vulnerabilities more clearly
Students who can access the internet have an unfair
competitive advantage over those who don’t; as a result, they
have a better opportunity to achieve excellence in education
and it can be reflected in their future
To combat this global problem, industry leaders are
driving an innovative new technology architecture –
known as micro-cloud learning environment – that
allows globalizing learning on a local level, even in
these infrastructure-challenged environments
-8-
2
C H A P T E R
USING TECHNOLOGY IN
THE CLASSROOM
www.critical-links.com
-9-
Education Technology
(...) supports and enriches teaching and learning and improves education
management and delivery. EdTech can create new connections between
teachers, students, parents, and broader communities to create learning
networks. Investments in EdTech can make education systems more
resilient to future shocks and help reform and reimagine the way
education is delivered. the internet across
many developing countries
Source: WorldBank
www.critical-links.com
-10-
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO USE TECHNOLOGY
IN THE CLASSROOM?
The i m p a c t that tec hnology has had on t o d a y ’ s
scho o l s has been quite significant a n d i t h a s
comp l e t e l y changed how teachers teach a n d h o w
stud e n t s
learn.
When
teachers
introduce
tech n o l o g y in the classroom they are op e n i n g t h e
door t o a l imitless w orld of knowledge.
Stud e n t s h ave access to answers beyo n d w h a t ’ s
i n t h e i r t e xtbooks a nd they can have a c c e s s t o
elec t r o n i c books, digital portfolios, l e a r n i n g
gui de s , a n d real-time feedback on both t e a c h e r o r
stud e n t p erformance.
But why is technology so critical to improving
the education process?
Tech n o l o g y Gives Instant Access to K n o w l e d g e :
Usi ng t e c h nology in the classroom gives t e a c h e r s t h e
chan c e t o provide their students with the g u i d a n c e t o
find th e r i g ht sources and teach them h o w t o a s s e s s
the q u a l i t y of the inf ormation they find o n l i n e .
Tech n o l o g y Keeps Students Engaged: Tea c h i n g the
exac t s a me thing b ut using a computer o r a t a b l e t
can en c o urage a more active participa t i o n i n t h e
l ear n i n g process which can be more d i f f i c u l t t o
achi e v e
through
traditional
metho d s .
When
tech n o l o g y is integrated into lessons, s t u d e n t s a r e
foun d t o be more interested in the subje c t s t h e y a r e
stud y i n g . Teachers can also use differ e n t a p p s o r
trus t e d o nline resources to enhance tho s e t r a d i t i o n a l
ways o f t eaching.
Tech n o l o g y
Encourages
Individual
Learning:
Tech n o l o g y personalizes the learning ex p e r i e n c e a n d
prov i d e s greater o pportunities for s t u d e n t s w i t h
vary i n g n eeds. They can learn at their ow n s p e e d , g o
back t o lessons and get online ins t r u c t i o n s t o
supp o r t t he learning process.
Team w o r k: Tech n o l o g y can encourage collaboration
with s t u d ents in the same classroom, a t t h e s a m e
scho o l , o r even with other classrooms a r o u n d t h e
worl d . O n e of the best ways to e n h a n c e t h e
comm u n i cation between students in the c l a s s r o o m i s
with t e a mwork proj ects and collaborat i v e l e a r n i n g .
Stud e n t s can ask qu estions, discuss diff e r e n t t o p i c s ,
and h e l p each o ther learn in a s a f e o n l i n e
envi r o n m e nt created by teachers.
Tech n o l o g y Prepar es Students for t h e F u t u r e:
Tech n o l o g y is everywhere. High-school, c o l l e g e , a n d
uni ve r s i t y . Students have to know how t o u s e t h e
i nte r n e t t o complete projects and most i m p o r t a n t l y ,
i n t h e i r f u ture jobs, t echnology skills will b e r e q u i r e d .
So, i t i s v e ry important to bring this tech n o l o g y i n t h e
clas s r o o m and also incorporate it i n t o t h e i r
educ a t i o n al
curriculum.
Responsible
use
of
tech n o l o g y also starts in the classroom a n d i t w i l l
prep a r e the stude nts to be respons i b l e d i g i t a l
citi z e n s .
Tech n o l o g y Improves Knowledge Retenti o n : Stu d e n t s
who a r e i nterested in things they are s t u d y i n g , a r e
more l i k e l y to have b etter knowledge ret e n t i o n .
Tech n o l o g y Makes Learning More Fu n : Tea c h e r s
bel i ev e that tech nology makes lear n i n g m o r e
i nte r e s t i n g and fun because students l o v e l a p t o p s
and t a b l ets. Challe nging or boring s u b j e c t s c a n
beco m e more inte resting with virtu a l l e s s o n s ,
thro u g h a video, or when using a tablet.
www.critical-links.com
11
HOW CAN TECHNOLOGY
MOTIVATE STUDENTS?
USING TECHNOLOGY CAN CHANGE YOUR CLASSROOM FOR THE BETTER
Havi n g t h is in min d, it’s very importan t t o k e e p t h e
stud e n t s ’ m otivation high so that they c a n a s s i m i l a t e a l l
the k n o w l edge teachers transmit.
Thes e d a ys, techn ology brings inno v a t i v e l e a r n i n g
meth o d s and educa tional tools, inclu d i n g c o m p u t e r s ,
i nte r a c t i v e apps, an d games, virtual l e c t u r e s , t a b l e t s
vide o s , o r slideshow s. Let’ s u s e t hese reso urces!
Ther e a r e several ways to increase stud e n t s ’ m o t i v a t i o n
usi ng t e c hnology:
Kids l o v e technolog y. It is like a kind of a m a g i c
penc i l . I f teachers give them the oppor t u n i t y t o
l ear n u s i n g technology, then their mo t i v a t i o n
i ncr e a s e s , allowing better retention of kno w l e d g e .
Rece n t r e s earch shows that the major i t y o f t h e
l ear n i n g p rocess occurs outside the cl a s s r o o m .
The m a i n reason why this happens is b e c a u s e o f
the i n t e r a ction. People learn throug h a c t i o n ,
i nst e a d o f learning passively. So, why n o t j u s t
bri ng t h a t “outside” i nto the classroom?
Tech n o l o g y may be able to help teacher s a c h i e v e
that . I n fact, some research indica t e s t h a t
tech n o l o g y can improve both the teach i n g a n d
l ear n i n g aspects of education. It also e n c o u r a g e s
acti v e e n gagement and interactivity tha t s t u d e n t s
are s o a c customed to outside of class, a n d m i s s
when h a v i ng to pay attention to lesson m a t e r i a l s .
Inte r a c t i v i ty makes it is easy for st u d e n t s t o
revi s i t s p ecific parts of the subjects, exp l o r e t h e m
more f u l l y, test i d e a s , and recei ve feedback.
One of t h e most important goals of teac h e r s i s t o
deve l o p the creativ e thinking of stude n t s a n d
prep a r e t hem for the life ahead, equipp e d w i t h a
mind s e t t hat allows them to overtake p r o b l e m s
and c h a l lenges wi th innovative and c r e a t i v e
sol ut i o n s .
www.critical-links.com
Vide o s – Ed u c a t i o nal videos can be used to b o o s t
stud e n t s ’ motivatio n. This new appro a c h h a s a g r e a t
i mpa c t b e cause most of the students are v i s u a l l e a r n e r s .
Leve r a g i n g YouTube videos while explain i n g s o m e s u b j e c t
i s a m o re effectiv e method of tea c h i n g t h a n o n l y
expl a i n i n g and describing things. Teach e r s c a n s e a r c h
educ a t i o n al videos online or create their o w n – t h e r e a r e
many o p t i ons readily available.
Inde p e n d e nt Research – Stu d e n t s should be encouraged
to ta k e r esponsibility of maximizing th e i r o w n l e a r n i n g
pote n t i a l . When they do independent re s e a r c h o n a t o p i c
they f e e l s marter an d more motivated a n d t h a t a l l o w s a
bett e r r e t e ntion of k nowledge.
Inte l l i g e n t use of Po dcasts – Tea c h e r s can use podcasts
i n p l a c e of some of their reading mat e r i a l t o b r e a k u p
some o f the mono tony. Break up rep e t i t i o u s r e a d i n g
assi g n m e n ts by mixing in a few podcast s ; t h i s w i l l k e e p
more s t udents aw ake and it will i n c r e a s e t h e i r
part i c i p a t i on.
Clas s r o o m Gaming – Th e r e a r e many ed ucational games
that a l l o w students to apply what was l e a r n e d i n t h e
clas s r o o m . In fact, video games are no l o n g e r s e e n a s
some t h i n g bad for t he students but one o f t h e b e s t w a y s
of u s i n g technology in the classroom. Us i n g e d u c a t i o n a l
game s m akes stude nts eager for learni n g a n d t h e y g e t
moti v a t e d by challenging each other.
It is important to integrate technology in the classroom because
it has become so integral to the world outside of the classroom
and students are more tech-savvy than ever before. Having
technology in the classroom is not a replacement for a good
teacher. However, when we combine a great teacher with a
constructive classroom technology usage the results are an
even-better education.
12
CREATING MORE ENGAGING AND
DYNAMIC CLASSES
USING DIGITAL RESOURCES TO SUPPORT TEACHING AND LEARNING
"Tell me and I forget, Teach me and I learn, Involve me and I remember", Benjamin Franklin
Teac h e r s have always had the opportun i t y t o p l a y a b i g p a r t i n c h i l d r e n ' s l i v e s. T h e y a r e e d u c a t o r s , l e a d e r s ,
rol e mo d els, and they can be critical to s h a p i n g t h e f u t u r e o f a s t u d e n t . I t i s o f t e n b e c a u s e o f a p a r t i c u l a r
teac h e r t hat a student develops a prefere n c e f o r a c e r t a i n s u b j e c t , w h i c h w i l l l a t er i n f l u e n c e t h e i r c a r e e r p a t h .
One of t h e most imp ortant goals of tea c h e r s i s t o p r e p a r e t h e s t u d e n t s f o r t h e l i f e a h e a d , e q u i p t h e m w i t h a
mind s e t t h at allows them to overtake c h a l l e n g e s t h r o u g h c r i t i c a l t h i n k i n g a n d t h e a b i l i t y t o f i n d i n n o v a t i v e
sol ut i o n s . For that reason, good teacher s a r e a l w a y s i n a c o n s t a n t s e a r c h o f d y n a m i c t o o l s t h a t c a n h e l p t h e m
i nvo l v e t h e ir studen ts actively in the lea r n i n g p r o c e s s , t o e n a b l e t h e m t o a s s i mi l a t e e a s i l y a l l t h e k n o w l e d g e
bei ng t r a nsmitted - which is not always a n e a s y t a s k .
Over t h e past two y ears, this difficulty h a s o n l y i n c r e a s e d . T h e l o c k d o w n s c a us e d b y C O V I D - 1 9 a r e f o r c i n g a
rebu i l d i n g of the ed ucation system which c a n e n s u r e l e a r n i n g c o n t i n u i t y . S c h o ol s m u s t q u i c k l y c o m e u p w i t h
sol ut i o n s on how to continue the lear n i n g p r o c e s s t h r o u g h t e c h n o l o g y a n d m a n y e d u c a t o r s a r e t e a c h i n g
remo t e a n d in-person students at the s a m e t i m e . A l l t h o s e w h o w e r e n o t f a m i l i a r w i t h t e c h n o l o g i c a l t o o l s i n
thei r c l a s s rooms felt many challenges.
Here are some resources to hel p you in this new learning reality. Your students can use them both at home
or i n the cl assroom. Use whi chever ones fit best for your environment to achieve the best results...and
watch your students become more motivated to learn than ever before!
www.critical-links.com
13
PhET Simulations:
PhET Interacti ve Si mul ati ons i s a non-profi t educati onal resource proj ect from the Uni versi ty of Col orado
Boul der that creates and hosts expl orabl e expl anati ons to al l ow the vi sual l earni ng of certai n concepts. PhET
Si mul ati ons are very useful to hel p students vi sual l y comprehend concepts, and ani mate what i s i nvi si bl e to
the eye. Through the use of graphi cs and i ntui ti ve control s such as cl i ck-and-drag mani pul ati ons, sl i ders, and
radi o buttons, students are encouraged to appl y what was taught i n the cl ass, whi ch promotes cri ti cal thi nki ng
abi l i ti es and sel f-di rected l earni ng. You can fi nd free i nteracti ve si mul ati ons i n the fi el ds of physi cs, chemi stry,
bi ol ogy, earth sci ence, and mathemati cs.
Khan Academy:
Khan Academy i s a non-profi t educati onal organi zati on, wi th the goal of creati ng onl i ne tool s that hel p educate
students through short l essons i n the form of vi deos. Wi th Khan Academy, teachers are empowered to make
thei r cl assroom experi ences much more fun, engagi ng, and soci al , wi th l ess bori ng l ecturi ng and more proj ectbased l earni ng. It ai ms to provi de a free personal i zed l earni ng experi ence, through short l essons, i n vi deo, that
are si mi l ar to a recordi ng of drawi ngs on an el ectroni c bl ackboard, and where the narrator descri bes each
drawi ng and how they rel ate to the materi al bei ng taught. The vi deos are fun, approachabl e and they faci l i tate
customi zed l earni ng, that al l ows them to j ump where hel p i s needed most.
www.critical-links.com
14
Math Expression:
Math Expressi on i s a pl atform created to hel p students who are l earni ng math have more fun i n the l earni ng
process through onl i ne l earni ng vi deos, study ti ps, practi ce questi ons, and step-by-step sol uti ons. Teachi ng the
exact same thi ng but usi ng a computer or a tabl et can encourage more acti ve parti ci pati on i n the l earni ng
process whi ch can be more di ffi cul t to achi eve through tradi ti onal methods. When technol ogy i s i ntegrated i nto
l essons, students are found to be more i nterested i n the subj ects they are studyi ng.
Scratch:
Scratch i s a vi sual programmi ng l anguage that al l ows students to create thei r own i nteracti ve stori es, text,
musi c, and ani mati ons. Students shoul d al ways be encouraged to take responsi bi l i ty for maxi mi zi ng thei r own
l earni ng potenti al . When they do i ndependent research on a topi c they feel smarter and more moti vated and
that al l ows better retenti on of knowl edge. You can ask your students to work i n groups, encouragi ng
col l aborati on between them, and ask them to do some i ndependent research about a certai n topi c. Then, they
can use Scratch to create a vi sual l esson, wi th i nteracti ve el ements to share wi th the cl assroom.
These are j ust a few exampl es of free resources avai l abl e to bri ng i nnovati ve l earni ng methods i nto your
cl assroom.
For school s wi thout robust i nternet i nfrastructure i n the cl assroom, accessi ng these resources i n a cl assroom
envi ronment can be chal l engi ng. . . or i mpossi bl e. One way that school systems around the worl d are enabl i ng
the use of these types of resources i s by the depl oyment of mi cro-cl ouds for educati on, whi ch enabl e easy
technol ogy access i n any cl assroom, anywhere i n the worl d, regardl ess of networki ng and i nfrastructure
chal l enges!
www.critical-links.com
15
TECHNOLOGY IS BREAKING THE
BARRIERS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
THE USE OF CLOUD-BASED TECHNOLOGY IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
Students with special learning needs are found
everywhere in a school – some are learning sideby-side with their peers, while others are in a selfcontained classroom. Some have problems with
decoding texts; others with comprehension; some
have high cognitive abilities but are easily
distracted in large classrooms. Those students
are often quite intelligent, but their distinct
process of absorbing and retaining information
can determine the learning method that is best
suitable for them. The common, traditional
classroom model of lecturing, note-taking, and
completing worksheets may not be the best way
to help them reach their potential.
The educational standards claim that students in
special education should participate in education
and training on the same basis as other students
and that they are not subject to discrimination.
16
For t h a t r e ason, spe cial education teach e r s m u s t
be pr e p a red to work in those various s e t t i n g s :
they h a v e to know how to modify lesso n s , o f f e r
supp o r t t o all those very different stude n t s , a n d
find w a y s to coordinates group lessons . B u t w i t h
i ncr e a s i n g demands on their time a n d t i g h t
budg e t s , teachers sa y they always feel t h a t t h e r e
i s n o t e n o u gh time in the day to help each s t u d e n t
i ndi v i d u a l l y.
The f a c t is that majority of today’s cl a s s r o o m s
are co m p o sed of st udents with varyin g l e a r n i n g
need s a n d not all students learn the same w a y .
How can teachers around the
world overcome this challenge?
www.critical-links.com
Tech n o l o g y is making it easier for tea c h e r s t o
del i ve r a n education that works w i t h e a c h
stud e n t ’ s u nique needs, by providing a w i d e r a n g e
of l ea r n i n g materials and promoting flex i b i l i t y a n d
diff e r e n t i a tion in lea rning methods.
Micr o - C l o uds are allowing teachers to p l a n t heir
own l e s s o ns, adding content that better s u i t s t h e
part i c u l a r needs of each group of stude n t s : S o m e
can l e a r n a bout a to pic by watching a vid e o , w h i l e
othe r s c a n hear a podcast about the s a m e t o p i c
and a f t e r t hat and the teacher can bring t h e e n t i r e
grou p t o g e ther for a discussion about w h a t t h e y
j ust l e a r n e d.
With micro-clouds students are
no longer stuck in a classroom
they don’t understand, trying to
learn at a pace they can’t keep up
with or participate in.
There can be a place in the
modern learning environment for
every student.
Thi s p o s s ibility to create differentiated l e a r n i n g
envi r o n m e nts enable s students with spe c i a l n e e d s
to c h o o s e the speed of learning that i s m o r e
conv e n i e n t for them, without the need of a s p e c i a l
curr i c u l u m. Being on the same tim e l i n e a n d
curr i c u l u m as their peers helps to incr e a s e t h e
feel i n g o f independence of a particula r s t u d e n t ,
free i n g t hem from the constant need f o r d i r e c t
teac h e r i n v olvement .
Inte g r a t i n g students with special nee d s i n t o
mai ns t r e a m classes can help reduce t h e c o s t s
asso c i a t e d with special education. B u t , m o s t
i mpo r t a n t ly, working alongside their cl a s s m a t e s
and c o m p leting the same curriculum l e a d s t o a
feel i n g o f greater s ocial inclusion, pos i t i v e s e l f este e m , a nd confidence.
www.critical-links.com
17
HOW AN ENTIRE COUNTRY CAN
STANDARDIZE CURRICULUM
AND BE UP TO DATE ALL TIMES
A standardi zed curri cul um i s the i dea that al l
school s i n the same country shoul d fol l ow the
same l earni ng pl an so that students i n any
communi ty wi l l be on the same l evel as thei r
peers i n the regi on. The curri cul um defi nes what
students are expected to l earn, and based on that,
teachers have the autonomy to make teachi ng
deci si ons to ensure thei r students achi eve the
desi red standards.
However, al l around the worl d, educati onal
systems sti l l struggl e wi th mai ntai ni ng a
standardi zed curri cul um across di fferent regi ons.
Typi cal l y, rural and remote school s struggl e wi th
keepi ng up wi th the standards, often due to a l ack
of
resources,
i nfrastructure,
and
qual i fi ed
teachers. Thi s can create a huge knowl edge gap
between students from di fferent areas i n the
same country.
It i s known that students wi th access to a 21st
century educati on are more l i kel y to succeed i n
thei r future j obs, achi eve better sal ari es, and,
thus, contri bute to thei r regi on’ s devel opment.
When they face obstacl es to getti ng a qual i ty
educati on, thei r future – and the future of thei r
regi on – may be compromi sed.
But how can we ensure that all students in any
given country have access to the same high-quality
curriculum and resources?
and distributed to any authorized micro-cloud in
any school whenever a network link is available.
This means that any country can set its standard
curriculum, upload rich learning content, and
share it with all the schools connected with the
micro-cloud - even the ones located in challenging
environments. Any content updates can be applied
to authorized micro-clouds on-demand as they are
able to connect with the micro-cloud: even if this
connection is intermittent.
Most importantly, not only can content and
resources be managed centrally, but so can
administration
and
management.
Security
policies, usage policies, user access levels – all
can be managed centrally for an entire
region/country of authorized micro-clouds to
ensure
uniform
compliance
and
education
throughout the entire system.
Having a customized curriculum guides teachers
in the process of assessment and helps keep
them on track – but this doesn't take away the
teacher’s ability to craft their own classes – in
fact, it enhances that.
Let’s talk about how can you use this
technology in your school to open a world
of learning and opportunity to your
students! Click HERE
How can we standardize schools that often have
such different economic and infrastucture
realities?
Wi th mi cro-cl ouds for educati on, i t i s possi bl e to
si mpl i fy and manage the del i very of di gi tal
content and e-Learni ng capabi l i ti es to school s,
regardl ess of i nfrastructure chal l enges or i nternet
connecti vi ty l i mi tati ons. Content, i n the form of
texts, vi deos, podcasts, si mul ati ons, and other
resources, can be central l y curated
.
www.critical-links.com
18
TECHNOLOGY:
K E Y
P O I N T S
T O
R E M E M B E R
Gives Instant Access to Knowledge
Keeps Students Engaged
Encourages Individual Learning
Improves knowledge Retention
Encourages collaboration with Students
Helps to Standardize the Curriculum of an Entire Country
Prepares Students for the Future
There are several ways to increase students’ motivation
using technology:
Educational
Videos
Independent
Research
Podcasts
-19-
Learning
Games
3
C H A P T E R
THE FUTURE OF
LEARNING
www.critical-links.com
-20-
The school closures affected
1,445,016,378
STUDENTS
representing 82.5%
of total enrolled learners
Source: UNESCO
www.critical-links.com
-21-
The Future of Learning after
COVID-19
THE PANDEMIC THAT IS EXACERBATING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND WILL
CHANGE HOW WE EDUCATE FUTURE GENERATIONS
Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic
has transformed our lives in ways we never had
thought possible. Education is one of the most
affected sectors and many schools around the
world have been forced to close.
The lockdown has forced schools to quickly come
up with solutions on how to continue teaching and
keep students engaged. The majority have chosen
to use technological tools to create content for
distance learning.
Students and teachers who were already familiar
with technological tools in their classrooms were
able to manage the transition to remote teaching
and learning relatively efficiently. But for all those
who were not, it has been a real challenge – the
digital divide has never been so exposed.
This is the opportunity to rethink and revamp the
educational sector: what should learning look like
for future generations? Is the notion of an
educator who imparts wisdom to their students in
a classroom still fit for the purpose of a 21stcentury education? How can I prepare my school
if we have to go through a pandemic again?
Education can be a life-saver and provides safety,
protection, and hope for a brighter future.
Interruptions to education can have long-term
consequences, especially for the most vulnerable,
who are more likely to be exposed to risks like
child labor, or family violence. Governments in
many countries are aware of this and are funding
technological devices to distribute to students
with fewer economic resources, and are also
looking for e-learning solutions to ensure the
interruption to education is as limited as possible.
Are teachers and schools prepared
for the new learning. reality?
www.critical-links.com
22
Preparing schools for
a new learning reality
Is Hybrid Learning the future of education?
According to UNESCO, in March
2020, 1,445,016,378 students were
affected
by
school
closures,
representing
82.5%
of
total
enrolled learners. The costs of
school closures were high –
students’ education was damaged
and their social skills had suffered.
Over the past two years, the
educational community has been
looking for strategies to prepare
schools – and students – for a
new learning reality.
Hybrid
Learning
has
been
a
successful method used in several
countries after the schools reopen,
putting the students first and
providing them with a safe and
consistent educational experience
whose quality is not compromised.
In this educational model rotation
is the key. Usually, approximately
half of the class is in person at
school, while the other half join the
class
virtually
from
home.
Educators teach remote and inperson students at the same time
using technology tools, such as
pre-recorded
videos,
learning
games, simulations, podcasts, and
online exercises. This approach
ensures that all students (those
who are remote and those who are
in person) attend exactly the same
lesson at the same time, using the
same learning resources.
www.critical-links.com
When remote, students can be
allowed to access a cloud-resident,
centralized instance – which uses
the
identical
interface,
and
contains exactly the same content
as their colleagues who are at
school that day. In this way, the
learning experience is consistent –
students can be in school one day,
at home the next, on a rotational
basis, and see/use the same
learning process regardless. If the
schools shut down for a number of
weeks due to quarantine or other
issues,
the
learning
interface
remains constant.
In many parts of the world,
students
don’t
have
internet
access with data capability from
their homes. So, in order to enable
students to access this cloudresident instance, Ministries of
Education in countries around the
globe are working together with
their local telecommunications and
technology providers to allow free
access to the domain which hosts
this central micro-cloud instance.
It’s good for everyone.
Through this leveraging technology
and hybrid approach to learning, it
becomes possible for students to
have
a
consistent
learning
experience
between
the
two
environments.
23
K E Y
P O I N T S
T O
R E M E M B E R
The Covid 19 pandemic is exacerbating the Digital Divide and is
changing how we educate future generations
The lockdown has forced schools to quickly come up with
solutions on how to continue teaching and keep students
engaged; the majority have chosen to use technological tools
to create content for distance learning.
For all those who were not familiar with technological tools, it
has been a real challenge!
.
Has been a successful method used in several countries after
the schools reopen...
HYBRID
LEARNING
putting the students first and providing them with a safe and consistent educational
experience whose quality is not compromised.
-24-
4
C H A P T E R
CONNECTING STUDENTS
TO KNOWLEDGE
www.critical-links.com
-25-
EDUCATORS AROUND THE WORLD ARE ENABLING
WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION FOR THE STUDENTS NO
MATTER WHERE THEY ARE...
even when they face constraints that they can't do anything about
GET THEIR INSIGHTS!
www.critical-links.com
-26-
CONNECTING STUDENTS TO
KNOWLEDGE AROUND THE WORLD
THE C3 MICRO-CLOUD IS ENABLING E-LEARNING AND TRANSFORMING
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS LIVES GLOBALLY
At C r i t i c a l Links, we are honored to be a p a r t o f
the c o m m unity th at is working t o e n a b l e
sust a i n a b le education worldwide, wh i c h w e
bel i ev e i s key to crea ting a better global f u t u r e !
We wo u l d guess that you are searc h i n g f o r
sol ut i o n s t o ensure that all of your stude n t s h a v e
acce s s
to
a
21st-century
educa t i o n ,
a
stan d a r d i zed curriculum, and access t o r i c h
l ear n i n g c o ntent.
On t h e f o llowing pages, we will share a b o u t t h e
powe r o f the C3 Micro-Cloud as well a s s u c c e s s
stor i e s o f some of your peers who, just l i k e y o u ,
have s t r uggled to make learning pos s i b l e i n
chal l e n g i ng environments. We want to sh a r e w i t h
you w h a t "works in the real world" and h o w t h e y
are us i n g micro-clouds, making technol o g y m o s t
effe c t i v e i n their cla ssrooms.
The C 3 Micro-Clou d solution is now i n u s e i n
over 5 5 c ountries, r eaching more than 7 m i l l i o n
stud e n t s .
Connecting Students to Knowledge is our mission.
Join us.
27
www.critical-links.com
HOW ANY SCHOOL, ANYWHERE,
CAN LEVERAGE THE CLOUD
TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE ON EDUCATION
Digital Divide is the gap between demographics and regions that have
access to modern information and communications technologies and
those that have nonexistent or restricted access.
To combat thi s gl obal probl em, i ndustry l eaders are dri vi ng an i nnovati ve
new technol ogy archi tecture – known as a mi cro-cl oud l earni ng
envi ronment – that al l ows gl obal i zi ng l earni ng on a l ocal l evel , even i n
these i nfrastructure- chal l enged envi ronments.
The C3 Mi cro- Cl oud i s a compl etel y sel f- contai ned but cl oud-enabl ed eLearni ng envi ronment that al l ows students and teachers access to cl oudbased l earni ng management systems, curri cul um, content, and resources –
even when the school has no connecti vi ty or power.
Wi th thi s approach, the l earni ng i nfrastructure, as wel l as the curri cul um,
content, and resources are staged on the mi cro-cl oud pl atform i n the
school . Students connect on a l ocal Wi -Fi that appears to be an i nternet
connecti on, hence the abi l i ty to use a cl oud-based e-Learni ng paradi gm
even i f there i s no i nternet connecti on or even wi thout power.
Val uabl e i ncremental resources (such as YouTube vi deos, si mul ati ons,
i nteracti ve maps, l earni ng games, educati onal apps, Wi ki pedi a content,
etc. ) are housed l ocal l y i n the mi cro-cl oud. I n thi s scenari o, students
progress through the l earni ng process even i f there i s no i nternet
connecti vi ty to the school at any poi nt i n ti me. Most i mportantl y, hundreds
or even thousands of mi cro- cl ouds throughout the regi on/country can be
managed and admi ni stered from a si ngl e, central i zed poi nt. The
admi ni strati on of the Mi ni stry of Educati on can curate uni form curri cul um
and content, whi ch i s then popul ated to the mi cro-cl ouds whenever a
sporadi c connecti on becomes avai l abl e.
At Cri ti cal Li nks, we are worki ng to address thi s gl obal i mperati ve and we
want to hel p bri dge the Di gi tal Di vi de by devel opi ng the C3 Mi cro-Cl oud, a
sel f- contai ned, cl oud- enabl ed e- Learni ng pl atform that can dramati cal l y
si mpl i fy the del i very of di gi ti zed content to school s. Everywhere.
I rrespecti ve of the constrai nts on i nternet connecti vi ty and power,
avai l abi l i ty of techni cal l y ski l l ed personnel , school l ocati on (urban or rural ),
or the speci fi c student devi ces.
With the C3 Micro-Cloud students connect on a local Wi-Fi that
appears to be an internet connection, hence the ability to use a cloudbased e-Learning paradigm. They progress through the learning
process without needing internet connectivity.
28
www.critical-links.com
The C3 Micro-Cloud has several features that improve the learning process:
Local Wi-Fi Access Point
The C3 Micro-Cloud has a Wi-Fi Access Point functionality to allow easy connection to
locally cached resources. Students connect from their device, removing the dependency on
either the school’s internal network or the ‘upstream’ internet connection.
Embedded LMS
The LMS is the classroom/school’s application for the administration, documentation,
tracking, reporting, and delivery of educational courses or training programs. It is resident
on the local micro-cloud so that it’s always available to teachers/students, regardless of
network availability.
Locally Cached Content and Websites
If content such as texts, subject media, guides, tests, and other resources are cached on the
micro-cloud, they are always available regardless of ‘upstream’ network connectivity.
Enterprise-grade Networking & Security
Edtech should bring benefit, without increasing risk. With the C3 Micro-Cloud students can
navigate Internet sites/content safely, without straining resources.
Centralized Curation & Management
In times of information overload, it is important that the right person gets the right
information at the right time on the right device, presented in the right way with minimal
effort. C3 Cloud Control gives school systems a cloud-based administration of curriculum,
content, & management of all authorized schools/classrooms.
Resilient
The C3 Micro-Cloud has a battery backup to enable it to ride out power changes without
disrupting the e-learning process. Localized caching of apps and content means that
students can learn without interruption, even when signal quality is weak or momentarily
nonexistent.
Universal Access
The C3 Micro-Cloud is compatible with virtually any student device. They can access the
micro-cloud in their schools/classrooms from all types of intelligent devices with a browser,
including laptop PCs, Chromebooks, tablets, and even smartphones.
We’d be happy to show you – with a live demo – how powerful the micro-cloud
for education can be in enabling any school, anywhere to have state-of-the-art
digital content and learning,
even if they don’t have reliable/available internet connectivity.
Simply click below, and we’ll schedule a demo for a time that works for you – all
you’ll need is an internet browser.
WATCH THE VIDEO
www.critical-links.com
REQUEST A DEMO
29
PREPARING PANAMA'S STUDENTS
FOR THE FUTURE
IMPROVING DIGITAL RESOURCES FOR THE EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY IN
PANAMA
Desp i t e n otable achievements in the pas t d e c a d e ,
Pana m a ’ s education sector has bee n f a c i n g
seve r a l c hallenges. Significant dispari t i e s e x i s t
betw e e n urban and rural schools and the n u m b e r
of e n r o l l ed students has increased in P a n a m a ,
addi n g p r e ssure to the country’s alrea d y l i m i t e d
educ a t i o n al infrastructure.
Aware of this reality, a large number of
improvements
have
been
made:
books,
technological equipment, and potable water were
distributed to schools in rural environments, and
curriculum reform was introduced, contributing to
the standardization of education across the
country.
In ma n y s chools conditions are less t h a n i d e a l :
acce s s t o potable water and electric i t y i s a
conc e r n , especially in rural areas. Ele c t r i c i t y i s
avai l a b l e a t 67% of primary schools an d 8 4 % o f
pre- m i d d l e and middle schools.
The inclusion of digital technologies
and learning processes was also
MEDUCA and Edupan have developed
partnership with Critical Links with
improving digital resources for the
community in Panama.
Alth o u g h the percen tage of students wi t h a c c e s s
to a c o mputer is relatively high (ME D U C A –
Educ a t i o n Ministry - distributed 183,00 0 l a p t o p s
to s t u d e n ts) internet access is lower ( 2 0 % a n d
27%, r e s p ectively).
30
in teaching
a priority:
a project in
the goal of
educational
www.critical-links.com
EDUP A N helps teachers and instru c t o r s t o
tran s f o r m
traditio nal
pedagogical
methods
thro u g h t h e inclusion of technology, giv i n g t h e i r
stud e n t s the ability to face the challeng e s o f t h e
21st c e n tury, while MEDUCA has outli n e d t h e i r
purp o s e t o ensure an educational sy s t e m o f
exce l l e n c e, that leverages technology, i m p r o v i n g
know l e d g e , learning, and outcomes.
Thi s p r o j ect was implemented in schools t h a t a r e
l oca t e d i n remote z ones (rural areas or c o a s t a l
zone s ) w here inter net access is only p o s s i b l e
usi ng s a t ellite. The long trip that nee d s t o b e
made t o r each those schools is a cons t r a i n t t o
both t e a c hers and students and it ma k e s t h e
i mpl e m e n t ation of technological projects i n t h o s e
area s v e r y difficult. Many of those scho o l s o n l y
have p o wer throug h solar panels, ma k i n g t h e
i nst a l l a t i o n of communication equi p m e n t a
chal l e n g e .
The C 3 Micro-Cloud and its low e n e r g y
cons u m p t i on gave the opportunity t o o f f e r
educ a t i o n al resourc es without having t o c h a n g e
unde r l y i n g infrastructures in the schools .
We sp e n t some time with Ariel Medi n a f r o m
Edup a n , P anama, who gave us an overvi e w o f o u r
proj e c t w i t h MEDUCA and how it change d p e o p l e ’ s
l i v es i n P a nama. He told us that the mai n b e n e f i t
C3 M i c r o - Cloud brought to those peopl e w a s t h e
fact t h a t i t enabled access to updated edu c a t i o n a l
cont e n t , r esearch resources, and the ex p e r i e n c e
of h a v i n g local access to things that peo p l e o n l y
find on i n ternet site s. "Teachers across P a n a m a
are w o r k i ng so hard to allow their st u d e n t s t o
have a b e tter education. Some of them w a l k f o r
hour s t o school, travel rural roads where c a r s c a n
onl y g o t o a certain point and follow th e r e s t o f
the p a t h by horse, or even reach the s c h o o l b y
boat . I m a gine how difficult it is for those t e a c h e r s
to ha v e t i m e to prepare their classes, or f i n d w a y s
to m o t i v a te students." said Ariel Medina . " M a n y o f
thes e P a n ama schools have a fluctuating i n t e r n e t
conn e c t i o n, while others don’t even h a v e t h a t
l eve l o f s e rvice. The solution that those s c h o o l s
need e d w a s a simple, fast platform that c o u l d b e
easi l y i n s talled, and to provide an intern e t - b a s e d
l ear n i n g experience even without a s t a b l e , l i v e
conn e c t i o n to the internet.
With C3 Micro-Cloud students and teachers have
now access to digital curriculum, lessons, and
other resources according to their profile. They
can easily connect directly to the C3’ s Wi-Fi from
any smart device and from the LMS, teachers can
go deeper into learning features monitoring
student’ s progress.
This project (with Edupan and Critical Links) is
helping teachers give their students access to
more
interactive
classes
with
richer
content/resources. It also enables students in
remote or rural areas to access high-quality
content and resources that might not be available
otherwise. Teachers had the opportunity to do C3
training, learning how to use the C3 Micro-Cloud
to better share knowledge not only with students
but also with other school colleagues. Students
can now research, create, communicate, and
collaborate in ways that better prepare them for
the world, the workforce, or higher education.
Together with MEDUCA and Edupan,
we are allowing schools and
teachers to improve the educational
process. We also are leading the way
to enable access to global
knowledge and helping to create a
better future to the Panama's
students.
Now t h e y have that," he said. The opt i o n a l C 3
batt e r y g uarantees the operation of the e q u i p m e n t
i tse l f i n p laces witho ut power.
www.critical-links.com
31
TRANSFORMING LEARNING AND
TEACHING IN PUERTO RICO
PROVIDING THE RIGHT TOOLS TO ENABLE THE SUCCESS OF TEACHERS AND
STUDENTS IN RURAL SCHOOLS
She a l s o referred that sometimes they d o o n l i n e
test s w i t h automatically gradable forms , s a v i n g
time f o r o t her classr oom activities.
Teac h e r s are one of the key factors in s t u d e n t s '
succ e s s . They are in a constant searc h f o r n e w
meth o d s a nd mechanisms to make thei r c l a s s e s
more e n g aging and dynamic. It's very imp o r t a n t t o
attr a c t g ood teachers and to provide t h e m t h e
righ t t o o l s that help guarantee their pe r m a n e n c e ,
espe c i a l l y in rural sc hools.
Puerto Rico has a good system of education, and
the overall literacy rate was 98.85% in 2010.
Technology is more widely available at the
country' s higher education institutions but despite
the overall good education system, access to
information technology is fairly limited in most
primary and secondary school districts. This
scenario worsens in rural schools. The increased
participation in classes is a concern for teachers,
who struggle to reduce the dropout rate that, in
rural areas is high.
In 2016 Critical Links and Global Education
Exchange Opportunities (GEEO) established a
partnership and a set of C3 Micro-Cloud
appliances were sent to be installed at their
schools.
We had the opportunity to speak with GEEO' s
Academic Director, Claribel Reyes, who told us
how C3 Micro-Clouds are changing students' and
teachers' lives: "Before using the C3 Micro-Cloud
the internet often did not work. Teachers worked
in their homes to bring material to the classroom
and students could not use technology tools in
the classrooms". "The integration of the C3 MicroCloud in the classroom gives teachers the
opportunity to reduce the time spent on locating
instructional material for their classes, exam
correction, and planning," said Claribel.
www.critical-links.com
Clar i b e l a l so said th at "C3 Micro-Cloud i s a v i a b l e
alte r n a t i v e to int egrate technology i n t h e
clas s r o o m s, to improving communicat i o n a n d
stud e n t s ' managem ent skills. In add i t i o n , i t
cont r i b u t es to improving teachers' and s t u d e n t s '
moti v a t i o n.
As fo r s t u d ents, it has had a positive imp a c t s i n c e
i t p r o v i d es them with a more dynami c w a y o f
l ear n i n g . " Puerto Ric o's future will depe n d o n t h e
way a n d m anner its young students are e d u c a t e d
toda y , a n d the use of technology has the p o w e r t o
i mpr o v e t h eir skills and knowledge. It's i m p o r t a n t
to gi v e s t u dents, m ainly in rural schoo l s , s i m i l a r
educ a t i o n al conditions to those who s t u d y i n
urba n a r e as and prepare them for the re a l i t y t h e y
wil l f a c e i f they proc eed to higher studie s .
Usi ng t e c h nology
way t o achieve
stud e n t s ’ interest,
ski l l s t h e y need to
in classrooms is an e x c e l l e n t
th ose goals and to c a p t u r e
helping them to devel o p a l l t h e
su cceed.
1,072 students already benefitted
from the implementation of C3
Micro-Cloud in GEEO's schools in
Puerto Rico and they took advantage
of internet-based content and
curriculum as key tools for their
learning process.
32
C3 MICRO-CLOUD IS HELPING TO
ACHIEVE EXCELLENCE IN
MEXICO'S SCHOOLS
INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY WITH THE CLASSROOM
Mexi c o i s the mos t populous Spanish - s p e a k i n g
coun t r y i n the wo rld. In some regio n s , m a n y
fami l i e s e arn a com fortable living, but, e s p e c i a l l y
i n so u t h e rn Mexico, many people live in p o v e r t y .
Thi s i n e quality is also felt in the e d u c a t i o n
syst e m : i n rural regions, educational par t i c i p a t i o n
and a t t a i n ment rates are extremely l o w w h e n
comp a r e d with Mexico City. Only 51% o f t h e
stud e n t s have acce ss to internet, most l y i n t h e
cent r a l a n d northern regions of the c o u n t r y ,
wide n i n g the opport unity gap between t h o s e t h a t
have t e c h nology access and those that d o n ' t .
Impr o v i n g Mexico’s education system i s c r i t i c a l
for ad d r e ssing prob lems like high unemp l o y m e n t
rate s a m o ng Mexican youths, who are une m p l o y e d
at t w i c e the rate of the overall wor k i n g - a g e
popu l a t i o n.
In r e c o g n ition of this issue, an educatio n r e f o r m
prog r a m was enacte d in 2018 where, am o n g o t h e r
meas u r e s , an objective was defined to l e v e r a g e
tech n o l o g y in the classroom as a wa y t o g i v e
stud e n t s access to new content and l e a r n i n g
meth o d s .
Cri ti c a l L i nks and Internet Movil, a Me x i c a n I T
comp a n y , establishe d a partnership that m a d e i t
poss i b l e to send 800+ C3 Micro-Cl o u d s t o
Mexi c a n s chools. Some of them were se n t t o w e l l reso u r c e d schools that wanted to imp r o v e t h e i r
educ a t i o n level, as they found it pos s i b l e t o
furt h e r i n crease their levels of ed u c a t i o n a l
exce l l e n c e with the micro-cloud approac h .
One o f t h ose schools is Instituto El Pe d r o g a l , a
Cath o l i c school in Ciudad López Ma t e o s , i n
Mexi c o C i ty State. Although the schoo l a l r e a d y
has a n above-average quality of e d u c a t i o n ,
teac h e r s and administrators recogni z e d t h e
effe c t i v e n e ss
of
ICT
(Informatio n
and
Comm u n i cation Tec hnologies) in scho o l s , a n d
bel i ev e t hat integrating technology i n t h e
clas s r o o m increases students' motivat i o n a n d
rete n t i o n , helping th em to achieve exc e l l e n c e i n
educ a t i o n .
33
Gabriela Barcena Muñoz is one of the Instituto El
Pedrogal teachers who understands the role of
ICT as a powerful tool to be used in the
renovation of teaching methods, "As a teacher, the
C3 Micro-Cloud helped me a lot and enabled the
students to learn more, with better results. We
use C3’ s capability and speed to share valuable
information among ourselves. Students use their
mobile devices to access the information and we
noticed that they retain more and better
understand the content taught." Gabriela Muñoz
also mentioned that "The C3 Micro-Cloud is a very
user-friendly appliance that helped my students to
have a better and more meaningful learning
experience."
Many books used in Mexican schools have not
been updated for more than a decade. With C3
Cloud Control (a cloud-based portal for the
creation, selection, curation, and distribution of
content) students can learn now using the most
current and appealing content, such as videos, ebooks, and learning games.
Another student also mentioned that "With C3,
science classes are more fun and it is easier to
share information with my colleagues when we
are doing assignments."
At Critical Links, we believe that is possible to
encourage new and better forms of learning and
reasoning, in this case taking the Mexican
Educational System to the next level and having a
huge impact on the students' futures!
www.critical-links.com
ENABLING QUALITY EDUCATION
THROUGH TECHNOLOGY IN KENYA
C3 MICRO-CLOUDS ARE BEING USED TO REVOLUTIONIZE KENYA'S EDUCATION
SECTOR
As a p a r t of this initiative, a number of s c h o o l s i n
Keny a h a ve received smart devices, sup p o r t e d b y
C3 M i c r o - Clouds, that allow students t o b e n e f i t
from a 2 1 st-century education.
St. A l o y s i us Gonzaga Secondary School i s a m i x e d
scho o l , l o cated in Nairobi. The C3 Mi c r o - C l o u d
has a l r e a d y improved education quality f o r i t s 1 1 0
stud e n t s . For these students, lessons a r e n o t
base d o n outdated t extbooks anymore - b o o k s a r e
onl y o n e of many possible resources for s t u d e n t s
now, c o m plemented by video, podcast s , g a m e s ,
webs i t e s , etc.
The Republic of Kenya is the 29th most populous
country in the world with 50.2 million people.
The country’ s economy is the largest in eastern
and central Africa with Nairobi (its capital and
largest city) serving as a major regional
commercial hub.
Recognizing education as the primary means of
sustainable economic and social development, the
Government of Kenya has, in recent years,
implemented programs resulting in the rapid
expansion of the education sector.
The main goal of the ministry of education is to
provide the best quality of education, with
particular emphasis on science, innovation, and
technology. For that reason, new measures and
initiatives were needed.
Aware of the fact that technology is indeed a
powerful tool that can transform education in
many ways, Kenya' s government has also made
remarkable progress putting in place a technology
implementation strategy in schools.
The project introduces the use of technology in
the classroom to ensure students can exercise
their right to quality education and provide them
the opportunity to develop the skills, knowledge,
and confidence they will need in the future.
34
“The C 3 M icro-Cloud has been a very h e l p f u l a n d
admi r a b l e tool here at St. Aloysius G o n z a g a
Scho o l , s t ated one t eacher. The caching a n d h i g h
band w i d t h provided by C3 Micro-Cloud ha v e m a d e
me a d m i r e the proje ct." He also comme n t e d t h a t
stud e n t s are more engaged and better un d e r s t a n d
the c o n t ent taugh t. "Technology fost e r e d a n
i ncr e a s e in quality of student's think i n g a n d
wri ti n g a nd in the ability to solve a c o m p l e x
prob l e m . With e-books, videos, and l e a r n i n g
game s l e a rning has become fun and the y a r e a l l
very m o t i vated".
Anot h e r t e acher highlighted, "Students c a n l e a r n
now a t t h eir own sp eed, go back to less o n s a n d
get o n l i n e instructions to support the l e a r n i n g
proc e s s " .
The i m p o rtance o f using technolog y i n t h e
clas s r o o m is also recognized by stud e n t s . O n e
stud e n t s tates, "Now I love attending to s c h o o l . I t
i s e a s i e r for me to retain informat i o n a n d
cons e q u e n tly, I have better grades now a n d I ' m
exci t e d f o r what the future holds".
The a c c e s s to technology, and the C 3 M i c r o Clou d h a s immensely changed the way t e a c h e r s
teac h i n Kenya. Classroom walls are no l o n g e r a
barr i e r t o a technology-based future and t e a c h e r s
beco m e mentors while students are tak i n g m o r e
resp o n s i b ility for their learning.
www.critical-links.com
ENSURING LEARNING CONTINUITY
IN PARAGUAY
PREPARING SCHOOLS FOR A NEW LEARNING REALITY
In th i s d i f ficult time for education, Criti c a l L i n k s
has m a d e available a C3 Micro-Cloud p l a t f o r m ,
givi n g t e a c hers and students no-charge a c c e s s t o
a cu r a t e d set of educational content and a c t i v i t i e s
enab l i n g students to keep on track with a c u r a t e d
curr i c u l u m appropriate for K-12 age leve l s , e v e n i f
they c a n n ot attend school.
In o r d e r to enable all students to ac c e s s t h i s
clou d - r e s i d ent C3 en vironment, some Mi n i s t r i e s o f
Educ a t i o n around the globe are working t o g e t h e r
with
t h eir
local
telecommunicatio n s
and
tech n o l o g y provider s to allow free acces s t o t h e
doma i n w hich host s this central C3 i n s t a n c e ,
ensu r i n g that even those who do not hav e i n t e r n e t
acce s s a t home can access the learning c o n t e n t .
Para g u a y was one of the countries affec t e d b y t h e
l ear n i n g c r isis.
35
The country has always struggled searching for a
well-developed
education
system.
In
2017
Paraguay benefitted from an educational reform,
integrating the use of technology to ensure that
all students have the opportunity to maximize
their potential. In that year, 962 Paraguayan
schools
received
the
C3
Micro-Cloud,
transforming over half-million students’ lives.
The Paraguayan government was concerned with
keeping the continuity of the learning process,
through the C3 instance, maintaining world-class
educational
materials
available,
avoiding
interruptions
in
their
students’
education.
However, like many other countries,
Paraguay faced some issues: the cost of Internet
access was high and 92% of the students enrolled
in the public sector didn’ t have Internet access at
home.
www.critical-links.com
To overcome this, the Ministry of Education and
Internet service providers – Claro, Copaco,
Personal, Tigo, and Vox – gave free access to the
domain which hosts the central C3 instance,
ensuring that. while remote, all students use the
same learning resources that were used in the
classrooms prior to the shutdown.
Thi s s t y l e of instruc tion creates an idea l l e a r n i n g
expe r i e n c e: students are able to m a i n t a i n a
conn e c t i o n with their teachers and c o l l e a g u e s .
When t h ey are lea rning remotely – o r i f t h e i r
scho o l s need to close again. they a r e l e s s
i mpa c t e d as they continue to use t h e s a m e
l ear n i n g materials they use in the classr o o m .
That brings continuity of learning throughout a
very difficult time.
Paraguay is a great example of how a school
system can adapt to a wide range of external
conditions
while
giving
students
the
opportunity
to
learn
in
a
changing
environment and develop a strong sense of
security, stability, and confidence in the
learning process.
At the moment, schools are reopening again, and
Paraguay opted for the HybridEducation Model,
providing students a consistent educational
experience whose quality is not compromised.
Approximately half of a class is in person at
school, while the other half join the class virtually
from home.
Educators teach remote and in-person students at
the same time as they see access, and use the
same technology tools. This approach ensures
that all students (those who are remote and those
who are in person) attend exactly the same lesson
at the same time, using the same learning
resources. Students can be in school one day, are
home the next, on a rotational basis, and see/use
the same learning process. If the schools shut
down for a number of weeks due to quarantine or
other issues, the learning interface remains
constant.
The C3 Micro-Cloud is being used as a
primary solution to ensure the continuity of
quality education in thousands of schools
around the world, enabling millions of
students to enjoy the benefits of a hybrid
education.
TRY ONLINE
.
36
www.critical-links.com
The C3 Micro Cloud is a finalist in the “Cool Tool” as well as the
“Trendsetter” categories for the second consecutive year at the
prestigious 2021 Edtech Awards.
The EdTech Awards is the largest and most competitive award program in the field of education
technology throughout the world and features the best implementations of technology in the sector
by shining a spotlight on cool tools, inspiring leaders, and innovative trendsetters across various
educational sectors. Products and people are recognized for outstanding contributions in
transforming education through technology to enrich the lives of learners everywhere.
www.critical-links.com
www.critical-links.com
What is the price to give your students the opportunity for a better future?
CONNECTING STUDENTS TO KNOWLEDGE
Find out more and visit www.critical-links.com
or contact us at info@critical-links.com
© 2021 Critical Links. All rights reserved.
Critical Links, C3, C3 Cloud, C3 Micro-Cloud branding and logos and all Critical Links taglines
and product logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Critical Links in the U.S. and/or
other countries. All third-party product and company names are for identification purposes only
and may be trademarks of their respective owners. Information herein is for informational
purposes only, no warranties implied.