IBM’s KidSmart Application Deadline: July 8, 2010
With IBM’s 2010 KidSmart PCs application deadline approaching on July 8th, 2010 for primary schools in Dublin city & county, IDK asked one school in Cork, how their pupils like the PC unit.
Pupils at St Columba’s GNS with facility for deaf children in Douglas, Cork have used the school’s KidSmart PC unit since September 2009. It is located in the junior school and is available to kids from junior infants to first class.
Once a school qualifies for and receives the KidSmart PC unit, it is their choice as what they do with it, and how they use it. They can stick to the preinstalled software, or make their own changes. This school opted for additional software and connected their KidSmart unit to the internet.
Apart from the educational benefits of the KidSmart unit, Colleen Forsythe, ICT Coordinator for the school, talks about how much the kids enjoy using the PC unit. She says, “it is great for them to have some time out”.
When asked if she would recommend other schools to apply for a KidSmart unit, she said the school would definitely recommend them as they have seen the benefits to pupils. She says it is great to have and the best thing is that they are totally free. She added, “you would be a fool not to take it”.
July 8th is IBM’s 2010 deadline for primary schools in Dublin city/county to apply for KidSmart PCs. For more information contact Deirdre Kennedy, kennedyd<at>ie.ibm.com
(compiled by Miriam Walsh)
Further Reading:
KidSmart Case Studies (pdf file)