The Veritas Parochial School (VPS) in Parañaque City may be small in terms of student numbers, but their passion to provide high quality education and improve the educational system can match that of the larger and more prestigious schools in Metro Manila. It has partnered with Acer Philippines, the Philippine office of the global IT giant, under the Acer Academy, a membership program for schools that offers benefits for its partners. The program utilizes the latest and most ingenious hardware and software solutions to upgrade the knowledge and skills of school administrators, teachers, and students alike. VPS’ classes are held for children from kindergarten to grade 9 on several floors of a building near a church.
Acer Academy is aligned with Acer Philippines’ vision to make IT solutions and their benefits accessible to all, regardless of social status, class, or economic background. Acer Philippines’ education programs are all designed to equip young people, from children to college-age level students, to wield technology to pave the way for a better society for the next generations.
“We are here to provide the tools to help these students to learn,” Acer Philippines General Manager Mr. Manuel Wong says. “We have to empower the students and teachers by providing these tools, but we still need to develop their minds and nurture their hearts in order for them to really learn beyond the lessons presented to them.”
VPS’ Digital Learning Program (DLP) starts with children in Grades 7, 8, and 9. This program aims to produce graduates who are highly skilled, inventive and ethical users of information and communications technology. These students are provided their own laptops in class in order to maximize their full potential.
“We have been planning our digital education program for the past five years, but only in December last year were we able to put everything together,” school principal Melissa Espiritu shares about the early stages of their program. “A sales agent from Vibal presented us with a product package that includes their interactive textbooks, V-Smart learning management app, and the Acer Chromebook. We knew right then it was time to launch the DLP.”
Vibal is an authorized reseller of Acer devices for the education sector. It is also an official Chromebooks for Education software reseller in the Philippines. As a proponent of digital literacy and mobile education, the company forms partnerships with global brands such as Acer and Google to deliver complete end-to-end solutions to the growing list of schools embracing educational technology.
Students and teachers use Acer Chromebooks as their main tool in discussing their lessons and in interactions with each other. The Acer Chromebook is a fast and portable computer-friendly and cost-effective device, suited for the school’s DLP. With access to the internet, all class participants can get all the information needed for their lessons from the web.
Students these days are considered as “digital natives” who are more adept and quick in learning how to use modern technology. However, the lack of training has caused them not to use the web wisely, or at least maximize its use for their needs. Acer, Vibal and VPS all seek to address this gap through proper, constant education.
Any private or public educational institution based in the Philippines is qualified to join the Acer Academy. All they have to do is to simply go to the Acer Academy website and apply for membership, or contact the Acer Philippines office at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.
Visit the Acer Philippines Facebook page or follow Acer via Twitter. For more details or go to www.acer.com.ph.
