How to avail discounted laptop for teachers?

he Department of Education recently signed an agreement with software provider Microsoft and is set to sign an agreement with hardware manufacturers ACER and Neo to provide affordable laptops for public school teachers that may be paid in interest-free monthly installments.

These laptops contain lesson plans and interactive teaching guides that can be used to make classroom instruction more interesting and effective. DepEd will also load these computers with a substantial number of educational applications to further enhance the delivery of quality instruction.

To avail of the project, public school teachers have to pass the online examination administered by IC3, an independent certification body. Interested public school teachers may log on to the Certiport website (www.certiport.com).

DepEd has ongoing talks with other hardware vendors and manufacturers on the possibility of these companies' participation in what is dubbed as the Laptop for Teachers Program (LT4T), which covers both hardware delivery and improvement of classroom instruction.

Meanwhile, Adopt-a-School Executive Director Mari Paul Soriano clarified that the Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Version is bundled with the hardware and not sold at $7 per unit as earlier reported. He explained that Microsoft will contribute $7 to DepEd's Adopt-a-School Program for every laptop bought by public school teachers.

"Microsoft's participation, together with Acer and Neo, is a major step for both private sector participation and DepEd's ICT Program," Lapus said. "We look forward to working with other members of the ICT community to help us enhance teaching and learning in our public schools, particularly through their support of Adopt-A-School."

The Adopt-A-School Program encourages private sector groups to work with DepEd in improving the basic education system. Corporations and individuals can help boost teacher training programs, donate school buildings, computer laboratories and textbooks, or sponsor medical and dental missions to public schools.

"We support the DepEd's vision of developing skilled and competitive students who will one day be our business and community leaders," said Michelle Casio, Academic Programs Manager, Microsoft Philippines.

"Through Partners in Learning, our global initiative for education, we are partnering with DepEd's Adopt-a-School and Laptop for Teachers programs, to enable Filipino educators to have the access to resources that will help them transform the teaching process and learning experience. At the end of the day, we would like to see Filipinos who are capable of actively participating and contributing to the global market," said Casio.

----------------------------