The "A scuola con JumPC" project encourage the usage of a portable pc into primary school teaching programs. Project in collaboration with Intel Corporation Italia and Olidata
The A scuola con JumPC project was developed through a joint effort by Intel Corporation Italia, Olidata, and Fondazione Mondo Digitale.
This activity was begun in five primary schools in Lazio, Piemonte, and Sicily with the objective of supporting and amplifying didactics in Italian schools through the introduction of new technologies capable of enriching teaching and training new generations in the conscious and profitable use of informatics.
At the start of the 2008-2009 school year, the Cardinal Massaia and Fratelli Cervi primary schools in Rome and the Don Milani in Rivoli (Torino), Giotto in Palermo, and Giovanni Pascoli in Novi Ligure (Alessandria) primary schools received the technology, assistance and training necessary to begin the experimentation of the project from Intel and Olidata. Around 150 students and 15 teachers were involved in the project.
“A scuola with JumPc” consisted in introducing the JumPc – a special laptop designed for children aged 6 to 12 – into primary school teaching programs after first training the teachers in the use of digital educational content.
This innovative laptop developed by Olidata was derived from the concept of the Classmate developed by Intel. JumPC is distinguished by its marked potential for use in educational activities and permits even the youngest to acquire computer literacy on a portable pc built with adequate light weight, sturdiness, and safety. The technological characteristics and the applications installed in the JumPC enable authentic and practical dialogue between students and teachers to exchange multimedia content and to do and to check tests and homework.
The five schools involved tested the JumPC in different situations for a complete assessment of its versatility and educational potential. In particular, the schools in Piemonte and Palermo applied it to the teaching of the Italian language, geography, mathematics and science. The Cardinal Massaia primary school in Rome used the JumPC laptop for the teaching of English and tested it in various activities (interactive cd-rom, educational games, check-up tests, etc.). The Fratelli Cervi primary school tested the JumPC laptop in the learning of four subjects: history, geography, Italian, and mathematics.
The experimentation phase showed that in addition to producing benefits of technical and training nature, the use of the JumPc awoke enthusiasm in all the children beyond every expectation. The teachers were equally appreciative, and quickly learned to use the new teaching tool efficiently.
FMD performed two case studies at the Cardinal Massaia and Fratelli Cervi primary schools in Rome.
Intel’s Classmate program responsible for the Italian personalization JumPC is an international activity to promote the adoption of this technology for educational purposes. Initially conceived to promote computer literacy in developing nations (and reduce the “digital divide”), the Intel program then came to be adopted also in Europe and the United States, where the Classmate PC finds wide application in elementary schools.