Above: Standard Four Student Jared Barron demonstrates the ARROW Learning programme while some of his classmates and Ashley Broadbelt – Coordinator of ARROW Foundation and Anjanie Ramesar–Soom, Manager, Corporate and Community Affairs, TSTT look on. Photo courtesy bmobile.
bmobile donated 20 refurbished desktop computers to ARROW (Aural, Read, Respond, Oral, Write) Foundation last month.
Equipped with ARROW’s special learning software, the computers were installed at the Couva South Government Primary School in an effort to elevate students’ literacy through technology.
“By presenting ARROW with these computers, we are ensuring that kids learn through technology and are provided with newer and more collective ways of educating themselves,” said Marsha Caballero, VP, Corporate Communications, TSTT.
“As a leading communications provider, our aim is to keep abreast of the learning technologies and we are continuously seeking innovative ways of grooming Trinidad and Tobago’s future leaders. Through the use of these computers and ARROW’s software, these students are bound to improve the literacy and better prepare themselves for success.”
Students of the Couva South Primary School however, were previously introduced to the ARROW Literacy Programme in 2017 and are now in Phase Two. At this stage, teachers are being trained to load and operate the programme for its use over a three-year period.
At the Couva-based institution, three Standard Four students – Annalee Ramcharitar, T’shawn Seales and Jared Barran – displayed their literacy skills through the use of the unique software. Having read and spelt for the programme while it interactively responded, the kids were all smiles and listened attentively.
“I like that it reads and spells along with us. It makes learning a lot more fun. Using the computer to learn is much cooler than just sitting in class all the time,” said Barran.
“The ARROW programme has helped me to improve on my Language Arts and Creative Writing skills. And we’re happy to have more computers with the programme to help us in our school work,” added Seales.
“Couva South Government School was the first primary school that was fortunate enough to have a pilot project done,” said Vidyawatee Lalla-Ramsammy, Principal of Couva South.
“Last year, the kids had to bring in their laptops but this time around, thankfully, bmobile presented ARROW with desktops, who installed the programme and brought it to the school.”
“It’s a great benefit and a programme that any school will welcome because it boosts the student’s self-esteem by learning through technology. It’s a different way of teaching and learning and the children enjoy it,” stated the head administrator.
“ARROW finds out where the weaknesses lie and allocates exercises only for those areas in the English language,” said Chris Bonterre, an ARROW director.
“It’s individualised and it’s a system that is moving away from the traditional chalk and talk methods and textbooks. If a child can read, spell, focus and is full of self esteem, 11-year olds can enter secondary schools confidently.”
“We have an issue here with literacy and it needs to be addressed early. Students who learn the basics of reading early are quite often able to function later on life in any field. We’re not simply helping children to read and spell, we’re nation building.”
bmobile-sponsored computers will also be presented to the Icacos and Mayaro Government Primary Schools, while the remainder will be installed at ARROW’s headquarters in Port-of-Spain where additional classes will be conducted during the week and on Saturdays.
