Intel Chairman Dr. Craig Barrett experienced Dubai’s ICT transformation in the education sector first hand today on a tour of Al Mawakeb School in Al Barsha.
Visiting the region to mark the first anniversary of Intel’s Digital Transformation Initiative in the Middle East, Dr. Barrett toured Al Mawakeb’s Document Centre and joined students in its N4B classroom, facilities which use advanced IT and wireless technology to improve student teacher interaction and academic performance.
Dr. Barrett was welcomed by a party of school students before being received by Nabil Nasr, President of Al Mawakeb School, and Adonis Nasr, CEO of the school’s parent company Academia Management Solutions International (AMSI).
Al Mawakeb is the first school in the UAE to embrace wireless and mobile computer technology as a genuine replacement for hard-copy teaching materials through its ‘Notebooks for Books’ campaign.
AMSI CEO Adonis Nasr said: “It is a privilege to welcome Dr. Craig Barrett back to Dubai and to introduce him to our students, teachers and school facilities. Intel’s endorsement of AMSI’s investment in digital transformation technology is a great incentive to the whole team, and a reflection of our commitment to deliver the best of next-generation education technology to our students.”
Samir Al-Schamma, Intel General Manager GCC, said: “Education is key to the economic future of the UAE and the region, and to the welfare of our young people.”
He said: “The efforts of Al Mawakeb and AMSI to integrate ICT fully into student teaching are a valuable example for the education community to follow, and an exciting glimpse of what can be achieved with the right commitment.”
Al Mawakeb School’s N4B classroom for 600 grade students uses laptop computers instead of exercise books and an interactive white board instead of a traditional blackboard.
Course materials can be instantly downloaded, and student attendance can even be tracked digitally. The school’s Document Centre allows on-demand printing and customisation of course books, ensuring all teaching materials are up-to-date.
Nasr added: “AMSI and Al Mawakeb began the ‘Notebooks for Books’ initiative at the end of 2003, and Intel has been a valuable partner. The success of our campaign shows the importance of digital transformation to the education sector and its untapped potential.”
