Male Student hacks TIS Project Tablet as Distribution Expands - Tablets Problems require Creative Jamaican solutions to deliver Lessons to the Learners We Teach

“From last September, you were told that we were getting Tablets, and this September has come and gone.... they are here ...... We know everybody will leave here with their Tablets today.....that is a promise from the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining and the Ministry of Education. As a pilot school, we welcome it”

Principal at Irwin High School, Aldin Bellinfantie on receiving Tablets under the TIS (Tablets in Schools) Pilot Project from Telecom Provider Digicel on Wednesday October 22^nd 2014

Since the launch of the TIS (Tablets in Schools) Pilot Project in September 2014 as chronicled in my blog article entitled “Tablet In Schools Project launched for September 2014 – How Teachers Benefit as Female interest in ICT Industry Blossoms”, the rollout has been slow and steady.

The latest recipient recorded in the media thus far has been Irwin High School in St James, who receded JA$59 million worth of Tablet computers from representatives from Telecom Provider Digicel on Wednesday October 22^nd 2014 as stated in “Irwin High Gets Promised Tablets”, published Thursday October 23, 2014, by Christopher Thomas, Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner.

TIS (Tablets in Schools) Pilot Project Expands - Tablet Rollout Roll-Call across the island

Clan Carthy Primary got thirty (30) Tablets under the TIS Project in late July 2014, much to the delight of Principal of Clan Carthy Primary Sheldon Richards as stated in “Clan Carthy Primary gets Tablet computers”, published Wednesday, July 30, 2014, The Jamaica Observer.

Haile Selassie High School in Kingston had also gotten their Tablets as well as part of the TIS Project as stated in “Tablets To Boost Learning At Haile Selassie High”, Published Wednesday October 1, 2014, by Jodi-Ann Gilpin, Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Principal of the school, Lorenzo Ellis, had the Tablets distributed to students on Wednesday October 1^st 2014. This even as the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Portia Simpson-miller, warned the students against posting on Social Media Websites, particularly YouTube, as the Tablets are purely for learning as noted in the article “Tablets Not For Posting on Youtube – PM”, published September 29, 2014 By Alecia Smith-Edwards, The Jamaica Information Service.

They join Cavaliers All-age School in West Rural St Andrew who received their Tablets on Wednesday September 17^th 2014 as stated in the article “Cavaliers All-Age students get Tablet computers”, published Friday, September 19, 2014, The Jamaica Observer.

Steer Town and Parry Town Primary in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, got their Tablets bright and early on Monday September 1st 2014 as reported in the article “Steer Town Academy, Parry Town Primary To Get Tablets”, published Monday September 1, 2014 by Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Salt Savannah Primary and Infant School in Clarendon, who also got their Tablet in September, are already reporting very enthusiastic learning among the children as noted in “Tablets arouse students' interest at Salt Savannah Primary”, published Friday, October 10, 2014, The Jamaica Observer. In fact, the teachers claim that the children are so enthused by the Tablets that they engage in playing educational Games even during Break and lunch periods.

The Teacher Colleges also have been getting the Tablets for Training and use in the Classrooms, specifically Sam Sharpe Teachers' College as reported in the article “Sam Sharpe Teachers' College Gets 250 Digital Tablets”, Published Saturday October 18, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner.

No mention anywhere about the MICO University College, but I’m still hopeful!

Most likely they’ll eventually be a part of the initial 25,000 to 30,000 Tablets to be distributed in the first phased of the TIS Project as mentioned by Minister of Science, Technology, energy and mining, Phillip Paulwell during an Awards Ceremony on Wednesday August 27^th 2014 as stated in the article “Tablets issued to 1200 Secondary school teachers -- Paulwell”, published Wednesday, August 27, 2014 7:26 PM, The Jamaica Observer.

Tablets in the Hands of Kids - Security concerns about as some students not using them for education

Many will now be rightly concerned about the future of the TIS Project, now that an unnamed male student at a High School has officially cracked the software on the Tablets that block their access to non-educational material i.e. Pornographic material as stated in the article “Schoolboy Beats Software To Access Inappropriate Website On Gov't-Issued Tablet”, Published Wednesday October 29, 2014, The Jamaica Gleaner

Not sure if the male student managed to override the GPS Tracking System installed on the Tablets by GeoTechVision Enterprises Limited as stated in the article “TEENAGE Tracking the TABLETS”, published Tuesday, September 30, 2014 By Kesi Asher, The Jamaica Observer.

My blog article entitled “State Minister Julian Robinson hopes Tablets boost Innovation in ICT - How TIS Project Tablets are secured using GPS and IMEI Labeling”, explains in greater details how their GPS Tracking system works.

That would have serious implications.

Especially if that knowledge leaked to the Tablet and smartphone Thieves in the New Kingston area as explained in my blog article entitled “How smartphones are stolen and IMEI changed – Uninformed Jamaican Police Tracking Jamaicans even as GOJ ID Registration by Telecom Providers needed”.

TIS Project on the Move - Digicel at the forefront of Tablet in Schools long before TIS Project

Telecom Provider Digicel is one of the four (4) contractors that have been contracted to supply Tablets as well as the CMS (Content Management System) and DMS (Device Management Solutions) under this JA$1.4 billion initiative to get computers into the hands of students who can't afford them as noted in my blog article entitled “Ministry of Science and Technology signs four Contractors in March 2014 to procure Tablets - Test Pilot Project in September 2014 means Teachers can monetize e-books”.

Telecom Provider Digicel is scoring a lot of PR (Public Relations) mileage out of this, as they're basically endearing themselves to the Jamaican public via this very public donation to education.

This was indeed the sentiment expressed by Digicel Deployment officer, Rohan Williams as Irwin High School in St James got their kickstart into the 21^st Century with these Tablets, quote: “We have always strived to be part of new innovations and we have always tried at all times to be part of the upward growth of our nation in whatever way we can assist.... and as such, we are very happy to be a part of this e-learning project, as we see it as another opportunity to offer aid to our nation as we strive toward Vision 2030”.

Telecom Provider Digicel  was already giving Tablets to Schools, mainly Primary Schools in East Kingston and Port Royal as far back as April 2013, long before they got officially drafted into the TIS Project  as noted in my blog article entitled “LIME and Digicel both make Donations of Tablets to Preparatory and Primary Schools - How Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark started a Love for Computer Programming Languages in Jamaica”.

Telecom Provider Digicel  followed up with partnerships with CSTS (Cyber School Technology Solutions) in a program to package eight hundred (800) Tablets with CSEC (Common Secondary Education Curriculum) Tutorial Material for schools our West such as Hampton High in Malvern, St. Elizabeth as recorded in my blog article entitled “Digicel partners with Cyber School Technology Solutions to provide 800 Tablets with CSEC Tutorial - Corporate Spirit spreading to help Schools get Tablets”.

So for them, this is just a continuation of the same process, to again quote Digicel deployment officer, Rohan Williams: Williams continued: “As we distribute these Tablets to the Irwin High School, it is our desire that the students will use these Tablets in the best way they can and to aid in the teaching-learning process”.

Tablets Problems require Creative Jamaican solutions - delivering the Lessons to the Learners we Teach

The Tablets are part of a yearlong Test Pilot to introduce Interactive Learning in the classroom by empowering students with Tablet Computers in order to their work and reduce the need for books as predicted in my blog article entitled “Ministry of Education Select Content for Jamaican TIS Project - How Tablets will Empower Interactive Learning and make Students Aim High”. 

Hopefully too, it'll boost innovation among females as I’ve predicted in my blog article entitled “Tablet In Schools Project launched for September 2014 – How Teachers Benefit as Female interest in ICT Industry Blossoms”.

This is a learning opportunity for Jamaica as we dance our education system into the 21^st Century. As the Tablets are deployed and these problems arise, creative Jamaican solutions will be found to the problems that these Technological products present in delivering the Lessons to the Learners we Teach.