{"id":117729,"date":"2020-09-08T14:39:04","date_gmt":"2020-09-08T14:39:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.microsoft.com\/?p=438960"},"modified":"2020-09-08T14:39:04","modified_gmt":"2020-09-08T14:39:04","slug":"new-life-for-old-computers-helps-students-in-need-learn-from-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2020\/09\/08\/new-life-for-old-computers-helps-students-in-need-learn-from-home\/","title":{"rendered":"New life for old computers helps students in need learn from home"},"content":{"rendered":"

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many school students around the world to embrace remote learning. But not all have computers at home.<\/p>\n

Now a group of companies and non-profits in Hong Kong are taking part in a global program<\/a> by Microsoft that breathes new life into old office PCs and distributes them to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cI live in a village in Sha Tin, and my family\u2019s income is limited,\u201d says Wu Jiahui, a Secondary 5 (Year 11) student at Toi Shan Association College. \u201cWe don\u2019t have the ability to purchase computers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead, Jiahui has had to rely on her smartphone to study. \u201cBut the speed is slower, and the software is not sufficient,\u201d she says. \u201cBecause of the small screen, it\u2019s hard to read, and the long-term use of my mobile phone caused shoulder pain and dry eye syndrome.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Without a proper device, students can\u2019t learn efficiently. The quality of their work and their health can be seriously affected.  <\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u2013 Albert Wong, Association of IT Leaders in Education<\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Before the COVID-19 lockdowns, Jiahui would finish her homework in her school\u2019s computer room at the end of each day\u2019s lessons. \u201cBut I couldn\u2019t make any revisions to my homework at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barriers to learning<\/strong><\/p>\n

Albert Wong, chairman of the Association of IT Leaders in Education (AiTLE), says students without a computer at home usually end up using their smartphones. \u201cBut mobile devices are made for communication, not for learning,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome learning websites have layouts that are not optimal for mobile devices, making it difficult for students to watch video lessons or view slides. Formatting text and visuals for school projects on a smartphone can also be arduous. Not having their own computers hinders students\u2019 creativity and makes learning time-consuming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Crossroads Foundation volunteer Joanne de la Zilwa helps unload donated devices.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wong says computers have become essential for learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. \u201cWith school suspensions lasting for months due to the pandemic, online learning activities, such as webinars and virtual projects, are necessary,\u201d he says. \u201cWithout proper devices, students can\u2019t learn efficiently. The quality of their work and their health can be seriously affected.\u201d<\/p>\n

A recent survey<\/a> of almost 600 students in the territory found that over 70% either don\u2019t have computers or have outdated machines, while 51% don\u2019t have a desk for studying. Moreover, 83% of students said these hurdles made them worry about falling behind their peers.<\/p>\n

Empowering students in need<\/strong><\/p>\n

Recognizing this challenge, Microsoft has partnered with corporate groups, computer refurbishers, and education associations to provide computers \u2013 once used in offices \u2013 to students in need.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot every family is in a financial position to provide their children with a computer. Remote learning makes this situation especially hard,\u201d says Ada Ng, Microsoft Hong Kong\u2019s director of corporate affairs and philanthropies. \u201cDonating refurbished hardware is a great way to make a positive impact on a student\u2019s day-to-day life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Volunteers at the non-profit Crossroads Foundation overhaul donated PCs under Microsoft\u2019s Refurbisher Program<\/a> \u2014 through which authorized refurbishers across the globe collect secondhand devices, fix them up, and preinstall genuine Microsoft software.<\/p>\n

In one recent two-month effort, more than 1,000 used desktops and laptops machines were serviced and refitted, and then sent out to needy students.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many school students around the world to embrace remote learning. But not all have computers at home. Now a group of companies and non-profits in Hong Kong are taking part in a global program by Microsoft that breathes new life into old office PCs and distributes them to students from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":117730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[96,50],"class_list":["post-117729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-microsoft-news","tag-education","tag-recent-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117729"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117729\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}