KidSmart

“KidSmart” is an integrated kindergarten ICT project aimed at the digital socialization of children at an early age, through a playful discovery of computer culture. Between 2002 and 2003, IBM donated 30 PCs developed for use in kindergartens. In the course of 2003, our ministry provides about 500 kindergartens located in disadvantaged areas with IT devices. The monitoring of the program is continuously carried out through ability tests and adopted questionnaires used in the British KidSmart Project. A significant development of skills, especially for low ability, socially disadvantaged children were observed. Even less competent youngsters have a holistic concept of the PC. For them, it not only serves as a tool for play, but also as a multifunctional, problem-solving medium.

IBM planned and started KidSmart kindergarten learning program in cooperation with pedagogical experts in 1998. In 2001 Cambridge University proved that the concentration skills of children and the quality level of teaching and learning improved by the effect of new applications. For the wide-range spread of advantages of the program IBM created the KidSmart early learning web page, in cooperation with well-educated teachers. It contains a chapter for parents teaching them how to encourage children to learn at home and one for teachers indicating how to use technology to develop teaching in educational institutions. The web page is accessible from early 2004 in Hungarian language.

Information society starts in the kindergarten – this is the slogan of the KidSmart program, which is one of the biggest charity initiatives of IBM started and operated in cooperation with the Ministry of Informatics and Communication and the Ministry of Education. In the scope of KidSmart IBM donated secure, coloured, shockproof computers suitable for children and provides applications of Hungarian language that develop skills.

In the first phase of the program (2003) IBM presented the provincial kindergartens with 30 computers, next year further 120 computers will be given to other kindergartens. IBM offered PCs of type NetVista A30p with LCD monitors, mini mouse, which are adjusted to the hand size of little children. In addition every kindergarten receives a coloured, ink-jet printer too, in order to let the children take home their favourite characters, drawings or successfully solved exercises. The multimedia software, which is to be found on the computer, runs on a Windows platform (Win95/98, XP, Win2000).

Pedagogical experts estimate results and the development of children. The primary goal of the program is to teach the basic skills and definitions of informatics to those children, who do not have a computer at home. With the help of the software made for children between 3 and 7 years they can get acquainted with the computer in a playful way.

The Ministry of Informatics and Communication gives IBM a helping hand in the distribution of the equipment and in forwarding them to the target audience. The aim of the Ministry is to reduce the information gap between children living in different living conditions. The Ministry undertook the continuation and enlargement of KidSmart in the scope of the Teréz Brunswick program. 300 million HUF is available from the budget for obtaining workstations.

Source:
http://www.ihm.gov.hu, http://www.terminal.hu/newsread.php?id=19204412022302
http://www.index.hu/tech/ihirek/?main:2003.05.21&132404
http://www.hwsw.hu/hir.php3?id=21261