PLDT and Smart are helping teachers make classrooms more inclusive — especially for students with disabilities. Together with Adaptive Technology for Rehabilitation, Integration, and Empowerment of the Visually Impaired (ATRIEV), the PLDT Group trained special needs education (SNED) teachers at Rosario Ocampo Elementary School in Taytay, Rizal to explore how AI powered solutions can make teaching and learning more accessible.
“PLDT and Smart believe in the power of technology to expand learning strategies for teachers who handle students with unique needs,” said Stephanie V. Orlino, AVP and Head of Stakeholder Engagement at PLDT and Smart. “The ‘AI in a Box’ program equips teachers with practical AI skills so they can offer a more dynamic learning experience for their students.”
The workshop opened with an AI-powered tool that most teachers are familiar with – ChatGPT. ChatGPT is an AI chatbot that assists with writing, translating, and researching. Teachers learned how to craft effective prompts to generate accurate responses and produce files in formats they need.
One of the applications that excited teachers was Photomath, a math-learning app that allows users to scan equations and receive guided, step-by-step solutions, which support better comprehension and independent study.
“I appreciated learning about Photomath the most,” said Emar Silayan, a Grade 4 SNED teacher. “I have a student with a learning disability who happens to like Math. Using this app, I can guide him through math problems and show the solution that was used to arrive at the correct answer.”
AI in a Box also introduced teachers to tools that can benefit students with physical disabilities. One of these is ‘Seeing AI’, a mobile app that “speaks” the world around the user by describing people, objects, text, and even emotions using a smartphone camera.
SNED teachers at Rosario Ocampo Elementary School try their hands at AI-powered tools to make classrooms more inclusive and responsive to needs of students with disabilities.
Tools like Live Transcribe (speech-to-text) and Speech Assistant AAC (text-to-speech) also opened new ways to communicate with students with hearing or speech impairments. And with voice-activated smart speakers, teachers discovered how simple commands can turn on lights, play music, read the news, and much more.
“I have three students who are hard of hearing,” said Jaina-Jen Perea, a Grade 5 SNED teacher. “With these tools, we’re able to communicate better and support their needs more effectively. This training strengthens our drive toward a more inclusive school community.”
Through AI in a Box, PLDT and Smart continue to empower teachers with innovations that ensure no learners with disabilities are left behind.
“As teachers in special needs education, we need to keep up with digital tools our students are already using,” said Marites Andres, SNED teacher. “Technology helps us teach more effectively and communicate better with learners with disabilities. Learning these applications strengthens our ability to make the classroom more inclusive for every child.”
In the past three years, PLDT and Smart’s partnership with ATRIEV has helped train and digitally upskill persons with disabilities from mastering basic smartphone accessibility tools to essential skills in starting and sustaining a business, preparing many for employment or entrepreneurship, and transforming them into confident professionals. ATRIEV a nonprofit organization that offers ICT-based training and accessibility programs for persons with disabilities, helping them build digital skills, confidence, and opportunities for employment.
Through the pioneering IDEATe (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity Advocacy through Technology) program, the PLDT Group reaffirms its mission to uplift the lives of persons in challenging circumstances and to support the country’s pursuit of UNSDG 4 on Quality Education, UNSDG 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, and UNSDG 10 on Reduced Inequalities.
