Wat Bo Primary School, based in the Siem Reap province of Cambodia, has initiated a collaborative program with Malaysia. Using artificial intelligence technology, it aims to develop cultural exchange activities between students of these two countries in the ASEAN region.
According to On Kunrath, the principal at Wat Bo Primary School, it encourages students to share cultural experiences in many formats, like essays, photos, posters, and videos, making the cultural showcase more interactive and up-to-date.
AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, VN, CapCut, Renderforest, and Canva are crucial in the project to help students create and present their cultural findings. During this process, students have developed many skills: writing 70-word text summaries, editing a group photo, and creating a one-minute video summary using CapCut.
He said that students researched vital information about the people from Malaysia through Google, ChatGPT, Gemini, and noted it all down in Microsoft 365 Note. "Our students have met with principals, vice-principals, class teachers, assistant teachers, and team members from both countries on Zoom for discussions, written resumes in Microsoft 365 Note and posted personal photos", he said.
These exchanges are part of a larger ASEAN initiative, with this year's spotlight on Cambodia and Malaysia. There are ten topics of interest: traditional food, games, handicrafts, music, historic sites, etc. These encourage each group of schools to investigate the other's culture and prepare presentations.
The technology curriculum at Wat Bo Primary School is also supported by two fully equipped, modern computer laboratories. One of them has 40 computers and 30 iPads; these are used by the younger children while they learn to type, Microsoft Word, Excel, and paint. Another one, with 38 computers and 33 iPads, is used for older children in their project work and interactive games like Kahoot, Quizziz, and Mentimer.
Moreover, the school can provide meeting rooms and IT teachers for the cultural exchange project. "The current administration is building further the school into a model institution. We want to make sure that our students are at par with other students locally and regionally in the English language and in computer literacy skills", Kunrath said.
In 2023, the school made headlines as 40 of its teachers finished a state-of-the-art information technology training course led by South Korean educators. Led by the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport, the effort included engaging AI-based curriculum content, modernizing teaching methods, and keeping up with the global digital revolution.
Under the leadership of former principal Peng Kimchhen, Wat Bo Primary School succeeded in this remarkable integration of traditional values into modern educational practice and was very prominent as a model school. Comprehensive standards that place emphases on student performance, teaching effectiveness, and community engagement have been implemented.
