Koh Maphrao School
Phuket, Thailand

On the small island of Koh Maphrao off the coast of Phuket, amidst the daily rhythms of fishing and farming, stands a single school serving the entire community. Koh Maphrao School, with around fifty students ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade, is where every child’s learning journey begins.

With modest resources and limited access to technology, the school has long faced challenges with student attendance and engagement, as many families must weigh education against other pressing necessities. But a new program introduced iPad into the classroom, which is transforming learning on the island — helping every student imagine a future that reaches beyond the shore.

Every morning, student teachers from Phuket Rajabhat University’s College of Education travel by long-tail boat to Koh Maphrao, carrying an iPad for each student to use. Together with the local teachers, they use iPad to weave interactivity and creativity into lessons, transforming traditional subjects into dynamic, personalized learning.

For example, in English class, students use the Camera app on iPad to capture details from everyday island life — boats, animals, fishing nets, shells, and trees. They describe what they see in English to build vocabulary skills, and then create a detailed digital map of their island in Keynote, blending language, creativity, and community into a connected learning experience.

For English teacher Sattaparipan Chansrinak, the mobility and versatility of iPad helps his students see that learning isn’t confined to the classroom. “With iPad, subjects that students once found boring have become exciting because it connects their learning to their community and to daily life,” says Chansrinak.

With few printed materials and limited infrastructure, teaching on Koh Maphrao once meant having to improvise regularly. Now, with iPad, teachers can deliver consistent, high-quality learning experiences every day.

For math teacher Apichet Pislaengam, iPad makes it possible to present difficult concepts in flexible and engaging ways. Using Keynote, students sketch familiar island objects — rocks, leaves, or coconuts — and turn them into visuals for math concepts like multiplication and fractions. Digital activity sheets also streamline practice and reinforce learning. For Pislaengam, iPad has become an invaluable teaching tool. “I can plan and teach more consistently with iPad. The quality of my lessons has improved, and my students are more inspired to learn.”

For Chariyaporn Sangcharoon, the school’s principal, introducing iPad to an island that once had limited access to technology and opportunity has done more than bridge a digital gap. It’s empowered the students of Koh Maphrao to dream bigger, and to see new possibilities for themselves. As Principal Sangcharoon notes, families who once saw education as secondary to traditional livelihoods are increasingly recognizing how learning can enrich their children’s lives and open up greater opportunities for the future.