Last week I had the pleasure of attending the BETT show in London. This has now become an annual pilgrimage to view what is new in the world of technology and education. At first glance this year’s show didn’t appear very different from other years but when you went under the surface there were some […]
BETT 2012 & Free Programming Tools Read More »
Teachers sharing good practice within their profession Last Monday evening, November 7th, I had the pleasure to attend the launch of, Enhancing Literacy and Numeracy with ICTs in Dublin West Education Centre by Junior Minister Mr. Brian Hayes. This publication, which was also supported by Navan Education Centre, contains a total of 18 chapters, all
Enhancing Literacy and Numeracy with ICTs Read More »
It is only mid September and already there is significant talk of educational change in the media and specifically in the Irish Times in recent weeks. Three issues that have been to the fore are the need to reform the CAO system, the need for alternative assessment modalities at Junior and Leaving Certificateand the need
Winds of Change – Time for Skills not Points Read More »
As the summer approaches many teachers will again engage in a range of continuous professional development courses, on topics ranging from the environment to the Internet. But did you ever consider using Twitter as a source for your own professional development? Will Richardson, http://weblogg-ed.com/, author of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and other powerful web tools for
Teacher Professional Development via Twitter Read More »
This morning I came across a tweet from the Spotlight on Digital Media and Learning website entitled, Books You Can Play With and Games You Can Read: The New Market in Young Children’s Book Apps, and it got me thinking on the implications these new devices might have on children’s literacy levels now and in
Thinking about books in a new light Read More »
In the coming weeks many politicians will call to your home or school seeking your vote and promising to bring about “change”. But how many of them have considered what impact digital media should have on learning in the 21st century. Interestingly the most recent edition of Silicon Republic published a story entitled, Today’s Digital
What vision do the main political parties have for learners in the 21st Century? Read More »
All schools received good news from the DES in November with the release of over 43 million Euro into the system for investment in ICT infrastructure. This investment is to be welcomed and is badly needed as evidenced by the NCTE 2005 census (Shiel and O’Flaherty) and subsequent calls for investment in the Department’s “Investing
ICT in the News –“A lot done but plenty more to do” Read More »
Everyone seems to be agreed that teacher professional development is essential if teachers are to successfully integrate ICT into their classroom teaching. Here is an interesting publication from Education Weekthat highlights a number of interesting projects and ideas associated with 21st century learning. Though some may contest the notion of 21st century teaching and learning
Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook Read More »
As a new school year dawns many teachers will return to their classroom to find some new piece of technology in their room, if they are lucky! This might entail a new interactive whiteboard or a laptop computer + digital projector installed in their room. This scenario should be occurring in many schools, as all
ICT Integration – what does it look like? Read More »
There has been a wonderful sharing of resources in relation to the use of game-making software on the MirandaNet network this week. This is an area that I have some experience in and I would like to share my thoughts and some links on useful tools. Game-making software provides a wonderful tool for young people
Game-making Software Read More »