A teacher in a school was asking me whether she should consider moving from Microsoft Office to G Suite for Education in order to save money. The purpose of this article is not to judge the merits of either suite of applications, as this is very much subjective. However, it interested me because, at first, […]
Is moving to G Suite for Education free? Read More »
During a “Croke Park” session on “Tablet Devices in Primary Schools” late last year, the topic of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) generated lots of discussion and debate. The arguments for and against this initiative were well reasoned and well thought out and all of the arguments will be familiar to anyone who has followed
BYOD – more headaches than benefits? Read More »
Some years back I wrote a dissertation on the topic of Gender Imbalance in Computing Disciplines at 3rd level with particular reference to Institutes of Technology and the implications for Primary and Post Primary integration of IT into the curriculum in Ireland. The conclusions I drew from my literature review and research findings were as
There is certainly a great deal of interest at the moment around the role of digital technologies in all sectors of education and training. One sector that is very active at present in exploring how digital technologies can enhance teaching and learning is Further Education and Training. Many ETBs are reviewing their use of digital
Digital Empowerment Week Read More »
The start of the year generally means the purchasing of new equipment. The three main pieces of hardware that most schools look at are laptops, iPads and, most recently, Chromebooks. This article goes through the advantages and disadvantages of all three. Windows Laptops Strengths: Microsoft Office – Open source and online alternatives still can’t compete
I first landed my eye on a visualiser when I was in college around 1999-2000 in UCD. It wasn’t called a visualiser then and I remember it cost the university a hell of a lot of money. It was used once in a lecture like a fancy overhead projector, in that, the lecturer simply placed
A Simple Guide to Visualisers Read More »
Today’s digital world is creating new opportunities for teaching, learning and assessment and thus is placing new demands on teachers, at all levels, in our education system to embed digital technologies appropriately in their practices. We know from over 30 years of research that the presence of technology alone is not enough to transform teaching,
Digital Competence Framework for Educators Read More »
Earlier this year I participated in a European Schoolnet online course on administering a school ICT infrastructure. The course presented information about current practices and new developments to schools ICT administrators. The course content was divided into the following topics: 1: Optimising the school network 2: Wireless Networking and Bring your own device 3: Cloud models and
School ICT Planning Read More »
The BETT Show in London has been on the go for over 30 years now and it never ceases to amaze me how many people make the journey to see what is new in the world of ICT and education. This year there seemed to be an increased Irish presence with the announcement of funding
BETT 17 – What were some of the highlights? Read More »
In February of this year (2016) I wrote about the Lego WeDo robot based learning system for Primary schools. The system includes the ever familiar Lego brick, some absolutely amazing software and a wide range of projects designed to teach scientific skills. Recently I came across a piece of technology that is completely compatible with
New Brick on the Block! Read More »
