- This topic has 138 replies, 90 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 5 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
-
Consider how you can use Digital Technology in your classroom to enhance students learning? How can you now apply School Self Evaluation Guidelines to your teaching? What impact can developing your own use of Digital Technology have at school level (SSE)? Post a reflective piece (150 words minimum) as a reply to this post.
-
Digital Technology can be used to enhance student learning in a variety of ways. Simple ereading technology to project and collaborative work in upper primary – the possibilities are endless. It is also an ever changing field with new technologies/apps/software being developed all the time. The recent lockdowns have probably expediated the move away from traditional teaching and towards technology. Teachers and schools have embraced things like google classroom/seesaw when before they might have been reluctant.
We can appy SSE guidelines to our teaching by reflecting on the standards. Is my practicve effective or highly effective in certain areas?
Developing our own expertise in the use of Digital technology is a key component in the use of such technologies at school. Unlike the Arts subjects where a teacher can demonstrate a process without having any expertise in the area, I believe the teacher needs to be one step ahead of the children in regard to most aspects of the technology. Especially when using online technology, there are risks and dangers everywhere and if the teacher doesnt feel safe in his/her ability to understand and manage these dangers, the teacher is more likely to not engage with the technology and shut it down as a teaching methodolgy. Training and knowing how to troubleshoot such problems is key for teachers.
-
I personally feel that Digital Technology linked with you School Self Improvement Plan is a very worthwhile area to focus on. By linking the two it really allows you to pick a specific area of focus, choose a domain suitable to your school and a standard that reflects area that you wish to develop. By choosing domain one- teaching and learning I think it would really allow you to use digital technology in your classroom and enhance students learning. I think if your Digital Team can establish a suitable plan that highlights clear objectives to achieve than across the school elements to improve students learning can be achieved, for example, completing one piece of work on One Note in term one, using PowerPoint to complete project work, using teams for staff communication etc. We recently reviewed our digital learning framework for the year ahead. We felt that our students were receptive to increased use of technology as a result of remote learning during the pandemic. Our goal for next year is to allow them to take control of their own learning and use ICT to further enhance their work through the use of programmes linked to 365.
-
Hi Emer,
It’s great to hear that in your school and DLT are reviewing existing digital learning practices in the light of the increased use of digital tools during the recent lock downs. It’s a great opportunity to build on increased usage and skills of students and teachers. For many the experience of emergency remote teaching (ERT) was mixed, and some teachers understandably might like to return to more traditional tools and methodologies. However, digital learning is here to stay and will only become more integral to teaching, learning and assessment as time progresses. It’s about building on what worked and taking it to the next level and by what you’ve outlined your school is very much on this trajectory.
-
digital technology helps teachers to accomodate the different learnibg styles to pupils where traditional modes of teaching may fall short. Teachers can create a more active learning and engaging environment for learning when using technology. In our school the digital pivot which occured during remote teaching gently promoted greater engagement in digital technology. We now use Seesaw as a continuous assessment tool for our Junior cycle LP1 programme. The long term accountability for learning is now readily available for both learners and teachers. The SSE guidelines help us to monitor our effectiveness as practicioners. In a special school setting consideration most be placed on appropriate use of digital technology as often technology can be used as motivators and distractors instead of etools for learning. Much of our initial digital strategy looked at upgrading out ICT hardware to respond to needs of pupils. This year we are focused on using technology for assessment.
-
-
Digital Technology provides numerous tools that teachers can use in and out of the classroom to enhance student learning. Digital Technology can support student collaboration in creating new knowledge, reflecting on what they are learning, or working together to achieve a deeper understanding of course material. Over the last 2 years, I have found myself moving away from traditional teaching and toward technology. I now use a range of technology that I never used previously e.g., Seesaw, Padlet, Loom, and Nearpod. The list Is endless! The use of technology for AFL and Assessment of Learning is beneficial and effective. It is important teachers are well trained in using a range of technology before implementing it into the classroom. School self-evaluation empowers a school community to identify and affirm good practice, and to identify and act on areas that merit improvement.
School self-evaluation is primarily about schools taking ownership of their own development and improvement. I can apply School self-evaluation to my teaching by reflecting on my day-to-day practice and the learning that the pupils achieve.
Digital technology can enrich the learning experience for all our children and young people. We know from consultation activity that our learners already have strong exposure to digital technology and that they would support its increased use as part of their own education.
-
Hi Laura,
Like many other teachers you have significantly increased your repertoire of digital tools over the past 2 years. This can only benefit both you and your students going forward. The tools you have mentioned allow students to learn (and showcase their learning) in ways they couldn’t previously. The use of audio recordings on apps like Seesaw, Vocaroo, 123Apps, etc. allows children to voiceover written pieces and record their reading. Being able to listen back multiple times allows you to pick up on small things and give them specific advise that can improve them going forward. I find using these apps to record and listen to reading ‘as Gaeilge’ very beneficial. Very quickly, you can pick up on specific sounds that require attention with the whole class/specific individuals.
-
Hi Eoghan,
Before Covid, I was unaware of all the digital tools. Digital technology has had a significant impact in the classroom and it has allowed students to progress in their learning. This digital technology also makes learning more fun and students benefit from it. Digital technology increases access to education and knowledge while empowering students with a mindset and capabilities that set them up for success in their present and future. Seesaw is a tool that we used a lot during Covid and still use it. It allowed me to provide effective feedback to students and they enjoyed recording back their work to me.
All my students had their own iPads in the class which enabled us to use digital technology within the classroom e.g. NearPod, Padlet and Seesaw. I will make use of the resources that have been mentioned in this course.
-
Laura I also find myself moving to more technoloy based learning since Covid times.
I think learning was still taking place it was offering it through a different platform and perhaps a more familiar one to young students who found it easier or more accessible online.
Throughout this course we have be provided with many technology based programmes which can both enhance teaching and learning
-
-
From personal experience and one of the major positives of using technology in the classroom is its scope for creativity which makes life easier as a teacher and boosts student engagement levels ten fold. It assists in the communication among teachers and students, helps in organisation of classroom and curriculum based planning and it exaggerates focus during lessons with the exposure to a variety of media. Learning is enriched through a gamified approach and as highlighted in previous modules, the use of Microsoft Teams and Forms applications is a game changer when it comes to AFL and AOL.
SSE guidelines are met based on teachers self reflection which is a natural instinct at this stage as we apply this practice across the board with everyone and everything.
Developing my own expertise in the use of Digital technology is the difference between being left in a time warp of traditional books and blackboards and stepping into a stimulating world of collaboration, fun and increased productivity in terms of curriculum and school based activities. It is up to teachers to take the lead in how they want to adapt this practice into their own individual classroom. Trial and error is a welcomed part of the SSE process.
-
Hi Deirdre,
I love how you have referenced the importance of ‘trial and error’ as part of the SSE process. The whole notion of improving oneself at anything requires trial and error – we must attempt some form of improvement, evaluate the progress we’ve made and make any tweaks we feel are required. The beauty of the SSE process is that it allows for this – the document should be viewed by schools as a ‘working document’. There should be regular opportunities for review and self-reflection to assess where we are and the steps we need to take to get to the next phase of our improvement journey. Incorporating these into Croke Park hours and staff meetings would be a prudent move by school management – as well as maintaining games, it keeps SSE high on the agenda of staff and ensures a level of accountability.
-
-
I have been involved in evaluating our school and planning our digital framework in the past. The template was good and easy to follow and it is time again to update this. It is important that a digital team is established first with a variety of people, management, Special education teachers and class teachers on the team.
The infrastructure of the whole school has improved so much in the last ten years. it is important now that we examine its benefits to teaching and learning within our school. Are we getting good use from our iPads in the classrooms?…how can we improve? Are we using the pc’s in the classrooms? would the senior classes get better use from laptops ….should we purchase laptops and a trolley? Is our use of ICT in our classroom Highly effective?
How are staff managing their teaching and ICT? What CPD would serve us best in order to improve our knowledge? Should we all do the Microsoft for Education course and begin to use of Sway, Forms and One Note?
The school evaluation on digital learning is very important for all the partners in education- staff, children and parents.
-
I too have been involved in SSE in other areas of school and can see the huge benefit to be gained from it. I agree a team needs to be in place to assess and evaluate the digital framework and that team should encompass all areas of staff from Senior Leadership, to class teachers, SET and SNAs. We had some training on Microsoft Office 365 but only a handful of staff could make it. Hopefully we will get some more training this year as I think all staff need it and the support we could offer each other would be invaluable. Some staff are amazing in their knowledge and creativity and others (like myself) could do with support.
We have ipads for our SEN children to use while in SET and chrome books that are shared between classes. We are a big school and the need for greater access to ICT is becoming ever apparent. As a SET teacher I have requested an interactive white board for my room. There are so many resources out there that my SEN kids are missing out on. I’ve made a Sway presentation to introduce myself to my new kids this year and it would be great to show it on an IWB.
I’d like my school to carry out an evaluation and establish a team this year that can support staff, report back from training, present at Croke Park hours and advise and apply for new technology needed.
-
Hi Julie,
As someone who also teachers in a large school, I fully understand the infrastructural challenge that exists. It can be very challenging to ensure the children have access to the resources that will really extend their learning. It’s unfortunate that all of your staff were unable to engage in the Microsoft training. However, those who have could take on the role of ‘digital champion’ (or similar), and provide training/assistance to those starting out. This could form the basis of a school improvement plan within the domain of teacher’s collaborative and co-operative practice.
-
-
Hi all,
In our school 4 staff members are trained through the Microsoft office 365 programme to become digital leaders. These 4 staff members lead the digital technology section of our SSE process. During our Croke park hours throughout the year our staff is divided into 4 groups. Each digital leader then supports the other staff members on different aspects of Microsoft 365 e.g. Using Teams, SWAY, One note, etc. In this way the support for our Digital strategy comes from within our own staff. I feel this is a very useful approach and it works well for our school because if a staff member needs further support throughout the year they can ask any one of the digital leaders their concerns and their questions will be answered through in house support instead of having to ask someone outside of the school for support. We as a staff know we are supported in all aspects of our digital strategy.
-
Over the past number of years I would regularly use digital technology in teaching, learning and assessment in class. I found Studyladder very useful. This is a site that has activities across all curricular areas and it enables the teacher to set tasks and to see results of those tasks. I would have set a task for example on measurement, before teaching, and repeat the same task after teaching and compare results. I would also use Kahoot for vocabulary assessment based on story being read and repaeating this quiz regularly to ensure retention. Going forward I would like to do more with OneNote and Sway in order to give more variety to the pupils and to allow them to familiarise themselves with as many platforms as possible.
SSE’s six step template can be used to inform us of our teaching quality and inform us of where to go next. As teachers we should always be gathering evidence, planning, analysing, judging, reflecting. For the most part we do this automatically, subconsciously, however doing it in more structured ways, like SSE, it would be more rewarding.
Digital Tech. can have a huge impact on SSE-all of the steps can be achieved easily using DT- gathering, analysing, assessing, collaborating. It really just takes one person to be confident enough to set things up and the others will follow.
-
We are lucky to have iPads for each student in the class so we have lots of opportunities to use digital technologies to enhance learning. I use Padlet to create learning pathways individualised to each child to reinforce learning content. Following on from this course I will also make use of the resources presented here.
I can use the SSE guidelines to identify what I am doing well and what can be improved, almost like a roadmap of where I am and where I would like to be. I could also use the SSE guidelines to inform my teaching by encouraging regular communication and feedback with stakeholders. This type of reflective practice underpins the guidelines.
The impact of developing my own use of Digital Technology benefits all stakeholders in the school community and the SSE process. Firstly, by actively using technology you are modelling key skills and promoting the school as engaged in continuous improvement, thus ensuring a commitment to the continuous improvement of the quality of students’ learning. Secondly, you are exposing stakeholders that may have a fear of technology to its accessibility, which supports school-wide community development. Thirdly you are creating a positive technological culture and supporting children to develop 21st- century literacy skills which will equip them in the years ahead.
-
Hi Carina,
Each child in your class having access to their own device unlocks huge potential for the design of rich learning experiences for your students. It makes personalising the learning of each child much easier. Indeed, the choice of iPad’s is very good for the special class setting. Apple have a number of built-in accessibility features as well as tools such as ‘guided access’ that can be very useful for independent work if you were engaged with another pupil.
-
-
-
-
We have access to iPads on a shared basis to support our implementation of the DLF to support students learning. We had a DL day where every teacher got training on Book Creator and Canva. School wide we have endeavoured to become familiar with both and trial them within our school from Junior Infants to second class. Book Creator has proved very popular as it offers so much scope for use across the streams and is accessible to the majority of students and is also very user friendly for teachers which is key to getting a new initiative off the ground. Of course the potential for DL to support student learning is endless, the challenge is making a conscious effort to get all stakeholders on board, to realise the potential. As someone said earlier, a key aspect is to be one step ahead with regards to technology. Start small and build a strong foundation.
The key to SSE is that it is a collaborative process, in terms of applying it to my teaching and learning it is important that I am aware of the actions pertaining to my level and carry them out. I must also be willing to honestly reflect and evaluate on my practices to determine if they are effective or highly effective.
Developing my own use of digital technology with regards to SSE goes hand in hand. Using DT makes the process more collaborative, accessible and makes record keeping more efficient. It also promotes the use of DT school wide for all stake holders which in turn ensures using DT becomes ingrained in school culture.
-
On returning to school, I would be like to see a Digital Learning Team established with reference to the Digital Learning Framework. I would like to assess how ICT has been used in the recent past to enhance the school curriculum. I feel it would be beneficial for digital literacy to be part of school self evaluation and involve the school community in developing ICT. I would like an opportunity to share others good practice among the staff and to assess the programmes and apps that teachers are using. I would be interested in programmes with embedded evaluation for the teacher to access and for the pupils to self assess and keep track of their own progress. I think using the digital framework will help students to develop knowledge but also develop a positive attitude towards technology and encourage critical and creative thinking.In learning support, I will continue to work with class teachers to improve and develop strategies to enable our students to use technology to interact with the curriculum more independently.
-
Hi Deborah,
Much of the content of your post really resonates with me. The establishment of a Digital Learning Team is crucial for the success of your Digital Learning Plan. This is especially true in larger schools, where the workload is significant. It needs to be spread out among other people – doing this also heightens the chance of success as you have advocates for the plan dotted around the school. The Digital Learning Framework is an excellent guiding document that allows you to create a plan that is bespoke to the needs of your school and allows you to plot your school at whatever stage of your digital journey you are at.
-
-
I don’t think there is any doubt that using digital technology in the classroom enhances children’s learning. It not only provides fun opportunities to practice what they learn but is an integral part of the teaching and learning process. It makes learning more interesting for the children by using visual aid and can also be interactive. If we ‘do’, then we remember. Technology can be used across all subject areas. I think teachers need to be aware of school self- evaluation, to inform their teaching. The whole concept behind SSE is to improve the quality of education for the children. It allows schools to take ownership and work on an area specific to them. As teachers we are on the ground level of learning so we are the ones implementing the plan of action. The whole point of me doing this course was to improve my knowledge of digital technology so I can bring it to the classroom in September. Children are so tech savvy these days, that we need to be at least on the same level as them, if not a step ahead! I would hope that I could share my knowledge to the wider school community in this coming year.
-
The use of digital technologies in the classroom to enhance learning
Digital Technology enhances teaching and if used appropriately excites and motivates learning. Covid 19 lockdowns opened up our school to how digital technology can truly benefit our pupils. We created blogs, teaching videos in all subject areas, reading books, as well as offering pupils real time online lessons throughout the day. We collaborated to make videos together to create a sense of community even though we could not be together. We explored different platforms such as seesaw and study ladder – but Zoom was really our best friend!
As a special school we do have assistive technology to help pupils to develop their understanding in so many different ways. Devices to communicate – Tobii Dynavox is a really clever device that looks like a laptop but has so many functions to aid communication. We use many apps to assist with learning: GoTalk for communication, WetDryTry for handwriting, Articulation Station for speech, Splingo for articulation, Ten Frames for developing understanding of number. We use apps to identify feelings: Moody Monster Manor. Emotions from I Can Do Apps. Moody Me – Mood Diary and Tracker. emotionary. Positive Penguins. We use YouTube for movement breaks, for relaxing music during meditation, to teach step by step art lessons (the pupils love these). We love Kahoot! We use Book Creator to make language experience books and social stories, we use Boardmaker to make visual schedules, the pupils use typing programmes, word for completing worksheets, writing tasks and reading tasks (with immersive reader and accessibility mode for visually impaired), PowerPoint for presentations. We use Zoom for assemblies so that the pupils are in their own classrooms and not all together in the hall (a new initiative since Covid), each class can come into the assembly using their class Hues – a brilliant device that is a scanner and microphone. Great also for the teacher to scan things up onto the whiteboard. As a special school our pupils are bused into school, the parents have the code for the morning assembly and are always invited to attend, especially if our pupil is off sick.
School Self-Evaluation:
As School Principal I need to look at the leadership element of the Digital Framework:
Foster a commitment to inclusion, equality of opportunity and the holistic development of each pupil
The principal and other leaders in the school have effective systems for monitoring pupils’ progress and development. They recognise that digital technologies can support systematic monitoring to help pupils reach their full potential.
This is an area that we are working towards and needs to be looked at by the in-school management team and is highlighted in our digital school self-evaluation for the future.
Developing an understanding of the implementation of digital technologies can only enhance teaching and learning, developing strategies to monitor progress and attainment of pupils while using digital technologies will ensure that technologies are used to their most effective and will inform planning and assessment. Using Office 365 to enhance learning opportunities and to develop areas for staff to plan and develop digital work for the pupils will make it easier to record attainment quickly and effectively.
-
Hi Elaine,
Thank you for your detailed post here. You have gone to great lengths to explain a wide range of helpful apps that you use in a special class setting. It is certainly a post I plan to save myself and refer back to. I am sure many others on this forum will feel the same.
You have also contributed a valuable piece on SSE and the Digital Learning Framework from the perspective of school management. With specific reference to the DLF, I feel it’s prudent to choose a statement of practice from both dimensions (teaching and learning / leadership and management). While it is an extra undertaking, I feel it pays off in terms of advancing the school further down the digital path.
-
-
<span style=”color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;”>I can use Digital Technology in my classroom to enhance students learning in a variety of ways. Using Forms I can assess their prior knowledge on a subject and I can also assess their learning at the end of a topic too. Furthermore, the children can show what they have learnt by creating projects, completing assignments and contributing to class/school newsletters on Sway. </span>
<span style=”color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;”>I can use Powerpoint to both teach lessons and do voiceover recordings which the children (and myself) can come back to for reference. I can also use OneNote to link in with Powerpoint and to collaborate with colleagues to share ideas and enhance lessons. The most important thing that I have taken with me is that each of the above tools that I have mentioned are easily tweaked and altered to cater for the learning needs of all learners. This is really impressive and is lending into a newer way of thinking where we cater for the needs of all learners. </span>
<span style=”color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;”>I can you now apply School Self Evaluation Guidelines to my teaching in a variety of ways. For example, we can use Forms to identify areas for focus through staff surveys and furthermore, I could use Forms and OneNote to gather evidence and help analyse, compile and implement improvement plans. Calendar and Teams could be used for meetings and to keep an account of where we are at in the process. This could all be tied in with using the Digital Learning Framework document and looking at the similarities between the two. It would also help to bring more focus and attention to the use of digital learning as an effective tool within the classroom.</span>
<span style=”color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;”>Developing my own use of Digital Technology at school level (SSE) can have a largely positive impact on both staff and students. Using the tools that I have engaged with on this course and showing them to other staff can encourage the gentle roll out of a digitally led programme of work at whole school level. Again, this caters for the needs of every learner and the more staff that are on board with this, the better the outcome for all. </span>
-
-
I use Seesaw to promote learning in my classroom. I’m teaching in a gaelscoil and sometimes parents are worried about completing homework with their children at home as they feel they don’t have enough Irish themselves to support their child’s learning. With Seesaw the classroom teacher can prerecord the homework/reading/activities needed and can save them online for future classes. You can also work collaboratively and share your work with other teachers in your school. The students in our school also use iPads in the class which enable us to use digital technology within the classroom e.g. Padlet and Seesaw and some Irish language learning games.
Digital technology can enhance the children’s learning experience. Most children are already exposed to digital technology and that’s its constantly evolving. It’s important that we continue with our own CPD so that we can provide the best digital environment as to support the children in our classrooms with their learning. It also develops our own knowledge in this area and adds to our ability to apply SSE.
-
The use of digital technology is a game changer in the classroom. The engagement levels go up, the diversity of the individual learning paths increases and the creative juices within each student are stimulated. To top it all off – all of this is contained within the learning platform making it shareable, editable and multi-media in format.
From a SSE standpoint, the benefits of digital technology are many also. We can self-reflect as teachers and record our inputs – in audio, video or written format. We can also collaborate as educators, ensuring that the individual data points gathered are rolled up to give a considered school view of where we are.
Developing our own use of digital technology means that any SSE work we do is easily editable. This may seem small but as a new principal I have been given “the SSE folder” which has printed pages in it and no digital format, which is frustrating.
-
Hi Eamonn,
I agree digital learning when used appropriately can have a transformative effect on teaching, learning and assessment and in particular as you alluded to, for differentiation/individualised learning. However, the key to this is starting with the learning outcomes and then using the appropriate digital tools to enhance your lessons. The danger is going about it the other way around, deciding on the tech and then trying to shoehorn the learning objectives in around it. Using Technology for technology’s sake…
-
I can use digital technology in my classroom to enhance students’ learning in a variety of ways. Using Forms I can assess their prior knowledge on a subject and I can also assess their learning at the end of a topic too. Furthermore, the children can show what they have learnt by creating projects, completing assignments and contributing to class/school newsletters on Sway.
I can use Powerpoint to both teach lessons and do voiceover recordings which the children (and myself) can come back to for reference. I can also use OneNote to link in with Powerpoint and to collaborate with colleagues to share ideas and enhance lessons. The most important thing that I have taken with me is that each of the above tools that I have mentioned are easily tweaked and altered to cater for the learning needs of all learners. This is really impressive and is lending into a newer way of thinking where we cater for the needs of all learners.
I can now apply School Self Evaluation Guidelines to my teaching in a variety of ways. For example, we can use Forms to identify areas for focus through staff surveys and furthermore, I could use Forms and OneNote to gather evidence and help analyse, compile and implement improvement plans.
Calendar and Teams could be used for meetings and to keep an account of where we are at in the process. This could all be tied in with using the Digital Learning Framework document and looking at the similarities between the two. It would also help to bring more focus and attention to the use of digital learning as an effective tool within the classroom.
Developing my own use of Digital Technology at school level (SSE) can have a largely positive impact on both staff and students. Using the tools that I have engaged with on this course and showing them to other staff can encourage the gentle roll out of a digitally led programme of work at whole school level. Again, this caters for the needs of every learner and the more staff that are on board with this, the better the outcome for all.
-
Undoubtedly, Digital Technology enhances students learning on a daily basis. We couldn’t imagine a classroom without online resources such as Bua na Cainte, Folens Online, the CJ Fallon app, etc. It’s amazing to see how competent the pupils in our school have become with Seesaw, digital portfolios, Beebots, Chatterpix, Adobe Spark, Book Creator and Microsoft 365 over time, and essentially because these were targeted as part of our Digital Learning Plans. We applied for and subsequently availed of support from a PDST facilitator to guide us in our SSE journey, with embedding Digital Technologies in teaching and learning being our focus. This gave us the opportunity to get together as a staff and reflect on our strengths and then select dimensions and domains and standards and statements from the Digital Learning Framework. We worked together to set very clear, measurable and achievable targets and because everybody knows who is responsible for implementing, monitoring and reviewing our plan, it is easier to record achievement of targets and also to continue the process. The support of the PDST facilitator was invaluable to us, as I think we would have otherwise set too many targets which may have been unachievable. We set some of our targets over a 2-year period, e.g, Book Creator and further developing our School Website to enable pupils in the Senior Classes to publish their own work, which means that skills can be mastered over time. The impact this is having is hugely positive and rewarding.
-
Hi Amanda,
Thank you for your post and for sharing the successes you have had on your digital journey to date. While you clearly benefitted from the support of the PDST advisor, it’s important that your school takes a lot of the credit. Achieving what you have is significant and requires strong leadership and buy-in from within the school.
I really like the way you broke down your objectives and set realistic timelines for their implementation. The Digital learning Framework has clearly guided you in this process. In terms of digital integration, many of us can be guilty of trying to achieve too much too soon. The importance of small steps and regular, small successes cannot be overstated in terms of implementing an improvement plan.
-
-
In our school we use technology daily in the classroom in whole class teaching such as Bua na Cainte and use of some of the CJ Fallon interactive resources for literacy and language. I have found that the students are very engaged when they know that digital technology will be used and are very eager to take turns, listen carefully and practice using some of the interactive tools. We have Ipads in our school that are timetabled to allow each class an allocated time to integrate it into a variety of curricular areas. Having had demonstrations on Canva and book creator from a member of the PDST team as part of a digital learning day for staff earlier this year it really allowed all staff to become more familiar with other apps that the children could use as part of group work or individual in literacy and SESE. Our school also organised safer internet day where children had access to a variety of links to explore, listened and discussed ways to stay safe online and designed posters based on the importance of thinking before sharing online. They also carried out online surveys to see what the children enjoyed as part of that day as a reflection process to collect data on areas that may need targets set going forward. This is all organised by our Digital Learning Team, made up of teachers and senior management who help encourage a whole school approach to digital learning in the classrooms.
The SSE guidelines allow teachers and staff to create targets that are measurable and time specific. I would suggest in September that we could use forms as a way of collecting data from both students and staff to identify target areas as part of the DLF. We could also use Calendar on Microsoft Teams to collaborate times to reflect on the teaching and progress of DL and whether the targets are being met.
Developing my own practice of using digital technology could contribute at school level as it could encourage other staff who maybe are not as familiar with projects on Powerpoint or online applications to collaborate together to develop an area that we could focus on at a class level. We could also present about microsoft 365 as part of Croke Park hours to allow staff to ask questions and explore areas of 365 that could be beneficial to their daily lives as part of DL in the classroom.
-
Hi Linda,
From what you’ve outlined your school is very progressive in embedding digital learning into teaching, learning and assessment across the school. You already have a DLT that continually monitors this and the supports for staff are commendable. That kind of mentoring is mission critical to progress and from experience it has significantly more impact than courses hosted in local education centres as it’s more relevant CPD. The use of Croke Park hours for this is ideal and would suggest that one hour monthly be set aside for digital learning so teachers can share best-practice or, if possible, invite a guest speaker. It’s about bringing all staff along and building confidence. In many schools, unfortunately, other curricular areas are prioritised ahead of digital learning but in your school, from what you’ve referenced, it is certainly getting the priority it requires.
-
-
For me, Digital Technology can enhance students’ learning in a wide variety of ways. From using content as a teaching tool, to creating content as a pupil, the spectrum of potential uses is broad and integrates directly with active learning methodologies for elements of digital learning such as Digital Storytelling. The School Self-Evaluation process empowers a school to look at their own situation and school context and make key decisions with the outcomes of their research. From this process, identifying the key priorities for digital learning in the classroom, the digital tools that one wants to use, and the hardware needed t0 implement all of these elements is crucial and realistically requires a whole school approach to implementation. This is where the Digital Learning Framework comes in useful and enables the school to plan effectively for how best to develop digital learning on a whole school basis.
In my class, the impact of Digital Technology has been significant with the pupils using multiple tools regularly to develop digital skills, both as consumer and as creator. The pupils use tools such as Symbaloo Learning Paths and Google Classroom for conducting research or flipped classroom lessons, Kahoot, Mentimeter and Padlet for whole class discussions and assessments, GetEpic and ReadTheory for helping develop reading and comprehension skills, Book Creator, Screencastify and Adobe Express for developing creative writing and presentation skills, Audacity and iMovie for creating Podcasts/Vodcasts and tools such as IXL, Khan Academy and TimesTables.co.uk for developing Numeracy skills. The impact on the pupils’ learning is significant and develops autonomous learning skills, as well as collaborative learning skills, gives self-assessment opportunities and gives the chance to pupils to work at their own pace.
One of the key areas of SSE is the development of staff CPD and allowing staff members to showcase what is working in their own classrooms, which benefits all involved.
-
At present, we have shared access to a class set of iPad within a large school. There can be issues with timetabling as often people are looking to use them at the same time. We are also lucky to have 4 desktop computers at the back of the class. Last year, I had a group of students who used Nessy Reading and Spelling. This was particularly successful and I feel this, alongside daily intervention from SET helped the students using it make great progress in reading. The school also has a subscription to Raz Kids, an online levelled reading programme where children read at their assigned pre-assessed level.. Having access to the ipads during guided reading was really beneficial. One station would access Raz Kids during the session.
The examples of Statements of Practice affirmed my understanding that using programmes that are personalised for each child are viewed as highly effective practice rather than using technology to access information and present projects etc. Using the statements will be helpful in guiding the evaluation of use of technology in my class.
Establishing a Digital Learning Team would be extremely beneficial to ensure a whole school approach to the digital learning plan by ensuring that all areas of the school are represented in the plan. It would also facilitate communicating the digital learning plan to the entire staff. -
Digital technologies have undoubtedly played a central role in the learning experiences throughout distance learning phase of the last few years, quite frankly without Zoom and Seesaw we would not have had any direct contact and interaction with our students. I have often wondered however, in my own school context, if our use of digital learning tools actually enhances the learning of our students. If one were a fly on the wall during scheduled iPad time in our classrooms, would the majority of students be making use of this time using a highly valuable learning tool to enhance their learning and digital literacy or merely occupied by time fillers such as Maths games and word searches. Primarily, my query would be whether our students engage meaningfully with our digital technologies and the SSE process would be a fantastic method to gain insight into this query.
A superb element of the SSE process is that it provides schools with the opportunity to gain formal recognition for the strengths in their current practices. Quite often due to the ever-evolving nature of digital technologies it can feel that we are constantly playing catch up to remain current with regards to our own competence and confidence when making use of the digital tools available to us as educators. Taking the opportunity to view and appreciate what is actually going well before embarking on a period of innovation can provide a much needed pat on the back to many of my colleagues, as a reassurance that this is not all an uphill battle. The DLF is a wonderful resource that will assist my school to really hone in on a few key areas of improvement and therefore makes the entire process far more palatable.
I have already proposed that our school would prioritise digital literacy in our next SIP and am acutely aware that in order to experience success there needs to be a whole staff buy in regarding any new area of innovation and improvement. It is my intention as post holder to establish a DLT that will hopefully encompass all points of the spectrum of IT competency so that all members of our staff feel represented in the process. I am really looking forward to this period of improvement in our learning environment.-
Hi Emma,
Thanks for your post – the content of it really resonates with me. I had similar thoughts around how the scheduled iPad/Chromebook time was working in my school a few years ago. Honestly, I knew they weren’t being used to their full potential and far too much time was being spent on games and ‘free play’, which is of no benefit.
The Digital Learning Framework, and following the SSE process to devise the Digital Learning Plan was revolutionary for us. It came at just the right time and we were able to use it to push the use of digital technologies for furthering the exploration and creation of curricular-based content. We devised a series of lessons/topics to be covered (1 per term) at each class level based in curricular content. Each summer since, we have then added one more topic per term. As such, we now have a bank of lessons and a ‘digital syllabus’ as such based on the programmes we use in our school. It is far from perfect, but it has certainly helped move away from the passive and ‘play’ elements of digital technology use that was prevalent.
-
-
Using digital technology in the classroom enhances children’s learning, there is no doubt. It provides the children with fun opportunities to practice what they learn. It is also an essential part of the teaching and learning process. The Children are more interested and keen to learn by using visual aid and interactive resources. Children are more likely to remember what they learned by take part in practical activities. Technology can be used across all subject areas. Teachers need to be aware of school self- evaluation, to inform their teaching. The SSE aims to improve the quality of education for the children. It allows schools and their teachers to take ownership and work on an area specific to them. As teachers we are on the ground level of learning so we are the ones implementing the plan of action. The idea of taking part in this course is to better my skill in digital technology, in order to improve my teaching and learning in the class. It is common knowledge that children are use to using technology at home, therefore as teachers we need to be up to date too.
-
Digital Technology provides teachers with with the tools and resources both in and out of the classroom to enhance student learning in many ways. Digital Technology creates a collaborative student learning environment in creating new knowledge, reflecting on what they are learning/have learnt, and to work together to achieve deeper understanding of course topics. This was my first year using Google Chromebooks with my class and I found them invaluable, the resources available and the way children worked independently and collaboratively really enhanced their learning. Since Remote Learning I have found myself using a lot more Digital Technology in the class and I have found the children enjoy it a lot more in comparison to the traditional teaching.
<p class=”MsoBodyText”>School Self Evaluation comes down to the individual school taking ownership of their own development and improvement. The 6 steps outlined are easy to follow and an excellent guide for schools. They allow a school to asses their strengths and weaknesses and collaboratively work together to achieve the best outcome over time.</p>
-
Hi Kathryn,
I agree the recent lock downs and the resulting, unprecedented bouts of emergency remote teaching (ERT) meant that teachers were given no choice but to embrace digital learning and I think the experience was mixed to say the least. In your case a positive one in the main but for others (Particularly those less comfortable with the tools) it was more negative and some I think just want to return to pre-covid times and more traditional methodologies. However, the reality is digital learning is here to stay and we all need to get onboard with it, take the positives from ERT and build on them…
-
-
School self evaluation guidelines offer practical supports to schools to identify and affirm good practice but also more importantly highlight areas for improvement. The six SSE steps mentioned in this module provide a cyclical and continuous guide to improving learning.
Nowadays the majority of children in schools are digital natives as opposed to digital immigrants. The digital learning framework allows contributions as a whole school community and as a whole school approach to embed digital technologies to promote highly effective practice in the ever evolving ICT area.
As Pat mentioned above, ERT outlined a lot of possibilities and positives when it came to digital learning. This is very much the future and we must try and embrace certain aspects of it.
-
Furthermore, School self evaluation is an important part of school life. It allows us to identify areas that at going well but also what areas need improvement. Digital Technology and digital learning is a fast growing area. It offers the potential to engage, motivate and interact children with their learning by different means. The Digital Learning framework offers a way in which we can get the best out of using technology within the school and classroom settings. The recent lockdowns and remote learning have shown have key technology can be to learning and the vast opportunities ICT can present.
-
Hi John,
I think the way in which you have stressed the importance of the Digital Learning Framework in your post is very important. It is an excellent document that helps guide our instruction, whilst perfectly aligning with the school improvement standards outlined in Looking at Our Schools. Using this document as your base is an important first step.
The DLF acknowledges that all schools are at different stages of their digital journey – as you have mentioned, ERT helped us to discover many positives around digital learning. Making use of some of these (within your own school’s context) would be a good place to start for your DL plan this year.
-
-
Digital technology can greatly enhancing teaching, learning and participation in the same. The last two years has definitely seen schools focus on digital teaching and learning platforms being forcefully expedited. Schools are using apps such as SeeSaw and ClassDojo much more to their full potential, unlocking capabilities that were not explored before. Digital technology also allows teachers and students to have access to a digital learning portfolio nearly as a by-product of engaging in the technology. This is a great resource for assessment of and assessment for learning. It is also a tool for parent communication and participation.
School self-evaluation allows the school and teachers to focus on smaller and achievable areas for improvement in their practice. Looking at this through a digital framework lens would allow the teacher and school to further focus their self-evaluation by asking is this effective practice or is this highly effective practice?
-
Working in a special education setting the last few years of lockdowns and remote teaching have been very challenging. We have engaged with digital technologies where possible. We used google classroom to record our circletime and storytime routines. However, not all parents have access to a laptop but most have access to a smart phone. Nothing can replace in person teaching for the children we cater for however, using videos to remind children of the familiar people in their lives such as, teacher, snas and other pupils definitely had its benefits. Assessment is always challenging in our school as pupils do not always perform and there are few tools that can appropriately reflect their learning. However, using video recordings and sharing them with future class teachers can give the best insight into the abilities of a particular child. This can have huge benefits for the coming school year when planning the appropriate content objectives for pupils.
-
Hi Alana,
I think students with SEN were disproportionately affected by the recent lock downs and indeed had a more negative experience of emergency remote teaching in the main, anecdotally, more so than mainstream pupils. This I think was the case due to a combination of factors, probably most obvious, their greater need for the in-person support but also as you referenced the lack of/ absence of routine and whilst your school made every effort to address this where possibly digitally, the remote learning experience will always pale in comparison with the in-class, scaffolded learning environment SEN teachers create for their learners.
-
-
Using ICT and Digital Technology in my classroom really enhances students learning. Last year when the PE team were reviewing our teaching and learning, we decided that we could really benefit by including digital learning into our lessons. We now share the PE homework videos which are available in scoilnet through seesaw weekly. This has given the children a guide for when they are at home. The children are also encouraged to record themselves completing the same activity and send the video back on seesaw. This is an excellent way for teachers to assess the new skill acquired also. During PE lessons, children are invited to bring the IPADs to the hall to watch the demonstration of the new FMS that they are learning. In pairs, they record eachother on the first week trying the new skill. The children give feedback and pointers to eachother to help their partner improve. On the 6th week we bring back the IPADs to the PE lesson and once again we record in pairs and then we can compare the improvement that the children have made.
-
Hi Celine,
I love the way you have managed to integrate the use of digital technologies and an online learning platform into your PE lessons. The FMS are so important, and the research that informed them about how poorly many children move is startling. The ‘Growing Up in Ireland’ study also paints this and childhood obesity as major issues.
Being able to refer back to videos of the key teaching points, and how they are progressing against these is so beneficial. In a PE setting, QR codes may also be provided outlining the particular teaching point you are focusing on at a particular station.
-
-
Digital technology has become a more common learning tool in the classroom since Covid forced us all to embrace the technology available to us. I use a variety of technology in my classroom. We use the interactive board daily. We have a weekly Ipad slot available to use where the children use Mathletics, Kahoot, PowerPoint, Lexia and various search engines and online encyclopaedias. We completed an educational Minecraft class project this year which was very popular with the children. We use Google classroom as a communication tool mainly.
The school self evaluation guidelines would be good to apply to digital learning in the school, as I feel that a cohesive school plan would optimise the use of these technologies. At the moment, the extent of use of these technologies in the classroom is largely down to the expertise or interest of the individual teacher, while a school plan would encourage all staff to buy into the use of these excellent resources.
-
Digital Technology has many benefits to enhance learning in the classroom. I have found having access to shared iPads and a variety of useful resources connected with digital learning extremely beneficial for engaging students. Having become more familiar with a variety of resources since online learning, it has given me the opportunity to continue to use these resources within the classroom to support and enhance learning. It can be particularly useful for extending learning and as a way to assess students’ learning. It also gives opportunities for students to reflect on their work. With Seesaw, I find it useful for giving feedback and students can reflect on their work.
The SSE six step template provides an easy to follow guideline to use as a whole school. I can use the template to reflect and rate my use of DT as effective or highly effective. Continuing to develop my own DT skills by trying new resources will help to enhance students’ learning.
-
Digital Technology is a fantastic tool to support learning in the classroom. It can support peer coaching and student collaboration within the class leading to greater student accountability. Digital technology can make a huge impact on the learning experience of our pupils and moreover those whom are visual learners. It’s a shame that Digital Technology or ICT is not a core subject in the primary curriculum. I trained in the UK and found it very beneficial that ICT was a core subject. Furthermore, I feel that Digital Literacy ought to be part of the school self-evaluation and involve the whole school community. Certainly the digital framework would help students improve knowledge and develop critical and creative thinking in learning. I endeavour to work with Digital Technology and to encourage pupils and colleagues to use IT as a platform for greater learning and assessment for learning. This would be of huge benefit to all involved.
-
Hi Val,
I agree that it would be hugely beneficial if digital technologies were a core subject within the curriculum – if this were the case, we would also need much funding (which is never a bad thing). Given that it is not, we need to be inventive in our approaches. It goes without saying that technology ahs the potential to enhance learning experiences when used correctly. As a school, it is a useful exercise to sit down and discuss what curricular areas you wish to integrate technology with. Starting small and building gradually is key here. As such, you are developing digital skills and competencies, whilst also covering curricular content in a more comprehensive way.
The SSE process and DL Framework are great guides which allow your school to prioritise this area for improvement.
-
-
I feel since the pandemic in particular we have increased our digital learning opportunities in our classroom. In our school we have timetabled access to ipads. This has its limitations but when they are available to us it is very beneficial. We have used the ipads quite regularly for maths topics. Using digital learning really enhanced the learning, the children had a greater sense of ownership & were really enthusiastic to explain their learning.
During the last academic year we were also lucky enough to have some input from the PDST around digital learning. This was a hands on session where we bacame familar with book creator & something I look forward to using when we return for the new academic year.
Using SSE has been really beenficial to us as a school & led us on the correct path.
-
Digital technology can be used in various ways. Students can be active in their own learning by retrieving information from the internet. Allowing them use of laptops and ipads, means they are fully engaged and also able to enjoy these learning experiences. It is easily accessible for the teacher to monitor and assess work. The students have various ways to present their work using the various applications; Microsoft Powerpoint, Excel and One Note. The SSE guidelines are helpful to assess the digital technology of schools and focus on areas that need improving under the digital learning framework. They are important to regularly monitor targets and check if they are being met. It would benefit the school to develop a digital learning strategy to make sure that ICT is being used across all areas of the curriculum and across all levels of the school. It would also be advantageous to provide continued professional development for teachers to become more confident in using ICT for their lessons.
-
<span style=”color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;”>
During the Pandemic, it was essential that I used digital technology within the online classroom to ensure that the children did not fall behind academically. I have used platforms such as Quizlet, Microsoft Forms , Microsoft Sway to create end of week spelling/ SESE quizzes and presentations to revises topics taught during the week. It enables me to evaluate how much knowledge and understanding the children have obtained. The self correction aspect of these resources enables the teacher to focus on the development of future lesson targets and resources that will benefit the children.
For School Self Evaluation, digital technology can make it easier for teacher to upload test scores, teacher observation notes to one platform such as One Notes, rather than pages which could in turn get lost. The use of Microsoft Teams gives staff the hcnace to have meetings in school about the area of Evaluation at any time that suits all. Microsoft Forms allows for the school to gather information about the area of evaluation which will benefit in the development of targets. </span>
<span style=”color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;”> </span>
-
I feel since the pandemic in particular we have increased our digital learning opportunities in our classrooms. In our school we have timetabled access to ipads. This has its limitations but when they are available to us it is very beneficial. We have used the ipads quite regularly for maths topics. Using digital learning really enhanced the learning, the children had a greater sense of ownership & were really enthusiastic to explain their learning. This is something we find across the board & also with parents communicating digitally has increased engagement which as a DEIS school is something we always strive for. During the last academic year we were also lucky enough to have some input from the PDST around digital learning. This was a hands on session where we became familiar with book creator & something I look forward to using when we return for the new academic year. Using SSE has been really beneficial to us as a school & led us on the correct path. It has opened our eyes to our strengths & areas that need improvement within our school community. The collaboration encouraged via SSE has been really beneficial & our DLT played a helpful role here in relation to digital literacy.
-
I think my own knowledge of digital learning took a huge jump during the pandemic. Having to develop digital resources daily was a huge challenge. The temptation is to play it safe but that often gets repetitive and boring. Therefore, it was necessary to branch out. It soon became clear that the potential for digital learning is great. The ease with which you can differentiate is massive. When apps allow you to assign individual work to the students, it takes away the pitfalls of students feeling they are not doing the “same work” as everyone else. But DL facilitates individual differentiated work, with individual feedback and personalized assessment. The DL framework certainly puts this process front and centre which I think is very helpful in directing practice into ways that it can actually benefit teaching and learning rather than just a “go through the motions” exercise. SSE can often be a difficult process but once the objectives are realistic and achievable, it isn’t something that most schools aren’t doing already. In fact, SSE is just a formal process for what any effective school is already doing. In that sense, it should be seen as an opportunity to document and highlight the ways schools already implement effective ongoing improvement for the good of the school community.
-
Hi Seán,
Like many others, the pandemic highlighted the potential of digital technology to you. Creating daily digital content and resources is extremely challenging – thankfully, it can now be used as a resource to assist (rather than replace) our instruction. You have listed some of the many advantages to its use – one of these is the ease at which work can be differentiated. This is especially evident in school, where each child is using the same device, and the ‘differentiation’ is not noticeable. The children are unaware they are completing modified tasks, and it is great for the self-esteem of all in the class.
SSE is a great opportunity for schools to select specific areas for improvement, if done right. As you have written, it is most often the formalisation of different projects and initiatives being done. The ‘review’ phases are so important, and it is key that all staff are supported in terms of implementing whatever the change is.
-
-
Digital Technology provides ample opportunity to enhance student learning and in-class engagement. Throughout periods of lockdown, I think all teachers were forced to broaden their understanding of technology, and how to use it effectively to enhance learning. We have a large supply of iPads in our school, and their use is commonplace in my classroom. Pupils are engaged and interested, as they are given a physical, tangible tool which can be manipulated to explore a given topic. Pupils often engage in Kahoot quizzes, Topmarks resources, and STEM projects in our school.
In my own school, I certainly feel that the school self-evaluation guidelines would be very beneficial. However, I feel it is important that all staff members become fully familiar with these guidelines, and understand how to implement them effectively. We all have a very different relationship with technology. Some people struggle greatly to grasp it. This would therefore require a leadership figure in the school to familiarise themselves fully with these guidelines so other staff members can follow.
-
Hi Tomas,
I fully agree around the importance of teachers being aware of the SSE guidelines and the elements of each stage. Too often, we are given a plan that has been created by school management and told we need to be doing x, y and z. It’s important for teachers to be involved and invested in the process. Doing this will ensure that they have a greater understanding of both the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of what is being done. This can also lead to greater investment and participation in the review and evaluation of the improvement plan.
-
-
With digital technology we find ourselves staring into an endless horizon of opportunity. Opportunities to improve and to enhance lessons , to engage students and to further our teaching.
Before lockdown I hadn’t any experience with using technology in my teaching yet suddenly with the pandemic we were thrust into a situation were technology was the only option. And I found myself doing something I hadn’t expected, I was enjoying it. Students had easy access to work and notes, I no longer spent time photo copying and printing and I had more time to correct and plan lessons and work. With the use of apps such as powerpoint I created presentations to aid my students in learning and soon I realized that their interest had peaked. Class became not only educational but fun. With every generation education and technology become more and more intertwined and therefore it is of the utmost importance that we as teachers make full use of the technological resources available to us.
With self evaluation I find myself as a teacher improving, no class is identical, no student the same and so the same technics and methods do not work but the trouble is to find the best fitted ones. I can see myself using self evaluation guidelines through the year to improve and enhance my teaching, it is so important for teachers to reflect and improve their own teaching but the learning of their students.
-
Digital technology is a great way to hold children’s attention and interest in a topic. In my classroom, we use digital technology to gather information for small group projects. We also use Kahoot as a form of AFL and AOL. I will also use Microsoft Forums in the coming year as I was unaware of it before the course. We also carry out coding relating to Minecraft in my class and the children engage in problem solving, tinkering, debugging and work collaboratively alongside their peers.
School- Self Evaluation gives schools the opportunity to recognise good practice and identify areas of improvements. I can apply school self- evaluation to my teaching by reflecting on my teaching and identifying strengths and weaknesses and what is needed then to further improve my teaching.
Developing my own use of Digital Technology at school level can have a great impact and enhance teaching and learning. Also, being able to share your knowledge of certain tools to other staff members can encourage others to start using them too i.e. OneNote, Forums.
-
Using digital technology in the classroom aids the children’s learning. They are more engaged and focused. We are lucky I’m our school to have a set of iPads and the children love using them both indoors and outdoor( taking photos and videos to use in photostory).In SEN we use a wide variety of educational apps to help with learning sight words, reading etc Digital technology allows children to have more fun while learning.
SSE 6 step template will be a great resource for our school allowing us to focus on areas that need improvement and where to go from there. It is a clear outline and a step by step process.In our school we definitely could upskill our knowledge of digital technology and it is great that the education centre can facilitate this. The reason I picked this course was to enhance my ICT skills. I have heard of Microsoft 365 but never realised there was so much apps in it. It’s a fantastic tool that will take a bit of getting used to but I will be using it this year in school. I think the fear of using digital technology has lessened since we all used some form of digital communication during covid. We used seesaw and while it took some getting used to we got there in the end. I feel Microsoft 365 will be similar.
-
Digital Technology gives many resources that teachers can use in and out of the classroom to improve and enrich student learning. Digital Technology can support student collaboration in creating new knowledge, reflecting on what they are learning, or working together to achieve a deeper understanding of course material. This is very relevant to children now especially with their increased activity on Tablets and other gadgets outside of school. I am moving away from traditional teaching and toward technology. I now use a range of technology that I never used previously e.g., Seesaw, Loom and Zoom. The use of technology for AFL and Assessment of Learning is beneficial and effective. It is important teachers are well trained in using a range of technology before implementing it into the classroom. School self-evaluation empowers a school community to identify and affirm good practice, and to identify and act on areas that merit improvement. School self-evaluation is primarily about schools taking ownership of their own development and improvement. I can apply School self-evaluation to my teaching by reflecting on my day-to-day practice and the learning that the pupils achieve. This can be a talking point during Croke Park and to really ensure colleagues are learning from each other.Digital technology can enrich the learning experience for all our children and young people. We know from consultation activity that our learners already have strong exposure to digital technology and that they would support its increased use as part of their own education.
-
I have incorporated digital technologies into my teaching on a daily basis. Whether it’s the use of the interactive whiteboard or the opportunity to create a more active learning and engaging environment using technology. Online polling or quizzes are great examples and very accessible all through Microsoft Office 365. I have found a huge benefit is it enables children to adjust to their own pace of learning and the teacher can give immediate feedback. Each child in your classroom is different, and it can be challenging to adjust your learning plan to fit every student. Fortunately, technology in education can help you modify your lessons. I have found some parents think technology is just a distraction, but I have found it can help encourage active participation in the classroom. Using devices like a computer, tablet, or other type of technology in your classroom can help turn subjects that children may not normally engage as much as others in, into interactive and fun activities and learning opportunities. We can apply SSE guidelines to our teaching by reflecting on the standards and keeping a checklist for ourselves ensuring we are on track. I feel developing your own skills with digital technologies as a teacher can have a huge positive impact on students and your whole school/community in general. Technology in the Classroom provides teachers with additional tools to support students with all capabilities. In addition to resources like textbooks and worksheets, technology equips educators with various tools to help students develop a better understanding of the certain subject areas. You can have a particular learning focus and see results and outcomes in real time.
-
School Self Evaulation are guidelines based on teachers self reflection which is becoming a natural instinct at this stage for most as we apply this practicce across the board.
The use of digital technology in teaching and learning and assessment has been developing in my school over the past number of years.
Because of the recent epidemic teachers had to upskill and should be commended for the fabulous work they did during the various lockdowns using technology.
Self School Evaluation’s six step evalutaion can be used to inform teachers within schools of their teaching quality and inform them where to go next. Teachers in nature spend alot of time gathering evidence, planning, analysing, judging and reflecting and do this automoatically but the SSE process will help teachers do it in a more structured way.
-
<p style=”box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif;”>Digital technology is being used in some form by most schools in the country for teaching and learning and assessment. School Self Evaluation’s six step evalutaion can be used to inform teachers within schools of their teaching quality and inform them where to go next. Teachers in nature spend alot of time gathering evidence, planning, analysing, judging and reflecting and do this automoatically but the SSE process will help teachers do it in a more structured way and digital technology can play a valuable role with this process. Over the past two years it was necessary for teachers to upskill their technology skills which they should be commended for. With these new skills it is obvious that they will enhance the sse process and the digital learning framework. After completing this module I can understand alot better the advantages to a school using microsoft 365 for Education for the SSE process. By using forms it will be easier for schools to find a focus when using the document Looking at our school.</p>
<p style=”box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif;”></p>
-
-
I doubt that there is a classroom in the county that doesn’t use some form of digital technology in the to enhance teaching and learning, but what Module 4 has highlighted is the difference between effective and ‘highly effective’ practice, in line with the Digital Learning Framework. I think that I would like to focus on a flipped classroom approach with senior classes; this would involve a broad but manageable task of engaging management, fellow team teachers, parents and, most importantly, pupils, in coming along with the idea – as well as having to set aside time to invest myself in creating resources – but would ultimately enhance pupil learning through developing an independent critical thinking skills approach as well as a pupil-centered, fun approach to pre-assessment of learning, as well as creating a usable set of resources for future school use. It would also feed in to every aspect of SSE and the Digital Learning Framework.
Upskilling myself in digital technology, particularly in the uses of Microsoft 365 for Education, will only have a positive impact on SSE – both from a classroom and leadership/management point of view. Classroom based in enhancing teaching and learning through the domain of the same name in Looking at our schools and from a whole-school point of view through creating a community of best practice professional learning. As mentioned in the module and in the LAOS document, the first step, ‘identifying a focus’, is critical to the success of any aspect of school improvement but I posit on the occasion of bringing about a grassroots mindset shift towards the use of Microsoft for Education, it is more important than ever that the focus is defined as crystal clear, with all parties in mind, particularly those implementing it at the coalface – namely, teachers, pupils and parents. It could be a good idea to utilize some aspects of Microsoft 365 as tools for ‘Gathering Evidence’ – it would be very easy to set up a form for stakeholders to complete in this format, while showcasing that it is straightforward to use. As a side note, I think that it was a very clever foresight by whomever was involved in aligning the domains from the Digital Learning Framework with the ‘Looking at our schools’, document.
-
There are a myriad of ways you can enhance student learning using Digital Technology in your classroom such as reinforcing learning using apps, interactive games and websites. It is also useful for differentiation of both content and product. It allows EAL students access to new language using translation or imagery. It also gives students an opportunity to present their finished product or assignment in a variety of different ways to best suit their needs. School Self Evaluation is vital for reflecting, gathering evidence and making improvements. These guidelines and steps when assisted by digital technology are great as you can keep records and evidence and easily share information among colleagues allowing everyone to reflect and choose an area to focus on for improvement. Developing your own use of Digital Technology can have an impact at a school level as different applications could be investigated and used by teachers within the school and then benefits of each could be discussed during staff meetings. This can be very beneficial to all teachers.
-
There are a myriad of ways you can enhance student learning using Digital Technology in your classroom such as reinforcing learning using apps, interactive games and websites. It is also useful for differentiation of both content and product. It allows EAL students access to new language using translation or imagery. It also gives students an opportunity to present their finished product or assignment in a variety of different ways to best suit their needs. School Self Evaluation is vital for reflecting, gathering evidence and making improvements. These guidelines and steps when assisted by digital technology are great as you can keep records and evidence and easily share information among colleagues allowing everyone to reflect and choose an area to focus on for improvement. Developing your own use of Digital Technology can have an impact at a school level as different applications could be investigated and used by teachers within the school and then benefits of each could be discussed during staff meetings. This can be very beneficial to all teachers.
-
Digital technology enhances both teaching and learning. It provides fun and engaging ways to present information and material to students. Digital technologies also provide students with interactive and exciting ways to present their learning and to practice what they have learned. Through apps, online games and other digital tools, engagement with content can be made more motivating and interactive. Information and tasks can easily be adapted to suit the needs and abilities of various learners. The ability to readily adapt and differentiate content, outcomes and tasks through the use of digital technologies is doubtlessly going to ensure an enhanced learning environment for all. Through the use of digital technologies, barriers to learning can be overcome, for example a student who struggles with handwriting can present their project work using typed text, a student struggling with reading can use tools such as those available in OneNote; an auditory learner could listen to information; while a visual learner can watch/look at presentations/videos of the content.
Using the SSE guidelines and framework, I can assess and reflect on my own teaching within my classroom. The standards set out in these guidelines provide me with a basis to assess whether or mot my practice is effective or highly effective in various areas. This assists me in setting targets/goals for improving teaching and learning in my class as it clearly highlights direction for areas to improve on and the means to do so.
By developing my own use of Digital Technology I can implement items into my classroom and contribute to assisting other teachers who may be less confident with tech in implementing more Digital Technology in their classrooms. On a whole school level, the use of D.T. contributes to the gathering and analysing of information and also assists in the collaboration and record keeping necessary for the process of SSE. The use of technology is something with is necessary in today’s society. It is crucial that school stakeholders are confident and competent in using digital technologies. Through SSE and the DLF schools are assisted in identifying and working on improving in this area in a very concrete and progressive way.
-
Over the past 2 years, I think we have all learned the importance of having a digital framework of some kind in place in schools and the importance of incorporating digital teaching and learning into our everyday lives inside the classroom, in preparation for the days where it has to be taken out of the classroom.
There is no doubt that the use of digital technology enhances both teaching and learning and it opens so many doors and opportunities for learners that simply were not available before. It allows for differentiation across the board for all levels of learners. For example, children who avail of Assistive Technology now have a wide range of tools to fit how they work best- from accessing their work in class or at home, to audio recordings, voice overs, charts, etc.
From an organizational point of view, as a teacher, using platforms such as OneNote, Teams, OneDrive have given me the opportunity to become more efficient in my work. I can pick up where I left off when working on plans etc, from anywhere. I can use it keep track of assessment in my class, from anywhere. As I’ve become more proficient, I have become more efficient.
From an SSE perspective on a whole school level, we have been looking at this in school. To use the DLF at the moment, there are some areas where we would not yet be able to measure ourselves on because the infrastructure just isn’t there. Slowly but surely we are working towards effectively resourcing our school with more iPads, laptops, upgrading what we already have where possible. It is a long road and so far our main obstacles have proved to be staff buy in (it is improving and staff expertise is being distributed around the school) and provision of adequate WiFi to use all of the devices in the school, at the same time. The beauty of looking at the DLF through the lens of SSE is that it is providing us with a clear pathway to improvement. With this, all stakeholders are very clear on where we are, where we have to go and what we need to do to get there.
-
Hi Jean,
I will 100% be using the phrase of ‘greater proficiency leads to greater efficiency’ going forward. It is so true, especially when related to digital technology use in schools. Much of the problems you have encountered are similar to every school in the country. The procurement of devices is both a costly and labour-intensive exercise. I personally find the maintenance and general upkeep of our devices to be one of the biggest challenges. WiFi is another area where we have had consistent problems over a number of years – however, a ‘Siro’ connection has recently become available in the area and this has provided us with ultra-fast broadband. It has been transformative and while it is expensive, I feel it is a worthwhile investment. There is little point in continuously purchasing devices of you don’t have the WiFi to power them and use them to their full potential. It may be something to look into if it’s available in your area.
-
Thank you for your feedback Eoghan. We have gone to tender and are awaiting our WiFi upgrade in the new school year in tandem with electrical works, as you’ve said it is pointless having all the kit but not being able to apply it properly. I actually cannot wait to have reliable connections for all of the devices at school!
I absolutely agree that it is also laborious and often thankless work looking after the devices but I am going for an over-haul of management systems for the year ahead. It will be hard work but worth it in the end.
-
Digital technology in the classroom:
Used across all curricular areas where I can curate a lesson that is engaging, interesting, interactive and worthwhile for the students. I have also recently had a Clevertouch board installed in my classroom which has been a welcome upgrade from the outdated smart board but I have not used it to its full potential yet. Over the past couple of years, I have become a lot more familiar with the use of online digital technologies in the classroom such as seesaw, google classroom, teams etc. I also use these digital technologies as a means of portfolios, assessment, collaboration with other teachers and as a teacher – parent portal.
Apply SSE guideline to teaching and impact of developing own use of DT at school level?:
It is important to have staff members who are passionate and proactive leading the development of DT in a school. Staffs need to get together and thrash out SMART goals and targets in conjunction with using the Digital Learning Framework as a starting point. Using something like forms for a short staff and parent survey could be really beneficial to the development of the SSE plan. A lot of the time with developing DT in schools, it can come down to trial and error and I have even experienced this throughout lockdown when I was trying to get my head around the most suitable DT for home learning, what works for one age group might not work for another. The staff need to buy into the SSE plan and digital learning framework and everyone in the school community needs to work together for it to be successful.
-
Upon reflection I feel that my own use of Digital learning in the classroom is meeting the criteria of effective practice whilst occasionally moving toward highly effective practice. In our school we use the Mathletics program to supplement our teaching of maths alongside more concrete resources and copy work. The Mathletics program is excellent in that it provides a fun and interactive way for the students to learn maths. Mathletics is easily differentiated and provides immediate feedback for teachers. The feedback can then be broken down into the specific strands in maths that the student may have difficulty with. This can then be compared to standardised tests and the teacher can see if adjustments need to be made. The only drawback is that it requires tablets and these have to be timetabled in. If a student has connection issues at home it can also stall their progress if assigned for homework.
Whilst this is a whole school approach I feel my own use of tablets/digital learning in the classroom could be progressed more with a greater emphasis on problem solving as opposed to information gathering and project work. It is no harm to be able to review your own personal practice to ensure that standards continue to be improved.
-
Hi Patrick,
It has been great to see that you have found the SSE and DLF guidelines useful for self-assessing your own practice. I find that ‘highly effective’ practice is a standard that is difficult to achieve, so it’s great you are touching on it in some areas.
Your description of the Mathletics program has really intrigued me. It sounds like a programme that would be very useful for teaching learners of all abilities. The provision of immediate feedback also sounds good. We use a programme called ‘Accelerated Reader’ for reading and based on your description, it seems like it works in a similar way for reading.
-
-
How I can use Digital Technology in my classroom to enhance my students learning?
Going forward I will use Digital technology in my classroom to enhance differentiation and personalisation with in my lessons. In reflecting on the class I had last year this definitely would have benefited many of the students in my class and would have made my life a lot easier. I feel that there is a growing dependency on technology in our world at the moment and children are very aware and highly compitant in the is area. digital technology can enhance student engagement and make lessons more relatable and enjoyable.
How can I now apply School Self Evaluation Guidelines to my teaching?<span style=”caret-color: #163c42; color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;”> </span>
(Classroom)I will apply the School self evaluation guidelines to my teaching by collaborating with other teachers to make concise to the point plans that are specific to the class which in turn will make it easier for the teachers that will have them in the future, they will be able to see the classes/students strengths and weaknesses.(Whole-school) I would bring it up at a staff meeting and get a small group together to have a look at our DL policy and discuss how we can implement more uses of DL in our school with the resources we have. We could also make a list of children with additional needs that DL would enhance or help they’re learning in the classroom.
What impact can developing your my use of Digital Technology have at school level?
From the points I have mentioned above it is clear that developing ones understanding and knowledge around technology in the classroom provides a collaborative, inviting and enjoyable learning environment helping children to reach their full potential.
-
Hi Laura,
Thanks for your post. I really like the way you have mentioned how digital technologies could be used to improve differentiation in your classroom. I find this to be one of the key benefits of their integration. I like the way in which the differentiation is ‘invisible’, in that every child is working off the same device. They are unaware that some groups of children have a modified task and this really helps to boost self-esteem. Extensions like ‘Immersive Reader’ are also a huge benefit for those who are struggling with literacy or in the ’emergent reader’ phase.
-
-
Digital Technologies can be used in many ways to enhance student learning and it is very obvious in the age we are living in how well students respond to it. I enjoy using digital stores and games with my infants. Various apps for literacy and numeracy are engaging and help the children learn, an app station as part of team teaching is a great way to enforce student learning. Allowing children to create their own stories, projects give the children ownership of their work and a whole class screening of the latter engages children. Coding apps and software are a great ay to get children thinking mathematically and problem solving. Even our Gaeilge program ids digital.
We can apply SSE by reflecting on our teaching methods and effectiveness. Asking yourself daily Am I achieving the lesson objectives? Asking ourselves about our digital technology we use in our class.
I think developing an awareness of Digital technology can greatly benefit whole school and teaching as a whole. Lockdown has shown us that the use of digital technology is the way forward and it is important as teachers we continue to upskill ourselves in this area.
-
I think teachers were great during the pandemic to adapt and use technology to the best of their ability to develop and deliver quality content to their students during school closures.
Now is the time to bring that enthusiasm and knowledge into the classroom. We were working through CVs recently for positions available and the understanding and training young teachers have in relation to Digital Learning is wonderful and is going to be a huge advantage to schools. It is up to each school to utilise the staff in the school that have the ability and the interest to introduce digital technologies to the school and teaching and helping those with little confidence. As we know technology is everywhere and introducing it to schools is vital but it is only worthwhile if it is beneficial and can be integrated into lessons – there is no point in doing it for the sake of doing it. Staff, students and parents will fail to see the benefit and the interest will dissipate.
Our greatest challenge is availability of devices. In our school we only have access to 9 ipads, 6 of which are running on such a dated iOs that they don’t support a lot of apps. 9 ipads in a classroom of 24 is very difficult to work with. Our first step in our School’s improvement plan would be to get access to more devices.
-
Hi Niamh,
Whilst I couldn’t agree more, we must start with the learning outcomes and then at how technology can could support same rather than feeling compelled to use technology for the sake of it. However, it’s difficult to integrate digital learning when there’s a lack of hardware, 9 iPads shared among 24 isn’t adequate and creates added classroom management headaches. At a minimum you should have a device between two and these, preferably with similar spec and running the same version of the OS. Having the right hardware is crucial and should be the priority in your school improvement plan. Finding the money for same in already tight school budgets is another story but fortunately in the Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 published in April there is a commitment for technology specific funding annually over the course of the strategy. Exactly how much this will equate to isn’t known yet but reassuring nonetheless so schools can plan effectively for digital learning going forward.
-
I think if Covid taught us anything it is how reliant we actually are on digital technologies and I feel this needs to be implemented more into everyday education in schools. I think a challenge of this however is colleagues knowledge and expertise when it comes to digital technologies. I would be fairly comfortable with it but I know of colleagues, older ones in particular who would be less comfortable.
I think digital technologies would be an excellent focus for SSE and it is certainly something that I feel every school will have to face in the coming years. Like Niamh, the problem we have is access to netbooks. We were lucky enough this year to get a class set of netbooks but they are shared between 4 streams – 3 classes in each. The time we have with them is very limited and therefore we cannot get substantial work done. I would definitely envisage the purchases of more hardware to be a central part to our SSE.
-
Hi Therese,
I agree that there is much we can learn from the experience of remote learning during Covid and we need to take the practices that worked and move forward whilst being mindful of the problems experienced and that the experience was not a positive for every teacher. You refer to other colleagues who are less comfortable with digital one learning and bringing these along is mission critical to embedding digital learning in teaching, learning and assessment across the whole school. This is where the provision of regular and relevant CPD for all staff comes in and designating a Croke Park hour every month for this purpose is advisable. This too can be further supported by having a digital mentoring programme among staff where the more tech-savvy teachers support those who are less comfortable with the tools.
-
-
Digital learning greatly helps with teaching and learning in the classroom. Ereading is a very useful tool for children. During lockdowns and afterwards we used an ereading app. It allowed children to continue to practice and improve their reading without having a physical book. I feel that digital learning greatly aided distance learning. Digital Learning also greatly reduces the amount of paper required in a school. In our school we used a digital form to give homework to children. We also use the text and email on Aladdin to contact parents to reduce the number of notes being sent to parents.
Digital Learning also reduces the amount of work for SSE. Our school has recently been given a DEIS status so therefore we need to write and implement a DEIS Plan. We will use Forms to aid in the gathering of data and evidence. I look forward to showing our school how we can use Digital Learning more effectively in our school. -
I think having completed this module, it is obvious to me that as a school we are not making at much use of Digital Technology in the classroom as we should. This is highlighted by reading the standards of practice. I think individual classes are doing a certain amount but there is no ‘joined up’ thinking on the whole. Obviously this is where a Digital learning team would come in so handy. I do use Digital tech in the classroom and students have use of i pads and laptops and I try and use the Interactive Whiteboard as much as possible. This year i used Seesaw in class with the students as a way of communicating with home. This also allowed the students to do likewise and it was something they enjoyed. Other classrooms have students who use devices for communicating.
I think as teachers we are always self evaluating what we are doing in class and having looked as the standards as outlined in the Digital Learning Framework it is definitely something I will continue to do when we return to school so as to maximise the potential of using digital tech in the class.
As an individual teacher it is important to up skill and make use of this digital tech and I would hope it would have the consequence of maybe starting a conversation within the school that might eventually lead to the setting up of a Digital Learning Team where decisions were made at a school level for the benefit of the students.
-
Hi James,
One of the main things I have taken from your post is the need for ‘joined up thinking’ when it comes to planning for digital technology integration. This is no easy task, and even with a digital learning team it can be difficult to get everyone moving in the same direction at the same speed. A good first step may be to survey staff and students about what they use their ‘device time’ for. Having some form of structured activities that the whole school engage in during this time can help to break down barriers. It can produce a level of accountability with school staff. Agreeing on what activities constitute effective learning experiences with digital technologies is also an important discussion to have as a staff.
-
-
-
After completing four modules of this course I have had my eyes opened to how much is possible with regards to digital technology. As mentioned in one of the comments in the forum, teachers feel like they need to be one step ahead with regards to technology. However, this course has taught me how accessible digital technology is and how less can be more with regards to the use of sway and forms. It has also taught me how easily one note and teams can aid with the process of sharing and collaborating.
Digital learning can enhance the learning experience for children. It can be used as a tool for assessment, it can aid children to create projects where they can present what they have learned in a fun way and it can also provide opportunities for differentiation which allows for children of all abilities to access the curriculum.
School self evaluation is much needed in the area of digital technology. Through Sse schools can identify where their strengths are and where improvements are needed. With the use of digital technology gathering information can be made easier. Digital technology can also be used to share information amongst staff and to enable a whole school approach to the development of Digital technology throughout the school.
-
Hi Sabrina,
As you have said ‘less can often be more’ when it comes to digital technology integration. We are often consumed with doing as much as we can and trying out lots of different tools. However, having a few staple ‘go-to’ programmes can often be more effective. In many ways it’s about working smarter rather than harder. Prioritising this through SSE is the perfect opportunity for a school to plan in this way and to allow for meaningful and thoughtful integration of ICT’s.
-
-
I have to say I enjoy exploring and experimenting with Digital Technology when teaching. It is helpful in keeping children engaged in lessons, with videos, pictures and audio clips. Even using E-Books on an interactive whiteboard can be very helpful to highlight certain questions the children might have when they are using text books. Maths games help to build speed of processing especially when it comes to tables.
However I have found it difficult to get the children to use technology themselves in my own school. We simply don’t have any hardware available for the children to use (laptops, tablets etc.). Now these children are nearly all digitally savy by First Class, with their own devices at home, but they are almost exclusively used for Youtube, Minecraft (which isn’t all that bad) and Fortnite.
This lack of technology isn’t unique to my school i’d imagine but the children are missing out on opportunities to explore coding with Scratch, Typing Skills, Research Skills for projects and much more.
So when it comes to SSE and evaluating the school’s practice and making reference to the Digital Framework, there is a massive gap in our practice in terms of Student lead digital learning.
-
Using digital technology in your classroom to enhance children’s learning.
Technology can be used in vast array of settings to enhance children’s learning. Firstly it is a highly attractive and visual learning format which children find highly motivating and rewarding. Technology can be used to present learning content either as PowerPoint or Sway presentations, as an assessment tool using Microsoft Forms/Quizzes, to engage in project work or research using online search engines and as a reward for hard work/good behavior using education games available online. Technology can also be used to provide access to content for struggling learners in a discrete way via tools such as Immersive Reading on OneNote.
Applying SSE Guidelines to your teaching.
As a staff we definitely need to focus on using digital technology more both in the classroom for teaching and learning and as a home school link i.e. providing assignments online to be completed at home. In order to get these practices in place I think we firstly need to establish an IT team (a tricky process with a small staff in a rural school who are already fulfilling many additional roles!). I think if this was added as part of the roles for a post of responsibility it may be easier to find volunteers. Consultation with staff and the entire school community as well as whole staff training would be crucial to the successful roll out of an endeavor such as this. The staff would all have to agree to use common a platform such as Microsoft 365 to ensure continuity for staff, students and parents. Monitoring, review and setting of SMART targets would also be essential.
Impact of developing your own use of digital technology at school level.
Developing your own use of digital technology is crucial in impacting it’s use at school level. It not only motivates you to engage with it as a medium for learning but upskilling also fosters confidence in the classroom application of digital technology and allows for meaningful engagement with it among your students. It can also serve to alert other staff members to the potential of digital learning and create discourse around your schools Digital Learning Framework.
-
Hi Sarah,
The comments you have made about digital technology making learning conditions more visual and engaging is certainly a major benefit of it’s use in classrooms. Within the Office 365 platform, there are so many tools like Sway, PowerPoint, Forms and OneNote that can provide these learning experiences. They really help to motivate students and make learning outcomes more attainable for the children. In addition to this, as you’ve mentioned there is a great opportunity for differentiation and the use of tools such as the Immersive Reader to assist students.
-
-
Firstly, I am very much aware that using digital technologies in your classroom can be a scary, sometimes daunting idea. Over the years, I have sought to find creative ways to use technology in the classroom that both make my life easier as a teacher and that also boost the children’s excitement levels and engagement with learning. I enjoy that use of digital technology in the classroom allows for greater communication between school community and has greater home/school link benefits. Digital technology has given the children in my classroom a louder voice and I have found its use to be more mindful of our different learning styles.
Using digital technologies in all aspects of teaching and learning has enabled me to easily identify and affirm the good practice happening in our school and my classroom, and to identify and take action on areas that need improvement. I can now see how using tools like Sway, Forms, Teams and OneNote provides a space online where meaningful collaboration can take place and look forward to sharing these platforms at our next staff meeting. Developing my own use of digital technology across teaching and learning and upskilling to learn more about recent technological developments has empowered me to share this new knowledge with my school community.
-
I have used some elements of digital learning in my classroom such as google docs and slides among the children. However, having learned what I have throughout these modules I feel I can further expand this use in the classroom. Using OneNote, Sway and PowerPoint all add significantly to a child’s ability to access the curriculum in an engaging manner, especially for children with additional needs. What i like most about these tools is that one you are proficient using them, you can showcase your creativity through digital media. Students i have had in the past were able to display their creativity and artistic abilities through using google slides. The same could be done with the microsfot equivalent. One barrier to this in our school is our limited access to the suitable technology. As it stands, we get laptops twice a week. It can be diffiult to maintain the level of work and engagement as it is hard to maintain continuity with the children. This is something that could be brought forward to a digital learning team however. The use of laptops definitely improves children engagment with the curriculum and it should be given more time and resources in the classroom.
Education in general will become fully digital in the future. As an educator, it is important to stay on top of the changing trends and engaging in upskilling on programs such as this will allow teachers to enable children to fully engage in the curriculum in an exciting and creative way.
In terms of using the SSE guidelines, they can be used to further improve and inform your teaching. The reflectiing element and the use of it as a continous working document always for the direction of work to constantly amend itself so that it is progressing as it needs to be. In my own school, I feel we need to set targets and fully agree on the use of correct platforms on a school wide approach. I feel this will add greatly to the sharing of ideas and help in the teaming up on many of the school wide tasks that we are faced with.
-
There is no question that using digital technology in the classroom enhances children’s learning. Using tech in the classroom provides interesting, fun and practical opportunities for children to present what they learn and additionally it is a key aspect of teaching and learning in today’s world. Children nowadays are incredibly tech savvy so incorporating technology into education makes sense. Technology and the huge variety of platforms and applications available to teachers are all very open-ended and can be used and adapted to fit so many different learning styles, learning experiences and subject areas.
Children are already exposed to digital technology before they step into the classroom. It’s important as teachers that we continue with CPD so that we can provide the best digital environment to support the children in our classrooms with their learning. Using the SSE is a valuable tool for teachers to self-reflect on their own use of technology in the classroom and how we can improve upon it. It’s also a valuable opportunity for collaboration in school among teachers and staff.
-
I have been using Seesaw and Padlet with my Junior Infants over the past number of years, and I will continue to do so in September. I will also look forward to recording story books on PowerPoint for children to enjoy during/after school hours. I will use Sway as I start a new topic with my JI’s as it is a ‘one-stop-shop’ that allows me to create lessons and gather relevant resources relating to the topic: pictures/videos/links/etc. I look forward to sharing my knowledge about Digital Technology with my school in September. We are very lucky to have two trolleys of iPads and we share them between classes using a timetable rota. As I have mentioned before, children love learning through technology and are always super engaged with lessons and this evidently encourages learning and self-enquiry. In order for a Digital Learning Plan to be incorporated and established at a whole school level, it is important to first establish a Digital Learning Team within the school. The Team will assess the use of ICT in our school by using the digital Learning Framework as a guide. We will then need to create a plan that is beneficial/attainable for both teaching and learning. I feel there could be some anxiety amongst staff who are not overly familiar with Digital learning, therefore CPD during Croke Park hours would hugely benefit and help to support anyone who may feel overwhelmed. It may even be an idea to have a buddy system in place, so teachers who are not overly confident with digital learning can look to another more confident member of staff for help, not solely depending on the DLT.
-
The digital learning framework provides many examples and ideas for teachers on how to enhance students learning using digital technology. There are some great videos linked to each statement to give teachers ideas of how to improve practice.
In our school last year, all teachers upskilled in Minecraft for Education and used this amazing learning tool in the classroom to motivate and enhance the pupils’ learning in the area of SESE in particular. We followed the SSE steps and surveyed the pupils and parents and teachers. Some parents were worried about the use of minecraft in school, however at the end of the year, there was great support from the parents and the pupils in particular. Teachers also took the opportunity to reflect on the process and agreed to continue with this learning next year.
6th class pupils became peer mentors for the infant classes to support their learning with the tool and all teacher effectively used this tool to teach SESE effectively.
Following the 6 SSE steps when implementing something new really helps guide the implementation and helps embed the change.
-
Hi Jacqui,
I have been a huge advocate for the Digital Learning Framework since it’s inception. It has allowed us to plan for digital technology integration in a meaningful way and aligned it to the priorities of the school from a management point of view. The work you have managed to do with Minecraft for Education sounds excellent. I love the approach of having the 6th class students act as mentors for the infants. Both groups of students benefit so much from this, and it can build a great spirit around the school.
-
-
Different ways I can use digital technology to enhance learning are: Using presentation platforms such as PowerPoint (or sway) with audio, picture and text will bring interest to a topic, Having a blog will allow parents to see what’s going on, digital technology can be used to access a wider range of books (online libraries as well as paid subscriptions), Teams will help teacher collaboration of resources and ideas, one note will help with student collaboration during project work. Forms will allow me to assess the children and evaluate record and monitor their results quickly and effectively.
Upon completion of SSE in our school we identified Maths as an area of improvement. We created a Maths team and I was on this. I feel I have gained knowledge on this course that would have helped us at the time, and will help in future evaluations.
During Croke Park hours; teachers could split into year groups and use one note as a whiteboard for reflective enquiry. This is a great way to collaborate and the facilitators can combine the notes and share and use these to identify commonalities. For example if 6th class are struggling to grasp decimals and 5th class are struggling with fractions you could identify that these issues could be linked.
Gathering evidence from a variety of sources: We were mostly using Drumcondra testing as evidence. However now I can see that forms would be a great additional way of gathering evidence. You could set up tests for each class to identify specific areas that need improving also. What would be great about this is you could continue to test and evaluate more frequently to see where improvements are being made and where further info is needed. These forms are pre graded also and the data is collected for you and can go into a presentation easily. This would make it so quick and easy to continually monitor, evaluate and identify.
By developing my use of technology it will allow the school to use different technologies to collaborate and gather evidence for SSE.
-
There are so many ways digital technology can be used to enhance students learning. When we had to teach remotely, teachers had to come up with more ways of engaging children, as we could no longer stand in front of our class and teach them!
I signed my class up to IXL, both in Maths and in Literacy and assigned different topics and skills within a given timeframe. It was great for differentiation as well, because less able students were able to work at a lower class level and higher achieving students could work on the level above. I could leave comments for students and see how much they were engaging with the two subjects. I discovered loom, which I thought was fantastic for explaining how to do something brand-new and it also gave my students a chance to hear my lovely voice! I also used loom like a tutorial for parents, to explain how to sign up for a given website, Oxford Reading tree for example. I used nearpod to create lessons which my class really loved.
At a whole school level, all staff engaged with seesaw which was completely new to all of us. During lockdown, we were having weekly staff meetings via zoom and feeding back to staff on what we were doing. Since we’ve gone back to school, the main impact my development of using digital technology is that all classes, from Junior Infants to 6th, now have IXL accounts for both Maths and Literacy.
I am excited to share what I’ve learnt on this course with staff for the coming school year.
-
Module Four
The benefits of using digital technology in the classroom are huge. It encourages students to be more engaged and it allows accessibility for all students. Working in SEN there are a lot of students who would not be able to engage with the curriculum fully without digital technology.
As a school we are currently reviewing how digital technology is used in our school and how can improve. Having a dedicated team to take responsibility for assessing the current digital framework is important as otherwise targets may not be achieved. Many staff meetings have involved discussion around how best to employ digital technology in a way that would be beneficial for staff and students. Which domain to use and what resources are needed are important considerations, but staff development is key. Investment into buying technology in schools often leads to resources that could be of great benefit to students and staff but unfortunately not being utilised properly due to lack of knowledge on how to best use this technology.-
Hi Karen,
The fact that your school has prioritised digital technologies and is seeking to put a plan in place to get the most of them is an important first step that really puts you on the road to success. Having a dedicated team is crucial, as it is too vast an area for just one person to be driving. This will also help keep the message consistent and ensure that it is multiple people pulling towards certain tools, rather than just one. In many ways we can be ‘sheep’ in schools – the more people we have travelling in a particular direction the more likely we are to increase the numbers following.
-
-
The use of digital technologies has a number for benefits for both staff and students and the wider school community.
Using technology and applications such as onenote, sway and forms makes learning more accessible for all. Technology provides a great revision tool and quick assessment of learning.
Teachers can use technology to organise notes and lessons. These can be saved , edited and shared with other staff members. Technology helps staff work on collaborative documents and makes recording keeping and assessment very consistent.
Digital technology like forms can help in SSE process for gathering evidence. Simple questionaire sent to all families or pupils help to show what areas we need to improve on.
Digitial technology can help SSE process among staff with sharing the findings and implementing the plan.
THe Digital learning framework also sets out how teaching and learning and leadership and management can benefit from and use technolgy to improve school.
The teacehrs individual practice is something that we need to try improve and ensure our teaching is accessible to all by including technology.
By using techology in our teaching it begins to form a habit and perhaps encourage others to use the same. In particular students with SEN will become familiar with technology and prgammes such as one note and its features. this can be carried through out the school and help others.
Its very important that we are open to new teaching and help others to understand its benefits.
-
Hi Marie,
Thank you for your contribution here. You have listed a huge number of benefits of digital technology integration in classrooms. Your point around how the ‘teacher’s individual practice’ domain is the responsibility of all teachers is an interesting one. While I agree with you, it can often be difficult to get teacher’s to undertake their own CPD / ask questions of others to further their own practice. Work on this domain is probably best done through the provision of structured in-house CPD that focuses on specific elements of practice and attempts to move all teachers from ‘A to B’.
-
-
I think digital technology has a huge part to play in the classroom and can positively shape the learning of the children. There is huge scope for collaboration and group work between the children. The use of technology I feel would bring about a higher level of engagement from the class and also have to potential to make it a memorable experience and fun experience for them. We have seen in our own school there has been an increased by in from parents and students alike since the pandemic and the rise in use of Seesaw and other resources. It would be a big boost to continue to build on this. I feel different technologies also give the teacher potential to reach the different learners within their class. The visual learners may come to the fore and showcase their talents and other learners may grow in confidence with varied resources being utilised
Using school self evaluation is a useful tool to improve the output from the different areas of the school and assess what is working and the areas that need further attention. Looking at digital technology with reference to that may also encourage more staff buy in to use this to its maximum potential. It may help those who may be hesitant or unsure to experiment with it in their classroom and improve their own ability with it.
-
Hi Alan,
One of the key benefits you have listed around the integration of digital technology is the fact that it can create ‘higher levels of engagement’ and ‘memorable learning experiences’. As educators, this is all we can hope to provide for our students. Your attitude of continuing to build on initial successes is commendable and will certainly steer you on the right path in the years ahead. The key is to try to make incremental improvements and additions to practice each year. The best thing about SSE is that it can be specifically tailored to your school’s needs and allows you to plan for your own interventions and CPD.
-
-
<p class=”MsoNoSpacing”><span style=”color: #163c42; background: white;”>I would consider using Digital Technology in the classroom to enhance students learning</span> and supporting children with special educational needs. Software and apps would be used to support students’ development and help enable inclusion in class and school. There are many educational apps that can be used on different curricular areas targeting different skillsets. <span style=”color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; letter-spacing: .2pt; background: white;”>I would facilitate the use of software in meeting particular learning needs. Software can compensate children with </span>impairments, foster children with special educational needs. Apps can assist children with social and sensory difficulties or children that poor motor skills. There is ample evidence from research that digital technology used correctly facilitates children with additional needs reach their full potential.</p>
<p class=”MsoNoSpacing”><span style=”mso-spacerun: yes;”> </span>With digital technology, there is improved participation and interaction by all pupils. Its helps children develop independence by completing tasks on their own.</p>
<p class=”MsoNoSpacing”></p>
<p class=”MsoNoSpacing”>The primary school curriculum states:</p>
<p class=”MsoNoSpacing”>“Technological skills are increasingly important for advancement in education, work, and leisure. The curriculum integrates ICT into the teaching and learning process and provides children with opportunities to use modern technology to enhance their learning in all subjects.” (Primary School Curriculum, 1999, p. 29)</p>
<p class=”MsoNoSpacing”></p>
<p class=”MsoNoSpacing”>School self-evaluation is a collaborative, inclusive, reflective process involving all the school’s stakeholders. The use <span style=”color: #163c42; background: white;”>school self-evaluation guidelines and the </span>Digital Strategy for Schools handbook would<span style=”color: #163c42; background: white;”> direct and enhance my teaching.</span> I<span style=”color: #163c42; background: white;”> would use </span>ICT as a tool for assessment in gathering evidence from a range of sources in making judgements with a view to bringing about improvements in pupils’ learning. I would use ICT to change the way I teach and how my students learn. Through digital technology I would teach the skills to collaborate and to examine and problem solve. I would facilitate the use digital technology for children to research and analyse information and use ICT resources to communicate their ideas and to share what they create with others.</p>
<p class=”MsoNoSpacing”></p>
<p class=”MsoNoSpacing”>Through my <span style=”color: #163c42; background: white;”>own use of Digital Technology</span> the positive impact it would have at school level would be to:</p>
<p class=”MsoNoSpacing”>Inform teachers about pupils’ progress: strengths and needs</p>
<p class=”MsoNoSpacing”>Inform parents about their child’s progress</p>
<p class=”MsoNoSpacing”>To inform teacher about their teaching strategies and differentiation relating to instruction, activities and exercises and what changes or adaptions to make</p>
<p class=”MsoNoSpacing”>Identify pupils who have learning difficulties</p>
<p class=”MsoNoSpacing”>To monitor the school’s progress from year to year</p>
<p class=”MsoNoSpacing”><span style=”mso-bidi-font-style: italic;”>To show how digital technology can be used for measure advancement. </span></p>
<p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%;”><span style=”font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%; font-family: ‘Times New Roman’,serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;”> </span></p>
<p class=”MsoNoSpacing”></p> -
Digital technology is becoming more and more prevalent in the classroom and its importance cannot be overstated. I am a firm believer that technology can improve the learning that occurs in the classroom and there is scope to use it for all areas of the curriculum. I use my class Dojo in the classroom which the children love. They love being rewarded for good work and behaviour. I also use iPad’s in the classroom. We use the app Kahoot to do quizzes as a form of assessment at the end of a particular topic. Youtube is also invaluable to us for movement breaks throughout the day to give the children a break from their work.
Self-evaluation at the school is essential for reflection, acquiring data, and making adjustments. With the aid of technology, it is possible to readily share information with colleagues, preserve records, and conveniently follow these instructions and actions. This enables everyone to reflect and select an area for improvement. Increasing your own usage of digital technology can have an impact at the school level since instructors may study and utilize several programs while at the school, and then staff meetings may discuss the advantages of each. All teachers can benefit greatly from this.-
Hi Owen,
Thank you for your contribution here and for outlining your use of many different educational apps and websites in the classroom. You have really painted the picture of technology being used to improve the learning experience of the pupils in your class. YouTube is a powerful educational resource that often gets a bad reputation – the advertisments that can pop up are often inappropriate and this can turn people off using it in the classroom. However, by simply putting a ‘-‘ (dash) between the ‘t’ and the ‘u’ in ‘youtube’, any video will play in full screen with no advertisements.
-
-
<span style=”font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: Georgia, serif; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;”>I think digital technology should be incorporated into the classroom as much as possible. We are moving forwards in terms of technology. A lot of jobs will be IT based in the future and we need to expose children to technology at an early age and its possibilities. By using digital technology in the classroom and encouraging children to use it at home we are also preparing children for success in further education. It also allows teachers to listen to recordings of the children, give them feedback. I think it also helps parents to see how their children are getting on and they can see their child’s work such as projects etc. We can apply SSE guidelines everyday by self-reflecting and up skilling. It is our duty to self-reflect really and question what is working and what could be improved. I think for me to develop and encourage my own use of digital technology would provide me with more knowledge that I can share with my colleagues as I appreciate them sharing tips with me. I intend to share some of the new information I have learned on this course with them. The most invaluable information I have gained has been from colleagues so I would like to share with them particularly in relation to technology</span>
-
Module 4
<p class=”MsoNormal”><span style=”font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: ‘Arial’,sans-serif; color: #163c42; background: white;”>Digital technology can be used by children of all ages to enhance student learning, the children we are now teaching are surrounded by technology on a daily basis so it is important that we embrace this and allow them to develop and showcase these skills at school. I feel that at times we as teachers can be afraid of technology where as the children get stuck in and love when they are using technology as a learning tool. With my Junior Infants I often use Digital Technology for Oral Language where the children record presentations and then we look at thing such as body language, eye contact, delivery of message. They love watching themselves and their peers and it is a great methods of assessment as recordings can be compared throughout the year and you can see how the children have grown in confidence. </span></p>
<p class=”MsoNormal”><span style=”font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: ‘Arial’,sans-serif; color: #163c42; background: white;”>For school self evaluation it is very important that we are always seen to be willing to introduce new methods in our teaching styles. I feel that for SSE in our school we should ensure that for the curriculum area under review we include ways that digital technology could be used in all classes and also as a staff what ways we will communicate and shares ideas and resources.</span></p> -
Consider how you can use Digital Technology in your classroom to enhance students learning?
You can use Digital Technology in the classroom using a variety of ways to enhance students learning. Digital Technology is such a broad term therefore can be adapted to each classroom/student/teacher/school.
With planning and creativity, Digital Technology can be used to create meaningful learning experiences which will serve both students and teachers well. Technology has a role to play as a powerful teaching tool. Flip the classroom and let your students be the teachers.
How can you now apply School Self Evaluation Guidelines to your teaching? What impact can developing your own use of Digital Technology have at school level?
You can base the whole SSE model on your Digital Technologies within the school. You can focus your attention using the model to base the evaluations on your use as a teacher using Digital Technology to teach. It could be based on how well it provides as a scaffold to children while teaching and learning is taking place or you can base it on how children use Digital Technology for assessment and how effective a tool it can be for classroom based assessment, peer assessment or self assessment.
These avenues can all be focused on within the SSE framework and therefore renewed and refreshed in a positive direction
-
Hi Claire,
You are right to refer to the use of digital technologies as a ‘scaffold’ for learning in some cases. For those with SEN, this is particularly true. In terms of SSE, you could certainly look at how digital technologies are being used to promote accessilbility and inclusion within the classroom. This would be a very beneficial focus, and quite specific. It would tie in neatly with the domains of ‘learner experiences’ and ‘teacher’s individual practice’.
-
-
I have found Digital technologies to be a great tool to motivate and engage pupils in my class. In the classroom we use digital technology to create short movies. The process of creating movies incorporates many different strands and skills from the primary school curriculum. The pupils engage in creative writing, construction of props, drama, creating the music for the movies, editing, peer evaluation to name but a few. They pupils love the opportunity to use the different digital technologies.
The School Self Evaluation guidelines have helped me to reflect on my practice and how I can more effectively use technology in my classroom. I think it is important to start out with attainable targets through picking Statements of Effective Practice. Over the course of a year if I feel I have achieved these targets I will try to move on the Statements of Highly Effective Practice.
At a school level we try come together regularly during Croke Park hours to share approaches that have worked well for us. In the past I have shared the process of how we make movies in the classroom. I have benefitted greatly from discussing the approaches I have used and learning from what other teachers have found effective. This collaboration is an invaluable opportunity to share and improve teaching and learning in a school.
-
Hi Brendan,
Thank you for sharing your experiences of using digital technologies for the creation of short movies and digital storytelling. I have used tablets for digital storytelling (Adobe Spark) in the junior classes and found that it made teaching the narrative genre so much easier. Being able to orally voice over and act out their illustrations was such a game-changer. It’s possible to go even further in the senior classes and the Fís Film Project is a great initiative to get involved with if you had the time. The use of Croke Park hours in your school seems to be really pro-active and beneficial for staff development.
-
-
At present the main use of digital technology in my classroom is the use of the smart board. Due to government restrictions our computer room was not in use. However, from September it will be back up and running fully. We will also be getting a new set of iPads for the school which I am very excited about. In the coming year my use of digital technology will hugely increase in my classroom. I will use the iPads on a weekly basis. The children will visit the computer room, also on a weekly basis and without government restrictions, the children will also be more involved in the use of the smart board in the classroom on a daily basis.
I can apply the school self evaluation guidelines to my own teaching by ensuring I keep checklists, complete questionnaires, reflection sheets and observation templates and use these to reflect on the teaching and learning in my class and make improvements where necessary.
Developing my own use of digital technology allows me to gain confidence in using it myself before bringing it into the classroom. It can also allow me to share my experience with colleagues who may not be as confident using technology.
-
In the last couple of years, our school like most others have increased our level of Digital technology use both on a whole school and individual class level. Each student has their own google account, and we have invested in Chromebooks for staff and pupils. Previous to the pandemic we had started using Google suite for education as a staff and had upgraded our interactive whiteboards.
Getting the resources in is great, but the next challenge is about ingagement from both staff and students alike. Using the Digital learning policy and SSE in tandem would be great to focus attention on the area and develop a whole school approach to the issue.
Its very helpful to focus on one section of the the looking at our school document at a time as it’s daunting to try and take it on altogether! Using DT is useful when trying to identify areas of need, gather, collate and present evidence, and communicate the approach that is needed to address it. Tools such as One Note could be very useful here. All relelvant stakeholders can play an active part in composing the plan and will be able to share easily with eachother.
As we move ever faster towards a more digital school and work environmnet, it’s vital that the classroom reflects this. The tools and resources are endless. The students can interact with new apps to research and present projects, teachers can plan for lessons and be really specific when differentiating for the different levels in their classrooms. Schools can adopt whole school approaches more efficiently with the new technology that’s available. We were thrust into this digital way of life recently and it is important that we embrace this and ensure we keep up to date.
<span style=”color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;”>How can you now apply School Self Evaluation Guidelines to your teaching? What impact can developing your own use of Digital Technology have at school level (SSE)? Post a reflective piece (150 words minimum) as a reply to this post.</span>
-
SSE involves gathering evidence from a number of sources. You could set assignments on one note, check for comprehension using forms and identify areas for improvement in real time using quizzes and polls. This can inform differentiation and whether a topic needs to be retaught or the class or small grouping can move on.
School Self Evaluation guidelines can be applied using digital learning. I will be working in SET next year. Between us, myself and the other teachers working with individual children will be able to collaborate on, and edit in our own time, Student Support Files. Team teaching Plans will also be edited in the same way.
I will endeavor to use digital technology ,ore to plan my schemes of work. Gathering evidence can easily be done using OneNote to keep track of pupils’ progress. I will be able to analyse and correct this and give meaningful feedback to children and their parents.
All this information can be shared with other teachers, this can help to identify whole school/whole class targets. This in turn will help to refocus teachers on their own targets.
I aim to make much more use of digital technology, particularly the 365 suite in the coming years. This will help me with my planning, improving and focussing schemes of work for the pupils under my care.
-
I choose the skill of self regulation for my lesson. This is a vital skill to learn and can be a challenge for many of my pupils as they have moderate to severe intellectual disabilities. Today we focus on turn taking. Each of the children is tasked with using a smart switch to activate a cause and effect activity online. This is a paired activity and in preparation for it the children can watch the sway created on turn taking. Page one consists of a social story reflecting the importance of turn taking and page two share a link to the popular picture book Sharing a Shell. The the children each have a turn at pressing the switch. One child is presented with switch and other is given a timer which can help him/her to wait for his/her turn. They then alternate and repeat the steps. This activity is repeated over the course of a week and then altered to teach the same skill using different materials over the course of the school term.
-
<p class=”MsoNormal” style=”margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: Cambria; color: #000000;”><span style=”font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica; color: #163c42; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;”>Digital Technology in the classroom is of vital importance. Digital Learning in a classroom setting is vital to enhance students learning. Digital Technology provides teachers with with the tools and resources both in and out of the classroom to enhance student learning in many ways. Digital Technology creates a collaborative student learning environment in creating new knowledge, reflecting on what they are learning/have learnt, and to work together to achieve deeper understanding of course topics.</span> <span style=”font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica; color: #163c42; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;”>School self evaluation guidelines offer practical supports to schools to identify and affirm good practice but also more importantly highlight areas for improvement. The six SSE steps mentioned in this module provide a cyclical and continuous guide to improving learning.</span><span style=”font-size: 10pt; font-family: ‘Times New Roman’;”> I</span><span style=”font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica; color: #163c42; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;”>n my school, I certainly feel that the school self-evaluation guidelines would be very beneficial.. We all have a very different relationship with technology. Some people struggle greatly to grasp it. This would therefore require a leadership figure in the school to familiarise themselves fully with these guidelines so other staff members can follow.</span></p>
-
Digital Technology provides teachers with with the tools and resources both in and out of the classroom to enhance student learning in many ways. Digital Technology creates a collaborative student learning environment in creating new knowledge, reflecting on what they are learning/have learned, and to work together to achieve deeper understanding of course topics.
This was my first year using Google Docs with my class and I found them invaluable, the resources available and the way children worked independently and collaboratively really enhanced their learning. Since Remote Learning I have found myself using a lot more Digital Technology in the class and I have found the children enjoy it a lot more in comparison to the traditional teaching.
School Self Evaluation comes down to the individual school taking ownership of their own development. I believe that Microsoft 365 can and should be used by the whole school not only in our classrooms, but outside the classroom setting for meetings and possibly Croke Park hours too. The Teams app is incredibly useful and user friendly and would allow staff members who don’t live in the local area to attend meetings without asking them to travel too far.
-
Hi Declan,
You’ve hit the nail on the head by saying that SSE revolves around ‘the individual school taking ownership of their own development’. This is both a good and bad thing. SSE allows you the autonomy of picking a specific area that will benefit your school but also places a responsibility of the staff and management of the school to implement the plan. The use of Croke Park hours are very important – those who are inventive and design innovative ways of looking at the SSE process can definitely have more success.
-
-
I can see how digital technology can be used to enhance students learning from what we have learned so far. It shows how teaching can be a fun and interactive process, using both visual, audio and text-based learning. This school self-evaluation model will be very helpful in seeing where the school is in relation to my new role in learning support. We will use a forms questionnaire to identify where the students are in relation to using digital technology in their learning. We will identify where they are in relation to the new learning tools which we can use after completing this course such as OneNote, Notebook, Forms, OneDrive, and Sway. We can use forms to identify how many of them have used these apps before, analyse the results and decide how to provide more opportunities or training to bring them into their everyday learning. We can assess how students are taught across a range of curriculum areas, including literacy and numeracy and how best to use ICT to improve their learning. We can use this information to share it with the students and other learning support staff.
We can set up a digital learning team and use the digital learning framework to assess where the school is in terms of digital learning. After consultation with the digital learning team and students implement the digital learning plan and then send the same or similar forms questionnaire around each month to see how the students are using the digital technology and hopefully the results will be improving every month from here on. The forms results will provide a good tracking mechanism for monitoring actions and evaluating its impact.
-
<p class=”MsoNormal”><span style=”font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: ‘Arial’,sans-serif; color: #163c42; background: white;”>Digital Technology can be used in so many ways to enhance students learning. In today’s world, the children we teach are very capable of finding and using information. I think that remote learning and teaching during the Pandemic really threw a spotlight on how much it can enhance learning. Our pupils live in a digital world and we should embrace that in our classrooms. Resources such as online books, interactive lessons and presentations help our children to learn information in a stimulating manner. Resources such as bookcreator, powerpoint, Sway and word help them to create content and to show<span style=”mso-spacerun: yes;”> </span>learning to others. Use of IT can make assessment accessible for children who struggle with the traditional read and answer tests. Since we embraced using the DLF in our school we have seen more engagement from our pupils and it is obvious that there is a more effective learning environment happening. </span></p>
<p class=”MsoNormal”><span style=”font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: ‘Arial’,sans-serif; color: #163c42; background: white;”>I think as teachers we always reflect on what we did during our day, and thought about what we could have done better or how we could have been more effective. The SSE guidelines is a step further. We have a guideline on how to do this and also how to do this together. Teaching can be quite lonely, and we rarely get to see how anyone else does something because we are in our rooms all the time. SSE gives us a chance as a staff to reflect together and to collaborate on certain approaches and methodologies and then to reflect again and gain ideas and perspectives. At the moment, we are working on wellbeing in our school. Taking part in SSE has given us a chance to really work together and for me to improve my teaching through discussion and also through building confidence to try new things together. The 6 steps can be approached as a staff, but I think also informally as an individual teacher looking to enhance her teaching.</span></p>
<p class=”MsoNormal”><span style=”font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: ‘Arial’,sans-serif; color: #163c42; background: white;”>I think that our own confidence in in using Digital Technologies is a vital first step to having an impact at school level. We were taught in college about how to teach the various subjects – but not digital technologies… some of us didn’t go to college when there was Digital Technologies! So in order to embed it in our teaching and our children’s learning, we must be comfortable with it first. However, if we embrace it, I believe that we can have a great impact at school level. The tools we have become familiar with on this course are a great step forward to enhancing organisation in school (Teams, calendar, Onenote, etc) and also at class level with our pupils to help enhance their learning.</span></p> -
Digital Technology holds an important place in my classroom and school setting (special school). Many of our students use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) apps such as Proloquo2go and Snap Core as their communication. As teachers we need to be able to troubleshoot these apps quickly as they are often the child’s only way to communicate. These apps need to be updated regularly with new pictures and content relevant to the child’s learning. We also use learning apps such as Rainbow sentences and Articulation Station for SLT goals. Again, we need to be able to navigate these apps to teach students their goals. We also use Boom, an app where we create flashcard type resource. Some students who enjoy learning from technology respond really well to this type of platform. In order to be able to use this app we have to set up a student account, design cards and monitor the student’s progress. When applying SSE into my practice digital technology provides me with many platforms to self-reflect whether it be typed, audio or video. Having my own self reflection saved onto a device means it is easily accessible to me and also easily editable.
-
In todays every advancing digital world I feel that it is imperative as educators that we engage in this process and bring the digital world inside the four walls of our classrooms. Many children today have a wealth of knowledge and interest in all things digital and many of these children become even more engaged in the lesson when we make the lesson interactive or add a digital element/resource to the lesson. Technology can be used in all subject areas and with children of all ages and abilities, in fact in many cases it can challenge children better within their zone of proximal development enabling them to compete against themselves and improve without the concerns that their peers may see their mistakes.
I feel that it is vital that digital technologies are included in the school self-evaluation process. The reason why I chose this course this year was to enhance my knowledge in the digital world so I can take what I have learned back to my school and share the knowledge with my colleagues. Assigning Croke Park hours to allow staff to share their knowledge of digital technologies and allowing a few weeks to implement what we have learned, and then re-evaluate is essential to our progression as a school in the effective implementation of digital technologies in our classrooms.
-
Hi Caolan,
Thank you for your post. You have mentioned the importance of bringing the digital world into the four corners of the classroom. Digital tools also enable us to bring the four walls of the classroom to any corner of the world. As you have said, technology has the potential to be both an extra challenge for students and an extra accessibility tool for others. It allows everyone to work within their own ZPD. If prioritised for SSE, it can lead to huge improvements around the school. A shift in mindset is required by some teachers who are not willing to fully engage in their use. SSE is a process which can push more people towards integrating digital tools.
-
-
Digital technology can be used in a variety of ways to encourage children to collaborate and develop research skills. This can be done in an engaging and fun way for the class. In SET we use iPads once a week to encourage children to participate in interactive games to develop literacy skills and topics that we are focusing on that week. We even find that students often want to download these apps at home to read themselves which is a key element of developing confidence and fluency. In our school we have a Digital Learning Team who have established timetables for shared access to iPads and lists of suggested websites and apps that are suited to each class level. We also hold a yearly DL day where activities are set up by our DLT and awareness is raised of online safety.
The SSE guidelines are there to encourage all members of the school community to work together with outlined goals. It gives us set targets to focus on with our classes. I can also reflect on my teaching through collaboration with other staff members about how the DLF is being integrated into my daily teaching and take suggestions from others.
By developing my own use of digital technology, I can be helpful to others who may not be familiar with certain areas of DL. These skills can be shared for organisation of files and documents, whilst also looking at ways in which we as a staff might upskill on areas such as Microsoft 365. Some of the things I have learnt on this course could definitely be shared with colleagues in September.
-
<span style=”color: #163c42; font-family: ‘Hind Madurai’, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;”>Consider how you can use Digital Technology in your classroom to enhance students learning? How can you now apply School Self Evaluation Guidelines to your teaching? What impact can developing your own use of Digital Technology have at school level (SSE)? Post a reflective piece (150 words minimum) as a reply to this post.</span>
I would have considered that I use Digital Technology on a regular basis in my classroom with the students getting access to a variety of different types of work including teacher lead individualised programmes such as Spellings for Me, collaboration on project and research work and presentation of their work. I realise however following the first four modules of this course that there are many more possibilities particularly in the area of Microsoft 365 which is something which I would like to see included as a tool for senior classes going forward.
What I found very interesting in this module, as the teacher with responsibility for ICT in my school, was the reference to an ICT team and the role of individual teachers and shared responsibility. I think an ICT team would bring invaluable resources to a school and also would greatly enhance school SSE outcomes in a school, with input from teachers of various class levels within the school community. This is definitely a suggestion I will be making in the coming year to improve outcomes in our school.
On a personal level, I realise the importance on regularly referring to the Digital Learning Framework to ensure that best practice is being observed within my classroom. I also think that there is a lot of very useful information in this course which would be very valuable to share with the whole school staff during a Croke Park hour in the coming school year to improve the whole school approach to ICT and to work towards highly effective practice as a team.
-
<p class=”MsoNormal”>Digital Technology</p>
<p class=”MsoNormal”>Digital Technology within my current classroom setting can be somewhat of a challenge to implement and use effectively.<span style=”mso-spacerun: yes;”> </span>While there are many benefits to some, there are definite difficulties that arise within an ASD special class.</p>
<p class=”MsoNormal”>Many of the children become extremely distracted or over stimulated when technology is used.<span style=”mso-spacerun: yes;”> </span>Particularly if visuals or sound is being used with some but not all, which regularly happens.</p>
<p class=”MsoNormal”>For this reason, I sometimes use the IWB or videos as a whole group lesson or as a reward.</p>
<p class=”MsoNormal”>Individual use of laptops or Ipads is also often held for special times of the day or as a choice activity.</p>
<p class=”MsoNormal”>What I have found to be beneficial is using Technology to work on emotions or feelings, or also as a visual to stories I read in class.<span style=”mso-spacerun: yes;”> </span>It is particularly helpful if I can find a song or activities based on stories we are reading.</p>
<p class=”MsoNormal”>SSE</p>
<p class=”MsoNormal”>Checklists and Interviews are regularly used in my classroom for Self evaluation.<span style=”mso-spacerun: yes;”> </span>I will try to record a student interviews as I think the children I teach may enjoy seeing themselves talking to the teacher.<span style=”mso-spacerun: yes;”> </span>It would be a great way for them to remember their goals and achievements also.</p>
<p class=”MsoNormal”>Personal Growth</p>
<p class=”MsoNormal”>My own ICT skills are something that I certainly need to improve.</p>
<p class=”MsoNormal”>Working with very young children and children with additional needs doesn’t always allow me to practice my skills.<span style=”mso-spacerun: yes;”> </span>While I do see the value in Digital Technology, I have also seen a deterioration in young children’s eye contact, speech and communication, and fine motor skills.<span style=”mso-spacerun: yes;”> </span>Many children no longer have hard copy books in their homes and for these reasons I am sometimes hesitant to spend too much time using technology within the classroom.</p>-
Hi Jen,
I think it’s importance that we acknowledge the difficulties of incorporating digital technologies, especially in the challenging context of a special class. When using the iPads, there is a great in-built feature from Apple called ‘Guided Access’. This means that a child cannot exist an app that you have entered them into without entering a password. This is useful if you are working with multiple children or if you get called away to something else in the classroom. A simple YouTube video will show you how to enable this. The uses you have provided for the iPads and other devices in your post are excellent and capable of providing enriching learning experiences.
-
-
The implementation of these technologies in the classroom could help to support assessment and evaluation in more meaningful ways. Students are often dependent on instant gratification from their digital interactions, so implementing these technologies in the classroom, offers teachers ways of quickly connecting with students work and offering timely support; further helping support planning and preparation for future lessons/topics. Engaging students can be a tricky task at times, so introducing classroom content/information in new and exciting ways, through technologies that they may already be comfortable using or may want to become comfortable using will help to support their active participation in lessons. As teachers, it is important for us to keep up to date with how to best support our students and the use of technology in the classroom will certainly help us in doing so, while furthering our own personal knowledge/capabilities in this area.
I think all of this then feeds back into SSE within the school and through the use of technology, allows schools to access, share and act on information collected in more meaningful ways. With full access, staff are able to immediately feed back into their teaching and support learning across the school.
-
Digital Technology
Digital technology within my current classroom setting can be somewhat of a challenge to implement and use effectively.
While there are many benefits to some, there are definite difficulties within an ASD special class for young children.
Many of the children become extremely distracted or overstimulated when technology is used. Particularly when being used with only a portion of the children in the class as sounds and visuals can be very distracting. For this reason I ttend to use the IWB or videos as whole group lessons or as a reward activity. Individual use of laptops or ipads is often kept for choice activities or special times in the day.
I have found that technology is beneficial for teaching emotions or feelings, or also as a visual for stories I have read in class.
SSE- Checklists and Interviews are regularly used for self evaluation. In future I think I will try to record a students interview as I think the children in my class would enjoy seeing themselves in a video talking to the teacher. It would be a great way for them to remember their goals and achievements.
Personal Growth- My own ICT skills are something that I am working to address. Working with very young children does not always allow me the time at work to develop my ICT skills. Now that my own children are older, I feel I have more time to give to this area.
-
The school I am teaching in has been excellent for placing an emphasis on Digital technology. We recently renovated our computer room and got Ipads for classroom use. These were introduced on a trial measure, to see if we would expand the number we have. Since learning from home was introduced there has been a greater emphasis on digital learning. This is something that we as teachers can use to our advantage. Knowing the various platforms that are out there is the first step. Being confident and competent to use it is the next. Children grow up using technology every day and this is something we have to keep up with and use.
If I find something that has worked well in the classroom, I would happily use the SSE to try and bring it in on the whole school level. Our school is very open to using digital learning and they have been very supportive of it. There is one teacher that takes on the majority of IT in the school, but if there was a team that were together on a similar level, this would be better to try and bring something through to a whole school level.
-
<p style=”margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 100%; orphans: 2; widows: 2;” align=”left”>The benefits of digital technology in schools for both teachers and learners are enormous. There is a symbiotic relationship that allows both parties to benefit from the inclusion and development of ICT in classrooms. Digital technology offers rich learning opportunities to pupils through a variety of ways. It also ensures consistency and continuity with the home learning environment. Using the SSE guidelines helps practitioners to focus on their methodologies and assess targets. Have they been reached, what worked and what needs to be improved going forward? This links hand in hand with digital technology as it is the most efficient, secure and accurate way to generate questions, gather evidenced and organise and disseminate data. Just as the digital learning framework suggests, we as teachers must be confident in the use of ICT if the children we teach are to be comfortable and confident using it. We must embed it in our teaching and assessment strategies.</p>
-
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.