11 October 2019
By Byran Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Pictured speaking is Cllr Christopher O’Sullivan, Mayor of Cork County, at the Digital Innovation event with Microsoft and Wriggle, at Kinsale College of Further Education, Kinsale, Co. Cork.
Picture: Jim Coughlan.
St. Brogans College and Kinsale College of Further Education have rolled out new cutting-edge technology for teaching and learning
St. Brogans College and Kinsale College of Further Education, which are under the auspices of Cork Education and Training Board (CETB), this week hosted Digital Innovation events on their campuses. A range of digital technologies that are being rolled out for students, in collaboration with Microsoft and Wriggle, were showcased at the events.
The rollout, which was support by CETB, came about in response to the Digital Learning Framework (2018/2019) which was launched by the Department of Education and Skills with the aim of helping schools to progress the journey of embedding digital technologies in to teaching and assessment.
In order to enhance opportunities for learning, teaching and assessment, teachers in St. Brogans College and Kinsale College of Further Education were provided with Microsoft ‘Surface Go’ tablet devices to enable them to record and expand lessons. The teachers received training as part of the programme and the new devices enable teachers to make lessons more accessible and inclusive.
Commenting on the introduction of the ‘Surface Go’ devices, Liz Moynihan, Director of Kinsale College of Further Education said: “Blackboards, chalk and dusters have been a thing of the past for a long time in Irish classrooms. Electronic whiteboards are a common sight at all levels of education now, and teachers have since embraced the potential of that technology to bring the whole world into the classroom. At Kinsale College, educational technology has just been stepped up to a whole new level and we are delighted to be the first College of Further Education in Munster to adopt the new programme.”
At the launch event, Wriggle Ireland provided training and demonstrations with the innovative new digital tools to attendees in the specially designed Wriggle Technology Bus.
Derry O’Donovan, Deputy Principal of St. Brogans College in Bandon added: “This is a great start to St. Brogan’s Colleges’ digital journey and we want to take this opportunity to thank all those who have and will continue to support, guide, advise and help us on the journey – Cork ETB, Microsoft Ireland and Wriggle. We also want to take the opportunity to thank our IT co-ordinator Mr. Brian O’Mahony whose knowledge and hard work have brought us this far, our amazing staff who embrace all innovation in the interests of their students, and of course our amazing students.”
Kinsale College is the first College of Further Education in Munster to roll out the range of Microsoft digital technologies. In St. Brogan’s College, the new devices will assist Junior Cycle Students that will receive a qualification in IT next year for the first time.
Pictured in the Wriggle Roadcaster are, Cllr Christopher O’Sullivan, Mayor of County Cork and his aunt, Nodlag O’Connell, Kinsale and Adam Close, Wriggle Roadcastrer Manager, at the Digital Innovation event with Microsoft and Wriggle, at Kinsale College of Further Education, Kinsale, Co. Cork.
Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Pictured are, Denis Leamy, Chief Executive Cork ETB, Paddy Duggan, Chairperson St. Brogan’s College Board of Management, Derry O’Donovan, Deputy Principal St. Brogan’s College and Helen Cadogan, Principal St. Brogan’s College, at the St. Brogan’s College Digital Innovation event with Microsoft and Wriggle, at St. Brogan’s College, Kilbrogan, Bandon, Co. Cork.
Picture: Jim Coughlan.
Pictured in the Wriggle Roadcaster are, Adam Close, Wriggle Roadscater Manager, students Edvardas Brazauskas and Sean Kiely, at the St. Brogan’s College Digital Innovation event with Microsoft and Wriggle, at St. Brogan’s College, Kilbrogan, Bandon, Co. Cork.
Picture: Jim Coughlan.