Projects Update
Integrating the use of innovative technologies in education
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*      May 2009     *

Welcome

As the end of the year draws near we are busy getting ready for our annual iFestival exhibition. We have already received some excellent work and you can view a few of the submissions in this Update. Remember the closing date for entries is Friday the 15th May so you still have a little time to get something ready. In this Update we also have short items on:

iFestival

Quick Tip

LEGO

MLE

Multimedia

Summer Course

Technology Library

Useful Links

iFestival 2009

Are You Ready?

Play Video
 

There are just under two weeks left to get your ICT Projects finished for iFestival 2009. Remember your entries could win you prizes for your school, your Principal and ICT Coordinator, yourself and your pupils.

We are pleased to announce that Nuala Carey from RTE will be our guest at the launch of iFestival on Wednesday 3rd June at 1:30 pm. We are also delighted that children from the Ballymun Music Programme will be performing on the day.

The exhibition will contain comics, 3D designs, digital pictures, photo journals, LEGO robotics and multimedia projects from participating schools. It will provide an opportunity to celebrate all the ICT Projects done by participating teachers and pupils over this year.

The closing date for material is Friday 15th May. Details of entry requirements is available on the second page of the iFestival booklet. Please make sure you have filled in and returned your entry form. You need to do this to have your  name entered in the prize draws, to have your school get credit for the equipment draw and have your pupils get their certificates.

We have updated the top ten iFestival table. Figures are based on LEGO classes that we know are occurring in schools. We have also counted a number of classroom blogs that we are aware of. We will try to keep the table updated as material is submitted so keep any eye on it. Don't forget to send in your entry forms to get credit for your school.

iFestival booklet

iFestival Entry Form

Quick Tip

Many of you are using Tux Paint very successfully with your classes but it can be a little difficult to locate the children's work. You should be able to find their pictures in "C:\Documents and Settings\(user name)\Application Data\TuxPaint\saved\"

LEGO Robotics

We are pleased to announce that the ESB has kindly provided sponsorship for Michael Tully, Director of The Infinity Project (DIT), to run the LEGO Mindstorms pilot programme, which uses the NXT Robot, in a number of Primary Schools to teach about sound, light, decimals, fractions, geometry and other areas of maths and science which are traditionally difficult for pupils to understand.

MLE

This month DISC visited two schools that are using the MLE in Belfast , Holy Family Primary School and Methody. The MLE is currently in operation in over 1200 primary and secondary schools in the North of Ireland. On our visit, we got to meet the teachers and principals of these schools to discuss various ideas and future plans for the pilot. We also got to see the MLE in action and chat with the pupils about it. Since our visit, we have started forming links between schools in the North and South of Ireland. We are planning to develop these links to enable collaboration and communication between teachers and pupils via the MLEs secure online discussion boards, email, video conferencing and chat facilities.
 

Girls from Scoil Mhuire?s Iosaf GNS who won email of the week on the MLE with their teacher Caroline Cawley.

Summer Course

Our summer course is entitled "Classroom ICT Projects". Over the five days the following areas of ICT will be introduced:

• PhotoStory and iMovie/Movie Maker

• Clay animation and Crazy Talk

• WeDo Lego

• Sketchup

• Creating interactive content using Task Magic

Please contact us as soon as possible if you are interested in attending as places are limited.

Course qualifies for E.P.V. Days