Schools Excellence Fund – Digital Clusters

St Mary’s Parish Primary School (Lead) 20205G

Aston Village ETNS 20294I

Scoil na gCailini 16202B

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

STEM education is the future and we wish to put a greater emphasis on this area in our schools by creating a professional learning community of STEM Champions who will be actively engaged in collaborative projects, creating knowledge and sharing best practice with other teachers and the wider school community.

Our digital cluster will work together to create a bank of practical and engaging STEM lessons that can be used in Primary Schools.

We will analyse the impact of this innovative pilot project on both teachers’ and students’ learning using qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (surveys) research methods to assess how and if their skills and attitudes have changed as a result of their participation with a view to spreading our project to other digital clusters, schools nationwide and beyond to Europe through involvement in Erasmus+ projects.

Presentation Secondary School, Castleisland, Co. Kerry 61260U (lead)

Muire Gan Smál Presentation Primary 14952L

Gaelscoil Mhic Easmainn 19631Q

Scoil Íde, Curranes 09938N

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

This project aims to enable the success of girls in STEM through use of progressive methods of interactive teaching and learning methodologies and interactive forms of assessment for learning.

The outcomes of this project include to inspire secondary school students to be STEM role models for the primary schools within the cluster, develop an interest in STEM subjects within the female primary students in the cluster and increase the participation of the primary pupils in STEM subjects on their progression to second level education. The students have been involved in lots of exciting workshops to date including workshops based on 3D printing, creating battery powered cars, and Virtual Reality.

Some cluster schools have also taken part in the Vex Robotics and Discover Primary Science and Maths initiatives. Some students have also had the opportunity to attend the BT Young Scientist Exhibition as well as the iWish Exhibition.

In the coming year, it is envisaged that the project will focus on developing coding and robotics skills amongst students whilst enhancing students attitudes towards STEM.

Coláiste Chiaráin 71840V (lead school)

Croom NS 09306W

Scoil Dean Cussen 20133H

Scoil Íde 18872K

Roxboro 15680J

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

STEM ROOTS is a project that encompasses primary, secondary and third level.

Students and teachers from across the sectors will collaborate to produce group ePortfolios that will showcase STEM development through web design, hardware and software projects.

Firies N.S. 15945T (Lead)

Blennerville N.S. 16898S

Presentation Monastery N.S. 18049G

Murhur N.S. 13540G

Visit the cluster website. (Twitter @kerry_stem)

Brief outline of the project

We are planning and creating a dedicated area in our schools, focusing on the development of STEM.

We are going to incorporate STEM into the school curriculum for various class levels from Junior Infants to Sixth.

It will involve hands on learning and is pupil-driven, using up-to-date technology. Children will become developers, creators and change makers of technology.

Resources will allow for quality, hands-on teaching and learning.

Lucan East Educate Together NS 20303G (Lead school)

Griffeen Valley Educate Together NS 20166w

Esker Educate Together NS 20274C

Kishoge Community College 76152C

Institute of Technology Tallaght

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

For our project we address the skills of coding, planning, designing, creating, problem solving in a STEM project approach using digital resources that promote computational thinking.

By including CPD for teachers we intend to implement these projects in all classes in the primary schools and within the coding/science classes of the secondary school.

With sufficient resources each child should have a hands on experience of planning, designing, creating and programming.

The children will work on theme-based projects of relevance to them and the world around them.

We envisage a progressive, collaborative approach between the schools within the cluster to include primary, secondary and third-level.

This would include regular showcasing events, training events and secondary school transition year students teaching the primary school children.

St Brendan’s Community School 91491L (Lead school)

Gaelscoil na laochra 20461B

St. Brendans Boys School 12370C

Mercy Primary School 03220F

Scoil Naisiunta Osmann 07949I

Crinkhill National School 18267Q

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of project

This project sets out to create a two-way active learning environment through the establishment of a STE(A)M hub for all schools in the midlands.

We want to share our learning and learning experiences with our young community and specifically linking with primary students and teachers.

We as a school, staff, students, IT committee and media team have built an Arduino/Raspberry PI based Weather Station.

Our TY students will assist local schools in building their own separate weather stations.

This will involve an active two-way learning environment where students will present to primary students and staff and develop their presentational and aural skills while foster teaching and learning of the IT and digital content.

We want to create a network of these weather stations so that we can collate all measurements back to our STE(A)M centre here in St. Brendan’s Community School, Birr.

CBS Thurles Secondary School (65450W) (Lead)

Scoil Ailbhe, CBS Primary School (17634M)

Two Mile Borris National School (16211C)

Moycarkey National School (040005G)

Littleton National School (18343G)

Ballycahill National School (01569O)

Gaelscoil Bhríde (19968F)

Holycross National School (18775M)

Visit the cluster website.  (Twitter account – @TippSTEM)

Brief outline of the project

Through participation in the ‘Schools Excellence Fund’ initiative, as a cluster of schools, we are committed to examining the attitudes of our students in relation to the study of STEM subjects, to encouraging higher levels of student engagement and to improving student attainment.

We wish to foster greater interest among the students involved providing them with greater opportunities for inquiry-based learning.

We strive to develop a sense of enjoyment in the study of these subjects. Greater exposure inside and outside the classroom to these areas will provide greater opportunities for our students in the future.

The focus of year one will be to introduce the use of wireless sensor technology to the primary schools in the cluster.

Pasco wireless sensors will be distributed to and rotated between the schools to allow primary pupils to engage in hands-on, practical investigations involving quantities such as motion, pressure, conductivity, pH and many more.

Cork Educate Together Secondary School 68263P (Lead school)

Firhouse Educate Together Secondary School 68307J

Malahide Portmarnock Educate Together Secondary School 68308L

Clonturk Community College 76394D

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

The project sets out to harness the combined enthusiasm and ideas of four new Educate Together Secondary Schools to establish a STEAM initiative to support student learning in ‘physical computing’ and the use of digital technologies.

Each school will create a ‘Maker Space’ or STEAM Room (an interdisciplinary specialist room/space) with the intention of helping our young people to become engaged critical thinkers, active and creative learners.

This will ultimately encourage the meaningful integration of digital technologies across the curriculum being offered in the schools.

It will also give both students and teachers greater confidence in working with technology.

Each of the schools is keen to have a dynamic digital presence that fosters the junior cycle key skills and 21st Century skills necessary for teachers and students to flourish in their world.

Mayfield Community School (lead) 91400F

Scoil Mhuire agus Eoin NS 20497W

St. Killian’s Special School 19410A

St. Mark’s NS 19426P

St. Brendan’s GNS 19427R

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

This project is a digital learning cluster based in the north east of Cork City and aims to develop coding skills among students through the LeCSAL model which stands for Learn-Code-Share-Assess-Learn.

The schools are working in partnership to develop coding skills and share good practice amongst schools using a range of coding and robotics tools such as Beebots, Scratch, Lego We Do, Vex Robotics kits and Raspberry Pi.

The schools are focusing on the Learn and Code elements this year and aim to develop ways to share their learning in the coming year.

The project aims to develop positive attitudes amongst students towards STEM and computing subjects.

They are holding a showcase of their learning at Mayfield Community School in May.

Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada, Lucan, Co. Dublin, 20223I (Lead)

Gaelscoil na Camóige

Gaelscoil Naomh Pádraig

Scoil Cearbhaill Uí Dhálaigh

Gaelscoil Uí Fhiaich

Scoil Uí Riada

Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

Use a range of computational materials (e.g. Lego Education We Do 2.0 materials) to develop teachers & students computational thinking skills in six Gaelscoileanna from 3rd to 6th class.

Develop constructionist and inquiry-based pedagogies among participating teachers, using the Digital Strategy for Schools, STEM Implementation Plan 2017 – 2019 and the Digital Learning Framework as reference.

To develop a sustainable and scalable community of practice which embeds the use of a range of digital technologies for teaching, learning and assessment across the cluster schools initially and broadening out to the wider community of Irish Primary Gaelscoileanna nationwide.

Form strong links with the DCU Institute of Education, in particular the School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies, the DCU Lego Education Innovation Studio and the Irish SME STEM Solutions to develop a model of continuous support and professional learning for the participating schools in the cluster.

Scaffold the schools in the cluster to build expertise in a sustainable manner by developing a peer mentoring framework (e.g. extend the participating teachers from 12 in year 1, to 24 in year 2 and 48 in year 3). These teachers in turn could then support other teachers in other schools which ensures scalability.

Develop an accreditation framework with DCU for the participating teachers in the cluster (Postgraduate Certificate / Diploma Programme).

Produce case studies to illustrate constructionist and inquiry-based pedagogies which embed the creative use of digital technologies “in action”.

Develop and publish curriculum packs and materials developed across the cluster with support from DCU and STEM Solutions which can be distributed and made available to all Gaelscoileanna and in time, English medium primary schools.

Togher N.S. 17281F (Lead school)

Cappabue N.S. 17011W

Drinagh N.S. 19918N

Dept. of Computer Science U.C.C.

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

We intend to carry out a comprehensive study on the introduction and innovative use of educational robotics and coding to enhance the teaching and learning in primary schools.

We are confident that the introduction of educational robots will provide different sets of pedagogical activities designed to develop multiple competencies of the students.

We hope to develop an educational environment, integrating educational robotics and coding for the exploration and learning of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths concepts while also integrating these skills in order to solve everyday problems.

We hope to enhance the language skills of children but introducing them to visual block programming.

Visual block programming allows children to easily create their own personally meaningful interactive content.

These competencies are developed through the design, construction, programming, debugging and testing of physical systems built with different types of materials and controlled by a computer.

We intend demonstrating the innovative use of digital technologies in teaching, learning and assessment, through our cluster and embed ICT to enhance the overall quality of Irish education

Scartaglen N.S. 19745I (Lead)

Glengurt N.S. 07317R

Kilmurry N.S. 10394G

Clondrohid N.S. 14839P

Coláiste Ide agus Iosef, Abbeyfeale (PP) 61301I

Visit the cluster website.

Brief Outline of the Project

This project will develop the digital literacy skills of every pupil in the school through a progressive and differentiated plan over the course of three years.

The plan aims to embed coding practices, develop computational thinking and problem solving while encouraging creativity.

The coding skills to be taught are divided into four levels, Junior/Senior, First/Second, Third/Fourth and Fifth/Sixth class. The content and skills advance as the child progresses through the school’s levels.

Each year of the project will have an overarching theme that permeates through the levels. These themes will also provide the structure for whole school thematic approaches that integrate with all aspects of the curriculum.

Gaelscoil An Raithin 20181s (Lead)

Limerick East Educate Together (20175A)

Adare Boys National School (16712B)

Lisnagry N.S. (18516L)

Mungret Community College (76476F)

Clarinbridge N.S. (19965W)

Scoil Naomh Éanna (14636B)

Sacred Heart Primary School Granard (20101R)

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

This project will look to enhance children’s curiosity and skills in STEM subjects through the stimulus of WeDo 2.0/ Mindstorms EV3 construction and robotics set and ease their transition through primary and into post-primary education.

The cluster will utilize a range of computational materials (e.g. Lego Education We Do 2.0 materials, Lego Mindstorm) to develop teachers & students computational thinking skills in seven schools from 2nd to 1st year in post-primary. The cluster will use constructivist and inquiry-based pedagogies among participating teachers throughout the course of the project. As well as this, the cluster will use other complimentary digital technologies such as Adobe Spark Video and Book Creator to capture student voice and experience. To find out more, please see the cluster website at the Lego Stem Cluster website. http://legostemcluster.weebly.com/

Colaiste Mhuire, Johnstown 70600T (Lead)

St. Kieran’s N.S. 17339K

Scoil an Chroi Ro Naofa 19930D

Gortnahoe N.S. 17580P

Scoil Tighearnach Naofa 19791P

Scoil Mhichil Naofa 17222M

Visit the cluster website. (Twitter account @CMJ_STEM)

Brief Outline of Project

This project is a collaboration between a post-primary school and five primary schools.

The main focus of the project is the enhancement of Computational Thinking & Coding skills in students to increase the uptake, particularly of girls, in the JC Short Course in Coding.

This will aid the establishment of Computer Science as a Leaving Cert subject, as well as increasing the numbers pursuing the suite of STEM subjects in our school.

As a direct result, we will create more candidates for 3rd level STEM courses and apprenticeships to help fill the current skills shortages experienced in this sector, in line with key policy initiatives.

Scoil Naomh Colmcille, Durrow 17508H (Lead)

St. Francis Boys School 18406E

Scoil Bhride, Clara 13118U

Scoil Naisiunta Peadar & Pól 18068K

Scoil an Chlochair 20063M

Cornamaddy National School 17903N

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

This Project will evaluate worthwhile teaching resources and methodologies and – working with industry and educational partners – form a primary schools’ curriculum based on best available resources and best practices.

We will concentrate on four main areas; computer literacy, coding, graphic design and digital storytelling.

Talbot Senior National School 19510E (Lead)

St. Anne’s National School, Ardclough 17674B

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of project

This project sets out to enhance children’s computational and design thinking in classes from 3rd to 6th with the intention of improving problem solving skills.

This project will design lessons and task using the Lego WeDo kits and chromebooks.

As well as this, the cluster will use other complimentary digital technologies such as Adobe Spark Video and Book Creator to capture student voice and experience.

Attymass NS, 19488O (Lead)

St. Attracta’s NS, 18003F

Stokane NS, 14051T

Scoil Phádraig, 20230F

Bofield NS, 14418O

St. Angela’s NS, 18694M

Behymore NS, 11725I

Craggagh NS, 12467R

St. Joseph’s P.S, 20089H

Cloghans Hill NS, 17922R

Lehinch NS, 05120L

Castlebar ETNS, 20457K

Visit the cluster website.

Brief overview of the project

This Digital Learning Cluster have identified the embedding of digital technologies in learning, teaching and assessment as a priority area as part of their ongoing School Self Evaluation (SSE).

Each of the schools in the cluster are working towards Highly Effective Practice as envisioned in the Digital Learning Framework.

They are doing this over the three years of the project by focusing on whole school approaches to promote a culture of improvement, collaboration, innovation and creativity in learning, teaching and assessment so that all teachers in our schools will be supported through a variety of professional learning approaches to adopt constructivist teaching approaches including the use of digital technologies in single class and multi-class contexts.

Each of the schools involved in the cluster have integrated the purchased resources into computational thinking lessons and activities in their classes, taking into account the varying levels of experience in each school.

Crana College (Lead)

Saint Eunan’s College

Letterkenny ETNS

Cloughfin NS

Visit the cluster website.

The purpose of the project is to demonstrate the innovative use of digital technologies in teaching, learning and assessment, through clusters of schools collaborating on specific projects.

​This cluster will aim to support schools and teachers in their introduction of coding and computer science across the curriculum, to provide students across various levels (primary and secondary) with the opportunity to learn about and use algorithmic thinking, computational thinking and coding creativity to understand and change the world.

Deerpark CBS 62540I (lead)

St Columba’s 13828F BNS

Scoil Nioclás 20106E

Greenmount NS 12473M

Morning Star NS 18734V

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

The BYTE project aims to bridge the gap from primary to post primary education by developing digital skills amongst primary school students.

In the first year of the project, the students at Deerpark CBS have been working with students from the primary schools on projects involving robotics, coding and renewable energy.

In phase two, students and teachers across all the cluster schools will be involved in a G Suite for Education program where they will learn how to use Google apps in the classroom.

Students at Deerpark CBS will regularly visit and work with the students in the primary schools in order to provide mentoring and direction on all projects. The cluster are showcasing their work to date at the Cork Tech Summit in City Hall in May.

Sacred Heart of Jesus National School 19755L (Lead)

Scoil Oilibhéir 19505L

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

‘ICT has the potential to support learners whose first language is not English (or Irish) to enhance their oral and written literacy.

In general there is a recognition that digital technology has the potential to create a more inclusive education system for all learners.’ (Digital Strategies for Schools, 2015-2020).

The Primary Language Curriculum presents a new challenge to, and an integrated perspective on, the teaching, learning and assessment of language in Primary schools.

To address the challenge facing schools in the teaching, learning and assessment of the oral language aspect (Béarla agus Gaeilge) of the Primary Language Curriculum (PLC), this project addresses the vision of the new PLC to enhance the acquisition of oral language as well as bridging the gap which exists between English and Irish as identified in the PLC by utilising a variety of digital media.

St. Mark’s S.N.S. 19390u (Lead)

Sacred Heart S.N.S. 19543T

St. Anne’s Primary School 20137T

St. Thomas’s S.N.S. 19765O

Access the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

The project will provide the students and teachers of significantly disadvantaged DEIS schools, with the opportunities to delve into the world of Virtual Reality (VR) and experience 21st Century, Digital Learning far beyond the confines of the classroom and local environments.

Teachers and students will use VR and digital learning to stimulate learning experiences across the chosen curricular subject areas with specific emphasis on SESE / SPHE / LITERACY / NUMERACY.

They will ‘boldly go’, through the medium of VR, into the future of teaching, learning and assessment in the ‘Now’ of daily life in schools.

“You can be anything that you can imagine, and as a kid you’re completely free. The soul of any kind of a creative art form is freedom” ~ Glen Keane

Disney animation legend – Glen Keane – discusses how Virtual Reality is the future of storytelling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSbkn6mCfXE

St. Brigid’s National School 17230L

St. Kevin’s G.N.S. 19466E

St. Olaf’s NS 19319O

Holy Trinity National School 20190T

Visit the cluster website.

Brief  Outline of Project

Problem solving in mathematics is a key area of concern identified in standardised testing in Ireland, as outlined by the Department of Education & Science 2011, Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life.

Creative problem solving (CPS) is a method of solving problems or identifying openings when conventional thinking has failed to address this issue.

It encourages us to find fresh perspectives in teaching, learning and assessment and to come up with innovative solutions, so that we may articulate a plan to overcome obstacles and reach our goals.

To address the challenges schools encounter on a daily basis in the teaching, learning and assessment of problem solving in maths, we will specifically address CPS and skills enhancement, utilising a variety of digital technologies and media, in collaboration with other expert individuals and institutions.

Dublin 7 Educate Together National School 20131D (Lead)

Presentation Primary School Georges Hill 05933G

St. Paul’s Primary School 16695E

St. Marys Primary School 20436C

Gardiner Street Convent 12448N

Visit the cluster website (to follow).

Brief outline of the project

This project will be aimed at enhancing the use of digital technology within the classroom by both teacher and pupil through the use of software similar to Microsoft Office 365/GSuite.

The teachers and pupils will create a collaborative platform involving all participating schools where they can share ideas and outcomes and communicate with others.

The children meet other children via video calling (Skype), work together through applications similar to OneNote, share their work and outputs through applications like Sharepoint and post ideas and views through applications such as Yammer.

The project is designed to enable all participants to develop their skills over an initial 3 year period but enables scope for continuation beyond this period.

There will be a strong emphasis on the use of technology in teaching, learning and also assessment.

Banagher College Colaiste na Sionna 76105q (Lead school)

Coláiste Mhuire, Mullingar 63270k

St Brendan’s CS, Birr 8149IL

Colaiste Choilm, Tullamore 65610s

Visit the cluster website (to follow).

Brief outline of the project

The project aims to use industry leading training in MoJo (mobile journalism) video content creation to enhance teaching, learning and digital literacy among educators and students in the cluster schools; while also being central to AFL (assessment for learning) and blended learning approaches in the respective schools.

Mercy Secondary, Inchicore 60872A (lead school)

Tallaght Community School 91335U

Bremore Educate Together Second Level School 68262N

Stepaside Educate Together Second Level School 68241F

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project: This project proposal arises from one key element presently missing in EU practices, vision and policies on 21st Century Skills development – namely, the assessment of these skills.

Working as a cluster, our schools will create a framework for the assessment of the Key Skills of Junior Cycle, engage in innovative pedagogies for the development of them and embed the use of 21st Century ICT assessment tools such as Adaptive Comparative Judgement to deepen and enhance the teaching, learning and assessment experience of learners and teachers.

Virginia College 70390L

Ballybay Community College 72170H

Beech Hill College 72210Q

Largy College 72171J

Castleblaney College 72190W

St Mogues College 70360C

St Bricins College 70350W

Colaiste Dun an Ri 76313A

Colaiste Oiriall 76091I

Inver College 72180K

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

The ten schools involved in CMETB’s Digital Cluster have engaged in a project aimed at creating a culture of collaboration between students, teachers and parents through the use of digital technologies.

The cluster has been divided into three distinct areas across all schools, Teacher Professional Development, STEM Projects and Assessment. Emphasis has been placed on the use of digital technologies to foster more meaningful engagement with students and parents.

St. Colman’s Derrinabroc (Lead school)

Scoil Mhuire Brusna, Co. Roscommon

Don National School, Co. Roscommon

St. Nathy’s College Secondary School, Co. Roscommon

Scoil Iosa/ Carracastle NS, Co. Mayo

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

To enhance the Physical Education Programme at both Primary and Secondary School level in our cluster through the use constructivist pedagogies with mobile devices for students to give effective peer assessment and feedback in their PE lessons.

Sancta Maria College, Louisburgh, Co Mayo (Lead school)

Ardscoil Na Mara Secondary School,Tramore Co Waterford

St. Mary’s Secondary School, Glasnevin Dublin 11

Presentation College, Carlow

Loreto Secondary School, Bray, Co Wicklow

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

The use of digital technologies, including ePortfolios, for recording, storing, presenting and assessing the new Junior Cycle specifications is an evolving area of enormous potential benefit to learners and educators.

This project aims to demonstrate excellence in the use of these technologies across different curricular areas using a variety of platforms.

Digital technology can greatly enhance both formative and summative Assessment within the Classroom Based Assessments in the New Junior Cycle.

We aim to use digital technology to Record, Store, Present and Assess our students. Our proposed approach will include the following benefits:

Our cluster schools aim to use different platforms across different subject areas to meet the assessment specifications, in particular, the CBAs, for the new Junior Cycle.

The strength in this project is the diversity of technologies used to solve common goals; information and expertise arising from the use of these technologies will then inform other schools in their application of technology.

Jesus and Mary Secondary School Enniscrone Co Sligo (Lead school)

Our Lady’s Grove Primary School Goatstown Rd., Dublin 14,

Jesus and Mary College, Our Lady’s Grove Secondary School, Goatstown Rd, Friarland, Dublin 14

Jesus and Mary Secondary School, Gortnor Abbey Crossmolina Co Mayo

Scoil Chríost Rí National School, Enniscrone, Co. Sligo

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

The aims of the project are to empower teachers and students across cluster schools to interact and enhance their subject knowledge and skills in Science and Art by connecting with each other in a real-world context.

A specific curriculum aim is to develop oral language skills from 3rd class primary children to 3rd-year post-primary students.

Teachers taking part in the project will illustrate professional growth by developing Technology Pedagogy Content Knowledge (TPACK) with 21st-century teaching.

The project also aims to advance the ‘Translational’ stage of technology for students where they simply consume knowledge using technology tools to the ‘Transformational’ stage shifting the loci of learning methods from the teacher to the student and finally to the ‘Transcendent’ stage where students will collaborate and reflect on their learning with other students.

The provision of workshops to teachers in order to share the concept and uses of Digital Storytelling as a method of introducing a lesson, solving a problem or illustrating a scenario.

St. Louis Community School, Co Mayo (Lead)

Summerhill College, Sligo

Mount Temple Comprehensive, Dublin

Belvedere College, Dublin

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

The purpose of the project is to embed career education in learning experiences across the whole curriculum for senior secondary school students (TY, Leaving Cert, Leaving Cert Applied).

It aims to enhance each student’s understanding of the skills and knowledge they develop through a range of learning experiences and to provide each student with personalised insight from diverse college and career ‘Mentors’, based on their aptitudes and interests so that they make choices that maximise their potential.

The project will connect schools with colleges and employers for efficient sharing of up-to-date information regarding college and career pathways.

St. Patrick’s N.S. 13203L (Lead)

Lacken N.S. 17479D

Bruskey N.S. 19586M

Ballynarry N.S. 19378H

Breifne College Cavan 70380I

Cavan Institute 76087R

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project: Starting with the simplest of sequences in early childhood learning and bringing  that on to a level of competency that can assist the learner develop their skills in areas such as literacy, numeracy, presentation skills, working as a member of a team as well as problem solving and creative thinking.

Working in this cluster involving both Primary and secondary school systems will allow this project to address the transitional process for students from primary to secondary school.  At the same time the project intends to develop a structured approach to areas such as computational thinking, sequencing and numeracy which will have its beginnings in junior classes in primary and continue right through the senior cycle computer science in secondary school.

Thematic based project activities – focusing on digital literacy, computational thinking and writing algorithms to promote the use of digital technologies in learning and self-assessment in the primary and secondary school curriculum.

Collaboration with other schools, share ideas, skills and give pupils an opportunity to present to other pupils in their own school and school within the cluster.

Incorporate peer tutoring as part of the project which will further enhance their oral language skills and prepare them for both IT and English junior and senior cycle curriculum in Secondary schools.
Track how introducing learning through the use of digital technologies in primary school benefits the pupils as they progress to secondary level.

Using digital technologies to embed curricular change with a dual focus on integrating computational thinking across many subject areas in particular Maths, Science and the primary languages curriculum. Oral language development is a very large target area for specific learning aims across the programme with an emphasis on learning the steps that align decision making and collaborative learning.

Ardfert Central N.S (19384c) (Lead)

Abbeydorney N.S. (18665f)

Tralee Educate Together N.S. (20158a)

Scoil Mhuire de Lourdes (10957b)

Gaelscoil Riada (20237T)

Visit the cluster website.

Brief Outline of the Project (Kerry)

This project will be centred around implementing the Primary Language Curriculum – English and Irish – through an enhanced learning environment utilising Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) tools.

Other subject areas such as History, Geography, Science and the Arts, will also be integrated over the course of the study.

Through the use of a VR/AR tools, the pupils will benefit from rich opportunities in experiential learning which will be inclusive of all learning styles, needs and abilities.

This project and the virtual reality experience it provides will engage and motivate all learners and provide them with the opportunity to engage with the wonders of our world without leaving the classroom.

The project proposes the use of VR enabled low-cost digital devices for the creation of a virtual, highly engaging collective learning environment for each student in a class, that can be controlled by the teacher.

The teacher will lead the progress of the student through the environment and can control the pace and level of advancement through the environment to suit the learning requirements of the syllabus and student ability.

Brief Outline of the Project (Galway)

Our project has two main elements:

Senior class pupils will have a real-life experience of the application development process from market research, through to training, developing and finally deploying an application for mindfulness that can be used with Oculus Go headsets.

We hope that the application developed by the senior class pupils will assist children having difficulty adapting the mindfulness practices already in use in the school.

Bunclody Vocational College (71620H) (Lead)

Bridgetown College (71610E)

Creagh College 76127D

Colaiste Abbain 71600B

Colaiste an Atha 71650Q

Selskar College 71680C

St Paul’s Community College 72241E

Enniscorthy Vocational College 71630K

Meanscoil San Nioclas 76066J
St. Declan’s Community College 72230W

Visit the cluster website.

Brief Outline of Project

This project aims to o provide infrastructure and a targeted training program for teachers who are members of “Pobal Ceoil”.

This will include training in the use of additional music software, video conferencing for student and teacher collaboration and creation of Class Notebooks as Digital Portfolios as part of assessment.

Project participants will also identify further potential areas for integration and collaboration in both teaching, learning and performance.

Swinford NS, 19951L (Lead)

Meelick NS, 02912G

Culmore NS, 16780S

Midfield NS, 13389F

Visit the cluster website.

Brief Outline of the Project

The project has 3 distinct but interconnected goals: developing material and methodology for the continuous professional development (CPD) of our teachers for Digital Learning, develop online Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs) to effectively, scalably and sustainably deliver the Digital Learning Curriculum and ensuring that our pupils have the tools and the motivation to continue their digital learning.

In Swinford, we have a current crop of ex-pupils who are multinational remote workers. They remotely work in Stockholm and San Francisco, but live here with us in the West of Ireland.

Using their expertise and knowledge of current best practices in the software industry, they have been cooperating with the local schools to ensure that our pupils are given the tools and curious mindset to thrive in the modern workplace.

In order for this to we need to produce reusable and easily accessible material for the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) of our teachers, as well as the reusable content for pupils.

So far our pupils have focused on integrating an easy to navigate coding curriculum into their learning, teachers have engaged in CPD in a number of areas for next year and we are in the process of evaluating how far we’ve come on our journey to create RLOs for pupils across the country.

St. Patrick’s De la Salle Boys’ N.S., 18542M (Lead)

Participating Schools

Gortskehy N.S., 18880J

Meelickmore N.S., 12173A

Visit the cluster website.

Brief outline of the project

Our teachers are participating in a new online model for CPD alongside a third level researcher, which engages teachers in the co-creation, implementation and evaluation of 21st century teaching and learning approaches with technology.

Teachers work in Design Teams to collaboratively effect change at a whole-school level to innovate and improve educational practice, through the embedding of a range of digital technologies in teaching and learning.

Each of the three years of the project is focused thematically. The theme for Year 1 is History.

Throughout the year we have integrated the effective use of digital technologies in the teaching and learning of local History.

It has been a really exciting year and we are looking forward to the next phase of our project.

Mulroy College (Lead)

Abbey Vocational School

Magh Ene College

Gairmscoil Chú Uladh

Colaiste na Carrraige

Gairmscoil Mhic Diarmada

Crana College

Moville Community College

Deele College

Visit the cluster website.

Brief Outline of Project

The project builds on a platform of teacher collaboration within Donegal ETB.

A group of teachers from the participating schools work together to enrich and enhance teaching and learning in their classrooms using the statements of learning, learning outcomes and measures of success to create units of work aligned with updated specifications within Junior Cycle.

These collaborative plans and units of learning are created and shared digitally.

Temple Carrig School (Lead)

Alexandra College

East Glendalough School

Midleton College

Sandford Park School

Wilson’s Hospital School

Visit the cluster website.

Brief Outline of Project

The project uses UAV technology (drones) to create accessible education videos to support local and national Geography teaching.

Students will have the opportunity to capture and create relatable video content from different contexts throughout the country.