Welcome! Our newsletter aims to provide digital technology news and information to Principals, ICT or Digital Learning Coordinators and Teams, teachers and all those involved in education.
Spotlight: EU Code Week
EU Code Week starts on Monday, so we are highlighting many of the wonderful events, courses, resources, materials and links available to you - in this Spotlight section and throughout the Newsletter. Be sure to get involved and also follow @CodeWeekIRL and @OideTechinEd on X, as well as EU Code Week activities on further Social Media platforms. Watch the launch here!
EU Code Week Competition
Are you taking part in EU Code week with your class? Make sure to register and pin your activity on the EU Code Week map to be in with the chance of winning a range of innovative prizes for your pupils! Activities from all class levels are welcome! Remember, if you don’t pin, you can’t win! To add an activity to the map please go to https://codeweek.eu/ and follow the steps in this video from the Digital Technologies Team.
Join the Digital Technologies Team for EU Code Week with a series of exciting workshops and webinars designed specifically for primary schools. These sessions, held online and face-to-face at Education Centres across the country, will equip teachers with practical and engaging coding activities suitable for all class levels. Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your teaching skills and bring coding to your classroom. Visit the ESCI link below or contact your local education centre to learn more!
Introduction to Coding for Primary Teachers Online Course
Primary teachers looking for an exciting way to teach a variety of subjects will be interested in our online course, Coding and Computational Thinking using Scratch (Primary). By learning the basics of coding using Scratch programming, it will enable you and your pupils to create and share interactive stories, animations and games, bringing cross-curricular learning to life.
Although not the main target audience for this course, post-primary teachers are also welcome.
What is computational thinking? Where does coding fit within the curriculum? How do I access professional learning and classroom resources on these topics?
With EU Code Week approaching, you can find the answers on the Coding and Computational Thinking hub on our website. Suitable for teachers at all levels.
NEW! A course on teaching online safety for SPHE teachers
A new online course for post-primary teachers will provide you with skills, confidence and resources to teach online safety to your students in the SPHE or TY classroom. The course will enable you to raise awareness of and prevent potentially harmful online behaviour by your students, dealing with topics such as sharing inappropriate images, online harassment etc. Developed in collaboration with Webwise.
NEW! Online Safety and Digital Citizenship (Primary)
Taking just three hours of study time, this new course aims to provide primary teachers with the knowledge, resources and confidence to teach digital citizenship and to empower your pupils to be safe, ethical and responsible online. If you missed the chance to complete our earlier 20-hour summer course on this topic, you can catch up with this short, term-time course instead. Developed in collaboration with Webwise.
Teachers and pupils from Our Lady of Victories Boys’ National School describe their participation in the WEAVE project both from a staff and pupils’ perspective, highlighting the cross curricular links and intrapersonal skill benefits from taking part.
In this post primary good practice video, a teacher is interviewed about the integration of Minecraft into Graphics lessons. He discusses how he makes a link between 3D builds in Minecraft and 2D drawings on paper in his lessons.
Digital Learning Leaders: Primary School Webinar Series
Are you a Primary Principal, Deputy Principal, Digital Technology Learning Leader or teacher with an interest in leading digital learning in your school? Join the Digital Technologies Team for a three-part webinar series that explores the resources and supports available to Digital Learning Leaders in primary schools.
• Tuesday 8th October 3.15pm - Embedding of Digital Technologies, Planning and Professional Learning. (completed) • Tuesday 15th October 3.15pm - Digital Technology Infrastructure, Broadband & Purchasing Frameworks. • Tuesday 22nd October 3.15pm - Relevant Policies and Future Initiatives
The number of cyberattacks on schools is increasing. It’s not a question of ‘if’ schools will be impacted, it’s rather of matter of ‘when’ it will happen.
We have updated our ‘Cybersecurity Guide’ specifically for your School Leadership Team to assist them in understanding the risks and in being more prepared.
For EU Code Week Scoilnet has an immersive lesson plan for 5th & 6th class, which introduces AI's applications in protecting oceans. Through hands-on coding activities, students learn about AI training, potential mistakes, and ethical considerations, fostering problem-solving skills and environmental awareness.
Scoilnet has a number of resources shared by teachers to support the Junior Cycle short course on Coding. Over the last few years Scoilnet has also put resources into its sub-site www.compsci.ie to support Leaving Cert Computer Science.
Maths Week is fast approaching! It takes place from 12th to 20th October and Scoilnet has some engaging resources to allow you to combine numeracy and literacy. Using picture books for all ages, these resources will help spark creativity and imagination. Also explore free resources, events and competitions tailored for post-primary teachers. Access lesson plans, interactive tools, and professional development opportunities to make maths exciting and relevant.
Be sure to visit both our Primary and Post Primary Themepages and have an enjoyable and rich Maths week!
While there are many prompt frameworks that can be used with GenAI / LLM's, the RASE framework is one that teachers find particularly useful. Access the infographic via the link below.
This new Online Safety Review Tool helps schools assess and improve their Online Safety policy and practices. It outlines key steps for evaluating and enhancing online safety measures, allowing schools to reflect on strengths, address gaps, and access free resources and guidance. This tool supports a whole-school approach to ensuring a safer online environment for students.
The Safer Internet Day Ambassador Training Programme is now open for applications! This peer to peer youth training programme is open to all Post-Primary students interested in leading a Safer Internet Day campaign in their own school, club or community.
This is also a fantastic opportunity for students to develop their leadership and communication skills. Places are limited, we recommend applying early to avoid disappointment.
This is a great time of year to introduce parents to the Webwise Parents Hub. This free online resource has advice on key online safety topics; Explainer Guides to popular apps and platforms; Talking Points; How-To Guides; and the Webwise Online Safety booklet for parents which can be ordered by schools for free.
