Managing Information In Stratford College

Following a significant investment in our IT hardware capability, in particular the introduction of WiFi, and the state sponsored installation of 100MB internet speed, we have future proofed the school’s IT capacity. We moved from the Vista operating system Microsoft Office 7 as a temporary solution to our ageing hardware and we invested in a new server which will see us right for many years to come. We have also upgraded our annual technical support contract which allows us more help when we need it than we were previously able to access.
 
We have also upgraded our website as a show case for our school’s high quality of teaching and learning, launched both an on-line e-zine and newsletter and introduced virtual learning platforms such as Moodle and classes in  Scratch, CoderDojo, Information Literacy Module,  Massive On-line Courses (MOOCs)  and testing such as Cognitive Aptitude Tests (CAT), updated our on-line courses like the European Computers Driving  Licence (ECDL), implemented a new on-line management information system called VSWARE, on-line banking and texting.  We are currently working on updating our Stratford Moodle site by up to 8 versions!
 
Alongside the improvement in the hard and software capabilities we have encouraged and promoted the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) of teaching and administrative staff as relevant and were gratified to see how this was recognised in our recent Whole School Inspection Report. We are in close contact with the Post Primary Development Service for Teachers (PDST) and their specialist section on IT in Education and we read the various articles and information in the media such as the one in the Irish Times on 31st March 2015 - "Is the pen mightier than the keyboard for students?"  
 
From a teaching and learning perspective, we have been trialling an e-book policy through the introduction of a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) to school and in the classroom. We researched the advantages and disadvantages of such a move beforehand but as this is such a recent development in education, there is no formal research evidence to state whether or not mobile devices in the classroom are beneficial or not. Our priority for e-books is to reduce the unacceptable weight of books for young people. Anecdotal evidence from other schools suggests that there are both benefits and pitfalls. While at same time as using devices in school we are also busy researching Device Management Software and providing a safe internet environment for students and staff.
 
We haven't wanted to rush into something which is, after all, only one tool in a teacher's repertoire. We are also mindful of the expense involved in the purchase of devices and the  issues around safe use of the Internet. We think our approach to IT has been measured and prudent.
 
Behind all this are a team of teachers and administrative staff who have taken on the challenges and the benefits of IT in education and without which we would not have achieved as much as we have.

Ms. Patricia Gordon, Principal