- In the late 1990s, Ireland lagged in preparedness for the information age which spurred the Schools IT 2000 initiative to improve ICT integration in education. Most schools now have internet access and over 40,000 teachers received computer training. - Educational technology usage has grown, with 43% of classrooms having interactive whiteboards, far ahead of Europe. Teachers and students report benefits like increased engagement and motivation. - However, lack of ongoing investment in resources and teacher training has reduced interest. Future initiatives need alternative support models and focus on teaching/learning rather than just technology

1. Edu Tech Ireland

2. Background
• In 1997, the International Data Corporation (IDC),
ranked Ireland in the third division (position 23) with
respect to the country’s preparedness for the
Information Age [IDC 2000]. Recognising that
Ireland was lagging significantly behind, the Irish
Government’s Schools IT 2000 initiative was launched
in November 1997 to redress the balance in the area
of education [DES 1997].

3. • Since the launch of IT 2000 in 1997, the profile of
ICT within the education system in particular has
been raised significantly. Most schools are connected,
by at least a dial-up line, to the Internet and over
40,000 teachers have participated in at least one
course in computer literacy training

4. Progress
• Lord David Puttman (in his Keynote address at the
Irish Teaching and Learning Festival, CityWest, Oct
15th 2010) referenced the following:
• 43% of Irish Classrooms now have an IWB, which is
well ahead of the European average
• 7,200 boards were purchased in the last 12 months
alone, which represents 20% of Irish Classrooms

5. Active learning using ICT
Confucius
• I hear and I forget
• I see and I remember
• I do and I understand
Aristotle
• "For the things we must learn before we learn them
we learn by doing them“
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86gy6s4T98k

6. • Authentic- Tools such as Google Earth and Flickr
allow children to experience places and cultures far
removed from their own
• Constructive- ICT clarifies their understanding of
the world but also allows more meaning to be
attached to observations and experiences
(photo,video,audio, etc.)
• Active- Active, meaningful, experimental
• Co operative- IWB, social software,other schools

7. Interactive Whiteboards
(CBI’s)
• Versatility, with applications for all ages across the
curriculum (Smith A 1999)
• increases teaching time by allowing teachers to
present web-based and other resources more
efficiently (Walker 2003)
• more opportunities for interaction and discussion in
the classroom, especially compared to other ICT
(Gerard et al 1999).
• increases enjoyment of lessons for both students and
teachers through more varied and dynamic use of
resources, with associated gains in motivation (Levy
2002).

8. Benefits for teachers
• enables teachers to integrate ICT into their lessons while
teaching from the front of the class (Smith H 2001)
• encourages spontaneity and flexibility, allowing teachers to draw
on and annotate a wide range of web-based resources (Kennewell
2001)
• enables teachers to save and print what is on the board,
including any notes made during the lesson, reducing duplication
of effort and facilitating revision (Walker 2002)
• allows teachers to share and re-use materials, reducing
workloads (Glover & Miller 2001)
• widely reported to be easy to use, particularly compared with
using a computer in whole-class teaching (Smith H 2001)
• inspires teachers to change their pedagogy and use more ICT,
encouraging professional development (Smith A 1999).

9. Benefits for students
• increases enjoyment and motivation
• greater opportunities for participation and collaboration,
developing students’ personal and social skills (Levy 2002)
• students are able to cope with more complex concepts as a
result of clearer, more efficient and more dynamic presentation
(Smith H 2001)
• different learning styles can be accommodated as teachers can
call on a variety of resources to suit particular needs (Bell 2002)
• enables students to be more creative in presentations to their
classmates, increasing self-confidence (Levy 2002)
• students do not have to use a keyboard to engage with the
technology, increasing access for younger children and students
with disabilities (Goodison 2002).

10. Resources
• Scoilnet: Scoilnet is a portal website that aims to
support Ireland’s education community by providing
educational resources,curricular support, information
and advice to students, teachers and parents. It is a
key initiative of the Department of Education and
Science.
• Primarily, it is aimed at teachers, students, parents
and school managers in the Irish education system.
However information and resources may have
relevance to the global education community.
• http://www.scoilnet.ie/

11. Current State of Technology?
• Usage of educational technology has increased and
developed clearly.
• Why? An example: http://www.ncte.ie/
• Technology Enhanced Learning: Students’ views ( user
feedback on technology enhanched learning in higher
education in Ireland ), "More than 80% of students
agreed that the use of technology effectively
enhances the learning experience and increases
satisfaction with their course of study.
• Conclusion?

12. Future Development
• "The main reasons for this drop in interest seemed to stem from the
lack of ongoing investment in ICT resources and the provision of
continuing professional development."
• "lack of familiarity of ways in which the technology could be integrated
across the curriculum affected the quality of pedagogical leadership
provided by them (principals)"
• "this research highlights the need for alternative models of support
and leadership"
• "In recognising the failures of past initiatives future initiatives should
not be presented as ICT initiatives but instead as initiatives in teaching
and learning with relevance for all teachers."
• "It is evident from this investigation that future ICT policy needs to be
cognisant of the past, particularly in relation to how national ICT
initiatives are mediated within schools and the powerful influence of
existing uses of the technology on external ICT initiatives."

13. References
• BELL, M. A. 2002.Why use an interactive whiteboard? A baker’s dozen reasons! Teachers.Net
Gazette, 3 (1) (2002). Retrieved September 17, 2012, from
http://teachers.net/gazette/JAN02 /mabell.html
• DES [1996] Submission by the Department of Education to the Information Society Steering
Committee. Dublin: Department of Education and Science.
http://www.irlgov.ie/educ/publications/243e33a.htm
• GERARD. et al. 1999.Using SMART Board in foreign language classrooms. Society for
Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference, San Antonio,Texas,
28 February–4 March 1999.
• GLOVER,D. and MILLER, D. 2001. Running with technology: the pedagogic impact of the
large-scale introduction of interactive whiteboards in one secondary school. Journal of
Information Technology for Teacher Education, 10 (3), pp.257-276.
• GOODISON,T.A.M 2002. Learning with ICT at primary level: pupils’ perceptions. Journal of
• Computer Assisted Learning 18, pp.282-295.
• KENNEWELL, S. 2001. Interactive whiteboards – yet another solution looking for a problem
• to solve? Information Technology in Teacher Education, 39,Autumn 2001, pp.3-6.

14. • LEVY, P. 2002. Interactive Whiteboards in learning and teaching in two Sheffield schools: a
developmental study. Sheffield: Department of Information Studies, University of Sheffield.
• SMITH, A. 1999. Interactive whiteboardevaluation.MirandaNet. Retrieved September 17,
2012, from http://www.mirandanet.ac.uk/pubs/smartboards.htm
• SMITH, H. 2001. SmartBoard evaluation: final report. Kent NGfL . Retrieved September 17,
2012, from http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/whiteboards /report.html
• WALKER,D. 2003. Quality at the dockside. TES Online. pp.66-67.
• http://www.scoilnet.ie/faq.aspx#q1