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Sixth class children helping junior infants develop early reading skills on iPods. Brian Boyle via Scoil Mhichil Naofa, Galmoy Co. Kilkenny

Kilkenny school wins award for using tech in teaching

Principal Brian Boyle believes they are the smallest school to have achieved the ‘Microsoft Innovation School’ title.

THE FIRST SCHOOL in Ireland – and the 36th in the world – to win a major award from Microsoft has only 58 pupils, three teachers, 14 laptops and 12 iPods.

The ‘Microsoft Innovation School’ title was awarded to Scoil Mhichil Naofa, Galmoy, Co Kilkenny for their “use of technology in their everyday schoolwork and their teaching”, the principal Brian Boyle told TheJournal.ie.

“Some of the most prestigious schools in the world have been awarded this title like Ormiston College, Australia and some of the exclusive schools in Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong. It’s great that a school of our size can complete with the rest,” Boyle said. “We’re probably the smallest school to have achieved such a title”.

The principal explained that initially the school started off with “a very slow internet connection” but after getting a high speed broadband, it started to make use of IT in everyday schoolwork.

The teachers and pupils of Scoil Mhichil Naofa, Co Kilkenny use IT for their everyday school work. (Pic: Brian Boyle/Scoil Mhichil Naofa)

The ways in which the children of Scoil Mhichil Naofa use IT include older children helping younger children with reading on iPods; using Animoto a Microsoft movie-maker to make and edit special videos and editing the school’s blog.

“No matter what you show them they pick it up very quickly,” Boyle said. “The best thing is they are not afraid of the technologies, like you might see with older people who are afraid to touch a button sometimes.”

Microsoft will now use the school to road test new products and the school is happy to provide them with feedback. They will also have first access to any new education projects that Microsoft comes up with.

“With government cuts across the board, it has made it more difficult to get computers and equipment to win a title like this,” said Boyle. “We’d eventually love to start getting iPads instead of iPods, but we realise we’re fortunate with what we’ve got, and parents are also good enough to help fundraise.”

Read: Government halves its spending on education over the last 16 years>

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    Mute Lucy
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    Jun 29th 2013, 10:41 AM

    That is really fantastic. So many schools settle for second best. When I was in primary school our (near retirement) principal was amazing too. We were doing work on computers when dial up was exceptionally slow. Speaking to kids in other schools across the world, researching for projects etc

    We hated it at the time but from speaking to friends that went to different schools around the country, we were lightyears ahead and experienced so much more outside of the curriculum.

    If he had the technology that is available today, he would do everything he could to make the best of it, just like the principal in this article :)

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    Mute Barbara Edwards
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    Jun 29th 2013, 11:20 AM

    Congrats to this principal and his staff for embracing technology for the good it also provides. And I notice there’s not a mention of a union…..well done.

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    Mute Michael G O'Reilly
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    Jun 29th 2013, 12:49 PM

    What has the union got to do with this…..what an ignorant comment !

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    Mute Wesley Eccles
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    Jun 29th 2013, 4:18 PM

    Would ya stop. The teacher got fed up with the kids playing on their smart phones in class and left them to it ;) lol

    before I get bombarded with red thumbs, its a joke :)

    but seriously, I think it’s great and about time. I’m a serious tech fan :)

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    Mute Elizabeth Murphy-Sheehan
    Favourite Elizabeth Murphy-Sheehan
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    Jun 29th 2013, 2:30 PM

    As a former Principal of a 19 teacher school in an area that had little spare money,we totally relied on our parents ,staff and local businesses for funding for IT.Between 1994 and 2012,we introduced and updated technology,despite receiving only a miserly grant from the Department.If any business had offered us this scheme,we would have been thrilled and not concerned about promoting business interests.We all,whether people agree or not,promote business interests through our lifestyle choices.Congratulations to Scoil Mhichil Naofa’s Principal,Staff,Board and Parents on this amazing achievement.If you look at their website,you will see it’s one of many successes this year.Molaim sibh uile.

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    Mute Jed I. Knight
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    Jun 29th 2013, 11:51 AM

    This is great, well done to the school , its pupils, their teachers and their parents who support them. This is an example of what every school can aspire to be, but I imagine the magic word is funding. Obviously many schools may like to do this but buying the equipment needed, especially now, is just too expensive. Most schools have to go to the parents to fundraise just to stay in existence these days so asking for more money for iPads and expensive IT equipment may be beyond their reach right now.
    A pity our “free education” system can’t help provide our children the IT education in schools we’re told they so desperately need and not have to rely on other to do it, like Coder Dojo.

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    Mute GalmoyNS
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    Jun 29th 2013, 6:48 PM

    These children have designed and published comics in Irish and English which are on their website,learned how to programme using Scratch, produced and edited videos,use online maths site 4to12maths.co on a daily basis to supplement maths learning. Designed 3- D towns using sketch-up to explore 3- D shapes, explore science through a series of targeted science simulations and the older children tutor the younger ones with literacy and numeracy lift-off games which engages them in a love of this type of learning. We didnt do it for Microsofts recognition. That only came last month. We have been teaching this way for 2 years and do it because the children are enthusiastic about their learning and its the area where they are going to be chasing jobs in 10 to 12 years time when they enter the workforce. Apart from that our learning has improved as our testing figures show because they engage on a daily basis and in a childs own words they experience rather than imagine. We are currently under threat of losing a teacher but are intent to keep the childrens exposure to modern technology to the forefront of our targets. My only hope from this is that people see the standard of education that our children receive in our Irish classrooms and this is im sure just a snapshot of a lot of schools. I would like to thank the journal for the piece and for all your kind comments.

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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Jun 29th 2013, 7:02 PM

    THAT’S embracing technology in a proper way. Massive credit, fair play.

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    Mute Olive Walshe
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    Jun 29th 2013, 3:33 PM

    Congratulations. Well done. I’m wishing for six iPads for next term and hoping for a fairy to deliver. I really thing that apple should send your school ten iPads after winning !!! Best wishes olive Walshe.

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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Jun 29th 2013, 12:31 PM

    Very sceptical about large companies effectively using schools to advertise their products. Using it in schools is great and all, and well done to them, but replacing copybooks with ms word is what most schools regard as innovative.

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    Mute Blaine Ryan
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    Jun 29th 2013, 10:13 AM

    Def wasn’t the Tech anyway !!

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    Mute the truth hurts
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    Jun 29th 2013, 5:56 PM

    Microsoft gives them an award n everyone wants to buy more technology from Microsoft??
    If cadburys gave them an award for embracing chocolate, should every other school buy chocolate too?
    Where s the evidence of increased learning? That’s the only yardstick to measure improvement.

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    Mute Elizabeth Murphy-Sheehan
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    Jun 29th 2013, 7:51 PM

    Test results are up according to the Principal.A more important factor is that children are actively engaging with their learning and are obviously enjoying their education..Happy children …happy learners…happy school.

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    Mute onlybuzzinwitcha
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    Jun 29th 2013, 12:59 PM

    I heard they’re using Angry Birds to teach maths and physics.

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