Elphin Community College became the first second level school in Roscommon to introduce iPads to their 1st Years students in 2012. The iPad initiative has proved to be a huge success.
Having spent eighteen months researching this new approach, looking at e-books available, the weight of school bags, and the different devices to deliver this new form of technology, Elphin Community College took the bold step to use iPads to enhance student learning.
What started off as a health and safety issue looking at the severe weight of school bags carried by students in todays schools , quickly developed into a whole new approach towards learning.
The introduction of the iPads has begun to transform the way the students learn in schools.
Firstly the introduction the tablet with their many varied resources has reduced the weight of school bags, has enhanced the learning available through the e-books and has used the latest technology to achieve this.
iTunes U
The personal devices have also augmented learning through the wide variety of apps now available to them including: Kahoot; Padlet;
All students have access to the Office365 suite of apps – OneNote, Word, Powerpoint, Outlook, Onedrive, etc.
Students receive homework though the Teams platform which provides students with a full description of their task, submission dates, attachments and much more.
The school employs an MDM service which allows the monitoring, management and support of mobile devices on our network.
Aims of our iPad initiative
Elphin Community College has invested considerably in its ICT provision to be a leader in ICT skills attainment & development for our students. Our school uses Microsoft 365 Apps and all students have a 365 account, providing them with a school based email account, calendar, task-manager etc. Each pupil is capable of emailing any staff member or the Principal and vice-versa.
Our pupils and parents have access to the following;
The main advantages
- No need to buy exam papers – saving of approximate €100
- Cut down on weight in bags
- Most interactive learning resources for pupils with Dictionaries, Maps, Globes, Translators, Maths help etc.
- Internet browser for the family
- Highly affordable repayment options with the local credit union
- Option to lease text-books each year at a third of the price of hard-copy
Insurance
- We recommend that parents arrange their own insurance cover
- House Insurance Contents Cover – you must check this will cover the iPad when not at home
- GadgetInsurance.ie also offers very competitive rates
Links of Interest
Interesting Articles about iPad in Education