The old adage ‘good goods come in small parcels’ certainly applies to St Mary’s Gortnaghey, a small rural primary school in County Derry.
Under the direction of teaching principal, Teresa Duffy, ICT is integrated into all aspects of school life, from teaching and learning in the classroom, office and classroom administration to after-school activities. Every child at the school, from the infants through to the more mature primary seven children, is encouraged to use ICT.
In the past, the school’s rural location may have lead to isolation but this is certainly not the case today. With networked computers, data projectors, white boards, laptops and wireless Internet access throughout the school, ICT is having a positive impact on all aspects of school life at St Mary’s Gortnaghey.
There are just over 30 pupils on the rolls and there is a low pupil to computer ratio, but computer access is not the only thing that makes everyone at St Mary’s Gortnaghey so computer savvy.
As head of the vibrant school community, Teresa Duffy also teaches composite Key Stage 2 classes for Primary 5 to 7 children, while Key Stage 1 teacher Mrs Roisin McGinley looks after children in Primary 1 to Primary 4. Teresa was ICT co-ordinator in her previous school, Nazareth House in Derry. This helps explain her infectious enthusiasm for ICT, which has undoubtedly rubbed off on everyone else at St Mary’s Gortnaghey.
The Derry primary school helped pilot the IT Accreditation Scheme, and Teresa was keen to get St Mary’s Gortnaghey involved in the programme when she was appointed principal.
“We’re working towards Level 5 accreditation in all four strands and are almost there. One hundred per cent of our Key Stage 2 children have already achieved accreditation in Communication, Data Handling and Modelling.
Pupils at St Mary’s Gortnaghey have their own C2k accounts and are familiar with scanners, digital cameras and photocopiers, all of which are used extensively and with great success for various school projects. St Mary’s Gortnaghey finished first in the local history section in Feis Doire Colmcille - ahead of several leading grammar schools, which speaks volumes for the way the children are able to use ICT effectively for both research and presentations.
The school is well resourced and there is little doubt that ICT resources, coupled with the staff and pupils’ ability and enthusiasm to embrace change are a winning combination.
“It also helps that most children now have access to computers outside of school and are increasingly familiar with, and competent in using, digital technologies,” says Teresa.
Primary 7 children at the school have designed and created their own website to include information about a school trip to the Ulster American Folk Park. Following a visit to Glenullin Raised Bog, the children prepared an information leaflet and gave a presentation on the visit to parents.
“Young children today are increasingly familiar with ICT and are generally much further along the learning curve when they start school because they have grown up junior computers, games consoles and other technologies at home.”
She continues: “At the minute we’re using Bee-Bot – an award winning floor robot for young children which is very easy to use so it’s a perfect starting point for teaching control, directional language and programming to young children and they love it.
“We’re always exploring new ways for the children to use ICT creatively – for example we’re looking at doing video link-up with other schools.”
From an administrative perspective, Teresa says that ICT has had a major impact on the school day, helping to improve efficiency, planning and organizing, which in turn frees up more time to do other things.
She continues: “The effective use of ICT has so much potential – and not just to improve the children’s literacy and numeracy skills. It encourages them to work well both independently and collaboratively with others so they are continually learning new skills as well as improving their confidence and competence. Using ICT in the classroom can also help make classes more interesting and fun to learn, as well as more challenging for both the teacher and the pupil by encouraging them to push the boundaries.
“With the help of C2k and additional investment from the board of governors, we have been able to enjoy all the benefits of an idyllic rural location and overcome some of the disadvantages previously associated with small rural schools.
“I think we all recognise how important it is for children to be competent in ICT so they can take advantage of the many new opportunities opening up in a knowledge based society.”
