St. Rynagh’s N.S.

Digital Learning Plan

Introduction

This plan was created in 2019 to guide digital learning in our school and to facilitate the implementation of our I.C.T. Plan.

School Details

St. Rynagh’s has just over 250 pupils and 10 classroom teachers.  We have 3 full time Special Education Teachers, one part-time Special Education Teacher and one Special Education Teacher shared between ourselves and two other local schools.

School Vision

It is our hope that our school would be an inclusive Catholic school where all children are treated equally are helped to grow in knowledge and understanding and are encouraged to live a health, responsible Christian life.

Brief Account of THE USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE SCHOOL TO DATE

We have 6 laptops which children use for project work, jolly phonics, Nessy, differentiation and station teaching.  We have a timetable for the use of these laptops.

Every teacher has a laptop for teacher led instruction, these laptops are used in conjunction with digital projectors, visualisers and whiteboards.

Every classroom also has at least one desktop for differentiation and project work.

Laptops are also used in S.E.T. settings for differentiation, to vary the method of instruction and to develop typing.

We also have a set of tablets which we use for differentiation and to vary the method of instruction.

The Focus of this Digital Learning Plan

We undertook a digital learning evaluation in our school during the Trinity Term 2019.  We evaluated our progress using the following sources of evidence:-

• Teachers’ feedback and discussion at staff meetings.
• Student focus group session.
• Our own I.C.T. plan which is based on O.E.C.D. Students Computers and Learning 2015 and Digital Strategy for Schools D.E.S. 2015-2020.

THE DOMAINS AND STANDARDS FROM THE DITITAL LEARNING FRAMEWORK BEING SELECTED.

Learner Experiences and Learner Outcomes

Pupils engage purposefully in meaningful learning activities.

Pupils have the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes required to understand themselves and their relationships.

Pupils demonstrate the knowledge, skills and understanding required by the curriculum.

Pupils enjoy their learning and are motivated to learn and expect to achieve as learners.

Pupils experience opportunities to develop the skills and attitudes necessary for lifelong learning.

TEACHERS INDIVIDUAL PRACTICE

The teacher has the requisite subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and classroom management skills.

The teacher responds to individual learning needs and differentiates teaching and learning activities as necessary.

TEACHERS COLLECTIVE/COLLABORATIVE PRACTICE

Teachers value and engage in professional development and professional collaboration.

Teachers contribute to building whole-staff capacity by sharing their expertise.

LEADING, LEARNING AND TEACHING

Manage the planning and implementation of the curriculum.

Foster a commitment to inclusion, equality of opportunity and the holistic development of each pupil.

Foster teacher professional development that enriches teachers’ and pupils’ learning.

LEADING SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT

Communicating the guiding vision for the school and lead its realisation.

Build and maintain relationships with parents, with other schools and with the wider community.

DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP CAPACITY

Critique the practice as leaders and develop understanding of effective and sustainable leadership.

Empower staff to take on and carry out leadership roles.

Summary of our Strengths with regard to Digital Learning

Tablets are available and timetabled.

Laptops are available and timetabled.

Laptops and tablets are used for station teaching.

Teachers use digital technologies in their teaching in the classrooms and in Special Education Teaching settings.

Technology is used to facilitate differentiation.

Technology is used for project work at senior end of the school to enhance learning in S.E.S.E., Literacy and Maths.

This is what we are going to focus on to improve our Digital Learning Practice further:-

The teachers will continue to use technology to enhance teaching through using their laptops, digital projectors and visualisers.

Tablets will be used to facilitate differentiation, in class, in station teaching and in a S.E.T. setting.  For some pupils particular programmes such as Nessy will be used.

The pupils from 3^rd to 6^th will learn to:-

• Open a file, work on a document and save work on a class usb stick.
• Create a personal document.
• Use internet services critically for a project planning a search, locating information on a website, evaluating the usefulness of information and assessing the credibility of sources.
• Present their project work in a digital format rather than hard copy.

All pupils will:-

• Learn how to react appropriately to online bullying and attacks on their privacy.
• Learn of the need to avoid excessive use of digital technology.

Targets

• Stop, block, and tell to continue to be taught to all classes.
• Students in 4^th to 6^th classes use digital technologies once or twice a month because “specific digital reading competencies do not appear to be higher in countries where browsing the internet for schoolwork is more frequent”. O.E.C.D. ‘15, however, “in 16 out of 25 countries with available data students who browse the internet at school once or twice a month score above students who never do so on the P.I.S.A. digital reading scale” O.E.C.D. Students Computers and Learning 2015.
• Students in 4^th, 5^th & 6^th classes create a personal document.
• Students in 4^th, 5^th & 6^th classes open a file work on a document and save work on a usb stick.
• Students in 5^th & 6^th classes use internet services critically for a project, planning a search, locating information on a website, evaluating the usefulness of information and assessing the credibility of sources.
• Students in 5^th or 6^th classes present their project work in a digital format rather than a hard copy.
• Teachers continue to use digital technologies to support their teaching as in relation to educational outcomes you get “stronger effects when computers were supporting traditional teaching rather than seen as its alternative”.  (O.E.C.D. ’15)
• Teachers to introduce technology to support learning as outlined in student support files.
• Pupils in 2^nd and 3^rd can begin to use laptops as directed by their teachers if conditions allow.

Actions

• School principal to ensure that there are sufficient laptops.
• School principal to ensure that all class teachers have a panel board and a teaching laptop.
• Deputy Principal to timetable the use of tablets and laptops by classes.
• Teachers of 4^th, 5^th and 6^th classes use digital technologies to reach the targets listed.
• All teachers use digital technologies to support their teaching.
• All teachers are aware of pupils support plans and use digital technology as outlined in the support plan.

Digital Learning Review

Our review was delayed due to Covid 19.  We completed our review in 2022.

The review was conducted through teacher consultation, SNA consultation, pupil focus group, principal observation, parent consultation, reading of the D.E.S. Digital Strategy for Schools and OECD Students Computers and Learning 2015.

Results of Review

• Online learning was added to our written assessment of risk.
• We now have 38 laptops available for pupils use so whole classes can put our Digital Learning Plan in place.
• All class teachers have panel boards.  2 SET settings have panel boards.  All teachers have a laptop available and or a room-based computer.
• An additional target was included relating to 3^rd and 2^nd classes.

This review was conducted in 2021 and 2022.  The review was concluded in March 2022.