KILDARE: Scoil Mhuire pupils in Newbridge develop their computer skills

Pupils in Scoil Mhuire Senior School have been given a great opportunity to develop and hone their computer skills due to the generous donation of Green IT.

This company donated ten refurbished Dell 6440 laptops earlier in the year.

This thoughtful gesture has enabled the pupils to explore and appreciate the importance of computers in our technological world of today and the many practical uses of computers in our daily lives.

The pupils in Scoil Mhuire Senior School engage in many activities to develop, improve and encourage them to become interested in the various aspects of Information and Communications Technology ( ICT) in an educational environment and in their daily lives. ICT is a very important component in our educational setting as information and communication technologies are fast, automated, interactive and rapidly changing. They transform the ways that pupils think and learn and afford them greater control over how ,where and when they learn.

The donation of these laptops allow the children to practise typing ; a very important skill for all children in their presentation of their school work now in their primary setting but, also as they progress to secondary school. There is also a real fun element associated with the school activities as the pupils enjoy many games which encourage imagination, confidence and team building.

The core curriculum subjects are also enhanced as the children engage in educational Maths games, including ‘ Top Marks’ , which makes the subject more appealing to the pupils and in turn nurtures a sense of confidence and fulfilment in relation to the subject in general. Project work is well promoted with the use of ‘ National Geographic for Kids’ ( Nat Geo for Kids) as the children may research topics independently and encourage a sense of self- discovery in their approach to learning.

Another activity includes Scratch Coding which is a very popular activity among all the pupils from Third to Sixth classes in the school. It is designed especially for young people ages eight to sixteen years. Scratch coding is the process of writing and running programs using Scratch, a free programming language and code editor that helps young learners understand coding logic, using blocks and visual aids. The children are enabled to create digital stories, games and animations.

This activity proves very popular among all the children and an extra – curricular class is also provided after school for those particularly interested in Scratch Coding. The Newbridge Coding Academy, co-ordinated by Mr Carey, Third Class teacher in Scoil Mhuire Senior School, organises Scratch Coding classes twice a week in a location in Scoil Mhuire Junior School. More details about the classes are available on The Newbridge Coding Academy website.

Scoil Mhuire is very proactive in relation to ICT as an educational learning tool and the pupils continue to enjoy and engage in this very interesting and progressive activity as an integral part of their educational journey in Primary School. A life skill to carry with them into the future!

- Stephanie Bergin