Laois college proud to achieve Digital School Status
A Laois secondary school at the foothills of the Slieve Bloom Mountains is celebrating after achieving a Digitial School Status award.
Clonaslee College has been recognised with the prestigious European ‘Digital School’ status for their outstanding contributions in digital teaching and learning.
The award is a testament to Clonaslee College’s commitment to providing students with a cutting-edge education and equipping them with advanced digital skills.
Ciarán Todd is IT/Digital Technology co-ordinator at Clonaslee College.
‘We are proud to have achieved this award. The Digital School Awards programme has given us valuable tools, structure
and supports to help us further enhance the digital and learning in our school. It is great to get recognition for the tremendous work that we are doing to incorporate digital technologies into our teaching and learning and to ensure that our students are ready to take on an increasingly digitalised world’.
Supported by global technology giants HP and AMD, along with government and education partners, the Digital Schools Award Europe aims to promote digital teaching and learning and equip pupils with advanced digital skills.
To achieve the award, the school had to demonstrate a whole school digital strategy, evidence of how digital technology enhances learning, and a commitment to ongoing teacher professional development. The programme has already highlighted innovative and collaborative approaches to integrating digital technology in teaching and learning, inspiring other schools to follow suit.
At the awards ceremony held at Banagher College, County Offaly, nine secondary schools in the Laois Offaly Education and Training Board received their award.
The other Laois schools receiving the award are Portlaoise College, St. Fergal's College, Rathdowney and Dunamase College.
The schools took part in a new initiative called the SELFIE Digital Schools Academy 1 , which aims to support sustainable digital education practices in European schools. The academy provides schools that have completed the European SELFIE self-reflection tool with digital education mentor support and professional development resources, focusing on themes such as leadership, collaboration, infrastructure, professional development, teaching and learning, assessment, student digital competences, STEAM education, and remote learning.
LOETB Director of Schools is Linda Tynan.
"The Digital Schools Awards has been very beneficial for our schools. I’m really delighted that we’ve been able to support an initiative like this, where the digital innovation of our staff and students is formally recognised; it’s very gratifying to see that all our schools have been so successful within the Digital Schools Awards programme," she said.