January 2015 NUI Galway Conference on Mobile Technologies in the Classroom

Mobile technologies are becoming a standard teaching tool in the classroom. However, as an ever-growing range of devices and apps come on stream, many teachers are struggling with a technological skills gap.

To help combat this gap, NUI Galway’s School of Education, will host the First International Conference on Mobile Technology in Initial Teacher Education (MiTE) on Friday and Saturday, 23 and 24 January, in the Galway Bay Hotel, Salthill.

The two-day conference will celebrate the possibilities and explore the challenges of integrating mobile technology in teacher education and provide a forum for practitioners to come together to benchmark and share best practice. Speakers include experts in the field of mobile technology including representatives from CalStateTEACH, California State University, Apple, Google and national and international education institutions.

NUI Galway’s School of Education is aware of the potential that mobile technology has for improving the teaching and learning experiences of pupils in the classroom. Seán Ó Grádaigh, School of Education, and Chair of the MiTE 2015 Conference, said: “Mobile technology offers today's students the opportunity to learn how, when and where they wish. Commonly called digital natives, the pupils of today have smart technology at their fingertips. Incorporating this technology into the classroom is a natural way to help build the pupils' engagement with their learning, thereby preparing mobile citizens for the future.”

Punya Mishra, Professor of Educational Technology and Director of the Master of Arts in Educational Technology programme at Michigan State University, observes that technologies become obsolete as quickly as they arrive. This rapid rate of change is a challenge for educators and leads to an increased pressure on teachers to learn new ways to incorporate technology into their teaching. Professor Mishra, an internationally renowned pioneer in the area, will give a keynote address at MiTE.

Sinéad Ní Ghuidhir, School of Education, and Conference Co-Chair, said: “The teachers role has evolved to become more facilitative in nature in order to guide students on how to access and manage the vast knowledge now available at their fingertips.”

On Friday, 23 January, the conference will provide an academic platform for recent emergent research, and on the second day, Saturday 24, January, the focus will be on the practitioner application of mobile technology in the classroom.

This conference is open to parents, teachers and students who are interested in seeing and hearing how mobile technologies, for example, smartphones/tablets, can contribute positively to the learning processes within our classrooms today.

To find out more see www.gratek.ie/mite2015.

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Comhdháil ar an Teicneolaiocht Shoghluaiste sa Seomra Ranga

Gnáth-uirlis teagaisc tá sna teicneolaíochtaí nua shoghluaiste anois sa seomra ranga. Leis an oiread aipeanna agus gléasanna nua ar an margadh, áfach, is léir go bhfuil bearna eolais ann i scileanna teicneolaíochta na n-oideachasóirí.

Chun díriú ar an mbearna sin, tá an Chéad Chomhdháil Idirnáisiúnta ar Theicneolaíocht Shoghluaiste in Oideachas Tosaigh Múinteoirí, MiTE 2015, á reachtáil ag Scoil an Oideachais, Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh, in Ostán an Galway Bay ar an Aoine agus an Satharn, an 23/24 Eanáir 2015.

Déanfar iniúchadh thar an dá lá ag Comhdháil MiTE, ar na dúshláin agus ar na buntáistí maidir le comhtháthú na teicneolaíochta soghluaiste, ní hamháin i réimse Oideachas Tosaigh Múinteoirí ach sa teagasc agus san fhoghlaim i gcoitinne. Tabharfaidh sé deis do ghníomhairí sa réimse a gcuid taighde a roinnt agus a cheiliúradh. Beidh saineolaithe ann ó CalStateTEACH, California State University, Apple, Google, agus ó institiúidí oideachais náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta.

Tá tábhacht agus poitéinsiúil na teicneolaíochta soghluaiste aitheanta ag Scoil an Oideachais, mar a bhaineann sé le teagasc agus le foghlaim dhaltaí sa seomra ranga. Deir Seán Ó Grádaigh, cathaoirleach MiTE 2015 “Tugann an teicneolaiocht shoghluaiste deis do fhoghlaimeoirí foghlaim ag aon am, in aon áit, agus ar aon bhealach, mar a fheileann dóibh féin. Tá an ‘teicneolaíocht chliste’ mar chuid de shaol laethúil na hóige anois agus luíonn sé le réasún go bhfuil féidearthachtaí agus leasa ag baint leis an teicneolaíocht sin a chomhtháthú san fhoghlaim ar scoil. Ní hamháin sin ach go bhfuil an litearthacht dhigiteach riachtanach don fhostaíocht agus don gheilleagar amach romhainn.”

Is ceannródaí sa réimse seo é an tOllamh Punya Mishra. Is é an t-Ollamh ar Educational Technology é agus Stiúrthóir ar an gclár, an Master of Arts in Educational Technology in Ollscoil Michigan State. Sé a bharúil go bhfuil dúshláin ann do oideachasóirí dul i ngleic leis na hathruithe rialta a thagann ar theicneolaíochtaí an oideachais, agus le luas an ráta athraithe sin. Anuas air sin, áfach, is mó na buntáistí agus na féidearthachtaí a bhaineann leis an teicneolaíocht shoghluaiste don teagasc agus don fhoghlaim. Sé an tOllamh Mishra ag thabharfaidh an spreagaitheasc ag an gComhdháil ar an Aoine, an 23 Eanáír.

Deir Sinéad Ní Ghuidhir, co-chathaoirleach na comhdhála, go bhfuil ról na háisitheora i ndán do mhúinteoirí. “Tá eolas fairsing ar fáil do dhaltaí go réidh agus go héasca leis an teicneolaíocht. Bíonn ar mhúinteoirí daltaí a threorú chun an t-eolas seo a thuiscint, a bhainistiú agus a úsáid go ciallmhar.”

Ardán acadúil don taighde idirnáisiúnta is déanaí sa réimse seo a bheidh ann ar an Aoine 23 Eanáir agus ar an Satharn 24 Eánái, díreofar ar chur i bhfeidhm na teicneolaíochta soghluaiste sa seomra ranga, i sraith ceardlanna éagsúla.

Chuirfeadh idir mhúinteoirí, thuismitheoirí agus dhaltaí suim faoi leith in ábhar na Comhdhála seo, go háirithe iad siúd ar spéis leo an fhoghlaim dhigiteach shoghluaiste nó fiú iad san a bhfuil smartphone ina bpóca acu! Fáilte roimh chách.

Tuilleadh eolais ar fáil ag www.gratek.ie/mite2015

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