ST. PIUS COMPUTER ROOM

Minister Lenihan Confers Award

On Friday, 20th June, Minister of State, Conor Lenihan TD made an official visit to BNS to confer our 'Digital School' award. Everyone was represented at the do - boys from the senior classes, staff, members of Board of Management, Parents' Association and Blackrock Education Centre. A photographer from 'The Echo' was on site so keep an eye on the papers.
We were especially delighted to welcome back some of the people who made this award possible. Michael Garvey, whose contacts in HP resulted in the original computer room, Fr. Colleran former chairperson of the BoM who was a great supporter of IT in the school and members of the parents IT support group, Colm O'Keeffe and Sarah Hogan. Also present was Fintan Mahon, designer of this website.
Our computer room has developed into a state of the art facility for the children of St. Pius. With twenty networked PCs, a file server, printers, switches and a router it is the envy of many schools in the country. Broadband is delivered to the room and the entire school by way of a microwave connection through an antenna on the roof. Thanks to the DES and the NCTE for providing broadband Internet. We have a dedicated computer teacher and the boys visit once a week (infants to second) or once a fortnight (third to sixth [double session]).

HTML Projects

Joe and Brody completed this project on Fierce Animals. They spent much of the year learning how to create web pages using HTML and then put their new found skills into action. The results speak for themselves.
Click Brody & Joe: Fierce Animals for project. prepare to be scared!

Peter and Mark are both soccer fans. Their HTML project is on their favourite soccer teams. Click Peter & Mark: Gunners and Spurs

Interactive Whiteboards

All classes from third to sixth inclusive now have an interactive whiteboard. The reaction from pupils and teachers has been very positive. For anyone who may not be familiar with these modern wonders, the system has four main elements:
1. PC
2. Data projector, suspended from ceiling
3. Amplifier / speakers
4. Electronic whiteboard on the wall with which teachers and pupils can interact using a stylus which acts like a computer mouse
The software bundle is practical and versatile. There is no area of the curriculum where the learning process cannot but be enhanced by this technology, and recent research from DCU bears this out.
As our school is fully networked, Internet is available in each classroom. This means, for instance, that if teacher is doing a lesson on hedgehogs, a picture of a hedgehog can be instantly displayed.
We plan to introduce interactive whiteboards to every class over the next two years (or as soon as funding becomes available!).