Recordings of presentations from Parents Information Evening
Over the last number of years, Banagher College have been constantly developing our digital strategy to harness the many benefits that are available to enhance teaching and learning through the use of digital technologies.
Naturally, since the pandemic began, the school has further enhanced our digital learning approach through our remote and blended learning strategies. This has led to the use of technology becoming a core part of the everyday experience of the students in the school. The Microsoft 365 suite of software, with Microsoft Teams and Onenote at its centre, has become a crucial tool to assist teaching and learning for students in the school.
With the use of technology now at the heart of the educational experience in 
Banagher College, the next logical step is for students to have their own digital learning devices. Students have been operating off phones and other unsuitable devices for some time, devices that are not designed primarily for educational purposes, which can present different problems in and out of the classroom.
The many benefits of students having their own educational specific learning devices are clear: everything from the advantages of using e-books; to giving them more autonomy over their own learning; to building their digital skills to prepare them for the digital workplace and society of the future.
After consulting with the different stakeholders, where surveys showed overwhelming support for the initiative among parents and students, we partnered with a specialist educational technology company who will provide the devices to be purchased by incoming students.
This company (Wriggle Learning) will provide hybrid devices (windows tablet with digital pen and keyboard) for sale to parents. These devices will be locked down by the company, according to an educational specification provided by the school, and will be supported by the company for a three-year period. The device will come preloaded with apps that are central to digital learning in the school.
The devices can be purchased up front by parents or can be purchased in installments over a three-year period. The shop that will be set-up to purchase the devices will be live in the coming months. The school will provide training on the device to incoming students and Wriggle Learning also provide a highly-regarded training program for both students and parents/guardians, access to which is provided with each device.
Further information about this initiative can be found by watching the recordings of presentations from the Information Evening below.
