Teachers at Dublin Secondary Schools Show Digital Ambition

Dublin schools Mount Anville Secondary School and St. Vincents Castleknock College are revolutionising classroom learning with the introduction of Microsoft Surface Pro 3 devices today. Teachers and students in the schools are among the first people in the country to get their hands on the devices as they are being released for sale to the general public later today.

The tablets are an integral part of a smart learning strategy by the schools. All teachers in both schools are being trained to ensure the maximum benefit offered by the technology is provided to the students. The new devices will operate with Office 365, which, among other features, enables documents to be edited by multiple people simultaneously.

“We are excited to be receiving these Microsoft Surface Pro 3 devices today, which will be provided to each member of staff along with training in how to maximise their use in the classroom environment. We see the enormous promise that technology offers to aid learning in a multitude of ways and to cater for a variety of student needs. We all learn differently, and the new devices together with the Office 365 will facilitate teamwork and research in new ways. The range of educational apps available for Surface will also bring a new dimension to the education our teachers provide,” said Grainne Clear, Deputy Principal of Mount Anville Secondary School.

“Students face into a work environment that looks very different from the one their parents inherited at the start of their careers. Technology has reshaped the professional landscape. In evaluating different tablet options, we determined that familiarity with Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office will stand to our students, as these are skills employers seek when recruiting” Oliver Murphy, Principal from St. Vincents Castleknock College said today as the school welcomed its seventy new Microsoft Surface Pro 3 devices.

Dr. Kevin Marshall, Head of Education, Microsoft Ireland praised the schools for their embrace of the latest technology in delivering education.

“Today, education and technology are combining to make possible a new frontier of learning. The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 devices, as key elements in a technological education strategy, will enable new possibilities in classroom learning, but more than that they will also help to equip students for aworld where technology has impacted every career path and given rise to whole new industries.” he said.

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 goes on sale from today, at Currys, PC World, Harvey Norman in store and online, and from Microsoft at www.surface.com. Schools and business users can also order through Authorised Device Resellers Hibernia Evros Technology Group, BT Northern Ireland, or education specialists Wriggle.