Partner Success
Discover how Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon use iPad to develop industry standard skills in students
Overview
As one of the early adopters of both iPad and Google Classroom, Mercy Secondary School in Ballymahon, Co Longford are really seeing the benefits of their iPad 1:1 model as they prepare for the impending changes to Senior Cycle and ever increasing demand for digital skills from graduating students.
Hear first-hand the impact the program has had on students, parents and the wider school community in our school video case study.
Equipping students with the tools they need for Senior Cycle and beyond
For Gary Kenny, principal of Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon, ensuring that all students are equipped with the skills they need for their future is paramount. With regular positive feedback from past pupils of the school about the smoothness of their transition to college, 8 years into their program, the school feel confident that their iPad program is a massive benefit to their students.
“We just find the iPad is adaptable to change and it’s very much user friendly” says Gary. “We feel the digital aspect of our curriculum here really prepares out students, not just for the challenges they face in Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle but also when they transfer into third level and into the working world that the skills they have developed here will stand them in good sted.”
As schools across Ireland prepare for the changes coming with the new additional assessment components as part of Senior Cycle reform, the staff and students in Mercy Secondary School feel ready having laid the groundwork already.
“Obviously it’s topical the changes coming into senior cycle and genuinely as a school we feel really prepared by having the iPad and the Google suite fully embedded” asserts Gary. “We were one of the pilot schools for Leaving Cert PE and the fact that we had an iPad was transformational for the performance aspect and all the areas that had to be uploaded there.“
Seamless Integration of iPad with Google Workspace for Education
Together with the huge range of apps and tools available to them on iPad the school make daily use of the Google Workspace for Education apps and find they work seamlessly on their iPads and extend what they can achieve in the classroom.
“The iPad and Google work really really well together” states Sinéad Curley, a teacher in Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon. “The combination of both tools allows students to work collaboratively with each other. It allows them to share their ideas with other students. This is the same with staff, from the top down we can easily share best practice with each other.“
Building Industry Standard Skills in Students
For Kevin Brady, parent of one past pupil and 2 children still attending the school, he has seen first-hand the increase in demand for digital skills in industry.
“I’ve worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 25 years and in that time I’ve seen massive changes in the requirements and skillsets needed by employees” states Kevin. “We require employees to have digital and automation skills or upskill to acquire them. In my work we use iPads on a daily basis and there’s not a company you would go into now that you wouldn’t find that use of tablet technology. “
Even closer to home, Kevin has seen the impact for his own eyes of the digital skill foundation his son Seán built in the school and the advantage this gave him over his peers in college.
“One of the major advantages for my son Sean starting in UL was that he had a very strong STEM background that was enabled by the use of the iPad from the day he started here” confides Kevin. “Those skills became inherent and embedded in him and it gave him an advantage maybe over children who had come from a traditional pen and paper school.”
Complete School Support for Digital Learning
When it comes to security and management of their iPads, Gary affirms that working with a trusted technology partner has been invaluable.
“Having a managed device brings great security to us as a school and to parents as well that only educational applications go on this device” says Gary. “We’ve been working with Wriggle over the last 8 years and we feel it’s a really strong relationship. We listen on both sides and we’re both constantly trying to improve and get better at what we deliver. There’s a payment plan with Wriggle for parents also which makes it really manageable and affordable for students to have that device when they start school in September.”
Location
Ballymahon, Co. Longford
School Size
750+
Technology
iPad
Partner Since
2016
Educational Level
Post-Primary School
Service Provided
Managed school devices, training, tech and customer support
“I think anyone who’s thinking of using iPad or parents concerned about social media, I would say look at the iPad as a tool that supports and compliments your child’s learning in school.
This device is something that enables your child to learn these tools that they will need in work at an earlier stage than other children without the concerns around security. It’s a big thumbs up from me.”
Kevin Brady, Parent
The Time is Now
There has never been a better time to get on board with student devices.
From creating a bespoke online store for your school, to training, support and assistance with technology for learning for your whole school community, book your free consultation with one of our expert team to see how we can help your school today!