Our project is part of the pedagogical change that began in the Schools of the Daughters of Jesus five years ago. The student protagonist of his own learning, Multiple Intelligences as a new educational paradigm, cooperative learning as the backbone of the process and the new role of the teacher are the mainstays of the project. Conceived thus, the use of the iPad means much more than having a mere tool. It equips the school with a medium that allows the realization of the four transformations of the school: that of the curriculum, that of the role of teacher and student, that of the organization and operation and finally architecture.
The recognition that this award from Catholic Schools Madrid bestows on the best center project in the use of new technologies in the classroom is a boost to continue taking steps. We have had the invaluable help of our school in Vigo; we are very grateful to Nacho, its director, and Alberto, in charge of TAC [Tecnologías del Aprendizaje y Conocimiento = Learning and Knowledge Technologies]. From them and with them we have learned a lot, proving once again that “networks” help us grow, improve … because together we are much more.
The faculty of “Colegio María Virgen” has been very much involved in the Aula i+ project; it has meant many hours of training and has been a challenge, easy for some and more costly for others. But we have also experienced how the help of colleagues makes it easier to face challenges. And above all we have had at all times a totally committed TAC team which has been the real driving force of this whole project. Without them none of this would have been possible.
It was launched in academic year 2015-16 for students in Primary 4, ESO 1st and 4th year and has continued to expand in 2016-17 to students in 5th grade, 2nd ESO and 1 Baccalaureate. This project will expand next school year to Primary 6, 3rd ESO and 2nd year Baccalaureate. It means giving each student a gateway always open to technology and the digital world, but especially to a world that is far beyond the four walls of the classroom and the school.
The safety and protection of children in digital areas has been a priority from the beginning, in addition to education in the responsible use of new technologies as an essential part of the training of citizens of the XXI century.
Under these assumptions, the rules and conditions of the project have been set up based on three fundamental pillars, which seem to us keys to digital education of our students: security, privacy and responsibility. To this end, students have been given instructions and training, posters were made for classrooms with the rules for use, security and the bandwidth of the school network have been enhanced, and a powerful software that allows remote management of 450 devices has been acquired, connecting them at present to the Internet together with other computers in the school.
Educationally, the project is based not only on the accessibility to data and curriculum content which the Internet and technologies ensure, but basically on the power that these tools have when it comes to the personalization of learning, the development of critical and creative thinking in our students and the ability to create classroom learning communities and sharing or co-creation of knowledge, etc.
We congratulate everyone for all the success and we appreciate the efforts of many who made it possible. We shall present the experience at the SIMO, where we shall meet each other.
Rosa María Romo fi, director of “Maria Virgen”
Rosa Mª Romo fi, director of “María Virgen”
(*) The Aulai + CMV project involves the incorporation of Apple iPad WiFi 32Gb tablets into the classroom under the 1:1 model (one device per student), and the replacement of paper books with E-books and other educational applications.