We at Alignment.ie are all about aiding schools to equip their teachers with the skills and tools to enhance their student’s learning experience and deliver essential skills that their students will need to progress into further education and employment. Information Communication Technologies (ICT) and Computer Science (CS) are critical skills that every post-primary student requires to progress in our modern world.
Our suggested path:
Within the next couple of years, the New JC Short Coding course will become mandatory. It is critical to understand that this is NOT a replacement for ICT elements. The correct path is that both of these standalone areas should be available to our students.
JC Short Coding Course:
The course syllabus requires 100 hours from first to third year. CAS provides off-site and in-house training for this area or standalone roadmaps and resources to aid teachers to upskill and deliver the said area. NB. We suggest you are progressive in this area, firstly parents want their children exposed to CS and secondly, it will become mandatory.
ICT-ECDL SCHOOLS KIT:
After extensive research, we have partnered with the Irish Computer Society (ICS) to promote their excellent ECDL Schools Kit. This model should be mandatory for every first-year student to sign up for. CAS provides free 2-day in-house training and system setup for schools who avail of this offer through us. NB. Our suggestion is to have all first-year students register with this 12 module programme and allow them until the end of transition year to complete the said programme. This is what parents want, students need and third-level and employers require. Students can complete this inside or outside of the school timetable as the modules are all online and in an Elearning format. The total cost is hugely discounted by the ICS for students and is €125 for each student. This also will give your school creditability with respect to being ICT proactive as student receive certification upon completion.
Time-Tabling:
We are very aware of the pressures and demands on the Post-Primary timetable. The JC Short Coding will require approximately 33 hours per year and will be embedded in the student’s timetable. The ECDL Schools Kit 12 module programme is approximately 130 hours in length. Due to the flexibility of the self-taught online system, this allows schools greater timetable flexibility. Transition year will allow all students to complete this programme whether they have completed 20 or 100 hours within year’s 1 to 3, upon completion students receive certification for the said areas. The granting of certification should not be viewed lightly, all employers and some third level courses will require this.
Subject Area:
Why chose ECDL over other models such as Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)
- ECDL is a general computer knowledge certificate. – Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) is more specific in Microsoft applications.
- CAS provides free in-house training and support.
- MOS is more a techie qualification whereas ECDL is more aligned with elements that students will require to progress into third level education and the workplace.
- The ECDL is far more user-friendly for students and teachers and they get way more support compared to MOS
- Certain items within the MOS content are not covered within ECDL / ICDL as they lack currency in the present ICT age.
- MOS Technical levels of content are too high for an ICT User: Certain items within the MOS content are considered to be at a more advanced level than what is required to be considered to be digitally literate.
ECDL Schools Kit
- Once off payment of €125 per student a with a lifetime registration
- ECDL remains the most recognised computer certification in the world.
- Signing up to ECDL for schools gives you access to one of the country’s most sophisticated educational databases.
- The online candidate management portal has been designed to allow you and your student’s training and testing when and where it suits you.
- Tracking of student progress through to certification can be performed with ease, and there is always someone at the end of the phone.
- Students will learn real-world skills that will enable them to be productive learners, employees, entrepreneurs, and citizens.
- A one-time lifetime registration to gain the international standard in digital skills certification represents the best investment in ICT for your students.
- Our externally assessed, paperless system and free training for teachers all contribute to making the experience as teacher -friendly, time-friendly, and environmentally-friendly as possible.
- Our state of the art system has a robust and secure design while maintaining a user-friendly feel.
- Ensures teachers have a roadmap and are accountable.
- Schools become their own test centres which have an annual subscription of €375
- 100% External Assessment
- Dedicated Support
- Staff Supplied Courseware
- Web-Based Testing
- E-Learning Included.
Free Computing Curriculum consisting of 4 Modules
- Digital Media
- Microcontrollers
- Computational Thinking
- Multimedia Storytelling
Other Benefits:
If your school undertakes the ECDL through us we give heavy discounts for all our in-house, off-site and CS resource supplies.
All enquires to trevor@alignment.ie