From A Teacher's Perspective .........

Coláiste Pobail Acla

This project was undertaken as part of a 1st Year English unit of work entitled “Our Own Place”. The aim of the unit was that students would engage with texts about the place they live in  and by doing so that they would develop their literacy and language skills.

The students read and worked on a selection of the texts mentioned in these pages. They worked on reading, comprehension and writing skills, and on giving personal response. They interviewed a person of their choice and wrote up an account of the stories and memories related to them, again developing writing skills, and also listening skills.  

When the invitation to participate in the http://www.ouririshheritage.org/ project presented itself, this was a welcome opportunity for the students to see how the traditional outcomes of research and written work transfer into online content. The aim of the class web project was to develop a virtual Literary Heritage Trail for the area. Sixteen Stops were identified. Each student researched writers and publications associated with an assigned Stop and wrote up a contribution to the online Trail. For this, students used some online references, but their primary source of information was the school library which stocks the majority of the titles mentioned in the Trail. 

Students learned research and information skills, and took and sourced photographs for the visual web content. They learned  about and experienced the process of drafting and redrafting a researched report, and the process of planning how they might present visual and written content. The final part of the project involved the uploading of content to the web and for this the class benefitted from a workshop given by Lorna Elms and Eorann Kavanagh, from the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life, Turlough. Students got to use ICT skills to learn something of how written and visual content becomes digital content.

The DES definition of “literacy” is that it “includes the capacity to read, understand and critically appreciate various forms of communication including spoken language, print, broadcast media, and digital media”. The students who participated in this project have enhanced their literacy skills and in the process they have become more aware of their cultural heritage and of the rich literary heritage of their area.

Photos show students from the class working in the School Library

With thanks to :

  • Lorna Elms and Eorann Kavanagh, Education and Outreach Department, National Museum of Ireland – Country Life, Turlough House.
  • Celia Mcloughlin, The Library, Coláiste Pobail Acla
  • all who gave us their memories and stories
  • all who contributed photos
  • all who allowed us to use their work
  • all who helped us in any other way

                         

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