The Computer in Education Society of Ireland (CESI) is gearing up for its eagerly anticipated annual conference next weekend. The theme of this year’s conference is “Spark The Imagination” and attendees will be spoiled for choice with forty presentations, eight workshops and the keynote addresses. This blend of presentations, workshops, vendors and networking opportunities which has proven so popular in previous years will again be a feature of this year’s conference which will be held again this year in the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) campus in Galway.

Friday Night Teachmeet CESI

As always, the conference will be preceded on the Friday night by a Teachmeet CESI in the Clayton Hotel, Galway. This follows a “Teachmeet” format where the atmosphere is less formal. Presentations are delivered in three formats: Nano (2mins), Mini (5-7 mins) and Soap Box (15 mins). Throughout the evening there are usually competitions and spot prizes and the evening finishes off with refreshments and chat. This is booked out at the moment but you can join a waiting list HERE

Keynote Speakers

Dr. Daithí Ó Murchú is a primary school principal in Ladyswell NS, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15, Ireland. In 1985, he became principal of a Gaelscoil, founded the first co-educational, second level Gaelcholáiste in the Mid-West in 1993 and in 1996 was awarded his Masters in Management Innovation and Curriculum studies, MSt, in Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. Presently Daithí is collaborating with universities and businesses globally in innovation, management, e-inclusion, critical framework design, teacher education, future technologies, business eco-systems and linguistics projects. Daithí holds several Directorships of various companies, serves on numerous conference review boards and continues to teach in a DEIS Band 1, dis-advantaged school. Visit Daithí’s website HERE

Dr. Deirdre Butler is a senior lecturer in Education at St. Patrick’s College with responsibility for designing and co-ordinating learning programs for undergraduate and postgraduate students using a broad range of digital technologies to enable them to understand what being digital in learning can be. She has extensive experience in the theory and practice of digital learning, as well the design and development of sustainable, scalable models of teacher professional development. Deirdre has also designed, developed and managed a range of projects and school based initiatives which focus on the creative use of digital technologies e.g. Empowering Minds.

Dr. Michael Hallissey currently holds the post of Director of Learning for The Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA). The DHDA delivers a range of education and training programmes under the umbrella of The Digital Hub Learning Initiative. The Learning Initiative focuses on the learning and training needs of the local community, schools and the digital media sector. The programme is developing a range of showcase programmes including Future Creators and Schools Broadband Exemplar for use by schools in The Digital Hub and beyond.

The Plenary Keynote speakers names are being kept under wraps by the conference organisers. We are promised “Special Surprise Guests”.

Registration

Registration for the Conference is now open on the CESI website. Tickets for the Friday night CESI Meet are sold out but you can join a waiting list. However, you can register and pay for the Saturday conference/workshops through the website. For teachers interested in the integration of technology in the classroom, registration for this annual conference is a must. Early registration for the conference would greatly assist the committee with the organisation of the event.

Presentations/Workshops

CESI has just released the conference programme and there is a wide range of talks to suit everybody. Attendees can plan their day in advance by viewing the Conference Timetable and the Conference Abstracts and Presenter Biographies.

Seomra Ranga Presentation

This year I’ll be making a presentation entitled “Spark the Imagination – A Digital Response to the Class Novel” where I hope to demonstrate how teachers can use technology to cover many of the objectives of the English curriculum when working with a novel in the classroom. The presentation will demonstrate how pupils’ imagination can be sparked by using a variety of websites, apps and technologies to respond to the text in the class novel.