Presented by: Frederique Rantz & Dr Kenia Puig Planella
The new Junior Cycle aims to promote curricular innovation. The inclusion of short courses in ‘Digital Media Literacy’ and ‘Programming and Coding’ in the NCCA menu of proposed short courses is to be welcomed. Curricular innovation however needs to go beyond stand-alone ICT courses offered as options. For digital literacy to be promoted as a core set of life skills for all students it requires full integration with other subject areas across the curriculum. This is the approach taken by the Post-Primary Languages Initiative (PPLI) in the development of Junior Cycle short courses in Modern Languages.
The presentation will outline how the key components of the Junior Cycle Framework – statements of learning, key skills and learning outcomes- are used to support the integration of digital literacy in the proposed courses. It will give practical examples of how digital literacy opens new possibilities both within and without the modern language classroom and how it enhances learning outcomes across the curriculum as well as in modern languages. Finally the presentation identifies the main challenges to be addressed beyond those of curriculum and course design, namely school ICT resources and teacher education.
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Presenter Biography:
Frédérique Rantz and Dr Kènia Puig Planella are both language advisors with the Post Primary Languages Initiative (PPLI). They are involved in curriculum and course design, resources development, teacher education and mentoring. They are both interested in promoting the use of ICT in language learning and teaching.