Scoil Mhuire School, Newbridge, Co Kildare
June 2017
Firstly I would like to thank Scoil Mhuire Newbridge, Co Kildare, for inviting me to talk at this ceremony, raising the "Digital Schools of Distinction" flag. Scoil Mhuire is one of only 377 out of 3000 schools that received this award. Presenting at this to several hundred excited future programmers was amazing. What was even more amazing, was when I asked who has coded before (Using Scratch), every single kid, raised their hand! I was blown away by this.
I would like to mention that I have a special relationship with this school, and several in the town. As I thought a Further Education course only a Km or two down the road, we piloted a program to teach Scratch in primary schools, this school, Scoil Mhuire, our first.
Scoil Mhuire have been in this program for three years now, and each year we send several students of our Advanced Certificate in Software Development down to the school to teach Scratch as part of their work experience. I am still in awe about how successful this has been. Since then we now run this program with two additional primary schools in the town. To teach code to so many students, and each one as excited as I am when I code, is just indescribable. To reach such as large student body of all ages is a life goal of mine. It's unfolding in front of me and today, I will never forget.
I would like to mention that I have a special relationship with this school, and several in the town. As I thought a Further Education course only a Km or two down the road, we piloted a program to teach Scratch in primary schools, this school, Scoil Mhuire, our first.
Scoil Mhuire have been in this program for three years now, and each year we send several students of our Advanced Certificate in Software Development down to the school to teach Scratch as part of their work experience. I am still in awe about how successful this has been. Since then we now run this program with two additional primary schools in the town. To teach code to so many students, and each one as excited as I am when I code, is just indescribable. To reach such as large student body of all ages is a life goal of mine. It's unfolding in front of me and today, I will never forget.
The future is bright!
