09 January 2014
The Teachnet Blog posted a detailed review of Scoilnet Maps today and they like it! The review provides a great overview of the key features and functions of Scoilnet Maps and how it can be used as a teaching resource to support the primary curriculum.
http://www.pil-network.ie/blog/scoilnet-maps-2/
29 November 2013 Hat trick for Scoilnet Maps!
Scoilnet Maps beat off stiff competition last night to win the 2013 eircom Spider award for “Digital Geography“. This category recognises websites and mobile apps that make effective use of Geography and digital maps to convey business, social or environmental information in an engaging, informative and innovative manner. The award was one of 23 awards presented at the Convention Centre, Dublin, last night. Scoilnet Maps was also shortlisted in the eLearning and Education category.
This is the 3rd award that Scoilnet Maps has received in 2013, highlighting the value of this digital mapping tool in supporting and enhancing the teaching and learning of Geography in primary and post-primary classrooms.
Thanks to those of you who sent in materials for World GIS Day. A great way to celebrate the teaching and learning of Geography.
CBC Monkstown. Teacher: Ryan Corcoran.
St Fintan’s High School, Sutton, Dublin 13. Teacher: Aelsa Carroll.
The video below was made by Transition Year students and gives a small taste of the variety of activities that take place in the geography class. You will see first and second year students sharing some of their opinions about Geography, third years preparing for exams, and senior students carrying out fieldwork, and students working on maps using ICT.
Togher National School, Dunmanway, Co. Cork. Teacher: Ms O’Connell.
Senior pupils using Google Earth to locate their school and Scoilnet Maps to plot a journey to Croke Park.
Coláiste Bríde, Clondalkin, Dublin 22. Teacher: Paula Fitzsimons.
3rd year Geography students creating and using paper and digital maps.
18 Oct 2013 — IRLOGI, the Irish Organisation for Geographic Information, yesterday announced Scoilnet Maps and PDST – Technology in Education as the winner of their annual best practice award for “Business Case and Return on Investment”. The announcement was made at the annual GIS Ireland 2013 conference in Dublin.
OSi have introduced some minor changes to the legend of their Discovery Mapping series. For more details on these changes, see the document below.
New Style Discovery Series Legend (PDF)
The State Examinations Commission (SEC) will continue to use 1:50,000 Discovery Series OS maps that do not contain the changes to the legend and symbols in state examinations for 2014 and 2015. Starting in 2016, the SEC will use the 1:50,000 Discovery Series OS maps with the newly designed legend and redesigned symbols in examination papers for Geography, Environmental and Social Studies and Active Leisure Studies. See Department of Education Circular 0050/2013.
Details of the PDST’s autumn in-service programme are available on the PDST Geography homepage. Sessions cover Induction for NQTs, Geographical Investigations/Geography Fieldwork and Scoilnet Maps.
04 Sept 2013 Interactive census data module now available
Scoilnet Maps and AIRO have collaborated to produce a great interactive census mapping module with a balanced selection of curriculum-relevant data suitable for teaching and learning. The mapping module contains data from four censuses (2011, 2006, 2002, 1996) and covers the following indicators: Population, Population Density, Age Groups (Male and Female), Dependency Ratios, Place of Birth, Means of Travel to School or Work, Industry of Employment and Internet Access.
Geography teacher, Tony Dunne, has developed 3 Leaving Certificate lesson plans and student worksheets with ideas on how to use the new census mapping module. These align to specific curriculum objectives/statements.
About AIRO
The All-Island Research Observatory (AIRO) is a research unit and spatial data portal based in NUI Maynooth. AIRO collects, analyses and provides evidence and tools to support better planning and decision-making. The key strengths behind the AIRO team are mapping, data analytics and visualisation, policy advice, research and training. AIRO actively works to maximise the usage and benefit of publicly funded and readily available datasets in Ireland as well as highlighting the benefits of proper collection, management and dissemination of datasets across different organisations.