Date:     Tuesday, 19th March 2024
Time:     7 - 8 pm
Venue:   Online Via Zoom

Target Audience: Early Years Educators, Special Needs Assistants, Primary and Post Primary Teachers

Many of the emerging curriculum and policy in Ireland place an emphasis on students as digital learners and the highlight the importance of digital competencies and literacies. Consequently the use of technology for learning and teaching will become more pervasive in the contemporary the classroom. Traditionally the concept of a digital learner conjures an image of an older student learning alone outside a formal classroom setting. However given the importance of digital literacies and the role of technology in promoting inclusion we need to reenvisage and challenge current beliefs about what it means to be a digital learner at all levels of education, early years, primary, post primary and adult education.  The purpose of this session is to explore what is meant by the concept of a digital learner in an Irish classroom and develop practical approaches to enable educators and educational leaders to enable their students to become digital learners in an integrated educational setting.

Bio of presenter - Dr Emma O Brien

Dr Emma O Brien is the Director of Taught Postgraduate Studies and an Associate Professor at MIC Limerick. She is coordinator for the Graduate Certificate, Diploma, MEd in Digital Leadership in Education and the Modular Masters of Education.

Emma also leads the Erasmus Plus Teacher Academy IDEAL Future- Integrated Digital Educational Leadership for the Future which is the first of its kind in Europe. IDEAL Future will develop a range of professional learning activities and a collaborative digital hub to support transformative learning and dialog between educators, educational leaders and industry at all levels of education. Through this participants will be supported to simultaneously solve specific challenges in the area of digital educational leadership and acquire the necessary skills and expertise through formal and informal accredited professional learning.