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MEP helps to launch student's interactive map
FIANNA Fail MEP Brian Crowley was in Newcastle West last week to launch an innovative 'Virtual Europe' programme that will give students of Gaelscoil Ó Doghair an interactive insight into the history and culture of the European Union.
The programme, which was co-developed by the school and local software company Daynuv, allows students to build and interact with a simulated map of Europe and learn about the characteristics of each member state. The project is part of the Department of Foreign Affairs' 'Communicating Europe' initiative to bring a greater awareness of the EU into Irish classrooms.
Gaelscoil O'Doghair principal Daithi O Murchu said that the school have taken an active interest in using new platforms to teach its pupils more about the EU: "Virtual Europe is unique in that our students are constructing their own encultured model of what Europe is and can be. We're immensely honoured that for the second year running Gaelscoil Doghair has been awarded assistance from the Department of Foreign Affairs to develop an EU themed project."
Mr Crowley marked the launch of the programme by planting a tree beside a virtual model of the school, before going outside and planting a real one. This Friday the students will take part in a number of activities within their new virtual continent to mark Europe Day. Daynuv co-founder James Corbett said that the response from the students to the software has been tremendous: "The programme isn't just an existing environment that they go in and interact with. The students can create and build the world around them and terraform their own map of Europe. The idea is to let them create their own image of Europe and appreciate the unique culture and geography of each EU country. Instead of just reading about, say, the Acropolis they can build it and walk through it themselves. It's very immersive."
Daynuv was formed in 2008 by Keith Kennedy and James Corbett, who have two decades worth of IT experience between them. They provide an innovative educational platform 'Opensimulator' which is based on the popular 'Second Life' programme.
Gaelscoil Doghair have been consistently on the cutting-edge of IT and interactive learning since they moved into their state of the art new building in 2006. For more information, visit the school's website www.gaelscoil.com
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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