OVERVIEW -DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

ICT – Inspire.Connect.Transform 

Digital Technology – ‘Dynamic Times’

Members of Department:

Mrs N Donnelly – Head of Department

Mrs A McGinley

Mrs J Young

Mrs S Mc Cullagh – Technician

Digital Technology affects many parts of our lives, from work and travel to entertainment and banking. There is also a growing demand for workers with specialist digital skills. The government estimates that we will need 1.2 million new technical and digitally skilled workers by 2022 to satisfy future skills needs.

Aims of the Department

ICT/ Digital Technology recognises that new information technologies, services and networks are rapidly transforming the way people live and work.  Competence in ICT/Digital Technology is a ‘life skill’. Experiences provided in Loreto from KS3 ICT right up to GCSE and A’ Level will provide pupils with an excellent basis for any career.

Key Stage 3 ICT

Pupils at Loreto have one period per week in ICT (35 mins). Year 8 -10 pupils experience the use of many types of software, such as Movie Maker, Scratch and Audacity to name a few. They also get the chance to programme with use of the BBC Micro-bits in class. Code Club runs each year, after school in the Spring Term. At Code Club, pupils get to enhance their coding skills and concepts which helps progressively build their knowledge of code. The skills developed at Key Stage 3, provide all our pupils with the ability to implement these in all curriculum areas, not just ICT/DT.

Career Opportunities

The Northern Ireland economy has a particularly strong element of ICT and Computing based careers.  Candidates opting to study GCSE Digital Technology at GCSE & A’ Level will be provided with an excellent foundation to continue their studies in this field.  The CCEA A-level Digital Technology specification commenced in September 2016 and gives a greater level of the skills required to gain employment in the local and locally-based international IT companies.