Capita Managed IT Solutions and C2k have announced that all schools in Northern Ireland can now access Google Apps for Education.
The apps are now part of the C2k service provided to all schools through the EN(NI) contract and are being made available at no additional cost to schools. The launch follows a successful pilot of the scheme in October 2015, involving five schools across the region followed by an additional 26 schools in January 2016. To date almost 300 schools have already opted in to the Google Apps for Education service.
The new apps will provide Northern Ireland schools with greater choice and access to a wider range of classroom tools. They are specifically designed to engage learners, support collaboration and connect students and teachers to new educational content.
Michelle Clancy, Assistant Principal for St. Patrick’s Grammar School, Downpatrick, said: “Being part of the pilot made the process of ‘Going Google’ quick and simple. The Google Apps allow us to deliver a much more collaborative approach to learning and teaching both inside and outside the classroom across multiple devices, in a secure fashion.
With almost 300 schools in Northern Ireland already signed up to the service, we are thrilled about the opportunity to provide teachers and students with access to powerful, affordable and easy-to-use tools for collaborating through the Google ecosystem
“During the pilot, A-Level Politics and Sports Science students used Chromebooks to access Google Apps. Lessons were conducted via Google Classroom, allowing students to take a very active role in their learning while taking part in activities such as debates, polls and peer assessment.”
Teachers, students and staff will have access to Google Drive, Google Classroom and Google Calendar, with Google Hangouts available for teachers. Content from Google Play for Education will also be available to compliment the current C2k provision of educational software, as well as support for Chromebooks on C2k’s wireless network. Phase two will see Gmail, Sites and full Hangout functionality enabled.
Liz Sproat, head of EMEA education for Google said: “Today more than 50 million students, teachers and administrators globally are using Google Apps for Education. We are incredibly excited to now offer key elements of the Google Apps suite through C2k to the schools in Northern Ireland. With almost 300 schools in Northern Ireland already signed up to the service, we are thrilled about the opportunity to provide teachers and students with access to powerful, affordable and easy-to-use tools for collaborating through the Google ecosystem.”
As part of the roll out of the new apps, Capita, Google and C2k will be running a number of events across Northern Ireland for schools to attend. These sessions will demonstrate the capabilities of Google Apps for Education and provide guidance for schools looking to introduce the new tools.
Further details of these sessions can be found at www.capita-mits.co.uk/Events/