Northgate’s young designers bring schools back to the future!
30 January 2007
The school of tomorrow could be closer than we think, as Northgate Information Solutions (formerly Sx3) today announced the winner of its first ever school design competition. And, according to winner Loanends Primary in Crumlin, schools in the 21st century will include eye scanning to enter classrooms, mobile phones to order lunch and regular classes via video-conferencing!
Launched to celebrate Northgate\'s \'virtual classroom\' - a revolutionary R&D facility built inside the company\'s Newtownabbey premises, which highlights the development of educational technology - the exciting challenge to pupils to design their ideal school of the future attracted entries from primary schools all across Northern Ireland.
Loanends Primary School\'s winning presentation demonstrated an impressive vision of the future of ICT in education and strongly impressed an expert panel of judges. The school\'s ideas included the use of biometric technology - fingerprint and eye scanning to access school buildings and classrooms. Mobile phone technology was also investigated, with suggestions ranging from using phones to access class timetables to keeping track of your diet based on lunch orders. In a unique measure, Loanends students presented their ideas through documentary style footage and a series of \'mind maps,\' which outlined the thought process behind their ideas. They also used one of their teachers to deliver a lesson via video conferencing.
The winning school has won a state-of-the-art suite of classroom furniture, worth over £4000. The lucky students were also welcomed into Northgate\'s virtual classroom and offered the opportunity to discuss their ideas with some of Northgate\'s leading ICT experts, as well as experience first hand the latest classroom technology available.
Announcing the winner, Stuart Gunning, Education Client Director for Northgate-IS and Chair of the judging panel commented: "Here at Northgate-IS, we believe ICT is a key enabler of education in the future. We were strongly encouraged by the imagination shown by local pupils and without exception, ICT featured heavily in all entries.
"The level and content of submissions was exciting and the judges had a difficult decision to make. However, Loanends pupils in particular demonstrated imagination with their advanced and original documentary presentation. We were especially impressed with their detailed understanding of how they believe ICT will transform education in the 21st century.
"I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate all the schools that entered this competition and I am confident schools of the future are in capable hands!"
Fellow judge Carol McAlister from C2k, added: "I am strongly encouraged that all the entries recognised the importance of ICT as an integral part of their ideal education model.
"I am also delighted the winning pupils have received an opportunity to experience developing technology first hand in Northgate\'s \'virtual classroom.\' This unique facility perfectly demonstrates how business, government and schools can work in co-operation and partnership to forge a solid future for our pupils and teachers."
