DCG Chief Examiner's Reports 2009
The Chief Examiner’s Report for the 2009 Leaving Certificate DCG examinations at Higher and Ordinary Level provide a review of the performance of candidates in the examinations and detailed analysis of the standards of answering. The report can be accessed from the following links.
Sample assessment material for Design and Communication Graphics
The draft assessment material is produced by the respective NCCA (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment) course committees and is being made available to teachers for comment. The material is intended to give an indication of the possible content and factor of difficulty of questions appropriate to the Leaving Certificate examinations in Design and Communication Graphics and Technology at higher and ordinary level. They are not intended to demonstrate the final layout and format (font, colour, questions per page etc) of the terminal examination. They are best read and interrogated in conjunction with the “Draft Guidelines for Teachers” and the syllabus document, which are also available for viewing and download from our site. An opportunity for discussion/feedback on the assessment materials will arise as part of the round five Professional Development day for teachers of Design and Communication Graphics and Technology. A report on this discussion/feedback will be conveyed to the NCCA course committees for their consideration. The NCCA will then provide their final advice to the Department of Education and Science.
The State Examinations Commission will prepare sample examination papers for circulation to schools in September 2008.
Chief Examiner's Reports 2009
The Chief Examiner’s Report for the 2009 Leaving Certificate Technology examinations at Higher and Ordinary Level provide a review of the performance of candidates in the examinations and detailed analysis of the standards of answering. The Technology report can be accessed from the following links.
Leaving Cert Technology - One Year On (June 08) The thoughts of Declan Askin,
St. Gerald's College, Castlebar and his reflections on Technology one year into the new syllabus.
"By the beginning of October two of the students had decided that it wasn't’t for them as they had not’t done any of the main feeder subjects and found the amount of work needed to catch up to be too much. One of the remaining thirteen was a German exchange student who returned home in Feb.. 08. He really enjoyed the subject remarking that they had no comparable subject in Germany".
A students solution to the sample Technology design brief (June 08)
Sample Leaving Certificate Brief Solution ( James Ruane - St. Gerald’s College, Castlebar)
Computer Hardware and CAD software for Leaving Certificate Technology. (12/4/07)
Schools who have received sanction to offer Leaving Certificate Technology from September 2007 and will not be offering Design and Communication Graphics will have SolidWorks parametric CAD software funded for them by the Department of Education and Science. Solidworks can be ordered by using the order form provided during round 3 of the t4 professional development programme or by contacting Solid Solutions, Arena House, Arena Rd, Sandyford Industrial Estate, Dublin 18. Tel: 01 2130726. For schools who do not offer Design and Communication Graphics as well as Leaving Certificate Technology, €1030, to cover the cost of the software will be forwarded in due course.
Schools offering Leaving Certificate Technology will also be able to order the recommended desktop and/or laptop computers customised for CAD. The desktop - Dell Precision 390 will be available for order from Dell - an ordering weblink will be active by April 25th on www.t4.ie A 1800 telephone order line will also be active by this date. The Precision 390 with firewire card, Microsoft XP Professional, Microsoft Learning Suite and SolidWorks pre loaded with one year anti-virus protection + delivery will cost €1,091.23.
Recommended laptops will be available to order from April 25th. Similar ordering options will be available. Ordering information and links will be hosted on www.t4.ie as soon as they are live.
BT Young Scientist Exhibition 2010 (January 2010) T4 were in attendance again this year at the BT Young Scientist Exhibition from the 14th to the 16th of January as part of the Discover Science and Technology main stand. This year’s theme was the ‘Science of Sport’. The T4 stand featured a demonstration on the use of Computer Aided Design software (SolidWorks) in the design, development and testing of products. The use of the ‘Flow Simulation’ in SolidWorks in the testing of the aerodynamics of the ‘F1 in Schools’ models cars was also demonstrated. (Click here for notes & models on flow simulation). The stand also included a model "Wind Tunnel" to simulate the aerodynamic air flow around model designs.
Visitors to the stand were invited to enter a draw for an ‘Xbox Elite’ by solving two puzzles which tested their spatial ability/mathematical skills. (Click here for SolidWorks models of the two puzzles). Congratulations to Cyian McCann, Tullamore, Co Offaly who was the winner in the draw for the ‘Xbox Elite’.
T4 staff was also on hand to explain and explore with visitors the major developments that are ongoing in the technology subjects in our second level schools.
WORLD CHAMPIONS CROWNED AT GLITTERING F1 IN SCHOOLS AWARDS CEREMONY Irish team snatch victory in prestigious student challenge(September 2009)
The Koni Kats team from St. David’s Secondary School in Greystones, County Wicklow took the top honours at the fifth Formula One in Schools Technology Challenge World Championships held this week in London. At a glittering awards ceremony attended by Lewis Hamilton and VIP guests from the world of Formula One and education, the talented students were presented with the Bernie Ecclestone World Championship Trophy and coveted Automotive and Motorsport Engineering scholarships to City University London. They will also be given an exclusive tour of the McLaren Technology Centre today.
Thirty one teams from 20 countries were vying for the Champions title. the Koni Kats team with their design, development, engineering and presentation skills, as well as excellent team work, beat their international rivals and took home the Bernie Ecclestone trophy. The team also captured two other awards en route to their championship title: Best Presentation and Best Engineered Car. The Koni Kats team comprising Conor Daly, Eoin O'Connell, Sean Cleary and Adam Gammell were thrilled to take victory.
In April 2008 Koni Kats fended off competition from all over Ireland and claimed the title of “National Champions” in the not-for-profit secondary schools technology competition, F1 in Schools, organised by the Irish Computer Society in partnership with Discover Science Engineering.
Eoin O’Connell, Team Manager for the Koni Kats, said of their victory, “We’re over the moon. We’ve been working for two years on this, so we are thrilled to have all our efforts recognised with this achievement. It’s very special to have won this, we just can’t believe it. I think the work we put into our design and our attention to detail in this, looking at every element from the front wing to the rear fins, has brought us this victory, as well as our strong teamwork.”
Current F1 champion, Lewis Hamilton presented Koni Kats with the Best Engineered car award, which was supported by his F1 team, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. Hamilton praised the Irish team for their high level of engineering, which has set new standards for the F1 in Schools Challenge.
Lewis said of his visit to the F1 in Schools World Championships, “I’ve really enjoyed meeting the students and finding out more about this exciting global initiative. The global popularity and high tech world of Formula One provides a very exciting and engaging platform for education and it is great to see it being used within schools to enthuse students to study engineering, as well as the other key school subjects. I hope F1 in Schools encourages a new generation of students into Formula One and helps to continue to develop the sport as one of the most technologically advanced in the world.”
This unique student challenge is the largest global educational initiative. The students use CAD/CAM software to design, build and test a model compressed air-powered balsa wood F1 car of the future and it takes place in over 30 countries around the world, with an estimated 14 million school children aware of this engineering challenge.
Andrew Denford, Founder, F1 in Schools, says of the World Championships, “The fifth annual F1 in School World Championships has been a great success. Each year we see the standards of entrants’ rise, with the students using some very advanced engineering technology and amazing ingenuity to produce their racing cars.
“The popularity of Formula One is a significant factor in the appeal of the F1 in Schools programme. Many of the students are avid supporters of the sport, so they felt very privileged to meet Lewis Hamilton and we are very grateful for the time he gave to them today, looking at their cars and learning more about this initiative.”
T4 at BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2009 (January 2009)
T4 attended the BTYS 2009 in partnership with Discover Science and Engineering. On the t4 section of the stand was a robotic head with a number of moving elements and a solar panel which can track a light source thereby maximizing the energy produced by the panel. The robotics on display were controlled by PIC control software. This integrated robotic and control technology is now being used in the teaching of technology subjects in second level schools and particularly the new leaving certificate subject Technology, where the first cohort of students will complete their studies in June 2009. A rolling presentation on the display screen focused on Computer Aided Design software currently being used by students of technology subjects in over 550 second level schools. Over 6000 students are currently using this software in completing the Student Assignment component of the Leaving Certificate examination in Design and Communication Graphics which is being - examined for the first time in June 2009. T4 staff were on hand to explain and explore with visitors the major developments that are currently going on in the technology subjects in schools.
T4 CAD Challenge at BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2009(January 2009) Over 500 students participated in the T4 CAD Challenge over the three days of the BT Young Scientist & Technology event. The challenge required participants to assemble a twenty piece puzzle in the fastest possible time. The prize winners were
1st C. Barnes, Sutton, Co Dublin – 51.58 sec - Nintendo Wii
2nd S Liddy, Shannon, Co Clare – 52.8 sec - iPod nano
3rd D Manning, Balllincollig, Co Cork – 52.83 sec -iPod nano
T4 at the National Ploughing Championships(September 08)
The t4 stand at the recent National Ploughing Championships proved to be a very busy place over the three days of the event. Its theme was “Get Hands On with a technology subject”. It featured an audio visual display on the technology subjects and live computer aided manufacture. The Computer Aided Manufacture involved the production of souvenir acrylic key rings. The manufacturing of the key rings was a significant attraction and the process always had a good audience. Over 1000 key ring were produced and distributed.
Many students of Design and Communication Graphics and Technology visited the stand and discussed their experience of the subjects to date. Most student would also have discussed the requirement of the Student Assignment in Design and Communication Graphics and the project in Technology. Many parents engaged in discussion around the nature of the technology subjects and there relevance to career directions. A number of teachers of technology subjects were also welcome visitors.
St. Gerald's Students on top in Asian Finals (Summer 08)
A group of students from St. Gerald’s College, Castlebar have proved themselves to be among the best young scientists and team players in a high-tech contest involving more than twenty countries, the final of which was held in Japan. The students won the teamwork award at the Asian Open Finals of the FIRST Lego League – a contest which involves second level students around the world programming and tasking Lego robots to perform a series of manoeuvres on a special layout. This year the tasks all had a very topical conservation and renewable energy theme. The contest was sponsored internationally by LEGO and SAP and had over 100,000 competitors around the world, with fifty teams from twenty six countries qualifying for the Asian Open finals in Japan. The Castlebar students won the Irish finals in November which took place as part of the hugely successful Galway Science and Technology Fair overcoming the challenge of teams from Galway, Louth, Limerick, and Clare. The Irish finals were supported by T4 and Galway Education Centre. The team then represented in the Britan and Ireland finals, which were held in Birmingham in February. There, the teamwork shown by the Castlebar students was so good, that they were nominated for the week-long trip to Japan, where their teamwork again came out on top. As part of their project, they conducted a survey on how use of carpooling might cut energy use, and they also audited energy use at their school. However, the major part of the team event was creating and writing a programme, and then tasking a robot to carry out a number of missions in a set time.
The members of the winning team were: Danny Mannion, James McHugh, Ciaran Mulgrew, Shane Kavanagh, Jamie Chambers, Darragh McTigue, Michael Clune, Charlie Smyth. Teachers involved with the team were – Declan Askin and Sean Curran.
T4 Competition winners at BT Young Scientist 2008 (Jan 08) Ashleigh Connors, Kildare and Michael Harte, Cork, winners of the T4 competitions at the BT Young Scientist exhibition 2008 recently received their laptops, from sponsors Dell, Ireland, at a presentation event in Portlaoise.
Our photograph taken at the presentation shows Michael and Ashleigh having received their prize from David Dolan, with Noel O Neil, Liam Murphy and Barney Beasley from t4.
Click on photo to enlarge.
Winners & Sponsors
Huge interest in T4 stand and "Hands On Workshop" at BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition 2008 (Jan 08)
T4 were invited to participate at the Discover Science and Engineering stand at the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition 2008 in the RDS, Dublin from Thursday January 10th to Saturday January12th . T4 was one of the organisations featured as part of the Discover Science and Engineering Exhibition. Our stand featured a light tower controlled by PIC Software and a display of Parametric CAD models. The theme of the stand was “Get Hands on with a Technology Subject”. A competition run in conjunction with the show attracted 1,125 entries over the 3 days. There was 35 CAD workshop challenges run from Thursday to Saturday, with 560 participants taking part. This involved students engaging in a game challenge to reorganise tiles in a set pattern using the Parametric CAD software. Thanks to all who helped out with the stand and workshops over the three days and to all who called to the stand or participated in the workshops.
T4 stand at Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2007
Minister
for Education Mary Hanafin launches new Technology Subjects
Support Service - t4. (12/20/06)
In her address at the launch of t4 in the Clock
Tower in Marlborough Street the Minister announced that schools
will get 25 million in grant aid to purchase new equipment.
She stated that this funding will be hugely significant as
it will allow students to have their own individual computer
and they won't have to be sharing it with the student beside
them. With the additional funding school can get printers,
digital scanners, PC's and whatever is needed.
The Minister continued, "I am equally satisfied that
with new curriculum we are going to get more students wanting
to do these subjects particularly now when they can see the
follow-on from Junior Cert to Leaving Cert, it is going to
create demands from other schools and other from other teachers
which is why the support service is going to be increasingly
important for all of those teachers."
Running Solidworks Ver 6 on the Vista Operating System.
Please note that SolidWorks 2006 Education Version is not supported by Microsoft Vista but a workaround has been found using a piece of software within Vista called “Compatibility Wizard”. This is found by going to the “Start Menu” then “Help and Support” then search for Compatibility Wizard. Launch the compatibility wizard and follow the instructions provided in the pdf file. If it doesn't work the first time around repeat the sequence and it will set it up differently the 2nd time and may work.
Caution: There is no guarantee of success using this method, but it has been tested on several Vista machines and appears to work properly.
An article from the Irish Times of the 30th March 2011 which features St. Gerald's College, Castlebar who were the winners of the 2011 FIRST LEGO League.
T4 -Video Files
Technology Challenge World Championships held this week in London. At a glittering awards ceremony attended by Lewis Hamilton and VIP guests from the world of Formula One and education, the talented students were presented with the Bernie Ecclestone World Championship Trophy and coveted Automotive and Motorsport Engineering scholarships to City University London. They will also be given an exclusive tour of the McLaren Technology Centre today. 
robotic head with a number of moving elements and a solar panel which can track a light source thereby maximizing the energy produced by the panel. The robotics on display were controlled by PIC control software. This integrated robotic and control technology is now being used in the teaching of technology subjects in second level schools and particularly the new leaving certificate subject Technology, where the first cohort of students will complete their studies in June 2009. A rolling presentation on the display screen focused on Computer Aided Design software currently being used by students of technology subjects in over 550 second level schools. Over 6000 students are currently using this software in completing the Student Assignment component of the Leaving Certificate examination in Design and Communication Graphics which is being - examined for the first time in June 2009. T4 staff were on hand to explain and explore with visitors the major developments that are currently going on in the technology subjects in schools. 
(January 2009)
Its theme was “Get Hands On with a technology subject”. It featured an audio visual display on the technology subjects and live computer aided manufacture. The Computer Aided Manufacture involved the production of souvenir acrylic key rings. The manufacturing of the key rings was a significant attraction and the process always had a good audience. Over 1000 key ring were produced and distributed. 
more than twenty countries, the final of which was held in Japan. The students won the teamwork award at the Asian Open Finals of the FIRST Lego League – a contest which involves second level students around the world programming and tasking Lego robots to perform a series of manoeuvres on a special layout. This year the tasks all had a very topical conservation and renewable energy theme. The contest was sponsored internationally by LEGO and SAP and had over 100,000 competitors around the world, with fifty teams from twenty six countries qualifying for the Asian Open finals in Japan. The Castlebar students won the Irish finals in November which took place as part of the hugely successful Galway Science and Technology Fair overcoming the challenge of teams from Galway, Louth, Limerick, and Clare. The Irish finals were supported by T4 and Galway Education Centre. The team then represented in the Britan and Ireland finals, which were held in Birmingham in February. There, the teamwork shown by the Castlebar students was so good, that they were nominated for the week-long trip to Japan, where their teamwork again came out on top. As part of their project, they conducted a survey on how use of carpooling might cut energy use, and they also audited energy use at their school. However, the major part of the team event was creating and writing a programme, and then tasking a robot to carry out a number of missions in a set time.
