September 2009 NUI Galway Host Western Launch for New Online Tool for Schools

NUI Galway is to host the western launch of the new online education tool, EuroCreator. The EU project will be launched with a Roadshow at the School of Education Building on campus on Thursday, 24 September, at 7.30pm. EuroCreator is a new website and online repository that enables students and teachers from 27 European countries to share and download educational media and digital learning resources. This innovative new initiative is being supported by the European Commission as part of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009. Speaking about the project, Dr Tony Hall, Lecturer and Vice-Dean for Learning and Assessment, College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies, NUI Galway, said: "EuroCreator is an innovative new development in educational technology that will enable educators and learners from across the EU to share their educational media and digital resources safely in a moderated environment. The project will help to promote collaboration and creativity in Irish and European education; and recognition by the European Commissioner for Education is an added incentive to educators and learners to utilise this new educational resource". The projects that students and teachers upload to EuroCreator will be assessed by educational experts, such as Brendan Smith from the Digital Enterprise Research Institute at NUI Galway. When the students and teachers upload media they will receive a certificate from Ján Figel', the EU Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Multilingualism. According to Jim Lenaghan, Chief Technology Officer, School of Education at NUI Galway: "EuroCreator is further testament to how NUI Galway is using innovative Information Communications Technology (ICT) to enhance the educational experience of learners across sectors: primary, secondary and third-level. The EuroCreator launch and Roadshow promises to be an exciting showcase of how ICT can be used innovatively and creatively in education". Educators, students and teachers interested to attend the EuroCreator Launch and Roadshow at the School of Education, NUI Galway, please contact NUIGalway@eurocreator.com -Ends-