Case study: Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen
Using digital tools to keep the Welsh language and history alive.
For the Welsh teachers at Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen, a secondary school in Caernarfon, North Wales, ensuring students receive an engaging education that puts digital skills on a par with literacy and numeracy is the highest priority. With Adobe Express, not only have they been able to change the game of classroom and intuitive learning, they’ve also been able to do this in a way that keeps Welsh language and history relevant for the next generation.
Meet Mererid Llwyd and Siân Jones, digital pioneers at Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen.
As part of Wales’ Digital Competence Framework (DCF), a new element of the curriculum introduced in 2015, schools all over the country are now placing greater emphasis on digital learning strategies and digital tools. The Welsh Government has also created the Hwb®, a bank of free educational tools and materials for digital learning, which has been especially invaluable to teachers and students through the coronavirus crisis by helping learners stay digitally connected.
Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen has stayed ahead of the curve since day one, by adopting a proactive attitude towards using technology in and out of the classroom.
Mererid Llwyd,
DCF Coordinator and Welsh teacher
Mererid has been spearheading this new initiative, ensuring every department in the school is setting digitally enriched tasks. As the school’s digital champion, Mererid recognises the importance of teaching 21st century skills in a 21st century way, saying,
“It’s more crucial now than ever to give digital skills the same status as literacy and numeracy skills.”
Siân Jones,
Welsh teacher
Siân has been working closely with Mererid in experimenting with fun approaches to digital learning. As Siân says, “It does make a difference with engagement because they are children of the digital age.”
But as a bilingual school, there was a need to encourage the learners to use their own language digitally. Luckily for Mererid and Siân, they have Adobe Express.
“I want to give the students creative freedom to use Adobe Express, as it means they become more passionate about the subject.”
Siân Jones, Welsh teacher
Supporting bilingual needs by translating Adobe Express into Welsh.
Adobe Express combines creative and intuitive storytelling apps that help to keep learners engaged, make subjects more memorable, and build confidence.
And now, Adobe Express is available on the Hwb® in Welsh.
Mererid says, “Everything’s normally in English online, but I believe it should be the same for Welsh. Having Adobe Express in Welsh is a great way of making sure that the language stays relevant to students.”
Siân echoes this, saying, “It’s brilliant for the kids to see their language as equal to any other language, and to see that Welsh has a place in the world.”
‘Hunanbortread’ Express page, created by a student at Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen School.
“The possibilities are endless. I just think it’s a fab program and I can’t believe it’s free for students to use.”
Siân Jones, Welsh teacher
‘Am dro yng Nghaernarfon’ Express video by a student at Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen School.
‘Fy hoff fwyd ac Ymarfer Corff’ Express page by a student at Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen School.
Using Adobe Express to keep Welsh culture alive.
When it comes to Welsh language, literature and history, Mererid and Siân found Adobe Express an invaluable resource for teaching students about their culture in an engaging and relevant way.
Mererid reflects on one of the first ways she used Adobe Express in her classroom, saying, “We were studying the Mabinogi, old Welsh tales, and I wanted to bring the stories to life by making videos that students would really engage with and enjoy creating.”
Siân had the same motive when teaching old Welsh mythology. She says, “Some of the stories are quite complex, so to gauge their understanding, I got my students to create Adobe Express videos. They used Express to retell folklore tales in a way that made sense to them, using pictures and animations to help solidify their knowledge and simplify sometimes complex stories.”
Siân says that the intuitive and creative nature of Adobe Express allows her students to forge a deeper connection with their culture. She says “It’s easier for them to remember what they’ve learnt if they’ve created a post or video, and it helps them gain a rich knowledge of their own culture, literature and history.”
With Adobe Express, Siân explains, students can explore learning in a way that suits them. She says, “Students can carry out and present their work in a way that plays to their individual interests and makes the subject more memorable.” This championing of independent, intuitive learning can already be felt around the school, with one student saying, “It’s just fun to express yourself in a different way without having to say it out loud in front of the whole class.”
Accommodating different learning styles to improve engagement.
Under Wales’ new DCF curriculum, digital tools are used to encourage students to approach subjects in a way that suits them. Siân says, “I want to give the students creative freedom to use Adobe Express, as it means they become more passionate about the subject.”
When students can approach learning in this way, Mererid has noticed that they enjoy learning more. She says, “The work they create with Express makes them proud, and it’s a good way to get everyone to work. We have lessons where my students are working really hard and learning in-depth, and I’m a facilitator. I can simply watch them learn, and learn from each other.”
“The work they create with Express makes them proud. We have lessons where my students are working really hard and learning in-depth, and I’m a facilitator. I can simply watch them learn, and learn from each other.”
Mererid Llwyd, DCF Coordinator and Welsh teacher
Building confidence in learners.
Adobe Express has been invaluable at instilling confidence in the school’s students. Mererid says, “Sometimes, students don’t want to stand up in front of the class and show everyone their work - but they will with Express.”
Siân agrees, adding that, “Using Adobe Express to create and present work has helped build confidence in many of my students. The more students use Express, the more comfortable they are with presenting their work. They take great pleasure and pride in what they’re creating, and they put in a tremendous effort when learning is approached in this way.”
Students agree, with one saying, “I’m very nervous, and it’s better than going in front of the class and saying everything. I can just present my work by using Adobe Express.”
For Mererid, Express has not only instilled confidence in her students, but also taught them the power of feedback. She explains that when it comes to marking a student’s written work, “Red pen is just a waste of time and doesn’t help. Instead, I get students to rework their writing in Express from the feedback I give. It means their work is always better. They realise it’s good to redraft - to put your first thoughts down, ask for feedback from me and get it from their peers, and then produce the final piece. If using tech helps them see that, I’m all for it!”
What’s next?
Mererid and Siân have big plans for the future of Express in their classrooms, and want to continue using it as a way to give students a richer knowledge of their culture, as well as giving them the digital literacy skills they’ll need in the future.
Siân says, “The possibilities are endless. I just think it’s a fab program and I can’t believe it’s free for students to use.”
Adobe Express
Adobe Express is a free educational tool for making presentations, graphics, posters, videos, web pages and more.