InTouch March 2014 - INTO - Irish National Teachers` Organisation

Transcription

Issue No 142
March 2014
ISSN 1393-4813 (Print)
ISSN 2009-6887 (Online)
Early
childhood
education
Standardised
school year
Staffing 2014/15
INTO bursaries
Keeping in Touch
Interactive dialogue with members, and key news items
GENERAL SECRETARY’S COMMENT
Brendan O’Sullivan,
INTO President,
Sheila Nunan,
General Secretary
and Conor Mellon,
an INTO Bursary
winner, are pictured
at the recent Bursary
Awards ceremony.
More details of the
awards are on
page 13.
Early childhood education
E
arly childhood education matters when it comes
to tackling child poverty and social exclusion. In
education terms it is central to meeting the
challenge of under-achievement among some groups
in society and is important in the promotion of
healthy living. It is also a key driver of the dignity
provided to people by moves from welfare into work.
And as everyone now knows and accepts there are
substantial economic benefits to be made from investment in early childhood education.
The introduction of the excellent Aistear programme
has greatly enhanced transition between pre-school
and primary schools. In recent years there has been a
very significant expansion in the number of places
available at pre-school level but significant challenges
remain if Irish provision is to match other countries.
In terms of future developments top priority must
be a firm focus on quality provision that meets people’s needs. Emphasis on the training, qualifications
and professionalism of early childhood workers is the
key to quality service provision. Delivering those
services in a way that meets the needs of parents is an
equally important objective.
InTouch March 2014
Improving quality means ensuring highly qualified
and trained staff with the young children. Early childhood education is a highly professional, intellectually
demanding job that requires specialist, well-trained
graduates to work with young children. Only then
can early childhood education make the required difference to life chances.
There are strong arguments for basing early childhood educational services in schools. There is underused capacity in many schools which could be
utilised in communities for early childhood education. Basing it in schools would harness the high degree of trust and confidence that parents already have
in primary schools. Rather than rationalising a great
deal of the schools infrastructure efforts could be
made to utilise and sustain schools to deliver early
education services.
These are substantial challenges which will require
planning, resourcing and organisation. How they are
met or not will determine children’s future life
chances and affect societal cohesion.
3
Contents
Early Childhood
Education pgs 30–41
Keeping InTouch
3 Editorial
Early childhood education.
What you need to
know
7 • Staffing arrangements for
9
The edible
container
garden pg 54
2014/15 school year.
• Standardised school years
agreed.
• CEC lifts Droichead
directive.
• Important information
regarding sick leave and
social welfare.
• INTO meets DES to
discuss school
accommodation issues.
• 10 things you should know.
10 Connect
• New Assistant General
Secretary appointed.
• Social media – what do
you think?
Language
stimulation
techniques – infant
classrooms p40
Tell us what you think by
emailing [email protected]. €50
for best letter published. Keep
up-to-date via Twitter, website
or RSS feed
INTO News
In the News
13 • Bursaries awarded for
educational research.
14 • Equality legislation –
booklets and resources.
• NCSE consult on autism.
• INTO surveys special
schools.
15 • INTO and Poetry Ireland
poetry competition –
deadline approaching.
• CMRF draw details.
• Comhar Linn draw
winners.
16 INTO Learning
• Upcoming courses and
latest CPD packages.
17 INTO Accounts
• Income and membership.
19 Retirements
• Honouring retired
members.
20 Solidarity
• World’s Best News.
• The fight against poverty.
• Review of Ireland’s
foreign policy
21 Membership Plus
• Latest offers.
23 • Cost of salary protection
to fall.
• Teaching Council updates.
24 • The Primary Curriculum.
• Sean Flynn RIP.
25 In the Media
InTouch General Editor: Sheila Nunan
Organisation and
Editor: Tom O’Sullivan
distributed to members and educational institutions. InTouch is
Assistant Editor: Lori Kealy
the most widely circulated education magazine in Ireland. Articles
Editorial Assistants: Selina Campbell, Niamh Corduff, Ashling
published in InTouch are also available on our website
Lynch
Advertising: Mary Bird Smyth, Ashling Lynch
Design: David Cooke
www.into.ie
The views expressed in this journal are those of the individual
authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the INTO.
Photography: Moya Nolan, Shutterstock
While every care has been taken to ensure that the
Correspondence to: The Editor, InTouch,
information contained in this publication is up to date and
INTO Head Office, Vere Foster House,
correct, no responsibility will be taken by the Irish National
35 Parnell Square, Dublin 1
Teachers’ Organisation for any error which might occur.
Telephone: 01 804 7700
Except where the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation has
Fax: 01 872 2462
formally negotiated agreements as part of its services to members,
LoCall: 1850 708 708
inclusion of an advertisement does not imply any form of
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.into.ie
recommendation. While every effort is made to ensure the
InTouch is published by the Irish National Teachers’
quality of goods and services offered.
4
• Media coverage in January
and February
reliability of advertisers, the INTO cannot accept liability for the
InTouch March 2014
March 2014
Buzzing with books pg 47
INTO Advice
27 • Written preparation for
teaching
• Standardised
testing –clarification
Early Childhood Education
31 • The changing landscape.
32 • Pre-school to primary
34
36
38
40
41
– transfer form.
• Teaching through play.
• Recognising the
Montessori Degree?
• Ag aistriú ón naíonra go
dtí on bhunscoil.
• Language stimulation
techniques in infant
classrooms.
• Behaviour management.
Newsdesk
28 • Wellbeing and food -
29
43
45
47
staying healthy.
• Financial news from
Comhar Linn
• Considering engaging in
post graduate study?
• The Association of
Childhood Professionals –
an overview.
• Down Syndrome Bill
• May conference to celebrate
children’s engagement
with literature.
• Win a free licence for
educational computer
game.
• Seachtain na Gaeilge.
• Tokens for World Book Day.
Teaching Matters
49 Supporting IT in
Schools
Brian Allen writes about
an innovative programme
in Cork.
52 Calculating Statistics
Aisling Leavy and Mairéad
Hourigan show us how to
identify a mystery player
by comparing body
measurement data of Irish
soccer and rugby teams.
Finishing Touches
61 Noticeboard
Upcoming events.
62 Comhar Linn
Crossword
and other ntoices
63 Scoilnet Panel
Resources for schools.
54 The Edible
Container Garden
Paddy Madden
continues his series of
SESE tips.
57 Sharing Good
Practice
Karin Whooley from PDST
writes about the Living
Schools Lab project.
58 Cluichí sa rang
Gaeilge
Irish resources from
COGG.
Post Grad studies pg 21
• On the cover
59 Book Reviews
• The Social Neuroscience of
Education
• In Cú Chulainn’s
Footsteps.
Seachtain na Gaeilge pg 45
New offers – Membership Plus
pg 21
Standardised school
year
7
Staffing schedule
2014/15 school year
7
Bursaries
13
Early childhood
education
31
• Cover pic
Teresa Walsh, former Intern, Andrew
Bowen and Hazel O’Connor, current
Interns, and David O’Sullivan, Official and
former Intern at a recent planning meeting
for the INTO Youth Conference scheduled
for 28/29 March in Castlebar.
Photographer: Moya Nolan
InTouch March 2014
5
Keeping InTouch
Staffing arrangements for 2014/15 school year
The DES issued Circular 07/2014 in
February in relation to staffing arrangements for the next school year. The circular
covers a wide range of issues including
schedules, redeployment arrangements,
staffing appeal criteria, and arrangements
for general allocation resource and
language support for primary pupils.
The circular confirmed 14 February as
a key date for notifying the Department in
relation to teachers going on redeployment
panels and school vacancies where known.
The DES has also confirmed in the circular
that it aims to publish redeployment
panel lists by mid March. Friday, 4 April
is also confirmed as the latest date for
schools to submit their application for
developing posts. Schools have until Friday,
2 May to fill their vacancies from redeployment panels.
The circular also confirms that schools
that were allocated a permanent language
support post in the 2013/14 school year
will retain this post for the coming year.
The circular also outlines criteria for
additional language support posts. A list
of schools with their allocation under the
GAM/EAL model is included in the circular, as is a list of the 1,700 base schools for
resource teaching posts. The circular also
outlines how local arrangements can be
made in relation to teachers in shared
posts with a view to minimising any time
lost in travelling between schools. The
circular also contains an important section
on valid enrolment, confirming that only
those pupils who were enrolled on 30
September, and who are expected at that
stage to continue to be enrolled in the
school for the duration of the school year,
may account as a valid enrolment. Any
short-term enrolments in the schools
(including children from another country
who are temporarily enrolled to help
improve their standard of English) cannot
be included in the enrolment returns
from the school.
The circular also outlines in Section 4
the operation of the Primary Staffing
Appeals Board including the appeals criteria. These criteria include exceptional accommodation difficulty, the October 2013
enrolment, a developing post based on
initial enrolments after 30 September
2014, the level of EAL support required,
enrolment in small schools, a school
losing three or more posts, and alleviating
some of the pressure of class size at infant
level in certain schools.
The full circular, including the relevant
appendices and frequently asked questions
is available from the ‘Popular’ box on the
INTO website.
Standardised years agreed to 2017
Following discussions between the Department of
Education and Skills, school management
authorities and teacher unions, arrangements have
been agreed for the standardisation of the school
year for 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17.
The circular outlines the factors taken into
account in agreeing the dates for the next three
years and also outlines contingency arrangements in
the event of unforeseen school closures. In common
with previous circulars on the standardised school
year, it confirms that it is not a requirement that the
commencement or end of the school year should be
standardised. It does, however, outline that the
school year will normally commence during the
week in which 1 September falls or the week before
that if necessary.
A copy of the circular is available from the
‘Popular’ box on the INTO website.
School year /
School year /
School Year /
October 2014 mid-term break
All schools will close on Monday, 27 October 2014
and will reopen on Monday, 3 November 2014.
All schools will close on Monday, 26 October 2015
All schools will close on Monday, 31 October 2016.
Christmas 2014
All schools will close on Friday, 19 December 2014,
(which will be the final day of term) and reopen on
Monday, 5 January 2015.
Christmas 2015
All schools will close on Tuesday, 22 December 2015
Wednesday, 6 January 2016.
Christmas 2016
All schools will close on Thursday, 22 December 2016
Monday, 9 January 2017.
February 2015 mid-term break
All primary schools will close on Thursday, 19
February 2015 and Friday, 20 February 2015.
(Primary schools may use three discretionary days to
extend this break to an alternative option of a five day
break for the period from Monday, 16 February to
Friday, 20 February 2015 [incl] unless changes are
required as part of contingency arrangements to
make up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.)
break for the period from Monday, 15 February 2016
to Friday, 19 February 2016 [incl] unless changes are
required as part of contingency arrangements to make
up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.)
break for the period from Monday, 20 February 2017
to Friday, 24 February 2017 [incl] unless changes are
required as part of contingency arrangements to make
up for time lost due to unforeseen school closures.)
Easter 2015
All schools will close on Friday, 27 March 2015 (which
will be the final day of term) and reopen on Monday,
13 April 2015.
Easter 2016
All schools will close on Wednesday, 16 March 2016
Monday, 4 April 2016.
Easter 2017
All schools will close on Friday, 7 April 2017 (which
will be the final day of term) and reopen on Monday,
24 April 2017.
InTouch March 2014
7
Keeping InTouch
CEC lifts Droichead
directive
Last June the CEC directed INTO
members not to participate in the
Droichead Pilot Scheme being proposed
by the Teaching Council, pending the
outcome of a vote by members on INTO
policy proposals.
Since then, INTO policy on Droichead
was endorsed by INTO members at the
October 2013 branch meetings. Key
demands of our policy included the
establishment by the Teaching Council of
alternate models of probation, the
retention of external evaluation as a
method of probating NQTs for
registration purposes, the retention of the
Inspectorate during the pilot phase, and
the provision of infrastructural supports.
The INTO has now received
clarification from the Teaching Council
which confirms its intention to extend the
scope of the Droichead pilot to include an
external model which would operate in
Sick leave and
social welfare
Important information
tandem with the original pilot. In the
external model, a registered teacher
external to the school will recommend
the NQT for probation.
In addition, the Council has clarified
that the principal of the school employing
the NQT will have no evaluative role.
The Droichead pilot will continue to
operate on a voluntary basis and training
and support will continue to be provided
by the NIPT (National Induction
Programme for Teachers).
The CEC considers that this
development addresses key aspects of our
policy and accordingly, it has decided to
lift the Droichead directive.
In the meantime discussions will
continue – including with the colleges of
education – in relation to other aspects of
INTO’s policy on probation.
Letters have issued to all INTO staff
representatives outlining this decision.
The DES have posted an important
information note (PI_2014_001)
regarding changes to Illness/Injury
Benefit for all teachers paying the
full rate PRSI (Class A). Please check
your payslip (lower left hand side) to
verify your PRSI Class. From 6 January 2014, no Illness/Injury Benefit is
payable by the Department of Social
Protection (DSP) for the first six
days of illness (increased from three
days). Please note: this change does
not affect the requirement to return
a sick cert to the school after an
absence of three days.
Teachers on Class A PRSI can
claim Illness/Injury Benefit when
absent on sick leave, but, while the
teacher is paid by the DES, under the
Teachers’ Sick Leave Scheme, that
money must be transferred from the
DSP to the DES. The information
note sets out the Social Welfare Cert
(MC1/2) procedure, which is very
helpful and should be studied carefully. However, a very important
aspect within the information note
relates to a practical and serious pay
concern for teachers: If the teacher
doesn’t adhere to the rules relating to
submission of MC1/2 certs., the
information note clearly states that
the DES can deduct, from salary, the
equivalent monies the teacher should
have claimed from Social Welfare.
INTO Survey of 2, 3, 4 teacher schools
CEC representatives have been conducting a survey of the impact of staffing
schedule changes, announced in Budget
2012, on smaller primary schools. The
results of the survey are being collated
in Head Office. INTO representatives
recently met with representatives of
CPSMA to discuss issues of concern in
relation to the future of smaller primary
schools. The CEC will consider the
result of the nationwide survey at its
next meeting. The CEC has also decided
to seek a meeting with the Minister for
Education and Skills in relation to this
issue. A copy of the Report of the INTO
Task Force on Small Schools is
available on the INTO website under
the ‘In Focus’ section.
10 THINGS you should know
1
2
3
The DES expect to publish redeployment
panel lists by mid-March. See updates on
the INTO website.
forwarded to the Staffing Appeals Board by 4
April. See page 7 for further information.
5
Standardised school years for the next
three years have been agreed. Details are
published on page 7.
The CEC has suspended the directive on
participation in the Droichead pilot project
following progress in discussions with the
Teaching Council. See page 9.
The NCSE is expected to publish a
consultation paper on a revised model for
allocation of supports for pupils with special
education needs later this month. Keep an eye
on the INTO website for updates.
The Teaching Council has issued reminder
letters to all teacher regarding the
importance of renewal of Teaching Council
registration. See page 23 for further
information.
4
7
Appeals from schools under the criteria
outlined in staffing Circular 07/2014 must be
InTouch March 2014
6
The cost of the INTO Salary Protection
Scheme has been reduced and benefits
enhanced following a review. See page 23.
8
We are looking for your view on the
development of INTO social media
applications. See page 10 on how you can
contribute on the discussion.
9
The INTO is holding a Youth Conference with
over 300 delegates from branches and districts
around the country in Castlebar at the end of
March. Further details are on the INTO website.
10
Peter Mullan, INTO Senior Official, has
been appointed as Assistant General
Secretary to replace Tom O’Sullivan who is
retiring in August.
9
I dteagmháil
Peter appointed as
Assistant General
Secretary
Peter Mullan has been appointed as Assistant General Secretary
to succeed Tom O’Sullivan, who retires in August. Peter taught in
Ballyboden, Dublin 16, and in 1997 was appointed principal in
Maynooth. He was appointed to INTO Head Office in 2002. Peter
previously served as District VIII representative on the INTO Education Committee. He is currently Press Officer in the General Secretary’s Department of INTO Head Office. He also supports the
INTO Principals’ and Deputy Principals’ Committee with particular
responsibility for the development of policy related to school
leadership. He also spends part of his time with the Legal and Industrial Relations Department dealing with inspection and related matters.
SOCIAL MEDIA
– WHAT DO YOU THINK?
In recent years the INTO has
pursued a strategy of integration
among its communications
channels. While oral
communication continues to be
very important, the INTO also
utilises online communication to
reach a variety of members. We
recognise the importance of multichannel communications and, over
the last year, we have been
assessing the quality of the
channels currently used, deciding
which is the most appropriate for
the message being conveyed and
investigating how the various
channels can be integrated when
necessary. For example, if an
exchange of ideas is required, face
to face meetings may be the most
appropriate channel but, before
or after such meetings,
communication of information can
be via email, newsletter, InTouch,
via social media or the website etc.
A campaign may consist of many
channels – emailing details of
events, meeting members, providing
information online and in print etc.
During the course of the last year
we analysed the communications
resources available and utilised.
Some tools have become very
effective, others have been found
to be ineffective. In line with our
continuous improvement
approach we have assessed the
effects of what each tool has
achieved and, where necessary, we
have adjusted our approach as
required.
While social media can be a useful
tool, it can sometimes cause
confusion with regard to accuracy
of information. The management
and resourcing of such channels
on an ongoing basis is also quite
challenging. During the last year
the CEC discussed and reviewed
INTO policy regarding the use
social media. In the course of the
Haddington Road Agreement
discussions, for example, the
INTO Facebook page was very
active with more than 4,500
followers. Statistics also showed
more than 20,000 people viewed
the page on a daily basis.
However, only 22 people actively
engaged in comment on the page.
After the HRA was accepted it
was decided to suspend the
Facebook page and review social
media strategy.
As part of this process we would
like to hear from members about
their views on social media
platforms and the development of
INTO policy. Please send your
comments to [email protected]
by the end of March.
A report and policy proposals will
be considered by the CEC in
April.
Congratulations to GAA President elect Aogán O Fearghail
Report on
INTO AVC plan INTO President Brendan O’Sullivan
“Members of the GAA and the INTO
In accordance with the
regulations under
Occupational Pension
Schemes, the annual
report on the INTO AVC
Plan has been published.
The report provides an
outline of the scheme and
details of its financial
position for the last year.
It is available from Noel
Ward, Deputy General
Secretary/General
Treasurer in INTO Head
Office.
10
has congratulated Aogán Ó Fearghail
on his election as GAA president elect.
Both Brendan and Aogán are natives of County Cavan. Brendan said he
hoped the election of Mr Ó Fearghail
would further strengthen the already
strong bonds between the GAA and
primary schools. Mr Ó Fearghail will
take over next year from current GAA
President Liam Ó Néill, who is also a
primary school principal and INTO
member. Brendan said primary
schools make a very significant contribution to the development of gaelic
games. He also praised the strong support for primary schools provided by
the GAA in all parts of the country.
help to cultivate a very important
sense of place and belonging for
children,” said Mr O’Sullivan. “A vital
element of this is the mutual support
that both club and school provide for
each other for the benefit of pupils.”
Mr Ó Fearghail is principal of
Dernakesh National School, a rural,
seven-teacher co-educational school
in Co Cavan with about 150 pupils
enrolled. He also served as INTO staff
representative in the school prior to
his appointment as principal. He
qualified as a primary teacher in 1979
from St Patrick’s College of Education
in Drumcondra. He is a member of
Cootehill Branch of the INTO.
GAA president elect, Aogán Ó Fearghail,
is congratulated by Uachtarán Chumann
Lúthcleas Gael Liam Ó Néill at the GAA
Annual Congress 2014. Picture: Ray
McManus/Sportsfile
InTouch March 2014
INTO News
The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation … who’s who, what’s new, and what’s happening
Bursaries awarded for research
Irish primary school teachers have a long
tradition of continuing to study long after
they have received their initial qualification.
In recognition of this fact, the INTO awards
a number of bursaries every year to members
who are undertaking educational research.
On 6 February the Teachers’ Club was the
venue for the annual INTO Bursary Awards
Ceremony which included the INTO awards,
the INTO and Prim-Ed awards for research
on leadership, the Comhar Linn INTO Credit
Union awards and the Retired Teachers’
Association of Ireland awards. In relation to
the INTO awards, five winners were chosen
by an independent assessor and each
received a cheque for €1,500 from General
Secretary, Sheila Nunan.
INTO winners
The winners this year were:
• Sheila Perry, resource teacher, De la Salle
NS, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10, studying at
UCD, towards a masters on ‘The legislative context of special needs education
in Ireland’.
• Conor Mellon, teaching in Castleknock
Educate Together NS, Dublin, working
towards a doctorate in Queen’s University Belfast on ‘And they all lived happily
ever after… Teachers’ proximity to ethos
and perspectives on inclusion’.
• Alan Sheehan, Principal, Rochestown
Educate Together NS, Cork, studying at
UCC, towards a doctorate on ‘The nature,
purpose and impact of assessment in
primary school in Ireland, and its relationship with the Government strategy:
Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and
Life’.
• Susan Hosford, teaching in St John the
Baptist NS, Midleton, Co Cork, studying
at Mary Immaculate College, towards a
masters on ‘A climate for self-efficacy:
The relationship between school climate
and teacher efficacy for inclusion’.
• Dorothy Keane, HSCL teacher, Scoil na
Croise Naofa, Mahon, Cork, studying for
a masters through the University of Hull,
on ‘Engaging and supporting fathers in
InTouch March 2014
INTO
President,
Brendan
O’Sullivan, is
pictured with
winners of
the INTO,
Comhar Linn,
RTAI and
Prim-Ed
bursaries at a
presentation
in the
Teachers’
Club.
a DEIS primary school setting – An investigation of the factors that influence the
involvement of fathers in the education
of their children in DEIS primary schools
in Cork City’.
A further two bursaries, sponsored by
Prim-Ed, for research conducted in the area
of school leadership were also awarded.
Tony Holland of Prim-Ed was on hand to
present the winners with their cheques.
The winners of these bursaries were:
• Eamonn Riall, Principal, Lisenhall NS,
Nenagh, Co Tipperary, and studying at
TCD, towards a masters on ‘Primary
school principals’ perspectives on how
they engage with distributing leadership among teachers in their schools’.
• Micheál O’Sullivan, Principal, Stonepark
NS, Co Longford, studying at TCD,
towards a masters on ‘The preparedness
of the special needs assistant for the
primary school environment through the
lens of the principal: An analysis’.
Comhar Linn winners
Cathaoirleach of Comhar Linn INTO Credit
Union, John Carr, presented a total of 10
bursaries to members of the Credit Union
or their children who had undertaken third
level courses.
• Ian Duggan, Hibernia College.
• Mary Creedon, St Patrick’s College.
• Aileen Denise Kearns, Mary Immaculate
College.
• Dervila M. Kelly, Mary Immaculate College.
• Fiona Ní Dhonnchú, Marino Institute of
Education.
• Bláithín Jones, Marino Institute of
Education.
• Seán Smyth, University of Limerick.
• Maeve Doherty, Dublin City University.
• Katie Lyons, IADT.
• John Pringle, St Patrick’s College.
• Helen Finnegan, UCD.
• Louise Ní Dhochartaigh, Hibernia College.
• Niamh Uí Raois, Leeds Metropolitan
University.
• Fionnuala Lee, Queens University,
Belfast.
• Deirdre Dooley, Dublin City University.
RTAI winners
Finally, emphasising the importance of
‘life-long learning’, RTAI President, Joe
Conway, presented bursaries to four
members of the RTAI who are currently
pursuing further studies.
• Terry Callaly, Galway.
• Kathleen Browne, Mayo.
• Mary McCarthy, Laois.
• Piaras Feiriteir, Craobh Dhún na nGall.
13
Nuacht CMÉ
EQUALITY NEWS
Equality legislation
The equality legislation (Employment
Equality and Equal Status Acts) prohibits
discrimination across nine grounds. These
include: age, disability, civil status (formerly
known as marital status), family status,
gender, race, religion, sexual orientation
and Traveller community member. The
Equality Committee has compiled a list of
useful resources and links to websites for
further information and for members who
have an interest in equality issues. These
booklets provide information about equality
legislation and are available to download
from www.equality.ie .
These two booklets
summarise the key
elements of The
Employment Equality
Acts 1998 to 2004 and
The Equal Status Acts
2000 to 2004. Since the
publication of the
booklets, The
Employment Equality
Act was further
amended in 2008
and 2011.
The second two booklets are
Equality and Mental Health: What
the Law Means for Your
Workplace/How the Law Can
Help You. Whilst they are not
legal documents they outline the legal requirement under
equality law for employers to provide reasonable accommodation
for people with disabilities and, in particular, those experiencing
mental health difficulties. They also provide information about
how the law protects people with mental health difficulties.
The following websites provide
information in relation to equality
issues. Please note the INTO is not
responsible for the content of
external websites.
General
INTO Equality: www.into.ie/ROI/Equality
Equality Authority: www.equality.ie
Education International Rights and
Equality: www.ei-ie.org
ICTU equality: www.ictu.ie/equality
Age
Age Action Ireland: www.ageaction.ie
Age Platform EU: www.age-platform.eu
National Youth Council of Ireland:
www.youth.ie
Race
Immigrant Council of Ireland:
www.immigrantcouncil.ie
Show Racism the Red Card:
www.theredcard.ie
Disability
National Disability Authority: www.nda.ie
Sexual orientation
INTO LGBT Group:
www.into.ie/ROI/InfoforTeachers/Teacher
SpecialInterestGroups/LesbianGayBisexual
TransgenderTeachersGroup
Gay and Lesbian Equality Network:
www.glen.ie
Gender
National Women’s Council of Ireland:
www.nwci.ie
European Institute for Gender
Equality: www.eige.europa.eu
INTO surveys special schools
A survey issued to principals of special schools at
the end of January seeking evidence to support
the INTO’s claim for more support for the special
school sector. Issues covered within the survey
include the workload associated with leading
and managing a large staff which is currently unrecognised, the availability of healthcare professional support, and existing provision for the
July programme. The survey also covers issues
such as funding, professional development
and the implementation of the junior cycle in
the special school sector. Key information about
each of the special schools including the
number of teachers, SNAs and other staff is also
sought. The outcome of the survey will be
reviewed by the CEC prior to Congress.
NCSE consultation
on autism
The NCSE has been requested by the
Minister for Education and Skills to
prepare policy advice on the educational needs of children with autism.
As part of this process the NCSE has
invited the INTO to participate in a
consultative process whereby principals, teachers and union representatives will participate in focus groups
in early March.
Separate to this, it is expected
that the NCSE will have a consultation document ready by early March
in relation to a potential new model
to support pupils with special educational needs in mainstream schools.
Further updates on these issues will
be posted on the INTO website as
they become available.
The INTO President recently visited his
native Branch (Belturbet) for their AGM.
Pictured are: (front row) Evelyn Morton
retiring Secretary; Brendan O’Sullivan,
President; Tara Scott, Chairperson and
Ann O’Reilly, Vice-Chairperson.
Back row: Rosena Jordan CEC, Ciara
Murphy, Bernie Blessing, Ann Maguire,
Breda Maguire, Patricia Waterson,
Antionette Murray, Padraic Martin and
Áine Hickey.
14
InTouch March 2014
INTO News
INTO and Poetry Ireland poetry competition
in memory of Séamus Heaney
The INTO is proud of its tradition in
supporting the Arts. We were privileged
to share the company of one of our most
eminent poets Séamus Heaney at the
Consultative Conference on Education
in Athlone in 2011. In honour of his
memory the INTO, in collaboration
with Poetry Ireland, is launching a poetry
competition for members.
All members, North and South, are
eligible to submit a poem.
Entries are limited to one poem per
member, which can be in Irish or in English. Closing date is 31 March 2014. The
decision of the judges is final. The winner
will be announced at Congress 2014. The
INTO will publish the winning poem in
InTouch.
All entries must be accompanied
with an entry form and posted to Poetry
Competition, Áras Vere Foster, 35 Parnell
Square, Dublin 1. Download entry form
from the INTO website.
Adjudication panel
The INTO and Poetry Ireland will appoint
an adjudicator to judge all applications.
There will be a prize of €300 for the best
poem in English and the best poem in
Irish, in addition to an option of spend-
Annual INTO members’ raffle
The annual INTO members’ raffle in
aid of the Children’s Medical and
Research Foundation will be
launched in April. The proceeds
from the 2014 raffle will fund the
purchase of portable trilogy
ventilators for children with severe
bronchial disorders at Our Lady’s
Children’s Hospital.
Tickets will be sent to staff
representatives and will cost €10
each. There are nine cash prizes and
the top prize is a Toyota Auris.
Following recent media coverage
in relation to charitable donations,
ing some time in the Tyrone Guthrie
Centre in Annaghmakerrig.
we sought and have received
assurances from the Chief Executive
Officer at the hospital that none of
the funds raised by the generosity
of donors, including the money
raised through the INTO members’
raffle, are used for hospital salaries
or top-ups.
We urge you to support our
annual raffle and help fund lifesaving equipment.
If you have any queries in
relation to this matter, please
contact Georgina Glackin at (01) 804
7745 or [email protected].
School accommodation
issues discussed
with DES
The INTO met with officials from the DES
Planning and Building Unit on 10 February to
discuss a number of issues including: the
school building programme at primary level,
capital expenditure, the prefab replacement
initiative, the minor works grant, summerv
works scheme, school building audits,
connecting walkways for school buildings,
asbestos in schools, ICT and furniture grants.
Individual school projects were also discussed
at the meeting.
The INTO will continue to liaise with the DES
on a number of these issues.
Comhar Linn draw winners –
January 2014
Car: Toyota Auris
Joseph Leacy, SN Coill Dubh,
Naas, Co Kildare
Cash: 1,500
Caitríona O’Connell, Scoil Mhuire,
Shankill, Co Dublin.
Weekend for two in Jury’s Inn
Irene O’Keeffe, Rathfarnham,
Dublin 16.
Elaine Hanrahan, SN Na Carraige,
Dún Na nGall, Co Dún Na nGall.
Loretta Dunphy, St Gabriel’s NS, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10, winner
of the October Comhar Linn draw, pictured with her prize, a
Toyota Auris
InTouch March 2014
15
Nuacht CMÉ
INTO LEARNING
Like to know more about the INTO?
INTO Trade Union Training is offering two
seminars for members who wish to find out
more about their trade union and their conditions of employment. The seminars are open
to all members who do not currently hold any
elected office in the Organisation. Places are
filling fast on the seminars so get online now
to enrol. The first will be held in Dublin on the
evening of 20 March (staring at 6 p.m.) and
continuing on Friday, 21 March in the INTO
Learning Centre, Parnell Square. The second
will take place on the evening of 10 April
(starting at 6 p.m.) and continuing on 11 April
in Farnham Estate in Cavan.
The cost of substitute cover for 21 March
and 11 April will be paid by the INTO. The cost
of meals and accommodation will be covered
by the INTO. Details on how to apply and to
register online are available on
www.into.ie/ROI. The aims of the seminar are
to inform teachers about their conditions of
employment, to provide information on the
INTO, and to allow for an exchange of views
on current issues.
INTO submission on digital strategy for schools
Following a request from the DES
seeking views on the role of ICT in
teaching and learning in primary and
post-primary schools, the INTO
made a submission on a digital strategy
for schools. The submission covers
what the INTO sees as priorities for
schools in relation to ICT, the challenges for implementing a digital
strategy in schools, and key actions
EAL module
now online
Registration is open for a stand
alone online ‘Teaching EAL’ module.
This EAL module explores a variety
of aspects of teaching children for
whom English is not their first language. It includes video interviews
with Irish teachers and good practice footage from their classrooms.
While this module is written
from the perspective of supporting
EAL learners within the context of
learning support, mainstream class
teachers with EAL children will find
this module very beneficial and
informative. A Certificate of Participation will be awarded upon completion of an EAL Reflective Learning
Assignment
The module costs €20. Visit
www.intolearning.ie for details and
to register.
CEOL’s online courses includes:
• Stage One Course for Junior Infants
• Stage Two Course for Senior Infants
• Stage Three Course for First Class
16
that should be undertaken to ensure
ICT integration is achieved in
schools. The INTO’s submission also
covers issues including provision for
gifted pupils, Internet safety, funding
for ICT hardware, and connectivity.
A copy of the INTO submission is
available to download from the ‘In
Focus’ section on the front of the
INTO website.
School self-evaluation
training sessions
INTO Learning has designed a series of three online
Croke Park Hour whole-school training sessions that
will support you and your school through the SSE
process.
The first session is currently available and explores
what is meant by school self-evaluation and outlines the
process. At the end of the session you will draw up an
action plan that will take you from where teaching and
learning in your school is at, to being ready to sit down
and analyse your evidence.
Session two will begin on 3 February and will focus
on analysing issues that will feed into the drawing up
of your SSE report.
Session three will be available towards the end of
March and will focus on drawing up your SSE Report
and your School Implementation Plan in a way that is
realistic for your school.
The series of three sessions costs €100 and includes
a SSE teacher workbook, all relevant resources, access
to the facilitated discussion forum and a Certificate of
Whole School Professional Development upon
completion.
For further details and to register, visit
www.intolearning.ie/CPD-packages20.
Take a new look at maths problem solving
INTO Learning is offering a 3 session CPD package
exploring Maths Problem Solving for use during
whole staff Croke Park hours. This package will
enhance and develop approaches schools
currently use to teach and support children with
maths problem solving. Session
one focuses on problem solving
as a process not a product, not a
correct answer. It will explore a
variety of problem solving
strategies and approaches.
Session two will focus on
developing Maths Eyes, that is
looking at the immediate
school environment and our curriculum for
the potential to reinforce mathematical
concepts, to provide real life contexts for problem solving and to support pupils in making
connection with their learning in numeracy.
Session three will focus on building and
supporting mathematical language and mathematical thinking in particularly in eliciting,
supporting and extending such thinking.
• Stage Four Course for Second Class
Each stage/course covers the primary
curriculum music programme for the
The package is designed by practising teacher,
and INTO Education Conference presenter, Tracy
Curran. The package also contains many videos
showing good practice in action in Irish classrooms.
Each session lasts 90-120
minutes depending on whole
staff size, discussion activities
will take larger staffs longer. The
three sessions can be scheduled
at a school’s convenience over a
number of weeks or months.
The package costs €100 and is
currently available.
A similar three session CPD package on School
Self Evaluation is also available. Currently session
one and two are available with session three
being available towards the end of March. This
package also costs €100 (incl online facilitation).
Other single session packages (€25) available include:
• Literature Circles
• Comprehension
• Child Protection
• Bookmaking
entire school year. It includes 5 x 2
months’ lesson plans, a year plan for
music based on the CEOL programme
(Stages 1 - 3 only) and teaching guid-
ance and costs €100. Hard copies of
the lesson plans and the songs are
available at specially discounted
prices for online participants.
InTouch March 2014
INTO News
INTO accounts – information and insights: Article 5
INTO income and membership
While the INTO receives income from a
number of sources, it is primarily an
organisation funded by its members and
administered by elected members.
Members’ subscriptions amount to over
92% of INTO income currently. While
other areas of income are relatively small
by comparison, INTO funding is also
secured in areas such as advertising and
professional development work through
hosting and conducting of professional
development courses.
Membership
INTO membership has increased substantially over recent years and continues to
grow. From a level of membership (North
and South) below 30,000 ten years ago
(2003), end-year membership for 2013 was
close to 40,000. This represents a growth
of 34% over the past 10 years (21% in the
last eight years).
Republic of Ireland
subscription
2006 – 2013
Membership in the Republic of Ireland
was below 25,000 in 2003, but grew to
over 33,000 in 2013. Similarly, membership in Northern Ireland was just over
5,500 in 2003 and 10 years later stood at
just under 7,000.
This growth in numbers (see graph) has
allowed the INTO to maintain and, in
some areas, enhance service to
members.
INTO subscription
Like similar organisations, the INTO has
to set its subscription rate at a level to fund
services to members while at the same
time recognising members’ budgeting
challenges. At present, the rate of INTO’s
main subscription is similar to that of
comparable unions, and lower than some
public service comparators. The main
subscription rate (for full membership in
the Republic of Ireland) is, uniquely, set by
INTO Congress. On two occasions, at
INTO Congress 2011 and again at
Congress 2012, the INTO subscription
rate was decreased, with a total cut of just
over 10%. The current rate of subscription
is €39 per annum below what it was prior
to Annual Congress 2011 and is similar to
the subscription rate which was in place in
2005.
The graph with this article shows the
trend in INTO subscription over recent
InTouch March 2014
years. Also shown on the graph are the
rates of subscription for substitute teachers
and for substitute teachers in their first
two years after graduation. These latter
rates are set by the CEC. The substitute
rate was cut by 15% in recent years,
while the lower rate of €25 has been
introduced for teachers in substitute work
in the two years following graduation.
Substitute members have full membership rights and their subscription entitles
them to INTO membership for a school
year.
Financial Report to Congress
A full report will be given at INTO
Congress at Easter 2014 regarding INTO
income, expenditure and the state of the
Organisation’s accounts for the calendar
year 2013.
17
INTO News
RETIREMENTS
Stranorlar
Killarney
Pictured at a recent retirement function in Stranorlar
Branch were: seated r to l: Josephine Bradley (retiree);
Anne Marie Griffin, Cathaoirleach and Margaret
Teague (retiree). Standing: Sean McMahon, Vice
President and Annraoi Cheevers, Branch Secretary.
Margaret O’Donoghue, Loughguittane NS; Niall Keogh, Fossa NS and Sheila
Foley, Tiernaboul NS, who recently retired with (left) Rory D’Arcy,
Chairperson; Denis O’Sullivan, Secretary and Margaret Bernard, CEC
Representative. Pic: Michelle Cooper Galvin Photography
Dungarvan
At a recent retirement function in Dungarvan Branch were
Padraigin Ní Chadhla, Chairperson; Brendan Horan, CEC
Representative; Sean McMahon, Vice President; Olive Croke,
Hon Secretary pictured with retirees (front): Marcella McGovern,
St Mary’s NS; Catherine Tuohy, Kilrossanty NS; Padraig De
Burca, Stradbally NS; and Christine O’Keeffe, St Mary’s NS.
Pic: David Clynch Photography.
Tipperary Town
Tipperary Town honoured retired members at a recent function.
Front row retired members left to right; Carmel Hogg, Ann
Hennessy, Breda O’Dwyer.
Back row, left to right: Roisin Power, Secretary; Sean McMahon,
Vice President; Brendan Horan, CEC Representative; and
Paddy O’Shea, Chairperson.
Rathkeale
Rathkeale Branch retirements
from left: Jim McGrath,
Kilcornan NS; Margaret
Bernard, CEC Representative;
Mary Liston, Kilcolman NS;
Olive O’Sullivan, Shanagolden
NS and Pat O’Connell, Branch
Secretary.
InTouch March 2014
19
Nuacht CMÉ
SOLIDARITY
Irish NGOs launch ‘World’s Best News’ to
highlight progress in fight against poverty
The World’s Best News is a new initiative
launched this year by Irish NGOs to highlight the remarkable progress in the fight
against extreme poverty. It is a free news
service that – unlike other media - does not
only focus on the dramatic and the sudden,
but that tells the bigger stories of hope and
change that normally remain hidden.
The World’s Best News is about telling
the story of the historic and unprecedented
revolution that is slowly unfolding behind
the headlines: the unreported reality of
steady and unrelenting improvement in
human lives right across the world.
We live in an information age, with
sometimes around the clock news coverage,
but are the many items of ‘news’ actually
contributing to our increased understanding of the world around us?
Research shows that the vast majority
of people in Ireland think that they are
receiving enough information about the
developing world, yet only 19% say they
feel well informed about developing countries. And, despite the many reports about
progress in the fight against global poverty,
about half of the people in Ireland don’t
think that developing counties are any
better off now than 20 years ago.
This is at least in part because the media
are not telling us the good news story.
Media coverage of ‘aid’ and overseas issues
usually focuses on crises and disasters.
The news gives the impression that developing countries are a mess: poor and
dependent on aid. The World’s Best News
is a paper to show the other reality, to give
space to positive stories that other newspapers won’t necessarily cover.
Globalisation means that our lives are
interwoven with those of everyone on this
planet. Our prosperity in Ireland depends
on the prosperity of the rest of the world.
So if that world is changing, our media
should report on it. Particularly, if those
changes are too slow to make headlines.
The World’s Best News gives space to the
important, not merely urgent stories.
To get more information, or to read
some of news stories from The World’s
Best News, visit facebook.com/TheWorldsBestNews.
Join the
growing
number
of young
people
reading
World’s
Best
News
Progress in the fight
against poverty –
the good news
In September 2000, world leaders
agreed a set of goals for the international
community to bring about a world in
which sustaining development and
eliminating poverty would have the
highest priority.
Progress since then shows the power
of such a set of shared goals:
• Extreme poverty is falling in all
regions of the world. There are now
600 million fewer people living in dire
poverty. The proportion of people
living below the poverty line fell from
47% in 1990 to 24% in 2008.
• Enrolment rates among children of
primary school age increased
markedly in Sub-Sahara Africa: from
58% in 1999 to 76% in 2010. This
means that, for the first time ever, 9
out of every 10 (primary school age)
children in the world are in school.
• The world has achieved parity in
primary education between girls
and boys. The ratio between the
enrolment rates of girls and boys
grew from 91% to 97% in 2010.
• Millions more children in developing
countries live to see their fifth birthday, and the child mortality rate
plummeted from 97 deaths per 1,000
live births in 1990 to 63 per 1,000 in
2010 – a decline of 35%.
• Maternal mortality has nearly halved
since 1990. Globally, maternal death
ratios fell from 400 per 100,000 live
births in 1990 to 210 per 100,000 in
2010.
• Many other targets are well in
progress and Irish NGOs along with
Irish Aid, have played a significant
role in this achievement to date.
ICTU submission to review Ireland’s foreign policy and external relations
ICTU Equality Officer, David Joyce
welcomed the process of public
consultation as part of a review of Ireland’s
Foreign Policy and External Relations,
launched by the Tanaiste late in 2013.
In launching the review, the Tanaiste
stated “Ireland’s foreign policy is a
statement of who we are as a people. It is
the means by which we promote our
values and pursue our interests abroad.
Through it, we pursue economic
20
prosperity and promote peace and
security in Ireland and the wider world.”
The Congress submission highlighted
that 23 of Ireland’s leading human rights
groups had been brought together by the
Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI
Galway to adopt a common vision for
human rights in Irish foreign policy.
Launched in January 2014, the Galway
Platform on Human Rights in Irish
Foreign Policy sets out the basic human
rights standards and practices by which
Ireland should be held to account in its
dealings with other countries, as well as in
its activities at EU and UN levels.
The ICTU is a contributor to the
Galway Platform. Furthermore, the
Congress submission dealt with the Irish
trade union movements position on
Palestine; Colombia; Bahrain; Human
rights and Trade; Climate change and
Decent work.
InTouch March 2014
INTO News
BENEFITS
Membership Plus
– your member benefit programme –
Membership Plus is the benefit programme available to INTO members
where you can enjoy up to 50 discount at over 650 restaurants, shops,
gyms, golf clubs, days out venues and much more.
Have you downloaded our
new app yet?
We have recently launched the free Membership Plus mobile
app allowing you to see what offers are available closest to
your current location, browse by category, save your favourite
offers and much more.
Whether you are out and about and need to see where you
can save with Membership Plus or want to see what offers are
close to home, the Membership Plus App brings over 650 offers to your fingertips.
The Membership Plus app is free to download from the
App Store for iPhone users or Google Play for Android users.
Visit www.membershipplus.ie/mplusapp for more details!
New offers now available
Scanlons Pharmacy
Group
Pirates Adventure
Xtreme.ie
Adventure West
Crossfit Cork
Stonebrook Pet
Farm
Kartworld
Adventure Centre
Leahy’s Open Farm
Actionpak
Hot Shots Bowling
The Mardyke
Entertainment
Group
Limerick Karting
More details on these offers are available
on the Membership Plus website:
www.membershipplus.ie/intoroi
Don’t forget, you can submit suggestions
as to where you would like to save with
your Membership Plus card. Log onto the
Membership Plus website and click on
Suggest a Venue. Alternatively please
email [email protected]
with as much information about the
venue(s) as possible!
www.membershipplus.ie/intoroi
InTouch March 2014
21
INTO News
Cost of salary protection to fall
Following a review of the Salary Protection Scheme for INTO members the cost
is set to fall from the renewal dates on 1
April 2014 next. A review team comprising
representatives of the INTO, Cornmarket
Financial Services and Trident Consulting
invited a number of insurance companies
to quote for the continuation of the
scheme. Factors affecting the review
included the number of current members
and the growth potential for the scheme,
the age profile of the scheme and INTO
membership, proposed changes for public
sector sick pay and entitlements, and
benefits paid since the last review.
The outcome of the review is a reduction
in the cost of the scheme from 1.57% gross
to 1.49% gross with the rate and benefits
guaranteed for five years. In addition to
this there are a number of enhancements
to the scheme including:
• The ceasing age for disability benefit for
post April 2004 members increased to
65 from the current 62 years of age.
• From 1 April 2014 any disability claims
and payment for more than six years
will now not be medically reviewed
(financial reviews will be carried out as
normal to take into account any
changes to the member’s income). This
enhancement applies retrospectively to
current members receiving benefits for
The Salary
Protection
Scheme will now
dovetail with the
new sick pay
conditions that
will be introduced
later this year
more than six years.
• Cornmarket will now offer all new
claimants tax advice in addition to
filling a tax return on their behalf.
• All exclusions have been removed from
the scheme.
• A downward only premium rate review
will take place after three years.
The Salary Protection Scheme has been
providing benefits for INTO members for
almost 38 years and is the largest salary
protection scheme in the Public Service.
INTO Deputy General Secretary and
General Treasurer, Noel Ward, who was
part of the review team, has welcomed the
reduction in costs and the commitment to
a five year rate and benefit guarantee.
Noel said the Salary Protection Scheme
was a key service and benefit for INTO
members given the claims history over
the years. Further information is included
in the insert provided with this copy of
InTouch from Cornmarket Financial
Services and also on the INTO website.
THE TEACHING COUNCIL
Maintain your
registration
Now that Section 30 has formally commenced, the Teaching Council is urging
all registered teachers to ensure their
registration does not lapse.
A teacher who is paid from State funds
and who does not renew their registration
on time will have their salary stopped by
the Department of Education and Skills or
Education and Training Board.
Each year before your renewal date, the
Council will send you a reminder notice
and renewal form to the last correspondence address you provided to the Council.
Please make sure your address, email
and phone number(s) are up to date by
logging in and viewing your registration
details on www.teachingcouncil.ie.
As the Council may issue important
documentation during school holidays,
it is essential that a teacher provides
their home (or residential) address to the
Council.
InTouch March 2014
Giving you online access to research
As part of the ‘Research Alive!’ initiative,
the Teaching Council has secured free
access to the EBSCO Education Source
package for all registered teachers.
EBSCO is a collection of over 1,700 journals,
a selection of eBooks, and additional research resources in the field of education.
The pilot is running from September 2013
to September 2014 and we encourage you
to avail of the resources during this period.
The provision of this service is a direct
response to calls from teachers for greater
access to research.
To facilitate critical engagement by
teachers with research, the Council has
established a panel of registered teachers
and higher education institution staff. The
panel will identify articles and papers on
EBSCO that may be of interest to registered teachers.
Visit www.teachingcouncil.ie to access
EBSCO and to view the articles recommended by the panel. Follow the conversation on Twitter with #researchalive
Open call for FÉILTE 2014 presenters
Following on from the success of FÉILTE on 5
October 2013, the Teaching Council is planning for
FÉILTE 2014, which will take place on Saturday, 4
October 2014.
FÉILTE, the Festival of Education in Learning
and Teaching Excellence, promotes and celebrates
innovation in teaching by showcasing the work of
teachers who are leading innovative learning projects.
This year, the Teaching Council is sending an
open invite to all teachers to express their interest
in presenting and celebrating their work.
Visit www.teachingcouncil.ie and follow the
Council on Twitter (@TeachingCouncil; @FEILTE) to
find out more about how to apply.
23
Nuacht CMÉ
New Primary Curriculum – High 5!
In this season of film awards and ceremonies,
our primary curriculum is gearing up for its
own big event next month! You’re invited
to preview the new Language Curriculum
for English and Gaeilge for the first four
years of primary at www.ncca.ie/primary
developments and to tell us what you think.
Here are five things to know about the new
Primary Language Curriculum before the
consultation in April and May:
The new Primary Language Curriculum…
… has the same structure for English and
Gaeilge. The English Curriculum and Curaclam na Gaeilge will have the same structure
in order to support integration across the
two languages. Research shows that this
will help children to transfer their learning
across languages and will support teachers
to see similarities and differences across
the languages.
… has far fewer outcomes than objectives
in the ’99 curriculum. Teachers have told
us that the sheer size of the curriculum is a
major challenge to implementation. The new
Primary Language Curriculum will have a
small set of clear outcomes that show the
destination points for children’s learning at
each level/stage.
… focuses on positive dispositions as well
as skills and concepts. Dispositions are
habits or tendencies to act in particular ways
such as independence, curiosity, playfulness, perseverance, confidence, resilience
and resourcefulness. Dispositions will be
embedded in language outcomes along
with concepts and skills, e.g., recognising
the importance of children developing the
will to read as well as the skill to read.
… supports teacher practice and teacher
judgment. Examples of children’s work will
be provided which include comments from
teachers on the evidence of progress in the
work and are linked to language outcomes.
A map or continuum of significant steps/
milestones in children’s language learning
is included for each strand to help teachers
make professional judgments
about children’s progress and
achievement.
… will be an online curriculum.
Teachers have told us they like
online toolkits and support materials like the Curriculum Planning Tool, the Report Card Creator
the Aistear Toolkit and resources for parents…Videos, podcasts and online presentations will be part of the support materials
(the new ‘Guidelines’) for the Language
Curriculum making the voices and images
of real children, teachers, parents, researchers and other education professionals
visible in a way that wasn’t possible in the
’99 Curriculum. Also, instead of ‘adding’
new parts to the curriculum over time, online publication means that you’ll see incremental improvements as needed rather
than curriculum add-ons.
Your voice is crucial as we look at the changes
needed in Language– the first curriculum
area for preview and revision. In the autumn
there’s another opportunity to share your
thoughts on the overall primary curriculum
and the changes needed to ensure it can
continue to support primary teachers as
autonomous professionals and children as
capable and competent learners into the
future. Before then, please take
a moment yourself, or with your
colleagues, to preview the new
Primary Language Curriculum in
April/May and to tell us what
you think in light of your own
practice and expertise. After this
final round of edits, the new Primary Language Curriculum for
the first four years will go live for all schools
in September.
Dr Sarah Fitzpatrick, Deputy CEO,
NCCA, www.ncca.ie/primarydevelopments
Sean Flynn, RIP
Education Editor of The Irish Times
Sean Flynn, Education Editor of The Irish Times
passed away last month when he lost a bravely
fought, year-long battle against cancer. A significant
and passionate voice in the world of education has
been silenced at the all too early age of 56.
Sean’s coverage of many primary education issues but, in particular, substandard school buildings, overcrowded classes and the need to increase
education spending helped to heap considerable
pressure on governments to do better in those areas. Special needs education regularly featured in
his columns and played a part in bringing about
change. The calls for more diversity in primary
school provision in Ireland were recorded by Sean who recognised it as important.
These and other issues appeared regularly on news pages or
weekly education pages of The Irish Times or on the airwaves
where Sean was a sought after commentator.
Whenever Sean got the chance, the quality work of Irish primary teachers was acknowledged. He ensured there was coverage of their work whether in the classroom or above and beyond the call of duty after school time. He used his popular
‘Teacher’s Pet’ column to give a pat on the back or a kick in the
backside, whichever he felt was deserved.
24
In his 15 years as education editor he attended
and reported on many INTO Congresses. Thoroughly professional, he took time to move beyond
press releases, personalities and prepared scripts.
He wanted to get to the heart of issues by engaging directly with teachers, listening to their firsthand accounts, asking probing questions before
telling their stories in his own inimitable style. Always friendly and courteous, Sean could put everyone at their ease. There was no ego in his coverage
– the story was what mattered – and what he
wrote was fair and balanced.
It was clear to all who knew him that Sean thoroughly enjoyed his work but that was only part of his story. Away
from newsprint, sport was his passion with football in general
and Manchester United in particular in the spotlight of his affections. Neither was he just a spectator, playing weekly football
games up to his illness.
Sean was great company – knowledgeable, funny and entertaining in equal measure on a wide range of issues from current
affairs to music. He loved to travel and was always willing to
swap travel tips and stories. Above all Sean was a family man.
To Elaine his wife, daughter Julianne and sons Stephen, Jack,
David and Luke, the Organisation extends its sympathy.
InTouch March 2014
INTO News
In the media
In print
Failing gay school teachers
The fear Section 37.1 engenders in many
LGBT teachers prevents them from fully
participating in their school communities.
It compels them to keep details of their
personal lives secret from colleagues. It
prevents them exercising their employment rights in relation to their partnerships.
Our schools are special places in which
individuality, diversity and self-respect
are supposed to be nurtured and protected.
A school is as much a community and a
family as it is a workplace and it requires
strong collegial relationships and friendships in order to operate effectively.
Section 37.1 is responsible for creating
a climate of fear and discrimination in
our schools. Rather than protecting a
school’s ethos, the silencing and
closeting of LGBT teachers undermines
the job a school is supposed to do.
Section 37.1 needs to go.
The Irish Times, 17 February 2014
Longford teacher wins INTO/Prim Ed
Bursary
Micheál O’Sullivan, principal in
Stonepark National School, Longford,
was announced as a winner of a bursary
from the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation and Prim-Ed Publishing to help
fund education research on school leadership... Micheál was presented with his
bursary at an awards ceremony in the
Teachers’ Club, Parnell Square, Dublin,
on 6 February. The project, part of a
masters degree in Trinity College, will
research issues, concerns and considerations for primary school principals in
deploying, leading, and managing
special needs assistants (SNAs) in Irish
primary schools.
Longford Leader, 14 February 2014
On the
airwaves
Bursary for Cork principal
The principal of a Cork school has been
awarded a bursary by the INTO to help
fund research into education. Principal
of Rochestown Educate Together
National School, Alan Sheehan, was one
of five people to be awarded €1,500 after
more than 50 applications were judged
by an independent adjudicator. The
awards ceremony was held recently in
the Teachers’ Club in Parnell Square,
Dublin. Mr Sheehan is currently
pursuing a Doctorate in Education at
UCC. His project looks at how teachers
are implementing the National Literacy
and Numeracy Strategy.
Evening Echo, 14 February 2014
Anger over plans to merge two of
Cork’s oldest schools
The proposed merger of two of Cork’s
oldest primary schools is causing
controversy on the city’s northside... The
Irish National Teachers’ Organisation
said concerns have been raised about
the plan and full consultation with all
partners is essential. “It is important that
future school provision is planned
properly rather than quickly,” a
spokesperson said.
Irish Examiner, 12 February 2014
An historic day for teaching profession
The General Secretary, Sheila Nunan,
gave a high profile boost to the annual
general meeting of Gorey Branch of the
(INTO), held in the Ashdown Park Hotel,
Gorey, recently where many key issues
were discussed. Ms Nunan, in her
address to representatives of over 20
schools in the Gorey district, focussed on
the Haddington Road Agreement,
staffing, special education, the future of
small schools, the Teaching Council,
school leadership, the forthcoming INTO
Congress, and early childhood
Teachers
Sean McMahon (INTO Vice
President) discusses how the loss
of a teacher affects a school.
Cork 96fm News, 12 Feb 2014
INTO concerned about lack of
funding to schools
The Sligo representative of the
INTO says the Organisation is
being contacted by members in
InTouch March 2014
education. She said that 28 January was
an historic day for the teaching
profession in Ireland. “This day will be
remembered as the day that teaching
became a fully registered and selfregulated profession.”
Wexford Echo, 11 February 2014
An Irish Problem – How did we get it
so wrong?
“We need an integrated teaching
programme of Irish for English-medium
schools,” says Deirbhile Nic Craith, Education Officer with the Irish National
Teacher’ Organisation (INTO). “Previously,
we had the Buntus Cainte, which had
step-by-step lessons for teachers. In
Irish-medium primary schools, they have
the Seiden Si which is excellent but we
have nothing like that for English-medium
schools. We need a programme that integrates the various curriculum strands
so busy teachers aren’t entirely left up to
their own devices to plan.”
The Irish Times, 28 January 2014
Quinn: We must stop teaching religion
in school
The INTO said the Minister’s concern for
literacy and numeracy standards might
have some credibility if primary school
children were not taught in overcrowded classrooms. The union’s
General Secretary, Sheila Nunan, said
Irish classes were the second most overcrowded in the EU. The INTO said Ruairí
Quinn’s comments about time for
teaching literacy and numeracy were
undermined by a simultaneous
announcement of increases to class sizes
in two, three and four teacher schools.
The union said the comments about the
teaching of religion were a red herring
to deflect attention from the
indefensible increases to class sizes in
small schools.
Irish Daily Mail, 25 January 2014
relation to inadequate funding.
The Organisation says the funding
is being topped up by staff who
spend more and more time
fundraising. Pat Stenson says
schools cannot meet their basic
needs on the funding they receive.
Ocean FM News, 5 Feb 2014
School funding
Interview with Brid Finnegan
(INTO Clare) on school funding.
Drivetime RTE Radio 1, 3 Feb 2014
Weekly roundup
Friday panel including Sheila
Nunan (INTO) discussed the
Louise O’Keefe court finding
about child protection, religion
and pylons
Sean O’Rourke RTE Radio 1,
31 Jan 2014
25
INTO Advice
INTO advice for members on issues of importance
Written preparation
for teaching
Under Rule 126 of the Rules for National Schools (amended 2005) each
teacher is required to make adequate written preparation for her/his school
work, as follows:
• to prepare at the beginning of each school year or school term a longterm programme of work in each subject, in accordance with the Primary
School Curriculum, the school plan and the learning needs of his/her
pupils; the long term programme of work to include a class timetable,
outlining the weekly allotment of time for each subject; and
• to prepare fortnightly or, in the case of probationary teachers, weekly in
advance a short term plan of work.
In the case of class teachers, at the close of every month, the portion of the
curriculum dealt with during the month should be noted in a progress
record, the format of which will be agreed at school level. The progress
record is an important school record, the custody of which is one of the
duties of the principal teacher. It should be available in the school at all
times during the school year to which it relates and for at least one complete school year after the end of that year.
Learning support and resource teachers are required:
• to plan appropriate learning programmes in respect of pupils in receipt
of supplementary of resource teaching; and
• to maintain group or individual pupil progress records, as appropriate.
In respect of monthly progress reports the following was agreed between
the INTO and the Inspectorate. It is recognised that:
• Schools and teachers have a number of arrangements in place to record
monthly progress in the delivery of the curriculum and the format of the
Cuntas Míosúil may vary, even within the same school. It is desirable that
every school should agree a common format for the Cuntas Míosúil in the
context of school planning.
• Class teachers can record progress by writing a narrative account of the
portion of the syllabus covered in different areas of the curriculum for
each month.
• Another possibility for recording progress is by means of common
templates agreed at school level. These templates may contain prompts
or headings for subject areas and are completed by class teachers on a
monthly basis and retained by the principal teacher.
• It is possible to use technology to quickly generate a progress record from
short-term plans. This can be done in a variety of ways. For example,
portions of the plan can be copied and pasted to generate a narrative
record of completed work. Another approach is to paste portions of the
plan into a prepared template.
• A further approach is to signal clearly on the short-term plan what
portions of the work plan have been completed. Explanatory text can be
added as required.
Whatever system is used by schools in completing a Cuntas Míosúil, the total
record for the school should be maintained by the principal teacher. It is
therefore vital that individual teacher records of this nature should be
capable of straightforward extrapolation for whole school purposes.
InTouch March 2014
Standardised Testing in
Primary Schools and its
place in School Self
Evaluation
In last month’s edition an article on the limitations of standardised tests and their place in SSE pointed out that a test
score on these tests is not a true score. It represents a range
or band of possible scores for the child estimated using a
Standard Error of Measurement (SEM). The piece contained
an example for illustrative purposes.
It should be pointed out that this may vary. SEM is not a
uniform number across tests. Exact SEM values and guidance
on how to use them are contained in the Teacher Manual for
most standardised tests.
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27
Ócáidí Nuachta
HEALTH
Positive body
Three surprising facts about wellbeing and food
The life of a teacher can be stressful at
times, which is why we often engage in
relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga or simply try to find some
me-time. Keeping our minds healthy is
important, but it's just as important to
mind our bodies.
Our bodies run on fuel called food.
Depending on the quality of it, we either
get irritable, stressed, depressed; or feel
energised and happy. We all know,
about the importance of starting a day
with healthy breakfast of porridge or
muesli. It gives us energy to tackle daily
challenges. We also know that our
thinking becomes impaired when we're
dehydrated. Therefore, WHO recommends drinking three to five pints of
water a day. Finally we hear of the dangers of eating processed food and the
great benefits of a balanced diet to keep
our bodies strong and stress-free.
However, here are three facts about
food and wellbeing you might not yet
know:
1. In order to keep our minds psycho-
logically well, we need to feed it
with not five, but seven portions of
vegetables and fruit. Research shows
that participants eating five-a-day had
improvements in their physical health
but not in their mental health. However, eating seven+ portions a day
significantly boosted their psychological wellbeing.
2. A recent study found that drinking
coffee lowered risk of depression by
20%. In this 10 year study with over
80,000 participants, mental well-be-
ing of those who consumed two –
three cups of coffee a day was better
than non-drinkers.
3. We often hear about Mediterranean
diet being healthy. Eating large
amounts of vegetable, fruit, fish
significantly reduces not only cardiovascular mortality, or the risk of
Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease,
but also boosts our mental wellbeing.
Studies shows that a 10-day Mediterranean diet intervention significantly
increases energy, vigour, contentment
with life and, in general, our subjective wellbeing.
Keep your mind and body healthy this
month. Make one small change to give
you a significant boost of psychological
well-being. Bon appetite!
Jolanta Burke is a Positive Psychologist
and PhD Researcher in Trinity College
Dublin. For more information, go to
www.jolantaburke.com
FINANCE
Why borrow from Comhar Linn INTO Credit Union Ltd?
Comhar Linn INTO Credit Union Ltd.
serves the financial needs of members of
the INTO, the RTAI and their families.
What are the main benefits?
• Low cost finance.
• Loan interest is charged on the reducing loan balance.
• No interest is charged on interest due unlike other institutions.
• There are no hidden or additional costs.
• Loan repayments are made directly
from salary.
• Loan protection insurance (subject to
terms and conditions) is provided at
no additional cost.
• Larger than agreed repayments can be
made, thus clearing the loan early
without penalty.
• There are a variety of loan types and
rates available to suit different needs.
How much Interest will you pay?
Interest is charged on the reducing balance so that with each repayment the
28
amount paid in interest reduces and the
amount paid against principal increases.
The total amount paid in interest depends on the type of loan issued and the
loan term.
The table below illustrates the amount
of interest you would pay on €1,000 borrowed over one year and repaid fortnightly.
Why wait?
• Comhar Linn INTO Credit Union Ltd.
charges very competitive low rates of
interest on loans.
• There are no fees or transaction
charges.
• Your loan will be insured, (Terms &
Loan type
Personal
Car loan
Home improvement
College fees loan
Saver loan
Term
1 year
1 year
1 year
1 year
1 year
Rate (APR)
7.8
6.75
6.5
5.5
4.9
Conditions apply) so that in the event
of death it will be cleared.
How do I apply for a loan?
The simplest way to apply for a loan is to
phone 1850 277 377 and request a loan
application form. A member of staff will
assist you with the application process
and answer any queries you may have.
You will be given details of the
documentation that you will be required
to submit with your application and a
loan pack will be posted to you for
completion.
Loans are assessed within 24 to 48 hours
if received by post or completed at the
counter.
Fortnightly
Total
repayment amount repaid
39.38
1,042.97
39.78
1,037.28
39.74
1,035.92
39.54
1,030.47
39.43
1,027.19
Total
interest paid
42.97
37.28
35.92
30.47
27.19
InTouch March 2014
Newsdesk
Is it time to consider engaging
in Post-Graduate study?
At a certain time of the year one of the
most frequent pieces of advice sought
from local education centres is in the
area of post-graduate study. Suffice to
say, everyone who considers post-graduate study needs their study path to ‘fit in’
with an already busy professional and
personal life.
When returning to school in September, many teachers think of post-graduate
study, in many instances too late for that
year. I would suggest that now, early 2014,
is the time to consider post-graduate
study options for September 2014. This
gives one time to investigate what is
on offer, digest the ramifications and
benefits of various post-graduate degrees, prepare for the financial requirements and to place oneself in
the positive frame of mind needed to
undertake such study.
Issues to be considered include:
Which course of study should I
undertake?
Well, rather than answering or suggesting answers, maybe one should initially
address the questions:
• Why am I doing this? There are many
reasons for undertaking study but let’s
simplify it. A post-graduate degree will
give a feeling of accomplishment and
satisfaction upon completion. It will
also give a deeper understanding of a
chosen area of study; maybe history,
geography or the Irish language. It will
give a depth of understanding of education in the wider sense.
• Where do I see myself as a professional
educator in the future? Perhaps you
see yourself as an educational leader
in the future? This course of study may
give you better promotional prospects
and help you up the career ladder just
that little bit faster. This may sound
simple, but knowing what you want as
the outcome can assist in you choosing the course that is best suited to
your requirements.
At what level should I undertake
study?
Again, this depends on your circumstances and commitment. In broad terms,
a post-graduate diploma can be achieved
within one to two years, a masters degree
within two to three years, and a doctoral
InTouch March 2014
level degree within three to four years.
Some people may take longer than the
stated time – that’s fine. Circumstances
change and your priorities may dictate
that you have to take your foot off the
pedal for a little while. Colleges and academics are well aware of the pressures of
education and where priorities need to be
changed on a temporary basis, this can
normally be accommodated.
What format of study should I
undertake?
Delivery methods for post-graduate
studies have changed significantly over
the past number of years. There are now
three predominant methods of delivery:
face to face, online and blended.
Face to face is the traditional lecture, seminar, workshop delivery we are used to
from our undergraduate studies. It involves regular attendance at a college or
external venue and will keep you ‘on your
toes’ throughout the course of the study.
Online delivery is achieved via the Internet
and specific virtual learning platforms,
Anyone with basic IT skills will be well
able to undertake this method of delivery.
A password and username are the basics
of getting you started. Some people question their ability to do such ‘remote’ and
‘lonely’ learning and to keep focused on
the workload. From my own experience
and that of many colleagues, there are
chatrooms, blogs and other features that
keep you ‘connected’ to your colleagues,
plus, it is very rare that you will remain
purely in the virtual world. Once contact is
made, a lot of individuals form support
structures in their local geographic regions to assist with their studies. One major benefit of such delivery is the lack of
travel to a formal venue, saving on both
time and fuel costs.
Blended learning is a combination of face
to face and online learning. Certain modules may require attendance at a venue,
while some modules may be delivered
completely online.
It is my belief that there are three
difficult stages when applying for, or
completing, post graduate study:
1 Signing your name on the application form and submitting it to your
chosen college or university. This
starts a process with which you become engaged and automatically follow.
• Signing the cheque to go along with
your application. Rest assured, this is
just a normal human reaction. You will
probably think of everything else you
could have spent that money on!
• The last three weeks of your thesis,
that time when you are restructuring
sentences for the fourteenth time, you
can’t find the title of the journal you
read online and you now need for your
bibliography. But, everyone else has
been there, they’ve all managed to get
through it and so will you.
So, as we draw close to St Patrick’s Day,
perhaps now is an opportunity to investigate what is on offer and, more importantly, the closing date for 2014 applications. This is an opportunity to aim higher and to inject both thought and energy
into developing your career path for the
future. In the words of Paul Brandt:
“Don’t tell me the sky’s the limit when
there are footprints on the moon”.
Frank Walsh is Director of Athlone Education Centre and has a particular interest
in supporting teachers and principals wishing to complete post-graduate studies. If you
are considering such study then your local
education centre may be able to assist you.
For education centre contact details visit
www.ateci.ie .
29
Early childhood education
Information and updates on issues relating to early childhood education
The changing landscape
The Growing Up in Ireland study is a longitudinal study of
nine month old children and nine year old children which
commenced in 2008. A follow up study was carried out
with the younger cohort of children when they were three
and again when they were five. This data is currently
Approximately 10% of our population are
under the age of six and we have a rising
birth rate since 2006. Compulsory schooling
in Ireland is from age six to age 16. However,
we have a strong tradition of education
for children from age four to age 12 in our
primary schools. Our junior and senior
infant classrooms are early years setting
for children from four to six.
In 2010 the government introduced a free
pre-school year for all children from three
and two months to four and seven months.
Unfortunately, the age eligibility for the
pre-school was not aligned with the school
starting age leaving some children missing
out on the free pre-school year. The Minister
for Children and Youth Affairs has indicated
that she is in favour of introducing a second
free pre-school year. Pre-school provision is
part of the private, community and voluntary sector. Early Start continues as part
of the primary school sector as an early
intervention programme for three year
old children in areas of disadvantage.
One of the positive developments in
recent years has been the development of
Aistear, a curriculum framework for children from birth until six. This overlaps with
the primary school curriculum for the four
to six year olds. Information about Aistear
has been circulated to schools, articles
have been included in our
union’s magazine and there
are professional development seminars available
in the
local education centres,
however, these take place
after school hours and are
voluntary to attend. They are
good but are not sufficient in
terms of supporting change
InTouch March 2014
being analysed. But we know that 95 availed of the free
pre-school and the majority have settled well in to school.
The Growing Up in Ireland study continues to provide a
wealth of data on Irish children's lives. We will bring more
of the findings to members in later editions of InTouch.
to practice in our infant classes. This edition
of InTouch includes an article each on language and play in the infant classes.
The infant classes in the primary schools
have the advantages but also the disadvantages of being part of the primary
school system. On the positive side we
have a very good child centred curriculum,
qualified teachers who have studied early
childhood education as part of their
teacher qualification, an evaluation system
where the inspectors of the Department
of Education and Skills monitor standards
in the system and continuity for pupils
between the ages of four and 12.
On the negative side, we have the same
ratios as the rest of the primary schools –
a ratio currently too high for primary,
particularly for children from four to eight.
Our classrooms are built as primary school
classrooms and therefore do not always have
the facilities required by children in the
early years such as access to indoor and outdoor play space,
and sufficient
space for a
play based
curriculum.
It was always INTO policy that there
should be universal pre-school available to
all three year old children – ideally as part
of the primary school system, funded by
the State and staffed by qualified teachers
and qualified childcare workers (as in Early
Start). Now that there is a universal preschool service, it is imperative that processes of transition are developed to support
children’s seamless transition from preschool to the infant classes of the primary
school. Two articles in this edition address
this challenge. The role of Montessori
teachers in primary schools is explored in
another article. A brief overview of the Association of childhood Professionals is also
given. There is a further article on behaviour management in the junior classes.
One further question – is the title ‘infant’
class appropriate today to describe the
early years classrooms in primary schools?
Please email other suggestions to
[email protected]
31
Early Childhood
From pre-school
Transfer points in education can be
traumatic for many pupils, whether it is
from pre-school to primary, junior school
to senior school or primary to secondary.
In New Ross, two HSCL teachers decided,
over the last number of years, to develop
comprehensive transfer programmes for
all these groups of children. In the primary
to secondary sector we have been operating
what we call the ‘Next STEP’ programme
for the past three years. This programme
has proved to be very successful for the
children of sixth classes in New Ross. This
year we decided to focus on the journey
from pre-school to primary school and
attempt to develop a transfer form to be
brought from pre-school to primary
school with the children. We felt this could
be a very useful document for the teachers
of junior infants as pre-schools have had
the opportunity to glean an enormous
amount of information regarding the
social, emotional, physical and mental
development of children. We also felt that
information on children with special needs
could be passed on to the primary school
so that the transfer could be made that
much easier for the children with SEN.
At all times, of course, parental
permission would be sought for any
information transfers (a section for
parental permission is included on
the transfer form). In the town of
New Ross, home school community
liaison teachers canvassed the opinions of parents regarding the sharing of information between the
sectors. The vast majority of
parents thought that the
idea of a transfer form
was a good one as it
could help to smooth
the transition from
pre-school to primary
school.
In order to further
the goal of developing
relationships between
pre-schools and primary schools, a meeting of all teachers of
infants in the New Ross
area was organised in
order to ascertain
their views regarding
transfer forms; closer
cooperation between
the feeder pre-schools
32
and a possible joint approach in relation
to CPD for the Aistear framework. There
were representatives from all the schools
at this meeting and all teachers were very
positively disposed to opening up channels
of communication with the pre-schools. It
was agreed that the HSCL teachers would
act as facilitators for the process.
All the pre-schools in the New Ross
area were then contacted and asked to
send a representative to a meeting using
the same agenda used with the primary
schools. This meeting was very well
attended and all agreed that closer cooperation between the sectors, including
the introduction of a transfer form, was
worthwhile. It became very obvious at this
meeting however that CPD structures at
pre-school level were practically nonexistent.
Shortly after the initial meetings, a
general meeting of pre-school educators
and teachers of infants was called. A wide
ranging discussion took place at this
meeting around communication, sharing
of information, pre-school packs, CPD
and the Aistear framework. It was agreed
that a steering committee be formed to
further the following goals:
• Developing a transfer
form for pre-schools.
• Investigating
the possibility of
Aistear
professional development for all.
• Gathering information on the work of
the NCCA on early childhood education.
• Investigating the avenues where greater
communication could take place
between pre-school settings and
primary schools.
It was agreed that the general body who
attended the full meeting would be called
the ‘New Ross Early Childhood Forum’.
The members of the steering committee
were as follows: two pre-school educators,
two teachers of infant classes and two
HSCL teachers. The steering committee
met on three occasions in the last term of
2013. At one of these meetings a draft
transfer form was produced by a HSCL
teacher. This form was greatly amended by
a teacher of infants and a final draft was
agreed for placing before the ‘New Ross
Early Childhood Forum’ for approval.
At the following meeting of the ‘New
Ross Early Childhood Forum’, the transfer
form was welcomed by all and it was
agreed that the preschools in New Ross
would use it in the coming academic year. It was
felt by the group that
while professional
development in
relation to using
Aistear was readily
available for
InTouch March 2014
Early Childhood
to primary
primary teachers (albeit on a voluntary basis) there was very little
for the pre-school sector. All agreed that if there was to be a
seamless and effective transition by children from pre-school to
primary, the lack of CPD in the pre-school sector needed to be
addressed urgently. It was also felt that primary teachers who
attended Aistear seminars should receive adequate recognition
and support. It was generally felt that the Aistear framework
could provide the basis of closer cooperation between all those
working in early childhood education.
All involved in the ‘New Ross Early Childhood Education
Forum’ found the experience rewarding and felt that closer cooperation between the pre-school and the primary school sector
could be of great benefit to those working in early childhood
education, to parents, teachers and most of all, children.
Milo Walsh is a HSCL teacher in the CBS Primary, New Ross. He
is also Education Committee Representative for District X.
… the transfer form was welcomed
by all and it was agreed that the
pre-schools in New Ross would
use it in the coming academic
year
The development of an
information transfer form
Transfer Form
I can...
Socially
Make friends easily
Share
Wait my turn
Play in a group
Play in a gentle way
Communication Be clearly understood
Explain what I need
Maintain eye contact
Talk about myself
Talk to my friends
Talk to adults
Behaviour
Listen
Sit still for periods of time
Concentrate
Follow directions/instructions
Independence Play without adult help
Take on/off coat/jumper etc
Use the toilet alone
Eat my lunch
Tidy my things
Emotional
Cope with sudden change
Respond appropriately when
frustrated/angry
Talk about how I feel
Happily try new things
Seldom
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
Sometimes Often
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
Name
Address
Date of birth
First language
Mother’s name
Father’s name
Place in family
Pre-school attended
In order to help me in my new school, my pre-school teacher would like my new
teacher to know ...
In order to help me in my new school, my parent(s)/guardian(s) would like my new
teacher to know ...
In order to help my child settle into their new school, I give my permission for this
information to be passed on and for schools involved to contact each other should the
need arise.
Date
Yes n No n
InTouch March 2014
Signed
(Parent/Guardian)
Signed
(Pre-school Teacher)
33
Early Childhood
Classroom routines for
Many teachers are now using play
methodology for teaching and learning in
infant classes, as recommended in the
National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy
(DES, 2011 ). For play to be effective as a
teaching methodology, the teacher has to
be involved. Aistear puts this very clearly:
“The adult takes time to observe, consult,
plan, and participate in play” (NCCA,
2009, 56). While children benefit from
play with peers in a well-planned play
environment, the teacher’s involvement is
crucial for assuring and accounting for the
learning. The most effective way to make
sure that the teacher is involved is to establish daily routines that both teacher and
children get used to.
Classrooms are very busy
and teachers are even busier, so
waiting for the opportunity to
arise probably means it won’t!
There are always a million
other things to be done. But as
one teacher pointed out: “It is
really important that we try
and give the children that
experience and facilitate it. In
whatever way we can. If we
don’t have all those extra
people to help us, we do whatever we can
to try and… get it up and running in the
classroom.” The routines I’m suggesting
here are not perfect but they are a way for
the busy teacher to get some time every
day to interact with and observe the children. The routines are suitable for a classroom in which the playsequence described
in Aistear (User Guide, p. 11 ) is being used.
teacher gets involved on a daily basis, for a
meaningful length of time. A teacher on
her/his own is very limited in the stretch of
time s/he can spend, but even a short time
every day will, cumulatively, have an
impact. For this routine, the teacher sits
with one group for an uninterrupted 10
minutes every day. Some call it the ‘10
minute contract’ or the ‘10 minute promise’. The ‘contract’ or ‘promise’ refers to the
agreement the teacher makes with the children, in advance, that for that 10 minutes,
they will not interrupt her/him. A large 10
minute sand-timer placed in a prominent
position helps the children to ‘see’ the time
passing so that they know how long they
have to wait.
these during the 10 minute ‘contract’. Being
an Assistant, Problem Solver or Helpful
Person will confer status on the child. This
is a good opportunity to give positive
messages to children whose skills may
not be academic, but who may have other
talents such as social skills and friendliness.
Give it time!
Like every other routine in an infant
class, this takes a bit of time to get bedded
in. There will be interruptions and you
will have to do a lot of pointing to the
sand-timer, the ‘Waiting Room’ and/or
the ‘Assistant’, but the routine will eventually get established. This has the added
benefit of promoting independence and a
sense of agency among the
children.
Sensitive participation by the
teacher is fundamentally
important to the quality of play
in school, where play has to have
‘learning consequences’
‘The 10 Minute Contract’
If the teacher is not participating in the play
on a regular basis, then it isn’t possible for
her/him to account for what is being
learned or achieved, or to assess if her/his
planning for play is effective. In addition,
while children playing with other children
can be a rich learning experience, it can also
be static and repetitive. Sensitive participation by the teacher is fundamentally important to the quality of play in school, where
play has to have ‘learning consequences’.
What’s needed is a routine where the
34
There are a couple of things the teacher
can do to maximise her/his chances of
getting 10 minutes with the group.
The Waiting Room
To help the children keep to the 10
minutes, a ‘Teacher’s Waiting Room’ can
be set up. All it needs is two or three chairs,
a box of reading material, pages on clipboards for writing, and a waiting room
sign. Any child who needs to speak to the
teacher can go to the ‘Waiting Room’ until
the teacher is free. Having reading and
writing materials in the ‘Waiting Room’
means that, even when a child actually
waits for a length of time, they can engage
with literacy activities.
Assistants
Another strategy is to have a designated
‘Assistant’, ‘Problem Solver’ or ‘Helpful
Person’ in each group. Any child who has a
question or needs help has to go to one of
Which group?
For a routine to work, it’s always
helpful to have a systematic
approach so that the teacher
knows in advance which group
s/he will be working with each
day. There are a couple of
systems that can be followed at
different times, depending on
the circumstances.
Assess the learning at one learning
centre
Sit at the same centre (e.g. blocks,
playdough) each day for the week so that
you get a chance to observe each child as
part of the small group. Secondly, for the
week, get that group to do a five minute
feedback to the class on their activity that
day, allowing you to ask questions and
assess what has been learned. This has
the added benefit of allowing the rest of
the children to learn from other
children’s experience – peer supported
learning. Having a single group give
feedback should not replace the daily
pair discussion that should take place
after each play session. Every child
should have the opportunity to talk
about their play every day, and the pair
discussion is a vital strategy for the
development of the crucial language
InTouch March 2014
Early Childhood
teaching through play
skills associated with the listener/speaker
relationship.
Assess one group of children
Another system is to follow
one group of children for a
number of days, even for the
full five days of the play
sequence. This allows for more
intensive assessment of the
children in that group, and
gives the children an intensive
experience of interacting with
the teacher. In a class divided
into five groups, it will take five
weeks to get around to every
group, which may seem like a long time.
But taking this approach even twice a year
will provide insights into children’s learning that will not emerge through sporadic
engagement. It offers the teacher the
opportunity, in the context of large classes,
to give each child attention in a systematic
way.
Without a system of some sort, the
teacher is likely to spend the play session
whizzing from one learning centre
to another, tearing sellotape,
monitoring space, picking
up stuff and so on, without any significant and
meaningful interaction
with the children. This
impoverishes the
teaching potential of play, and leaves the
methodology open to accusations of being
chaotic. Play can be very effective to pro-
ing in the play in a significant way. The
teacher has to play to teach.
References
DES (2011): Literacy and Numeracy for
Learning and Life: The National Strategy to
Improve Literacy and Numeracy Among
Children and Young People, 2011 – 2020, p.
47. Available at www.education.ie/en/
Publications/Policy-Reports/lit_
num_strategy_full.pdf Accessed 5/2/2013
NCCA (2009): Aistear, The Early Childhood
Curriculum Framework, Guidelines for Good
Practice. Dublin: NCCA.
NCCA (2009): Aistear, The Early Childhood
Curriculum Framework, User Guide. Available at: www.ncca.biz/aistear/pdfs/userguide_eng.pdf
Moyles, J.(2005): The Excellence of Play. Maidenhead:
McGraw-Hill.
The teacher has to assess the
learning taking place, account for
the learning which has taken
place and plan to progress the
learning through play
InTouch March 2014
mote learning, but not automatically so.
The teacher has to assess the learning taking place, account for
the learning which
has taken place
and plan to
progress the
learning
through
play. To
achieve all
this, the
teacher needs
to be participat-
Jacqueline Fallon, Lecturer in ECE,
CICE, Rathmines, Dublin 6. [email protected]
35
Early Childhood
A comparison between
the Montessori curriculum
and the primary school curriculum
and approaches to initial teacher education
in Ireland
The Montessori degree and the Bachelor in
Education degree are awarded at the same
level: Level 8 on the National Framework of
Qualifications. Both courses are of similar
duration and both educate teachers to
teach primary school children. Graduates
from both programmes work in similar
settings and with the same age range, yet
only the Bachelor in Education degree is
recognised for teaching children in primary
schools by the Department of Education
and Skills (DES). The Montessori degree is
recognised only in a restricted capacity by
the DES. According to them, Montessori
teachers are eligible for appointment to
posts in certain categories of special
schools, in special classes in mainstream
schools where Irish is not a curricular
requirement, as full-time resource teachers
for children with special educational needs
in mainstream schools (low incidence
disabilities only), and positions as substitute
teachers (Dáil debates www.oireachtasdebates.gov.ie and Circular letter 25/00).
Although Montessori teachers study
the Irish primary school curriculum as
part of their initial teacher education, they
are not allowed to teach it, in contrast to
teachers from other EU member states
who have trained outside of Ireland who
can teach it. According to the Teaching
Council, who are the designated authority
in Ireland for assessing applications for
teacher registration, these EU teachers
are granted a specified period, usually not
exceeding five years from the date of
registration to become proficient in the
Irish language and are also given this time
36
to address any other identified shortfalls
(www.teachingcouncil.ie). To date,
Montessori teachers are not being given
this same opportunity.
The issues
In 1998 a National Forum on Early
Childhood Education was held to discuss
childcare education and provision.
Subsequently, a report and later a White
Paper were produced which assigned
Montessori teachers to early childhood
education only. Suggestions were made in
the White Paper that Montessori teachers
may be suited to the teaching and learning
needs of junior and senior infants in primary
schools. The White Paper suggests however,
that difficulties could arise where Montessori
teachers move up the school system as it is
necessary for all teachers to have qualifications in relation to the full range of the
primary curriculum. This implies a lack of
knowledge or awareness of the Montessori
curriculum which, in fact, educates its
student teachers in the provision of the full
primary school curriculum.
The Montessori curriculum, which
closely resembles the Irish primary school
curriculum, although it places an even
greater emphasis on the use of concrete
and practical materials in a hands-on approach to teaching and learning, has been
given restricted recognition with little indication as to the reasons behind this designation. It appears that EU member state
teachers have been given preference over
Irish Montessori teachers in regard to
working in Irish primary schools.
Why did this happen?
Although the Montessori and Irish primary
curricula share similar features when the
curriculum documents are compared,
some concerns have been raised about the
Montessori method’s suitability in primary
schools. It should be stated, however, that
these concerns have been raised by politicians and not principally by educationalists.
Evidence suggests that these reasons
change depending on the Minister for
Education at any given time. For example,
Minister Bruton cited an excessive freedom
to pupils and concerns about the efficacy of
the mathematics programme as reasons for
restricted recognition. In 2004 Minister
Dempsey cited an absence of Irish and in,
2005, Minister Hanafin cited “educational
grounds” without offering any further
explication (Dáil debates 1955-2007). These
claims offered little or no substantive data
or research to back them up (Lawlor, 2011).
The study
In order to determine whether there was
validity in these claims a comparative
study of two teacher education
programmes was undertaken. The curriculum subjects and number of hours assigned
to their study of two teacher education
programmes were compared and a detailed
examination of the mathematics
programme was completed. Mathematics
was chosen specifically as this subject had
been mentioned on a number of occasions
in the Dáil debates as an area of concern
regarding the teaching of this subject in the
Montessori programme.
InTouch March 2014
Early Childhood
Findings
Evidence from this study reveals strong
similarities between the Montessori
curriculum and the Irish primary school
curriculum. For example, the integrated
curriculum in the Irish curriculum documents is similar to what Montessori would
call ‘Cosmic Education’. Although these
are titled differently, the ideals are the
same: namely, the idea of connections
between the different subject areas and an
emphasis on the interconnectedness of
knowledge and ideas (Lawlor, 2011). e
academic subjects and the number of
hours allocated to the study of each subject
on both a Montessori primary teacher
education course and on an Irish primary
teacher education course are comparable.
For example, the hours assigned to mathematics in the Montessori programme is
110 hours and in the Irish primary teacher
programme is 105 hours. e six strand
units are comprehensively accounted for
in the Montessori curriculum documents
from four to 12 years of age, although some
may be listed under different headings. For
example, geometry appears in
sensorial as opposed to mathematics and time features in
history rather than mathematics.
Special education is allocated 90
hours on the Montessori
programme and typically 63
hours on the Irish primary
teacher programme. However, it
should be noted that Irish is
optional and there is less time
allocated to ICT in the
Montessori programme and these differences need to be addressed (Lawlor, 2011).
As the Montessori method was established several decades before Ireland began
to examine the area of a child-centred
curriculum, it is only in recent years that
a lot of the ideals, objectives and values
reflected in the Montessori method are
now captured in the revised Irish Primary
School Curriculum (1999).
Research attributes positive outcomes
for primary age children educated in
Montessori settings. Numerous studies
highlight a range of positive effects on
children’s intellectual development,
above average on reading and mathematics,
social cognition and executive control,
Montessori pupils’ positive perceptions of
their experiences in school, and positive
attitudes of Irish primary school principals
to Montessori educated teachers. For
example, the Department of Research
and Evaluation in Georgia, USA (2007)
carried out a review of literature on recent
independent research evaluating the success
of Montessori pupils. is meta-analysis
provides evidence that Montessori pupils
can outperform their non-Montessori
peers on academic, social, and behavioural
measures in middle school settings.
Anne Frank, made famous by her
poignant diaries, was a student of the first
Montessori secondary school in Amsterdam.
Others who have attended Montessori
schools include the founder of Amazon,
co-founders of Google, Princes William
and Harry and Erik Erikson.
psychology, comparative education and
teaching practice. Both courses are of four
years duration. ere is significant
evidence to encourage a taskforce to
systematically evaluate the Montessori
curriculum to determine its equivalency
as a comparable system of education.
If equivalency was to be established,
Montessori educated teachers could be
allowed to practice as mainstream teachers
and be given full recognition as such, and
bring the value of a Montessori education
into mainstream classrooms. is would
equip children with the Montessori ethos
of life long learning and societal skills to
accompany them well into their futures.
e method would provide them with strong
cognitive and social skills development – a
theme emphasised in the primary school
curriculum. Parents’ experiences with
Montessori schools have also been positively
reported over the years. Daniel Burke, a
past pupil of Drumnigh Montessori Primary
School appeared in the Northside People
after achieving nine A1s in his junior certificate in 2012, as well as numerous other
Drumnigh pupils who received
scholarships to other schools.
Although elements of the
Montessori programme are different to the Irish primary school
programme there is arguably room
for both approaches in the Ireland
of today, as this difference and diversity demonstrates Montessori’s
own unique ethos in education
for the betterment of children’s
well being and development.
5There is significant evidence to encourage
a taskforce to systematically evaluate the
Montessori curriculum to determine its
equivalency as a comparable system of
education6
References
Atkinson, L.A. (2003)The Emerging Positions,
Experiences and Perceptions of Montessori Trained
Teachers Employed in Irish National Primary Schools
– M. Ed University of Ulster: Unpublished thesis.
Bagby, J.H and Jones, N.A. (2010) Montessori Education and Practice: A Review of Literature, 20072009. Montessori Life. Issue 2 pp.1-5 (internet)
Available at: www.amshq.org/Publications-andResearch/Research-Library/Journal-Articles.aspx
(Accessed 21 August 2013).
Department of Education and Science (1999) Primary
School Curriculum. Dublin: The Stationery Office.
Department of Research and Evaluation (2007) Report
on Educational Programs. A Review of Literature from
InTouch March 2014
Conclusion
As this article demonstrates, the
Montessori primary teacher education
programme is comparable to the Irish
primary teacher education programme.
All curricular subjects are taught, as well as
the core foundation disciplines including:
professional development, inclusive
education, intercultural education, disadvantage, special education, early childhood
education, ICT, philosophy of education,
sociology of education, history of education,
the Department of Research and Evaluation. Montessori Education: Recent Independent Research. The
Department of Research and Evaluation.
Horgan, M. (1987) A Study of the Importance of Play in
the Education of Junior Infant Class Children in Cork
City and County. M. Ed. thesis University of Cork:
Unpublished thesis.
Lawlor, M. (2011) A Comparison between the Montessori Method and the Primary School Curriculum and
the Approach to Initial Teacher Education in Ireland.
M.Ed. Thesis Trinity College Dublin: Unpublished
thesis.
Lillard, A.S. and Else-Quest, N. (2006) The Early Years.
Evaluating Montessori Education. Science, vol. 313,
no. 5795, pp. 1893-1894 (internet). Available at:
Michelle Lawlor. Michelle received a
BA (Hons.) in Montessori and Humanities
from St Nicholas in 2004. She has taught in
Ireland as well as in international schools in
Holland and Japan. She completed her Masters (M.Ed.) in TCD in 2011 under the supervision of Dr Carmel O'Sullivan. Michelle can
be contacted at [email protected].
Dr Carmel O’Sullivan is Head of
Education, School of Education, Trinity College Dublin.
www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/313/5795/1
893?ijkey=3UWZqF01vQgbY &keytype=ref&
siteid=sci m (Accessed 15 August 2013).
National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (2003)
Awards in the Framework. Dublin: The National
Qualifications Authority of Ireland.
Parliamentary (Dáil and Seanad) debates (internet).
Available at: www.debates.oireachtas.ie/dail (Accessed 22 August 2013).
Rathunde, K. and Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2005) Middle
School Students’ Motivation and Quality of Experience: A Comparison of Montessori and Traditional
School Environments. American Journal of Education. Vol. 111, No. 3 pp.341-371 [internet] Available
at: www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/428885 (Ac-
cessed 22 August 2013)
Rowlette, M. (2004) An Investigation of Montessori
Teachers Working in Special Nationals Schools in
Ireland. M.Ed. thesis Trinity College Dublin: Unpublished thesis.
St Nicholas Montessori College (2010) courses available (internet). Available at www.snmci.ie (Accessed 22 August 2013).
St. Nicholas (2009) CD Rom, Dublin. St Nicholas
Montessori College, Ireland.
St Nicholas Montessori Curriculum (1997) Dublin, St
Nicholas Montessori College, Ireland.
The Teaching Council (2009) Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2009. Co Kildare: The Teaching
Council.
37
Early Childhood
Ag aistriú ón naíonra
Bíonn tionchar fadtéarmach ag aistriú ón
naíonra go dtí an bhunscoil ar chumas
foghlama na bpáistí tríd an mbunscoil ar
fad. Chuir Gaelscoileanna agus Forbairt
Naíonraí Teo tionscnamh ar bun chun
tacaíocht a thabhairt do mhúinteoirí
gaelscoile agus do stiúrthóirí naíonraí
cabhrú le páistí agus a gcuid tuismitheoirí/
caomhnóirí an t-aistriú seo a dhéanamh go
réidh, socair, sásúil. Bhí spéis ag na
taighdeoirí, Máire Mhic Mhathúna,
Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Bhaile Átha
Cliath agus Fiona Nic Fhionnlaoich, Roinn
Froebel don Bhun- agus Luath-Oideachas,
Ollscoil na hÉireann, Má Nuad, féachaint
cad iad na gnéithe oideachasúla agus teanga
a chabhródh le haistriú foirfe. Glactar leis
gur feiniméan soch-chultúrtha atá i
sealbhú teanga agus go bhfuil rí-thábhacht
ag baint le comhthéacs na foghlama.
Deineadh scagadh ar an litríocht
náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta, lorgaíodh
tuairimí agus moltaí ó mhúinteoirí agus ó
stiúrthóirí naíonraí agus cuireadh agallamh
ar pháistí i rang naíonán. Baisteadh
An Traein ar an dtionscnamh as
pictiúr a tharraing duine de na
páistí sin. Cuireadh tuairisc
ar fáil bunaithe ar an
dtaighde seo agus
38
ar mholtaí ó Bhord Comhairleach. Tá
na moltaí faoi phlean aistrithe ar fáil i
bhfoirm leabhráin agus tá sé sin agus
páipéar cúlra an tionscnaimh, An Traein
ar fáil ag www.gaelscoileanna.ie/assets/
An-Traein-Páipéar-Cúlra.pdf.
Aithníodh go raibh an-chuid athruithe
don pháiste agus don teaghlach san
aistriú seo agus orthu san bhí athruithe sa
timpeallacht fhisiciúil, sa chur
chuige oideolaíoch agus i
bhféiniúlacht agus sóisialú
an pháiste. Bhain cúrsaí
teanga go dlúth leis an aistriú. Bíonn
formhór na bpáistí óga sna naíonraí agus
gaelscoileanna lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht
ag sealbhú na Gaeilge mar dhara teanga.
Mar sin, tá siad ag gabháil do chéimeanna
tosaigh sealbhú teanga agus ag brath ar an
gcomhthéacs chun éirim chaint an
stiúrthóra agus an mhúinteora a thuiscint
cuid mhaith. Bainfidh an Ghaeilge a
d’fhoghlaim siad sa naíonra le
gníomhaíochtaí an naíonra agus leis na
frásaí a mhúin na stiúrthóirí dóibh do
ghnásanna an naíonra. Beidh stór rann
agus amhrán ar eolas acu de réir pé
nósanna a bhí ag an stiúrthóir. Beidh na
stiúrthóirí ag cabhrú leis na páistí an teanga
a thuiscint agus a labhairt ar bhealaí
áirithe. Tríd is tríd, beidh an tuiscint agus
an úsáid bheo seo ag brath ar chomhthéacs
an naíonra agus nósanna imeachta an
naíonra. Comhthéacs nua atá sa “scoil
mhór” le gnásanna, nósanna imeachta
agus thar aon ní eile, le daoine nua. Anuas
ar sin, beidh briseadh dhá mhí sa
samhradh ann idir an naíonra agus an
scoil agus is minic nach mbíonn mórán
teagmhála ag an páistí leis an nGaeilge sa
tréimhse sin.
InTouch March 2014
Early Childhood
go dtí an bhunscoil
Torthaí an Taighde agus na Scéime
Píolótaí
Ar na príomh ghnéithe a chabhródh le
haistriú sásúil fuarthas amach go raibh
an-tábhacht ag baint le cumarsáid ghairmiúil idir na múinteoirí agus na stiúrthóirí
ar thaobh amháin, agus idir iadsan agus na
tuismitheoirí/caomhnóirí ar an taobh eile.
Bhí gá le plean aistrithe agus le h-am a
chur ar fáil chun é a chur i bhfeidhm. Bhain
tábhacht le heolas faoi na páistí a roinnt
idir na stiúrthóirí agus na múinteoirí, le
cead na dtuismitheoirí/ caomhnóirí agus
le teagmháil na bpáistí leis an nGaeilge i
rith an tsamhraidh. Cuireadh scéim
phíolótach ar bun in dhá ghaelscoil agus
sna naíonraí a chuir páistí chucu, chun
féachaint conas mar a d’éireodh leis na
moltaí sin. Thug meantóir tacaíocht do
na múinteoirí agus na stiúrthóirí agus
rinneadh taifead ar na rudaí a bhí ag tarlú
cheanna féin chun na páistí a ullmhú don
aistriú. Ansin eagraíodh cuairteanna chuig
an naíonra do na múinteoirí agus chuig an
scoil do na stiúrthóirí. Roinn na stiúrthóirí
eolas faoi na páistí leis na múinteoirí, le
cead na dtuismitheoirí/ gcaomhnóirí.
Thug na páistí sa naíonra cuairt ar an scoil
agus chuir siad leabhrán fúthu féin le
chéile le tabhairt chuig an
scoil. Thug na stiúrthóirí liosta de na frásaí,
rainn agus amhráin a bhí á rá acu sa naíonra
do na múinteoirí. Chuir an meantóir
nuachtlitir chuig na tuismitheoirí sa
samhradh le moltaí faoi úsáid na Gaeilge
sa bhaile. Mar thoradh ar an scéim
phíolótach, chuir na múinteoirí agus na
stiúrthóirí aithne níos fearr ar a chéile,
thuigeadar suíomhanna oibre a chéile
agus thuig na múinteoirí cén saghas
Gaeilge a bhí ar eolas ag na páistí. Léirigh
rannpháirtithe ó na scoileanna na tuairimí
seo faoin scéim phíolotach:
“Bhí deis agam buaileadh lena páistí
sular thosaigh siad i naíonáin bheaga agus
gaol a cruthú leo chun an idirlinn a
éascú”.
“Ní raibh a fhios agam cad a bhíonn
ar siúl i naíonra. Bhí sé go hiontach dul
isteach agus féachaint ar an rang sa naíonra
agus cad a bhí ar siúl acu.”
“Fuaireamar amach mar chuid den
scéim phíolótach go bhfuil i bhfad níos
mó Gaeilge ag na páistí ná mar a cheapamar
agus bhí muid in ann leas a bhaint as seo”
Tuigeadh go raibh difríocht idir an
saghas teagmhála a bhí ann idir naíonraí
agus scoileanna nuair a bhí an naíonra
suite ar shuíomh na scoile
agus nuair nach
raibh. Is amhlaidh a théann páistí ó
naíonra amháin go dtí scoileanna éagsúla
agus a thagann páistí isteach sa ghaelscoil
ó naíonraí éagsúla. Mar sin, chabhródh
polasaí nó creat náisiúnta aistrithe chun a
chinntiú go mbeadh an raon eispéireas
ullmhúcháin céanna ag na páistí go léir
agus bheadh gá le tacaíocht mheantóra sa
scéim seo.
Máire Mhic Mhathúna. Leascheann
Scoile, Scoil na dTeangacha, an Dlí agus na
Sochaí, Institiúid Teicneolaíochta, Bhaile
Átha Cliath.
Fiona Nic Fhionnlaoich, Léachtóir le
Modhanna Múinte na Gaeilge, Roinn Froebel
don Bhun- agus Luath- Oideachas, Ollscoil
na hÉireann, Má Nuad.
…fuarthas amach go raibh an-tábhacht ag baint le
cumarsáid ghairmiúil idir na múinteoirí agus na stiúrthóirí
ar thaobh amháin, agus idir iadsan agus na tuismitheoirí/
caomhnóirí ar an taobh eile
InTouch March 2014
39
Early Childhood
Language stimulation
techniques in an
infant classroom
This short article outlines a few teaching
strategies that can be used to enhance the
development of children’s language in an
infant classroom. International studies
have shown a link between teachers’
language input, i.e. the way teachers
speak, and students’ syntax development,
i.e. their students’ language learning in the
aspect of sentence structure. One study,
for example, showed that children whose
teachers use more complex sentences
score higher on tests of comprehension of
complex syntax (Huttenlocher et al., 2002),
while another showed a link between
children’s usage of passive forms and their
exposure to them in preschool settings
(Vasilyeva et al., 2006). These studies prove
the importance of language modelling, in
particular modelling of sentence structure
(in addition to modelling of vocabulary,
i.e. single labels).
When talking about modelling, people
often think ‘labelling’. Labelling is an important aspect of it but it is restricted to
vocabulary dimension while teachers need
to model sentence structure as well as
vocabulary (sentence structure relates to
ways of putting words together). Consider
the following example from a junior infant
class:
Teacher: It’s not much fun being a ginger
bread man / why not?
Natalie: Cause you are running away.
Teacher: He has to run away from all these
people / why?
Josh: Cause he is afraid.
Teacher: He is afraid of them / and what do
they want to do to him Josh?
Josh: Eat him.
Teacher: They want to eat him / and he
doesn’t want to be eaten so he is afraid.
The teacher quoted in this transcript
repeats the child’s responses in a more
elaborated way (e.g. Josh: “Eat him.”
Teacher: “They want to eat him”) and
models more complex sentence structures,
e.g. passive forms (Teacher: “And he
doesn’t want to be eaten”). Modelling a
particular grammatical feature or a language structure that is absent in the child’s
language as often as possible is called a
‘focussed stimulation’ technique (e.g. if a
child doesn’t use –ed for past tense the
teacher can model it by saying: “I think
that girl walked very quickly to her
friend’s house. They played in
the garden and they
talked a lot”).
Modelling is one of the so called ‘language stimulation strategies’ which also
typically include recasting, expanding and
questioning. These aspects of adult verbal
feedback have been widely recognised in
early childhood literature as facilitating
children’s language development. Their
usage in the classroom is important as
they elicit language in children and thus
enable classroom discourse. Recasting is
useful when a child says something
ungrammatically. The teacher can then
repeat the target form back to the child
without actually ‘correcting’ the child (e.g.
Child: “I draw that yesterday.” Teacher:
“Yes you drew it all by yourself”). Expanding includes feedback that uses elements
of what the child has said but in more
complex language, either adding to or
developing the child’s meaning (e.g. Child:
“Here is a mouse.” Teacher: “Here is a
mouse eating a nut.”) It is useful to reflect
on one’s own usage of these techniques in
terms of developing sentence structure.
Language stimulation techniques include
also asking questions which although
used daily by most teachers requires selfreflection in terms of the type of questions
being asked. There are many classifications
of questioning, one of the most common
ones being whether questions are closed
or open-ended. Open-ended, non-directive
questions that extend conversational turns
are generally considered to be a key
feature of the early years’ effective pedagogy.
These questions start with why/how/what
as in ‘what did you understand from this
story?’ versus ‘did you like the story?’ Given
the current focus on language in schools,
especially those with DEIS status, it is
worthwhile to reflect on the verbal feedback given to the students and on if and
how we model the use of complex syntax
in the classroom. You can refer to
www.iaslt.ie website for further information
on various aspects of speech and language.
Sylwia Kazmierczak-Murray is a
member of the Irish Association of Speech
and Language Therapists and and holds a
PhD in Education from St Patrick’s College,
Drumcondra.
40
InTouch March 2014
Early Childhood
Behaviour management
uncovered Managing the troops!
As we know the junior end of primary
school is full of darling little students, each
with their own individual personalities.
Mostly, they are a delight to teach. I know
I’m preaching to the converted here but in
early education, a well structured classroom
environment is essential. Everything has a
place and this grounds young students and
enables them to be organised and to work
independently through lessons. However,
even with the best made plans, children
function in different ways and at different
rates in their daily lives and the learning task
is no exception. Examples include:
• the early finishers: “I’m done!”;
• the halvers: “I can’t do any more”; and
• the non starters: “No!”, “I won’t.”, “It’s
too hard.”
It is in these moments that behaviour can
kick off.
It’s true to say that students of all ages
can respond to lessons in these ways but
in early education it's useless to try and
reason with young children. Hence the
management approach must stem from
what will work for them. My suggestion is
to use concrete materials in a selection of
baskets. I call it ‘The Basket Approach’ to
behaviour management for young students. It's similar in nature to ‘The Interesting Objects’ strategy for older students
discussed in my article entitled ‘The Show
Must Go On’, in the InTouch April/May
2013 issue– available online.
To set up this strategy in
the classroom, each basket
contains a five minute
curriculum based
activity with concrete resources.
Materials vary
depending on the class
level and on the teacher’s
curriculum plan. Here are
some examples:
• a figure of an animal and a
box containing the letters that spell out
its name;
• a magnifying glass and an interesting
rock, feather, etc;
• lollipop sticks with a picture of a square,
a triangle, etc., that can be recreated;
• a small puzzle – related to a lesson;
• a magnet and a few items – magnetic/
non-magnetic;
• a template of a flag and the colours
needed to make a flag;
• a set of matching pictures – related to a
InTouch March 2014
lesson;
• a laminated leaf and paper and crayon to
do a rubbing;
• a plastic container with a secret sound.
It’s important to change the activities
regularly to maintain the student’s interest. The key is that each activity is self
explanatory and can be explored independently by a child or a small group.
I discovered this strategy while teaching
in a junior class where the students had a
variety of learning rates which resulted in,
at times, chaos. Behaviours exhibited
included noise, walking/running around
the class, disturbing others’ work, etc.
After trying a number of ideas, which failed
miserably, I introduced ‘twelve baskets’.
By and large the activities in the baskets
were offered as a preventative tool when
inappropriate behaviour
seemed imminent. This was
based on Dr Bill Roger’s
strategy of ‘Distract
and Divert’
where the
teacher distracts the student, diverting their
attention from the unwanted behaviour to, in this
case, a choice of activities.
So for the student who
wouldn’t engage in a task, I’d
ignore the “I won’t do it!” and
say, “It’s hard for you to get
going on your writing. Why
don’t you go and pick a basket
and explore what’s inside and
we can come back to your
writing in a few minutes”.
Similarly, for the ‘halvers’, I’d
say; “I know you feel like
you can’t do any more but you probably
just need a break so go and pick a basket
and we can try a little more afterwards.”
The baskets also proved to be a useful treat
for early finishers on two fronts. It gave
me, as the teacher, a minute to get the next
lesson organised and, the baskets became
so popular that some other children began
to complete work faster to explore a basket.
For young students the true success of
the basket activities lay in the fact that the
resources were concrete. In the 1970s
Bronowski’s seminal work The Ascent of
Man reminds us that as educators; “The
hand is the cutting edge of the mind” and
this is still true today. So if you are trying
to manage the troops in early education,
don’t become a basket case, just try ‘The
Basket Approach’ instead! As always, I
would be delighted to hear your trials and
tribulations. Comments to
info@askadiecom
Adie Clarke, AMI, Hon. B.Ed.
MSc, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, holds a job sharing
position at St Declan’s Special
School and works privately as a
behaviour management consultant.
Contact: www.askadie.com
41
Newsdesk
News from the world of education and trade unionism, at home and abroad
Strength in numbers
The Association of Childhood Professionals
The Association of Childhood Professionals (ACP) began its journey in 2005 when
early childhood practitioners realised that
their profession was rapidly changing, as a
result of national policy development,
with minimal consultation involving the
practitioner, despite their central role in
providing quality early childhood care
and education for children at the foundation stage. These professionals decided to
empower themselves by uniting to form
the Association of Childhood Professionals:
The Professional Body Representing Practitioners in Early Years and School Age
Care and Education.
The aims of the organisation are to:
• be the collective identity and represent
the voice of childhood professionals;
• promote and engage active membership;
• advocate and seek support for the initial
training and continuing professional
development of childhood professionals;
• advocate and campaign for recognition
of childhood professionals including
their professional status and equitable
pay and work conditions;
• raise awareness of the value and
contribution made by the childhood
professional to the lives of children,
families and society as a whole.
Between 2005 – 2013 individual branches
formed in Cork, Waterford, Wexford,
Dublin, Kilkenny and Kildare. In June
2013 these branches united to form the
ACP. Since then meetings have been held
in Sligo, Kerry, Cavan, Wicklow,
Roscommon, Limerick and Offaly to
InTouch March 2014
support the establishment of local branches.
Current issues for the ACP
In 2012 Early Childhood Ireland found
that FETAC qualified preschool leaders
earn between €9 and €14 per hour. Practitioners with a Level 7 qualification earn
between €9 and €16 for most positions
(including management). Low rates of
pay, in addition to seasonal contracts for
those delivering the ECCE scheme, have
contributed to the level of discontentment
within the profession. For many these
conditions are unsustainable and result in
qualified and experienced practitioners
leaving the profession.
Another challenge for the profession is
the inspection process. Practitioners are
angered that the quality of their work is
assessed by public health nurses and environmental officers – individuals who are
not required to have qualifications or
experience in early years care and education.
Practice frameworks such as Síolta and
Aistear are developed and services are
required to use them without having
access to training.
Conclusion
There is strength in numbers and the
ACP provides childhood practitioners
with a strong independent voice, thus
empowering them to positively affect
change in their profession.
Marian Quinn, Chairperson,
Association of Childhood Professionals,
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.acpireland.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/acpire
Finian publishes Down
Syndrome Bill
The Government is to allow through an Independent TD’s bill giving all children with Down
syndrome automatic entitlement to resource
teaching hours.
In a rare political move, Finian McGrath’s
bill will be allowed proceed to committee
stage meaning Fine Gael or Labour TDs will not
be called to vote it down as happens with most
non-government legislation. Finian is a former
principal of a DEIS school in inner city Dublin
and an INTO member.
Most children with Down syndrome in mainstream primary schools qualify under Department of Education rules for weekly hours of
one-to-one resource teaching in addition to
classroom teaching, but only because they
either have a moderate learning disability or
they also have another qualifying disability.
For 20 to 30 more who start school each year
but who have a mild learning disability, special
needs teaching comes from set hours each
school must share out to all pupils with less
severe learning difficulties.
The new bill would add Down syndrome to
the list of disabilities for which individual resource teaching is automatically provided, regardless of a child’s level of learning disability
or whether they have another disability.
“This is a victory for parents and Down Syndrome Ireland who have campaigned on the
issue. I hope the bill passes in time to benefit
children from September,” said Mr McGrath,
whose daughter, 25, has Down syndrome.
A spokeswoman for Education Minister RuairI Quinn said; “We are adopting this approach
in the context of work the National Council for
Special Education is doing to find a new model
of allocating resources to schools in relation to
special educational needs.”
43
Newsdesk
Celebrating Children’s Engagement with
Literature
An exciting new conference celebrating
children’s engagement with reading and
books will take place on 22-23 May 2014 in
Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.
‘Buzzing with Books’ will draw together
educators and children’s literature enthusiasts for a two-day festival of children’s
literature, involving major authors and
experts in reading and language teaching.
The conference will also directly involve
children through a dedicated day of active
engagement with authors and illustrators.
On the first day of the conference, 22
May, teachers, early years educators and
book-lovers will take part in a variety of
presentations and workshops aimed at
promoting a love of reading amongst children. Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick and Siobhán
Parkinson will give keynote presentations
inspired by their work in writing and illustrating children books, while P.J. Lynch and
Michael Emberley will both speak in candid
fireside interviews about their lives and the
process involved in illustrating children’s
books. Authors Colmán Ó Raghallaigh, Áine
Ní Ghlinn and Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin will
provide a perspective on the integration of
Gaeilge with literacy and language. A
variety of parallel workshops will be held,
as well as a display of relevant posters and a
book fair.
On the second day of the conference,
primary and pre-school classes will have
the opportunity to engage in a wide variety
of talks and activities, presented by conference keynote authors and illustrators.
These will include read-aloud and shared
reading sessions for younger children, as
well as book talks for older children and
illustration sessions for a range of ages. If
you would like your school or class to be
involved, please visit our website:
www.buzzingwithbooks.ie. Places are
limited, and will be allocated on a first
come, first served basis!
‘Buzzing with Books’ hopes to involve
students and teachers, from all over
Ireland, in its celebration of children’s
books, through live streaming of keynote
speakers. This will enable children to
experience authors and illustrators in
real time in their own classrooms. Alternatively, recordings of each keynote presentation will be posted on the ‘Buzzing with
Workshops
1. What’s new in children’s
books? Dr William Bingman & Dr
Barbara Ornstein, Frostburg State
University.
2. Promoting Higher Order
Thinking Skills
with Picture Books. Dr Martin
Gleeson, Mary Immaculate
College.
3. Children as Writers. Dr Eithne
Kennedy, St Patrick’s College
Drumcondra.
4. An Fhilíocht sa Seomra
Ranga. Áine Ní Ghlinn,
Scríbhneoir.
5. An Gaol idir Leabhair do
Pháistí agus Foghlaim na
Gaeilge sa Seomra Ranga.
Colmán Ó Raghallaigh,
Scríbhneoir.
6. Oral Language and Aistear:
The Early Childhood
Curriculum Framework.
Aisling Greene, primary teacher,
NCCA
7. Social Stories: Creating social
Keynote
authors and
illustrators
InTouch March 2014
stories for children with
behavioural difficulties.
Deirdre Murphy, teacher, NCCA
8. LiRe-Lifelong Readers:
Enhancing Reading through
Technology. Patrick Sullivan,
teaching principal, NCCA
9. Fireside discussions with
Michael Emberley & P.J.
Lynch. Facilitated by Dr Julie
Anne Stevens and Dr Noreen
Doody, St Patrick’s College
Drumcondra.
Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
Multi-award winning author and illustrator
of titles including You, Me and the Big Blue
Sea, There and Izzy and Skunk. Visit
www.marielouisefitzpatrick.com.
Siobhán Parkinson
Bisto Book award winner, former Laureate
na n-Óg and author of more than 20 books
for children, including Sisters-No Way!, No
Peace for Amelia and The Moon King. Visit
www.siobhanparkinson.com.
Books’ website. A dedicated ‘Book Hook’
competition will invite students to enter a
unique resource related to titles written or
illustrated by the keynote authors. This
Book Hook may take the form of a project,
pieces of artwork, storysacks or any other
book-related work completed by school
children.
Dr Fíodhna Gardiner-Hyland, Conference
Director, stated: “With the advent of the
Literacy for Learning and Life (2011-2030)
national strategy and a new primary
language curriculum, the ‘Buzzing with
Books’ conference fosters a timely collaboration between Mary
Immaculate College, the
NCCA, St Patrick’s College,
Frostburg State University
and the Transformation
Through Dialogue (TED)
school project. The conference is also supported
by An Chomhairle um
Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta.”
The conference team includes several
practising teachers from around the
country; Aisling Beecher, Sinéad McEnery,
Nóirín Stritch, Maeve O’Connell and Patrick
Burke.
Key Conference Details
www.buzzingwithbooks.ie twitter.com/
buzzingwbooks
Online Registration
14 March – 14 April: €35
15 April and thereafter: €40
Substitute cover will be
provided for teachers attending.
School Registration: Day 2
Register online for free. School places are limited
and will be allocated on a first come, first served
basis.
P.J. Lynch
A prolific illustrator of titles including The
Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey and
When Jessie Came Across the Sea, which
earned him the Kate Greenaway Medal.
Visit www.pjlynchgallery.com.
Michael Emberley
A celebrated illustrator and author,
Michael’s work includes Ruby, and the You
Read to Me: I’ll Read to You series. Visit
www.michaelemberley.com.
45
Newsdesk
In Cú Chulainn’s Footsteps
Win a free licence for this educational computer game
In Cú Chulainn’s Footsteps is an educational
computer game developed to assist teachers
and students to help enhance their understanding of Irish culture and language. The game was
inspired by the folklore of Cú Chulainn, as you
play, you are given information about Irish
culture, music, history etc. as the game progresses
the player is tested on their knowledge.
The difference with the Cu Adventure and any
other game is that, the game can be modified
by the teacher to set different questions and
answers, even the language can be changed.
The game has built in reports and settings to allow
the teacher to group students to a modified
game, to give home work access or many other
combinations. The game can be set for Irish or
English and adjusted to meet the standards of a
group or individual, making the Cu Adventure a
very powerful tool to reinforce any subject.
www.cuadventure.com has a fully operational
demo version on the web site. For more information a contact page is available on the website.
Cu Adventure have a special launch offer of a
100 user license for an incredible €150.
Competition
To be in with a chance to win In Cú Chulainn’s
Footsteps for your school, visit this exclusive link
www.cuadventure.com/school/intouchquest01.
php and just answer this question…
How many Druids lived on the Island? (The
answer can be found in the demo game).
Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh officially launched in Cú Chulainn’s Footsteps in Croke Park with
Ferdie Mac an Fhailigh, Foras na Gaeilge and Liam Ó Néill, GAA President
Celebrating books and reading
World Book Day was designated by
UNESCO as a worldwide celebration
of books and reading, and is marked
in over 100 countries around the
globe. World Book Day is a partnership of publishers, booksellers and
interested parties who work together
to promote books and reading with
the aim of encouraging children to
explore the pleasures of books and
reading by providing them with the
opportunity to have a book of their
own.
To mark the day, school children
are entitled to receive a World Book Day €1.50
book token provided by Irish booksellers. The
book token can be exchanged for one of the
specially published World Book Day books, or
Volunteers needed
in Uganda
InTouch March 2014
Seachtain
na Gaeilge
1 – 17 March 2014
Seachtain na Gaeilge is an
international Irish language
festival and one of the biggest
celebrations of our native
language and culture that takes
place each year in Ireland and in
many other countries.
The festival gives an
opportunity to everyone to enjoy
Irish, whether you are a fluent
speaker, learner or have a cúpla
focal, with a calendar of
entertaining and fun events for
every type of interest and every
age group.
Voluntary and community
groups, local authorities, schools,
libraries, and music, sports, arts
and culture organisations
organise events for Seachtain na
Gaeilge in their local area.
A 32 page support handbook
has been sent by Seachtain na
Gaeilge to schools and youth clubs
all over the country. The aim of
the handbook is to support
teachers and leaders in organising
Seachtain na Gaeilge in their own
schools or youth clubs and to give
their students the opportunity to
enjoy Irish language events.
Irish is for everyone, Seachtain
na Gaeilge is for everyone – Croí
na Teanga, It’s You!
Visit www.snag.ie for more
information.
can be used in part payment against
any book or audio book of their
choice at participating bookshops
around the country. This year,
acclaimed Irish author Mary Arrigan
has written a book exclusively for
World Book Day in Ireland, Milo
and the Long Lost Warriors, and
young readers can redeem their
token against this or any of the
other 10 special titles designed for
all different age groups.
For the latest news and updates
about World Book Day see:
Website: www.worldbookday.com/ worldbook-day-ireland/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WBDIreland
Twitter: @WBDIreland #WorldBookDay
Nurture Africa has been providing overseas
volunteer placements to primary school
teachers in Uganda for 10 years.
Two to three week placements are avail-
able in July and August.
For more information on volunteering
please go to www.nurtureafrica.ie or call
Kevin @ 01-5424177.
47
Teaching matters
Articles and opinions on primary teaching, with tips and ideas for the classroom
Supporting IT in schools
An innovative Adopt-a-School programme in Cork
With all the cuts to a school’s budget
nowadays there are certain areas which
seem to be affected more than others. IT is
one such area which seems to suffer with
funds being prioritised for the core subjects
of English, Irish and maths. We in Scoil
Mhuire Lourdes Boys are not different to
other schools in this situation and were lucky
to have a supportive Parents’ Association
for IT equipment we deemed necessary.
We then found out about a local organisation called it@cork who are a network of
people and companies in the Cork region
who have taken it upon themselves to be
proactive in the promotion and support
of technology companies, be they start up
or established, in the Munster area. They
also recognise the vital importance of IT
promotion in schools and have established
an Adopt-A-School Programme whereby
local companies sponsor a school. The
benefits of a program are huge to a school
and can include:
generous with their time and funding for
IT projects in the school. Without this
assistance I believe we would not have
been able to implement certain technologies
into the classroom. Our students have
benefited greatly from the extra resources
available and through McKesson we were
nominated for the it@cork ‘Excellence In
Education Award’ in November 2013. This
award recognises the IT work being done
in primary and secondary schools around
Cork and we were delighted to win the
trophy at the award ceremony in the Cork
County Hall last November.
We would encourage schools in all areas
of the country to contact companies in
their locality and see if they can establish
such a link. Such a programme will develop
vibrant and creative relationships between IT-intensive organisations and
schools. It will excite and engage young
students in IT-based innovation and help
organisations make a strategic contribution
to the economic and social development
of the regions in which they operate. We
hope that other schools may be as fortunate as us and will be able to continue to
allow their students to progress and reach
their full potential in the area of IT.
Brian Allen, Scoil Mhuire Lourdes,
Carrigaline, Cork.
Our students have benefited greatly from the extra
resources available … we were nominated for the it@cork
‘Excellence In Education Award’ in 2013
• Providing some software development
classes to interested students.
• Providing some software/hardware
troubleshooting classes to interested
students.
• Donating some useful IT equipment,
new or re-configured.
• Providing some necessary IT support.
• Providing guest speakers to classes
interested in IT careers.
• Offering work experience for transition-year students interested in IT.
• Setting up a Coder Dojo for local
children to learn how to ‘code’ in an
informal environment
The program is flexible so that once the
school and company have created a link
they can then discuss how they would like
to proceed. We were delighted to have
been sponsored by a locally based multinational, McKesson, who have been very
InTouch March 2014
Congratulations to Scoil Mhuire Lourdes who were winners of the it@cork ‘Excellence in
Education Award’ in November 2013
49
Cúrsaí Teagaisc
Identifying the mystery player
Comparing body measurement data of the Irish soccer and rugby teams
Comparing data helps pupils in the senior classes understand
why we calculate statistics (means, medians, modes and ranges).
These statistics are useful summaries of a set of data, in particular
the middle of a data set, which can then be used to describe and
compare data. In this article we report on a data investigation,
involving comparing data sets, which we carried out in two
Step 1 (PPDAC): Problem
When designing statistical investigations, generate
interest by setting a context and posing a problem
which motivates pupils to analyse and compare data.
Setting the context
Show two short video clips (accessed from youtube)
of the Irish soccer and rugby teams playing in
recent matches. Prior to playing the video, prompt
children to watch out for similarities and differences between the players.
Posing the problem
The teacher introduces the mystery player problem.
“A player from the Irish team was running in the
gym, fell off the treadmill and got concussed. He
can’t remember what sport he plays. He is either an
international player of rugby or soccer. At the end
of the lesson we want you to use the information
you’ve gained (his height and weight) to identify
what team he belongs to and why you might think
this.”
Question the children about similarities and
differences between the soccer players and rugby
players:
• In which team of players would you find the
heaviest player?
• Why?
• In which team would you find the tallest player?
• What units do we use to measure height/weight?
Step 2 (PPDAC): Plan
Distribute cards (similar to top trump cards) with
information about individual rugby players and
soccer players (see image 1). We sourced this information from the internet and made the cards. Tell
children that they are going to graph the data
using a line plot (see InTouch, May 2012). If necessary, review the process
of constructing a line plot.
Left – Image 1:
Example of a player
card
Step 3 (PPDAC):
Data
Arrange the children
into groups; each group
has responsibility for
collecting and graphing
52
schools in Limerick city. The investigation follows the structure
of the PPDAC cycle (see InTouch, March 2012) as a framework
which supports children in becoming ‘Data Detectives’. The focus
of this investigation is to explore similarities and differences
between the heights and weights of the (male) Irish soccer team
and rugby teams.
a particular type of data for a particular group of
players. We had four groups:
Group 1: Focus on weight of rugby players.
Group 2: Focus on height of rugby players.
Group 3: Focus on weight of soccer players.
Group 4: Focus on height of soccer players.
Each group should have the necessary player
cards for this assigned task. Provide each group with
large poster paper on which to make their line plot
(it may be useful to outline a grid on the paper so
that plotted data are the same size). We recommend
that each child in the group has the opportunity to
plot some of the players onto the line plot. Other
group members can help find the information off
the appropriate card and check the accuracy of the
data recorded (see image 2). Circulate around the
room providing support to groups where necessary.
When the graph is completed each group spends
a few minutes discussing their graph and preparing
a brief presentation to make to the class outlining
three features of the graph. There are
opportunities to make links with the measurement
strand of the primary curriculum by posing
questions to groups such as: how much taller is the
tallest rugby player than you? Name another item
that you think weighs the same as the heaviest
rugby player?
Left –
Image 2:
Plotting
the height
of the Irish
rugby
team
Step 4 (PPDAC): Analysis
Analysing the graphs
Each group presents their graphs and findings to
the class (see image 3). Children we worked with
reported on minimum and maximum values, the
range of their data, the most frequently occurring
values (modes) and interesting features specific to
their data. The graphs are then arranged on the
wall/board for the class to see. The graphs for the
height of soccer and rugby players are placed
above/below each other. Adjacent to these height
graphs, the graphs for the weight of soccer and
rugby players are placed above/below each other.
Image 3: Reporting on the heights of the
Irish soccer team
A guided analysis: Who is the player?
Pose a series of questions to support the analysis
and comparison of heights/weights for rugby and
soccer players. Structure questions to increase in
complexity – this is facilitating pupils to begin
the process of reading the data, between the data
and beyond the data (see InTouch, March 2012).
Here are some suggestions for questions:
Reading the data
• What is the heaviest/lightest weight (minimum/
maximum values) on the rugby team?
• What is the heaviest/lightest weight (minimum/
maximum values) on the soccer team?
• What is the tallest/shortest height (minimum/
maximum values) in the soccer team?
• What is the tallest/shortest height (minimum/
maximum values) in the rugby team?
• Can you tell us anything about the shape of the
data?
• Are there clusters of data?
• Are there any outliers (unusual data value
separated from the cluster)? Gaps (holes)?
• Are there any crossover points i.e. common
data values?
Reading between the data
• What is the difference between the heaviest and
lightest player on the rugby/soccer team?
• What is the difference between the tallest and
shortest on the rugby/soccer team?
• What is the range in height (or weight) for the
rugby team?
• Is the range in heights (or weight) greater in the
rugby team or soccer team
InTouch March 2014
Teaching Matters
Reading beyond the data
Then pose the question:
• Is there a difference in height between soccer
and rugby players?
• How do you know?
Encourage children to use the data presented on the
graphs to support their answers. Give the children a
minute to discuss in groups. Repeat this process for
the question: Is there a difference in weight between soccer and rugby players? How do you know?
Calculating the measures of central
tendency
Start by revising the concepts of central tendency:
mode (most frequently occurring data value),
median (exact middle value; see InTouch, May 2012)
and mean (the fair share; see InTouch, April 2012).
Ensure that children understand the meaning of
these measures prior to eliciting the procedure for
calculating the measures. We find that children
might be able to calculate the mean, median
and mode but may not possess functional understanding of the measures i.e. when it is useful to
calculate the measure. You may use questions
such as this:
• What is the mean/median?
• What does it tell us about the data?
• Why would we calculate it?
In groups, children find the mean, median and
mode of the data they placed on their graph.
Encourage children to estimate the value first and
then calculate it. Use calculators to identify the
mean. Place these values on labels and tape them
onto the appropriate graphs. On each graph it will
now be clear, the location of the mean, median and
mode of the data (see image 4).
median? What does the median tell us (i.e. half
the players are below/above this value)?
We found that children are able to posit reasons
to account for differences in the data. Some
comments we heard; “the mean, median and mode
are higher for the weights of rugby players. This is
because rugby players are generally bigger than
soccer players” and “rugby has more contact so they
need more weight for more power”. Children need
to support any hypotheses/assertions by making
reference to the data. Encourage this type of datadriven reasoning by continually asking children to
justify their answers: “Why do you say this? What
data (on your graph) support you? Show us what
you mean by pointing to the graph.”
Step 5 (PPDAC): Conclusion – Presenting the player
The teacher presents an outline of the mystery
player. State that the player weighs 86 kilograms
and use a sticky note to locate his stats for weight
(86kg) on both soccer and rugby graphs. Question
the children:
Based on what the graphs tells us about the
general weight for a rugby/soccer player, could the
mystery player belong to either of these teams?
Which team is he most likely to belong to?
Then state that the player is 184cm tall. Again,
place a sticky note on both graphs to locate the
height of the mystery player. Question the children:
• Could he belong to either of the teams?
• Are his height/weight typical values for a rugby
player? Soccer player?
• Which team do you think he belongs to? Why?
Ask children, in their groups, to come to a
conclusion on the identity of the mystery player.
You may wish to get the class to vote on whether
he is a soccer/rugby player.
To conclude the lesson we revealed the face of
the mystery player to be: Ronan O’Gara. Remind
children that he belongs to the rugby team. Ask:
Could he have belonged to the soccer team? Why?
Image 5:
Revealing
the
mystery
player
© Shutterstock: Mitch Gunn
Image 4: Locating the mean, median and
mode on a graph
InTouch March 2014
The discussion should now focus on what the mean,
median and mode tell us about the distributions
(i.e. the heights and weights of soccer and rugby
players). Pose a series of questions to guide
children in reasoning about these measures e.g.
• Can anyone spot any differences or similarities
between the means, medians and modes of the
soccer and rugby teams?
• Were any players (either rugby or soccer) the
actual mean/median value?
• Why is the mean not in the middle of the graph?
• Why might the mean and median be different?
• Look at the median of the rugby height – what is
the difference between this and the soccer height
Aisling Leavy and Mairéad Hourigan
lecture in Mathematics Education in Mary
Immaculate College.
Acknowledgements: Sincere thanks to the co-operating
pupils and staff in Scoil Mhathair Dé (Limerick City) and
St Michael’s NS (Limerick City). Thanks also to Aine
McMahon, Olivia Buckley, Tomas Horgan, Orla McMahon,
Niamh Murray and Aisling O’Sullivan for their contribution
to Lesson Study.
Note: Previous issues of InTouch are available online in the
Publications Section of www.into.ie
53
Cúrsaí Teagaisc
Márta – Gairdín Scoile Inite a Fhásann i Soitheach
Paddy Madden continues
his series of SESE tips
Hands-on: the edible container garden
What is it?
Some schools have the problem of having
very little space for raised beds to grow edible plants. Container gardening will produce edible crops in these schools.
Filling the container
Cover the drainage holes with a layer of
chippings or broken polystyrene. Fill with
growing medium to within 2.5 cm of top.
Position it in a sunny place.
Growing medium
Ensure containers are at least 20 cm deep.
The growing medium should be an even
mixture of peat-free compost, sterilised top
soil and well-rotted manure or compost.
‘John Innes No.3’ is also a suitable growing
medium. Specific vegetable composts are
on the market too.
Feeding
Add slow-release fertiliser granules when
the container is full or feed every couple of
weeks with a general purpose liquid organic fertiliser. A small amount of an Irish fertiliser called ‘Seamungus’ releases nutrients
over a three month period. This is available
from www.quickcrop.ie.
Growing carrots in dustbins
Edible flowers
2
Edible
Marigold
Edible Nasturtium
Children are fascinated
with these. It should be
pointed out, however, that
some flowers are poisonous and are
inedible.
Edible Flowers Taste
Nasturtium
Strong and peppery
Calendula
Mild and peppery
Chives
Onion flavour
Borage
Like cucumber
Pea
Like fresh peas
Remove the inner parts of the
flower. Detach from the heel.
Pick immediately before
eating. Avoid bought
flowers and ones that
have been sprayed
with insecticide.
Children with allergies should avoid
eating these flowers.
Excellent for growing carrots because
the height deters the carrot-root fly.
(This fly cannot fly higher than 61 cm).
Marrowfat peas
Nearly fill a 15cm pot with multipurpose peat-free
compost. Water well and allow to soak.
Place the marrowfat peas side by
side on top of the compost. Lightly
cover and leave on a sunny window sill. When the seedlings are c.
7 to 10 cm high they can be snipped
with a scissors and eaten raw.
54
Method
1 Drill drainage holes in base. Cover
3
4
5
with broken-up polystyrene or
plastic bottles to within 35cm of
top.
Cover this with polythene punched
with drainage holes. Fill with soilbased potting compost to within 2.5
cm of top. Alternatively make up a
medium of well-sieved garden soil
mixed with mature home-made
compost or manure. (Avoid fresh
manure or compost).
Sow Early Nantes or Amsterdam
Forking seeds c.1cm apart and c.1
cm deep in February to guarantee a
June crop.
Cover with fleece to help
germination. (Carrots need a soil
temperature of 10°c to germinate).
Children could check this with a soil
thermometer.
When plants are 2cm tall, thin to
8cm apart. Keep the growing
medium moist.
Literacy/Litearthacht
• Green salads/Sailéid Ghlasa: Leafy vegetables such
as lettuce and rocket which are eaten raw. Glasraí
duilleacha mar leitís agus ruachán a itear go hamh.
• Potassium/Potaisiam: A plant nutrient (K) which
promotes flower and fruit production. Cothaitheach
planda (K) a chothaíonn planda chun bláthanna agus
torthaí a tháirgeadh.
• Fleece/Lomra: Strong light-weight fabric which
•
Mini-veg
Dwarf peas such as
‘Hatif d’Annonay’ and
‘Half Pint’ grow well in
containers and don't
need staking. Pinch
out the growing tips to
keep them compact.
Sprout indoors in
March and plant out in
April
protects sensitive plants from frost. Ábhar láidir, ach
éadrom ó thaobh meáchain de, a chosnaíonn plandaí
leochaileacha ó shioc.
Home-made compost/Múirín déanta sa bhaile:
Compost made from vegetables and plants (greens)
and from leaves/shredded cardboard and paper
(browns). Múirín déanta de ghlasraí agus de
phlandaí (glas) agus de dhuilleoga nó
páipéar/cairtchlár mionstiallta (donn).
InTouch March 2014
Teaching Matters
Other container vegetables to sow outside in late March/April
Beetroot
Soak in warm water before sowing. Sow thinly in drills 1cm deep
and 10cm apart. Thin to 10cm between plants.
Harvest in 12 weeks.
Kohl Rabi
Sow thinly in drills 3cm deep and 12cm apart.
Harvest in 12 weeks.
Chives
Sow seeds indoors in March. 3 seeds per 7.5cm
pot. Later transplant 6 seedlings into 33cm pot
filled with soil based compost.
Leave outside or inside.
Swiss Chard
Lovely red stems. Sow thinly in drills 10mm
deep and 15cm apart. Harvest in eight weeks.
Oriental Mustard Sow thinly in drills 12mm deep and 10cm
apart in late April. Harvest in four weeks.
Radish
Sow thinly and lightly cover.
Harvest in four weeks.
Lettuce
Sow a cut and come variety. Thin the seedlings
as soon as the first leaves appear to create
space for growth.
Spring Onions Sow thinly. Thin seedlings to leave 2.5cm
between plants.
Indoor salads
Packets entitled ‘salad leaves’ can be
grown all year round indoors in large
pots which are c. 30cm in diameter.
These leaves often include salad
rocket, mustard, pak choi, mizuna
and lettuce. Put drainage pebbles in the bottom and fill with
peat-free compost. Water well
and allow to drain. Scatter the
seeds thinly and cover with a thin
layer of vermiculite. Leave in a
warm place covered with clear
polythene until they
germinate. Then
remove the polythene. When
large enough to
handle thin
seedlings to
13mm apart.
Hanging baskets
Plant strawberries in
baskets in the autumn in a sheltered, sunny position. Don't let
compost dry out.
A 40cm basket will
take 10 plants – five
on the sides and five on
top. When flowering
starts in the following
summer feed every 10
days with a fertiliser high
in potassium.
Onion greens
Sew marrowfat peas from
a packet in the same way
as onion sets. Do not cover.
The green stems are very
tasty.
Paddy Madden lectures
on SESE in the Marino Institute of Education. He gives
short courses to whole staffs on
school gardening and visits
schools through the Heritage in Schools
scheme. His book Go Wild At School, has
recently been reprinted. Available for €18
from [email protected] (Includes
p&p).Buíochas do Marie Whelton (MIE)
don aistriúchán.
InTouch March 2014
Test carrot
growth
Potatoes in bags
See www.blackrockec.ie/
content/march A fair test
on potato growth.
Resources
Websites
mentioned plus:
• Gardeners’ World
(April 2010)
• Amateur Gardening
Magazine 4 June 2011,
18 Sept 2011, 14 April
2012, 18 May 2013.
• The Container
Garden by Dr D.G.
Hessayon (1996)
55
Teaching Matters
Sharing good practice
Living Schools Lab (LSL) is a project involving
three primary and three post-primary
schools working together here in Ireland
and also on a pan-European basis with
teachers and schools in 12 European countries. It aims to develop a sustainable,
growing network of schools where teachers
can showcase best practice and share ways
to successfully embed the use of technology
in teaching and learning across the whole
school. It operates nationally first and foremost, with a European online Community
of Practice available for broader sharing
between participant countries/schools.
The project started in 2012 and is cofunded by the European Commission.
Within the Ireland LSL primary grouping,
there is one Advanced School and two
Advanced Practitioner primary schools
taking part. An Advanced School is a school
where technology is embedded in teaching
and learning across the whole school. An
Advanced Practitioner school is one where
technology is embedded in ‘pockets’, with
just one or two teachers making innovative
use of ICT within the school.
Irish primary schools
Scoil na gCeithre Máistrí in Athlone, Co
Westmeath is the Advanced Primary
School representing Ireland. Gearóid Ó
Duibhir, ICT co-ordinator of the 16-teacher
Gaelscoil, says their involvement in the
project has given great impetus to the ICT
agenda among the staff. Although highly
innovative with the use of special laptops
for children (Fizzbooks) and other technologies already, Gearóid emphasises that
the school’s eLearning Plan underpins
much of their work. The school has an
eLearning team, comprising one teacher
from each class level, Gearóid and the
school principal. They meet every second
Wednesday for 45 minutes. The team
members then meet with the other teachers from their class level to disseminate
ideas, policy, feedback and training. They
are careful not to focus too much on
equipment or particular tools, instead
ensuring that their use in teaching and
learning remains to the fore.
Over in Tuam, Co Galway, Ciarán Kennedy
from St Patrick’s Primary School has progressed something similar within his school
since getting involved with the project (an
Advanced Practitioner school in LSL). An
eLearning team has been established
among the staff, and Edmodo, a free online
InTouch March 2014
Living
Schools
Lab in
Action
learning environment, was introduced to a
small number of teachers. This has proven
so popular with pupils that more teachers
have been drawn into the project.
The other Advanced Practitioner primary
school in the project is St Corban’s BNS in
Naas, Co Kildare. Nigel Lane teaches fifth
class and his focus is on the introduction of
tablets (iPads) to support active learning
methodologies. This involves planning for
their use, using them to enhance students’
learning, as well as logistical practicalities
and meeting the CPD needs of the other
teachers.
Benefits
Involvement in the LSL project for the
three primary schools has provided some
very tangible benefits for the schools and
teachers involved. The opportunity to share best practice, to
gain a greater understanding of what others are
doing, why they’re doing
it and how they are getting
on has been of great
benefit. This naturally
encourages innovative
practice in the classroom as
well as leading to ideas for
how things can be done
better. For example,
Ciarán (St Pat’s in
Tuam) was able
to discuss his
proposed Edmodo
implementation with
Sarah-Jayne Carey, a
post-primary teacher
involved in the project
who has been using
Edmodo for a few years.
Although a post-primary implementation
may seem like a very different scenario, in
fact there were many useful tips and considerations that Sarah-Jayne could share
prior to any decisions being made. At a very
practical level, she presented a webinar
showing step-by-step how she set it up for
students and other staff members in her
school. She outlined how it was being used
to engage students in their learning across
various post-primary subjects and, crucially,
she offered to answer any questions that
might pop up during implementation.
Getting involved
The LSL project is currently expanding and
open to new schools who wish to join the
network. To get involved email [email protected]
with your name and school roll number.
The project offers teachers opportunities
to enhance their teaching practice and
confidence through peer exchanges
with other schools and teachers. It also
offers online professional development
opportunities – upcoming themes
include collaborative learning and 1:1
devices – and there are short online
learning events (‘Learning Snacks’) where
ideas are generated and considered in the context of
real classroom practice.
Web: www.lsl.eun.org
and
www.irelandliving
schoolslab.
wordpress.com
Compiled by
Karin Whooley,
PDST
Technology
in Education
57
Cúrsaí Teagaisc
Cluichí sa rang Gaeilge
Spraoi le Cluichí
Úsáid sa rang
• Cé go bhfuil an teanga atá de dhíth sna cluichí
simplí, caith roinnt ama á múineadh go sonrach
ar dtús sa rang. Braithfidh leibhéal na teanga a
úsáidfear sa chluiche ar aois agus ar chumas
Gaeilge na bpáistí.
• Mínigh rialacha na gcluichí agus an tábhacht a
bhaineann le rialacha ar nós turasanna a
thógáil, éisteacht le daoine eile agus rialacha a
choinneáil.
• Úsáid eagar difriúil—foirne, grúpaí beaga
nó beirteanna leis an gcluiche céanna a imirt
chun suim na bpáistí a spreagadh agus a
choinneáil.
• Déan athbhreithniú le linn na gcluichí ar
rannpháirtíocht na bpáistí chun measúnú a
dhéanamh ar an gcumas teanga atá acu.
Tá an tsraith cluichí teanga Gaeilge ‘Spraoi le
Cluichí’ oiriúnach do gach rang-ghrúpa. Tá deich
gcluiche sa phacáiste gur féidir le grúpaí beaga nó
an rang iomlán a imirt. Tá tábhacht ar leith ag
baint le cluichí teanga chun cleachtadh a thabhairt do pháistí ar úsáid na teanga. Is slí iontach
iad cluichí chun an stór focal agus na feidhmeanna
teanga atá acu a dhaingniú agus a shealbhú.
Baineann na cluichí sa phacáiste seo le téamaí an
churaclaim agus le feidhmeanna teanga a bhíonn
in úsáid go coitianta ag páistí.
Sa phacáiste tá:
• treoracha soiléire do na cluichí agus conas iad a
úsáid sa rang i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla;
• eiseamláirí teanga agus conas iad a fhorbairt
leagtha amach go soiléir sna treoracha;
• pictiúir dheasa a léiríonn brí na nathanna ar
chártaí lannaithe;
• gach cluiche ar leith i mála tiubh plaisteach le
fáisceán;
• Seo a leanas na cluichí atá ann: Cad is ainm
duit?; Cén t-am é?; Cé?; Cad as duit?; Dathanna;
Is cinnte go meallfar agus go spreagfar páistí chun
an Ghaeilge a úsáid le spraoi leis na cluichí seo.
Cé leis é?; Aidiachtaí; Dialann; Mím agus
Breithlá.
Ar fáil
www.lamhchúnta.com. Costas €160.00
Réalta an Ranga agus Póstaer Pearsan
Tá dhá chluiche nua don seomra ranga, Réalta
an Ranga agus Póstaer Pearsan, le fáil ó
Ghaelchultúr. Tá na cluichí seo taitneamhach
agus cabhróidh siad leis na páistí scileanna teanga
agus foclóra a fhorbairt le cumarsáid éifeachtach
a dhéanamh.
Tugann an cluiche tomhais seo cleachtadh do
pháistí ar cheisteanna a chur agus a fhreagairt,
tuiscint ar an difear atá idir an aimsir láithreach
agus an aimsir ghnáthláithreach, agus stór focal
agus frásaí úsáideacha.
Sa phacáiste tá:
• 288 cárta áille ildaite ar thrí théama
(gairmeacha beatha, spórt agus ainmhithe);
• 12 chárta do gach téama;
• go leor cártaí le gur féidir le 32 dalta an cluiche a
imirt ag an am céanna; agus
• leabhrán le treoracha imeartha don chluiche
agus eolas maidir leis an ngramadach atá ag
teastáil chun é a imirt.
58
Úsáid sa rang
• Réamhobair: Déan na ceisteanna, na freagraí
agus an stór focal atá ar leathanaigh 10-15 agus
na leideanna atá ar leathanaigh 6-9 a chleachtadh leis na páistí roimh ré.
• Roinn an rang i ngrúpaí de cheathrar.
• Roghnaíonn Dalta A cárta ach ní thaispeánann sé
an cárta do na daoine eile sa ghrúpa.
• Cuireann na páistí eile ceist ar Dhalta A ar a seal
chun tomhas a dhéanamh cén post (nó spórt nó
ainmhí) atá i gceist.
• Má thomhaiseann an páiste an freagra ceart
gheobhaidh sé an cárta agus réalta amháin. Má
bhíonn sé mícheart, beidh sé as an gcluiche go
dtí go roghnófar an chéad chárta eile.
• Bíonn an bua ag deireadh an chluiche ag an
bpáiste a mbeidh an líon is mó réaltaí aige agus
tabharfar Réalta an Ranga ar an bpáiste sin.
Sa phacáiste tá:
• breis is 100 cárta daite a bhfuil na forainmneacha réamhfhoclacha priontáilte orthu;
• póstaer mór ar a bhfuil pictiúir tharraingteacha
agus spásanna leis na cártaí a ghreamú orthu;
• leabhrán treoracha don chluiche; agus
• réimse frásaí a bheidh foghlaimeoirí ábalta a
úsáid i gcomhthéacsanna éagsúla agus a chuirfidh go mór lena saibhreas Gaeilge.
Úsáid sa rang
• Réamhobair: Ullmhaigh bileog ar a mbeidh 12-16
abairt shamplacha leis na réamhfhocail fágtha
ar lár, ó na cinn atá liostaithe ar leathanaigh 8-15.
• Roinn an rang i ngrúpaí de thriúr nó ceathrar.
• Léann páiste amháin an chéad abairt os ard.
• Iarr ar na páistí eile sa ghrúpa an abairt a mhíniú
agus an réamhfhocal ceart a aimsiú.
• Tabhair 30 soicind don ghrúpa an cheist a phlé
agus faigheann siad pointe má aimsíonn siad an
réamhfhocal ceart.
Ar fáil
www.gaelchultur.com. €49.95 an ceann.
Tá sé mar aidhm ag Póstaer Pearsan cur ar chumas
na bpáistí na forainmneacha réamhfhoclacha a
úsáid i gceart chun gur féidir leo cumarsáid éifeachtach a dhéanamh trí Ghaeilge.
Curtha le chéile ag
Bríd Ní Dhonnchadha
agus Máire Nic an Rí
faoi choimirce COGG.
InTouch March 2014
Teaching Matters
Book reviews
Placing healthy, secure attachment
at the centre of learning
In this publication the
author, a veteran therapist
and professor of psychology,
shows teachers that an
understanding of how our
brains are hardwired to
connect with others can radically change our approach to
teaching, learning and indeed
to education. Cozolino
believes that the instincts
which drive basic social
connections also stimulate
the neural growth required
for learning, something that can be
ignored. The author argues that by placing
healthy and secure attachment at the
centre of learning, education can be
turned around. Establishing such attachments is particularly important for
students who may lack the security and
recognition necessary for the development
of self-esteem, emotional regulation as
well as the motivation required to learn.
How the brain is a social organ of adaptation that is critical to cognitive development is eloquently described; insightful
explanations are provided on how secure
attachment and supportive relationships
are critical for healthy psychological development and the building of social brain
networks. It is recommended that the
same social brain networks should be kindled by teachers as they strive to build
communities of learning.
Evidence is presented on the evolution
and development of the brain, explaining
how relationships with others are fundamental to building healthy brains. From
this scientific framework, the author explores the factors that can turn the brain
‘off’, like classroom stress, bullying, and
detached teachers as well as
the factors that can turn the
brain ‘on’, like emotional attunement with teachers, creative play, group building.
The strategies provided are
all rooted in social neuroscience and these scientific
concepts can be applied
within schools and classrooms to foster exploration
and emotional attunement.
Readers come to recognise
what it takes for brains to
learn most successfully and what is needed to support both individual and group
growth.
Cozolino reveals the secret when students experience success in their learning,
they are able to recreate the same environment in which the brain evolved to
learn in the first place: in such situations,
students feel connected and motivated
and teachers feel rewarded by positive attachment and empowered by students’
success. In writing this book, this is the
environment Cozolino hopes to reactivate
by returning to some basic neuroscientific
principles, giving teachers and students a
new way to think about learning and a renewed hope of achievement. The publication provides a glimpse into the ideal future when scientific facts and clinical insights will be seamlessly combined to help
all our children develop a passion for
learning. Overall a very interesting and
worthwhile read!
Published by WW Norton and Co, New
York/London. Cost €24.83.
Reviewed by Dympna Mulkerrins,
District 14 Education Committee Rep.
Cú Chulainn’s
virtual footsteps
In Cú Chulainn’s Footsteps in a new
online educational game published by
DuineAcu. The goal of the game is to
help Cú Chulainn to get away from
Druids’ Island. To do this, the player
needs to collect a number of coins,
harps and several other symbols while
learning all about Irish mythology and
culture. Gaelscoileanna will be pleased
that the game can be played in Irish.
Teachers can even change the information that children can see, making the
game even more adaptable. The game
has the feel of the very popular
Minecraft where your character
explores a digital world solving problems. The game can be played online
though it is probably better to download it as broadband speeds in our
schools aren’t up to the task. Even
though the game is very simple to use,
there is a plethora of information on
Irish culture to be learned in it. I think
it is suitable for children from third
class upwards. Schools can buy the
game for €150 for 100 licenses or there
is a €5 personal edition. Find out more
at www.cuadventure.com
Reviewed by Simon Lewis, Carlow
Educate Together NS.
Gems of wisdom for the young
What if? Wisdom for the young by Sarah Murphy, an art therapist and
former Montessori teacher, offers little gems of wisdom to children to
help them in everyday situations. From what to do if a ball goes out on to
the road to helping them to achieve their dreams. Suitable for home or
school use.
This lovely, colourful book would suit children aged under six. What if?
is a selfpublishbooks.ie publication and costs €9.99. What if? is available
from Veritas nationwide, and Porter’s Bookshops in Douglas and Wilton,
Cork. It can also be purchased from the author, by emailing:
[email protected].
InTouch March 2014
59
Finishing Touches
Resources for teachers, Noticeboard of Upcoming Events and the Comhar Linn Crossword
Copy Date
Golf ‘n’ Tees
Copy you wish to
have considered for
publication in the April
issue of InTouch should
arrive in Head Office
by 7 March 2014.
The deadline for the May
issue is 7 April 2014.
NTs golfing society
www.golfntees.com
25 year-old society is
seeking new members to
join their mixed society in
the Dublin Region.
60+ members playing
eight outings per annum.
Contact: Mairead
at 086 3311437
Spring Reading for Children
The Powers by Kevin Stevens and illustrated by
Sheena Dempsey is the book selected for this year’s
Citywide Read organised by Dublin UNESCO City of
Literature and Dublin City Libraries, in association with
publishers Little Island.
The aim of the project is to encourage children to read for
pleasure. Check out events or find more information at
www.dublincityofliterature.ie and www.readthepowers.ie
INTO/STSG
Separated Teachers’ Support Group will hold their
next meeting on 22 March 2014, followed by a talk
on ‘Art in the Book of Kells’.Venue: Teachers’ Club.
Time 8 p.m.
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InTouch March 2014
Projected Activities for 2014
29-30 Mar: Course in Emmaus Retreat Centre:
‘Beat your Depression for Good’.
Apr:
Therapy course.
May:
Trip to Newbridge Jewellery and Museum
of Style.
16-18 May: Course in Emmaus: ‘Dreams, the real Agenda’.
June:
Trip to Newgrange.
Sept:
Cookery course.
Oct:
Away Weekend.
Nov:
AGM.
Separated, divorced, widowed, lone parents from INTO,
ASTI, TUI and IFUT are welcome. Annual subscription:
€20 Further information from: chairperson: Trudy Carroll
Miller: 0044-7931609313/042-9383670 or secretary: Iseult
Bourke at 085-2394661/5162069.
Waterford Music Week
As part of Waterford Institute of Technology's New Music Week
Festival, Wednesday 19 March will see the Chapel, WIT College
Street Campus filled with the sound of 450 young voices all performing
Contemporary choral music. The morning will feature a preview of Time to
Celebrate a new children's mass composed by Julie Quinlan.
The choirs will combine to perform Amani Utupe by Simms. The Finale
features the composition Ejala by Jan Magne Forde with choirs
accompanied by City of Waterford Brass. Find details on Facebook.
61
Nótaí Deiridh
Two pages of resources for the classroom, from training courses to helpful hints and useful links
Did you commence your
undergraduate B. Ed.
Programme in 2004?
Poems and stories are now being
accepted for the 16th Annual Golden
Pen Competition
First Prize: €100 for adults. €50 for
students. Prizes for 2nd and 3rd
placed writers plus publication in
Festival Magazine
Entry fee: Adults €5: (£4 or $5,
UK/USA). Students: €3 or £2. No entry
form required. Open theme.
Stories limited to 2000 words. Poems 70 lines. Your name and details
on a separate sheet.
Send your poems and stories to:
The Golden Pen,
Gurteen,
Ballinasloe,
Co Galway.
All students in your year took part in a
longitudinal study, which required you to
complete a questionnaire about your
memories of being taught history,
geography and science at school. You
may remember completing a questionnaire at the beginning and end of your
studies in St Patrick’s College, Mary
Immaculate College, Froebel College,
Church of Ireland College of Education or
Colaiste Mhuire, Marino.
Would you be willing to get involved in a
follow up study on the teaching of history,
geography and science being carried out
by the Irish Association for Social, Scientific
and Environmental Education (IASSEE)?
If so, please contact [email protected]
for further details.
Deadline: 1 April 2014
Winners will be notified
before 9 June.
Visit Glasnevin
Cemetery Museum
Glasnevin Cemetery and Museum are
both the guardians and storytellers for
over 1.5 million people. From the ordinary
to the truly extraordinary, these people
helped shape the Ireland of today.
There are a variety of tours available
including; Historical, Joycean, Women of
Glasnevin Cemetery, Labour, Military
and Religions of Glasnevin Cemetery.
Family tours cater for a younger audience.
Teachers may avail of half price tours on
Saturdays.
Primary school tours are available and
are tailored to your class needs. Contact the
Education Department on 01 8826550 or
see ad on page 50 of this issue of InTouch.
• Comhar Linn Crossword NO 154
A draw for 2 x 100 will be made from all correct entries.
Simply complete the crossword and send it to InTouch, 35 Parnell Square, Dublin 1, before Friday 28th March
1
2
3
4
8
5
6
7
9
10
11
13
12
14
15
16
17
18
19
21
24
26
NAME:
ADDRESS:
62
20
22
23
25
27
Across
1. His name is seen in southern identification.
(3)
3. Finding the good French between vehicles is
an ecological phenomenon. (6,5)
8, 6d & 12d. It's important in Maths to remake
modern atomic mole won tons. (6,6,11)
9. Ate what's in the Doc's menu. (8)
10. Many yearn to find a store. (5)
11. A cardinal also'd have got to his feet. (5)
13. Parts of the saw you might find in your
mouth. (5)
15. Stumbles like adders. (7)
16. Rent a party for the big blow-out. (7)
20. Puts an end to street-works. (5)
21. Where cricket is played by aristocrats? (5)
23. Rinse out a klaxon. (5)
24. One gave beer, perhaps, as a drink. (8)
25. The baby breaks a tin fan. (6)
26. Might you need this to clean your teeth after
serving up the oldest flans? (6,5)
Gordius / In Touch crossword 2014
Solution no. 152
Across
1. Bridesmaid 6. Stag 10. Acted 11. Still
life drawing 15. Token 17. Aunt 18. Fore
19. Eight 21. Feather 23. Extol 24. Bloc 25.
Over 26. Waver 28. Scowled 33. Round
trip 34. One up 35. Sate 36. Angiosperm
27. Another ending that is not his. (3)
Down
1. Inner discipline allows the southern pixie
fool a monster endlessly. (4-7)
2. Dispirited to see feathers given roles. (8)
3. Social class chucked to the East. (5)
4. A crumpled dollar was in front. (7)
5. Grammatical luggage. (5)
6. See 8 across.
7. Finish by rearranging the den. (3)
12. See 8 across.
13. Pies made with skill in South Riding. (5)
14. Exclamation beloved of Scottish owls? (5)
17. Get closer to a priest with a fish. (8)
18. Hide found once in California. (7)
19. Many a bird is cowardly. (6)
22. Ray is about to go to this country. (5)
23. Dispatches 7 down in a ship. (5)
24. A letter I would offer at auction. (3)
Down
1. Bram 2. Interpret 3. Endow 4. Mason 5.
Iris 7. Think 8. Greenstick 9. Flatter 13.
Idle 14. Gaiters 16. Afterwards 20. Goldeneye 21. Florida 22. Ebro 27. Vaunt 29.
Capri 30. Woods 31. Bran 32. Spam
Winners of Crossword no 152 are:
Niamh Ahern, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
and Michael Regan, Glenties, Co. Donegal.
Solutions and winners of Xwod no. 153 will be announced
in the next InTouch issue.
InTouch March 2014
Rodrigo Garrido / Shutterstock.com
Golden Pen
Awards
Finishing Touches
… and your Comhar Linn Crossword!
No 41
Tennis4kids
The Tennisk4kids programme is a structured child
centred programme for children from senior infants
to sixth class. The programme started in 2007 and
currently runs in over 40 schools across Dublin, Meath,
Louth and Kildare. 2,500 primary school children are
coached at their school each week. No tennis court is
required as courts are set up in the school yard or hall.
All specialised equipment including racquets and
balls are provided. The specialised equipment used
enables many children with special needs to participate. Coaches are fully qualified and Garda vetted.
Up to 10 years ago tennis was considered a difficult
game for children. The balls were hard and they made
playing more than one or two shots in a row difficult.
All that has changed! Now there are specially designed
slower balls colour coded – red (ages 5- 8) orange (ages
8 + 9) green (ages 10 +). They have a slower bounce
and make it easier for children of all abilities to play.
Find out more at email: [email protected] or
website: www.tennis4kids.ie
Encyclopaedia Britannica is free to access anywhere
anytime in Ireland through Scoilnet. In the past year
the renowned encyclopaedia had a redesign to make
it easier to find educational content. In the walkthrough video (below), Laurie Barton from Britannica
gives a guided tour of the new functions and features.
Among the features explored are:
• How to access primary-focused material.
• Learning games for primary covering English,
science and maths
• My Britannica features, including lesson plans.
• Find at http://vimeo.com/65742135
The most popular non-Valentine’s Day
resources on Scoilnet during February
Little Angels School,
Letterkenny, Co Donegal
www.littleangelsschool.net
Donegal school website that has a very
simple look and a very clear navigation.
No moving widgets or flashing lights, just
nice and clear user experience.
My favourite sites
Caitriona Ní Bhriain, NQT
from Newbridge
Project Noah
www.projectnoah.org/education
Project site that encourages nature
exploration.
The Answer Pad
theanswerpad.com
Creat interactive dialogues with your
students on their own tech devices.
Build it with Chrome
www.buildwithchrome.com
Build things with Lego. Very interesting
tool with lots of educational potential.
InTouch March 2014
1
titanic themepage
scoilnet.ie/themepage_rmstitanic.shtm
Scoilnet-created set of resources around the Titanic.
2
Memory Game
mathplayground.com/logicgames.html
Logic games to aid maths.
3
What Causes the Seasons?
school.eb.co.uk/levels/foundation/
article/441659
Encyclopaedia Britannica articles on the seasons.
4
An t-earrach
ncte.ie/upload/scoilnet/an%20tearrach
Talking book for infants to second class on
aspects of spring.
5
Webwise
webwise.ie/Teachers/Learning%20
Resources.list
Internet safety related learning resources across
subjects.
6
Spring Themepage
scoilnet.ie/themepage_spring.shtm
Scoilnet assembled links on the season of spring.
7
Rainn agus Amhráin
resources.teachnet.ie/clane/2008/
index.html
Songs and rhymes based on curriculum topics.
8
Viking Themepage
scoilnet.ie/vikings_themepage.shtm
Scoilnet reviewed links of the ‘early people’.
9
Maths Worksheets
aplusmath.com/Worksheets/index.html
Addition and subtraction worksheets.
10
Festivals Around the World
factmonster.com/ipka/A0772922.html
Very basic information on mostly religious festivals.
63

InTouch March 2014 - INTO - Irish National Teachers` Organisation

Transcription

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