Courses Archive

Date:  27th January & 03rd February 2022

Time: 3.30pm to 4.30pm 

Location: Online Via Zoom 

CPD Series: Teaching hands-on Primary STEM

CPD workshops that cultivate curiosity! The SFI Discover Primary Science and Maths programme (DPSM) and the European Space Education Resource Office (ESERO Ireland) are now offering places to individual teachers wishing to build their confidence in teaching STEM subjects.

• FREE workshops delivered by STEM education experts to build your knowledge and confidence in STEM teaching.
• Use a practical, hands-on approach which links directly to the SESE curriculum.
• Tools that you can use in the classroom or when teaching STEM online.
• Each workshop is 2 x 1hr Zoom sessions spread over two weeks.

During the workshops you will be introduced to the DPSM/ESERO Framework for Enquiry and new DPSM activities which enable you to harness students’ curiosity to lead your STEM lessons.

This supports the enhancing of teacher capacity as outlined in Pillar 2 of the STEM Education Policy Statement.

Topic: Insulation

During this workshop you will investigate the topic of insulation, build your understanding of scientific terminology, and learn how to bring complex theories to students in an accessible way. From insulative properties of materials, looking towards the animal world and developing your style of teaching, you will be able to confidently explain the physics behind insulation to your class, using their curiosity.

Curriculum Link: Materials (also inc. Maths)

As the proverb goes:

“those who tell the stories rule the world”

Storytelling and narratives are a foundation for literacy and academics. At a deeper level, it is how we share stories and build connection. From weekend news to writing a novel, stories of all depths and lengths make up our stories. However, for some pupils telling you what just happened on the yard is a trial, and re-telling a storybook is immensely difficult. 

Delivered by a Speech and Language Therapist, this webinar will introduce you to the foundation skills of narrative development. You will leave the webinar with strategies you can introduce straight away, without funding or purchasing ‘kit’. 

• What are the skills required for narrative and storytelling skills?
• The link to ‘oral language’ curriculum
• How to teach basic story telling skills
• How to support narrative development for pre-literate pupils
• Supporting structure in story generation for older pupils

The webinar is suitable for SNAs, class teachers, learning support teachers who work with primary school (Junior Infants up to 6th Class). 

Presenter Bio: Alanna O' Connor

Alanna O’Connor is a Kerry-based Speech and Language Therapist, who trained in the UK. In her time in Manchester, she worked based in a school and college, working alongside teachers to support students to meet their educational potential. Since returning to Ireland, she has worked with children and young people in clinic, home, and school environments. Last year, she delivered online training to over 1’000 education staff. 

Alanna has worked with children and young people with autism spectrum disorder throughout her career. She has experience of diagnosing autism and providing intervention in home, clinics, and schools. Alanna works hard to take on board the opinions and feedback of autistic people, as well as providing neurodiversity-affirming support. 

Date:        Wednesday 26 January 2022
Time:        7 pm - 8 pm
Venue:     Online via Zoom

The History of Europe and The Wider World can prove to be a challenging topic for students who are being introduced to complex concepts and political ideologies for the first time. In this webinar, Claire will provide teachers with methodologies, resources and tips on how best to communicate a content-heavy topic to students while simultaneously engaging their interest. Focus will be given to the Junior Cycle exam and preparing students for the types of questions which may appear on the paper. 

Bio of Presenter: Claire Cotter

Claire Cotter is an English and History teacher in Christian Brothers College, Cork. She also works as the school’s SEN Coordinator. Claire holds a Masters Degree in International Relations from The School of History at UCC. She co-hosts a weekly podcast entitled “What’s The History?”. Claire has over eleven years experience teaching history at Junior and Senior Cycle. 

This Online Workshop is aimed at Post Primary Teachers.

Date:       Tuesday 25 January 2022
Time:       7 - 8 pm 
Venue:    Online via Zoom

From my experience in the geography classroom, students have similar problems expressing themselves clearly & coherently in a geographical writing style. In the past I was quick to prescribe geographical writing as an activity without explicitly teaching it in a careful sequence of logical steps. I have assumed that students will pick up geographical writing skills through some sort of osmosis. However, extended writing is one of the hardest tasks we can ask students to do. And my own anecdotal evidence suggests that very few students become good geographic writers on their own.

This webinar will cover practical strategies to improve our students geographic writing abilities at Senior Cycle. All activities will be viewed through the lens of improving SRP writing for the LC exam. 

Bio of Presenter: Lee O' Donnell

Lee O’ Donnell is a teacher of Geography & History at Woodbrook College in Wicklow. Geography Methodology Lecturer at University College Dublin. LC History content creator for Exam Revision. Host of the Leaving Certificate revision podcast ‘Skin in the Game’.

Intended Audience: Teachers (upper primary and second-level), Guidance Counsellors, Study Skills Co-ordinators, students  

This course is empowering for teachers and students. It looks at how the brain works and the learner profile of the students in the class and discusses practical ways that teachers can make every class a ‘learning to learn’ class where students have opportunities to summarise and reflect on their learning.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course participants will:

• understand the brain and the role the different parts play in well-being and learning - the survival brain, the stressed brain, the thinking brain, the contented brain.
• engage in a range of activities to enable the learner to establish their learner profile - their preferred learning style(s) and learning needs.
• discuss the implications for learning and review a range of strategies - active and reflective - to draw on the learner’s innate strengths, empowering them to become independent learners.

Bio of Presenter: Dr Fidelma Healy Eames

Dr. Fidelma Healy Eames, PhD, MSc(Ed), BEd., has a long background in teaching and learning and teacher education.
She began offering ‘Learning to Learn’ and Wellbeing courses to schools and colleges nationally from 2002 with a team of specially trained teachers. In 2007 she published ‘Switching on for Learning: A Student Guide to Exam & Career Success’ which has become a core text for teachers, parents and students interested in independent learning. In 2020 she developed a new blended learning online ‘learning to learn’ programme used across second-level schools, available at https://studyandcareers.ie/switching-on-for-learning/

Her research interests include language, literacy and learning, the writer’s voice, self-esteem and well being. She is currently writing a book on the ‘Gifted Learner, how to help’.

Fidelma’s enduring interest is making learning easier. Passionate about supporting teachers and enabling learners to develop the mindset and skills to take ownership for their own learning, she currently job-shares as a teacher (SEN) and is Director and Lead Educator with Study & Careers.

DATE:     Monday, 24 January 2022
TIME:      7pm to 8pm
VENUE:  Online via Zoom

Dr. Claire Griffin will present a suite of four webinars which focus on best practice in individual
student planning for those with additional or Special Education Needs (SEN) at Post-Primary Level.

Over the course of four sessions, Dr. Griffin will explore the Continuum of Support and related
planning for students with SEN at post-primary level. Particular focus will be placed on compiling the Student Support File and Student Support Plan.

Using the NEPS ‘Problem-Solving Approach’ as a framework for practice, attendees will be guided through a four-staged approach to identifying students’ strengths and needs, information gathering & assessment, planning & intervening, and reviewing student progress. Practical examples of target-setting, creating student plans and interventions will be explored, with due regard for the monitoring and review of student progress.

The importance of ‘student voice’ will also be emphasised throughout the planning process, with reference to a host of practical examples for accessing the voice of students with SEN. This suite of webinars is aimed at teachers new to, or working in the SET position at post-primary level.

Dates:

24^th January 7 – 8.15pm

31^st January 7 – 8.15pm

7^th February 7 – 8.15pm

14^th February 7 – 8.15pm

Once you register the same link will be used for all 4 sessions.

BIO:

Dr Claire Griffin is an Educational Psychologist and lecturer in Educational and Developmental Psychology at Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Limerick. Claire originally worked within primary and special education settings and in residential care centres for persons with intellectual disabilities. Claire completed her PhD in 2018 through University College London. This research explored the preparedness and deployment of Special Needs Assistance when supporting the behavioural care needs and independence development of children in primary schools. Claire’s research interests include inclusive education, psychological and educational assessment, positive behaviour support and the voice of the child in education.

Nicola Rowan will be presenting Charlala. Charlala is a free tool which provides students with a form of communication through drawings. Teachers provide prompts and can easily display students' digital drawings for any class discussion.  

Bio of Presenter - Nicola Rowan

Nicola Rowan is a French teacher in Co. Wicklow since 2008.  She is currently an Associate with the PPLI.  She has a passion for travelling, languages & has become somewhat of a technophile in the past couple of years. 

This webinar will be of interest to anyone who would like ideas and tips for working on writing skills in small group settings. There will be an exploration into the development of basic writing skills and how you can work with the variety of needs within a group. There will be a particular focus on ideas for developing Concepts About Print and the use of Elkonin boxes to support the learning of new words. There will be a demonstration also of the power of the cut-up sentence in bringing new learning together. This webinar is suitable for those
working with junior classes.

Bio-Karen Riordan

Karen has been teaching for the last 16 years in a co-educational school, having both classroom and SEN experience. She has a special interest in working with children with additional needs having spent nine years as a Special Education Teacher and is currently training as a Play Therapist and Creative Psychotherapist. She has a particular passion for
differentiated instruction having completed her thesis on ‘One size doesn’t fit all!’ Karen has thoroughly enjoyed facilitating Teacher Professional Development workshops on various Literacy Initiatives, namely Literacy Lift Off and Guided Reading for the past ten years with Clare Education Centre and looks forward to meeting new teachers virtually through her newly developed webinars.

DATE:    24ú de mhí Eanáir 2022  
TIME:     18:00 - 19:00
VENUE:  Online Via Zoom

DATE:       Monday, 24 January 2022
TIME:        3.30pm
VENUE:    Online Via Zoom

A Whole School Approach to Introducing Wellbeing
The Amber Flag
Wellbeing Committee
Using Mandalas successfully and creating the right atmosphere to promote wellbeing
Introducing Gratitude and the Gratitude Flower
Mandalas and Gratitude Flowers

1. Amber Flag – Significance and Importance
2. Amber Flag – How to Apply
3. What to Consider
4. How to introduce Wellbeing Activities using a Whole School Approach
5. Pupils – Wellbeing Committee
6. How to use Pupils’ ideas successfully
7. Mandalas – A short history
8. How to use Mandalas successfully and creating the right atmosphere to promote wellbeing
9. Introducing Gratitude and the Gratitude Flowers
10. Questions and Comments

Maria O’ Donovan is a SET Teacher in Scoil Ursula, Cork, Deis Band 1. For the last two years, she has worked collaboratively with other team members on the Wellbeing Committee to achieve Amber Flag Status for her school. As a team, they completed a variety of activities with the pupils. Today she would like to share practical ideas with fellow teachers.

Date:         Monday, 24 January 2022
Time:         10am
Vevue:      Online Via Zoom

Date: 21st January 2021 

Time: 11.15a.m to 12.15p.m

Location: Online Via Zoom 

This workshop series will explore how thinking and behaviour patterns have an impact on stress levels and results during exam time.
Students will be introduced to Cognitive Behavioural techniques which will reduce stress, increase motivation and improve information retention.
This interactive series will give learners a toolbox of CBT skills to use before and during exams.
Students will receive a resource containing the skills for practice outside of the sessions.

Bio of Presenter: Nicole Culloty 

Nicola Culloty is a primary school teacher with twenty years experience working with parents and children. As Home School Community Liaison she formed an authentic and lasting partnership with parents.
Nicola completed a Masters in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and is currently practising as a CBT therapist. She is very experienced on the impact of trauma on both adults and children and is proficient in the techniques used to overcome and assist those living with mental health issues.  Nicola has facilitated parenting groups and worked closely with parents of children who have experienced trauma in her roles as teacher, therapist and HSCL. Nicola is also a parent of two children in Primary School and is currently working on her juggling skills with all the other parents in Ireland.

Academic studies suggest that feedback has the potential to double the impact of learning and support the improvement of academic achievement. However, there is a difference between giving feedback and it being acted on. Teachers provide students with feedback all the time, but it is the acting on the feedback that contributes to pupils learning – ‘The power of the feedback is determined by the power of the follow-up’. 

When providing feedback, it should be more work for the student and not the teacher. Writing repetitive comments across whole sets of copies/assessments should be a practice of the past. It is time consuming for the teacher and does not feed the students forward. Whole Class Feedback (WCF) is a technique I have used that aims to:

1. Analyse student assessment in 10-30 minutes.
2. Complete a Whole Class Feedback Marking Sheet
3. Create a ‘feedback’ lesson that focuses on re-teaching content through direct instruction, remodeling, practicing skills & redrafting.

WCF highlights clear & high expectations within my classroom & reduces the workload associated with marking.

Bio of Presenter: Lee O’Donnell

Lee O’Donnell is a teacher of Geography & History at Woodbrook College in Wicklow & LC History content creator for Exam Revision. He runs the Leaving Certificate podcast ‘Skin in the Game’. He has delivered retrieval practice lectures alongside the UCD School of Education.

Date: Thursday 20th January 2022

Time: 7.00 p.m - 8.30 p.m 

Location: Online Via Zoom

Course overview

An overview of grief and loss with relation to developmental stages of children will be given as a means of introducing this topic. Emphasis will be given to the importance of teacher self-care during times of loss in the classroom, including ways to become aware of personal triggers.

Insight in to how children may present if a loved one is ill, dying or has died will then be discussed using real life examples. The impact on learning and an understanding of the neurobiological changes that take place in times of distress will be outlined.

Best practices for communication with parents, the child, the class and the school community will then be presented. This includes addressing the common questions teachers have such as ''should I mention it to the child?", "should I/ when should I tell the class?", "What do I say when they come back to school?", "should I contact the parents?", "what do I do if the child becomes emotional?".

Practical tools to help children with the range of emotions they may experience will they be presented. This will be broken down into the areas of whole school and classroom teacher/ support teacher's roles.

Opportunity for questions and answers will be provided.

Finally, a list of further resources for teachers will be given.

Bio of Presenter: Hayley Rice 

Child and adolescent psychotherapist
Play Therapist
MA MIAHIP MIAPTP

Hayley Rice is a child and adolescent psychotherapist specializing in play therapy. Hayley provides play therapy to children and creative psychotherapy to adolescents in her private practice  in Arklow. In 2016 Hayley created Super Kids, a group program which uses play, movement, music, art and friendships to build self-esteem in young children. 

Hayley gained a first-class honors Master of child and adolescent psychotherapy in 2018. Her topic of interest- neurodevelopmental play as a means of enhancing speech in young pre-verbal children with autism and parental experiences of this, returned great findings which Hayley incorporates into her daily work.

In 2019 Hayley studied Filial Therapy which focuses on the parent-child relationship as an agent of change. She loves to work alongside parents in their quest to help their children.

Hayley works closely with the Arklow Cancer Support and has a special interest in helping children affected by cancer along with those who have suffered a bereavement in childhood.

In 2020, following the Corona Virus outbreak, Hayley had a huge number of parents reaching out for help. She set up an Instagram page where she shares tips, supportive information and talks about topical issues such as anxiety, behaviour issues and more.

In 2021 Hayley launched her online programmes and workshops for parents and professionals. They have proven hugely successful and are invaluable to anyone who needs help immediately.

Date:     Thursday 20th January 2022
Time:     5:15pm - 6:30pm
Price:    €10.00

Topics covered:
- An overview of the interview process and circular 0003/2018
- Using Looking at Our Schools to prepare for the process
- Approaching competency based interviews
- Gathering evidence for the interview panel
- Making a good impression at interview

Bio of Presenter: Kieran Sweeney

Kieran Sweeney is an accredited Post Primary based coach with experience as an AP1, Deputy Principal, Principal and previous Director of Limerick Education Centre.

In this webinar, we will look at the tools required for efficient phonics instruction for beginning readers, including
• phonemic awareness & articulation
• introducing new sound-letter correspondences
• blending and segmenting
• ‘tricky’ words

Bio of Presenter: Deirdre O'Toole 

Deirdre O’Toole is a Primary School Teacher and is currently teaching Junior Infants. She is passionate about child-led play and making the classroom a fun place for the children to learn. Deirdre runs the Instagram page ‘Playful Classroom’.