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School of STEM Education, Innovation & Global Studies

STEM Education

Professional Development and Outreach

School Affiliated Professional Development Programmes

Open Schooling Approach to Inquiry Learning in Science 

Summer Course for Primary and Second level teachers now open for Enrolment

Approved by the Department of Education for EPV Days

Dates: Monday 8th July to Friday 12th July, 10am to 2.30pm daily.

Course Facilitators: Dr. Eilish McLoughlin, Dr. James Lovatt and Dr. Theresa Tallon

This course will provide primary and second level teachers with the knowledge, skills and resources to support the adoption of the open schooling approach to inquiry learning in science as part of the European H2020 project, Open Schools for Open Societies (OSOS). This project aims to support teachers and schools across 10 European countries to adopt Open Schooling approaches by:

a) Developing a model that promotes such a culture through the co-creation of inspiring projects.

b) Providing support for teacher and school leaders, such as, staff development, redesigning time, and developing partnerships with relevant organisations (local industries, research organisations, parents associations and policy makers), and

c) Suggesting a range of possible activities from small-scale activities through to setting up an “open school within a school”

Summer School participants will be given the opportunity to explore the content of the primary and junior cycle science curricula in the context of the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals, i.e. protecting our global ecosystem, fostering biodiversity and sustainability. For example participants will:

- Explore the importance of the identification of pollinators and how human activities are impacting on pollinators and the vital contribution that pollinators make to the global food supply.

- Examine how much water it takes to produce the goods/foods we use/eat and the global need to protect water supplies.

- Investigate how the food choices we make negatively impact climate change and lead to a loss of biodiversity.

- Study the social and educational aspects of the National Broadband Plan and its impact on students, teachers and citizens.

Through engagement with these local and global issues, teachers will be supported to design and implement Open Schooling in their own schools, with a theme that is linked to the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals but, is highly relevant to their region and locality.

In September 2019, follow-up professional development will be provided to teachers who wish to avail of additional mentoring and support in the upcoming school year.

Course Fee: €50 (including lunch, tea/coffee, teacher resources and supplementary materials).

Register for the course here

For more information please contact the Irish OSOS Project Officer: Dr. Theresa Tallon by email at osos@dcu.ie

Preparing Primary School Teachers for Real World Science Education

This course will provide teachers of 4th, 5th and 6th class with the knowledge, skills, and resources to support teaching primary science through real world issues. The course will be held in DCU, St. Patrick's Campus between July 1st to 5th 2019. It is approved by the D.E.S for EPV Days.

Participants will be given the opportunity to explore the content of the primary science curriculum through the lens of current issues that are relevant to the children’s everyday lives.

The course will support teachers to engage their pupils in hands-on, real world, creative activities that will engage, motivate and inspire.

 For example participants will:

  • Explore the importance of bees to the food we eat every day.
  • Conduct fair test investigations using plastic cups. How are they damaging our environment?
  • Design a solution to our water problems using LEGO and robotics.
  • Create a wind turbine and participle in a wind energy debate.

 Through these local and global issues, teachers will gain practical experience of developing children’s scientific skills through engagement with: hands-on experiments; child-led investigations; design and make activities; the outdoors; engineering challenges; LEGO Education and much more.

 In September 2019, follow-up professional development will be provided to teachers who wish to avail of additional mentoring and support in the upcoming school year.

 This course is supported by DCU, School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies and the Centre for the Advancement of STEM Teaching and Learning (CASTeL Research Centre).

Course Fee: €50 (including lunch, tea/coffee, teacher resource book and supplementary materials)

For more information please contact Nicola.Broderick@dcu.ie

Register Here

Intercultural Education Summer School - From Green to Global

As part of SPIEPS the Centre for Human Rights and Citizenship Education, Dublin City University is running a free programme of ‘Continuing Professional Development on Intercultural Education for Irish Primary School Teachers’ between 1st to 5th of July 2019. The programme supports reflection and action on intercultural education within schools and classrooms!

Themes:

  • Cross curricular activities for citizenship education 
  • Inclusion & Diversity 
  • Values & Beliefs 
  • Tasks tailored with your individual needs 

Location:

Scoil Aoife CNS Citywest Drive Citywest Dublin 24

Registration

Please register by May 17th.

Click HERE to register or email: malgosia.machowska-kosciak@dcu.ie

Post-Primary One Day Workshop: Preparing Teachers for Open Schooling in Science Education

Dates: 12th or 13th June 2019

Attend a one-day workshop (either the 12th or 13th June) which aims to provide primary and second level teachers with the knowledge, skills and resources to support the adoption of the open schooling approach to inquiry learning in science as part of the European H2020 project, Open Schools for Open Societies (OSOS). Url: https://www.openschools.eu/

This project aims to support teachers and schools across 10 European countries to adopt Open Schooling approaches by:
a) Developing a model that promotes such a culture through the co-creation of inspiring projects.
b) Providing support for teacher and school leaders, such as, staff development, redesigning time, and developing partnerships with relevant organizations (local industries, research organizations, parents associations and policy makers), and
c) Suggesting a range of possible activities from small-scale activities through to setting up an “open school within a school”.

Course Fee: €nil (including tea/coffee, teacher resources and supplementary materials).

Register for the course here

For more information please contact the Irish OSOS Project Officer: Dr. Theresa Tallon by email at osos@dcu.ie

Additional Institute of Education Professional Development Opportunities can be found on the main IoE website