Professional Development
Current Courses
The School of Inclusive and Special Education, DCU Institute of Education, will deliver an in-service induction course designed for teachers of pupils with Severe and Profound Learning Disabilities at the request of the Department of Education (DE).
Course Aims
To increase teachers’ confidence and competence in appropriate and effective assessment, planning and teaching for learners with severe to profound general learning disabilities (SPGLD). To build on knowledge and experience through a collaborative approach to professional development, in order to enact effective and inclusive practice.
Structure of Course
Part 1: 9th - 13th January 2023 (3 days on campus and 2 online)
Part 2: 8th - 10th March 2023 (2 days on campus and 1 online)
The Teacher Section of the Department of Education (DE) has agreed to fund:
a substitute teacher in place of each teacher attending the course
Substitute cover is allowed depending on approval of Boards of Management.
Eligibility
Teachers with a current teaching role with learners with a severe to profound general learning disability (who have not previously attended) are eligible to apply once they can attend on dates outlined both online and on campus.
Learning Outcomes
- To demonstrate an understanding of severe to profound general learning disabilities, co-occurring conditions and disabilities and implications for educational support at different levels (pupils, teacher, class and school community)
- To identify and discuss appropriate assessment, to inform planning for learning in areas of cognition, communication and language and personal and social development.
- To demonstrate skills in developing pupil profiles, including the identification of priority areas of pupil strength and areas for development.
- To identify, discuss and share appropriate, evidence based teaching methodologies, strategies and resources.
- To foster an understanding of person centered approaches to supporting the learner through pupil voice, wellbeing and collaboration amongst staff.
- To identify direct and indirect functional behaviour assessment methods, implement components of a functional assessment and develop a behaviour support plan.
Closing Date for Applications: Friday 25th November at 5pm
Further Enquiries
email: ioe.ise@dcu.ie
Following on from the course I now focus on what the child can do instead of focusing on what he/she can’t do. From the sessions on the course I now know that the children in my class can make progress.
Previous Courses
Summer Course for Primary and Second level teachers
Approved by the Department of Education for EPV Days
Dates: Monday 8th July to Friday 12th July 2019, 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).
For more information please contact the Irish OSOS Project Officer: Dr. Theresa Tallon by email at osos@dcu.ie
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
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
Attend a one-day workshop (either the 12th or 13th June 2019) 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).
For more information please contact the Irish OSOS Project Officer: Dr. Theresa Tallon by email at osos@dcu.ie
PLEASE NOTE: This Summer School forms part of the Masters in Special Educational Needs (MSEN) programme offered by the School of Inclusive and Special Education. Therefore entry to the summer course is restricted to those who have been accepted on the MSEN programme 2019/20. The Summer School is approved by the D.E.S for EPV days for primary teachers and will be held in DCU, St. Patrick's Campus from July 1st to 5th 2019.
Having completed the Summer School participants will continue working online in the evenings from September 2019 to June 2020. The overall purpose will be to develop the participating teachers’ research and pedagogic skills so as to improve the quality of teaching and learning for students with special educational needs (SEN). A key emphasis will be on using research to rigorously self-evaluate school and classroom practice to document and evaluate whole-school improvement in relation to students with SEN.
Course content will include:
- A critical appreciation of the key characteristics of high quality research designs and methods in education and in special /inclusive education
- An understanding of and competence in generating, analysing and reporting quantitative and qualitative research data
- Developing skills in critically analysing and evaluating the conceptual issues and research bases underlying current issues in special education in Ireland and internationally
For more information please contact anna.logan@dcu.ie