Halloween Mid-Term Parents Survey - Take Part See Also Parents Resources Health & Wellbeing Childcare Is social networking becoming too social? [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 05 October 2011
Whether you are an active participant or not, the popularity of social networking is pretty hard to ignore. Sites like Facebook, Twitter and the most recent Google Plus have captured the imagination of a media savvy generation of children and adults, with everyone bumping and colliding in an online melting pot of shared personal information. I have often wondered how I will feel when my children are old enough to set up their own online social networks: I am a blogger, Tweeter and sometime Facebooker myself, so I certainly won’t be naïve when it comes to the realities of participating in online communities and that gives me some comfort, at least.
But what happens when the lines between student and teacher begin to blur in cyberspace? It’s a reality being faced daily, with teachers repeatedly being asked to be their pupil’s Facebook friends. Social networking gone too far? Probably.
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
Ireland 'needs clear strategy' for foreign language education [schooldays.ie]
- Published: 05 October 2011
Primary and secondary schools need to do more to provide their students with a good knowledge of foreign languages if Ireland is to compete on the international stage.
This is according to a study from the Royal Irish Academy (RIA), which warned a lack of skills in this area could be damaging the country's economy, RTE reports.
Ireland is the only nation in the EU apart from Scotland that does not make teaching a foreign language compulsory for schools, which has led to it having the highest proportion of citizens on the continent unable to speak in a second tongue at 66 per cent.
Full Story: www.schooldays.ie
In my opinion: Junior Cert reforms will deliver a happier generation of students [Independent.ie]
- Published: 05 October 2011
In the recent Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) study, senior-cycle students viewed a good teacher as one who covers the course, gives lots of sample questions and provides grind-type notes cutting down the amount of study it takes to get good grades.
This generation of students has cracked the code and in many schools throughout the country it appears to me that the teachers are often working harder than the students.
The original hope educators had for the Junior Certificate has evaporated and we are left now with Leaving Cert lite. This is why I welcome the suggested reforms to the junior cycle. The proposals unanimously sent to the minister by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) provide a valuable opportunity for change in our system to harness the talents and creativity not only of our students, but also of our teachers.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Diary of a schoolteacher: Eerie calm and oversized uniforms -- first-years are here [Independent.ie]
- Published: 05 October 2011
It always takes a while to get used to a bunch of new first-years. First thing you notice when you meet them is how calm they are compared to the other years.
That's because they come in a day earlier than the rest of the crew and haven't witnessed the high standard of chaos that they should be aiming for.
A good few of them are in uniforms that are far too big for them, which just serves to make them look all the more tiny and vulnerable. You've got to watch out for the vulnerability thing.
The other day I automatically slammed my fist down on the nearest desk while trying to instill some peace in the room so I could be heard. Just below my elbow I heard a little shriek as a tiny little girl jumped out of her skin. I hadn't even noticed her!
Full Story: www.independent.ie
Students need maths to reach for the stars [Independent.ie]
- Published: 05 October 2011
BUDDING astronauts be warned -- you need good maths and science results to get in to space.
NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough yesterday stressed the importance of both subjects during his three-day visit to Ireland as part of World Space Week.
Speaking at the University if Limerick, the Texan-born astronaut described his 16-day mission on the space shuttle Endeavour in 2008, during which he performed two space walks lasting almost 13 hours.
Endeavour returned to Earth after completing 250 orbits, travelling more than six million miles.
"It was just spectacular. It was phenomenal to look back at our planet and see what a beautiful place we have to live in," the astronaut recalled.
Full Story: www.independent.ie
