This workshop will explore how to get started with iPad. Explore the built in Apps that help bring your lessons to life like never before. Experience how iPad can open up new and engaging ways of teaching and learning in your classroom.

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NEPS will be presenting the webinar for parents: “Reading aloud to children, how it builds vocabularies”  

Reading aloud to children from a very young age underpins future literacy development. It is the single most important parental activity for helping reading success (Bredekamp, Copple, & Neuman, 2000).

Children can listen to stories at a much higher level than they can read, so reading aloud makes complex ideas more accessible and exposes children to vocabulary, background knowledge and language patterns that are not part of everyday speech. This, in turn, will familiarise children to the structure of books when they read independently (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996).

Reading aloud to children also allows less skilled readers to access the same rich and engaging books that strong readers read on their own, and encourages them to become better readers. Pupils of any age benefit enormously being read aloud from high quality books.

This webinar is aimed at parents of children in the pre-school or primary school age range. 

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Virtual Art Appreciation

The tutor demonstrates how well known works of art and free online resources can enhance pupil engagement with the Art curriculum. It highlights practical and fun activities for pupil engagement in Art appreciation and familiarisation with world famous art galleries through a virtual lens. 

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This webinar focuses on best practice in working as a Special Needs Assistant. This webinar will focus on SNAs’ role in supporting pupils’ care needs, as well as supporting pupils in developing greater levels of independence. This webinar will present a range of evidence-based strategies to support best practice in the role, as well as allow time for engagement.

Please note that there will be no recording shared with participants. Slides will be shared if the presenter is agreeable to this . Please only register for our webinars if you have an internet download speed greater than 6MB. Speed test your internet prior to registering. If you lose your internet connection during the webinar this doesn’t warrant a refund.

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"Realistic teacher talk for once-especially regarding differentiation and assessment which can overwhelm the best of us. The answer to our literacy prayers."

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Concern Worldwide invites teachers participating in the Concern Primary Debates Programme to an information session through zoom.   The Concern Primary Debates is a fun educational programme aimed at senior primary students. 

How will students benefit?

• Learn to speak in public and in front of their peers
• Develop cognitive and language abilities, as well as skills in research and debating
• Gain a deeper understanding of the global issues affecting millions of people

The debates are run in conjunction with The Education Centre Tralee and this year the debates are moving online due to social distancing.  If you are a Primary school teacher who would like your school to take part and receive training on how the Concern Primary Debates works, please note that a Training Session will be held through a webinar on Monday 28^th September, 2020 at 4.00p.m.  Claire Marshall, Schools and Youth Manager, Concern Worldwide will host this webinar

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PDST Wellbeing Webinar Series in partnership with Tralee, Clare, Monaghan and Navan Education Support Centres

This series of webinars aims to assist primary schools in supporting and enhancing pupil wellbeing, by showcasing the wide range of resources that PDST have developed for PE, SPHE and Wellbeing across the whole school community.

This webinar will highlight the practical resources that are available to support teaching and learning in the Relationships and Sexuality Education element of Social, Personal and Health Education. The webinar will invite participants to focus on teaching about relationships from Junior Infants to Sixth Class as part of a positive culture and climate, and will outline a range of new resources that PDST have developed to support the teaching of the sensitive elements of RSE, including our new Busy Bodies workbook and our Advice for Parents document. The webinar will also promote and explore the provision of RSE in-school support, and advise participants on how to apply.

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This course will introduce primary teachers to a range of musical activities,This course will introduce primary teachers to a range of musical activities,online resources and home-based music ideas, designed to make music accessible and fun for teachers and students during these challenging times.This content have been specially designed with new regulations and restrictions in mind,with practical solutions and advice for teachers. Participants will be guided through content at DabbledooMusic.com with advice and instruction from DabbledooMusic founder Shane McKenna.

Lecturer Bio - Shane Mc Kenna

Shane is a musician, music teacher and founder of DabbledooMuisc. Shane studied music education in Trinity college Dublin and performance in the Royal Irish Academy of Music. Shane also completed a masters in music and media technology where he became a leading researcher and developer of new forms of musical notation in education. He has presented his work around the world through compositions, installations and performances and has used this experience to create a more accessible and fun way to teach music in primary schools.

The SENCO Forum aims to continue to bring together online a network of teachers working in inclusive/special education in Kerry Primary schools. The network aims to provide professional learning, support and networking opportunities for teachers. Margaret Egan will facilitate the network and will support its development over time. If you are a Principal, Special Education Teacher, Special Class Teacher or SEN Co-Ordinator in a primary school in Kerry and would like to engage in the network, please join us.

The fourth meeting of the SENCO CoP will focus on Bridge Back to School for All with a focus on Children with ASD

Dr. Margaret Egan is a Lecturer in the Dept. of Educational Psychology, Inclusive and Special Education at Mary Immaculate College.  She was a Deputy Principal and SEN Co-ordinator for many years before joining the Faculty of Education at MIC.  Margaret is Course Leader of the Post Graduate Diploma in Special Education, which is a cross-sectoral, Level 9 programme for qualified teachers in practice.  She teaches at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels. Margaret is actively engaged in Communities of Practice with a number of schools.  Her interests are in Inclusion Policy and Practice; Language and Literacy for students with additional needs; Social and Emotional Learning, for all students, including those with Autistic Spectrum Difference (ASD) and Positive Behaviour Support for students with attention and behaviour needs. Margaret is currently supervising a number of Master and PhD students in these fields. Two of her doctoral students, in Educational Psychology (DEPsych), graduated in October 2019.

Maria Dervan (B.Ed M.Ed) has experience working as a mainstream teacher, SET and special class teacher. She has worked as both an Advisor and an Associate with the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) since 2014. She completed a Master’s in Special Education in MIC in 2015 and has worked with Department of Educational Psychology, Inclusive and Special Education since then. She is currently undertaking a PhD within the department under the supervision of Dr. Margaret Egan and Professor Emer Ring. She has won many awards for her research to date including a bursary from the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) to pursue the research. She has presented and had her research published nationally.  She has a keen interest in language development, Autism Spectrum Difference (ASD), Inclusion and Special Education and using evidence-based practices in teaching which has been the focus of her research to date.

Bridge Back to School

Bridge Back to School is the result of a team collaboration between Mary Immaculate College and AsIAm autism charity. Maria Dervan, as Editor, will take the CoP through the book, which is designed as a learning resource toolkit to support autistic students in their return to school.  From the outset, the resource introduces a gender-neutral character, Alex who students may self-identify with throughout. The toolkit is underpinned by evidence-based research. It provides advice, support and activities, which are focused on the identified needs of autistic students. It also shares top tips with professionals who are supporting student transition back to school and indeed, engaging their strengths to address needs, throughout the year. It has sample activity worksheets and QR codes that can be scanned to bring the reader to additional supports and references available on the AsIAm website. The booklet is sponsored by SuperValu and is free in stores throughout the country.

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