Is all well with the new well-being guidelines?
In the last week, primary schools all received their first paper-based document from the Department of Education, which probably means that the recession is officially over. Seriously, though, this booklet is a very important one and is called Well-being in primary schools. It notes all the things a primary school must do to ensure the […]
Why the INTO need to support Marriage Equality
The campaign for marriage equality in May seems to be overwhelmingly supported by teachers in Ireland but the INTO (Irish National Teachers’ Organisation) have not made a stance. Granted, there is a sub-group of the INTO (the INTO LGBT group) who are flying the flag for the campaign but I don’t believe that this is giving enough […]
Safe Internet Day: Can one day save our children?
Today is Safer Internet Day and Webwise as usual are doing brilliantly, positive things to highlights the need for internet safety in the classroom and at home. As usual, on official days like this, we get loads of research thrown at us, scary research like 40% of Irish children do not know how to report […]
One School’s Plea to the NCSE
The new proposed NCSE model is likely to be sanctioned very soon. I wrote about my concerns last year, as did a number of others during the consultation. It appears that the NCSE either didn’t read any of the contributions or they have chosen to completely ignore them. In fact, it would be interesting to compare the […]
IPPN 2015 Review
The annual IPPN conference, the largest educational conference in Ireland, where over 1,200 principals gathered for two days of inspiring talks and networking, was another success. This was my 7th conference and it is a must for any principal. Every year, I review my two days in Citywest, and make comments on my experiences. The theme […]
Denominational Schools and the Upcoming Marriage Referendum
The upcoming referendum on marriage equality has sparked some conversation among teachers who work in schools that are run by religious orders, particularly those in Catholic schools. The Catholic church, unsurprisingly, have outlined their stance in that they are opposing the question being put to the people of Ireland. Recent polls suggest that more than 80% […]
Why we don’t need to start teaching coding in primary schools
Ciaran Cannon is one of the most innovative politicians I know and he is passionate about education and technology. While he was a Minister in the government, he created the EXCITED movement, which showcased some of the best examples of technology use in Irish schools as well as some great discussions on the subject. He is one of […]
Overwhelmed and Underwhelmed: Web Summit
I was delighted to get the opportunity to go along to the Web Summit in Dublin for my first time to check out what sort of educational technology is doing the rounds around the world. If you’ve never been to the Web Summit, the main thing to account for is its sheer size: it is massive! […]
Primary Schools and Broadband: The biggest issue in education today?
Following on from a conversation on the wonderful CESI list, I thought I would expand on my thoughts that I posted this evening. A question was raised about broadband speeds in primary schools in Ireland. My understanding is that, currently, outside of any pilots that are going on, that the maximum speed any primary school […]
What books would you recommend for a primary school teacher?
Facebook is awash with challenges from ice-buckets to listing how you’re grateful for the last few days. Another one of these that’s going around is the challenge to list 10 books that have influenced your life in some way. The challenge continues to say that the books do not have to be literary masterpieces and […]