Episodes
Wednesday Mar 27, 2019
Programme 359, Thomas Moore on Spirituality Education (27-3-19)
Wednesday Mar 27, 2019
Wednesday Mar 27, 2019
Presented and produced by Seán Delaney
Theme tune by David Vesey
This week my guest is Thomas Moore who gave a talk on "The Inner Landscape of the Educator in Difficult Times" in Marino Institute of Education earlier this year. Among the topics we discussed are:
- How as a culture we prefer training to education and the differences between them
- Where he would like education to take place
- Why the colours, sounds, images and textures around you matter when you learn
- Source of curriculum: What does it mean to be an educated person?
- What it requires of each of us to be human, to be good citizens
- The spiritual nature of humans in our search for meaning
- Having students go on a “pilgrimage” back to their childhood to get in touch with their essential selves
- Aspects of spirituality religions have traditionally ignored in their emphases on dogmatism and moralism
- Exploring basic questions through literature and the arts
He referred to Homer’s Odyssey, Horton Foote's play The Trip to Bountiful, and the poets Emily Dickinson, Wallace Stevens and John Keats.
Wednesday Mar 20, 2019
Programme 358, 2019 Conference of Irish Primary PE Association (20-3-19)
Wednesday Mar 20, 2019
Wednesday Mar 20, 2019
Presented and produced by Seán Delaney
Theme tune by David Vesey
On this week's programme I bring you some interviews I recorded at the 2019 annual conference of the Irish Primary PE Association which was held in the Watershed, Kilkenny on 9 March. First I spoke to Dr. Liam Clohessy, who is chair of the Association and Cameron Stewart who is a member of the Scottish Association of Teachers of Physical Education. Among the topics we covered were
- Adapting games for use in PE
- Using PE to develop leadership, resilience and fair play
- Why physical education is more than physical activity
- Time allocated to teaching physical education
- The place of physical education in Scotland
- Motivating children who are reluctant to engage in physical education class
- Benefits and drawbacks of specialist teachers for physical education
Cameron recommended Joey Feith's website and Liam recommended the websites Move Well and Move Often and the PE section of the PDST website.
Next I spoke to Dr. Frances Murphy from Dublin City University. The topics we discussed included:
- Evaluating the Irish Primary PE Association today
- Strengths and challenges of PE in Ireland today
- The benefits of integrating physical education with other school subjects
- How physical education can contribute to addressing obesity among children
Frances recommended checking out the Primary Schools’ Sports Initiative resource.
Wednesday Mar 13, 2019
Programme 357, Gert Biesta part 2 (13-3-19)
Wednesday Mar 13, 2019
Wednesday Mar 13, 2019
Presented and produced by Seán Delaney
Theme tune by David Vesey
On this week's programme I bring you more from my interview with Professor Gert Biesta, who is Professor of Public Education at Maynooth University. What comes through in everything he says is the respect and love he has for teaching. Among the wide range of topics we discuss are the following:
- Who he writes for when he writes about education
- Speaking and thinking about education in an educational way
- How philosophy can inform the practice of teachers
- Designing and teaching a module on philosophy for future teachers
- The importance of asking good questions
- The relevance of Kierkegaard and “Double truth giving” in teaching
- Teaching for the possibility of being taught
- John Dewey’s critique of the modern scientific world view
- PE teachers who had a significant impact on him
- Why schools should surprise
- What inspires him
The book he is currently reading is in German and it is Allgemeine Pädagogik by Dietrich Benner. He also referred to the work of Homer Lane, whose most famous book is Talks to Parents and Teachers. He also referred to the book, Beyond the Present and the Particular by Charles H. Bailey.
Wednesday Mar 06, 2019
Programme 356, Gert Biesta, part 1 (6-3-19)
Wednesday Mar 06, 2019
Wednesday Mar 06, 2019
Presented and produced by Seán Delaney
Theme tune by David Vesey
On this week's programme I speak to Gert Biesta who is Professor of Public Education at Maynooth University. Among the topics we discuss on the programme are:
- Why he took up a position in Ireland
- The work of the Centre for Public Education and Pedagogy at Maynooth University
- How he’ll get to know the Irish education system
- How teacher education in Ireland differs from teacher education in England
- The emergence of a competitive mindset in education across countries
- What good education is in an age of measurement
- Balancing three purposes of education
- The place of equity, diversity and social justice in education
- Implications of the disappearance of teaching and the rise of learning over the last 25 years
- The gift of teaching