Inside Education - a podcast for educators interested in teaching

Programme 47, Primary Education Policy - John Carr Pt II, (30-5-10)

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney News roundup by Barry Hennessy In this programme John Carr outlines how the Irish National Teachers' Organisation influenced education policy over the last two decades. He also summarises the achievements and regrets of his time as General Secretary of the Organisation. Barry speaks to Judith Cosgrove of the Educational Research Centre about a report into early school leaving by Irish teenagers

Programme 45, Data Smog, and News (16-5-10)

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney News report by Barry Hennessy The featured guest on the programme was David Shenk who spoke about his book Data Smog. The interview was recorded on 2 April 2001 but it could have been recorded much more recently. Barry's news report featured an interview with Sheelan Yousefizadeh, a member of the Dáil na nÓg Council, about the recently launched report on sex education in Irish schools.

Programme 44, Managing May, and News (9-5-10)

Presented and produced by Barry Hennessy. In this programme Barry joins with some guests to discuss how principals, other school leaders and teachers can manage the end of the school year effectively.

Programme 40, Teacher Conferences 2010 (11-4-10)

ASTI and INTO reports by Seán Delaney. TUI report by Barry Hennessy. This programme consists of reports from the conferences of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland, the Irish National Teachers' Organisation and the Teachers' Union of Ireland.

Programme 39, Drama and Asperger Syndrome, & ASTI Science Study (4-4-10)

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney News report by Barry Hennessy The main guest was Dr. Carmel O'Sullivan from the School of Education in Trinity College Dublin. She spoke about the collaboration between Trinity College and Aspire, the Asperger Syndrome Association of Ireland. Barry spoke to Moira Leyden the Assistant General Secretary of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland about the findings of the Association's recently released survey of science teaching.

Programme 37, Physical Education Conference and Music Scholarships (21-3-10)

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney News report by Barry Hennessy The main interview this week was with Professor Richard Bailey who was the keynote speaker at the annual conference of the Irish Primary Physical Education Association in Limerick.  Seán also spoke to Caitriona Cosgrave who is chairperson of the Irish Primary Physical Education Association and who lectures in Coláiste Mhuire, Marino Institute of Education. Barry spoke to Damien Bracken from Boston's Berklee College of Music about local workshops and scholarships for promising musicians.

Programme 36, The Teaching Council (14-3-10)

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney News reporter: Barry Hennessy On this week's programme we feature an interview with the Director of the Teaching Council, Aine Lawlor, on the work of the Council. We begin the programme with the views of a non-scientific sample of teachers we spoke to in two schools - one primary and one secondary.

Programme 35, Mr. Mac's Memoir and Grade Inflation (7-3-10)

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. This programme began with an interview  with Dr. Brendan Guilfoyle of the Institute of Technology in Tralee about grade inflation. In the interview he responds to Minister O'Keeffe's response to the problem highlighted by the Network for Irish Educational Standards, of which Dr. Guilfoyle is a founding member. The feature interview was with Maurice McMahon about his book Mr. Mac: A Blackboard Memoir on his life as a teacher in St. Benildus College in South Dublin. It is the first memoir about secondary teaching written by an Irish teacher. In it he talks about teaching Irish, teaching history, what makes a good teacher, how students have changed and about his father, the well-known writer and teacher Bryan McMahon. The book costs €15 and can only be ordered directly from Maurice McMahon at his e-mail mrmacbenildus@gmail.com.

Programme 34, History of ASTI and News, 28-2-10

Presented and produced by Barry Hennessy. In this programme Barry spoke to Dr. John Cunningham about his history of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland titled Unlikely Radicals: Irish Post-Primary Teachers and the ASTI 1909-2009. He also interviewed Annette Dolan, Deputy General Secretary of the Teachers' Union of Ireland about working to rule and the Union's call to redesignate the Department of Education and Science as the "Department of Education and Training."

Programme 32, Bullying in Schools (14-2-10)

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. The guest on the programme was Professor Mona O'Moore who is the founder and coordinator of the Anti-Bullying Centre in Trinity College Dublin. The music played on the programme was Miss Invisible by Marie Digby and Johnny by Craig David.