An Irish perspective on education for all who value teaching
Episodes
Wednesday Oct 09, 2019
Wednesday Oct 09, 2019
Presented and produced by Seán Delaney
On this week's programme I discuss how research can inform teaching with Professor Chris Brown from Durham University's School of Education. Professor Brown discusses his work with teachers in professional learning networks, how teachers can apply research in their schools, and the barriers to doing so.
Among the topics discussed are the following:
- How frequently do teachers consult research to solve problems of teaching?
- The need to draw first on teachers’ knowledge and experience
- How does research add to, challenge or deepen teachers’ knowledge?
- The importance of teachers collaboratively engaging with and looking at research
- Having an “evidence champion” in a school and partnerships with higher education institutions
- The quality of research available to teachers (original, significant, robust methods)
- Different kinds of research (Stokes’s quadrant)
- Carol Weiss and instrumental research use, conceptual research use and symbolic research use (9’22” – 10’08")
- Drawing on research to develop theories of action
- Teachers’ access to published research
- Networks of teachers and effective change management (17’36). The focus of the four whole-day workshops each year is:
- Vision and engagement with research
- Trialling
- Change Management
- Impact
- Leadership and degree centrality (24’53”)
- Evaluating “best practice” (27’58”)
- Areas of research that have been particularly helpful in informing teachers’ practice (30’26”)
- Factors that influence what and how research influences policy (31’49”)
- Professional Learning Networks (34’45”)
- The role played by encouragement, trust, social influence, and innovation in promoting research-informed practice (35’59”)
- Avoiding edu-myths or other dead-ends in research (39’39”)
- What are schools for (40’51”)
- A teacher who had a significant impact on him (42’17”)
- What inspires him (43’17”)
Among the people named by Chris Brown in the course of the interview are Stephen Ball, Jean Baudrillard, Alan Daly, Jim Spillane and Carol Weiss, some of whom have appeared on previous episodes of Inside Education: Ball, Spillane.
The paper that I reported on in the research section is Fan, H., Xu, J., Cai, Z., He, J & Fan, X. (2017). Homework and students' achievement in math and science: A 30-year meta-analysis, 1986-2015.
Wednesday Oct 02, 2019
Wednesday Oct 02, 2019
Presented and produced by Seán Delaney
Theme tune: David Vesey
My guest on the programme this week is my colleague in Marino Institute of Education and the person behind the social media identity, Little Miss Teacher. She is Clara Fiorentini and we talk about play, literacy, phonics, early years education and much more. Here are the topics we discuss and the times at which they appear.
- Why she started posting on social media (1’33”)
- Her thoughts on the new language curriculum and her interest in literacy, especially early literacy (7’00” and 24’11”))
- A typical day in her classroom (with a focus on literacy activities)
- Different kinds of play 12’03”
- The kind of stories she used in her teaching (14’35”)
- Phonics and literacy instruction (16’22”)
- Literacy in more senior classes (21’42”)
- The phonics programme she participated in developing, Sounds Like Phonics (23’46”)
- Her approach to teaching (26’48”)
- Returning to study for a master’s degree in children’s literature (29’50”)
- What schools are for 33’41”
- A teacher who had a significant impact on her (34’48”)
- Who inspires her (39’13”)
Among the resources and materials mentioned by Clara were the following:
Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell
Goodnight Mr Tom by Michell Magorian
The book with no pictures by BJ Novak
Rita Pierson – Ted Talk – Every child deserves a champion
Jen Jones on picture books
My recommendation:
Podcast: Speak-Up Storytelling with Matthew and Elysha Dicks
Book: Storyworthy: Engage, teach, persuade and change your life through the power of storytelling by Matthew Dicks
Wednesday Sep 25, 2019
Wednesday Sep 25, 2019
Presented and Produced by Seán Delaney
Theme tune by David Vesey
This week my guest on the programme is Leadership expert Professor Andy Hargreaves. Andy Hargreaves is Research Professor at Boston College, Visiting Professor at the University of Ottawa, Distinguished Visiting Professor at Hong Kong University, Professor at the University of Stavanger, and Honorary Professor at Swansea University.
Over the course of our 42-minute conversation, we covered a wide range of topics, including the following:
- The effect of wealth inequality on people in many countries and the implications for education
- Negative effects the international test PISA has had on education systems and why the focus on such results is changing in some countries
- How the focus has now moved to matters such as identity and belonging
- Three things have happened which have led to a revised agenda for schools to respond to:
- Existing methods and strategies have become exhausted in seeking additional marginal gains on international tests
- People start to sense that something is amiss (backlash against testing from middle-class parents – “coasting schools” in the UK and mental health issues among children and problems of teacher recruitment and retention)
- Changes in society as an impetus for change: People are asking how do refugees and immigrants affect our curriculum and sense of community? How do we respond to school shootings and violence in North America? Anxiety among adolescent girls associated with social media
- (Irish primary) teachers’ preparedness to respond to matters such as equity, identity and wellbeing.
- Why identity is more important than achievement (with reference to Franco-Ontarian community)
- Responding to conflicting identities
- Welcome all children and every aspect of their identity
- Recognising that many reasons may underlie why students struggle with their learning other than being unable to master a concept
- Understanding that most identities are flawed and that societies have values which people are expected to subscribe to
- How anxiety, narcissism and hopelessness are impacting on young people’s wellbeing.
- May be related to lack of mobility/lack of opportunity. Public services (library, education, health service and housing) may not be as strong as in the past. The need to reinvest in public life, including teaching to promote mobility
- Ideas of success have become skewed. The need to see success in ways other than monetary value and having a sense of fulfilment.
- He refers to the work of Jean Twenge: With advent of smart phones adolescents (especially girls) are less prone to experience violence, to drugs, to alcohol and to early pregnancy but much more prone to anxiety, depression, self-harming and suicidal thoughts, mainly because they’re not going out. Instead they’re getting less sleep, digitally enhancing pictures of themselves and comparing themselves to others, and responding to postings from others (including mean ones)
- Why he disagrees with schools banning mobile phones.
- He would like to see more outdoor education, more adventure, more working in the community, more connection to the environment and more face-to-face interactions.
- What is wrong with wellbeing? (Seeing it as an individual solution to a huge systemic problem; schools creating wellbeing in one part of their work and creating “ill”-being in another part; wellbeing can be interpreted differently across cultures e.g. happiness, fulfilment, duty to parents, respect for elders, loyalty to the group, attention to your family, delayed gratification, etc. Being calm, which is often prioritised by schools, is only one way to be well – exuberance, physical engagement, and happiness are others.)
- What is wrong with growth mindset? It can detract attention from other factors that affect learning (poverty, disadvantage, prejudice) but growth mindset is still a powerful idea.
- How teacher collaboration can help schools respond to the problems outlined.
- Teachers who collaborate with colleagues do better, on average, than those who do not. Children learn more, teachers are more motivated and engaged, it’s better for implementing change
- Professional Learning Communities – tended to be liked by administrators but considered to be contrived and constraining by teachers in some countries.
- A question Professor Hargreaves asked in his research: “If collaboration is good sometimes, but not always, how should collaboration be designed?” Build trust and relationships and establish helpful procedures and protocols around collaboration.
- Sometimes collaboration is most important where it is most difficult – in difficult to serve areas or in areas experiencing rural poverty.
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
Wednesday Jun 26, 2019
Presented and produced by Seán Delaney
Theme tune by David Vesey
This week's programme is the last for the school year 2018-19. We look at topics relating to the end of the primary school year: school tours (in a continuation of my conversation with Caitriona Cosgrave and Martin Kennedy from last week's programme), summer courses for teachers (with my colleague, Dr. Gene Mehigan), and presents for teachers (again with Martin Kennedy and Caitriona Cosgrave).
I wish all listeners to the podcast a great summer. I always love to get your feedback on it by e-mail (insideeducation@dublincityfm.ie) or through Twitter. Similarly suggestions for future topics or guests are always welcome.
Wednesday Jun 19, 2019
Wednesday Jun 19, 2019
Presented and produced by Seán Delaney
Theme tune by David Vesey
This week I follow up on last week's programme where I shared some of my own ideas about school tours by talking to two practitioners who have lots of experience of organising school tours and field trips - as teacher and as principal. Caitriona Cosgrave teaches second class in Scoil Áine Girls School in Raheny and Martin Kennedy is principal of Scoil Cholmcille in Skryne, Co. Meath.
Among the topics discussed on the programme are:
- School Tour venues and activities
- Choosing a school-wide theme for school tours; variety and continuity in tours
- Bringing parents on a school tour with children
- Creating memories on school tours
- Learning on school tours
- Going abroad for primary school tours
- Preparing for school tours
Wednesday Jun 12, 2019
Wednesday Jun 12, 2019
Presented and produced by Seán Delaney
Theme tune by David Vesey
On this week's programme I talk about school tours and how to make them more educational. Among the topics discussed on the programme are:
- Where to go
- Health and safety
- Risk Assessment
- Cost
- Planning the tour
- Bringing the route to life
- Communicating with parents about the school tour
- Other venues
- Resources
Here is a link to ships and boats certified by the Marine Survey Office of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. Educational materials that can be used to support school tours are available from the National Museum here and here and from the National Gallery.
Wednesday May 29, 2019
Wednesday May 29, 2019
Presented and produced by Seán Delaney
Theme tune by David Vesey
On this week's programme I bring you the second and final part of my interview with Professor John P. Miller from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. John P. Miller is the author of The Holistic Curriculum, the third edition of which was recently published. Among the matters we discussed on the programme this week were:
- The importance of examining our beliefs
- The soul as the unconditioned self
- The connection between holistic education and mental health
- The relationship between holistic education and affective education, humanistic education, confluent education and transpersonal education.
- The Holistic Ed Review started by Ron Miller
- The lack of university programmes in holistic education up to doctoral level
- What school is for
- The Sudbury Valley School
People mentioned by John P. Miller
- Suzuki Roshi (Zen mind beginner’s mind)
- Richard Alpert – Ram Dass
- Joseph Goldstein (meditation)
- Norman Feldman (meditation)
Books/authors mentioned on the programme:
- Education and Ecstasy by George Leonard.
- Carl Rogers Freedom to Learn
- The Tao Te Ching
- Emerson’s essays
- Thoreau’s Walden & On Civil Disobedience and his journals
- Maslow Toward a Psychology of Being
- Parker Palmer The Courage to Teach
- Gregory Cajete. His book is Look to the Mountain: An Ecology of Indigenous Education (1994).
- Embers by Richard Wagamese
- Ron Miller What are schools for?
- Handbook on Holistic Education edited by John P. Miller et al.
- Love and Compassion: Exploring their role in Education by John P. Miller
- The Magic of Conflict by Thomas Crumm
Wednesday May 22, 2019
Wednesday May 22, 2019
Presented and produced by Seán Delaney
Theme tune by David Vesey
On this week's programme I speak to John P. (Jack) Miller, of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, and author of of The Holistic Curriculum, about holistic education. Among the topics discussed on the programme are:
- What is holistic education?
- In a tradition from indigenous people, Buddha, Socrates, Plato, Rousseau, Emerson, Thoreau, Peabody and Tolstoy up to Waldorf, Montessori and Reggio Emilia.
- How The Equinox Holistic School in Toronto was inspired by and follows the ideas in Miller’s book, The Holistic Curriculum. The story of the school is told here.
- Use of textbooks and a holistic curriculum
- What is the experience of a holistic curriculum like for a student?
- Autonomy for children in holistic education settings
- Characteristics of teachers to teach holistically
- Difference between teaching a subject holistically and teaching the same subject conventionally
- Planning for holistic teaching
- James Bean and integrated curriculum
- Susan Drake and integrated curriculum
- Relationship between holistic education and wisdom
- The difference between contemplation and reflection and mindfulness
- Religious education and spirituality education
- The work of Thomas Moore on Spirituality and Education; also Parker Palmer and Rachel Kessler
Wednesday May 15, 2019
Wednesday May 15, 2019
Presented and produced by Seán Delaney
Theme tune by David Vesey
On this week's programme I bring you the second part of my interview with Professor Barbara Schneider from Michigan State University. Among the topics discussed this week are the following:
- The need to review the Irish science curriculum in line with other countries
- How can a curriculum value both knowing and doing, especially doing
- Her upcoming book titled, Learning Science (2020)
- The role of family and school in aligning one’s education with one’s career choice (“aligned ambitions”) and how this led to the “College Ambition Program.”
- Enhancing one’s career prospects with a “dual degree”
- Educational outcomes v occupational outcomes
- Fluidity of careers and implications for developing curriculum materials
- How media influence career choices
- Career paths of females
- A typical working day for her
- What schools are for
- Two books she regularly returns to are Foundations of Social Theory and Flow
Wednesday May 08, 2019
Wednesday May 08, 2019
Presented and produced by Seán Delaney
Theme tune by David Vesey
This week on the programme my guest is Professor Barbara Schneider from Michigan State University. She uses sociology and psychology in her work and talks about how that works. She discusses optimal learning moments in science teaching and learning and about helping students make transitions from middle school to high school. Here are my notes on some of the topics discussed:
- How sociology has always about equal educational opportunity, access and social justice
- The development of adolescence in context
- How relationships created in school affect the inequality students experience in schools
- Why relational trust in school is so important
- The importance of student welfare
- How they studied flow in the classroom
- Converting flow into “optimal learning moments”
- The “in it to win it” app and the College Ambition Program
- How teachers can prepare for “optimal learning moments”
- Why it’s important for children to learn science at school
- A hybrid model of professional development for teachers
- Problems with poorly-equipped science labs in schools
Find out more about driving questions and project-based learning here.