Dates for CBAs extended

LaLa2004

Mardy Bum wrote: »

Yes they are for students with a 4th class understanding. Very very few students should be doing them.

They should give theses students a bit of respect and externally mark their work.

km79

LaLa2004 wrote: »

They should give theses students a bit of respect and externally mark their work.

Or had it al sorted BEFORE implementation of the new course
Some of these kids are now in the third year of some subjects
And we were told they “hope “ to roll out supports soon
That’s the new JC in a nutshell
Make it up as they go along

Some people don’t wnat to hear that but that is the truth
I keep saying this but I believe it. There is virtue in some aspects of the new Junior Cycle curriculum BUT it was rushed through by R Quinn without PROPER consultation with the professionals who would be delivering it
We will be paying the price for years
Parents starting to see it now and making demands around assessment
Tough luck . Welcome to our world . It’s almost as if teachers actullay know what Is good and bad for education practice ........

Education matters

km79 wrote: »

Or had it al sorted BEFORE implementation of the new course
Some of these kids are now in the third year of some subjects
And we were told they “hope “ to roll out supports soon
That’s the new JC in a nutshell
Make it up as they go along

Some people don’t wnat to hear that but that is the truth
I keep saying this but I believe it. There is virtue in some aspects of the new Junior Cycle curriculum BUT it was rushed through by R Quinn without PROPER consultation with the professionals who would be delivering it
We will be paying the price for years
Parents starting to see it now and making demands around assessment
Tough luck . Welcome to our world . It’s almost as if teachers actullay know what Is good and bad for education practice ........

I’ve spent the day reading this circular and there’s lots more to it. Extending dates of CBAs is farcical when English and Business have started and the circular says you must still use only the three/four week time frame. What am I supposed to do, stop and do another week in February? If I don’t do CBA now I’ll have a Christmas test to correct so no replacing house exams there then!
The Management Resource Hours are cut but not divisible by 40 minutes so I don’t know how that works out half way through the year. I mean seriously who thinks up this stuff.
The biggest change though is that the professional time under the old circular was operated under a high trust model, this circular says the time is subject to verification by the inspectorate meaning we will have to account for all of this time in detail. There’s no credit for all the planning we’ve done and continue to do and as the post above says there’s no recognition for us as professionals at all. It amazes me as someone who agreed with many of changes that this reform has descended into forcing teachers to watch webinars, listen to guff and honestly it has yet to meet expectations!!!

happywithlife

I don't teach English/Bus/Science but as a teacher with a practical exam in that timeframe of Music/Home Ec practicals could those CBA's now be scheduled to conflict with that timeframe? Students doing both music & home ec are already stressed to the eyeballs coming up to the practicals with extra practice etc. some will simply crack if CBA's are added into the mix.
or am i worrying for nothing?

km79

happywithlife wrote: »

I don't teach English/Bus/Science but as a teacher with a practical exam in that timeframe of Music/Home Ec practicals could those CBA's now be scheduled to conflict with that timeframe? Students doing both music & home ec are already stressed to the eyeballs coming up to the practicals with extra practice etc. some will simply crack if CBA's are added into the mix.
or am i worrying for nothing?

The original timeframes had them all spread to avoid each other and those practicals
We have stuck with the original times
They sit in well with our new exam TT as I outlined previously

I have NO IDEA why they have now changed their minds

amacca

km79 wrote: »

I do not agree with the new course . But it is in so I have put a LOAD of class preparation time in to change my teaching techniques to reflect the new content and assessment style
I was not then going to be told by anyone that was grand but we also want the old style of assessment to stay as well.

The problem for some is the department structure...if a group of your fellow teachers decide they want to give tests...what are you supposed to do, especially if its part of a house exam at xmas..

you are stuck doing it and the CBAs etc

if you have already prepared and discussed and are about to start the CBAs soon due to the previous timetable but now you find your colleagues want to wait wtf are you supposed to do...I already know the answer to that one, its look like a bumbling idiot in front of your class.

Excuse me but what an utter load of bolox the implementation of this new JC has been....initially I thought they had at least some sort of plan and were bullying teachers into submission/disrespecting them (which is also wrong and counter productive)....admittedly that was before I read the specification...which would be better called obfuscation (you just know anything that has you scratching your head wondering why pages and pages of aspirational flowery language are needed to describe something that should be relatively straightforward and concise and uses phrases like unpack has to be utter bull****)

Now it looks like they really have been making this up as they go along...another HSE style pen pushers at the top justifying their positions with reform for the sake of reform as others have said imo.

paddybarry

Schools must follow circular. It is very clear. If you have started cba before christmas, it replaces christmas exam. Does not matter what colleagues in department say. To be honest, the circular is welcoming in this regard as many schools were happy/insisted on both.

amacca

What if they don't?

what if management apply pressure for tests as well?

what if your dept decides a test is a good idea?



theres an element of picking a choosing going on for whatever reason......by what means will the circular be enforced on the ground?


I have a feeling it won't be.........the circulars that have your time wasted listening to hot air at meetings and planning will be however.

paddybarry

amacca wrote: »

What if they don't?

what if management apply pressure for tests as well?

what if your dept decides a test is a good idea?



theres an element of picking a choosing going on for whatever reason......by what means will the circular be enforced on the ground?


I have a feeling it won't be.........the circulars that have your time wasted listening to hot air at meetings and planning will be however.

That's why we have unions.

amacca

paddybarry wrote: »

That's why we have unions.

OK ... maybe I'm wrong but I see that as the nuclear option.

Another problem I have with a lot of this "reform' is the wedge it drives between staff members and between staff and management.

Its a loss for both sides, maybe naive but teachers would be so much better off if they backed each other rather than informing on each other. Perhaps as management see their authority and ability to make suitable decisions on the ground being slowly eroded they might stand up and back their colleagues.

I imagine its natural to feel you might be painting a target on your back as well.


This is what happens when administrators, self important functionaries and token representatives paid more to tow the party line decide for people working on the ground how they should do their jobs (without any reference to the resources including time (massive reduction in contact hrs needed imo), pupil teacher ratio, ICT etc etc and proper disciplinary back up required.

The education system is in a slow process of deteriorating imo and no amount of "blue sky" thinking is going to let them unpack their way out of it.

mirrorwall14

Education matters wrote: »

The biggest change though is that the professional time under the old circular was operated under a high trust model, this circular says the time is subject to verification by the inspectorate meaning we will have to account for all of this time in detail. There’s no credit for all the planning we’ve done and continue to do and as the post above says there’s no recognition for us as professionals at all.

Subject to verification could mean anything really though? Our principal had us complete a google form last year to confirm in writing that we had used our professional time appropriately and I believe just had a box for us to list some of the work we had done. That’s technically verification and should be fine by the inspectorate IMO

Education matters

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Subject to verification could mean anything really though? Our principal had us complete a google form last year to confirm in writing that we had used our professional time appropriately and I believe just had a box for us to list some of the work we had done. That’s technically verification and should be fine by the inspectorate IMO

I’d love to agree and hopefully that’s what will happen but I just think the wording has changed so much between thecirculars this is literally giving management a stick to beat us? Why mention the inspectorate at all? Hopefully you’re right and I’m wrong!

km79

If they had just left the dates as they were it gave schools a chance to plan out exams/noexams around that
Now it’s a free for all
Idiotic and pointless

solerina

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

Subject to verification could mean anything really though? Our principal had us complete a google form last year to confirm in writing that we had used our professional time appropriately and I believe just had a box for us to list some of the work we had done. That’s technically verification and should be fine by the inspectorate IMO

I teach science to first, second and third years all doing the new specification...I need to plan, prepare and correct work associated with the new specification. To think 40mins a week would be all the time neededis farsical....I see no need to justify how I spend the 40 mins, it’s obvious.

evolving_doors

Anyone under pressure getting access to IT to complete CBA's?

We've 5 subjects timetabled for 'the IT room' but now other subjects are knocking on the door saying they need to use computers to complete CBA's!
Maybe if they tell em to come back at lunchtime :pac:

What are the different subjects that depend on IT for CBAs?

km79

evolving_doors wrote: »

Anyone under pressure getting access to IT to complete CBA's?

We've 5 subjects timetabled for 'the IT room' but now other subjects are knocking on the door saying they need to use computers to complete CBA's!
Maybe if they tell em to come back at lunchtime :pac:

What are the different subjects that depend on IT for CBAs?

Yes
All need it for some aspect of it

Latest science one is a research topic
Ideally need access to internet during the entire CBA period
Most kids will also choose to type it up or do a PowerPoint

happywithlife

evolving_doors wrote: »

Anyone under pressure getting access to IT to complete CBA's?

We've 5 subjects timetabled for 'the IT room' but now other subjects are knocking on the door saying they need to use computers to complete CBA's!
Maybe if they tell em to come back at lunchtime :pac:

What are the different subjects that depend on IT for CBAs?

yep.
we've 2 IT labs and its a small enough school and already issues over blocking IT rooms. LCA's also use it a lot. 1st yrs are also currently doing some mini company thing and need access. Internet is hit & miss in the school building so although we have a small number if roaming tablets available you can't rely on internet for research. Printing has also come up at staff meetings and apparently the use of ink & paper has gone through the roof. very few if any of our students would be able to print at home

paddybarry

happywithlife wrote: »

evolving_doors wrote: »

Anyone under pressure getting access to IT to complete CBA's?

We've 5 subjects timetabled for 'the IT room' but now other subjects are knocking on the door saying they need to use computers to complete CBA's!
Maybe if they tell em to come back at lunchtime :pac:

What are the different subjects that depend on IT for CBAs?

yep.
we've 2 IT labs and its a small enough school and already issues over blocking IT rooms. LCA's also use it a lot. 1st yrs are also currently doing some mini company thing and need access. Internet is hit & miss in the school building so although we have a small number if roaming tablets available you can't rely on internet for research. Printing has also come up at staff meetings and apparently the use of ink & paper has gone through the roof. very few if any of our students would be able to print at home

Equity in education how are you.

Icsics

Does anybody know when the English Assessment Task is being released?

km79

Icsics wrote: »

Does anybody know when the English Assessment Task is being released?

And again I ask how is this going to be managed with schools doing them months apart now ?

petejmk

Icsics wrote: »

Does anybody know when the English Assessment Task is being released?

This year's guidelines are up on curriculumonline

Icsics

petejmk wrote: »

This year's guidelines are up on curriculumonline

Thanks, the last one posted was the April 2018 AT. Do they release another AT for Nov 2018?

petejmk

Icsics wrote: »

petejmk wrote: »

This year's guidelines are up on curriculumonline

Thanks, the last one posted was the April 2018 AT. Do they release another AT for Nov 2018?

2018/19 guidelines here
https://www.curriculumonline.ie/Junior-cycle/Junior-Cycle-Subjects/English

m*pp*t

Quick question (from a science teacher): I had assumed that since the Assessment Task was based on the students CBA2 work that we would preferably assess their research project, have a SLAR and then return a descriptor and some feedback before students sit the AT.
Only recently did I notice that going by the original timeline that wasn't what was being encouraged. Am I giving students in our school an unfair disadvantage by taking advantage of the extended dates to do the above? Or doing them a disservice in some other way that I'm not seeing?
The fact that our final Science JCT day is scheduled for after we complete the CBA is just fabulously useful obviously. :eyeroll:

SligoBrewer

m*pp*t wrote: »

Quick question (from a science teacher): I had assumed that since the Assessment Task was based on the students CBA2 work that we would preferably assess their research project, have a SLAR and then return a descriptor and some feedback before students sit the AT.
Only recently did I notice that going by the original timeline that wasn't what was being encouraged. Am I giving students in our school an unfair disadvantage by taking advantage of the extended dates to do the above? Or doing them a disservice in some other way that I'm not seeing?
The fact that our final Science JCT day is scheduled for after we complete the CBA is just fabulously useful obviously. :eyeroll:

New Science JCT day has nothing to do with CBAs afaik.

PureClareGold

SligoBrewer wrote: »

New Science JCT day has nothing to do with CBAs afaik.

The AT is a reflection on the process so they don't need a result to reflect on what they did.