Schools closed until March/April? (part 4) **Mod warning in OP 22/01**

wirelessdude01

Realistically different learning styles and differentiation are one and the same thing. Different approaches work for different people. I know myself I will pick up let's say 30% from someone talking, 30% from someone showing and then the rest from doing. Actually probably less for someone talking and more from showing and doing it myself.

Hurrache

scrubs33 wrote: »

A good Easter weather wise could lead to serious issues in a few weeks in my opinion. Already around here in the evenings over the past week or so kids of all ages are out playing/mixing in groups where there are multiple households involved. I really hope I’m wrong though.

This has been happening for months at this stage without a serious jump in cases. In most residential areas local kids have been mixing outdoors for a long time.

solerina

Sheep breeder wrote: »

Question for the secondary teachers on here, what is going to happen when they return to school with the kids that haven’t attended classes or submitted homework, are the teachers going to go back over all subjects they have missed by not turning up online or continue on.
And what about the kids that have turned up and grafted, are they going to have to go back over what they have done or move on.

Reason I ask is our second year in history today 12 out of 25 tuned in and maths 14 tuned in, was in the town today where the school is before lunch and the amount of teenagers walk around was unreal.

I can only speak for myself, I have covered the material, I did all live classes, I answered any questions asked and I corrected all homework. The material is covered, I will not be doing it again, the students who made a decent effort know what was covered and those who didn’t try will have to accept the consequences.

lulublue22

BonsaiKitten wrote: »

Of course you are differentiating, you're differentiating by content or by support used. Every good teacher does that, just as every good teacher varies the methods of presentation.

But do I slap the label "visual learner" on Sally, Tom and Harry and call David, Ciara and Anna "kinaesthetic learners"? No, I don't. Because I use evidence based teaching methods and there's no scientific evidence for learning styles. So I don't pigeonhole my students with unverified labels.

This is dragging the thread off topic so I'll stop commenting about learning styles now.

Nobody is talking about slapping labels on children other than yourself - I said children learn in different ways .The idea that anyone labels Sally , Tom and Harry as visual learners and only present information to children in that way exclusively is ridiculous but so too is the notion that all children learn in the exact same way with no variation in how information is presented. One of my children is very strong orally / verbally does that mean she can’t learn by other means no but it does mean that she is more engaged motivated and interested and finds it easier when learning is focused on oral presentations / debates giving verbal feedback. Is it not part of teachers remit to enhance teaching and learning by increasing children’s motivation and engagement.

ETA - I take notes at every single lecture / meeting that I attend whether in person or online. Why because it helps me to focus on what is being discussed at that point in time. They’re used to keep me focused not as a reference later. In my opinion that is a learning style. I remember more when listening if I also write.

am_zarathustra

But that's the point of the research, they actually don't when you measure it. As above poster said it's a neuromyth. It's unhelpful as a concept as it focuses student and teacher alike on one particular area to the detriment of the other. Different topics are easier to teach and easier to retain kinetically, visually, verbally, etc but retentions nd assimilation is not improved from one student or another regardless of their perceived "learning style".

And I teach in a DEIS school, a difficult subject with excellent results despite it being notoriously an issue in schools of my type. Though I'm not sure what that had to do with the above posters very factual comments.

Differentiation and learning styles are also quite different. One is a valid way of ensuring kids reach their potential, both those who struggle to access some parts of the curriculum and need extra scaffolding and the exceptional students and everything in between and should be at the forefront of teachers minds, the latter is homeopathy in education, completely ineffectual but vaguely comforting to some people.

byhookorbycrook

BonsaiKitten wrote: »

Oh it's hugely popular in primary schools, yeah. Any other teacher I mention it to is usually shocked as explicitly catering to learning styles is A Thing a lot of people do.

I use it as a quality barometer at CPD - if it gets trotted out, it's just a sign that whatever is being peddled isn't particularly scientific.

NEPS continuum of support template ( for any child needing extra help )has a line on “ learning styles .”We asked for some way to measure this a number of years back and never heard anything back . We have since removed it from our school support plans .

am_zarathustra

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

NEPS continuum of support template ( for any child needing extra help )has a line on “ learning styles .”We asked for some way to measure this a number of years back and never heard anything back . We have since removed it from our school support plans .

That's interesting, absolutely right to question it. I've only ever heard it mentioned once at post primary and needless to say it was the JCT, quickly put into their place regarding the dearth of information backing up the idea and it's rubbished status among anyone reading actual educational or neurophysiological data. I'm suprised to hear it's being mentioned at primary level, it's like the Loch Ness, it's famously not real. I know educational research gas a tendency to get muddied and lots of things end up being relied upon with little or no, and often contrary evidence but I'm very surprised official documentation had it mentioned given it's infamy in research fields

penny piper

Would someone be good enough to answer me this question......if a teacher expects a student go get a B (through predicted grade) and the same student actually fails the subject in the actual LC exam does the student get the predicted grade?...thanks

History Queen

penny piper wrote: »

Would someone be good enough to answer me this question......if a teacher expects a student go get a B (through predicted grade) and the same student actually fails the subject in the actual LC exam does the student get the predicted grade?...thanks

Yes they do, if they have opted to do both an exam and predicted grades, the better grade stands.

History Queen

Hurrache wrote: »

This has been happening for months at this stage without a serious jump in cases. In most residential areas local kids have been mixing outdoors for a long time.

Really? Hasn't been happening in our locality, or at least not noticably so, until the last two or three weeks.

wirelessdude01

History Queen wrote: »

Really? Hasn't been happening in our locality, or at least not noticably so, until the last two or three weeks.

Kinda the same here. Literally the evening it was confirmed that the first primary cohort were returning it was like the doors were opened and kids told to get out that the pandemic was over

grind gremlin

I see they have advised that no masks are to be worn for the leaving cert oral exams. What teacher in their right mind would agree to this?

History Queen

History Queen wrote: »

Yes they do, if they have opted to do both an exam and predicted grades, the better grade stands.

Why would any student wanting to go to college not opt for both? I would hazard a guess that most would have subjects they do better than expected in and some worse. This has the opportunity to add significant points to anyone who takes the dual option. Anyone who doesn’t will be at a disadvantage

penny piper

grind gremlin wrote: »

I see they have advised that no masks are to be worn for the leaving cert oral exams. What teacher in their right mind would agree to this?

That's absolutely ridiculous considering The Independent today is running a story about all the problems re:staff shortages schools are facing due to covid related issues/close contacts of teachers..

Kildare Community College sent back it's 5th year class to remote teaching from Monday after only one week back due to staff shortages/lack of subs this was agreed with Dept.of Education...so that LC could continue face to face teaching in the school..

Mary Mother Of Hope national school west Dublin was closed from Thursday until further notice because of a small number of covid cases and the lack of staff to cover the school safely...

It seems whilst the the cases in school have been small they are now steadily progressing...

wirelessdude01

penny piper wrote: »

That's absolutely ridiculous considering The Independent today is running a story about all the problems re:staff shortages schools are facing due to covid related issues/close contacts of teachers..

Kildare Community College sent back it's 5th year class to remote teaching from Monday after only one week back due to staff shortages/lack of subs this was agreed with Dept.of Education...so that LC could continue face to face teaching in the school..

Mary Mother Of Hope national school west Dublin was closed from Thursday until further notice because of a small number of covid cases and the lack of staff to cover the school safely...

It seems whilst the the cases in school have been small they are now steadily progressing...

But remember Norma told us there were thousands of teachers sitting around waiting for work!

dirkmeister

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

But remember Norma told us there were thousands of teachers sitting around waiting for work!

Primary schools can’t get subs. They just aren’t there.

Norma should have been laughed out of the building when she suggested that retired teachers would come back.

How nobody in the media joined the dots on that statement is still baffling.

History Queen

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Why would any student wanting to go to college not opt for both? I would hazard a guess that most would have subjects they do better than expected in and some worse. This has the opportunity to add significant points to anyone who takes the dual option. Anyone who doesn’t will be at a disadvantage

I agree completely.

Mrsmum

Deleted User wrote: »

Why would any student wanting to go to college not opt for both? I would hazard a guess that most would have subjects they do better than expected in and some worse. This has the opportunity to add significant points to anyone who takes the dual option. Anyone who doesn’t will be at a disadvantage

Well the reasoning behind it is that you don't rock up to the LC written exam, hoping to do well, without a whole load of work done in each subject. The time given to any individual subject takes from another subject. So for instance if you know you're not the best say at Irish but that you get on ok in chapter by chapter tests, you might be of the mindset that you could kill yourself studying Irish and not improve things at all. Meanwhile you have less time on a subject you feel you could improve in. Not sure if Irish is the best example and that's just a layman's explanation of it but that the reasoning behind it. My son is in LC and from talking to other parents, most student seem to be doing four subjects with an odd one doing five. I'm sure there are students doing seven too but not too many I'd say.

combat14

schools are back looks like the green light now for everything to open up starting in april

Lifting of 5km exercise limit and the phased reopening of building activity now on table

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/health/lifting-of-5km-exercise-limit-and-the-phased-reopening-of-building-activity-now-on-table-40218458.html

penny piper

combat14 wrote: »

schools are back looks like the green light now for everything to open up starting in april

Lifting of 5km exercise limit and the phased reopening of building activity now on table

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/health/lifting-of-5km-exercise-limit-and-the-phased-reopening-of-building-activity-now-on-table-40218458.html

Yet they are still talking about the possibility of a 4th wave of the virus if conditions are not adhered to for the next 6/8 weeks......very conflicting statements all the time from members of this government/nphet......

Locotastic

combat14 wrote: »

schools are back looks like the green light now for everything to open up starting in april

Lifting of 5km exercise limit and the phased reopening of building activity now on table

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/health/lifting-of-5km-exercise-limit-and-the-phased-reopening-of-building-activity-now-on-table-40218458.html

They're gas, do they believe this is not already happening? They are so out of touch its a joke.

Instill some hope, me hole. The condescension is strong in that article.

Lisha

penny piper wrote: »

Yet they are still talking about the possibility of a 4th wave of the virus if conditions are not adhered to for the next 6/8 weeks......very conflicting statements all the time from members of this government/nphet......

I’m really trying not to read or listen to any more opinions on this on radio/papers etc as it would drive you insane. I’ll tune in to the official announcements. All these conflicting kite flying rumors are head wreaking. As a family we can’t do any more we obey the restrictions and I’m broken from looking at how much my 13yrsr old is suffering socially. He misses his friends and training. My 11yr old girl is happy to be in school but she is wary and really feels we are safer at home. She won’t hear of booking anything for the summer. Hopefully we will to do day trips (within restrictions ) over the summer. All we want is boring normality.

Warbeastrior

Deleted User wrote:

Why would any student wanting to go to college not opt for both? I would hazard a guess that most would have subjects they do better than expected in and some worse. This has the opportunity to add significant points to anyone who takes the dual option. Anyone who doesn’t will be at a disadvantage

You don't have to do the orals in Irish, German, French etc if you're just sitting the exams and you don't have to complete your DCG, Construction or Engineering projects either.
Time restraints are the biggest issue

am_zarathustra

You have to sit the orals if you plan on sitting the exams in June, you don't if you opt for accredited. Same with he projects though the vast majority of teachers I know are finishing the projects as they would have been almost there and it's easier to give the accredited grade proportion for a project you have in front of you as opposed to trying to imagine the end results.

As it stands, form my own experience, languages will have low levels of students taking the exams (makes sense, youll only improve so much over a couple of months), subjects perceived as learn-it-off subjects like Biology and Geography seem to be popular, this will make accredited grade even less safe in these subjects and push even more of the top flight towards them. Most top 20% students I know are sitting 4 exams as it stands, they are taking their safe H1/2s and hopijg they stand or most do and then trying to really push in the other subjects. Sensible approach to a mess not of their making.

Sammy2012

dirkmeister wrote: »

Primary schools can’t get subs. They just aren’t there.

Norma should have been laughed out of the building when she suggested that retired teachers would come back.

How nobody in the media joined the dots on that statement is still baffling.

I was out for 2 days last week and 2 days this week. Both non covid related and the lady who subbed for me was almost 70. We couldn't get another sub anywhere. There are no subs.

shtpEdthePlum

https://www.facebook.com/VoiceForTeachers/posts/5433706380003324

LC ORALS - NO MASKS It is with absolute horror that the long over due 'guidelines' for the orals were issued this evening. Incomplete of course - seemingly the remainder will be arriving on Tuesday a mere 3 days before the orals. The utter contempt and disregard to student welfare with regard to these orals has been evident from the beginning and the today the ultimate nail in the coffin. An instruction that neither teachers or students should wear a mask for the oral. This is disgraceful and completely disregards all public health health advice. Is it a case that schools are such 'safe places' that now wer cant get covid while doing orals. There is a reference to a perspex sheet however this is an airbourne virus and can travel over, under and out both sides of whatever perspex sheet that will divide It is abhorrent to ask students and teachers to put their own health and risk as well as their families by taking part in this. The orals need to be conducted in a safe manner and this is far from safe. The dept have had a year to sort this our and this shambolic last minute, incomplete ''plan' is what they have come up with. I along with my colleagues in both te Irish and MFL departments have all come together this evening and emailed our respective union along with the SEC to make it very clear that this is not acceptable and we will not be doing the orals under these conditions for the safety of our students and ourselves. As a parent of a LC student my own child will not be doing an oral without a mask on either. With the dominant strain of Covid 19 in the country being the highly contagious UK strain, what genius came up with this plan. I urge you all to stand up and speak out for us teachers and for our students and our own children who are doing the LC. This is not ok. Please make some noise, email your union,s, email the SEC, email Norma

I competely agree. Ridiculous. Imagine if you were in Dublin. What's going to happen to all the schools who aren't back until after Easter due to the scale of their outbreaks?

Also nice one, Friday evening, half an announcement and the other half coming during the week the orals are due to take place.

The DES should be put in the bin.

Newbie20

They’re just a disgrace. Of course the media won’t have any interest in this story now. Until teachers make noise about it. Then they’ll be able to say that teachers are objecting to doing the orals. The Department are just a despicable, shambles of an organisation.
It’s so unfair on the students that should be purely focused on the oral and now they’ll be wondering what will happen again.

shtpEdthePlum

shtpEdthePlum wrote: »

https://www.facebook.com/VoiceForTeachers/posts/5433706380003324



I competely agree. Ridiculous. Imagine if you were in Dublin. What's going to happen to all the schools who aren't back until after Easter due to the scale of their outbreaks?

Also nice one, Friday evening, half an announcement and the other half coming during the week the orals are due to take place.

The DES should be put in the bin.

Absolute madness.
Jesus wept

average_runner

This will raise eyebrows.

Kid in daughter class, last in last Monday, whole class notified yesterday that they are all close contact and have to isolate and get tested.
Got a text today from hse saying you will get another text a day before the test.

Turn around is very slow which means if this variant is spreading quickly the two schools will be shutdown within two weeks as siblings all in other classes.

SusanC10

average_runner wrote: »

This will raise eyebrows.

Kid in daughter class, last in last Monday, whole class notified yesterday that they are all close contact and have to isolate and get tested.
Got a text today from hse saying you will get another text a day before the test.

Turn around is very slow which means if this variant is spreading quickly the two schools will be shutdown within two weeks as siblings all in other classes.

Is your daughter in JI-2nd or 3rd+ ?