15 Jan Pilot Implementation: Ireland
Kildare Education Support Centre (KESC), Ireland, is engaged in ongoing teacher professional development activities as well facilitating the ATS STEM pilot implementation in 14 schools, both primary and post-primary. The Centre has been offering professional development opportunities at a regional, national and international level since 1997.
As part of the implementation plan, an online ATS STEM Information Session and workshop was held on 15th October 2020. It was coordinated by Siobhán Hennelly, Olive Keenan, and Dr. Siobhán Kavanagh at KESC. The team also organised two further workshops. The first workshop held on 5th November 2020 included an address from Dr. Eilish McLoughlin. This workshop mainly focused on exploring the ATS STEM conceptual framework. The central elements of the framework, namely, integrated STEM topics, core STEM competences, learning design principles, formative assessment strategies, and key features of digital formative assessment were discussed.
(Image 1. ATS STEM Information Session PPT slide)
The second workshop was held on 19th November 2020. This workshop detailed integration and alignment of ATS STEM into the primary and post primary curriculum along with national educational priorities. It also discussed steps in the design of ATS STEM Learning Cycle 1 using the planning materials.
(Images 2 & 3; ATS STEM workshop materials)
Irish schools involved with the ATS STEM project are now designing Learning Cycle 1 and have support from their ATS STEM Mentor (Siobhán Hennelly- Primary and Olive Keenan- Post Primary). Learning Cycle 1 was to take place from January 6th to February 4th, 2020. Reflection and Evaluation session following Learning Cycle 1 is planned for 4th February 2020. Learning Cycle 2 will commence on 22nd February 2020.
If you would like to know more about the above activities, please contact Dr. Siobhán Kavanagh (director@eckildare.ie) at Kildare Education Support Centre. For further information on the ATS STEM project, contact Dr. Eamon Costello (eamon.costello@dcu.ie) at Dublin City University.