Inside Education - a podcast for educators interested in teaching

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I am delighted to be joined by Dr. Patrick Burke from Dublin City University's School of Language, Literacy and Early Childhood Education. Among the topics discussed were: Differences between the primary school he attended and the school where he began his teaching career. How he became interested in the teaching of literacy. Being awarded a fellowship to study at Frostburg State University in 2013-2014. Working in the Children’s Literature Centre at Frostburg State-wide bans on children’s books in the United States. Choosing literature for children (Quirkiness, visuals of picture books, morals (not moralising) and thoughts on the importance of writing quality in children’s literature. Science of reading about how you research reading and the components and guidance that come from that. Why the science of reading can inform some, not all, of our decisions about teaching reading. The influence of the science of reading on initial teacher education. The importance of basing decision on research evidence (where it is available). How teachers develop their professional knowledge: the difference between mandated webinars and those chosen by teachers; allowing for diversity and pluralism in the professional development in-service teachers engage in; social media and professional development; individual versus collaborative approaches to professional development. Ways to accredit continuous professional development for teachers. Curriculum integration is influenced by factors such as the subject you’re integrating, whether you start with the subject or with a question. The pre-cursor question concerns what we want children to learn and whether some form of integration will benefit that. Depending on the answer to that question, curriculum integration may or may not be a good thing. Publications: https://ncca.ie/media/6370/conceptualising-curriculum-integration.pdf (Report) and the annexes summarising studies are here: https://ncca.ie/media/6368/annex-1-conceptualising-curriculum-integration.pdf and https://ncca.ie/media/6369/annex-2-weaving-the-literature-on-integration-pedagogy-and-assessment.pdf. Find out more about the negotiated curriculum in this article and about Beane’s work in the NCCA report. Balancing a disciplinary approach with a curriculum approach. Patrick’s doctoral dissertation about disciplinary writing. The overall message of the dissertation is “Literacy integration is important but not easily achieved…if you want to do it well.” He mentions the work of Sam Wineburg and the credibility of online content. The importance of partnerships between schools, teachers and teacher educators in conducting and implementing education research. This raises questions around where research is done and who it’s done for and how teachers are involved in it The importance of conducting and sharing small-scale action research done by teachers in their classrooms. Student teachers need to be introduced to diverse forms of educational research in their undergraduate education. A (rare) randomised controlled trial conducted in primary education in Ireland on the topic of Minecraft and spatial awareness. Being a DCU Co-Principal Investigator (with Dr Eithne Kennedy) for the exploratory Erasmus+ funded Artificial Intelligence in Literacy (AILIT) project. Scholarly engagement with social media and traditional media. Gert Biesta’s purposes of education: Qualification, socialisation, subjectification. Learning about kindness in teacher-student relationships from Dr. William Bingman Nell Duke is his go-to expert on literacy education. His profile page in DCU: https://www.dcu.ie/languageliteracyandearlychildhoodeducation/people/dr-patrick-burke.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's podcast my guest is Perry Share, who is Head of Student Success at Atlantic Technological University. Among the topics we discuss are: The impact of taking a module with Hilary Tovey on rural sociology and a module with Brian Torode and Barbara Bradby on language, discourse and French theory. Perry’s belief that artificial intelligence is a catalyst that helps us better understand and question contemporary practices around teaching, learning and assessment. Artificial intelligence forces us to ask questions like "What does it mean to assess students?" "How can we teach in ways that are engaging and productive for students?" In education, the arts and the humanities, we take text as a representation of what is in students’ heads and tend to make assumptions about the knowledge, understanding or learning held by the student. The foundation is taken out of this when we don’t know where the text comes from. Problems are outlined with the take-home assignment, oral assessments and standard written exams but the “unsolvable” problems may constitute a productive space for educators. The likes of ChatGPT can be used effectively in fields where you have knowledge. An area of concern in higher education is in relation to fields where people are just beginning to acquire knowledge and understanding. In addition, artificial intelligence threatens opportunities to learn on internships in professional placements. Perhaps the role of “learned” knowledge becomes increasingly important for novices in a field whereas in recent years the importance of critical thinking has been lauded. It is likely that resources will need to shift from activities we currently value to new – yet-to-be-determined – resources at secondary and higher education levels. What prompt engineering is. Ethan Mollick’s book Co-Intelligence.  Examples of good and not-so-good prompts. How Perry is using ChatGPT in his own work: summarising large documents; combining documents; Brainstorming; Outlining a proposed structure of a document or presentation. It has been used for computer programming and other tasks. Data protection implications may need to be considered in relation to some uses. In the future it may be used to grade and provide feedback for public exams. Various kinds of data on the results would be available almost immediately. Decline in language learning in many countries due to the dominance of English and due to the availability of translation tools. The days of the academic essay may be numbered. Simulations may be a future direction of assessment in professional settings but these too are not without complications. Can we avoid interacting with artificial intelligence? Impact on equity in education. If students can teach themselves, where does that leave the teacher? There is a job of imagination for teachers to start thinking about how they will work alongside artificial intelligence. The impact of artificial intelligence on what (and who) we can trust. People Perry respects on the topic of artificial intelligence: Anna Mills, a lecturer in academic writing in the United States; Charles Knight who works for Advance HE; Maha Bali at the America University of Cairo on critical artificial intelligence (environmental, commercial and ethical impacts). The purpose of school. Daryl Nation Raewyn Connell’s book The Good University. Perry's own expanding list of resources on artificial intelligence is available here.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. The format of this podcast differs a bit from the usual one in that I am joined by my colleague in Marino Institute of Education, Dr. Gene Mehigan to discuss a book that influenced him on his journey as a teacher and teacher educator. The Book is The Master by Bryan MacMahon, published by Poolbeg Press in 1992. Among the topics we discuss are the following: How a book about teaching in Rural Ireland from the 1930s to the 1970s could speak to a teacher in a DEIS band 1 school in Darndale in the 1980s and 1990s. The consequences of poverty on children in schools. The “stain” of large classes (and their impact on children with language difficulties in particular). The importance of reading How Bryan MacMahon encouraged children to collect words (red notebook) and Gene Mehigan’s variation of it (jar on teacher’s desk). Stages in a reading lesson as outlined by Bryan MacMahon (who noted that they are not rigid and may need modern modification): Arousal of interest (day before) Introduction (before lesson begins to heighten interest in the text) Examination of matter expressed in the text (Comprehension) Examination of matter implied in the text (Comprehension) Write difficult words on blackboard (Tier 1, 2 and 3 words today) Teacher models reading Children read aloud or silently Isolate phrases for composition usage Informed organic chat (in style of everyday conversation) Dramatisation of the text (Reader’s theatre today) Committal to rote “not to be scorned on special occasions” Why a teacher needs to back down in a confrontational situation with a pupil Characteristics of a good teacher; Dedication Sense of humour Clear penetration in the timbre of the teacher’s speaking voice A love of learning Versatility of approach to a lesson A congenial monotony (that can be departed from) Occasional informal language Good blackboard use and being able to sketch Act in harmony with the traditions and culture of the school area Bringing the extraordinary into your teaching. The teacher’s job is to help each child find their special gift. Bryan MacMahon: “I realised that each child had a gift, and that the ‘leading out’ of that gift was the proper goal of teaching. To me a great teacher was simply a great person teaching.” Thoughts on a school library, access to books and encouraging children to read. Trying to entice children to read by tidying books. Buddy reading – to help beginning or reluctant readers but also helping older children consolidate their interest it reading. Helping a teacher narrow down who in a class might have dyslexia How Brian MacMahon practised an early version of “home-school liaison” Contemporary resonances – children from Germany fostered by local families during World War II. How Bryan MacMahon recruited children to look after other children who were vulnerable in some way Resonances with Johathan Haidt’s book The Coddling of the American Mind (preparing the child for the road and not the road for the child). How learning tables enthusiastically helped a pupil later excel as an emigrant “A school is nothing if it is not a place of laughter and song.” Sources of creativity in education The importance of a teacher being a philomath.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. In this episode I interview Hugh Catts from the Florida State University about reading comprehension, dyslexia and more. People interviewed on previous Inside Education podcasts are mentioned in this episode: Jerome Kagan, Daniel T. Willingham and Tim Shanahan. Among the topics raised on the podcast are: How his interest in educational research grew from problems members of his family, including himself, had in learning to read. The benefits of having knowledge of phonetics and linguistics in studying reading difficulties His thoughts on whether someone with reading difficulties can teach reading well How he became interested in comprehension Why thinking about comprehension as a skill is unhelpful in teaching reading Comprehension is a complex set of behaviours or cognitive processes that is more like listening. It is the interaction between the reader and the text they’re reading to construct meaning between what is written in the text and what the reader already knows about the topic. Comprehension needs to be taught within the context of the subject matter we want the reader to understand. Quote from Daniel Willingham: “Memory is the residue of thought.” “Comprehension is essentially changing your understanding of the topic based upon the text.” “The more you learn about a topic, the more interested you are in learning more about the topic because you feel comfortable with it.” The “simple view of reading” claims that reading comprehension is a two-stage process where you decode/recognise the word and thereby turn print into language; this is followed by turning the meaning of words into the larger meaning of the text. Decoding can be learned over a number of years whereas the language comprehension part is learned over a lifetime. The view has advantages and disadvantages. We’re missing a good curriculum “in some cases by focusing in early reading on reading rather than focusing on subject matters to where you can gain the knowledge at the same time as you’re gaining knowledge about reading.” Questions teachers can ask to help develop children’s comprehension. (E.g. what are you thinking about? How does this relate to what you already know? What experiences have you had that are related to this? Assessing comprehension. It’s not easy to measure! “You cannot reduce comprehension down to a single score because it’s not a single thing.” Comprehension should be tested within texts on the subject matter upon which children have been provided with instruction. Benefits and shortcomings of cloze procedure to test comprehension Evaluating psychologist Jerome Kagan’s stance on dyslexia. Comparing the neurological basis of dyslexia with someone who has little musical ability. There is no consistent brain-based marker for dyslexia. The difference between someone who has dyslexia and who does not have dyslexia is evident in how much you struggle to read when provided with quality instruction. How dyslexia and comprehension difficulties could co-occur or could occur independently Consequences of having dyslexia The causes of dyslexia are multi-factorial, some relate to risk and some to resilience The probability that a child might have reading problems can be determined before a child has reading problems. Dyslexia cannot be diagnosed until the end of first class/beginning of second class. Intensive, systematic, supportive and scaffolded instruction from an early stage can help students who are at risk of having dyslexia. Having dyslexia is not a categorical phenomenon – it exists on a continuum. How he finds time to write. He likes the work of Daniel T. Willingham, Tim Shanahan, and Natalie Wexler

On this week's podcast I speak to Professor Etta Hollins from the University of Missouri-Kansas City about teacher education and the role of the teacher. Among the topics we discussed are: Why observation is key to good teaching practice and learning to teach The need to be observing, documenting and analysing classroom practice from early in a student teacher’s course How the influence of theorists like Jerome Bruner and John Dewey can be seen in classroom practice Directed observation – how the subject you're studying narrows your focus of observation She gives an example of how a student teacher might learn to teach with reference to learning to teach aspects of early literacy. She illustrates her point with reference to the book Brown Bear Brown Bear by Bill Martin and Eric Carle. As the teacher educator, she engages in epistemic practices (practices related to knowledge) with student teachers including focused inquiry (studying something specific that you’re going to be able to observe or apply). Knowing when it’s time to redesign a teacher education programme. How to solicit feedback on a teacher education programme’s impact and outcomes. (Do peers trust graduates’ knowledge? How do school leaders evaluate performance of our graduates?) Using generic versus subject-specific instruments to evaluate student teachers’ teaching. A student is ready to graduate from their teacher education programme when they can consistently apply academic knowledge to practice and make adjustments as needed for differences among children and get the learning outcomes that are expected for the child’s age, grade and subject matter. How students can progressively demonstrate their development of teacher knowledge throughout their programme. Why she believes assessing students in particular contexts does not mean that their competence is confined to those contexts: responding to students is a habit of mind that can be transferred to wherever you are teaching. She draws a parallel between how teachers respond to children in classrooms and how she responds to teacher educators when reviewing teacher education programmes. Why teachers need not just academic knowledge but to be aware of why they’re teaching. Teachers need a bigger purpose for their work. How children responded to her as a middle-school history teacher “Every teacher, whether they do it intentionally or not, influences children’s perception, their relationships, their values and who they become.” How extreme events such as school shootings can be traced to children being isolated, excluded by their peers in school. A teacher’s role is to help every child find a place of comfort in the school, learn to build relationships with peers, and help peers become more accepting of difference. Bank Street in New York is an example of how teachers can help transform schools and communities serving students from socially and economically backgrounds. Schools founded by John Dewey. At the centre of such schools was the study of children. He conceptualised how learning takes place and he had a conception of diversity. The spirit has been maintained because of a sense of clarity and commitment to John Dewey’s principles. The Lab school in Chicago was founded by John Dewey and takes children from low-income environments. Culture influences cognition, values and practices. She compares how children learn to think with how they learn a language from caregivers. She gives an example of how student teachers trusted their own experience over theory. She gave them an experience to help them understand difference. She is inspired by the awesome responsibility of being a professional educator.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. One thing that often surprises me is how difficult it is for teachers to have an impact on students' health. It's not as if there aren't enough efforts through the curriculum and through various commercial ventures to promote health in schools. This week I look at some interesting research articles about education, health and nutrition and I identify six lessons that teachers might keep in mind if they want to think about educating children about health and nutrition in a way that will stick. The programme is based on research articles that are listed below. The main points raised are:   Health and nutrition in the primary and post-primary school curricula in Ireland Why a teacher’s example matters: Perikkou, A., Gavrieli, A., Kougioufa, M-M., Tzirkali, M., Yannakoulia, M. (2013). A novel approach for increasing fruit consumption in children. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 113: 1188-1193. Promoting cooking competence after school: Jarpe-Ratner, E., Folkens, S., Sharma, S., Daro, D., & Edens, N.K. (2016). An experiential cooking and nutrition education program increases cooking self-efficacy and vegetable consumption in children in grades 3-8. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 48(10), 697 – 705. Boost students’ academic performance through sleep education: Gruber, R., Somerville, G., Bergmame, L., Fontil, L., & Paguin, S. (2016). School-based sleep education program improves sleep and academic performance of school-age children. Sleep Medicine, 21, 93-100. Alienation from and hiding in physical education class: Carlson, T.B. (1995). We hate gym: Student alienation from physical education. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 14: 467-477 and Lyngstad, I., Hagen, P-M., Aune, O. (2016). Understanding pupils’ hiding techniques in physical education. Sport, Education and Society, 21(8): 1127-1143. Eliminate or change treats: Shan, L.C., McCafferty, C., Tatlow-Golden, M., O’Rourke, C., Mooney, R., Livingstone, M.B.E., Pourshahidi, L.K., Corish, C., Kearney, J.M., Wall, P., & Murrin, C. Is it still a real treat? Adults’ treat provision to children. Appetite. 2018; 130: 228-235. Changing food habits consistently in multiple dimensions over a sustained period of time. Merrotsy, A., McCarthy, A.L., Flack, J., Lacey, S., & Coppinger, T. Project Spraoi: A two-year longitudinal study on the effectiveness of a school-based nutrition and physical activity intervention on dietary intake, nutritional knowledge and markers of health of Irish schoolchildren. Public Health Nutr. 2019; 22(13), 2489-2499.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I speak to Lorna Tormey and Pauline O'Reilly from the Home Education Network. Both Lorna and Pauline have decided to educate their children at home and the share the experience for the benefit of listeners who might be interested in doing the same, in the immediate term or in the future. Among the various topics we discuss are: Why they began home educating their children A typical day of home educating Unschooling Autonomous Education John Holt Not following a specific curriculum A weekly routine that constantly changes Giving up a career to home educate Choices about secondary schooling and going to university Learning algebra How different families approach home education Helpful sources of information for home education Steiner Education (bringing together hands, heart and head) Dealing with challenge Dealing with boredom How active parents are as home educators as children grow older Difficult days and creating space for parents’ own projects Support of the Home Education Network Opportunities for children to socialise with other children Play-based learning World schooling Advice for parents who are currently involved in involuntary home education Deschooling

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's podcast I speak to my colleague in Marino Institute of Education, Ciara Reilly, about ideas for teaching online and offline while schools are closed. The initial impetus for our discussion was a padlet wall that Ciara developed to support teachers and which is available here. But our conversation covered many additional topics including the following: Where to start in online teaching and learning at primary school in particular. Digital Learning Framework. The value of having children work as a group rather than individually Use a timetable with children Singapore experience Acceptable Use Policies What teachers expect from students Planning for the future and online learning Risk of children spending too much time on screen The value of children being bored Use of iPads and use of textbooks Exam preparation for post-primary students Things you can do offline Hashtag for teachers to use on Twitter: #edshareie And Ciara discusses many resources available to teachers and their students including the following: Padlet Google Classroom Skype Classroom Zoom Google hangouts Aladdin Classdojo G-Suite for Education Microsoft Teams Google Docs Cúla4 Quiver 3D Gonoodle RTE 10 at 10 Body Coach, PE with Joe Bebras Khan Academy Epic Reading App Teach your monster to read Geoguessr Science Foundation Ireland Active School Flag and Run around Ireland challenge Seesaw Edmodo Webwise TikTok Net Nanny Apple Classroom Watchkin Twinkl CJ Fallon EdCo Folens PDST Distance Learning Resources

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I'm delighted to speak to Professor Kathy Hall from University College Cork. In a wide-ranging discussion about teaching, teacher education, research and policy, the topics raised include the following: Becoming a primary teacher in Carysfort College Doing a Bachelor in Arts degree in University College Dublin, with many other primary teachers, followed by a H.Dip Returning to Carysfort to do a postgraduate diploma course in special educational needs Starting a Masters degree in Trinity College, transferring to complete and PhD and becoming a teacher educator in Christchurch Canterbury College Moving to Leeds Metropolitan University and subsequently to the Open University and two years later to University College Cork Her doctoral dissertation on the topic of discovery learning and first language learning Her book, Listening to Stephen Read and its implications for teaching reading Why some children leave school with limited literacy The relationship between policy and teaching literacy How the market influences education in Ireland Assessing student teachers’ preparedness to teach literacy Summative and formative Assessment – Black and William Important Review on Formative Assessment Can anyone teach? The relationship between skills, practice and reflection in teaching School and University roles in teacher education The unifying theme across all her research Discourse analysis as a research method and what you can learn about classrooms from using this method. In this framework she refers to the IRF – initiation, response and feedback – pattern of classroom interaction. Doctoral research topics How different opportunities to learn can exist within the same classroom Problems with competitive classrooms Advice she would give the Minister for Education Etienne Wenger Communities of Practice book Tara Westover Educated

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney This week's podcast is a collaborative one with Darren Ralston from The Ed Narrative podcast. Darren was in Ireland to present a workshop at the annual conference of the Computers in Education Society of Ireland (CESI), which was held in Athlone on Saturday last. Among the topics we discuss on the podcast are the following:   Integrating technology into one’s teaching The difference between an instructional coach and a learning technology integrator Using virtual reality in the classroom, using Google Expeditions How instructional coaches are organised in US schools Becoming, and working as, an instructional coach Managing his workload as a coach Comparing mentoring and coaching as interpreted in his setting How he got into teaching How he teaches literature How he chooses literature to teach Teaching drama – using comedic improvisation Brave New World 1984 by George Orwell Starting The Ed Narrative Podcast Equipment used for podcasting Selecting guests for podcats Neil Postman

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's podcast I interview Finbarr Hurley about his experience teaching in some European Schools and about his thoughts on leadership. He is currently working as a Coordinator with the Centre for School Leadership. Among the topics we discuss on the podcast are the following: Wanting to teach from a young age His experience in Mary Immaculate College Proving yourself as a teacher when you begin in a school The importance of changing career post every 5-6 years The importance of figuring out what makes children tick Teaching in Cork and Teaching in Brussels Designing a classroom of the future A synopsis of the European Schools system Learning from working alongside teachers from other countries Moving to an International School in Qatar Working with teaching coaches Involving children in parent-teacher meetings Teaching without textbooks Bringing members of a circus in to work with his students in Germany Identifying what is valued in a school, across the school community Challenges of being a principal in Ireland Providing continuous professional development (CPD) for principals and principals’ needs for CPD Why it’s okay for principals to fail (the first attempt at learning) One of his own principals Simon Senek (Be the last to speak) Andy Hargreaves Book: Wholesome Leadership Luke Jefferson Day, editor of GQ Magazine in London. Simone Marchetti – creativity outside of education The value of sofas in classsrooms

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I speak to Dr. Liz Dunphy, Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education in Dublin City University's Institute of Education about her work. Among the topics we discuss are the following:   Choosing a career in teaching over one in law Becoming interested in early childhood education Childcare and the growth of love by John Bowlby Her first teaching job Doing a Masters degree in education in Trinity College Dublin Offering professional development for teachers through the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation Children’s early experience of number as seen through a socio-cultural lens Looking at how the work of educational researchers complement each other rather than adopting a more polarised approach. Her research on early childhood education: mathematics, curriculum, and assessment How the area of early childhood education has evolved nationally and internationally over Liz’s career in education to date Play, Playful pedagogy, and playfulness James McGarrigle – psychologist and a student of Margaret Donaldson Why international models of early childhood education cannot be imported directly to Ireland Jerome Bruner Reggio Emilia model of early childhood education Why developments in the last five years have been positive for early childhood education and care Choosing a pre-school for your child The transition from non-compulsory to compulsory education The qualities she looks for in early childhood education practice The Katie Morag books with Mairi Hedderwick How teachers and children can establish a “shared world” Understanding the child from the perspective of their family Mathematics with reason: The emergent approach to primary mathematics by Sue Atkinson:  Assessment and record keeping in early childhood education settings Vivian Gussin Paley Mollie is Three. The Boy Who Would be a Helicopter. White Teacher was also mentioned: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/88364.White_Teacher The Erikson Institute Herb Ginsburg

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's podcast I speak to Dr. Karen Edge who is a Reader in Educational Leadership at the University College London Institute of Education. Karen Edge was a keynote speaker at the 2020 annual conference of the Irish Primary Principals' Network, the IPPN. Among the topics we discussed were the following: Helping principals make their job meaningful Constraints on principals working on teaching and learning and working with students and teachers include: to be accountable, to share information, manage data, manage external relations How principals can live a full life outside of work and be a leader in their work Helping principals align their professional priorities with what students, teachers and parents expect of them Supporting a new generation of principals from Generation X (born from 1965 to 1980) in schools designed for Baby Boomer principals who have now retired or who are retiring (those born from 1946 to 1964) Collaborative decision making and Generation X leaders How leadership in education differs across countries and continents and how this is influenced by being an adult in the wider society (and why borrowing policies from other countries may not work in the same way here). Rewards of being principal Why “being busy” is not a badge of honour How schools can productively partner with schools in other countries Among the people she mentioned on the podcast were the following: Dan Freedman- book series Jamie Johnson Judy Goldberg and Wondershift Viv Grant

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's podcast I speak to Viv Grant who is Executive Coach and Director of Integrity Coaching. She was a keynote speaker at the 2020 annual conference of the Irish Primary Principals' Network. Among the topics we discuss are the following: Identifying your stories as a school leader: why are you in the profession? What motivates you? What inspires you? What brings you joy? Her story and how she began to articulate it for herself The importance for principals of recognising and articulating their inner, subconscious narrative How underlying thoughts and experiences can affect a principal’s ability to have difficult conversations Becoming aware of when the old narratives no longer serve us Getting our back stage narratives aligned with our front stage performance The role of the Centre for School Leadership What coaching for principals involves Just like social workers and psychologists get “supervision” in their work as a matter of course, so should school principals because as well as being leaders of curriculum and instruction, many of them are practising aspects of psychology and social work. Why school development and human growth and development go hand in hand and why offering coaching to principals is a way of appreciating their taking on this important role. Is coaching something that is needed on an ongoing or on a needs-only basis? How coaching for a principal works Qualities a coach needs to have in order to work with principals How coaching differs from mentoring Why supporting coaching for principals is a good investment for a school Why coaching is the norm in several other sectors How she turned around “failing” primary school How to bring about change at school level The source of a school’s vision Her book called Staying a head: The stress management secrets of successful school leaders The challenge of creating time to develop the inner work of school leadership Pauline Lysaght Jones and Mary Fuller David Whyte’s poetry John O’Donohue

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's podcast I speak to the President (Damian White), Deputy President (Brian O'Doherty) and Chief Executive Officer (Páiric Clerkin) of the Irish Primary Principals' Network at the annual conference of the Network. The IPPN is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Among the topics we discuss are the following: Damian White Workload and making the job of principal more sustainable into the future The PIEW model: Prioritise, Implement, Embed, Wait. Prioritising initiatives in a school. Refers to the Looking at our Schools document. Identifying and making room for urgent new initiatives within the PIEW model. Wellbeing Support groups for principals Working with local education centres Relationship between the Centre for School Leadership, the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) and the IPPN Relationship between the IPPN and the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) On having the Secretary General and not the Minister address the conference   Brian O’Doherty Difference between roles of President/Deputy President and Chief Executive Officer of IPPN Being principal of a large school Working collaboratively with an administrative Deputy Principal Principalship and school budgets The financial and support services unit (FFSU) and reporting procedures Challenges in managing cash flow in schools Questions principals should ask about school finances   Páiric Clerkin Reflecting on life for principals before the IPPN (on the 20th anniversary of its founding) Progress made over the last 20 years The importance of dialogue in our education system Reflecting on factors that brought about the establishment and success of the IPPN The challenge of sustainability for principals The importance of remembering small schools and teaching principals when considering policy changes What he’s reading: Uplifting Leadership: How organisations, teams, and communities raise performance by Hargreaves, Boyle and Harris.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney On this week's programme I speak to Professor Mark Morgan from Dublin City University about psychology, education, his career and his thoughts on education. Among the topics we discuss are the following: How he became interested in psychology as a student teacher in St. Patrick’s College Being taught by John McNamara (who was known for his study of bilingualism) Completing postgraduate studies in London Being appointed as lecturer in St. Patrick’s College Having Albert Bandura as a tutor when offered a fellowship at Stanford University The idea of self efficacy His interest in TV and violence, resilience and substance misuse prevention The use of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods data in psychology His doctoral research on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation His research on adversity and resilience What teachers can do to be more resilient How he planned his classes as a teacher educator How early home and school experiences influenced his subsequent interests and ideas Why psychology is useful for student teachers How the field of educational psychology has evolved over the last 50 years His involvement in the Growing Up in Ireland study Learning in later years He recommended Albert Bandura's book Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney This week I bring you an interview with the new Chief Executive Officer of Educate Together, Dr. Emer Nowlan in the week she takes up her new appointment. Among the topics we discuss are: Her career in education to date: becoming a PE teacher, running a language school in Portugal Doing a masters and doctorate in UCD Being project manager for setting up second level Educate Together schools Working on the Migrant Teacher Project Challenges faced by migrant teachers who wish to teach in Ireland Lessons learned from the Migrant Teacher Project to date Anticipating her new role as CEO of Educate Together Plans for establishing new Educate Together schools How Educate Together has evolved over the last 40 years What equality-based education looks like How to promote equality-based education without stereotyping Educate Together’s role as school patron Enrolment policies for schools The work of CEO in Educate Together Her priorities for her term as CEO Challenges facing the Educate Together sector Characteristics of a principal in an Educate Together school Facilitating denominational religious instruction in Educate Together Schools She names some people whose work she admires. Michael Apple Henry Giroux Áine Hyland Simon Lewis Kathleen Lynch

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney On this week's podcast I speak to Professor Paola Valero from Stockholm University about the political aspects of teaching in general and of teaching mathematics in particular. Professor Valero was in Ireland as a keynote speaker at the 2019 Mathematics Education in Ireland conference, which was held in Dublin City University in October. This podcast will be of interest to anyone who likes to stand back from their teaching and think about the why, what and how of their work. Among the topics we discuss in the podcast are: The difference between teacher knowledge and researcher knowledge and why both need to work together Responsibilities of researchers (in education) Relevance of her work on the politics of mathematics education for teachers Why teachers’ work is inevitably political, whether or not that is acknowledged How can teachers become more aware of their political stance (from 12’06”) What it means to be a teacher-intellectual What is political specifically in mathematics education Working with powerful and empowering knowledge It is a desired area of competence/it is highly valued Mathematics is widely assessed A brief history of how the status of mathematics in schools evolved How less was expected of girls in mathematics education The experience of learning mathematics for immigrants and people with disabilities How teachers can respond to the political nature of mathematics She recommended the work of Ole Skovsmose and in particular the chapter he co-wrote with Lene Nielsen, Critical Mathematics Education.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney On this week's podcast I am joined by author Dave Rudden who created the Knights of the Borrowed Dark trilogy. Dave talks about his own writing, about teaching writing to adults and children and he discusses the bullying that was a feature of his life in post-primary school. The specific topics discussed on the podcast are: How he began writing Knights of the Borrowed Dark as a college assignment The premise of the series Who the audience for the books is His experience in the classroom and what attracts him to writing His school visits His writing practice How he learned to write and what teachers can do to help children learn to write Getting into drama and theatre to overcome shyness Getting into live storytelling in Dublin and moving onto writing short stories and then to a Masters in Creative Writing Why Terry Pratchett is a role model He also likes Irish authors Sarah Maria Griffin, Deirdre Sullivan, Catherine Doyle. The benefits of doing a masters course in creative writing Why you don’t have to do a masters course to be a successful writer Differences in teaching writing to children and adults How teachers can teach children to write Explaining why words are weapons, writing is a muscle, and you don’t have to get it right first time The recipe for a character The recipe for a plot Stretch Goals What schools are for How teachers can support children who experience bullying A teacher who had a significant impact on him Who or what inspires him A favourite book or writer or blog about writing: Chuck Wendig, On Writing by Stephen King Neil Gaiman’s Commencement Speech: Make Good Art

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. This week's podcast is a solo episode in which I riff on the topic of homework. Your feedback and thoughts on the topic and on the podcast are welcome as always. Among the topics mentioned on the podcast are the following: Is time spent on school homework a good return on investment? Overview of podcast Why teachers give homework The Goldilocks principle and setting tasks for students, both in class and for homework Why research on homework can be problematic Lessons from research that can help children benefit from doing homework The “Matthew Effect” in homework Acquiring the habit of doing homework Image of rider, elephant and path from the books Switch and The Happiness Hypothesis. I also drew on ideas from Atomic Habits in the podcast. Questions to ask your child about homework Teaching your child strategies for doing homework How teachers can make homework more interesting for children When parents and teachers provide contradictory information for children Study strategies teachers can teach children

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's podcast I bring you interviews from students, teachers and organisers who attended the National Finals of Scifest 2019 in Marino Institute of Education on Friday, 22 November. Among the guests I speak to are the following: Sheila Porter, the founder and CEO of Scifest Aideen Hodgins from TU Dublin – Blanchardstown Students Ella, Eva and Willemijn from Loreto Balbriggan Students Caomhán Budhlaeir and Illann Wall from Presentation Brothers’ College, Cork Teacher Kristina Troy from Kishoge Community College Overall Winner Timothy McGrath from Killorglin Community College Former winner Aaron Hannon Eoin Gill from Waterford Institute of Technology. Rory Geoghegan

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I bring you an interview with Liam Murray who is secretary of Ficheall, a network of teachers around Ireland who teach chess in primary school. Among the topics discussed and the resources mentioned are the following: Is chess a curricular or extra-curricular activity? What students learn from playing chess: developing their social, cognitive and mental fitness skills How he organises chess teaching in his own classroom, using the lesson plans on the website and adopting a “(mini-) game-based” approach Organising a school chess tournament Helping students lose and win gracefully Using a points system to decide who wins a game of chess with limited time to play Describing the game of chess (what is meant by checkmate and castling?) History of the game How chess compares to draughts How children respond to playing chess How Liam first became involved in teaching chess in schools when he was a student teaher How different children respond to learning or playing chess Playing face to face versus playing on apps or computers Children getting better at chess over time The “Masters” competition (for fifth and sixth class) and the “Budding Masters” competition (for third and fourth class). Children playing chess from first class onwards Why it’s good to play chess with players who are better than you (“If you’re not losing, you’re not learning”) Resources available on the Ficheall website The Ficheall network of teachers How inter-school chess tournaments are organised (the “Swiss System, ” timing games) The role of chess arbiters in inter-school tournaments Relationship of Ficheall to Moves for Life How Liam got interested in chess himself Follow-on opportunities for children to play chess Opportunities for playing chess in post primary schools (Leinster Schools Chess Association) The use of clocks in professional chess games What is school for/what are schools for Volunteering with Graham Jones and the Solas Project How he is inspired by the selfless dedication of teachers Evidence-Based Teachers’ Network Anseo podcasts Book Bounce by Matthew Syed. Book Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed. Book Bad Science by Ben Goldacre

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney On this week's podcast I speak to Professor Nell Duke from the University of Michigan School of Education about literacy education and project-based instruction. Professor Duke was a keynote speaker at the 43rd Annual Conference of the Literacy Association of Ireland. Among the wide range of topics we discuss on the podcast and the resources mentioned are the following:   The role of project-based literacy in promoting reading and writing development The importance of purpose and audience for children’s writing Sources of project ideas: Edutopia, PBL works, Nell’s website Identifying sources of project in local communities Incorporating student voice and choice into projects Teacher preparation to design the flow of a project work with students Nell’s website – Inside Information Downloadables The importance of audience beyond teachers, parents and grandparents Working alone versus working in groups on projects At what age can children begin to work on project-based literacy? The ideal duration of a project The balance of literacy goals and cross-curricular goals in project-based literacy instruction Educating children from an early age about trustworthy sources. The use of the mnemonic WWWDOT (Who? Why? When? Does it meet my needs? Organisation of site/text? To Do List for future) Molly of Denali Helping students move beyond bland responses to peers’ work Various templates mentioned available here. Why reading is so hard for many students to master The DRIVE model of reading (Deploying Reading in Varied Environments) The value of teaching sound-letter relationships; deliberately teaching phonics, morphology and text structure Gaps between research on reading instruction and the practice of reading instruction Reliable sources of research evidence for teachers: Institute of Education Sciences What Works Clearinghouse; Practice guides. Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators General Education Leadership Network Early Literacy Task Force and Literacy Essentials. International Literacy Association. Literacy Association of Ireland. Responding to differences among students in a literacy classroom: small group literacy instruction Why it’s important to teach reading and writing together. See work by Gram and Hebert (2010). What parents can do in the home to promote literacy achievement What a typical working day is like for her and how she manages her time Knowing what not to do in teaching Not this but that book series. What schools are for She loves reading: Reading Research Quarterly (Journal of the International Literacy Association), Scientific Studies of Reading, Review of Educational Research. In her keynote address Nell referred to the following websites, which were not mentioned in the podcast. I'm listing them here because they may be of help to some listeners. High Quality Project Based Learning Pow+Tree Writing Strategy She also referred to this article which was a meta-analysis of process writing.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney This week on the podcast I speak to Michael Moriarty, who has been leading in education and other sectors for a number of decades, as a teacher, a principal, Head of Education and Training Boards Ireland and as CEO of a local radio station. His new book, Every Leader's Reality Guide: Strategies to Release Your True Leadership Potential has been released and it distills the lessons about leading that Michael learned through mentorship, training and self-reflection on his various roles. Among the topics we discuss on the podcast are the following: How leadership begins with self-awareness and self-reflection. How leadership in education differs to other leadership roles The source of authority How he looked to leaders he admired for inspiration Power comes from respect rather than position His experience of being bullied in post-primary school and how he learned the importance of standing up for himself Being isolated in his professional role The importance of allies and alliances Building a media profile Establishing credibility as a leader and the ability to communicate The importance of having mentors How a leader shows they value people Reading leadership books and biographies (e.g. Boris Johnson’s book on Churchill) Leadership and influence The stance he took in a job interview for a leadership position Why you should hire people who are better than you Why leaders need to be able to say “sorry” Learning leadership through union politics How he came to head up a radio station His ongoing pursuit of challenges in his work Michael mentioned a number of inspirational resources during the interview, including the following:   Senator Ted Kennedy’s 1980 Convention speech Stephen R. Covey The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Dale Carnegie How to Win Friends and Influence People John C Maxwell Talent is Never Enough Search for the Hero by M People

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's Inside Education I bring you another chance to meet with Jane Shimizu where she tells us about her participation in Science on Stage over the midterm break. We also discuss the participation of her class in the Scoil Féile Drámaíochta. From research I bring some insights around education and sleep following my reading of Matthew Walker's book, Why We Sleep. Among the topics I discuss with Jane Shimizu are the following: Her participation in the Science on Stage Festival this week in Portugal, representing Irish teachers. Getting children interested in science through space using projectiles and rockets How she makes mouse, toilet roll, air, straw and foam projectiles with her class The science and maths that can be based around foam projectiles Making predictions and recording answers to questions Using controls and the importance of fair tests How she times activities to coincide with Space Week. Sharing work with other classes and hosting a space display day for parents. Structuring lessons around projectiles and rockets and how they provide integration opportunities with several other curriculum subjects. What happens when questions arise to which she does not know the answer. Online resources: https://www.dltk-teach.com/, https://www.safesearchkids.com/. Her school’s website. Here are some of the links Jane recommended. Recommended sources for ideas and materials for teaching about space and science from ESERO and Science Foundation Ireland. Her class, which is in a school serving an area traditionally associated with disadvantage, participates in An Féile Scoildrámaíochta by entering a musical each year. Because many of the available scripts are intended for students in Gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht schools, Jane writes her own scripts for her class. How she prepares the class during the school year for staging the musical

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney On this week's podcast I discuss several matters related to teacher education with Professor Ian Menter from Oxford University's Department of Education. The topics we discuss are the following: The Teacher Education Groups study of teacher education policy across the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. How England is an outlier in attempts to weaken the link between universities and schools in teacher education. Work he’s doing in Ireland with the National Institute for Studies in Education (NISE) based on collaboration across the three teacher education institutions based there. His overview of developments in teacher education across the five nations. The Teach First model of teacher education and its impact on the wider system. Teacher retention and teacher burn-out Evidence-based Teaching: Trials conducted by the Educational Endowment Foundation. The work of the Chartered College of Teaching in England, which has a remit similar to that of Teaching Councils elsewhere; its CEO, Alison Peacock, is committed to evidence-based teaching. How teachers can develop research literacy through their initial teacher education courses and through continuing professional development that is oriented towards evidence-based inquiry. A tendency for post-holders in schools to be “research leads” – people who overview what is happening in school in terms of research and development, who seek outside research that could inform practice and who liaise with universities on research. In some cases there may be research committees in schools. How these ideas can be traced back to the writings of John Dewey and Lawrence Stenhouse – the latter was writing about the “teacher as researcher” in 1975. An increased range of publications now in which research is published for a teacher readership. The need to fund longitudinal research studies into how teachers learn teaching and independent, large-scale studies into teaching and teacher education to inform practice and policy. Envisages greater interaction between the practice, policy and research communities Teachers as researchers Economic (preparing for the workforce), citizenship (engage in community and political system) and cultural (ideas, history to have a sense of the meaning of the world around us) have been the historical purposes of education. Different forces operate behind each of the aims and the balance among them can vary. Research training schools in Finland, linked to universities could be explored more systematically elsewhere. Teacher as a researcher v teacher as a reflective practitioner: Phases on a four-point continuum: Effective teacher Reflective teacher Inquiring teacher and Transformative teacher The kind of initial preparation needed for future primary teachers Difficulties in assessing a student teacher’s preparedness for success in the classroom. Comparison between difficulties in evaluating a teacher’s potential and evaluating potential elite players in sports. His views on having common standards for teachers – benefits and limitations How he came to begin his career as a primary school teacher – the intellectual, emotional and personal challenges of teaching Making the transition from being a teacher to being a teacher educator What schools are for (and not for) A teacher who had a significant impact on him Favourite writers on education: C Wright Mills The Sociological Imagination, which is about the relationship between personal experience and problems in society. Paolo Freire on education for liberation and education for democracy.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney On this week's programme I bring you a special episode for Maths Week and to mark the seventh conference of Mathematics Education in Ireland held last weekend in Dublin City University's Institute of Education. First I speak to Dr. Siún Nic Mhuirí (from 1'43") from Dublin City University about the Maths4All project she's working on. Among the topics we discuss are: The Maths4All website and resources Alan Schoenfeld's Teaching for Robust Understanding (TRU) framework Challenges of developing video representations of teaching Pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching mathematics Her thoughts on this year’s Mathematics Education in Ireland conference A message about the importance of believing that maths is for all students Next I speak to Dr. Natthapoj Vincent Trakulphadetkrai from the University of Reading (from 15' 51") about using picture story books to teach mathematics.We discuss the following: His goal to have mathematics picture story books used in both primary and secondary schools to teach mathematics Why picture books can help students learn abstract topics Handa’s Surprise Sir Cumference series Using a picture book to provide context for a lesson Reading a story to apply learning to help characters in a story solve a problem How to use a maths picture story book in a mathematics lesson Benefits of using maths picture story books How children react to using maths picture story books in maths class Children writing their own maths picture story books Papert’s theory of constructionism When should maths picture story books be used in mathematics teaching His website mathsthroughstories.org His view of effective mathematics teaching The journey that brought him from Thailand to England Why he likes the Times Educational Supplement The episode closes with a rant from me about teaching mathematics. I refer to the following books: W. Timothy Gallwey The Inner Game of Tennis Donald Graves A Fresh Look at Writing

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.

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 David Walliams 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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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 Lin Goodwin from the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong. We continue the discussion we began on last week's programme about mentoring and progress onto other topics. Among the matters discussed this week are: How to recognise when the moment is right for mentor input What trends she perceives in the future of mentoring Rounds as a practice in teacher education Her work as Dean How she uses her teaching skills in her work as Dean Looking at education and teaching across cultures Ruth Wong Who and what inspires her When I asked A. Lin Goodwin for her favourite book about education, she nominated, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, a book that was also recommended by Karen Hammerness when I spoke to her.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme tune by David Vesey On this week's programme I interview Professor A. Lin Goodwin, Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong and formerly of Teachers College, Columbia University about mentoring and teaching. Among the topics we discuss are the following: What mentoring is and is not Everyone can be a mentor but people need to learn to mentor Her experiences of being mentored by Celia Genishi The kind of honesty that mentors need to have The kind of feedback that is helpful Skills and behaviours of mentors Mentoring future researchers Mentoring future teachers Mentors learning from mentees Letting mentees make mistakes Problems if a mentor is reluctant to give candid feedback Why having a framework or a mindset is better than having a formula for giving feedback Getting away from looking at teaching dichotomously Mentors for different occasions Reluctant mentees Some moments are more productive for mentoring than others

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme tune by David Vesey This week on the programme I speak to Colm Byrne who graduated as a primary teacher from Marino Institute of Education in 2003 and two colleagues Sophen and Sowuen from Cambodia about education in Cambodia. They all work for the non governmental organisation See Beyond Borders. Among the topics we discuss are the following: How Colm Byrne went to live and work in Cambodia The state of education in Cambodia Why teachers matter more than buildings at this time Learning English in Cambodia Children dropping out of school after second class Support from the INTO, Irish Aid and Horseware Horseware

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme tune by David Vesey This week I am joined on the programme by Professor David Clarke and Dr. Man Ching Esther Chan from the Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne. We discussed many aspects of research and teaching, with a focus on mathematics, tasks, questioning and language. Among the topics discussed were: Why a laboratory classroom was set up at the University of Melbourne The social unit of learning research project The layout of the laboratory classroom Negotiating of meaning in mathematics tasks (e.g. meaning of average) Using open ended tasks in teaching mathematics Marking answers to open ended mathematical tasks Involving students in assessing Sources of open-ended tasks If the area of an apartment is 60 square metres, what might the five-room apartment look like? Picture a bar graph where all you have are the bars and the axes but no labels of any sort. What might this be a bar graph of? Label the bar graph and explain what information is contained in the graph. The average age of a family of five people is 25 and one of them is the same age as you. Who might the people be? What are their ages? And how are they related to one another? The average of five numbers is 17.2. What might the five numbers be? A number is rounded off to 5.3. What might the number be? The difference between good questions and good questioning Asking the question, “what is your utility function?” (i.e. that which is maximised by a system) Recognising the learning potential of student voice and cultural differences in how student voice is promoted and elicited Finding tasks that link to the curriculum The Lexicon project Among the collaborators named by David and Esther were Peter Sullivan, and Neil Mercer. He also mentioned this paper on "initiating and Eliciting in Teaching: A reformulation of Telling" by Joanne Lobato, David Clarke and Amy Burns Ellis.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme tune by David Vesey This week on the programme I explore the area of postgraduate study in education. Why do a postgraduate accredited course? Where to do it? When is a good time to do it? How to choose it and ways to do it? Who to study with? Such courses are addressed to the extent that they can be within a 30-minute course. To respond to any of the ideas raised, leave an idea on the programme's website or on Twitter using the handle, @insideed. One website mentioned on the programme is the MOOC, Coursera.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme tune by David Vesey This week my guest is Thomas Moore who gave a talk on "The Inner Landscape of the Educator in Difficult Times" in Marino Institute of Education earlier this year. Among the topics we discussed are: How as a culture we prefer training to education and the differences between them Where he would like education to take place Why the colours, sounds, images and textures around you matter when you learn Source of curriculum: What does it mean to be an educated person? What it requires of each of us to be human, to be good citizens The spiritual nature of humans in our search for meaning Having students go on a “pilgrimage” back to their childhood to get in touch with their essential selves Aspects of spirituality religions have traditionally ignored in their emphases on dogmatism and moralism Exploring basic questions through literature and the arts He referred to Homer’s Odyssey, Horton Foote's play The Trip to Bountiful, and the poets Emily Dickinson, Wallace Stevens and John Keats.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme tune by David Vesey On this week's programme I bring you some interviews I recorded at the 2019 annual conference of the Irish Primary PE Association which was held in the Watershed, Kilkenny on 9 March. First I spoke to Dr. Liam Clohessy, who is chair of the Association and Cameron Stewart who is a member of the Scottish Association of Teachers of Physical Education. Among the topics we covered were Adapting games for use in PE Using PE to develop leadership, resilience and fair play Why physical education is more than physical activity Time allocated to teaching physical education The place of physical education in Scotland Motivating children who are reluctant to engage in physical education class Benefits and drawbacks of specialist teachers for physical education Cameron recommended Joey Feith's website and Liam recommended the websites Move Well and Move Often and the PE section of the PDST website. Next I spoke to Dr. Frances Murphy from Dublin City University. The topics we discussed included: Evaluating the Irish Primary PE Association today Strengths and challenges of PE in Ireland today The benefits of integrating physical education with other school subjects How physical education can contribute to addressing obesity among children Frances recommended checking out the Primary Schools’ Sports Initiative resource.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme tune by David Vesey On this week's programme I bring you more from my interview with Professor Gert Biesta, who is Professor of Public Education at Maynooth University. What comes through in everything he says is the respect and love he has for teaching. Among the wide range of topics we discuss are the following: Who he writes for when he writes about education Speaking and thinking about education in an educational way How philosophy can inform the practice of teachers Designing and teaching a module on philosophy for future teachers The importance of asking good questions The relevance of Kierkegaard and “Double truth giving” in teaching Teaching for the possibility of being taught John Dewey’s critique of the modern scientific world view PE teachers who had a significant impact on him Why schools should surprise What inspires him The book he is currently reading is in German and it is Allgemeine Pädagogik by Dietrich Benner. He also referred to the work of Homer Lane, whose most famous book is Talks to Parents and Teachers. He also referred to the book, Beyond the Present and the Particular by Charles H. Bailey.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme tune by David Vesey On this week's programme I speak to Gert Biesta who is Professor of Public Education at Maynooth University. Among the topics we discuss on the programme are: Why he took up a position in Ireland The work of the Centre for Public Education and Pedagogy at Maynooth University How he’ll get to know the Irish education system How teacher education in Ireland differs from teacher education in England The emergence of a competitive mindset in education across countries What good education is in an age of measurement Balancing three purposes of education The place of equity, diversity and social justice in education Implications of the disappearance of teaching and the rise of learning over the last 25 years The gift of teaching

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme music by David Vesey This week I bring you my third and final episode from the 2019 annual conference of the Irish Primary Principals' Network. First of all I step inside the Aquaculture Remote Classroom to find out what's in store for schools when the mobile classroom visits and I speak to John Hurley of H2 Learning who was involved in designing the experience. I also speak to Damian White who is Deputy President of the Irish Primary Principals' Network. Among the topics we discuss are: The highlight of the conference for him Prioritising initiatives for schools The role of a school in a community How the IPPN has encouraged cooperation across schools Teachers who taught him How he’d like to be perceived by students in his school

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme tune by David Vesey On this week's programme I continue my conversation on teaching literacy in the early years with Dr. Tara Concannon-Gibney from Dublin City University. The occasion was to mark the publication by Routledge of Tara's book Teaching Essential Literacy Skills in the Early Years Classroom: A Guide for Students and Teachers. Among the topics we discuss on this week's programme are: Her definition of literacy Digital texts and literacy Why some children struggle with reading How parents can help their child to read How a parent should react to a child reading when the child comes to a word that is not known Advice for choosing a book for a child The benefits of repetitive reading of texts Poetry and literacy skills How she became interested in the area of literacy How she went about writing the book In the course of our interview Tara mentioned texts by the following writers: Mem Fox, Georgia Heard, Lucy Calkins, Oliver Jeffers, Hervé Tullet, and Julia Donaldson.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme tune by David Vesey The guest on this week's programme is Dr. Tara Concannon Gibney who is an assistant professor in Dublin City University. The interview is to mark the launch of Tara's new book Teaching Essential Literacy Skills in the Early Years Classroom: A Guide for Students and Teachers, which is published by Routledge. Among the topics we discuss this week are the following: Why she wrote the book Phonological awareness and how to develop it using games Using big books to teach literacy (e.g. Owl Babies) How to teach phonics Sequence for teaching phonics Developing fluency Teaching concepts of print Tier 2 vocabulary Comprehension strategies – Gradual release of responsibility model High frequency – Dolch - words Guided reading literacy centres Role of play in developing language and literacy

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. Theme tune by David Vesey. On this week's programme, the guests were two of the keynote speakers from the 2019 annual conference of the Irish Primary Principals' Network, the IPPN, Adam Harris and Patrick O'Shea. Adam Harris is the Chief Executive Officer of AsIAm, an organisation set up to give people with autism a voice. My conversation with Adam included the following topics: His message for primary school principals The importance of school culture The “scattered skill sets” of people with autism The value of focusing on a student’s strengths Disclosing the having of autism Support for students with autism A student’s relationship with their SNA The work of As I Am Awareness of versus Understanding People with autism Coping mechanisms for difficult situations and places Being diagnosed as having autism   Professor Patrick O'Shea was appointed President of University College Cork in 2017 following a three-decade career in academia in the United States. My conversation with Patrick included the topics below: Why he sees Brexit as a tremendous opportunity for Ireland and Irish education Why he emigrated to the United States and how Ireland changed while he was away His impression of University culture in the United States The mission of University College Cork How learning will happen without teaching Educating explorers rather than training tourists Motivation of Students The role of a School of Education in a University Comparing leadership of a university with leading a primary school A typical day Junior Conferring Why history is what’s left when the noise and the news are gone

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme tune by David Vesey. This week I bring you the first of my interviews recorded at the 2019 annual conference of the Irish Primary Principals' Network. The theme of the conference was Sustainable Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities. My interview today is with the Chief Executive Officer of the Network, Páiric Clerkin. Among the various topics discussed this week are: Relief from teaching duties on one day a week for teaching principals Restoration of posts of responsibility in larger schools Establishment of the Primary Education Forum (Calendar of reform) Problems in schools arising from children who are homeless or in direct provision His priorities for the year ahead (mentoring and the Centre for School Leadership; redeveloping online services) Members’ positive response to the address by the Minister for Education and Skills Applying for a position as School Principal Prioritising for principals and making school leadership "doable" Teachers’ developing their expertise in areas they’re passionate about Transitioning into the role of CEO of the IPPN The writings of Andy Hargreaves

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 Paul O'Donnell, Principal of St. Patrick's National School in Slane. Among the topics we discuss on this week's programme are: His work with the CPSMA Numbers applying for principalship Principals acting as gatekeepers Challenges of being a principal with full teaching duties What schools are for (and a sense of place) What inspires him Being outdoors in poor weather Outdoor education in the United States Questions to ask yourself before applying for principalship Favourite book, writer Among the books he recommends are The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli and Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday on leadership and Messy Maths by Juliet Robertson. He follows Tom Bennett (@tombennett71) and Pasi Sahlberg (@pasi_sahlberg) on Twitter.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme tune by David Vesey On this week's programme I speak to Paul O'Donnell who is principal of St. Patrick's National School in Slane, Co. Meath. He is the author of Wild Teaching: Cross-curricular Lessons Outdoors for Agoraphobic Teachers which is published by Meath County Council. Among the topics we discussed are: How his upbringing fostered a love of the outdoors The influence of Paddy Madden on his work as a teacher How tempting it is to teach indoors all the time Having students gather resources for lessons Specific lessons in Wild Teaching Making the transition from teaching to being principal Challenges of principalship Eliciting voices of children in running the school Learning about life and death through keeping hens in school The school garden Minimising rubbish in the school Earning six green flags for the school

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme tune David Vesey On this week's programme I speak to two teacher educators, Anja Swennen from the University of Amsterdam and Professor Kay Livingston from the University of Glasgow. Kay Livingston talks about innovative teaching with specific reference to a cross-European research study she is conducting with colleagues in her Research Development Community of the Association of Teacher Education in Europe. Anja Swennen continues the discussion which was begun on last week's programme and among the topics discussed are the following: How she goes about her work as a scholar of the history of education Using “memorial books” to write about the history of institutions Teacher education in the Netherlands during the Second World War. Returning to “normal” after the Second World War Teachers who had significant impacts on her How her father inspires her Why she likes the work of Michael Apple and especially his book Education and Power and John Loughran, whose book is titled Developing a pedagogy of teacher education: Understanding Teaching & Learning about Teaching.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme music by David Vesey On this week's programme I discuss teacher education with Anja Swennen from the VU University, Amsterdam. I met up with her at the annual conference of the Association for Teacher Education of Europe in Gavle, Sweden in August 2018. Among the topics we discuss in this part of the interview are the following: Jean Murray’s idea of first-order and second-order practitioner The move from expert teacher to novice teacher educator Recruiting a teacher educator The curriculum for a course in Teacher Education Preparing for registration as a Teacher Educator in the Netherlands Identity of Teacher Educators (Subject specialist; pedagogue; a teacher in higher education; researcher; and teacher) Teacher Educators and researching practice and research in schools How history of education can help teachers understand their work

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme music composed and arranged by David Vesey This week I bring you the second part of my interview with Katie Ashford Deputy Head of Michaela Community School in Wembley Park in London. The wide range of topics we discuss include the following: Michaela Community School Building The Teach First Programme Starting a blog, which led to a job offer Personalised Instruction and whole class instruction Her blog posts A typical day Family Lunch (at school) What she likes most/least about teaching Her ideal English lesson What schools are for Teachers who had a significant impact on her Who inspires her Katie also referred to Tom Bennett's blog and to books by Daisy Christodoulou and Daniel Willingham.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. Theme music composed and arranged by David Vesey. On this week's programme I speak to Katie Ashford who is Deputy Head and Director of Inclusion at Michaela Community School in Wembley Park London. Her blog is called Tabula Rasa. We talk about school culture and other aspects of teaching. In the course of our discussion Katie mentions how she is inspired by people such as Rafe Esquith and Erin Gruwell. Different kinds of school culture Identifying problems in a school Changing School Culture Why teaching is tiring The kind of records UK teachers need to keep Marking children’s work The approach used by teachers in Michaela Community School: teacher as authority

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme music composed and arranged by David Vesey On this week's programme I bring you the second part of my interview with Professor Anne O'Gara, former President of Marino Institute of Education and current board member of Tusla. Among the topics we cover in this part of the interview are: The role for inspectors in our education system Giving and receiving feedback Recognising learning The Home School Community Liaison Scheme – Establishment and Purpose Dr Concepta Conaty’s vision for the Home School Community Liaison Scheme Her primary teaching experience What schools are for A teacher who had a significant impact on her

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme music composed and arranged by David Vesey On this week's programme I speak to my friend and former colleague, Professor Anne O'Gara. Professor O'Gara was President of Marino Institute of Education from 2006 to 2018. Prior to that she taught in primary schools for several years before becoming Assistant National Coordinator of the Home-School-Community Liaison Scheme, and subsequently an inspector at the Department of Education and Skills. In this first part of our interview we focused on leadership in education. Among the topics discussed were: Entering an institution as a new leader Identifying priorities as a leader Bringing about Change and Resistance to Change Doing courses, lifelong learning and coaching Developing new courses Changing your leadership style 360-degree feedback Preparing for difficult conversations Partnerships with stakeholders What she misses and does not miss about the work

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme tune composed and arranged by David Vesey On this week's programme I bring you new excerpts from guests who featured on recent programmes: Frank McNally who is the main contributor to the Irishman's Diary column in The Irish Times, was a keynote speaker at the annual conference of the Literacy Association of Ireland. David Powell from the University of Huddersfield and Arjen Wals from the Wageningen University both contributed to the annual conference of the Association for Teacher Education in Europe. In the course of his interview David Powell referred to the research team led by Stephen Kemmis. Arjen Wals named a number of concepts, people, websites and publications related to sustainability and education. Doughnut Economy Martha Nussbaum Gert Biesta Michael Apple Peter McClaren Naomi Klein This Changes Everything Website: transformativelearning.nl Transgressive learning.org The Global Education Monitor Report (2016) Education for People and Planet: Creating Sustainable Futures for All.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I speak to the main author of An Irishman's Diary in The Irish Times, Frank McNally. Frank was a keynote speaker at the 42nd annual conference of the Literacy Association of Ireland. Among the topics covered in the interview are the following: Why Frank's family members were known by the nickname the “College” McNallys. Among native English speakers, why only the Irish and the Scots use the expression “Amn’t I?” Doing two Leaving Certificates and no Inter Cert Doing a masters degree without doing a bachelors degree How he goes about writing An Irishman’s Diary in The Irish Times The books he read while attending the “University of Life” Two English teachers who had a significant impact on him

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme tune composed and arranged by David Vesey On this week's programme I speak to Ray Gallon of the Transformation Society about education outside the formal settings of school. I interviewed Ray at the 2018 annual conference of the Association for Teacher Education in Europe. Among the topics we discuss are the following: How the phrase “knowledge is power” has changed meaning Educating outside formal school settings Working with different sized groups Presenting webinars How he organises his own learning Effective presentations How teaching is changing Ingredients of a good radio programme Difference between a radio programme and a podcast What inspires him personally and professionally

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney Theme music composed and arranged by David Vesey. On this week's programme I speak to Arjen Wals from the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands where he is Professor of Transformative Learning for Socioecological Sustainability/UNESCO Chair. He was a keynote speaker at the 2018 annual conference of the Association for Teacher Education of Europe, which was held in Gävle in Sweden in August. Among the topics we discussed were the following: Why a sustainable approach to teaching is important Why teachers alone cannot bring about sustainable living How to promote sustainable choices in education How sustainable choices may vary from one place to another Why making teachers more accountable discourages them from taking risks CSI – Critical Sustainability Investigations (example with old mobile phones) Students taking photos of things that bother them in their environment and sharing them “Alternative” pedagogies (experimental learning, embodied learning, place-based learning, discovery learning, problem-based learning) The risk of having future people in power acting in an eco-totalitarian manner if sustainability issues are not addressed while time is available What Policymakers can do to make education more sustainable During our conversation Professor Wals referred to Fairphone.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. Today I speak to Dr. David Powell from the University of Huddersfield about teacher education. I met up with David at the 2018 annual conference of the Association for Teacher Education in Europe. Among the topics we discuss are: The soul of teacher education The apprenticeship model of learning to teach Observing teaching using the "Viewing Frame"

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney This week I'm delighted to bring you the second part of my interview with Niamh Dunphy, the teacher behind the blog and social media resource Irish Primary Teacher. Among the topics we talk about on the programme this week are: Plans for developing Irish Primary Teacher Where she gets her lesson ideas Using the store to encourage users to remain on the website How she reviews products for the Reviews section Clothing and teaching What she likes most and finds most challenging about teaching Differences between teaching in England and teaching in Ireland Her favourite subject to teach What she has learned from teaching to date What are schools for? A teacher who had a significant impact on her Who inspires her Why she finds Instagram better than books A change she would make in her current school And much more!

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I speak to Niamh Dunphy, the person behind the hugely popular Irish Primary Teacher, blog, Facebook page and Instagram account. Among the topics we discuss in this first part of our interview are: Why she set up the blog, and pages on Instagram and Facebook Her positive and negative experiences of teaching in England What she knows about her audience Dividing content among various social media platforms How teachers support each other through social media What posts are most popular Dealing with trolls and negative comments How much time it takes

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I speak to Catherine O'Connor about making the transition from post-primary school to college. Catherine is author of the book, Cracking the College Code: Making the Most of the First Year College Experience. To get your own copy of Catherine O’Connor’s book Cracking the College Code: Making the most of the first year college experience, you can enter the competition on the programme this week. Either send your name and where you’re listening from, by e-mail to insideeducation@dublincityfm.ie. Or else retweet the link to this week’s programme on Twitter and include the hashtag #collegecode. Enter by midnight, Irish time on Monday, 8th October 2018.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney This week I speak to my colleague in Marino Institute of Education, Dr. Denis Robinson, about leadership in education and specifically leadership in Christian Education. Denis Robinson is the Coordinator of the Masters in Education Studies course, Leadership in Christian Education, a degree accredited by Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin. Among the topics we discuss in the interview are: His conception of leadership What leader inspires him The value of daily reflection for leaders The course he offers on Leadership in Christian Education at the Marino Institute of Education How he has learned about educational leadership from Parker Palmer What is distinctive about leadership in Christian Education What school is for This is the final Inside Education in the current series. A new series will begin in October 2018.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney This week I am joined by University College Dublin School of Education Professor, Ciaran Sugrue, to discuss child-centred education, school leadership and educational research in Ireland. Among the topics we discuss are: Children-centred education Lack of mobility for teachers Privileging good relations in school Unmasking school leadership Continuous professional development – changes over the last two decades Despite Ireland's size, how schools vary a lot The value of teachers collaborating on projects His tenure as editor of Irish Educational Studies His thoughts about educational research in Ireland

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney On this week's programme I am joined again by Dr. Karen Hammerness who is the Director of Edcuational research and Evaluation at the American Museum of Natural History. This week we talk about the Museum as a site for education, including teacher education and we hear about the innovative programmes the museum has in place for educating people in and about science. Among the topics discussed this week are: The education programmes of the Museum Museum-based teacher education Learning about teaching and teacher education in Norway Outdoor education in Norway Building community in school What school is for What inspires her Books that have influenced her (The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures and Metaphors We Live By)

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney On this week's programme I speak to one of the most prominent scholars of teacher education in the United States, Dr. Karen Hammerness. Dr. Hammerness is the Director of Educational Research and Evaluation at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, where I met up with her recently. She has conducted research into teachers' visions and into teacher education and these were the topics we discussed in this part of our interview. The specific points covered include: What teacher education programmes can learn from each other How clinical work is becoming part of teacher education How to evaluate or “get to know” a teacher education programme Preparing teachers for specific kinds of school settings How she would design a brand new teacher education programme How would you design a school that mentored novice teachers How do you decide if a teacher is ready for independent practice in a classroom? The importance of a teacher having a vision for their work What constitutes a teacher’s vision? What is the source of a teacher’s vision for teaching?

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I speak to four educational researchers who have just had their third book about educational research published by Bloomsbury. The new boook by Máirín Glenn, Mary Roche, Caitríona McDonagh, and Bernie Sullivan is titled Learning Communities in Educational Partnerships: Action Research as Transformation. They have also set up a website to support action researchers at www.eari.ie. Among the topics we discuss on the programme are: How this book differs to their previous ones The link between professional development and action research The transformative power of action research for teachers How the authors define research How action research works in practice Brookfield’s lenses I have previously spoken to Máirín, Mary, Caitriona and Bernie on programmes 235 and 324,

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I speak to online strength and fitness coach Mike Vacanti who runs the On the Regimen website. He also has his own YouTube Channel, which contains hundreds of vlogs and videos about health and fitness. I speak to Mike about his own physical education and about his participation in the Ultimate Sweat Challenge. Among the topics discussed are: His own physical and health education What would he prioritise in a physical education curriculum What kept him motivated to continue with sport through his teen years and beyond What would he say to a child who works hard at sport but who is never picked for the team His thoughts on motivating people who are not interested in physical education to be more participative in the subject How he plans videos on his website to make them educational His role as mentor for the Ultimate Sweat endeavour What he learned as mentor for the Ultimate Sweat Why consistency trumps perfection Mike referred to websites he finds helpful in the areas of nutrition, fitness and strength. They include: Lyle MacDonald’s website Brad Schoenfeld's website Eric Helms's website Rhonda Patrick's website Mike Matthews's website

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney On this week's programme I bring you my interview with Professor Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Professor Lawrence-Lightfoot has written 10 books, including The Good High School: Portraits of Character and Culture and The Essential Conversation: What Parents and Teachers Can Learn from Each Other. In the course of our interview, we discussed the following matters: Diversity and tokenism Why education research needs to move away from a pathological approach An alternative approach to conducting educational research Visibility of children in classrooms When global atrocities make the news, how can they be handled in classrooms? What looking at education through a sociological lens can make visible The importance of context in social science research Portraiture as a form of research Her book Exit: The Endings that Set Us Free Why truth matters more than facts

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I bring you the second part of my interview with someone who was listed as one of the most eminent psychologists of the twentieth century, Professor Jerome Kagan of Harvard University. In the course of this interview we discuss some of Professor Kagan's recent publications. The topics covered included: Psychology's Ghosts: The Crisis in the Profession and the Way Back Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Stress Language and phenomena in psychology The crisis in psychology and what can be done about it The biggest unanswered question of all in developmental psychology Unresolved issues in human morality Five Constraints on Predicting Behavior

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I speak to one of the pre-eminent developmental psychologists of the twentieth century who continues publishing books and articles up to the present day. Professor Jerome Kagan of Harvard University has conducted research into infants' temperaments and how they are related to personality in later life. He is interested in how psychology can inform teachers' work. Among the topics we discuss in this part of the interview are: The relationship between temperament and personality How knowing about temperament helps teachers Children who find it harder to work in groups Insights the discipline of psychology offers to teachers Auditory and visual acuity Short-term, recall and episodic memory Ability to Infer Deduction Questions he’d like educational psychologists to answer What teachers need to know about human emotions

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney This week I look ahead to the upcoming conference of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) with Professor Ciarán Sugrue. The theme of the conference is "50 Years On: Reflecting on the Legacy of Free Second-Level Education." In the interview we discuss educational research, teacher education, and the impact that free education has had on the teaching profession.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I am in conversation with five people asking them questions about education. I begin with Dr Pádraig Hogan, a Senior Lecturer in Maynooth University and then I speak to the authors of a new book on educational research titled Learning Communities in Educational Partnerships: Action Research as Transformation. The authors are Máirín Glenn, Mary Roche, Caitríona McDonagh and Bernie Sullivan and they coordinate Educational Action Research Ireland. Among the books mentioned on the programme are the following: Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paolo Freire Teacher by Sylvia Ashton-Warner An Experiment in Education by Sybil Marshall This book doesn’t make ... by Jean Augur

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme my guest is teacher educator and philosopher Dr. Pádraig Hogan of the Department of Education at Maynooth University. I spoke to Pádraig at the annual conference of the Educational Studies Association of Ireland. Among the topics we discussed in a wide-ranging interview were: The purpose of schools Truth and education Teaching as a way of life Learning as a way of life for teachers Supervision on school placement Challenging our prejudices as teachers and teacher educators Deference and difference in education Ethics and education Ethics and teaching Becoming a discerning reader of your own teaching

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney On this week's programme I speak to two keynote speakers from the 2018 annual conference of the Computer Education Society of Ireland, Elizabeth Oldham and Richard Millwood, both from Trinity College Dublin. They discuss the past, present and future of the organisation and among other topics Richard discusses how computational thinking relates to teaching the visual arts.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney On this week's programme my guest is Joanna Norton, a lecturer at the University of the Arts in London. In the course of our interview she told me about the App she developed called Keywords Biology.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney   This week I speak to the Chairperson of the Computer Education Society of Ireland (CESI), Adrienne Webb, about the new Leaving Certificate course in Computer Science and other matters. During the interview we discuss how CESI has been working with various players, such as the NCCA and the PDST, to facilitate the smooth introduction of the syllabus; Adrienne tells us about how she became interested in technology; she discusses resources for teaching computer science; and she describes her approach to working with technology in school.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I speak to lecturer in mathematics and programming at LIT (Tipperary Campus), Pamela O'Brien. Among the topics we discuss are: Her workshop on “Breakoutedu” Her job at LIT – Tipperary Campus The ICT in Education Conference The difference between coding and computer science Transitions she made from working in insurance to lecturing and from mathematics to computer science How teachers can become more involved in coding Who inspires her Why she likes EDCHATIE

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I bring you the second part of my interview with primary teacher and mathematics teacher educator, Claire Corroon. You can access resources and opinions about mathematics teaching on her website, Primary CPD. Among the topics we discuss this week are the following: Her Views on Curriculum Revision in primary mathematics Differentiation in mathematics Assessment in mathematics Mathematics curricula in other countries Jerome Bruner Singapore Maths Sherry Parrish (https://twitter.com/numbertalks?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor) Jo Boaler Marilyn Burns Christina Tondevold Graham Fletcher (three act tasks for maths) The usefulness of mini-whiteboards

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. This week my guest on the programme is Claire Corroon a primary teacher and teacher educator with a particular interest in mathematics education. She has many resources on her website, Primary CPD, where she also blogs. In this, the first part of our interview, among the topics discussed are: How she got involved in mathematics education Courses she gives for teachers in summer and at evenings Number talks Concrete, pictorial and abstract representations in mathematics Her approach to teaching tables

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. This week I conclude my interview with Dr. Alf Coles from the School of Education at the University of Bristol. Among the topics we discuss this week are:   Planning for the unexpected in mathematics classes His work with the charity “Five by Five by Five Equals Creativity” Using Cuisenaire rods and a tens chart to teach mathematics How the number naming system in the English language makes learning mathematics more difficult and what you can do about it Using the tens chart to teach decimals How our current curriculum limits children’s understanding of number Creativity in primary school mathematics What inspires him Whose work in education he likes to read What he would change about his current institution How his own schooling influences his practice in education today

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme my guest is Dr. Alf Coles from the University of Bristol School of Education. Among the topics discussed are:   What teachers learn from using video Responding to video through description versus judgment Using video clubs for teacher professional development The centre for researching education across boundaries Who was Caleb Gattegno What is the Silent Way of learning a language What is an energy budget for learning? Four stages of awareness Inventing the geoboard Book, What we owe children by Caleb Gattegno How he became a teacher educator How he balances his teaching and research work How he practices teacher education Greg Simon’s blog: https://gregsimonmusic.com/blog/ Gregory Bateson: https://mri.org/gregory-bateson/

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney On this week's programme I bring you the second part of my interview with Páiríc Clerkin, the Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN). In this part of the interview our conversation covers topics such as: What the IPPN does How he finds the role of CEO of the IPPN What teachers should think about before applying for roles as principal or deputy principal How will job of principal be different in ten years’ time to what it is today What inspires him What he likes to read/listen to Changes he’d make in the IPPN The five minute bench break How his own education influences his work as an educator

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney On this week's programme I look ahead to the 2018 annual conference of the Irish Primary Principals' Network with the Chief Executive Officer of the Network, Páiric Clerkin. Among the topics we discuss are: Priorities for principals at this time School funding Droichead What to expect at the IPPN Conference

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney On this week's programme I bring you the second part of my interview with Dr. Gerry O'Connell from the Marino Institute of Education where we talk about religious education and much more. Among the topics discussed this week are the following: Prayer and religious education and how mindfulness was introduced to Catholic schools over two decades ago The power of prayer and mindfulness How do you define a practising Catholic if not by their attendance at church? The problem with large class sizes How to develop one’s religious imagination Integrating religious education with other subjects Accommodating children who don’t take religious education in a religious school How do prospective teachers learn to teach religion? Dr. Gerry O’Connel outlines seven elements that are key to his approach: Waiting and wondering The threshold experience Asking the question Gathering around the subject Journalling ( What did I learn? What does it say to where I am? What am I going to do about it?) Pushing back the horizon Concluding ritual

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney   On this week's programme I speak to my colleague in the Marino Institute of Education, Dr. Gerry O'Connell about religious education. Gerry is a primary teacher and a teacher educator with vast experience and his ideas are grounded in this experience and in his scholarly work in the field. Among the topics discussed this week are the following: The difference between teaching religion and religious education The importance of starting with the students’ experiences The challenges of working with diverse student experiences The teaching methodology “Godly Play” Social media as a force of oppression Why contemplative space, depth of conversation or wonder and symbol or story are central to religious education Whether sacraments should be taught in school or in parishes What makes a teacher? Teaching as a vocation A perceived secularist agenda in some media organisations

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I am joined once again by philosopher and retired primary school teacher, John Doyle. In the interview, John reflects on the role of questions in teaching.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney On this week's programme I bring you the third and final part of my interview with David Didau, author of What if Everything You Knew about Education Was Wrong? Among the people and websites referred to in this part of our discussion are the following: The Neuroscience of Intelligence by Richard J Haier How to Teach by Phil Beadle Dylan William Dan Willingham Doug Lemov Rob Coe My second guest this week is Jane Shimizu who is a primary teacher in a DEIS school in county Galway. For many years she kept a busy classroom blog and current updates are on the school website. As part of her discussion on science week, she mentioned the website www.rokit.com.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I welcome back a guest who was on the programme before, Brendan Culligan. Brendan was a keynote speaker at the 2017 annual conference of the Literacy Association of Ireland. His presentation was titled “More than one hundred and twenty five years of Crushing ‘Garlic’!" - in which he honours the memory of an educator who had insightful ideas about teaching spelling.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney This week I bring you the second part of my interview with writer, blogger, speaker, trainer and former English teacher David Didau. We focus particularly on his book, What if everything you knew about education was wrong? Among the topics discussed are the following: How teachers can use research Why less feedback is more Carol Dweck’s research on mindsets The difficulties in telling if what children learn is retained or transferable Why a sat-nav is the perfect “assessment for learning machine” The illusion of knowledge Assessment for learning Why testing should be rebranded as quizzing Why differentiation is a “dark art”

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I speak to David Didau, who is also known as "The Learning Spy." I wanted to find out more about his book, What if everything you knew about education was wrong? Among the topics discussed on the programme with David are the following: Opportunity costs in teaching Choices teachers make Criticism of the teacher education he received Who he trusts on questions about education How teachers are acquiring incorrect information about education The lack of evidence behind learning styles and educational outcome On next week's programme I'll bring you the second part of my interview with David.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme I spoke to three people who presented workshops at the 2017 Annual Conference of the Literacy Association of Ireland. They were Claire Dunne from the Marino Institute of Education, Damien Quinn from seomraranga.com and Anne Burke from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. Among the websites mentioned on the programme were: Children's Literature Association of Ireland http://bookcentre.ca/ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13586750-bully Kidblog software Animoto

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme Ciarán Gray from North Bay Educate Together National School and Company B talks about his own interest in dance and shares some of his thoughts on primary teaching.

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney. On this week's programme primary school teacher Ciarán Gray talks about dance education and about Company B, the dance company he set up for young males. Ciarán teaches in North Bay Educate Together National School.