1.   SEAI Monitoring and Reporting of Energy Workshops for Stakeholders.

2.   JCT Leadership Workshops on Assessment.

3.   GDPR Updated Security and Privacy – Working Remotely.

4.   Guidance for SPHE/RSE - Teaching Remotely.

5.   Online Teaching – An Example of Best Practice Guidelines.

6.    PME Inspections in the Virtual Classroom.

7.   Wriggle Digilearn Event.

1.    SEAI Monitoring and Reporting of Energy Workshops for Stakeholders.

Schools can now login to SEAI’s online system to report annual energy consumption and related data for 2020. The deadline for submitting energy usage and related data is 16 April 2021. Last year an impressive 70% of schools reported their energy data. This year SEAI is offering online workshops via Zoom to help you with your submission. The workshops are designed to aid full compliance with the legislation and assist users to successfully report energy usage using SEAI’s online system. See attachment for dates and times.

2.    JCT Leadership Workshops on Assessment.

Junior Cycle for Teachers is rolling out its next set of Leadership online CPD workshops commencing next week. All the workshops for this week are fully booked with 60 in attendance at each one but there is still availability in the workshops on the weeks starting the 1st and 8th of February. The workshops will focus on exploring the term ‘over-assessment’ and its implications for the leadership and management of assessment practices in our schools, as referred to in the most recent Department of Education Circular 0076/2020. The aim of these workshops is to support you as a school leader to:

·         address this statement from the Circular.

·         guide you through a process of reviewing and evaluating the manageability and impact of the current assessment practices at a whole school and subject department level.

·         enable you to make key decisions regarding assessment going forward.

Supporting resources have been created to assist schools in this area. See attachment for details of registration.

3.   GDPR Updated Security and Privacy - Working Remotely.

See attached document where we highlight the most important points for school staff to consider when working remotely. A well-thought-through approach will make changing to remote working a smoother process.

4.   Guidance for SPHE/RSE - Teaching Remotely.

The NCCA has developed a 'one-stop' space for SPHE/RSE resources to support planning for teaching and learning. This is one of the actions arising from the recent Review of RSE and is one part of a broader set of supports under development. The resource portal section of the toolkit is now published. Further supports will be added over the coming months.

To visit the junior cycle toolkit go to this link https://www.curriculumonline.ie/Junior-cycle/Short-Courses/SPHE/SPHE-RSE-toolkit/?lang=en-ie/

 To visit senior cycle toolkit go to this link https://www.curriculumonline.ie/Senior-cycle/SPHE-(1)/SPHE-Toolkit/?lang=en-ie

Schools might find the attachment (from a UK website) helpful in planning for the teaching of SPHE/RSE online as it highlights that not all SPHE topics are suitable for teaching remotely and it suggests some topics that are suited.

5.    Online Teaching – An example of Best Practice Guidelines.

Following on recent reports in the media of a disruption to an online class by outsiders, schools are advised to discuss online security settings with the relevant technical support person and to ensure your default settings are set so that the teacher must admit students to the class rather than the system allowing people to be admitted “automatically”. See attached an example of a best practice guide for schools which can be amended to suit your own needs.

6.   PME Inspections in the Virtual Classroom.

It has come to our attention in ACCS that recently some universities have been in touch with schools and PME students to arrange the inspection of virtual classes being taught by PME students.

There are data protection concerns should student personal data be captured during these observations. Personal Data includes images or names – anything that identifies an individual.

Schools will require a legal basis to share student data with the universities. Unless student cameras are switched off it is inevitable that student data will be shared. Switched off cameras would not lend itself well to the inspection.

Therefore, schools should inform the students and parents of the particular class that it will be observed by the inspector from the university. If any student or parent has an objection to the student data being shared due to the class being observed by the inspector then the student may either have to sit out that class or perhaps have their camera only switched off.

If the university intends to record and keep a copy of the class, that would have to be communicated to the students and parents in advance of the class also, to give the student the option to sit out the class or switch off their camera.

Any queries on the above may be directed to Hilary Treacy, Data Protection Advisor in ACCS. Hilary can be contacted on htreacy@accs.ie or 083-3474562.

7.    Wriggle Digilearn Event.

See attachment for free event open to schools on the area of online and hybrid learning.

During these unprecedented times ACCS continues to support schools in their capacity building and upskilling in online and blended teaching and learning. There have been several events over the past few weeks which have been hosted by ACCS and other partners. These will continue and include:

Microsoft Schools:

• 27th January 4-5pm a 60-minute webinar focused on the resources available on MS365 for schools managing remote learning, part 1 (a teachers’ guide). Resources for remote teaching and learning.

• 3rd February 4-5pm a 60-minute webinar focused on the resources available on MS365 for schools managing remote learning, part 2/advanced (a teachers’ guide). Effective remote teaching and learning using Office 365.

Google Schools:

• 27th January 3.30-4.30pm a 60 minute webinar which will explore a range of assessment and feedback processes which are followed in Irish schools, and how digital tools from Google Classroom can support these areas in an online or in face-to-face contexts.

All of these events are free and recordings are available for schools to share with your own stakeholders after the event. These video recordings can be posted to your school website or made available to staff and/or parents/guardians as relevant.  John Irwin,  GENERAL SECRETARY.

Addenda:

1.     Monitoring and Reporting Energy workshops

2.     JCT Information on Leadership Workshops

3.     Updated Security and Privacy – Working Remotely and Distance Learning

4.     Teas Meeting Best Practice Guidelines Jan 21 Tara Learning

5.     Guide document to Assist in Planning for the Teaching of RSE PSE Online

6.     Wriggle Digilearn Event on the Area of Online and Hybrid Learning