ACCS/info Bulletin 16/19

Mon, Mar 11th, 2019

The Secretary,
Board of Management and
School Principal in
each Community and Comprehensive School.

Members of the Executive of ACCS.

ACCS/Info Bulletin 16/19

Re: ACCS CPD: “The place of Student Voice in enhancing learning, teaching and assessment in the classroom.” 11th April, 2019.

This is the second workshop on student voice which is being facilitated by the NCCA and ACCS.

Venue: The Mullingar Park Hotel, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath

At the end of Day One on the 13th December, 2018 it was agreed that schools would begin to look at their own practice in the area of embedding and including Student Voice in the classroom. Delegates were asked to identify and develop one aspect of practice to enhance student voice, e.g. framing questions, peer assessment etc. Feedback will be recorded from delegates during Day Two on the 11th April, 2019. The agenda for this day is outlined below.

Day Two Agenda, 11th April, 2019

9.30 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.     

Session 1: A context for student voice in the classroom

Student Voice and the Junior Cycle Classroom

Facilitator: Norman Emmerson, NCCA                           

11.00 a.m. – 11.30 a.m. Break for tea/coffee

11.30 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.     

Session 2: Exploring models of practice

Moya Lynch, Principal, BallyBay Community College, CMETB

Pól Ó Síodhcháin, Principal, Millstreet Community School

1.00 p.m. – 2.00 p.m.        Lunch

2.00 p.m. – 3.30 p.m.  

Session 3: Towards a model of student voice in our classrooms

Guided collaborative planning for design and facilitation of student voice practices in the classroom

Facilitators:

Norman Emmerson, NCCA,

Dr. Domnall Fleming, School of Education, UCC

Gerard O’ Sullivan, NCCA

Booking delegates on ACCS Online School Portal:

To access the school portal log on to https://www.accscloud.net. You will require your Username (last 4 digits of the main school Phone Number) and password and a maths captcha to login. If you require assistance with this process or your password  please call ACCS Head Office staff on 01 460 1150.

Please see below details of the attachments which are being issued to all schools as materials/resources to assist with school planning for this area. Attachment Six, the report from Day One summarises the discussions in December and is accompanied by the PowerPoint presentations from the day.

Attachment 1: Diverse student voice approaches across Europe

This reading is an original article co-authored by Norman Emmerson (NCCA) on Ireland’s involvement in the Erasmus Bridge project. Ireland (NCCA) is currently involved in this project along with Hungary and The Netherlands, Scotland and Slovenia. The BRIDGE project started in 2016 and runs until mid‐2019. The Student voice concept encompasses the right for learners to express their opinions, access people who influence decisions and actively participate in educational decision‐making processes. Central in the examples in this article is the notion that working in partnership with students will enable students to become more self‐directed learners and active citizens

Attachment 2: The Research Report on the NCCA study in partnership with Paula Flynn, “Embedding student voices in education discourse: curricular co-construction and development.” (September 2017)

This study set out to address two objectives:

  1. To facilitate a process of student consultation on the development of new junior cycle curriculum specifications.

  2. To determine how to include student voice in education discourse for participating schools and the NCCA so that there is:

  3. an embedded culture of listening.

  4. a strategy to support a sustainable structure and response to student voices.(This document was introduced and discussed on Day 1)

Attachment 3: Document: “Five Rationales for Including Student Voice in School”

Attachment 4: PowerPoint Slides: “Student Voice at the centre of learning and school life” (NCCA – ACCS December 2018 Gerard O’ Sullivan Education Officer, NCCA)

Attachment 5: PowerPoint Slides: “Student Voice and Student Participation. Challenges and opportunities” (NCCA – ACCS December 2018 Dr. Domnall Fleming, School of Education, UCC)

Attachment 6: NCCA - ACCS Report from Day 1 (December 2018)

Is mise,
le mór mheas,



_________________
John Irwin,
General Secretary ACCS.

Downloads:

Paul Thornton