[Emma Hogan]

As I discussed in Module 4 there is a ruin of a castle quite near the school I teach in. This coming year I plan to complete a unit of work based on this castle. In literacy I plan to incorporate narrative writing and get the children to write spooky stories based on the castle and previous owners. In maths I want the children to study the shapes seen on the castle and work on estimating and investigating the length, perimeter and area of the ruins. In science children could complete a STEM project about designing a bridge. In Art children could work on their sketching skills while at the ruin site and could also create a design based on what they thought the castle once looked like. In other subjects like history I would love to invite a local historian into the class and speak to the children about the ruin.
This is a project I look forward to completing with my class this coming year.

[Emma Hogan]

Hi Megan,

This sounds like such wonderful learning. I am very jealous that you can link a local mathematician and scientists into your lessons and also conduct wonderful experiments linking to it. As I am not local to the area I am teaching in I need to ask around and see if there is/were any local scientists.

I have taken down some of the scientists mentioned in this forum and I plan to include them in my science lessons this year. Even if they are not necessarily local to the school they are all still famous Irish mathematician and scientists and I think the children I teach will benefit from learning about their work and studies.

[Emma Hogan]

Hi Margaret,

I really like this idea. It is very beneficial that you can bring your class to see first hand the bridge and learn the history about it. This would create a spark in the children and they would be very motivated to complete the project.

I also really like your idea of giving each group member a role. I have tried this in the past and it has been very successful. Now I only assign roles to groups where certain members are struggling. I find in the senior classes that some children engage really well in group work and assigning roles only holds them back. Whereas others really struggle and group roles and jobs really benefit them.

[Emma Hogan]

In the town I teach in there is a ruin of a castle and in the senior classes we teach the history of this castle and the local area. I would use this as the stimulus for the engineering and STEM challenge of designing the bridge. This ruin is something we study and something the children are aware of and regularly see. Thus this is relevant to the children’s lives.
I would give children a brief that they have to include in their design. This would include certain mathematical concepts such as height, width, symmetry, etc.
When completing this project children would work in groups and I would allow opportunities for them to develop twenty first century skills such as communicating, collaborating, working with others, etc.
When finished each group will then present their design to the class and an opportunity for others to ask questions will be provided.
I look forward to giving this engineering challenge a go during the coming academic year.

[Emma Hogan]

I found this module very interesting and informative. Before completing this module I was unaware of the wide biodiversity we have here in the midlands of Ireland and it really got me thinking of ways I can include this in my teaching.
Firstly I plan to register my class with the All Ireland Pollinator Plan. I teach the senior classes and it is something I think they would really enjoy. I also plan to conduct a seasonal biodiversity project where children record trees and leaves monthly and compare changes. We will firstly use the available resources to identify exactly what trees we have around the school and local area. Children in groups will study a different variety of tree locally and compare changes monthly. To integrate technology we will school iPads to take photographs of the trees each month and create charts and graphs using our mathematical and art skills. This is something I am excited to try out with my class this coming year.

[Emma Hogan]

Hi Denis,

This really sounds like a wonderful school for both biodiversity and wildlife and also for the children you teach.

Teaching myself in a rural community, we also have bug hotels in our school and many diverse hedgerows. I have worked over the past year on creating a school garden where children can plant different flowers and trees. It is coming along but continued work is needed.

I will definitely register for the Pollinator Plan in the coming weeks and I look forward to it being a year long project I can complete with my class. It is something I think the children will really enjoy.

[Emma Hogan]

Hi Paula,

I really like your idea of regularly showing Google Maps to the class and showing maps of towns, counties and countries. I also love how Google Maps has Google Street View incorporated and how you can show what maps look like in 3D and in real life. A discussion can take place on what the 3D object looks like on a 2D map and vice versa.

This is real practical math and geography learning for the children and it is something I look forward to doing with my own class when I return to school in the coming weeks.

[Emma Hogan]

If teaching the younger classes I would begin by displaying a map of the local area, around the school from Google Maps, on the interactive whiteboard. I would encourage the children to examine the map. I would ask them to discuss what they see and through questioning I would encourage them to identify that it is their local area. We would discuss how maps work and their purpose.
I would then take the learning outdoors and in groups I would encourage the children to use what is around them to make an outdoor map of their classroom. Children then work together to find the different materials and collaboratively piece the map together.
I would ask each group to present their map to the class and together we would see and investigate first hand the applications of maps.

[Emma Hogan]

I completely agree with Luke. Making connections is essential is all STEM Education lessons. Children need time to see how they will apply this learning in their lives and how it is applicable to the real world all around them.

I also believe that STEM Education is mindset. It is a mindset that no challenge is too great and that their is a solution to every problem. This combined with the application of twenty-first century skills (communication, collaboration, creativity, problem solving, etc.) makes STEM Education a must in every modern classroom. Although I have engaged in some STEM lessons previously with my class, I look forward to engaging in more multi-disciplinary STEM Projects in the coming year.

[Emma Hogan]

I have found module one of this course to be very insightful.
Having spent time reading Maeve Liston’s article I am now more conscious of the theory behind STEM Education and the importance of integrating STEM disciplines and Twenty First Century Skills into our classrooms. I also spent some time reviewing the Department’s policy document and I am now more aware of the expectations on us teachers. The ESERO Framework is something new to me and I found it very clear and appropriate for use with the senior classes.
Teaching a multigrade senior classes, STEM Education is a great way for me to integrate disciplines and differentiate learning for the children in my class. I often complete STEM projects with my class and the children really enjoy the challenge and teamwork involved. I look forward to trying more projects and encompassing the ESERO Framework and more of the STEM Policy expectations into my classroom this coming year.

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