[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Tommy.

Welcome to the course. You have shared lots of data sets that could be used to develop real-life uses of maths in the classroom. I have used data from CSO to generate different graphs and also data from different weather stations on Met Eireann to explore trend graphs and compare the data from each weather station. It is more meaningful for the pupils and they could also record their own data such as the temperature on a daily basis and compare that with Met Eireann.

With the younger pupils, as you have mentioned, it is important to use their own  interests or their local area and how they travel to school is one option. It makes connections to their real life and use of Maths to display this information.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Sharon

Welcome to the course, it is great to hear that you will make use of the Curious Minds framework for inquiry in the coming school year. It does allow for lots of active learning and for the pupils to guide their learning through questioning, critical thinking and investigating. I have really enjoyed using it in my class and the class have also benefited from this approach.

As you have mentioned the investigate stage puts the pupils as central to the learning process and they can guide the investigations and any future investigations that may arise from their own observations and questions. It does allow for a sense of ownership of their learning as you have said.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this framework and I hope you enjoy the course.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Sadhbh.

Welcome to the course, it is great to hear you have a buddy system in your school. I loved having a buddy system in a previous school and it allowed for lots of collaboration and learning for both the infants and the senior pupils.

I am sure the senior pupils would also learn about the planets in this tube activity while also helping the infants in creating the tubes. I also like how you plan to link with Maths in matching items around the classroom to the tubes whether they were heavy or light.

Gravity can be a difficult concept for the infant classes and as you have said it is a mini unit within a larger unit on Space. Space is always a popular topic not just with the infants but with any class.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Kate

Welcome to the course. it is great to hear how this module has helped you reflect on previous lessons and how to adapt them such as recording the sun’s position by a window in the classroom. Photos are always a great resource to refer back to and could also be used in future classes for comparison or as a stimulus for discussion also. I like how you plan to share them on the whiteboard to allow for comparisons by the pupils and that you are also planning to be more exact with the position and location of the camera for accurate comparisons. Thanks for sharing.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Susan

Welcome to the course. Liston’s article inspires us all to ensure there is real life connections to our STEM lessons and also to ensure it is a holistic approach to STEM also.

I like how you plan to observe shadows across the day and over a number of days. I also agree that taking photos of the shadows they create and note the time for each photo will give the pupils lots of opportunity to compare photos and make their own connections to their learning, it would also allow for lots of critical thinking and discussion. Thanks for sharing.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Aimee

I really like your idea to link with art in creating the city scape. This would allow for lots of discussion and critical thinking about light pollution and also give pupils the opportunity to share their thinking in different approaches. As you have mentioned this would also allow for discussion on how to reduce the light pollution in the area and I like how you plan to use this lesson for persuasive writing too which gives the pupils meaningful purpose for their letters.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Eoin,

Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your thoughts on the video and resources in this module. I like your plan to create the sundial, I particularly like the use of rocks to represent the location of the shadow at each hour. The use of physical materials like the rock is ideal to encourage critical thinking and discussion among the pupils and make links to a analogue clock. Space Week is in October which would be a great time to explore sundials with your pupils. I hope you enjoy the other videos and activities across the modules in the course.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Rhonda

I like your plan to explore the videos with your class, the Paxi video would help the pupils own knowledge and understanding of climate change and then showing clips of Home would support lots of discussion and critical thinking. You could show the clips that you feel are most appropriate for your own class. I like how you are planning to use project work and art to share their knowledge with the school community.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Denis

The EO Browser is great to use satellite images of your own local area to use in the classroom. You can observe changes from different years and would allow for lots of inquiry based learning too.

The Paxi video is also a great resource and as you have mentioned there are excellent animations to engage pupils and hold their attention.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Karl,

I like your idea to form a Weather & Climate Team, while they can record the weather and use these findings to the school community. I think the weather blog would also be great to share the difference between weather and climate.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Niamh,

Thanks for sharing this idea, the blueprint is a great starting point as the pupils can plan their work, at times they can be anxious to get started straight away and miss this step. There are lots of opportunities to used maths skills in a practical way which you have mentioned.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Elaine,

Thanks for sharing the lovely ways to connect both data and the wildlife in the local area. With the New Maths Curriculum upon us I think this is a fantastic opportunity to explore data in real life scenarios while also exploring the wildlife around their school to support categorising as you have mentioned.

 

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Brenda

I am glad that you like the classroom resource Nose High Up in the Sky, it provides for lots of learning opportunities to make connections with real life such as building their own weather station. Personally, I have loved exploring weather proverbs and weather lore with my class to link with older generations of their families and make links to local history too or explore proverbs from different areas of the country too.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Edel,

I agree that with the younger classes it is important to approach the topic of climate change without causing fear. It is important to acknowledge all the small changes the pupils can make in their own local area and to encourage family members and the wider communities to do the same. As you have mentioned the video from Greta Thunberg, there is a lovely book in the Green Schools Book Club called Greta and the Giants. It is ideal for the younger classes to explore Climate Change and how they can work together to make changes.

[Michelle Mannix]

Hi Eve,

Welcome to the course and thanks for sharing your thoughts on the resources in this module.

From my own class experience, they have loved creating their own weather instruments and recording the weather on a daily basis. They could then gather their own data and as you have mentioned the link to making graphs in maths also. I like how you plan to compare the data with official data, I have often used Met Eireann data when learning about trend graphs in class. There are lots of opportunities for meaningful integration.

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