Official Opening by the Republic of Ireland Minister of State at the Departments of Education and Skills and Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation with Special Responsibility for Skills, Research and Innovation, Minister Damien English T.D. and the Northern Ireland Permanent Secretary in the Department of Education, Mr Paul Sweeney

Keynote address: Ms Philippa Cordingley, Chief Executive, CUREE (Centre for the use of Research and Evidence in Education) – Making professional learning work – harnessing evidence to realise our aspirations for our own and our pupils’ learning.

Drinks Reception in the Riverside Room, to launch three SCoTENS reports:
1. Learning Teaching: Reimagining the Future: SCoTENS 2013 Conference and Annual Reports launched by Professor Roger Austin, University of Ulster
2. Number Talk launched by Ms Audrey Curry, Stranmillis University College, Belfast
3. Supporting the Role of the Supervising Tutor on School Placement launched by Mr Micheál Ó Gríofa, the Teaching Council

SCoTENS Seed Funding Workshop: Led by Dr Geraldine Magennis, Senior Lecturer in Education and Literacy, St Mary’s University College and Professor Kathy Hall, Head of School of Education, University College Cork (optional workshop open to SCoTENS members interested in seed funding)

Panel Discussion: Continuing Professional Development Chaired by Dr Conor Galvin, University College Dublin Panel comprising: Mr Tomás Ó Ruairc, the Teaching Council; Dr Carmel Gallagher, the General Teaching Council; Professor Gary Granville, the National College of Art and Design, Dublin; Mr Martin Hagan, St. Mary’s University College; Ms Ursula Bracken, Colaiste Bride Clondalkin and Ms Michelle Rainey, Ballyclare High School

Workshop 1- Beginning the Journey: Research Informing Teaching, Early Professional Development

Facilitated by Dr Seán Delaney, Marino Institute of Education in Dublin and Ms Noella Murray, St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook.

This presentation takes the form of a letter to a beginning teacher. With specific reference to research on the teaching of mathematics, it identifies difficulties, priorities, and strategies that are particularly relevant to those beginning to teach.

Workshop 2 – Teachers supporting professional learning

Facilitated by Mr Andy Nye, McKinney Primary School and Mr Michael Lawlor, Davis College in Mallow.

In this workshop Andy will demonstrate how he has used an inter-active e-portfolio to keep track of, and reflect on his own professional development activities.

Workshop 3 – Preparation of Irish School Leaders in a Climate of Challenge, Leadership

Facilitated by Dr Sam McGuinness, University of Ulster and Mr Anthony Kilcoyne, Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) in Ireland

The session will begin with a quick scan over what school leadership development opportunities are currently available across Ireland, North and South. It will then turn to a consideration of the challenges facing school leaders.

Workshop 4 – Impact of the Journey: ITE and CPD

Facilitated by Ms Dolores McDonagh, St Angela’s College, Dr. Pauline Kerins, St Angela’s College, Ms Máire Love, Scoil Bhride, Knockmay, Ms Gillian Beck, Stranmillis University College and Ms Michelle Shiels, graduate Teacher, Stranmillis University College Belfast.

This workshop will provide participants with an opportunity to identify and discuss the teaching and learning needs across the continuum of teacher education. Practitioners will outline the impact of professional development on their personal and professional journeys.

Workshop 5 – Rhetoric or reality? A consideration of the theory/practice nexus and its implications for approaches to teacher education

Facilitated by Dr Noel Purdy, Stranmillis University College, Belfast, Ms Leah O’Toole, Marino Institute of Education and Dr Anne Ryan, Marino Institute of Education.

Traditionally, most Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses have comprised three components: foundations/Education Studies modules; curriculum/methods modules and school-based experience. However, as has been well documented (Zeichner 2010; 2012; Ryan and O’Toole, 2014) these programmes have been undermined by the ‘perennial problem’ of a ‘disconnect’ between the college-based elements and field experiences.

Participants of this workshop will have the opportunity to deconstruct these issues, and to hear from the presenters how they have begun to address them in their own practice as teacher-educators, with a view to supporting their students to apply the insights of the foundation/Education Studies disciplines to their practice as teachers. Comparisons with and implications for in-service professional development and learning will also be considered.

Keynote address: Professor Ian Menter, Director of Professional Programmes, University of Oxford and President of British Education Research Association (BERA) – Research and teacher education in the UK – where next?