Professor Linda Clarke, Head of School of Education, University of Ulster and co-Chair SCoTENS

Official opening by the Northern Ireland Minister for Education, Mr John O’Dowd MLA. 

Official opening by the Republic of Ireland Minister of State for Training and Skills, Mr Ciarán Cannon TD.

Keynote address: Professor John MacBeath, University of Cambridge – Teachers, Teaching and Schooling: Quo vadis?

Debate: Enhancing leadership in the profession of teaching in the 21st Century Chaired by: Dr Tom Hesketh, Director, Regional Training Unit, and with a panel comprising: Professor John MacBeath, University of Cambridge;
Mr Ronnie Hassard, Principal, Ballymena Academy, Ballymena, Co. Antrim;
Mr Bryan O’Reilly, Principal, Scoil Mhuire Junior Primary School, Ballymany, Newbridge;
Dr Carmel Gallagher, CEO/Registrar, General Teaching Council Northern Ireland (GTCNI);
Mr Tomás Ó Ruairc, Director, the Teaching Council, Maynooth, Co. Kildare and co-Chair SCoTENS

Workshop 1 – Teachers as consumers and producers of research

facilitated by: Ms Joanne Brosnan, Christ King Girls Secondary School, Cork and Ms Rhonda Glasgow, Spa Primary School, Ballynahinch, Co. Down

This presentation/workshop will contrast the experience of two practising teachers who have recently conducted research in different educational contexts.  The facilitators will draw on their research experience to examine how teachers can benefit from being both consumers and producers of educational research.

Workshop 2 – The practice of teaching

facilitated by: Dr Sean Delaney, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin and Ms Mary McHenry, St Louise’s Comprehensive College, Belfast

This workshop will explore various aspects of the practice of teaching and how prospective teachers learn to teach. One presenter will describe a new module that bridges the college and school experiences of student teachers.

Workshop 3 – Creative classrooms: Insights from Imaginative and Innovative Teaching in Ireland

facilitated by: Ms Nicola Marlow, University of Ulster, Coleraine and Ms Anne McMorrough, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin

This workshop will explore the nature and detail of 21st Century teaching and learning activities within a number of creative classrooms, North and South.

Workshop 4 – Teacher as leader: ‘Only when the position of the individual teacher is supported and developed will we ensure that the perspective, potential and talent of each individual child is fostered’

facilitated by: Mr Ronnie Hassard, Ballymena Academy, Ballymena, Co. Antrim and Mr Bryan O’Reilly, Scoil Mhuire Junior Primary School, Ballymany, Newbridge

The key to this fostering is the relationship that each leader has with their colleagues, and the kinds of relationship that colleagues have with each other. In order to share and communicate the developing and evolving methodologies such as Reading Recovery; Literacy Lift Off; Better Basics; Maths Recovery; Stop Ask Listen Tell (SALT) the quality of the relationships that the leaders have is very significant.

Training Session
SCoTENS ‘Seed Funding’ training workshop led by Dr Conor Galvin, Lecturer, University College Dublin

Launch of Reports: Creative Teachers for Creative Learners, Implications for Teacher Education: SCoTENS 2012 Conference and Annual Reports;
launched by Professor Anne Moran, University Learning Teaching: Reimagining the Profession of Ulster and The role of research capacitybuilding in initial teacher education in the North and South of Ireland launched by Professor Kathy Hall, University College Cork

Conference Dinner: After Dinner Speaker: Mr Andy Pollak, former Director of Centre for Cross Border Studies and former Secretary of SCoTENS

Dr Sotiria Grek, University of Edinburgh, Governing by Inspection: inspecting as a learning act

Reimagining the professional policy perspective: Ms La’Verne Montgomery, Department of Education, Bangor and Mr Eddie Ward, Department of Education and Skills, Dublin