Summer Courses 2022

Tutor: Ena Morley

Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions, but also one of the most demanding. This course offers simple, ready to use and evidence-proven mindfulness tools and strategies to help teachers manage the stresses of both their work and their lives in general. With the additional challenges of the Corona Virus pandemic, we, as teachers, are digging deep into our internal wells and drawing on our courage and resilience to adapt to the changes in our lives and our work practices. This course provides the space and opportunity for you to replenish your ‘wells of wellbeing’ and re-gain equilibrium through engaging in practices that help to calm the mind, body, emotions and spirit. Emphasis is placed on guided meditations in a safe, nourishing ‘meditation room’ atmosphere and environment. Explicit links to curriculum and wider school wellbeing policies and practices are interwoven throughout the course.

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This course aims to provide the teacher with an opportunity to develop a comprehensive approach that focuses primarily on meeting the individual needs of autistic children in their class, while also supporting their own development as reflective innovative practitioners in a positive and sustainable way. The combined autism teaching experience of the co-presenters will ensure a very personal and practical approach with strong emphasis on play, relationships and joyful learning. While the content may be primarily suited to those teaching in a special class setting, it would greatly benefit mainstream teachers who seek further understanding of autism and its implications for learning. It is envisaged that all teachers will return to their school with renewed vision coupled with a wealth of practical strategies to promote children’s learning and development.

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Teagascóir: Aodán Mac Suibhne

Would you like an opportunity to practise and brush up on your own Gaeilge with some of your colleagues in a variety of informal relaxed settings inside and outside the classroom? This is the course you’re looking for!

Beidh deiseanna agat Gaeilge a labhairt le daoine eile i suíomhanna taitneamhacha gan bhrú laistigh agus lasmuigh den seomra ranga. Beidh tú ag labhairt Gaeilge le daoine eile, beidh tú ag rólimirt, gheobhaidh tú turas treoraithe ar an DART trí mheán na Gaeilge ó Bhinn Éadair go Bré agus tabharfaidh tú cuairteanna ar ionaid stairiúla i lár chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath. Seo deiseanna chun do chuid Gaeilge a chleachtadh arís agus an teanga a úsáid i suíomhanna neamhfhoirmiúla. An bhfuil tú ar bord?

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Tutors: Suzy Macken & Caitríona Cosgrave

Get active, have fun in an ever-changing, socially distanced PE learning environment! Learn how to facilitate a broad and balanced PE curriculum while maintaining government regulations. Activities suitable for all class levels. Participants will engage in a variety of activities based on the strands of the PE curriculum and explore other issues in PE such as SEN, ICT, physical ‘fitness’, Active School Flag and the relationship between PE, physical activity and sport. The course will also explore lesson plans/schemes and other recommended materials for the teaching of PE and any relevant equipment required to implement activities. The course takes place in the gym at MIE with every opportunity taken to use our campus, playing fields and local area if the weather permits.

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Tutors: Clara Fioentini & Sinead McCauley Lambe

This summer course provides a comprehensive and practical exploration of playful learning relating to language and literacy development in the primary infant classroom. 

Exploring content through a playful lens, this course is suited to both teachers who are new to the infant classroom, and also to experienced infant teachers who may wish to refresh their practice and to facilitate more relational play-based approaches to teaching and learning. 

Content within each module has been carefully designed to equip participants with evidence-based, contemporary approaches to planning, practice and organisation of the infant classroom, with specific attention to emergent literacy and oral language development. 

Participants will explore a range of engaging, effective and practical strategies to create and extend the development of emergent literacy through the facilitation of playful learning opportunities across the infant day.

Content across the course is aligned to the outcomes of the Primary Language Curriculum (2019) and the themes of the Aistear Curriculum Framework (2009).

Content includes:

- Playful Learning - the what, the why, the how?

- Play across the curriculum

- Approaching literacy instruction in the infant classroom

- Facilitating language-rich playful learning experiences

- Planning, Assessment and SSE

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Tutors: Alan Bedford & Sandra Austin

In this course, participants will explore ways to integrate literacy and numeracy learning across the subject areas of History, Geography and Science. During the week, participants will explore ways to maximise deep, meaningful learning opportunities through an integrative, Inquiry-based Learning (IBL) approach.

A key objective during the week will be focusing on the importance of the “process” rather than just the end product - valuing the skills children will be developing as young Scientists, Historians & Geographers. Active learning, discussion and collaboration will be central to the delivery of this course as well as the exploration of case studies including best practice examples of integrated literacy and numeracy through an IBL approach in SESE.  Participants s will engage in tangible, “real-word” examples of how IBL promotes curiosity, collaboration, co-creation; reporting and taking action are key parts of IBL.

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Tutors: Karin Bacon, Sandra Austin, Georgina Laragy & Michelle O’Connor

This blended summer course has a lovely blend of collaborative and independent inquiry. It will take place during the first week in July [4th – 8th]. Day one of the course will take place face to face on Monday 4 July at Glasnevin Cemetery. For the next three days (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) participants will engage in directed fieldwork in their local area with online daily support via the MIE Moodle platform.  Day five of the course will be delivered face to face on Friday 8 July at Marino Institute of Education where participants will share their discoveries. 

The course is designed to model best pedagogical practices in relation to the teaching of history at Primary level and to develop the skills of working as an historian, as outlined in the Primary History Curriculum.

Through their engagement with this course and in particular by working with staff of Glasnevin Cemetery in conjunction with their local cemetery, participants will have a deeper understanding of history as a body of knowledge as well as history as a way of working. They will develop a greater awareness of the vision of the Primary School History curriculum, thus helping them identify engaging ways to commemorate historical events in the future particularly within their own locality. Participants will be introduced to the potential of Glasnevin Cemetery as a model to stimulate Historical inquiry and to apply this model in their local context.

For this online course please register and pay through MIE's Moodle page: www.mie.ie/moodle   

Facilitators: Clara Fiorentini & Dr Sinéad Lambe

 “Those who work with very young children have a unique opportunity to get it right from the start”  (French, 2013)

Young children learn best in playful, interactive, nurturing learning contexts. Getting it in the infant classroom right matters. This course provides a comprehensive and practical exploration of teaching and learning in the infant classroom. From practice to preparations, this course provides the A to Z in organisation, management and methodologies to support best practice in the infant classroom.

This course aims to support participants in the creation of an interactive learning environment and in facilitating purposeful, playful, language-rich learning experiences across the curriculum.

Content within each module has been carefully designed to equip participants with research informed, contemporary approaches to planning, practice and organisation of the infant classroom.

 Modules include:

• Play & Playful Learning
• Language & Literacy
• Classroom Organisation
• Classroom Management
• Teaching Methodologies
• Approaching Assessment

Whether you are interested in refreshing your current practice or you are new to early childhood education, this is the course for you!

Testimonials from 2021:

"This has been one of the most relevant, practical and enjoyable summer courses I’ve ever done!"

"I don’t even know where to begin. This course has been packed with amazing resources, tips, hints and practical information that I will use in the upcoming school year. each module had a wealth of information and gave brilliant ideas."

"This course gave a comprehensive overview of teaching strategies and methodologies to use in the infant classroom. Everything from play, Aistear, literacy, handwriting, behaviour and classroom organisation was covered. The course really puts the learning of the child at the forefront of all modules and encourages best practice in all the different elements of infant teaching".

For this online course please register and pay through MIE's Moodle page: www.mie.ie/moodle   

Facilitators: Miriam Colum & Adrian Lohan

This lively course is packed full of practical resources, strategies and guidance for both mainstream and special education teachers to enhance their understanding of inclusive education. Participants will engage in depth with the Guidelines for Supporting Pupils with SEN in Mainstream Schools (2017). Information on a range of categories of learners with SEN is examined along with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approaches for effective differentiation. The assessment and target setting process for developing Student Support Files (IEPs) is explicitly addressed. Team-Teaching strategies and recommendations on effective collaboration with SNAs, parents and external professionals are explored. A variety of evidence-based approaches to literacy intervention is outlined.

 Testimonials from 2021:

“This is without doubt the best summer course I’ve done- so practical and so many resources which I will use in my role as class teacher and SET. I will share these resources with my staff.” Sarah

“Loved the UDL approach to differentiation, and the knowledge of a range of categories of pupils with SEN. The videos on team teaching are so insightful! I have always found writing IEP targets daunting- and this course has given me so much confidence and practical skills! Thank you so much Miriam and Adrian!” John

      “Was so good- I want to do it again!” Kate

For this online course please register and pay through MIE's Moodle page: www.mie.ie/moodle   

Facilitator: Leah Elsted

Your pupils will produce their best writing if they have a real purpose and authentic audience for it. Publishing their work will motivate them to rise to the challenge and the finished book will generate positive publicity for the school.

During this online course, teachers will be immersed in the writing process with a view to exploring how their pupils will become published authors. Participants will use a range of resources, adapted from those Emu Ink Publishing provides online for primary pupils. Aspects such as idea generation, story mapping, character profiling, suspense, plot, dialogue and conclusions will be examined in order to help teachers write their own short stories. The editing and proofreading processes will also be discussed, as well as the option for publication of pupils’ work.

Get your creative (writing) juices flowing!

For this online course please register and pay through MIE's Moodle page: www.mie.ie/moodle