John Cronin Castleknock Community College SDPI Summer School

John Cronin Castleknock Community College SDPI Summer School 2008

Imagine!

Mol an Oige agus Tiocfaidh Sí Courtesy Respect Responsibility

Materials Technology Metal

Senior Home Economics

Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme

David Mc. Gowan & Stephen Hopkins Leinster Debating Champions 2006

VEC Festival of Music Participants

Paddy Andrews Captain of the Dublin Minors 2006

Lorna Hillery & Deborah Geraghty Dublin Panel 2006

-School Plan 2005 -2008 -History, Mission & Educational Aims -Context Factors ~Internal & External -Curriculum Provision -Analysis of Results -Care & Management of Students -Parents Association -Management Meeting -Office Management -Adult Education

q. To get a snapshot of school culture/ethos at a given time q. To explore what kind of culture the school relationships, symbols, rituals, traditions and everyday activities actually reflect q. To measure this culture against the college mission statement, aims and objectives, and the desired ethos of the college. q. To measure the extent to which staff share common goals/beliefs/a vision for the college q. To highlight areas for future school focus and development

Vision What is our vision? Do others share it ? “A good school for me is a place where everyone is teaching and everyone is learning simultaneously, under one roof” Barth 1990

Moral Purpose. Seeing the need to improve teaching and learning. “We need school leaders who will see their prime purpose as leading learning in their schools and who are constantly exploring ways of improving outcomes for students by implementing quality teaching and learning programmes. ” Robertson and Martin(2002: 6)

WSE Report “The current conversation in the college about how students’ progress is assessed and which modes of assessment are most appropriate is commended. It is suggested that the discussion should be extended to include how the information gathered as a result of assessment can inform teaching and learning activities in the classroom. ” October 2005

Reviewing State Results Subject Breakdown ABC Grades College vs National Avg. Higher vs Ordinary Higher vs National Avg. LCA LCVP Results Overview Points Achieved Gender Comparisons Tracking subjects over five years.

Feedback from Staff Feedback - The Process The Comments Subject Facilitator Meetings Staff Meeting Subject Department Meetings Data released on a subject by subject basis Where’s all this going? ? Subject Choices Higher vs. Ordinary Level Timetabling Issues Gender Issues Motivation Best Practice Differentiated Teaching*

There is nothing so unequal as to treat unequal children equally! Thomas Jefferson

Feedback From Management Team 2005 Uncomfortable analysing colleagues’ results Gender Motivation Timetabling Issues Option Choices Uncertainty Creating an Academic Profile of each student Catering for International Students

Management Team Planning 2007 Joseph Dreissen “Motivating boys. ” Choosing the Right Options at Senior Cycle (Past Pupils) Career Guidance Eirquest/DATs meeting with parents SEN Register Language Centre Tracking students’ from Year 1

Tracking Students Academic Entrance Results House Exams Average Monitored by Tutor Yearhead Guidance Learning Support Language Centre Social International Profile SLE Learning Support Achievements Leadership Awards

Putting a narrative on students’ progress Outcomes Identifying Students in need Affirming Progress Remediation Parental Involvement Subject Profiling Gender Issues Class Make up (Junior Cert) The next step - Assessment for Learning - Model Students’ Work - Comments instead of Grades - No Hands - Group Discussion - Self Assessment - Wait Time

Since 2007 linked with Serco to capture student profile - Academic Progress accessible - Achievements Captured - Attendance - Discipline Record. - Parental Access

q. Every student is tracked. q. On Monday next teachers will expect to receive a breakdown of their students’ Leaving Certificate results. q. Subject Departments will forward feedback to senior management in relation to their subject’s progress. q Profile of each student is available on eportal q. The theme for the academic year 2008 is Assessment for Learning

“Future leaders are living in a turbulent and chaotic environment, where the real power to act comes from recognising the pattern of change and sensing and seizing windows of opportunity. ” What will your future working environment look like? Pentti Sydanmaanlakka (Helsinki)

Teaching the Digital Natives 10, 000 hours Video Games 2 billion ring tones per year 250, 000 emails 2 billion songs and 10, 000 hours on the mobile movies per month 20, 000 hours TV (incl. MTV) 3 billion text messages per day. 500, 000 commercials

Digital immigrants vs Digital natives Digital Immigrants Communicating Sharing Buying & Selling Exchanging Collecting Learning Digital Natives Email & Chat Rooms Blogs &Webcams ebay Music, movies & humour Mp 3, video sensor data About stuff that interests them

• For a lot of what we need our Digital Immigrant teachers cannot help us much. . • . . And Digital Native teachers will not truly be there • . . . until we grow up and become them

“ I don’t want to study Rome in School. Heck, I build Rome every day in my online game (Caesar III). ” Colin Age 16

It’s not attention deficit – I’m just not Listening!

“It is a healthy sign of an organisation if it can engage in an honest analysis and review of its effectiveness in the achievement of its aims and objective” Kavanagh et al