Science

SCIENCE  2022/2023 School Year

Our next Science Community of Practice will take place on Monday 16th January  at 5:30 PM . Please register here: https://ecwexford.ie/cpd-courses/webinars/3050-community-of-practice-cop-junior-senior-cycle-science-biology-2.html

Our next Science Community of Practice will take place on Wednesday 14th December at 5:30 PM . Please register here: https://ecwexford.ie/cpd-courses/webinars/3050-community-of-practice-cop-junior-senior-cycle-science-biology-2.html

Our next Science Community of Practice will take place on Tuesday 27th September at 7 PM . Please register here: https://ecwexford.ie/cpd-courses/webinars/3049-community-of-practice-cop-junior-senior-cycle-science-biology.html

 

SCIENCE  2021/2022 School Year

Our next Science Community of Practice will take place on Wednesday 16th of February at 7 PM. Please register here: https://www.ecwexford.ie/cpd-courses/webinars/2605-community-of-practice-cop-junior-cycle-science.html

Our Science Community of Practice returned in Autumn. The first meeting took place on: Monday 6h September:

Next Meeting 10th NOvember @ 7 pm.

 

Monday 6th September at 7pm. Please click here to register: https://www.ecwexford.ie/cpd-courses/webinars/2220-science-community-of-practice-junior-cycle-science.html

This is an informal session, and its aim is to encourage and facilitate discussion amongst teachers

The second session will focus on:

• Work on arrangements of practical lessons - readjusting after covid, sharing expertise, what is best practice? Ideas for most beneficial ways to facilitate for teachers and students. Health & Safety issues all will be discussed transformatively.
• NEW: New assessment for/of learning platform in association with Examcraft - Discussion - School Sign up
• Feedback from last session - 2020-2021 - CBA 1- EEI - seek clarification around common issues. Feedback from Nature of Science - issues with variable etc. for assessments. Time into looking into samples of exemplary CBAs may occur in this session depending on time.
• AOB - Contact Wexford Education Centre to reach facilitator for any concerns that may need to be addressed at next brief session. Raise issues for October Meeting.

About the Facilitator:

Jonathan Reynolds is a post primary teacher in Junior and Senior Sciences in Ramsgrange Community School, Co. Wexford for the past ten years, previously teaching in Yeats College Waterford and Westmeath ETB. He is an experienced written examiner for Junior Cycle Science and Junior Cycle Mock examination process setting and correcting Mock examinations for Ordinary & Higher-Level Agricultural Science and correcting Leaving Certificate Biology & Chemistry (both levels).

He has recently completed a Master of Education in School Leadership focusing on leadership in the introduction of Nurture Groups in tackling Social Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD) in primary and post primary schools in the Irish context. He is currently a part time associate for JCT with CSPE.

This year Jonathan has joined the Cosán Framework for teachers learning as a facilitator with the Teaching Council.

 

SCIENCE 2020/2021 School Year

 Community of Practice (CoP) – Junior Cycle Science 

This is an informal session and its aim is to encourage and facilitate discussion amongst teachers. New members are always welcome!

Topics that will be covered at our next meeting on the 7th of December @ 7pm 

• Assessment for learning
• Formative feedback 
• ATS STEM Initiative & Digital formative feedback 
• Science padlet resource build up. 
• CBA 1 planning 

 Community of Practice (CoP) – Junior Cycle Science 19th October 20 at 7pm 

This is an informal session and its aim is to encourage and facilitate discussion amongst teachers

The second session will focus on:

1. Continue building a database of sharing resources for Junior and Senior Cycle Science – Sign up with email address
2. Look at Chemical World Learning Outcomes and share expertise
3. Looking and sharing resources on Padlet - how to use Padlet and practice use o
4. How to use Loom - online platform for blended learning in case of online learning for partial/complete school closures.
5. Discussion and planning for contingency plans in case of school closures or for blended learning, sharing ideas and expertise (transformative)
6. Sharing 19 Anchor Charts to Help Boost Kids’ Tech Skills, Virtually or in the Classroom i.e. How to use computers more effectively
7. AOB - Contact Wexford Education Centre to reach facilitator for any concerns that may need to be addressed at next brief session.

Community of Practice (CoP) – Junior Cycle Science 28th September at 7pm 

This is an informal session and its aim is to encourage and facilitate discussion amongst teachers

This sessions’ Objectives

• Continue building a database of sharing resources for Junior Cycle Science – Sign up with email address
• Practice and share planning for blended learning lessons incorporating recent information from NCCA.
• Sharing Junior Cycle Booklet - Learning Outcomes - Self Assessment incorporating JC Action verbs.
• Sharing and discussing Learning outcomes for Nature of Science for WSE-MLL inspections and effective dept. planning
• CBA 2 - learning how to proceed with Covid-19 restrictions.
• News and advice from JCT.

Community of Practice (CoP) – Junior Cycle Science 22nd of April 2020 5.30pm - 7.30pm 

This is an informal session and its aim is to encourage and facilitate discussion amongst teachers

The second session will focus on:

• Continue building a database of sharing resources for Junior Cycle Science – Sign up with email address
• Mapping the LO contextual strands for assessment purposes
• Focus on the Nature of Science and importance for inspection and link to resources suitable for 1^st to 3^rd
• Incorporating differentiation into Junior Cycle Science lessons
• Numeracy and Literacy in JC Science
• Discussion of successes, issues and experience of CBA 2 (3^rdYear)
• Discussion of successes, issues and experience of CBA 1 (2^ndYear)

 

Background

Community of Practice (CoP) – Junior Cycle Science 24th of February 2020 

The first session will facilitate discussion around bridging the gap between the new Junior Cycle Science learning outcomes and the Senior Cycle Sciences with an emphasis on Biology for this session. The session will focus on the unpacking of LO and the same different methodologies and pedagogy teacher engage in within the new framework.

This is an informal session and its aim is to encourage and facilitate discussion amongst teachers.

Future sessions will deal with the following topics:

The following themes are some that I envisage to be looked at

1.      Building a database of sharing resources for Junior Cycle Science

2.      Incorporating differentiation into Junior Cycle Science lessons

3.      Numeracy and Literacy in JC Science

4.      Examining the end of term paper structure and adapting to common level

5.      Interpret and familiarisation of new marking scheme to common level examination

6.      Discussion of successes, issues and experience of CBA 2 (3^rd Year)

7.      Discussion of successes, issues and experience of CBA 1 (2^nd Year)

8.      Examining the assessment task - 10% assessment – marked in July

ABOUT THE FACILITATOR: 

Jonathan Reynolds is a post primary teacher in Junior and Senior Sciences in Ramsgrange Community School, Co. Wexford for the past eight years, previously teaching in Yeats College Waterford and Westmeath ETB. He is an experienced written examiner for Junior Cycle Science and Junior Cycle Mock examination process setting and correcting Mock examinations for Ordinary & Higher-Level Agricultural Science and correcting Leaving Certificate Biology & Chemistry (both levels). He is currently participating in a Master of Education in School, Cosán Framework with the Teaching Council and JCT.