Teaching and Learning Initiatives
To support teaching and learning within the school, we have engaged in a number of initiatives
TL21
The TL 21 Programme is a workshop-based Professional Development programme for teachers and school leaders that promotes innovative practice and professional learning communities in post primary schools. The programme’s aims are:
- to strengthen teachers’ capacities as co-operative and self-critical authors of their own work;
- to enable students to take an active and responsible part in their own learning.
Participants in the programme attend a series of continuous professional development workshops in Kildare Education Centre over a two year period (5 workshops each year).
Accreditation for participants is available in two forms:
- an M.Ed in Innovative Learning, based on action research carried out in the participants’ schools;
- Accreditation provided by the Education Centres.
In 2016/17 and 2018/19 six teachers worked with Maynooth University and Kildare Educational Centre on an action project that worked with our students to help them become more engaged in learning and that would assist them in becoming independent, confident learners. The focus for the last two year has been on developing and sharing learning intentions with students. These are statements the make it very clear to students what they will learn in class and how they can achieve success.
Magenta Principles
The Magenta Principles is an approach to teaching based on the premise that learning should be exciting and engaging. The aim is to get students to think, talk, and do. Supported by NAPD this is an initiative to explore practical strategies for teachers to improve teaching and learning in the classroom.
Central to the approach is the question – What are students required to do with the information they learn in the classroom? Retaining and regurgitating the information is not enough; students need to show understanding of it by actively changing, reducing, classifying, applying, arranging, prioritising, assembling and deconstructing it.
Participants in this programme attend 3 continuous professional development workshops in Kilkenny over the course of a year.