Welcome to the English Support Service Website

Background Paper and Brief for the Review of English in Junior Cycle 2012

The publication of this document marks the start of the NCCA's work on the revised curriculum.  Read it here.

Teaching Creativity Workshops

Teaching Creativity is an innovative series of workshops led by poet Dave Lordan in which anyone interested in becoming a Teacher of Creative Writing can acquire the fundamental skills and inspiration to do so.  This will contribute ot the Ongoing Professional Development of teachers and people involved in the creative arts by instructing students in how to formulate imaginative and constructive approaches to the teaching of Creatvie Writing in primary, secondary, adult and community contexts.  Teachers, community educators and youth workers will be able to develop the potential for incorporating creativity into their work.  Writers, both aspiring and established, can develop the skills that will enable them to do creative teaching work that will completment their craft.

Dates:

The module workshops will be taught over four Saturdays at the Mater Dei Institute:  January 19th, February 2nd, March 9th and April 13th.  Sessions will run from 9.45a.m. - 12.45p.m.

The Audit fee for attending the workshops is 200 euro, payable in advance.  A Certificate of Attendance and Participation will be issued.

Please contact Michael Hinds at Mater Dei for more details:  michael.hinds@materdei.dcu.ie

Literacy: Where we are now - Update

In Spring, 2012, the PDST offered an introductory workshop for teachers of English, in response to the national strategy, Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life.  The workshop, 'Literacy: Where we are now', was designed as one of a series of six workshops.  In response to feedback from participants, we requested the Teacher Education Section of the Department of Education and Skills to sanction a full day event in which the participants might be engaged in three follow-on- workshops.

Since making this request, the PDST has undergone a re-structuring, and a new management team has been appointed.  At this point, it seems likely that the follow-on workshops to Literacy: Where we are now will be scheduled for sometime in 2013.

Media Log

The Irish Film Institute in collaboration with the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland/BAI, with the support of the Arts Council, is carrying out a research project into digital media literacy amongst young people in Ireland.  The first phase of this research project is to encourage students to complete a MEDIA LOG, either online or in hard copy form, from Wednesday, October 24th - Monday November 5th, 2012.

We are targeting young people aged 12-13, and need your help.  Your part in the project with only require five to ten minutes of your time: five minutes to introduce the project and its aims to your students, and another five the following week to see how they have got on - or to collect and hardcopy MEDIA LOGs and place them in the return post.

The 12 -13 Project's MEDIA LOG allows young people to track their internet usage, television, radio, gaming and mobile habits over the course of the week.  It can be found online at http://www.ifi.ie/12-13 

This survey refreshes every morning.  Alternatively, survey booklets optimized for single of double sided printing can be sent via email, or delivered to your classroom or club via post.

If you wish to have your students take part in the 12-13 project, please email tmcgrawlewis@irishfilm.ie

For the Attention of Transition Year Coordinator

The Communications Unit of the Houses of the Oireachtas, on behalf of Seanad Éireann, are organising a National Speech Writing/Video Essay Competition.  The competition, which is aimed at transition year students, will be launched towards the end of October.  Students will be invited to write a speech of no less than 500 and no more than 750 words on a selected theme.  Alternatively, the student may produce a video essay of not less than 90 seconds and not more than 120 seconds on the selected theme.  Further details will be made available soon.

Macbeth Workshop Videos

Andrea Ainsworth, Voice Director with the Abbey Theatre, devised a series of workshops for teachers on Shakespeare's Macbeth.  These videos capture some of the approaches used in the workshops.

The videos cover workshop approaches to three important soliloquies:

There are also short videos on different aspects of the workshops, including one on reading Shakespeare.  You may also like to read a detailed diary of the original workshop, compiled by Kevin Mc Dermott of the PDST, which is available here. (Please note you may have to adjust your browser settings to view the videos.)

Prescribed Material for English in the Leaving Certificate Examination 2014

The Single Text in Focus - Thinking about the Major Issues

Please click on registration form below to view course details.  This course will only available in the venues mentioned here.

Date	Venue	Registration
Tuesday, 25th September	Limerick Education Centre	registration form and course details
Tuesday, 2nd October	Tralee Education Centre	registration form and course details
Tuesday, 9th October	Cork Education Support Centre This course is now full	registration form and course details

Teaching English Magazine - Write a Poem Competiton 2012

A special anniversary edition of our magazine to  mark ten years of Ireland's leading competition for young writers.  Click here to read the collected winning entries from the last ten years of the competition.  This edition of the magazine celebrates the creativity of our young writers, and the extraordinary work of teachers of English in nurturing the talent of a new generation of writers.

Winners, Highly Commended and Commended for the Write a Poem Competition 2012

Senior Poems

Junior Poems

Junior Certificate English Colloquium Report

In 2008, the English Support Service hosted a colloquium on Junior Certificate English and is now publishing edited extracts from the proceedings.The intention is to promote discussion and professional conversation among teachers of English on the nature of the subject and the nature of good learning and teaching within the English classroom. Junior Certificate Colloquium Report

Brief Guide to 2012 Texts

Reviewed Brief Guide to 2012 texts

Prescribed Material for English in 2012

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Developing Approaches to Learning and Teaching in the First Year English Classroom

Alec Mac Alister of the English Support Service has uploaded these two documents which he has used in the Modular Course on Learning and Teaching in the First Year English Classroom.

The first is the 'SMOG Readability Grading Process' (the short version) which can be used as a useful check for a general indication of the readabilitiy of any piece of text in English.  This is not a test for reading age.  

The full article can be accessed at http://www.harrymclaughlin.com/SMOG_Readability_Formula_G._Harry_McLaughlin_(1969).pdf

SMOG_TEST.doc

The second is an editable Word Document: 'Talk about yourself as a learner of English' to help pupils assess themselves as learners as an aid to teachers in all settings but particularly so inmixed ability environments. First_year_learning_ASK.doc

Resources for Teaching Junior Certificate English

The English Support Service has put together a folder of resources for teachers of Junior Certificate English.  The folder includes: English Support Service Handouts; Articles from the Teaching English Magazine; Book Suggestions; Offical Documents from the DES and SEC; NCCA reports as well as resources on Reflective Practice.  We think the folder will be of interest to individual teachers, English Departments and teachers considering undertaking a project on any aspect of teaching English in a Junior Cycle English class.

Click on link to download resources http://www.crisp.ie/slss

New Organisation for Teachers of English 

The Irish National Organisation for Teachers of English (INOTE) was established in October 2008 and already has 21 branches around the country.  The establishment of the organisation is an exciting new chapter in the history of English subject associations in Ireland and the English Support Service wishes the new organisation every success.  For more information on the Irish National Organisation for Teachers of English, please go to www.inote.ie