CESI Staffroom

Margaret (Mags) is an Assistant Professor in Inclusive Education for the Education Department in Maynooth University. Her experience in inclusive and special education includes teaching, teacher professional learning design and delivery, policy development and curriculum design. As a Fulbright Scholar, in 2021 Margaret worked with Lynch School of Education and Humanities at Boston College and CAST to explore equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice through the lens of UDL and currently is a member of the UDL Guidelines 3.0 Collaboartaive which supports and informs the process of reenvisioning teh UDL GuidelinesMargaret is alo the creator and host of #UDLchatIE and of the Podcast ‘Talking about all things Inclusion’.

Paddy Bates is a Primary Teacher Involved in IT from early 80s.He's a long time member of CESI and was President in 2002.He's a Coordinator of Culture Dept of European Virtual School.He's been Involved with IT projects with INTO, Dept of Education Pilot Project 84-86 , Laois Edcentre etc.He's created a Course on Authoring Software that was delivered to Trinity College Masters class.Primary Author of Information Technology in Irish schools.&Involved in Pilot I.T. Project for Primary Schools 1984-86.

First and foremost Conor is a "Digital Journeyman" He Lectures & teaches green & sustainable education, public policy, technology in education, and research methods programmes at UCD.His Interests include sustainable development, policy networks, professional knowledge, and the impact of new and emergent technology on learning and society.  Research at the moment is taking place under the Jean Monnet Teaching Action and the ERASMUS+ Teacher Academies Programme.  Also currently involved with JRC-Seville in piloting a new, personal competence based toolkit for school teachers, building on the EC DigCompEdu framework and the SELFIE brand. Recently He led the well-regarded EU Funded Knowledge Alliance KA 2 project; the ITELab, 2017-20. 

Developed some interest in the idea of computers in my schooldays – notably around thebeginning of the 1960s. Faraday lecture on “Transistors and all that”; talk to my class – weall had to give one if I recall correctly – on “the binary system (not in the maths curriculumthen) and computers” [anecdote on my parents’ different reactions]Did my degree in Maths in Trinity in the early 1960s.Graduate work in London … captivated by logic and the foundations of mathematics,including theoretical computing as manifested in Turing machines and the concept ofcomputability.Came back to Ireland in 1969 to do the HDip, then teach in Alexandra College, then back toTCD to do the MEd … during this entire period (which coincided with stirrings of interest incomputers in education here and initial Departmental activity) so many things contrived toenhance my interest in ideas both of computing – including computing in schools – and theuse of computers in T&L.Went to what was the foundational meeting of CESI, January 1973, but only as a stand-in (forFr. Cyril Byrne who wrote the programming language CSSP for schools) so I don’t regardmyself as a founder member. Fr. Cyril started – or at least, Prof. John Byrne started & Fr.Cyril taught – the Computers in Education Diploma at TCD in autumn 1973, and the firstcohort of students effectively became the Dublin Branch of CESI.In CESI ever since … usually on the Executive (and have served as national Vice-Chair orwhatever we were calling it at the time). Member of various CESI delegations / visits to theDepartment over the years.

Michael is a former primary school teacher who has over 25 years’ experience working in the field of digital education. He developed his interest in digital education in the early 1980s as an undergraduate student teacher in Coláiste Mhuire, Marino by playing with the college’s newly acquired Apple Macintosh computer. His first research project focused on the use of a BBC Micro in Irish primary schools in the mid-1980s. He later pursued a Masters in Education Technology in Boston College, where he also focused on the area of digital assessment. During his time in Boston he also worked in the Newton Public School System, one of the most progressive education systems in the US and he had the privilege of working on numerous innovative digital education projects.On returning to Ireland in 1994, after 5 years in Boston, he returned to classroom teaching and was instrumental in introducing Apple Macintosh computers into the school and in partnership with his business partner, John Hurley, created the first school website in Ireland.

We are very lucky to get Pam on the CESI Staffroom, to say that she's busy is a huge understatment, Pam is a lecturer in the Information Technology Department on the Thurles campus of the Technological University of the Shannon.  She is the organiser of the annual ICT in Education conference and has been a mentor in CoderDojo since 2011.  She has also mentored the Youth Media Team since their inception in 2013.  Pam is one of the Irish EU Code Week Ambassadors and She is currently undertaking doctoral studies in the School of Education in University College Dublin. Did I mention she does Origami ???  Pam talks to us today about where it all began and how today she has - as she says herself - the greatest job in the world. 

The Recap:   Russel Tarr, Kate Kogge, Ewan McIntosh, Kate Molloy and Joe Dale all featured on Season2 of the CESI staffroom. All these episodes are available where ever you download your podcast from, just type CESI Staffroom.    The email address for the Staffroom is : Staffroom@cesi.ie   My Email Address : hdabbagh@cesi.ie  The email address for the YouTube Channel : CESIvideos@gmail.com   We would love to hear from you.    Season 3 will be the same with plenty of interesting interviews WITH more..... We decided to do video demos to support teachers in the classroom, so, if there's something you'd like us to cover please let me know.    https://padlet.com/hassandabbagh/3m0f...   Our Padlet of resources http://www.cesi.ie/the-staffroom/CESI

This is a sneak peak into this month CESI Staffroom with Ewan McIntosh and Mags Amond .