Greetings from Ireland!

Active Active Methodologies for Methodologies for

Active CitizensActive CitizensThe Irish ExperienceThe Irish Experience

Conor Harrison,Conor Harrison, National Co-ordinator, National Co-ordinator,

Civic, Social and Political Education, Civic, Social and Political Education, IrelandIreland

Reykjavik, Iceland 29th May 2006

Citizenship Citizenship Education Education in the Irish in the Irish CurriculumCurriculum

Structure to In-service Structure to In-service EventsEvents

Understanding DimensionUnderstanding Dimension Course Content, ConceptsCourse Content, Concepts

Skills DimensionSkills Dimension Active Learning MethodsActive Learning Methods Action ProjectsAction Projects

Formative DimensionFormative Dimension Opportunities to ReflectOpportunities to Reflect

Co-Facilitated by Practising TeachersCo-Facilitated by Practising Teachers Inspire confidence, ‘doability’Inspire confidence, ‘doability’

Citizenship Education in the Citizenship Education in the Irish CurriculumIrish Curriculum

Primary EducationPrimary Education SPHESPHE (Social, (Social,

Personal and Health Personal and Health Education)Education)

SESESESE (Social, (Social, Environmental and Environmental and Scientific Education)Scientific Education)

Lower Secondary Lower Secondary EducationEducation Junior Cycle Junior Cycle

CSPECSPE (Civic, Social (Civic, Social and Political and Political Education)Education)

Upper Secondary Upper Secondary EducationEducation Senior CycleSenior Cycle

Transition Year ModulesTransition Year Modules Social EducationSocial Education (Leaving (Leaving

Certificate Applied)Certificate Applied) Social & Political EducationSocial & Political Education

(Short course, Full course)(Short course, Full course)

33rdrd Level Education Level Education Political SciencePolitical Science SociologySociology AnthropologyAnthropology

Lifelong LearningLifelong Learning One of the six priority One of the six priority

areasareas

“The essential task of citizenship is not to predict the future, it is to create it.”

Foróige

“Citizenship is doing our share to make our community and country a better place.”

A L Steele

Education for & through Citizenship

Civic, Social & Political Civic, Social & Political Education: Education:

Lower Secondary EducationLower Secondary Education Core curriculumCore curriculum One 40 minute class One 40 minute class

period per week or period per week or equivalentequivalent

70 hours over 3 years70 hours over 3 years Students should Students should

undertake 2 Action undertake 2 Action ProjectsProjects

Assessed as part of the Assessed as part of the Junior CertificateJunior Certificate

Civic, Social and Political Education: is a course in Citizenship based on Human Rights

and Social Responsibilities. aims to develop active citizens who have

- a sense of belonging to the local, national, European and global community

- a capacity to gain access to information and structures

- an ability and the confidence to fully participate in democratic society.

is concerned about issues at personal, local, national and global levels.

promotes the development of knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes/values, as outlined in the syllabus, through active learning methods.

Based on 7 Concepts

CITIZENSHIP

Democracy

Stewardship

Rights & Responsibilities

Interdependence

Human Dignity

Law

Development

Education for Democratic Citizenship within the Council of Europe

Teaching essential knowledge Developing skills Developing attitudes Undertaking action Emphasis on participation and on Active

Learning Methods

Getting the Balance Right

Content

Methodology

Action

Education for

Citizenship

Education through

Citizenship

Education about

Citizenship

Active Learning Active Learning MethodologiesMethodologies

Two Key Approaches

Active Learning

Taking Action

“A student must be able to do more than “know about” what s/he is studying.”

Active Learning Active Learning MethodsMethodsExperience & Learning

Reading

Hearing Words

Looking at Pictures

Watching a Movie

Looking at an Exhibit

Watching a Demonstration

Seeing it done on location

Participating in a Discussion

Giving a Talk

Doing a Dramatic Presentation

Simulating the Real Experience

Doing the Real Thing

10%

20%

30%

50%

70%

90%

AC

TIVE

PASSIV

E

We tend to remember....

Our level of involvement

Verbal Receiving

Visual Receiving

Doing

EXPERIENCE AND LEARNINGCentre for Teaching Effectiveness, University of Texas, Austin

Learning TheoriesLearning Theories

Visual/Auditory/Visual/Auditory/KinestheticKinesthetic

Left Brain/Right BrainLeft Brain/Right Brain Multiple IntelligencesMultiple Intelligences Co-operative LearningCo-operative Learning ConstructivismConstructivism

Visual/Auditory/Kinaesthetic Visual/Auditory/Kinaesthetic LearnersLearners

VVisual Learnersisual Learners

Prefer to see informationPrefer to see information

AAuditory Learnersuditory Learners

Prefer to hear informationPrefer to hear information

KKinaesthetic Learnersinaesthetic LearnersLearn best by doing, touching, Learn best by doing, touching, makingmaking

V A

K

DisplaysVideos

Demonstrations

Tape WorkVisitor in the

ClassroomOral Presentations

Make a ModelPeer TeachWorksheetsProject Work

LEFT Brain RIGHT Brain

Language Linearity Logic Number/Maths Sequence Words of a Poem From whole to parts Phonetic reading Unrelated Facts

Forms and patterns Spatial manipulation Dimension Synthesis Images and patterns Rhythm and Music Tune of a Song From parts to Whole Imagination

LOGICAL-MATHEMATICAL

How can I bring in numbers, calculations, logic, classifications, or critical thinking skills?

LINGUISTIC

How can I use spoken or written word?

SPATIAL

How can I use visual aids, visualisation, colour, art or metaphor?

INTRAPERSONAL

How can I evoke personal feelings or memories, or give students choices?

INTERPERSONAL

How can I engage students in peer sharing or co-operative learning?

BODILY-KINAESTHETIC

How can I involve the whole body or use hands-on experiences?

Planning for Multiple

Intelligences MUSICAL

How can I bring in music or environmental sounds, or set key points in a rhythmic or melodic framework?NATURALIST

How can I draw in/evoke the world of nature?

Adapted from Howard Gardner

Gardner proposed Gardner proposed a change in a change in emphasis…..emphasis…..

from from

How clever is s/he?How clever is s/he?toto

How is s/he How is s/he clever?clever?

Student

Teacher Subject

Methodology

The Learning ExperienceVAK

Motivation

Learning Styles

Ability

Resources

Interest

Level

Learning led

Exam driven

Attitude

Style

Relationships

ExpectationsTeaching Strategies

Multiple Intelligences

Left/Right Brain

Constructivism

To support memory To experience learning at a

deeper level To problem solve To encourage discussion To engage pupils To develop critical

thinking/reflection

Why Active Learning?

“Knowledge, for most people, has a very short sell-by date. Unless it is used very quickly it goes off.”

Making Lessons Memorable

“Lessons should be hard to forget”Student

Charles Handy, The Hungry Spirit, 1997, p217

“Experience plus reflection is the learning that lasts.”

Charles Handy, Myself and other more important matters, 2006, p43

““Trying to learn Trying to learn

without reviewing is without reviewing is

like trying to fill the like trying to fill the

bath without putting bath without putting

the plug in.”the plug in.”

Review/ReflectionReview/Reflection

Mike Hughes, Closing the Learning Gap, 1999, p54

The Role of the Teacher

Creative Motivator Listener Choreographer Facilitator Empowerer

“The student is empowered and becomes the expert”

Active Learning - Active Learning - GeneralGeneralRoy Watson-Davis, Creative Teaching Handbook, Teachers’ Pocketbooks, Hampshire, 2004

Gordon Dryden & Jeannette Vos, The Learning Revolution, Network Educational Press, Stafford, 2001

Paul Ginnis, The Teacher’s Toolkit, Crown House Publishing, Carmarthen, 2002

Mike Hughes, Closing the Learning Gap, Network Educational Press, Stafford, 1999

Mike Hughes, Strategies for Closing the Learning Gap, Network Educational Press, Stafford, 2001

Mel Silberman, Active Learning: 101 Strategies to Teach Any Subject, Allyn and Bacon, Needham Heights, 1996

Active Learning - Active Learning - CitizenshipCitizenship

CDVEC Curriculum Development Unit, Citizenship Education Teaching and Learning Resources (CD-Rom), CDVEC CDU, Dublin, 2005

Council of Europe, COMPASS: A Manual on Human Rights Education with Young People, COE, Strasbourg, 2002

United Nations, Teaching Human Rights, OHCHR, Geneva, 2003

Save the Children, Participation: Spice it Up, Save the Children, Cardiff, 2002

“One person can make a difference and every person should try.”

“Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is a waste of time. Vision with action can change the world.”

John F. Kennedy

Nelson Mandela

A young lad was walking down a deserted beach after a major storm. He was astonished by the

number of starfish that the storm had washed up on the beach. He thought that there was nothing he

could do because there were so many. 

In the distance he saw a frail old man. As he approached the man, he saw him bend over, pick up

a stranded starfish and throw it back into the sea. The young lad gazed in wonder as the old man, again and again bent over, picked up stranded

starfish and threw them from the sand to the water. He asked, ‘Why do you spend so much energy

doing what seems to be a waste of time?’ The old man explained that the stranded starfish would die if

left in the morning sun. 

‘But there must be thousands of starfish on this beach alone!’, exclaimed the young lad. ‘How can you make a difference?’ The old man looked at the small starfish in his hand and, as he threw it to the safety of the sea, he said, ‘I made a difference to

that one, didn’t I?’

The Starfish Story

Iceland, May 2006

Fond memories of …