INTERACTIVE RESEARCH POSTER |
With the introduction of the new junior cycle reforms it brings with it a suite of revised subjects and short courses, a focus on literacy, numeracy and key skills, and new approaches of assessment and reporting. Schools will have more freedom to design junior cycle programmes that meet the learning needs of all students. The framework for this Junior Cycle (2015), “sets out a clear vision of how teaching, learning and assessment practices will evolve in the first three years of post-primary education” (DES, 2015). For students, the new junior cycle will mean that the curriculum available in their schools will be a mix of subjects and short courses as well as other learning experiences.
The technology subjects will be introduced in 2019 as part of phase five of the Framework for Junior Cycle implementation. As a result, preparing students for learning in the technology subjects is not just about teaching towards the technology but towards the skills that are fundamental to the technology subjects and are transferable into other areas of their learning. Skills that encourage the student to problem-solve through creation, innovation, communication, collaboration and exploration, all of which are developed in an active learning environment where students can advance their ideas from conception to realisation.
Learning in these subjects will be active and student centred, with learners collaborating in the pursuit of knowledge and in the safe management of the technology classroom environment. Through the challenges posed by the design-based philosophy of the subject, students will develop the relevant knowledge, skills and values to bring ideas from conception to reality in a way that will allow them to be expressive, creative and innovative.
With the technology subjects they want to “foster creative problem solving and design along with developing the necessary manipulative skillset for the subject area” (NCCA, 2018). Junior Certificate Materials Technology (Wood) provides students in the junior cycle of post-primary education with an opportunity to explore their role in making and shaping their environment. It involves the use of a design process, which is a central feature of the subject, through which students undertake tasks that require the use of practical problem-solving skills and the application of scientific and technological knowledge. Materials Technology (Wood) is assessed at two levels, Ordinary level and Higher level, by means of a written examination paper and a student project.
The most integral aspect of the new junior cycle reform for me personally was the emphasis of formative feedback. During my time we were almost taught in a manner of ‘teaching to the test’. A form of rote learning. “Research shows that the greatest benefits for students’ learning occur when teachers provide effective feedback to students that helps them to understand how their learning can be improved” (Department of Education and Skills, 2015).
Bibliography
Department of Education and Skills, 2015. Framework for Junior Cycle. [Online] Available at: http://www.juniorcycle.ie/NCCA_JuniorCycle/media/NCCA/Documents/Framework-forJunior-Cycle-2015-2.pdf [Accessed 10 Feb 2019 ].
Department of Education and Skills, D., 2015. Framework for Junior Cycle, Dublin: DES.
NCCA, 2018. Junior Cycle Reform - Technology Subjects. [Online]
Available at: https://www.curriculumonline.ie/Junior-cycle/Junior-Cycle-Subjects/Technology
[Accessed 10 February 2019].
The technology subjects will be introduced in 2019 as part of phase five of the Framework for Junior Cycle implementation. As a result, preparing students for learning in the technology subjects is not just about teaching towards the technology but towards the skills that are fundamental to the technology subjects and are transferable into other areas of their learning. Skills that encourage the student to problem-solve through creation, innovation, communication, collaboration and exploration, all of which are developed in an active learning environment where students can advance their ideas from conception to realisation.
Learning in these subjects will be active and student centred, with learners collaborating in the pursuit of knowledge and in the safe management of the technology classroom environment. Through the challenges posed by the design-based philosophy of the subject, students will develop the relevant knowledge, skills and values to bring ideas from conception to reality in a way that will allow them to be expressive, creative and innovative.
With the technology subjects they want to “foster creative problem solving and design along with developing the necessary manipulative skillset for the subject area” (NCCA, 2018). Junior Certificate Materials Technology (Wood) provides students in the junior cycle of post-primary education with an opportunity to explore their role in making and shaping their environment. It involves the use of a design process, which is a central feature of the subject, through which students undertake tasks that require the use of practical problem-solving skills and the application of scientific and technological knowledge. Materials Technology (Wood) is assessed at two levels, Ordinary level and Higher level, by means of a written examination paper and a student project.
The most integral aspect of the new junior cycle reform for me personally was the emphasis of formative feedback. During my time we were almost taught in a manner of ‘teaching to the test’. A form of rote learning. “Research shows that the greatest benefits for students’ learning occur when teachers provide effective feedback to students that helps them to understand how their learning can be improved” (Department of Education and Skills, 2015).
Bibliography
Department of Education and Skills, 2015. Framework for Junior Cycle. [Online] Available at: http://www.juniorcycle.ie/NCCA_JuniorCycle/media/NCCA/Documents/Framework-forJunior-Cycle-2015-2.pdf [Accessed 10 Feb 2019 ].
Department of Education and Skills, D., 2015. Framework for Junior Cycle, Dublin: DES.
NCCA, 2018. Junior Cycle Reform - Technology Subjects. [Online]
Available at: https://www.curriculumonline.ie/Junior-cycle/Junior-Cycle-Subjects/Technology
[Accessed 10 February 2019].