Education Exchange

In this episode, Dr Geraldine Magennis-Clarke talks to Philip Lavery who is the Vice-Principal of Mount Saint Michael’s Primary School in Randalstown, Co. Antrim about their collaborative research project entitled ‘From Faltering to Flowing: One Primary School’s Journey Embedding Oral Reading Fluency in Key Stage 2’. They explore how they met, and together forged a professional relationship around the need to ‘do things differently’ in the classroom, regarding literacy provision, post-Covid. Their conversation shines a light on the process of getting started, maintaining buy-in and tracking progress from the point of view of the teachers, children and parents. All of this takes place within the confines of the current but ever-changing research evidence base. Philip leaves the audience with sound take-aways for those wishing to make the complex move from theory to practice within the Northern Ireland educational context.  

Rasinski, T. V. & Chessman Smith, M. (2021) The Megabook of Fluency: Strategies and Texts to Engage All Readers. New York: Scholastic. 

In this episode, Dr Frances Burgess speaks to Dr Brenda McKay-Redmond and Dr Gavin Breslin about the Daily Mile initiative in NI. The Daily Mile aims to encourage children and young people, alongside their teachers, to spend 15 minutes of their school day walking, running, or wheeling for at least 3 days per week. The idea for establishing the Daily Mile in Northern Ireland came to Brenda and her colleague Barabara McConnell when they were teaching an undergraduate module in Stranmillis University College entitled Healthy Minds, Healthy Bodies. Inspired by the Daily Mile initiative in Scotland, the Daily Mile Network NI was established in 2019, drawing a range of organisations together to support further implementation.  

In this podcast, Brenda talks about how the idea developed and describes the ethos and principles of the Daily Mile. She also talks about its reported benefits promoting the social, emotional, and physical health of young people in schools. As head of research for the network, Dr Gavin Breslin discusses the current research evidence surrounding the Daily Mile and what more can be done to strengthen its research-informed influence in coming years. 

In today’s podcast we were delighted to be joined with Neil Allen, Director of the Innovation Factory, Belfast.  We had the opportunity to delve into the importance, strategies, challenges, and prospects of integrating entrepreneurial skills into educational settings so that we can provide valuable insights for student teachers seeking to enhance their teaching practices. Understanding the significance of nurturing entrepreneurial skills in contemporary education, especially for pupils from primary to post-primary levels, is essential. Defining "entrepreneurial skills" within the educational framework, it becomes imperative to identify key competencies vital for educators to cultivate in student teachers to effectively foster entrepreneurship among school children. 

In this episode Dr Geraldine Magennis-Clarke and Aidan McKeown talk to Ann Pendleton and Sophie Cocault from the Full-Service Community Network about how educators can best help support newcomer children and families as they settle into our society, and particularly our education system. Both interviewees clarify a variety of terms that are in common usage when referring to immigrant families but have different implications, despite often being used interchangeably. They go on to outline the very broad reach their organisation has, in relation to the wrap-around provision it offers to those families who come to live in Northern Ireland from various parts of the world and who have limited/no English, as yet. They reframe the often-erroneous view that immigrants take more from their host society than they bring to it. They elaborate on the bespoke help they can offer to primary and post-primary schools, especially but not exclusively in the Upper Springfield and Lower Falls catchment areas of West Belfast. These include advice and assistance with in-class pedagogies, information on interpreter services, support with family liaison and homework clubs to name but a few. 

Full Service Community Network - Belfast

Welcome to the Education Exchange, a student teacher education podcast, where we explore all things related to the exciting and rewarding journey of becoming a teacher. We will dive deep into the challenges, successes, and various aspects of being a student teacher. With each episode we will bring you insightful interviews with experienced teachers, education experts, and fellow student teachers who will share their wisdom and practical tips to help you thrive in the classroom. Whether you're a first-year student teacher or 30 years in the classroom, this podcast is here to support.  Each coffee chat is sure to motivate, educate and inspire you, with some laughs along the way.  

We want to keep the dialogue going and your valuable input is essential to make this podcast even more engaging and educational.  We would love to hear from you about the topics you would like to hear about in future episodes.