On the 22nd March 2012, the Regional Training Unit (RTU) for N Ireland, celebrated its final graduation for the Online Learning and Teaching for Educators (OLTE) Programme in the Craigantlet Room, Stranmillis University College Belfast.  This year seventy six post-primary teachers from across Northern Ireland schools, including Head of Irish at St Paul’s, Miss Ciara McCoy successfully completed the RTU’s Online Learning and Teaching for Educators (OLTE) Programme.  The keynote speaker at this year’s ceremony was Mr John Anderson, Managing Inspector ETI.  Mr Anderson paid tribute to the success and quality OLTE has achieved over the years, in particular he said, “One of OLTE’s strategic gains has been to disseminate OLTE graduates’  e-learning knowledge and skills and consequently widen curriculum choice and foster collaboration across schools.   And in that it has been most successful Because of OLTE, We are set up for online and digital success “.

The Regional Training Unit (RTU) developed the OLTE programme in 2003 to meet the Department of Education’s (DE) requirement for a continuous professional development (CPD) programme that would help address the overarching goal of the Education Technology Strategy “That all young people should be learning, with, through and about the use of digital and online technologies”.

The OLTE programme, which focuses on the development of online tutors skills, is accredited at Level 4 by the National Open College Network.  The participants complete 3 progressively challenging units:  Unit 1- Introduction to Online Tutor Skills, Unit 2 – Design, implement and tutor an online lesson and Unit 3 – Design, implement and tutor an online programme.  To date the final number of OLTE graduates is 154 teachers from 95 post primary schools.  They have provided more than 2000 participants with first-hand experience of learning in an online environment.

From 2007/08 the Department of Education funded post-primary teachers’ places on the OLTE programme.  Teachers were able to avail of a CPD programme which requires them to reflect on their practice, develop resources, plan for delivery, teach and assess their pupils in an online environment.  This valuable CPD opportunity allows teachers to revisit many of the GTC Professional Competences and can be used towards Performance Review and Staff Development (PRSD) requirements.  The current OLTE Graduates developed and delivered a variety of online courses to pupils from across a range of post-primary schools including, for example, aspects of GCSE Music, GCSE Geography, GCSE Irish, and AS Psychology.

The Online Learning and Teaching for Educators (OLTE) Programme has now come to an end but there is a significant pool of qualified teachers within the education sector who are in a position to continue developing online courses for schools.  This is evidenced by the OLTE Graduates who have gone on to develop online courses in AS Product Design, AS French, GCSE Irish, AS History and BTec Engineering for blended-course delivery.

Once again, as part of St Paul’s High School Seachtain na Gaeilge celebrations, a successful Céilí was held in the school Assembly Hall.   With the expert Catherine McAnulty as bean an tí, and music provided by the Gold Ring Céilí Band, a great night has had by the large crowd attending.  Our photos from the night are below, and our highlights video.

Pictured above is some Céilí action at St Paul’s 

Below are some photos from the night:

Video below: Highlights from the St Paul’s Céilí night:

Head of Irish, Miss Ciara McCoy, and Head of Year 10, Mr Brendan McArdle congratulate some of the students in Year 10 who received their Fáinne Airgid (Silver Fainne) for proficiency and fluency in Irish.

Students in Year 9 enjoyed a Tráth na gCeist Mór (Bumper Table Quiz) for Seachtain na Gaeilge recently.  Questions were posed by Fear a’tí, Mr Murray and the winning team came from the boys of 9/28, 9/92 and 9/82.  Mr Burns presented Easons vouchers to the winning team, and Easter eggs to the runners up.

Mr Burns, Vice-principal congratulates the winners of the annual Year 9 Irish language quiz

Below few photos during the quiz: 

A Level students of Irish at St Paul’s High School and St Joseph’s High School, Crossmaglen, along with guest speakers, Tomaí Ó Conghaile (Journalist), Niall Comer (Lecturer at University of Ulster), Lynette Fay (Broadcaster & Producer, BBC), Head of Irish Miss Ciara McCoy  and Irish teacher Mr Stephen Quinn.

Year 13 and Year 14 students of Irish at St Paul’s High and St Joseph’s High School, Crossmaglen, had the opportunity to discuss career opportunities in Irish with three distinguished guest speakers who visited the school as part of Seachtain na Gaeillge celebrations.  Tomaí Ó Conghaile, a journalist and TV presenter who hails from Cloghogue, Lynette Fay, producer and presenter with BBC Northern Ireland, and lecturer at the University of Ulster, Niall Comer, discussed their careers and backgrounds and answered questions as Gaeilge from the interested students.

Some photos below which were captured during the event, and scroll down for video footage of the three guest speakers’ remarks.

BBC Broadcaster, Lynette Fay 

Journalist, Tomaí Ó Conghaile

Head of Irish Miss Ciara McCoy, with a few year 8 pupils who received their Cúpla Focal badges along with Head of Year 8 Mrs Mary McMahon

Year 8 students of Irish had their proficiency in the language recognised at a special Assembly to mark Seachtain na Gaeilge.  The students who have been learning Irish since September received their Cúpla Focal badges – a national award, which recognises basic fluency in Irish.

Head of Irish at St Paul’s, Miss Ciara McCoy, paid tribute to the students for their hard work and wished them well as they continue to study Irish through their years at Ardscoil Naomh Pól.

Tá Seachtain na Gaeilge faoi lánseoil in Ardscoil Naomh Pól, An Sruthán.  Féach ar chlár na n-imeachtaí thíos.

Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish week) is well underway in St Paul’s, Bessbrook.  Have a look at our list of events below.

Pictured Above – Back row: Ms Anne McElroy, Kevin Nogher, Darren Mackin, Keenan Shields, Miceal McCartney, Miss McCoy
Front Row: Noelle Cunnane, Nassim Zerai, Jade McCaffrey

Students in 9/53 were recently presented with their ‘cupla focal’ award after completing a speaking test in Irish.  This award recognises the ability of these students to speak a ‘cupla focal’ or a couple of words in Irish.  This is a fantastic achievement for the students of 9/53 who have only started studying Irish in September.

During the month of March, as part of the celebrations for Seachtain na Gaeilge, students in Key Stage 3 are giving the opportunity to try and achieve the ‘cupla focal’ award or the ‘fáinne airgid’ (silver fáinne).  The successful students will be presented with their awards at special assemblies during Seachtain na Gaeilge.

9/53′s Irish teacher and Head of Irish, Miss McCoy praised the students on their achievement. “The students of 9/53 have worked very hard to achieve this level of Irish in a short space of time.  They are now able to answer questions about themselves, their school and their family quite confidently in Irish.  Ms McElroy, a classroom assistant with 9/53, has provided great support to the students in their efforts to achieve this award.  Ms McElroy practised the oral questions with the students and encouraged the students, who were lacking confidence, to attempt the exam.”

Year 12 students at St Paul’s, who completed a 10 week online Irish course, pictured with Head of Irish Miss Ciara McCoy

Twelve GCSE students have just completed an online GCSE Irish course which they started in September.  This course was designed to last ten weeks and gave the students the opportunity to boost their knowledge of Irish and to learn new vocabulary and structures as well as practice their Irish in the digital world.  The course concluded this week and the students were presented with certificates of completion.

Miss Ciara McCoy, Head of Irish, designed the online course as part of her OLTE (Online Teaching and Learning for Educators Course) course. This course is provided by the RTU (regional Training Unit) and four of St. Paul’s colleagues are now graduates of the OLTE course.

Mr Dáithí Murray, Director of ICT at St Paul’s, praised the students for their participation and commitment to the online course. He said that this course provided the students with an excellent opportunity to improve their Irish while developing their high order thinking skills such as synthesising and reasoning.

Mr Murray also said that this online course provided a great experience for the students, which will prove invaluable when they continue on to higher level education.

Year 10 students of Irish at St Paul’s High School who completed the Level 2 OLA examination in Irish were recently presented with their certificates by CCEA.

OLA stands for OnLine Assessment, and replaces the old GOML (Graded Objective in Modern Languages) Award.

Head of Irish at St Paul’s, Miss Ciara McCoy, congratulated the students on their hard work and dedication to Irish and for completing the exam online.