“Students entering transition year may be allocated teaching and
learning to catch up on sections of the Junior Cycle curriculum they may
have missed, with an emphasis on literacy and numeracy skills.
Instead of school trips, schools will be advised to plan for alternative
school-based or online activities to replace co-curricular and
extracurricular programmes. The Irish Second Level Students’ Union
said it hoped that sufficiently generous measures were taken to ease
pressure on students.”
– ‘The Irish Times’, 21 st Aug. 2020
Blended Learning also known as Hybrid Learning: a style of teaching and
learning in which students learn via electronic and online media as well as
traditional face-to-face teaching within the classroom.
Distance Learning/Remote Learning:
1. Asynchronous Learning: is a student-centred teaching method widely
used in online learning. Its means that learning can occur offline. Teachers
usually set up a learning path e.g. Pre-recorded videos, audio notes on
PowerPoints and lesson material uploaded on platforms e.g. Microsoft
Teams.. Students engage with class material at their own pace, in their own
time and submit work according to teacher deadlines.
2. Synchronous learning: Learning in which students and teachers are live
and on the same platform e.g., Microsoft Teams meeting or check in at the
same time, in order for learning to take place collectively online. This
includes live in-person classes, live online meetings with the whole class or
smaller set groups in a particular time slot.
Self-directed learning or Responsibility for Own Learning describes the
teaching and learning method by which students take the initiative, with or
without the assistance of others, in diagnosing their own learning needs. Students
set their own learning goals, conduct research and use resources for learning to
produce an end piece of academic work e.g. project, essay etc. This is a key skill
for Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle.
Covid-19 is a fluid situation. Something that is unstable or subject to change can
be described as fluid. This means our school may have to switch between the
above types of teaching and learning for this academic year due to the insidious
nature of the virus. We must take a flexible approach. This is why we’ve made you
this innovative 2020 TY workbook!
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