Artificial Intelligence (AI), What is it and what are the opportunities and challenges for FET?

Plesae Note: This PD event has been run previously but is updated with the latest information each time it is delivered, so some of the content is the same and some ie new content based on the most recent AI developments. 

In the last year, there has been a huge interest in the profound potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the realm of Further Education and Training. This presentation will cover the basics of AI, demystifying its core concepts and exploring its real-world applications. We will focus on BingChat, an advanced AI language model through the lens of a FET teacher or tutor. AI can  assist educators, administrators, and students alike, providing personalized support, generating educational content, and promoting engagement. But AI in education is not just about convenience; it's also about the opportunities and challenges it presents to educators. Explore the vast potential for AI to streamline administrative tasks, enhance teaching materials, and adapt learning experiences to individual student needs. We will discuss the challenges and potential threats AI poses to educators in the FET sector, addressing concerns about job displacement and the changing role of teachers/tutors/trainers. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on the future of education where AI and human educators collaborate to create more effective and personalized learning environments. Discover how you can harness the power of AI to elevate your teaching practices and unlock new possibilities in Further Education and Training.

Facilitation: John Heffernan (Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim ETB) and Susan Dunne (Tipperary ETB)

John Heffernan is the Professional Development Co-ordinator for Mayo Sligo Leitrim ETB. John's career, prior to teaching was in IT, working for a number of start-up companies. He has taught or worked in education technology for more than twenty years, including two years as a PLC teacher. He has been involved in AI in Education with a number of organisations for a number of years. He is on the executive of CESI (Computers in Education Society of Ireland) which is the Subject Association for Computer Science and technology in education. He was previously TEL coordinator with Tipperary ETB. He was recently awarded one of the ISTE 20 to watch for 2024.

Susan Dunne brings 13 years of experience as an educator in post-primary education, teaching Business, Accountancy, and IT. During her time in post-primary education, she was a coordinator for programs such as LCA, LCVP, TY, and IT. She was part of one of the first schools to achieve recognition as a Microsoft School of Excellence in Ireland.
Over the past five years, Susan ventured into Further Education, where she teaches QQI Level 4 and 5 courses. Within her teaching, she uses OneNote E-portfolio extensively for teaching and assessment purposes. Alongside her practical teaching experience, she holds a postgraduate qualification in Special Educational Needs. Her enthusiasm for technology is constant and she continually explores innovative ways to incorporate it into her teaching practices. 
Throughout her career, she has dedicated time to enhancing her pedagogical skills, delving into various teaching methodologies, including Assessment for Learning and becoming a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) facilitator. Currently, she is actively involved in the development team for the new Leaving Certificate Business Studies course with the NCCA.

Wednesday, 5 February 2025 - 14.00 to 16.00

A link to this online event will be emailed in advance. 
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    Boosting Emotional and Mental Fitness for FET Staff

In Ireland and around the world, the signs and symptoms of stress are increasing in critical ways - with rates of burnout, stress, loneliness, depression, anxiety, and lifestyle disease rising. This programme is designed to equip FET staff with the tools to boost their emotional and mental fitness so they can work more effectively, handle the stresses of modern life, and enjoy a happy healthy life outside of work.

Objective:
This interactive workshop is designed to equip FET staff with practical tools to enhance their mental and emotional fitness and overall wellbeing. Participants will learn strategies to manage stress, boost resilience, and cultivate a mindset that fosters productivity, creativity, and wellbeing.

1. Overview of Mental and Emotional Fitness - Creating a mindset shift from ‘coping with stress’ to ‘building inner strength.’
2. Core Concepts and Tools
• Mindfulness and Self-Awareness
• Emotional Intelligence and Regulation Techniques
3. Interactive Practices to build Mental and Emotional Strength
4. Overview of Your 12 Pillars of Wellbeing
5. Technology, AI and Emotional and Mental Fitness
6. Challenge - participants set one specific goal for building their mental and emotional fitness over the next 30 days.

In this session, participants will:
1. Learn how to boost their emotional and mental fitness.
2. Gain an understanding of the different pillars of wellbeing and how to strengthen them.
3. Access a toolbox to stay mentally and emotional fit in today’s fast paced world.

The target audience for this session is: FET staff including management, teachers, tutors, trainers, programme coordinators, guidance counsellors, learning support staff and wellbeing officers.

Facilitation: This session is facilitated by Calodagh McCumiskey. She is an accredited master practitioner in Wellbeing and Coaching. She is a speaker and wellbeing trainer. Clients include corporates, Government Organisations, The Education Sector and Individuals. She has a background in Aid Work and worked in high stress environments in the aftermath of man-made and natural disasters for 14 years. Calodagh was the runner up in the Network Ireland National Solo Business person of the year Competition in 2023. She was awarded the Judges Special Recognition in the 2024 Network Ireland Business woman of the year. She completed a Master of Business in Executive leadership in 2024. For more information, visit: www.spiritualearth.com or www.calodagh.com or www.innerrhythm.ie.

Please note: Pre-booking is essential. Please do not book onto this session unless you are sure that you will attend/have approval to attend (if required). If an emergency arises, please inform us ASAP (cpdcancellations@fess.ie) as we operate a waiting list system and if time allows, we can offer your booked place to another person.

Tuesday, 11 February 2025 -10.00 to 12.00 

A link to this online event will be emailed in advance. 
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      Assessment - A self-directed online course on Locally Devising Assessment plus Follow-up Clinics

NEW!

FESS has developed this new resource to support new assessors to navigate their way through assessment for the first time. The resource focuses on the assessment of learners who are following further education and training programmes or FET programmes that lead to QQI certification at NFQ levels 1 to 6. The specific focus of the resource is on summative assessment in a locally devised assessment process which means that the detail in the resource is targeted towards assessors who are tasked with devising their own assessment briefs, examination papers and related documentation so that they can assess learners for certification purposes.

The resource is divided into five modules. Each module is divided into a number of units, and each unit is divided into sections. The five modules are:

1. Quality Assuring Assessment
2. Understanding the Standard
3. Devising Assessment
4. Marking Learner Assessment Evidence
5. Considerations for an Assessor

To access the course, click here

A tutorial document to help you create your account, enrol on the course, complete the course and download your digital certificate can be downloaded here 

A short video tutorial to guide you through the process of creating an account and enrolling yourself in the course can be accessed here, it is slightly over 5 minutes long

Please Note: The content of this course is similar to the content delivered previously online on the Assessment Suite that was offered as 5 x 2 hour online sessions. 

The target audience for this series is: Assessors new to the area of FET and engaged in a locally devised assessment process. However, the sessions may also appeal to those who wish to refresh their understanding of assessment and/or those tasked with supporting/informing the assessment process locally. 

Facilitation: This course has been developed by FESS to provide participants with the opportunity to engage in a self-directed online course that can be undertaken at the participant's own pace and at a time that is convenient to them. Assessment clinics to support those participating on the online course will be provided by FESS.

Please note: To access the course, you will have to follow the steps in the tutorial:

• Access www.fesslearning.ie 
• Create an account - email and password and email will be verified 
• Enrol on the Locally Devised Assessment course - by clicking enrol, see tutorial
• Complete each of the five modules in sequence
• Download your Certificate of Completion and save for your own records 

Assessment Clinic

This one hour online clinic is designed as a follow-up support to allow participants who are completing or have completed the online Locally Devised Assessment course to pose any questions and queries that they may have as a result of engaging with the online course. An informal approach will be adopted for this session where the clinic will be participant-led, which will allow for the sharing and discussion of ideas. These clinics will be hosted on Zoom and the link will be emailed to participants in advance of the event. 

Thursday, 6 February 2025 - 16.00 to 17.00

Assessment Clinic

This one hour online clinic is designed as a follow-up support to allow participants who are completing or have completed the online Locally Devised Assessment course to pose any questions and queries that they may have as a result of engaging with the online course. An informal approach will be adopted for this session where the clinic will be participant-led, which will allow for the sharing and discussion of ideas. These clinics will be hosted on Zoom and the link will be emailed to participants in advance of the event. 

Tuesday, 4 March 2025- 16.00 to 17.00

Assessment Clinic

This one hour online clinic is designed as a follow-up support to allow participants who are completing or have completed the online Locally Devised Assessment course to pose any questions and queries that they may have as a result of engaging with the online course. An informal approach will be adopted for this session where the clinic will be participant-led, which will allow for the sharing and discussion of ideas. These clinics will be hosted on Zoom and the link will be emailed to participants in advance of the event. 

Wednesday, 9 April 2025 - 16.00 to 17.00

Assessment Clinic

This one hour online clinic is designed as a follow-up support to allow participants who are completing or have completed the online Locally Devised Assessment course to pose any questions and queries that they may have as a result of engaging with the online course. An informal approach will be adopted for this session where the clinic will be participant-led, which will allow for the sharing and discussion of ideas. These clinics will be hosted on Zoom and the link will be emailed to participants in advance of the event. 

Thursday 8 May 2025 - 16.00 to 17.00

Assessment Clinic

This one hour online clinic is designed as a follow-up support to allow participants who are completing or have completed the online Locally Devised Assessment course to pose any questions and queries that they may have as a result of engaging with the online course. An informal approach will be adopted for this session where the clinic will be participant-led, which will allow for the sharing and discussion of ideas. These clinics will be hosted on Zoom and the link will be emailed to participants in advance of the event. 

Tuesday, 10 June 2025 - 16.00 to 17.00

Relating Transversal Skills to FET

This session will address the growing importance of Transversal Skills as a positive means to navigate the impact of an ever-accelerating world.

The session is aimed at Teachers and tutors of FET levels 5-6 and provides a resource to support teachers/tutors to aid their learners as they prepare for the world of work or tertiary education.

A transversal skills framework developed in conjunction with Leargas will be shared. This framework can be used as a guide to Transversal Skills for FET international work placements under Erasmus +.  The framework can also act as a template for the exploration and identification of Transversal Skills by teachers and tutors.

The session will present the outcomes of research identifying the priority Transversal Skills for the future of work and present an overview of a toolkit developed as a support resource to those facilitating learner acquisition of Transversal Skills within FET.

The target audience for this session is: FET staff including management, teachers, tutors, trainers, programme coordinators, guidance counsellors, learning support staff and wellbeing officers.

Facilitation: This event will be facilitated by Dr Marie Cleary. Marie is founder and director at ThirdSpace Consultants. She has extensive experience working with senior management and their teams to deliver strategic management interventions, facilitate change, develop leaders and build high performance teams. Before moving into Consulting, Marie was a teacher of Music and English at second level for 10 years. Her 20+ years Consulting career has spanned both public and private sector internationally. Her qualifications in Business, Education, Finance and Psychology, coupled with her previous roles in management of EU funding, gives her an expansive skillset to work in a variety of settings. Marie is a coaching psychologist with extensive experience as an executive coach and has worked at a senior level to assist clients resolve challenging issues, build resilience and enhance leadership capability. Marie is passionate about intercultural education and is closely connected to the work of Leargas across the fields of Youth, Further Education and School Education.

Please note: Pre-booking is essential. Please do not book onto this event unless you are sure that you will attend / have approval to attend (if required). If an emergency arises, please inform us ASAP (cpdcancellations@fess.ie) as we operate a waiting list system and if time allows, we can offer your booked place to another person.

Thursday, 6 March 2025 - 10.00 to 12.00

A link to this online event will be emailed in advance. 
Please keep an eye on your Junk/Spam folder in case the e-mail with the link to the online event ends up there.

Lego®Serious Play® in FET

Why not try something a little different with your students this year.

Lego® Serious Play® (LSP) is a facilitated methodology created by the Lego® Group.

In a Lego®Serious Play® session students engage in experiential learning and build with LEGO® bricks and elements in a very different way to normal Lego® building.

The process is surprisingly powerful and is an effective way to engage the brain and work through different scenarios and challenges to achieve outcomes.

The process supports thinking with the hands. Everyone builds, everyone listens and everyone tells their stories ensuring 100% engagement and 100% respect. Its helps to make sense of complex information and is grounded in scientific research.

This session will cover:

What is Lego®Serious Play®
Lego®Serious Play®check-ins
Lego®Serious Play® process and etiquette
Using Lego® bricks, elements and activities to support thinking, listening, sharing, voice, reflection and evaluation
Sourcing Lego®Serious Play® resources
N.B. Materials / resources needed for the workshop:

In order to join the workshop, it is essential that ALL participants:

bring along a small box of Lego® bricks and elements to the online workshop. These should be in a range of different colours and shapes; the more unusual and random the shapes the better!
Have a desk space for working with the Lego®
have all laptop cameras and Mics on throughout the entire session.
PLEASE NOTE: Should you have difficulty sourcing Lego® bricks and you wish to participate in this workshop, please contact FESS as soon as possible and we will try to assist you.

This session is ideal for FET teachers who are eager to create a more connected and supportive learning environment.

The target audience for this session is: FET staff including management, teachers, tutors, trainers, programme coordinators, guidance counsellors, learning support staff and wellbeing officers.

Facilitation: This event will be facilitated by Miriam O’Donoghue. Miriam is an independent facilitator, trainer and consultant with a strong background and experience of working in Education both nationally and internationally that includes teaching, lecturing and training roles at Primary, Post-primary, Further Education and Training, and Higher Education (Teacher Education) levels. Miriam has also held senior management roles in Curriculum Development, Professional Development and Education Support Services.

Miriam is a trained and experienced LEGO® Serious Play® facilitator and trainer.

Miriam has a deep understanding of LEGO® Serious Play® methodology, principles, techniques, and the applications of LEGO® Serious Play®.

Please note: Pre-booking is essential. Please do not book onto this session unless you are sure that you will attend / have approval to attend (if required). If an emergency arises, please inform us ASAP (cpdcancellations@fess.ie) as we operate a waiting list system and if time allows, we can offer your booked place to another person.

Tuesday, 11 March 2025 - 14.00 to 16.00

A link to this online event will be emailed in advance. 
Please keep an eye on your Junk/Spam folder in case the e-mail with the link to the online event ends up there.

Unlocking the Potential of Rubrics in Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Please note: This event is a repeat of a previous FESS PD event on 'Unlocking the Potential of Rubrics in Teaching, Learning and Assessment' first delivered online in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

This online event aims to assist FET staff in the development and use of rubrics to support teaching, learning and assessment activities. This is an interactive event where participants will be provided with information, have the opportunity to engage in discussion and participate in a rubric development workshop.

This event will:

• Provide an overview of what we mean by rubrics
• Explore the purpose, types and benefits of rubrics
• Explore the use and relevance of rubrics for teaching, learning and assessment
• Provide participants with the opportunity to begin the development of a rubric
• Provide the opportunity to share some examples of rubrics for different purposes.

Learning together in this event will help us to consider the range of possibilities rubrics can bring to teaching, learning and assessment.

The target audience for this event is: FET staff including teachers, tutors, trainers, programme co-ordinators and QA staff.

Facilitation: This event will be facilitated by Mary Sheehy (FESS).

Please note: Pre-booking is essential. Please do not book onto this event unless you are sure that you will attend / have approval to attend (if required). If an emergency arises, please inform us ASAP (cpdcancellations@fess.ie) as we operate a waiting list system and if time allows we can offer your booked place to another person.

Wednesday, 19 March 2025 - 10.00 to 12.00

A link to this online event will be emailed in advance. 
Please keep an eye on your Junk/Spam folder in case the e-mail with the link to the online event ends up there.

In a time of increasing global challenges and uncertainties that threaten our very existence- a transformation of how we think and act, is urgently required.

The Irish Governments’ Global Citizenship Education Strategy 2021- 2025 defines Global Citizenship Education (GCE) as “…a lifelong educational process, which aims to increase public awareness and understanding of the rapidly changing, inter-dependent and unequal world in which we live”.

By challenging stereotypes and encouraging independent thinking, GCE can help us to critically explore how global justice issues interlink with our everyday lives; developing the skills, values and attitudes that will support us and our learners to lead a just, sustainable and equitable world for present and future generations.

Objectives:
Experiential learning techniques will be used in this session to creatively explore what Global Citizenship Education is and how it relates to professional practice.

Participants will:
1. Critically explore the four pillars of GCE: Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Systems Thinking, and Active Citizenship- through interactive activities.
2. Increase awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) and their relevance to working practice.
3. Reflect on our own professional roles within the GCE and the sustainability discourse.
4. Draw on globally-oriented and diverse learning resources provided that can help learners in understanding how how global, regional, national and local issues are interdependent and interconnected.

The target audience for this event is: All FET staff members, including teachers, tutors, trainers, instructors and those in a co-ordination and/or quality assurance role.

Facilitation: Trainers Alice Robinson & Martin Dillon from Saolta will facilitate this session. Saolta are a Global Citizenship Education strategic partnership programme for the Adult and Community Education (ACE) sector in Ireland, funded by Irish Aid. We explore a variety of global issues with stakeholders in the ACE sector and encourage informed action across Irish society. Development Perspectives is the lead partner in Saolta, which also includes AONTAS, Concern Worldwide, Irish Rural Link, and the Adult and Community Education Dept of Maynooth University, and Cork Education and Training Board (CETB). To learn more about our trainers and the work of Saolta, you can visit our website: www.saolta.com

Please note: Pre-booking is essential. Please do not book onto this session unless you are sure that you will attend / have approval to attend (if required). If an emergency arises, please inform us ASAP (cpdcancellations@fess.ie) as we operate a waiting list system and if time allows, we can offer your booked place to another person.

Thursday, 20 March 2025 - 10.00 to 12.00

A link to this online event will be emailed in advance. 
Please keep an eye on your Junk/Spam folder in case the e-mail with the link to the online event ends up there.

Feedback in FET

This session will facilitate participants in exploring the who, what, where, when, why and how of feedback in their own context. It aims to encourage educators to move beyond providing feedback for summative purposes and to explore how formative feedback can be used in many different forms throughout the learning experience.

Who- Who is responsible for providing feedback, and who should/ could be responsible for it? 

What- What is feedback and what are its purposes in your specific context? What are the various forms of feedback that are/can be provided? 

Where- Where does/ can/ should feedback take place?

When- When is feedback given? When should/ could it be given? 

Why- Why do we give feedback? Why is it important- or is it?

How- How do we generate feedback? How do we manage it from a practical perspective? How is it received and used by learners?

The target audience for this session is: FET staff including management, teachers, tutors, trainers, programme coordinators, guidance counsellors, learning support staff and wellbeing officers.

Facilitation:  This session will be facilitated by Carrie Archer.  Carrie's pronouns are she/her. She is a qualified special education teacher who has been working in Further Education and Training for 15 years. Her interests are coaching, leadership, Communities of Practice, Universal Design for Learning and championing belonging, equity, inclusion, and diversity.  She was a part of the design team with City of Dublin ETB and Trinity College Dublin who developed a master’s course in Diversity and Inclusion in FET. She currently lectures on Postgraduate and master’s programmes in the National College of Ireland on diversity and inclusion, and on assessment and feedback for educational practice.

Please note: Pre-booking is essential. Please do not book onto this session unless you are sure that you will attend / have approval to attend (if required). If an emergency arises, please inform us ASAP (cpdcancellations@fess.ie) as we operate a waiting list system and if time allows, we can offer your booked place to another person.

Tuesday, 25 March 2025 - 14.00 to 16.00

A link to this online event will be emailed in advance. 
Please keep an eye on your Junk/Spam folder in case the e-mail with the link to the online event ends up there.

This course has been designed to respond to discussions and interactions with educators and individuals with dyslexia.
This course will provide an overview of dyslexia and how it impacts learners and their learning. There will be a focus on practical strategies to support learners with dyslexia in education.

The course is delivered online via Zoom. The presentations and supporting documents will be provided to all participants before the course to enhance their learning experience.

This course will benefit teaching and learning professionals, disability support staff, senior leadership, and anyone working on improving accessibility and inclusion initiatives.

A course certificate of attendance will be sent to attendees after the event.

This course is a 4 hour course, which will be offered in 2 x 2 hour sessions on the 26 March and 2 April from 14.00 - 16.00

Target Audience: This course will be of particular benefit to teaching and learning professionals, disability support staff, senior leadership, and anyone working on improving accessibility and inclusion initiatives.

Learning Outcomes for Part 1 (26 March):
Develop an understanding of what dyslexia is, and how it impacts learners.
Consider the impact of dyslexia on mental health and well-being in education.

Learning Outcomes for Part 2 (2 April):
Understand best practices for inclusion.
Understand practical support strategies for individual learners.

Facilitation:This PD event will be facilitated by Caoimhe O’ Malley, Senior Adult Dyslexia Coordinator, Dyslexia Ireland and 

Caoimhe O Malley, B.A. (Hons), M.A., Single B.A., and Higher Diploma in Education, is the Senior Adult Dyslexia Coordinator for Dyslexia Ireland. In this role, she leads the development of comprehensive dyslexia support for adults, delivering impactful in-person and online training tailored to Adult Education (Further Education and Training (FETs), Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), and Employment sectors.
Before joining Dyslexia Ireland, Caoimhe built a career in education, focusing on fostering equity of access to quality learning opportunities. Her efforts centred on ensuring that every student, regardless of their circumstances, has the tools and support necessary to reach their full personal potential.
Caoimhe’s work is driven by her passion for creating inclusive environments and empowering individuals to thrive.

Dyslexia Course for FET and HE Educators - part 1 

Wednesday, 26 March 2025 - 14.00 to 16.00

A link to this online event will be emailed in advance. 
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Dyslexia Course for FET and HE Educators - part 2

Wednesday, 2 April 2025 - 14.00 to 16.00

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Teaching, Learning and Assessment in FET

Assessment is an essential component of the teaching, learning and assessment process. Assessment for, assessment as and assessment of learning are approaches that enable those in teaching roles to gather evidence about what learners know, facilitate learners in taking on a level of responsibility for their own learning and make judgements about learner achievement.  The summative assessment process of making judgements on learner achievement is well supported and an online self-directed course on Locally Devised Assessment is available. The teaching and learning process of using evidence about learners' knowledge, understanding and skills to inform effective teaching and learning and encouraging learners to adopt an active role in their own learning and assessment has been identified as being key to creating high quality teaching, learning and assessment experiences for learners in FET.

Assessment for learning (formative assessment) usually occurs throughout the teaching and learning process and helps learners learn better, rather than just achieve a better grade

Assessment as learning (formative assessment) occurs when learners are their own assessors. Assessment as learning places value on encouraging learners to be more engaged in their learning, enabling them to monitor their own learning and use a range of strategies to decide what they know and can do, and how to use assessment information to improve their knowledge, understanding and skills for new learning.

This PD session will explore how assessment for and as learning may be used to enhance the teaching and learning experience in the FET classroom.  It will include input and discussion on the following 5 key strands of assessment for and as learning:

Stating the learning intention
Sharing success criteria
Encouraging self and peer assessment
Offering quality formative feedback
Engaging in effective questioning to enhance learning.
The session will have a practical focus with an opportunity for participants to share effective teaching, learning and assessment practice.

The target audience for this session is: FET staff including management, teachers, tutors, trainers, programme coordinators, guidance counsellors, learning support staff and wellbeing officers.

Facilitation: Harry Freeman currently works as an independent education consultant. From 2002 – 2015 he worked with the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST), where his primary role was that of national advisor to the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme.  Harry has delivered CPD to school leaders and teachers in over 450 post primary schools and FET centres across Ireland.  The numerous workshops he has facilitated include: Middle Leadership, Positive Behaviour Management and Active Learning Methodologies.  He was also strand leader of the Master in Education degree course in Positive Behaviour Management in Trinity College Dublin from 2009 to 2022. Previously, Harry taught Mathematics and Information Technology in Marino College, Dublin 3. His website can be accessed at www.harryfreeman.ie

Please note: Pre-booking is essential. Please do not book onto this session unless you are sure that you will attend / have approval to attend (if required). If an emergency arises, please inform us ASAP (cpdcancellations@fess.ie) as we operate a waiting list system and if time allows, we can offer your booked place to another person.

Thursday, 27 March 2025 - 14.00 to 16.00

A link to this online event will be emailed in advance. 
Please keep an eye on your Junk/Spam folder in case the e-mail with the link to the online event ends up there.