Centre for Global Development through Education’s Programme for Teacher Educator Exchange Planning Day, Friday 19^th March 2010

Venue: Mary Immaculate College, Limerick.

The Centre for Global Development through Education Programme for Teacher Educator Exchange Planning Day took place on Friday the 19^th of March in preparation for the upcoming trips in April. The introductory session started at ten with tea and coffee provided. The group consisted of the team of teacher educators from CGDE partner HEI’s (north and south of Ireland) undertaking the Teacher Educator Exchange Programme in both Uganda and Lesotho, although some teacher educators were unable to attend for unforeseen reasons and sent their apologies. Two IT engineers also attended as they will take part in the trip to facilitate current IT problems that have arisen. Many of the teacher educators travelled long distances to attend the Planning Day, from as far away as Belfast, Dublin and Cork, as well as a strong presence from Colleges in Limerick.

Dr Goretti Nakabugo introduced the group to Uganda in the first presentation. She spoke about the positive and negative aspects of her native country, and gave a brief introduction to the current economic situation. She emphasised the major influence that religion has on all aspects of life in Uganda and went on to explain that approximately seventy percent of schools were founded by churches, from Islam to Christian. For the remainder of the presentation Dr Nakabugo focussed on primary and secondary education in Uganda, to give the professionals who will be travelling there an idea of what to expect which was particularly useful for those who have never travelled to Uganda before.

19th March Teacher Exchange Programme Planning Day participants

In the second presentation, Dr Rosarii Griffin gave the group an introduction to Lesotho. She spoke about the teacher exchange programme itself before moving on the education system in Lesotho and the challenges faced there. Dr Griffin then looked at education in Lesotho at international, national, regional, local and research levels. After this second presentation the Centre administrator, Ms Patricia Mulcahy, came in to talk about various administration issues arising for the trip. A lively conversation then ensued about the details of the trip as the group discussed topics such as medication, money, accommodation and equipment needed. Issues were resolved, and the group then broke for lunch which was also provided.

After lunch, Dr Rosarii Griffin gave a presentation that she and Dr James Urwick had prepared about a suggested approach to be taken for the Teacher Exchange Programme. The presentation quickly gave way to a fruitful discussion about personal objectives for the trip and peer observation. Dr Griffin then spoke about the idea of teacher narratives which give a richer, qualitative approach to data by gathering a biography of the teacher to build a contextual background for their teaching by understanding their day to day life and issues that impact on them. The group also conferred about the importance of forming professional linkages, capacity building, and the concept of being a ‘cultural stranger’ in an African context.

Group Photo of Planning Day

This preliminary discussion was followed by Dr Elaine Vaughan’s presentation on Peer Mentoring, which proved extremely valuable in answering any questions and queries that had arisen during the discussion. The peer observation techniques used by Dr Vaughan will be adapted and used by the teams when they visit Uganda and Lesotho, and again by the teachers involved in the exchange who will visit Ireland later in the year. Dr Vaughan talked about the importance of a confidential, trusting and formative environment for peer observation, and looked at the issues of control and power that arise and how best to deal with them. She then advised the group to be objective, and ‘to keep an open mind’ and to ask themselves whether they are looking at the teaching in relation to what they do, or looking at it objectively. Ideally, Elaine suggested, peer observation should be content neutral, so that hypothetically, a linguist and an engineer could be teamed together and the technique would still work just as successfully as if two linguists were partnered.

After the bulk of the presentation, a fruitful discussion arose in which the schedule for the week was discussed as well as the techniques that they would use for peer observation. People brought up personal concerns and the obstacle of marking progression was mentioned, as it would be harder to mark progression as unlike the usual system of peer observation they would be observing the teacher again the very next day. Dr Vaughan bought up the idea of looking at a different aspect each day, and therefore scaffolding observations. She also reminded them that observation is a very privileged position, and that it is important to remember that the teachers in Uganda and Lesotho are the experts in their own environment. It was also stated that the teachers cannot intervene in the class unless this is agreed in advance. After much discussion, the day ended with the drawing up of a tentative schedule which everyone approved, bringing the Planning Day to a very successful conclusion.

Teacher Exchange Planning Day Group Photo

Group photos were taken, all the relevant people involved in planning the day were thanked, and follow up emails and reports were promised for the benefit of the entire group.

Those who attended the workshop include: Paddy Bradley (St. Mary’s, Belfast); Paul Conway (UCC); Dolores Corcoran (SPD); Conor Galvin (UCD); Rosarii Griffin (CGDE); Carmel Henchion (UL); Marty Holland (MIC); Donie Kelly (MIC); Patricia Kieran (MIC); Stella Long (MIC); Delia O’Connor (MIC); Teresa O’ Doherty (MIC); Elizabeth Oldham (TCD), Kieran Pearse (MIC); and James Urwick (CGDE).

Written by, Ms Fern Marshall, Placement Person, based at CGDE, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick (23rd March, 2010)

PowerPoint: Peer Observation of Teaching at Mary Immaculate College: Principles & Processes
PowerPoint: Lesotho College of Education