Aim: to seek to develop students sense of identity and pride in - PDF document

Leaving Certificate Applied Social Education My Community Aim: …to seek to develop students’ sense of identity and pride in their local area….. ...to use local community as a base for learning……. …to make students’ aware of local amenities and resources……… …to develop map reading skills…….. 1

Key Principles • Integration across the curriculum • Basic skills • Active teaching/learning methodologies • Reflection • Links with the community Teachers as Facilitators How do we facilitate learning for the Leaving Certificate Applied student? 2

Experiential Learning 1. Experiencing 2. Sharing 3. Understanding 4. Generalising 5. Applying My Community Unit 1: Research Skills Unit 2: My Own Place Unit 3: My Family in the Local Area Unit 4: My Own Place in the Past Unit 5: Community Amenities/ Resources Unit 6: Planning in My Own Place 3

My Community Time Allocation: Average 3 classes per week from Sept to end of Jan Consecutive classes where possible 6 units – approx 8 classes per unit Unit 1 Research Skills Practice of the following skills: surveys, questionnaire design, bar charts, pie charts, information searches, internet searches, vox-pop, visit and join local library – take library tour 4

Unit 2 My Own Place - map of Ireland/locate own county – towns- -larger county map- geographical /historical features -O.S. local map – focus on locality - calculate distances locally -tourism focus - local newspaper trawl for events/information - contribute to school notes in local papers Unit 3 My Family in the Local Area - Family history scrapbook - Old photographs focus - Interview elderly family members - Present family story- book/picture/photographs etc BE SENSITIVE TO DIFFERING FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES 5

Unit 4 My Own Place in the Past - local historian guest visit - local history tour - old photograph exhibition - old canal/ railway route walk - now and then photo display - family names register search - guest speaker – elder member of community Unit 5 Community Amenities/ Resources - Clubs leaflet - Local resources survey - A tourist guide to the area - Town/Local council speaker - Tourist office visit/ visit local tourist spot- arrange talk there. 6

Unit 6 Planning in My Own Place - County Council visit or speaker - Visit to planning office - Examine planning applications - Do zoning map of local area - Survey locals on planning issue - Present findings to local councillor Resources: • Maps- O.S.local maps • Local newspapers • Old photographs • Library/ local notice boards • Local historian/ history group • Tourist office • Planning office • Local council 7

Key Assignments: • 4 to be completed by end of January • Complete as you go – do not wait until the end of the module to give assignments • Encourage students to the best of their ability. • 1 credit on completion of 4 assignments and with 90% attendance record. Key Assignments I interviewed a senior citizen from my local community about my own place in the past. - As part of research skills, you will focus on interview skills, preparing questions for interview, question types etc. - Record interview using mini Dictaphone. 8

Key Assignment I designed and printed a simple leaflet about five different organisations providing a service for young people in my area. - Class work will focus on organisations in the area. - Work with Computer teacher for this assignment. Key Assignment I contributed several images to a class collage about our local area. - Photograph collage/ Newspaper collage/Art work………… 9

Examination Link: My Community will be examined at the end of Year 2 in the Social Education Exam. This is an aural and written exam covering the 6 Social Education Modules. Past exam papers are available on www.examinations.ie Tools to take away: • Use mixed methodologies • Be organised with folders • Take roll every lesson • Keep signed records of assignments completed • Set up notice board/papers box/photo board • Get speakers in/ go out of class into community 10

Methodologies- vary the approach as much as possible. • Pair work/Group work • Interviews • Vox Pops • Word games/word puzzles/word searches • Visits to libraries/town hall/council offices • Local history tour • Guest speakers : Town Development officer/Elderly citizen/ Local representatives- tourism-historians 11