With astronomy becoming increasingly important on both the Junior Cert and Leaving Cert cycles, a new Greece-based summer school for teachers looking to brush up on their astronomy will be running this year.
The new Junior Cert curriculum coming into play in schools around the country will put a greater emphasis on astronomy and the students’ greater understanding of how the universe works.
For this reason, Irish secondary school teachers are being made aware of the Space Awareness Summer School 2016, which provided by the Inspiring Science Education Academy and takes place from 3 August to 8 August this year.
Based near the Greek capital of Athens, the course is designed to introduce teachers from Ireland – and anywhere in Europe for that matter – to learning methods that have been found to be particularly good for encouraging students’ interest in the sciences.
Additionally, one of the course’s particular focuses is on taking this developmental interest in science and following it up with introducing their students to space-related careers and facilitating what they need to guide them towards whatever career they may choose.
Crucially, along with promoting the standard concepts of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) teaching in space-related science, the organisers of the summer school say they will offer teaching strategies that will allow teachers to manage diverse classrooms and promote gender balance.
There will also be training for teachers in the best means of getting space education across to students using whatever technology is available to them online and in the classroom.
The organisers have said that teachers looking to apply for the summer school can do so – with funding possible through the Erasmus programme – from now until 2 February.
Space education image via Shutterstock
