The ISTA today published the Watts Report - A National Analysis of the Implications of the Proposed Introduction of AAC Laboratory-Based Research Investigations (worth 40%) in Leaving Certificate Biology, Chemistry and Physics in Ireland.
ista.ie/ista-publish...
Really interesting yet disturbing article from @emma-okelly.bsky.social in @news.rte.ie. @irishsciteach.bsky.social have been talking about the impact of Senior Cycle Reform on widening the social divide for years - it’s inevitable.
www.rte.ie/news/educati...
#edchatIE
🎉 Congrats to Sarah & Katie #StBrigidsCollegeLoughrea on winning the @EirGrid Cleaner Climate Award at their at #scifestatschool on Friday. The fair marked the first SciFest@School fair of the current academic year, what a fantastic start!
@irishsciteach.bsky.social #girlsinstem #scifestireland
Congratulations to the ISTA Chairperson Humphrey Jones on his @astiunion.bsky.social Teacher Achievement Award.
The ISTA, in a meeting with Department of Education officials yeaterday, proposed a compromise solution to address our concers around Additional Assessment Components in Senior Cycle Science: ista.ie/ista-propose...
Enjoyed the first in-person meeting (in a few years) of the Carlow/KK branch of @irishsciteach.bsky.social with a great #cogscisci talk by @humphreyjones.bsky.social. Left laden down with resources after great chats and yummy treats. 🧁 #edchatie
Tickets for the ISTA Annual Conference are now on sale. Visit www.ista.ie/conference2025 for more info.
Many thanks to all who participated in the ISTA Dublin NQT night, hosted by Sandford Park School tonight. Lots of great teaching ideas shared and friendships forged.
The winners of the ISTA Special Award at the BT Young Scientist were Aimee & Ashlee Keogh from Tallaght Community School pictured here with Aodhagan O’Suilleabhain and Rory Geoghegan. Congratulations to the girls on their fantastic project.
This decision to adopt and integrate a fledgling & ever-evolving technology right into the core of schools without any research base is extraordinarily irresponsible and bordering on stupidity. Is there anyone in the DE offering a dissented voice or are they all lemmings?
We are deeply concerns at the naive and negligent attitude of the Department of Education towards the integration of AI into teaching and learning and, in particular, project based work for assessment. t.co/2qaQWXoHqX
Science teachers say Leaving Cert project work places 'extraordinary' burden of responsibility on them | @irishexaminer.bsky.social
www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41...
We can't simultaneously decry that students can't seem to do anything for themselves and then make a bunch of digital tools that do things for students. Either we're helping them develop their practices (skills, knowledge, attitudes, habits of mind) of a field, or we're not.
The ISTA statement is quoted in today’s Sunday Independent m.independent.ie/irish-news/l...
Mentioned in Breda O'Brien's Irish Times piece: After working with thousands of teachers, my position is clear - only when all educators truly understand AI's capabilities can we properly redesign the future of LC curriculum & assessment. CPD and Knowledge first - then reform #edchatie #aieducation
On the contrary … as we said in our statement, we want for forge a closer, collaborate relationship with the Oide Science Team. We obviously want to delay the introduction of the AACs until their fairness, integrity and resourcing issues are resolved.
We are not asking members not to engage with the process, training etc. It’s just a formal recognition of our opposition to the proposed assessment. We don’t think our points are unreasonable; we’d argue anyone with an informed view on education would realise all our points are valid.
There is no prejudice - we have tried hard to engage in meaningful discussion on the AACs but all of our concerns (reasonable, informed and evidenced based concerns) have been ignored. Dissociation is a formal step, saying we formally disagree with the structure of the assessment.
Not sure what you mean? The guideline documents were published last week and the structure of the AAC is publicly accessible. On the grounds outlined in the statement, we make it clear that the proposed assessment is impractical, inequitable, open to abuse and potentially unsafe.
I won’t comment on your point but the Oide Science Team have been kindly asked to not misrepresent the views of the ISTA in those training days, or use the ISTA to support any decision.
Full statement here: ista.ie/wp-content/u...
This follows a similar decision made by the ASTI and IUA representatives on those subject development groups to dissociate from the Additional Assessment Components.
The ISTA Council have unanimously decided to formally dissociate from the Additional Assessment Components until such time as the concerns around its feasibility, fairness and integrity are addressed meaningfully.
The ISTA has issued an important statement on the Additional Assessment Components proposed for Senior Cycle Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
ista.ie/ista-stateme...
#edchatIE
Our first digital newsletter summarises a busy period in Irish science education: ista.ie?post_type=ne...
The ISTA to encouraged by the announcement that additional funding will be provided to schools to implement the new Senior Cycle science specifications. This will mean schools will shortly receive a minimum of €13000 (max €22000) to purchase lab consumables.
Thanks for joining us; I hope the students enjoyed it too.
Many thanks to our main sponsors BioPharmaChem Ireland and additional sponsors Royal Society of Chemistry, Institute of Physics, Explorium, Studyclix, Gill Books and Grinds360.
Congratulations to Tullamore College who won this year’s ISTA Senior Science Quiz final at @tcddublin.bsky.social yesterday. This was our biggest quiz yet with over 1000 students competing across 16 venues before the top performing teams met yesterday to decide the ultimate winners.
