Explorers Education Programme announce CPD Summer Teacher Training courses for 2021

Padraic Creedon, Explorers outreach officer based at Galway Atlantaquaria in Galway is filmed while preparing activities that will be provided as part of the Explorers CPD teachers training course in July 2021.12 May: The Marine Institute's Explorers Education Programme are delighted to announce that the Explorers CPD Teacher Training course will be on offer in collaboration with five education supports centres including Galway, Blackrock – Dublin, Waterford, West Cork and Tralee in July.

The course 'Exploring Ireland's Seashore through Science, Maths, Geography, English and Art' will be delivered by the Explorers outreach teams using ZOOM from the 1st to 7th July online.

"We are so delighted to be running the course with the education centres in these counties where teachers will be able to take part in lots of fun activities to help inspire them on how to bring the seashore into the classroom, as well as organising fieldtrips," said Dr Noirin Burke, Support Services manager of the Explorers Education Programme, at Galway Atlantaquaria, who is coordinating the course with Ms Cushla Dromgool-Regan, Education Strategic Manager at the Camden Education Trust.

Teachers that take part in the Explorers teachers training CPD courses are provided with some amazing teaching resources that can be used in the class. "Offering something unique as part of the course, the Explorers Education Programme will be providing the teachers with Explorers teachers resource packs that include workbooks, shell sample packs, art materials, as well as having access to materials online specially created for the course. The packs will be sent to each teacher, so early bookings are advised to ensure no one misses out," said Ms Dromgool-Regan.

One of the aims of the Explorers Education Programme is enable teachers to teach marine themes on the curriculum and have access to fit-for-purpose resources. We are delighted to also provide teachers taking part in the teachers training courses with additional class packs including printed copies of the Explorers workbooks for their students and a series of printed posters for their classes," Dr Burke added.

The course will help teachers use the seashore and marine environment in a cross-curricular way to support their teaching. During the course, the teachers will explore methods and techniques for working scientifically in the classroom and during fieldwork on the shore. Teachers will examine a range of practical inquiry based exercises that they can do at home while participating in the course. They will integrate literacy and numeracy into a number of lessons that focus on Ireland's ocean and sustainability.

Teachers will take part in a range of face-to-face classes, short fun team and individual challenges and daily tasks. The teachers will be introduced to Ireland's seashore using short films and resources from the Explorers Wild about Wildlife on the Seashore series, which can be previewed at www.explorers.ie.

The five-day course will also reflect on environmental awareness and care of our seashore and ocean, as well as discuss SDG topics and techniques for covering climate change, marine litter and other current environmental topics with their students. "Part of the course will cover marine project ideas that can be used in the classroom. This always generates lots of enthusiasm from teachers where we cover topics about ocean legends and fairy tales to learning about sharks and rays in Ireland, as well as the tiny to mighty colossal squid to name a few," Ms Dromgool-Regan explained.

For more information on the Explorers CPD summer courses run in collaboration with the Education Support Centres at Galway, Blackrock – Dublin, Waterford, West Cork and Tralee see Explorers Teachers Training CPD courses listed at www.explorers.ie. Teachers can also find more information by emailing: Noirin@nationalaquarium.ie.

The Marine Institute, Ireland's state agency for marine research, technology development and innovation, funds the Explorers Education Programme.

The Explorers Education Programme is managed by the Camden Education Trust and is supported by Galway Atlantaquaria working with outreach teams all around Ireland. For further information about the Explorers Education Programme outreach teams see the Explorers contacts page.

Teachers, educators and those interested in marine education may also like and follow us on Facebook: @ExplorersMarineEducation and Twitter @explorersedu for great ideas and fun facts about the ocean.

ENDS

Contact:
Cushla Dromgool-Regan
Education Strategic Manager & Communications Lead,
(Marine Institute's Explorers Education Programme)
The Camden Education Trust
Mobile: + 353 (0) 87 9185519
Email: cushla.dromgoolregan@thecamdentrust.org

Photo caption:
Padraic Creedon, Explorers outreach officer based at Galway Atlantaquaria in Galway is filmed while preparing activities that will be provided as part of the Explorers CPD teachers training course in July 2021.