News & Events
| LINGUISTIC PHONICS COURSE |
Twenty-nine students from across the BEd, PGCE and MA(ECS) recently completed a three day Linguistic Phonics course at Stranmillis. The course was organized and run by Jill Dunn in partnership with colleagues from the BELB (Hilary McEvoy and Joanne Smyth). Students thoroughly enjoyed and valued the opportunity to take this course as Linguistic Phonics is widely used in schools across N Ireland. |
| PLANE SAILING AT STRAN! |
Primary pupils from St Therese of Lisieux and Beechfield Primary Schools took part in a ‘Maths Fun Day’ on 14th June at Stranmillis. The event was conceived by College lecturers Drs Brian Cummins, Irene Bell and Ken Gibson. Tony Monaghan, Education Liaison Officer from Bombardier Aerospace, along with four apprentices, guided the children in making model planes, helped by our own students and volunteers from RBAI, Lisnagarvey High School and Belfast Metropolitan College. The teachers were impressed at how attentive the children were and how much care they took in measuring and preparing the materials. They headed outside to see which aeroplane would fly furthest; some exceeded expectations and made rooftop landings! Turns were taken in completing a maths trail and measuring games involving pump rockets, hoops and bean bags. Sometimes the trundle wheels were used in new and unusual ways- the air guitar was a popular choice! The serious business behind all of this was to enhance the pupils’ numeracy skills while providing a fun experience, but the day’s events also allowed links to be made between the College’s Widening Participation and STEM objectives as well as partnerships with Business and Industry, whilst at the same time providing an opportunity for Stranmillis students to gain further experience working with children. The weather was perfect and a great (and exhausting!) day was had by all. |
| FUN RUN RAISES OVER £600 |
On the 28th April, The Health and Leisure Department within Stranmillis organised and ran another successful Fun Run. Race Organiser Ian McGowan writes: This year’s event saw numbers tripling those of previous years with over 60 people taking part on the day, from elite club runners to casual walkers. Next year the hope is that even more will take up the challenge and raise some money for charity. The winner, Richard Johnson, won in an impressive 15 minutes 21 seconds. The charity being supported this year was the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice, and a total of £624 was raised through postal entries, the new online entry system (brought in this year) and through individual sponsorship. The event was a great success and the Department of Health and Physical Education would like to thank everyone who took part, helped organise, donated and assisted on the day. A special thanks must go to the race sponsors, Ardmore Pure Irish Spring Water, David Gotto Sports and Athletics Northern Ireland. I look forward to seeing you next year for what is sure to be an even bigger and better race. A cheque for the amount raised was presented by Dr Anne Heaslett, College Principal, Ian McGowan, and Frank Kelly, Head of the Health and Leisure Studies Department to Michelle Stevenson from the NI Children’s Hospice. |
| FORMER STUDENT WINS BECTA TEACHING AWARD |
A former Stran student, David Stinson, now Head of the Technology and Design Department at Sullivan Upper School in Holywood, has won a BECTA teaching award and was presented with the award at a gala event at the Waterfront Hall on 8th June 2010. Former Stran lecturer Wesley Hamilton, in supporting David’s application, wrote … ‘David is a creative person who thinks imaginatively and holistically. These particular qualities and capabilities influence his thinking and ways of operating in the classroom. David seeks to create classroom-learning environments that foster creativity, promote pupil autonomy and provide appropriate challenges. The atmosphere of his classrooms is purposeful, student centred and one where students are encouraged to take risks and learn from their mistakes.’ Before moving to Sullivan David taught at Victoria College, and while there was involved in two European Comenius projects which had an explicit focus on the use of language for enhancing learning, along with innovative uses of ICT. While at Sullivan David has been involved in a CCEA STEM project designed to encourage closer collaboration among STEM teachers at Key Stage 3 and also across the Key Stage 2/3 interface. There were three categories for the BECTA teaching award - commendation, distinction and outright winner, and David got the 'Outright Winner' for the ‘Next Generation teaching and learning award for ICT and Technology’. David and his wife will now be flown to London in October, all expenses paid, to attend the UK-wide Presentation of Teaching Awards ceremony!! |
| A LITTLE BIT OF AMERICA ON OUR DOORSTEP! |
Welcome to the United States Consulate! The current American Consul General , Her Excellency Kamala Lakhdhir welcomes historian Dr Éamon Phoenix and his Hidden History class to the US Consulate at Danesfort. Built in 1844 on a prehistoric site on Malone Ridge by the Barbour family of linen fame, this splendid Victorian mansion contains a beautifully restored ballroom which now serves as the Consul’s private office. Members were given a briefing on the United States’ role in the peace process and inward investment in N Ireland and a guided tour of the building. The Hidden History group has been exploring the Stranmillis Conservation Area from the Famine graveyard of Friar’s Bush to the Lock-keeper’s Cottage- a great way to enjoy the Spring mornings! ‘Hidden History’ starts again in September. FOR MORE INFORMATION, REGISTRATION & ENROLMENT, CONTACT: |
| CHEMISTRY CHAMPS RETAIN THEIR TITLE |
The Royal Society of Chemistry’s Schools’ Analyst Competition was held recently in the College. The event was once again sponsored by Warner-Chilcott UK. Teams of sixth-form chemistry students were tested on their accuracy and precision during the chemical analysis of red wine and inorganic dye pigments. In a very close competition Lumen Christi College retained their title with the girls from St Dominic’s High school coming a close second. Third place was awarded to Royal Belfast Academical Institution with Belfast Royal Academy highly commended. Lumen Christi College will now go on to represent the region in the UK final at the University of Huddersfield on the 21/22 June. Other schools competing were Ballyclare High School, Friends’ School Lisburn, Newry High School, Rainey Endowed Magherafelt, St Columb’s College Derry, St Malachy’s College Belfast, St Mary’s CBS Belfast and Thornhill College Derry. Further details about the competition can be obtained from |
| FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS SUCCESS AT STRANMILLIS |
Twenty six 4th year BEd primary students have successfully completed a teachers' course in Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) delivered by Rachel Campbell, David McKee and Stephen Wallace from the department of Health and Physical Education. The externally validated course provides students with a through grounding in the philosophy and pedagogy necessary successfully to teach children the basic movement patterns such as throwing and jumping which are vital for later sports participation and psychological wellbeing. FMS is currently being implemented in primary schools across Northern Ireland by the Education and Library Boards with support from CCEA. |
| EUROPEAN EARLY YEARS PROJECT |
Dr. Barbara McConnell from Early Childhood Education was invited along with colleagues from the Department of Education and the Education and Training Inspectorate to collaborate with The Early Years Organisation on a European funded project. The Leonardo Da Vinci Transnational Transfer of Innovation Project was funded by the European Commission with European partners from The Instituto Degli Innocenti Italy, the University of Iasi, Romania and the National Children’s Nurseries Association, Ireland. The aim of the project was to apply, at national level, contexts, practices and training methodologies for quality in Early Childhood Education and Care. It aimed to identify the quality of the educational services for early childhood care and education in each of the four partner countries and to reflect on the differences within each country. The outcome of the project was to share and offer materials for reflection, local testing and implementation between partners, being respectful of the national contexts of each country and the long lasting deep rooted pedagogical traditions and practices in individual countries. Each partner country has developed a number of working tools which are available on an electronic platform for international dissemination. For more information about this project, please visit the Innocenti Website (www.earlychildhood.eu/). |
| YEAR 4 STUDENTS PUT ON THEIR THINKING HATS! |
A group of Year 4 students put their thinking hats on recently to find out more about the development of primary pupils’ thinking skills. The principal of Ballymena Primary School, Mr Harold Brownlow invited Mr Ken Wylie, Dr Carol Dunbar and a group of Year 4 students who are currently completing the Education module: ‘The Thinking Classroom in Early Years Education’, to visit the school with a view to seeing how their pupils’ higher order thinking skills are being developed. In addition to observing a number of class activities related to Philosophy for Children (P4C), Thinking Maps (ICT), Mindmapping and De Bono’s ‘Thinking Hats’, the students had the opportunity to visit the school’s ‘television studio’ and a play-based learning room which has been designed to reflect the principles of the Reggio Emilia approach to Early Years education. The visit concluded with a brief talk by Mr Brownlow on the concept of ‘A Thinking School’ and an opportunity for the students to reflect on their morning’s observations. |
| OPEN DAY 2010 |
Another successful Open Day took place on Wednesday 5th May, attended by approximately 800 students and 80 teachers and careers officers. As usual the student ambassadors were a credit to the College by welcoming, greeting, and conducting tours around the campus. The SRC brought the ‘Hills of Stranmillis’ alive with ‘The Sound of Music’.
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| MARATHON RUNNING STUDENTS! |
This year the Students’ Union entered two relay teams into the Belfast City Marathon 2010. Students’ Union President Sara Lindsay reports: On Bank Holiday Monday (3rd May), ten dedicated individuals met at 8am to check the final details and make their way to Ormeau Park. The teams consisted of a mixture of past, present and international students. Many departments of the College were represented, with runners from ECS, Heath and Leisure, as well as both the primary and post-primary BEd. Those of you familiar with the event will know that it is no walk in the park! The gruelling 26.2 miles is divided into 5 sections, the shortest of which is 3.5 miles and the longest 7.1 miles. For some of our runners this was their first time to take part in the event and while a few of us professed some level of athletic ability, others required dedicated training and commitment. Special mention must go to our Student Executive Secretary Eddy Baird (4th year Primary BEd Music), who has been committed to training for the past number of months and who successfully completed the 6 mile leg of the event – Well done Eddy! Thanks must also go to our international colleagues who took part- Barbara Vierling, from Germany, was an Erasmus student in Stranmillis last semester and has stayed in Belfast since Christmas to work for a local charity, and Halee Sharpe, an American student currently on exchange in the College, who was roped into running at the last minute and did us proud! A big thank you to everyone else who gave of their time, money and energy to take part in the event: James Brown, Paul Rea, Ruth Hill, Katy McKnight, Annette Henry, Victoria Henry and Gareth McBeth. We couldn’t have done it without you. All sponsorship from the marathon is in aid of our chosen charity, the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice, and while we are still in the process of collecting the remainder of the sponsorship money, the current total stands at over £500. Another particular note of thanks should be directed to Annette Henry (2nd year ECS) and her daughter Victoria (aged 11) who have also been dedicated to both their training and fund raising. Victoria and her mum both walked the 3.5 mile section of the race and are responsible for collecting £300 of the total so far – A huge thank you to you both. So if this has inspired you why not dig out your running shoes and get practising for next year’s event. |
| INTERNATIONAL BLOGGING |
The College, within its International Strategy, is committed to the promotion of study abroad and encourages all students to consider spending a semester in one of its 27 European partner institutions in Europe under the Erasmus Programme or, in the case of BEd students, in one of its other partner institutions in the USA, Africa, Hong Kong or China. There are also other opportunities to spend some time in various destinations under shorter exchanges within a range of additional schemes. Students going on an Erasmus or an International exchange are expected to keep blogs in which they record and reflect on their personal, cultural and professional developments.
Emma Crilly in León, northern Spain: Rachel Green in Malaysia:
If you’d like to read more of Andrew’s, Emma’s, Katharine’s and Rachel’s blogs (and those of all the others) and see more of their pictures, go to: |
| STRAN & ST MARY'S STUDENTS IN JERUSALEM- Extending DMU |
It could be described as a double-DMU activity! Students from Stranmillis and St. Mary’s University Colleges recently took part in a DMU-supported exchange programme with students from a ‘mixed’ teacher education college in Jerusalem who were themselves exploring their own diversity and seeking better mutual understanding. In March ten students from the David Yellin College travelled with two lecturers to Belfast as the first part of the exchange. The group of Jewish, Muslim and Christian students met with their local counterparts and engaged in a series of encounter activities, school visits, sightseeing and cultural events. Their visits included the Belfast Synagogue and the Belfast Islamic Centre and also formed part of the International Week based at St. Mary’s. Good relationships were established in anticipation of the next part of the exchange. Just after Easter the Stranmillis/St. Mary’s group of five students from each college, together with three members of staff, set off for Jerusalem on the second stage of the exchange. Jerusalem is a place where cultures and religions meet, where traditions, identities and politics often combine in a volatile manner, impacting both locally and globally. Sightseeing and meeting local people in Jerusalem vividly highlights all of these issues: a divided city; the presence of the military; a long, high wall separating Jewish and Palestinian communities; largely separate schools; strikingly beautiful, though often highly divisive, places of religious devotion – yet also many evidences of communities trying, with varied success, to find ways of co-existing, even living together. David Yellin College, untypically, trains teachers from both main communities – Jewish and Arab (the latter including a minority of Christians alongside a Muslim majority). These contrasts could hardly be lost on a diverse group travelling from post-conflict Northern Ireland. The Jerusalem programme, arranged by the lecturers from David Yellin College, continued the opportunities for encounter and exploration of identities and potentially conflicting community relationships. There were visits to several schools, some of which are strongly focused on developing ways of educating the communities together, and meetings with teachers and others who are committed to peacemaking work. This led to significant discussion about the role of education and community relations in both Israel/Palestine and Northern Ireland. Other visits included several iconic places, all with their many layers of religious, cultural and political significance – the various “quarters” of the stunning Old City; Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity; the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum; the mainly Arab East Jerusalem which is so noticeably poorer than the rest of the city; the Western (“Wailing”) Wall, so powerful for religious Jews yet with two highly significant Muslim buildings (the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque) on the Temple Mount just behind the Wall. It was striking that most of the local students joined the visitors for several of these visits – the first time that the Arab students had visited Yad Vashem, and the first time that the Jewish students had visited schools in East Jerusalem. Probably the highlight of the visit was the day spent in two schools in Al-Isawiya village in East Jerusalem where the welcome and genuine delight at our visit was quite overwhelming. Staff and pupils in the two schools had prepared displays, presentations, exhibitions, dances and movement, photographs …! Most impressively the arrival at one of the schools involved over a hundred pupils making human formation of the word “FÁILTE”! At the farewell barbeque, hosted at the home of one of the Arab students, there was general agreement that this had been a valuable exchange and a significant learning experience for both the Jerusalem and the Northern Ireland participants. There would certainly be continued contact and many new friendships had been established. Plans were made for sharing experiences and impressions in written form and for considering how the exchange could be developed in future years. This, however, proved to be not quite the end of the story …! (Read on about the epic, ash cloud-affected journey home in 'Jerusalem- The Long Return!') |
| JERUSALEM – THE LONG RETURN! |
As the group stood outside David Yellin College waiting for the minibus to take them to Tel Aviv Airport on the morning of 15th April, SMS and phone messages began to appear from anxious relatives back home: volcanic ash closing down airports in the UK and Ireland; fears of many cancelled flights! The flight from Tel Aviv to Budapest was uneventful, but arrival at what should have been a two-hour transfer to our Dublin flight confirmed the group’s worst fears. At first the realisation that we would have to wait seemed irritating and disappointing, but a long queue to the ticketing office gave an inkling of what was to come – first a likely wait of two days, then, after an even longer queue the following day, four days, and then the wait was extended to a week. After the first two days in a hotel in Budapest – not the worst of places to be stranded, but not where we all wanted to be at that stage – it became evident that the volcanic ash situation had worsened (by now also closing down most of Western and Central Europe) and that alternative means had to be explored. After some negotiation a minibus with two professional drivers was arranged and on Sunday evening, April 18th, the group of thirteen set off for an 1800 km drive across Hungary, Austria, Germany and France to Cherbourg on the Channel coast, from where it was hoped that we would be able to take a ferry directly to the south of Ireland. We arrived in Cherbourg on Tuesday and went immediately to the ferry terminal, only to be told that it could be five days to one week before there would be places on the Irish ferries. After some moments of despair (helped by the tiredness from a very long minibus journey) further enquiries were made and places were found on a ferry from Caen (about 100 km away) to Portsmouth in the south of England, leaving the following night. Arriving there on the morning of Thursday 22nd April, we found that the minibus we had booked to take us to the ferry port at Fishguard in South Wales was not big enough, and with a tight schedule it became necessary to hire a taxi as well! Somehow we reached Fishguard and then Rosslare, where the St. Mary’s minibus picked us up to drive us home – arriving exactly one week later than planned. Despite this saga the spirits somehow remained high; concerns about academic deadlines and missed school placements were reassured. The group’s experiences in Jerusalem had bonded them and kept everyone in remarkably good form throughout the ordeal of the unintended extension to our travels. Colleagues and senior management in both the Belfast colleges were very supportive at all stages and everyone was very grateful for their encouragement and assistance. Just before we left Caen on our ferry to England someone spotted a large poster outside the terminal advertising an exhibition about William the Conqueror, but it was the banner headline that caught the eye: THE EPIC ADVENTURE! So, not surprisingly, some of us posed beneath it, smiling broadly at this pertinent description of our extended excursion. Norman Richardson
The St. Mary’s students: Ashleigh Davey; Tom Ferran; Catherine Fitzpatrick; Toni Jordan; Shona Mullin The Lecturers: Martin Hagan; Paul Anthony; Norman Richardson |
| POST-PRIMARY PARTNERSHIP DAY |
Schools who host Stranmillis post-primary students on placement were recently invited to the college to take part in the annual review of placement in the post-primary programme. Teachers from a wide range of schools across Northern Ireland travelled to Stranmillis to hear about latest innovations in placements, such as the use of electronic portfolios and the extension of peer placement in Year 1. Students also contributed to the event by reflecting on the student experience of life on placement. There was opportunity for dialogue and feedback from the placement providers which is extremely valuable for the course team as they plan for placement in 2010/2011. Feedback on the event was excellent, with one participant saying: “this was a well-organised event that provided a broad overview of the student teacher experience – a useful reminder to teacher tutors of their various roles and responsibilities when working with trainee teachers”. |
| RAINEY ENDOWED MATHS PARTNERSHIP |
Maths/Science post-primary students from Stranmillis University College recently visited the Rainey Endowed School, Magherafelt to take part in an afternoon of revision activities for Year 13 and 14 pupils. The students worked in small groups with the pupils and were able to gain valuable experience in working with this age group. The pupils benefitted from individual attention from the students and felt thoroughly prepared for forthcoming examinations. Mr David Laughlin, the head of the Mathematics Department in this mathematics specialist school was delighted with the outcome of the afternoon for his pupils and together with Dr Patricia Eaton looks forward to building on this partnership between the school and the college in the future.
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| GEORGE'S SWEDEN VISIT |
Dr George Beale has recently returned from Linnaeus University, Vaxjo, Sweden where students in the School of Cultural Sciences were treated to a series of lectures on the early medieval period in Irish history. Dr Beale took them on a journey of exploration into the world of the Celtic Church, which was structured around the following topics: Hermitage to Hibernia: Towards a Philosophy of Monasticism in Early Medieval Ireland; Religion and Society in Early Medieval Ireland; The Irish ‘Civitas’ and Early Irish Manuscript Illumination: Inculturation in Practice. In addition to these sessions, Dr Beale was invited to give presentations on the Northern Ireland Education System and the Northern Ireland Curriculum to a group of student teachers in the School of Language and Literature. As part of his visit, he was able to spend some time in a local primary school, where he experienced the Swedish curriculum and engaged in story telling from his own publication Long Ago in Ireland. |
| AN 'ADDED BONUS' AT EASTER! |
As part of its STEM and Widening Participation commitments Stranmillis University College recently held another successful 2-day Easter Revision School for GCSE Mathematics. This event aims to raise the educational aspirations of pupils from a number of the College’s partner post-primary schools through helping to increase their predicted GCSE Mathematics grade. It was also an opportunity to make some new friends as 40 pupils from 12 schools attended the 2010 Easter School. While the sessions were led by a mathematics teacher, the pupils were able to avail of small group and individual tuition thanks to the Year 4 BEd (Education with Mathematics) students who were on hand throughout the 2 days. This programme was organised by Dr Brian Cummins and Dr Irene Bell. Some of the pupils commented: “I found the course a really enjoyable experience and I feel that I have taken a lot of things away from this course.” “This course is a good way to learn – it helped me a lot- it was very enjoyable”. |
| 900 MILES NO OBSTACLE FOR CHRIS! |
Chris Orr, a Stranmillis graduate in 2007 (BEd post-primary, main subject Business Studies) has become a bit of a media celebrity today (21st April) as his recent exploits have been featured on national radio and TV. Chris, who teaches in a school near Banbury, Oxfordshire, has been stranded in Spain because of the ash cloud air restrictions, but he is using a webcam at a PC in an internet café in Alicant é and a videolink to his school to make sure that his business studies A-Level students do not miss out on lessons. Communicating with colleagues about what had happened, including our own Audrey Curry, Chris said, ‘I did a live radio interview this morning on BBC Radio Oxford. My classroom was today filled with photographers and the BBC TV crew!’ Read more on this story on the BBC web site at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/oxfordshire/8631484.stm |
| A NEWLY APPOINTED VISITING PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION |
A warm welcome is extended to Professor Elizabeth Wood (Exeter) who recently accepted the appointment of Visiting Professor of Education at Stranmillis University College. As a'critical friend', Elizabeth will have an active role in the development of the College’s research profile. She holds a number of key positions including Professor of Education in the School of Education in Exeter University, ranked 9th in the UK. She specialises in primary and early childhood education, focusing on teachers' professional knowledge and practice; curriculum, pedagogy and learning; play and pedagogy, and the role of play in children's learning. She is the convener of the BERA Special Interest Group on Early Childhood Education and Care, and works with the National Union of Teachers on policy and practice in early childhood education. A qualified teacher with a strong international and national publication record, Elizabeth was an invited consultant to the Government select- committee on the subject of Teacher Education to the National Union of Teachers on developing a national play policy from birth to 18. Allied with an impressive listing of international peer reviewed journal publications, Elizabeth has published the following text books: |
| PGCE ICT WORKSHOP |
Joan Blain, a past student of Stran, recently returned to College to lead a workshop on ‘Good practice in ICT Across the Curriculum’. The workshop was attended by current students on the Postgraduate Certificate in Early Years Education and provided a very interesting and informative insight into how ICT can be integrated across the Areas of Learning. Joan is a Key Stage 1 teacher at Carnmoney Primary School. |
| INTERNATIONAL NORTH COAST TRIP |
On the 24th March a group of around 50 students paid a rather wet and windy visit to the North Antrim Coast. The group consisted of 11 Spanish, 2 Danish, 1 German, 1 Dutch, 1 Finnish…Erasmus students, 2 American students (1 IAS and 1 from Mississippi) and 10 students and 2 tutors from the David Yellin College in Jerusalem as well as 10 students from St Mary’s and Stranmillis (who will be going together to Jerusalem next month). Sarah Lindsay (SU President), Margaret Mulhern, Richard Greenwood (our guide!) and Laurence Siberry were also there. They walked from Portrush’s West Strand to Ramore Head, and after a lovely lunch in the Ramada Hotel , travelled on to the Giant’s Causeway. By early afternoon the rain had stopped and some sun was even glimpsed! The group enjoyed hearing about the formation of the Causeway stones (as well as the Finn MacCool version) in the short film presentation at the visitors’ centre before seeing the real thing for themselves. |
| MOVEMENT DEMANDS IN SPORT |
As part of Sports NI's Research Matters seminar series, Dr Jonathan Bloomfield, Sports Science Consultant, visited Stranmillis to present a seminar entitled Identifying Movement Demands In Sport - Implications For Training and Development. Dr Bloomfield described the methods used to monitor and evaluate athletes’ performances in training and competition and discussed the strengths and weaknesses of a number of systems currently in use with professional sports organisations including clubs from soccer, rugby and “Aussie rules”. He considered the impact of children’s experiences of physical activity and sport and how this contributed to, or detracted from, their capacity in later life. In identifying the movement demands of elite sport, Dr Bloomfield was able to propose a range of options for future development which could nurture talent, reduce drop-out and reduce injury. The Research Matters series represents a partnership between Stranmillis University College, the University of Ulster and Sport NI and brings expert speakers in the areas of physical activity and sport to the two universities each year. The series continues later this year with a presentation by Dr Giles Warrington, Sport and Exercise Physiologist at Dublin City University entitled “Physiological Limitations to Sports Performance - Implications For Training and Practice”. The seminar will be on Thursday 22nd April in the University of Ulster at Jordanstown and further details will be available in due course. Further information on the Research Matters seminars, including a range of podcasts is available at: |
| THE HEATHROW THIRD RUNWAY DEBATE |
Around 60 sixth formers from eight different schools attended the annual Sixth Form Decision-Making Spring Conference and Workshop run by the Belfast Branch of the Geographical Association and held in the Central Building at Stranmillis. The schools were St Colman’s High School, Campbell College, Dominican College Portstewart, Larne Grammar School, St Louis Grammar School, Wellington College and Our Lady and St Patrick’s College. The topic for debate was ‘should a third runway be built at Heathrow Airport?’ Following a lecture on the impact of air travel on the environment from Dr Patricia Warke from the School of Geography at QUB and a briefing on the Heathrow situation from Stephen Roulston of Learning NI, the sixth formers were separated into seven randomly composed interest groups: the TUC representing workers, the CBI representing employers, local residents, BAA, the owners of Heathrow, Friends of the Earth, English Heritage, and ABTA, representing travel agents. The pupils worked in these stakeholder groups and used pre-prepared guidance material and internet-based sources to produce a brief presentation which was delivered in a final plenary session to all of the other groups. Some of the pupils found themselves having to make persuasive arguments which were perhaps contrary to their own previously-held views. Throughout the day, a great deal of development of ‘Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities’ was evident as the sixth formers had to work in groups, synthesise information, agree on arguments to be made, and find effective ways of communicating these arguments to the assembled audience. The discussion was lively, but in the end the most effective presentation, as adjudicated by Professor Steve Royle from the School of Geography at QUB, was made by the group representing the CBI. Plans are already afoot for next year’s event; perhaps then we will be debating the North Coast offshore wind farm proposal! |
| THE ABCs OF MULTICULTURAL CLASSROOMS |
On Wednesday 3rd March over 60 keen Stranmillis students crowded into the Students’ Union to take part in a free workshop provided by the teaching union The Association of Teachers and Lectures (ATL). The session was entitled “Coping in Multi-Cultural Classrooms” and was delivered by Bronagh Crummey-Bryan, a EAL specialist teacher. The aim of the workshop was to suggest ways in which teachers can cope with the challenges of multi-cultural classrooms as well as explore the opportunities of such diversity. During the 90 minute interactive training session students became aware that there are currently over 70 languages spoken in Northern Ireland and many different ethnicities, religions and cultures represented in our classrooms. With this in mind students were given the opportunity to share their own knowledge and experience of multi-cultural classrooms in order to exchange ideas and examples of good practice. Throughout the session tips and advice were given on how to manage difference and promote understanding within school communities, as well as suggestions for supporting children with English as an Additional Language. All in all this was an extremely successful event and we look forward to providing similar opportunities in the future. |
| HOSPICE CHEQUE HAND-OVER |
Students’ Union president Sara Lindsay and Welfare Secretary Rachel Green handed over a cheque for £1865 to Claire Brown from the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice. This year has seen tremendous generosity from staff and students, as the Students’ Union organised an extremely successful week of charity fundraising events in November raising over £1700. In addition to the fundraising events noted in a Web News story before Christmas, special thanks must also go to David Livingstone (BEd Primary Year 3), who alongside friends raised £180 during ‘No Shave November’! Rachel writes: “Many thanks for all those who have helped to raise this incredible amount of money. The Children’s Hospice values our involvement. It is wonderful to be part of a community that is willing to recognise and provide for need. Let’s keep up the good work!” |
| SIMON'S HONG KONG ADVENTURE |
Simon Duff, who graduated last July, has been working in Hong Kong as an English language teacher; he shares below some thoughts from his time there. “On June 4th I left my friends, family and pretty little Omagh in the County of Tyrone, knowing that I wouldn’t see them all again for many, many months. After spending two months working at a summer camp in America, I started employment with a charitable organisation in Hong Kong, China, teaching English. Although initially the cultural transition was challenging (language barriers as well as the bureaucratic nature of China were my main hurdles), I have not regretted it for a single second! I love my job. The students are so eager to learn and my colleagues are really supportive. My main role is to focus on building English speaking confidence, which is low amongst HK students, as well as oral development – although of course where the opportunities to build on vocabulary and grammar arise they are capitalised upon also! The TEFL qualification that I obtained through Stranmillis has given me many ideas to build upon the creative freedom in my job. I have developed many classes to optimise speaking opportunities, which has been a lot of fun for both myself and the students! Simon finishes by encouraging current Stran students to broaden their horizons: “So I would encourage you to make the most of the opportunities that the college offers you – be it Erasmus, international placements or the many international job offers that come through the college. The competitive employment market within education in Northern Ireland make ‘experience’ an essential rather than a desirable attribute – and what an experience I have gained here! Plus it will be a long time until retirement and the amount that you will learn about other cultures, as well as yourself, is immeasurable. So make the most of the opportunity, and do not be afraid to go international!!” |
| PGCE STUDENTS GO BACK IN TIME ON A MATHS TRAIL |
Students on the PGCE course went off-campus on Friday 12 February 2010 to explore how the outdoor environment can be used to support and enhance mathematics learning and teaching. Course tutors Dr Pamela Moffett and Mr Richard Greenwood facilitated a visit to the Ulster American Folk Park where students had the opportunity to participate in a mathematics trail designed for primary school pupils. Staff at the folk park explained what happens when groups of pupils taking part in the various maths trails go round the cottages, the forge, the school and nineteenth century village streets looking for clues, counting objects and completing various mathematical puzzles- all in the great outdoors! As one student commented, “It gave me an insight as to how places of interest can be used for a mathematical purpose.” After lunch the students were able to follow groups of pupils from a visiting school as they went round a number of the exhibits and heard from some of the costumed characters about life long ago in Ireland, traditional crafts and emigration to America. The students thoroughly enjoyed this visit and found it extremely worthwhile. They gained many practical ideas which they hope to implement in their future teaching experience. Staff at the Ulster American Folk Park were impressed to see the University College taking positive steps in promoting the use of real life contexts in mathematics and in connecting learning across the areas of the curriculum. |
| QUB CERTIFICATE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP STUDIES |
Twenty-seven Year 2 BEd Post-Primary students recently successfully completed the QUB Certificate in Entrepreneurship Studies at Stranmillis. David Gibson, Senior Teaching Fellow in Entrepreneurship at QUB, Aisling Harkin, NICENT Entrepreneurship Teaching Fellow and Stranmillis lecturer Ann Robinson worked with the students in teams over a 5 week period to develop educational resources to support the teaching and learning of the Northern Ireland Curriculum and to enhance the entrepreneurial skills of the students. One key event was the networking afternoon where students had the chance to negotiate and network with other groups and outside stakeholders, sharing ideas and seeking advice. The culmination of the certificate course was the Dragons’ Den when teams pitched their ideas to a panel of Educational Dragons. The winning team was ‘Eyes Open’ whose idea was to provide a business that plans, calculates cost and organizes school trips for classroom teachers with accompanying resource packs produced for each industrial visit. |
| OXFORD HEALTH PROMOTION RESEARCHER VISITS STRANMILLIS |
As part of Sports NI's Research Matters seminar series, Dr Charlie Foster of the University of Oxford visited Stranmillis to present a seminar entitled 'The Evidence Base for Sport and Physical Activity Promotion'. Dr Foster discussed the many influences upon levels of physical activity in the population, focusing on people, places and policy. He outlined the positive and negative impacts of recent developments in attempts to make communities more active and offered examples from across the world. Dr Foster demonstrated the strategies used in a number of cities in the UK and beyond to increase walking and cycling and to decrease the use of cars. Some of these were successful and some less so, but a common feature, particularly in the UK, was the modest amounts of money invested in active transport, compared to the savings possible in the health care system. The Research Matters series represents a partnership between Stranmillis University College, the University of Ulster and Sport NI and brings expert speakers in the areas of physical activity and sport to the two universities each year. The series continues later this year with a presentation by Dr Jonathan Bloomfield of the Sports Institute for Northern Ireland entitled 'Identifying Movement Demands In Sport - Implications For Training and Development'. The seminar will be on Thursday 25th March and further details will be available in due course. |
| ELIZABETH'S 26 YEARS OF SERVICE |
Fond farewells were given to Miss Elizabeth Johnston on Thursday 4th February 10, as she leaves after over 26 years of service in the Hospitality Services Department. Christine Nesbitt, the College's Domestic Bursar, said: "We would like to thank Elizabeth for her valuable contribution to Stranmillis University College over the years. We wish Elizabeth every success in the future". |
| CAREERS AND RECRUITMENT FAIR |
A Careers and Recruitment Fair was held in College Hall on Wednesday 3rd February 2010. Approximately 130 students came through the doors representing all programmes. BEd students benefited from being able to widen their job search by finding out about teaching opportunities in England with representatives from LEAs from Southend on Sea, Kent, Medway and Essex. BA and BSc students met with potential future employers and all students took the opportunity to think about ways to develop their employability skills through voluntary work and placement with organisations such as Barnardo’s, NSPCC, Ulster Cancer Foundation and Special Olympics. Students also had the chance to discuss options for postgraduate study and professional development with representatives from Queen’s University and the University of Ulster. Student feedback was very positive, in particular about the opportunity to meet people face to face on campus, learning more about the voluntary sector. In total 32 exhibitors attended the event, many of whom were visiting the College for the first time. One exhibitor commented that it was: “One of the best fairs I have been to”!! A note of thanks to all staff involved in the run up to the event and on the day itself. |
| WORSHIP FUND PRIZE WINNER SUSANNAH |
Susannah attended Strathearn Grammar School where she studied Maths, Music, History and Religious Studies at A level and achieved four A grades. At weekends Susannah helps out at her local youth club and her hobbies include playing the piano, singing and drama. The presentation, held in the College’s Boardroom, was attended by Susannah’s parents, College Principal Dr Anne Heaslett, and other College staff. The Worship Fund Prize is awarded annually to the student who is considered first in order of merit on entry to the Bachelor of Education degree course at Stranmillis University College, and is ‘adjudged best qualified to commence a course of teacher training’. It is funded from a legacy bequeathed in the nineteenth century by the Rev William Taylor Worship, Rector of Bolton in Suffolk (1836–1845). |
| 'EDUCATION 3.0' |
A lunchtime presentation sponsored by the Centre for Competitiveness was held at Stranmillis University College on 25th January entitled ‘Education 3.0: preparing learners for participation in the global 21st Century economy’. The main speaker was Michael Stevenson, Vice President of Global Education for Cisco Systems, the multinational company based in California that designs and sells consumer electronic, networking and communications technology and services. Michael is responsible for developing education strategy and leading implementation in countries where Cisco is working to bring about education reform. ‘Education 3.0’ strives to address the holistic transformation of education systems to 21st century learning, offering a foundation for informed dialogue amongst education practitioners. Using his direct experience with various education initiatives globally and research into education reform models, Michael spoke about the pressures on educational systems around the world and discussed what some of the responses should be at various levels. He talked about the challenges posed by globalization and the need to supply workers for tomorrow who had flexible, non-routine as opposed to routine skills. He described how technology was ‘ripe for education’ with its ability to improve connectivity, mobility and collaboration, stressing the importance of having highly qualified and committed teachers as the catalysts in utilizing technological tools in order to bring about transformational learning.
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| LET'S TALK POLISH |
Last semester in Stranmillis, native Polish speaker and experienced teacher Dr Kris Baraniuk taught a course introducing the Polish language with the aim of equipping the participants to converse in Polish at a basic level. Seventeen people signed up for the course and Kris lists various reasons why they did so: “I can distinguish a number of professions represented at the course. Some came because they have contacts with Polish speakers, whether through their work or family- for example one participant who works in an architect’s office explained that she would like to speak to her Polish colleague in his native language. Others work as teachers in schools attended by Polish pupils who know little English. Some were Stranmillis students interested in trying a new language- one which might be of use to them in their future career in Northern Ireland schools. One lady who attended is marrying a Polish man and wanted to build up her knowledge of the language!!” About the Polish class in Stran, Kris concludes: “The students in my evening class were very enthusiastic learners; they gained some knowledge of the rudiments of Polish grammar, but they particularly enjoyed the emphasis on developing their confidence in speaking Polish as they acquired a new vocabulary. Students also expressed appreciation of the strong support given as they learned to pronounce combinations of letters which look and sound very unusual to English speakers!” It is hoped to run more courses in Polish after Easter as part of our expanding Lifelong Learning programme. These will appeal to teachers, business people and all those with an interest in Poland and its culture. |
| 'RACHEL'S PLACE' - AN UPDATE |
By Samantha Lewis An orphanage is being built in Lesotho, South Africa, in memory of Rachel White, a former Stranmillis student who was tragically killed in a car accident in July 2008. With the generous support of so many people, this orphanage, known as ‘Rachel’s Place’ is now taking shape. Currently it has walls, windows, doors and a roof, but all of the inside work still needs to be carried out. The photographs to the right show the orphanage building at various stages of construction. The target is for it to be opened in March/ April 2010. Some of the events that have occurred to date to raise funds for the building project are listed below; thanks to everyone who contributed: • A coffee morning in November 2008 raised £3000. Rachel was a beautiful and amazing person who had many qualities, amongst which were those of kindness, generousity, affection and care, and these were evident to all those lucky enough to meet her. Rachel would be so proud to see the caring attitude of everyone who has contributed to such a worthy cause, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone, on behalf of Rachel’s family, friends, myself, and indeed all of those to whom you have given a life. Your contributions have helped and continue to help those in need. From 0ct 2008 to December 2009 a total of £24,000 was raised, and fundraising is still taking place. We will keep you informed in the near future of any further developments. |
| MA ECS GRADUATION |
Congratulations to the first cohort of MA in Early Childhood Studies students who graduated from Queen's University on Friday 11th December. Following the graduation ceremony, several of the students and their families joined the ECS team for an afternoon reception at Stranmillis. College Principal, Dr Ann Heaslett, congratulated the new graduates and encouraged them to consider returning to Stran to continue their studies in the future. The MA programme leader, Dr Barbara McConnell, said: " We are delighted to see the first group of MA students graduate today and we look forward to many future successes for our Masters students. The course continues to flourish, with both part-time and full-time students enrolled." |
| A HAT TRICK OF TITLES FOR STRAN FOOTBALLERS |
Wednesday 9th December saw the Stranmillis Football Team finish their season at the top of the University League Division One, following a 5-2 victory against St Mary’s. With goals scored by Adam Pedlow, Jaime Gardiner, Ryan O’Hare and Jonathan Black (2), this was the perfect finale to an unbeaten record this season. It’s the 3rd year in a row that the team have secured the top position in the competition and they hold a 100% victory record for all competitive matches played in all three seasons. Congratulations must go to all the team members who have contributed to this success throughout the past three years as well as the consecutive captains, Paul Greenaway, Andy Uprichard and current ‘master and commander’, Steven Park. Thanks must also be extended to the loyal band of supporters who have attended matches and acted as the ‘twelfth man’. Many thanks to all the final year students for your dedication and commitment over the past number of years; we wish you all the best for the future. And to those who remain – the challenge awaits, let’s make it four in a row! by Sara Lindsay (Union President) This season’s results: North West Regional College 1 Stranmillis 2 - Goals: Jaime Gardiner (1) & Nicky McCartney (1) Coleraine 2 Stranmillis 7 - Goals: Jonathan Black (3), Jaime Gardiner (1), Nigel Boyd (1), Adam Pedlow (1) & Nathan Riddle (1) Queen’s 0 Stranmillis 5 - Goals: Adam Pedlow, Jonathan Black, Ryan O'Hare and two own goals. St Mary’s 2 Stranmillis 5 - Goals: Jonathan Black (2), Adam Pedlow (1), Jaime Gardiner (1) and Ryan O’Hare (1) |
| A CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION |
Congratulations to all who took part in the annual Christmas Celebration in St Bartholomew’s Church on Thursday 17th December. The story of the first Christmas was told in readings, hymns, songs and instrumental pieces. Well done to the choir of students and staff, as well as the orchestra, solo singers and instrumentalists. Special congratulations go to Jayne Moore, Frances Burgess and Norman Richardson, who put so much effort into making the evening a great success. |
| STEM @ STRAN EVENING TO WELCOME POTENTIAL STUDENTS |
Students from post-primary schools across Northern Ireland, along with their teachers and parents, were recently invited to a STEM evening at Stranmillis University College. The evening was intended primarily for students in Year 14 (or at a similar stage in Regional Colleges) who are giving thought to a career in post-primary teaching relating to Science/Mathematics or Technology and Design. There are excellent career opportunities in this area of teacher shortage and the informal event provided an opportunity to find out more about the courses offered in the college and meet current students and staff. |
| TWO NEW DOCTORS! |
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| STRAN PANTO TIME AGAIN! |
It was Panto time again…. oh yes it was! Over the past number of years one of the most popular and professional pantomimes to take place in Belfast during the seasonal period has been the Stran Pantomime, and this year was no different. Panto at Stran has become an institution in its own right and expectations surrounding this year's theatrical extravaganza were high. The festive season in Stran is never complete without this colourful explosion and this year the thespians in Stranmillis Drama Society executed an astounding 11 performances with ease. This year's Panto was Snow White, adapted and directed by Steven Condy and Katherine Kennedy (Dramatic Society President and Vice-President respectively). Snow White is one of the oldest pantomime tales but this particular adaption contained several modern twists with its own living plasma screen TV in place of the traditional mirror. The story took the audience on a rollercoaster of emotion as they followed the fortunes and woes of the characters which they quickly came to know and love. It was a truly romantic tale, tainted with poisoned apples, but salvaged by true love’s first kiss. The week-long run included two shows per day, and for the first time a Saturday matinee performance was introduced which proved to be highly successful, as were all of the performances, which sold out on every night. Congratulations must go to Steven Condy, Katherine Kennedy, Susie Kyle, Stephanie Shaw and Emma Smyth (choreographers), Sean McElhinney (Producer), Karen Ogle (Creative Director), Aaron Davis (Backstage), Adam McCready (Lights) and Emma Byers (Front of House), for all their hard work and dedication over the past several months. A big thank you to all those who took part in the Cast, Chorus, Panto Band, or worked Front of House, backstage, in Make-Up, Costumes, Publicity, set painting, and in the light and sound team. Without everyone's hard work this masterpiece would not have been possible and we await next year's performance with trepidation! |
| SWEET WATER ARCH UNVEILED |
Stranmillis has a striking new addition to its landscape — a four metre high stainless steel arch which aims to “capture the essence” of the area.
The artwork, which was funded from Belfast City Council’s Brighter Belfast initiative, frames the view across the Lagan to the Annadale Embankment, linking the communities on both sides of the river. Following a United Kingdom-wide call for proposals, Derbyshire-based sculptor Denis O’Connor was selected to bring his concept to life. Eleanor Wheeler said: “It was great to have the children’s input to the whole artistic process — their enthusiasm for Stranmillis really shines through and their collaboration with the artists has given us a really interesting piece of public art which both local people and visitors will enjoy.”
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| THE 'RAZIES' RETURN! |
Last week saw the return to Stran of 11 former Erasmus students ('Razies'!) who studied at the College during the 1st Semester of last year- 08/09. The students, who came from Hungary, Spain and Germany, had formed great friendships with each other and with several Stranmillis students (both past and present) many of whom had travelled to see the Erasmus Students in their native countries since their departure last December. Most of the visiting students had also participated in last year's pantomime production of Cinderella and had timed their return to coincide with panto week so they could experience the magic all over again! It is a real testament to all those students in Stran who continually try to support our visiting counterparts and work hard to make their experience a memorable one. Special thanks must also go to Margaret and Laurence in the International Office for their faithful work each year and to the 'Buddies' over the past two years for helping new students settle happily into life at Stran. Let's hope that 'the return' becomes a regular occurrence and that we can continue to foster such good relations with our European and International neighbours to form friendships which will hopefully last a lifetime. By Sara Lindsay, Students' Union President OUTGOING OUTREACH STUDENTS' CERTIFICATES Meanwhile, at a celebration meal in November, over 20 Stranmillis students who had been studying abroad during the last academic year were presented with certificates to mark their achievements. During the chat over the meal many recounted stories about what had happened during their study terms in places as far apart as Denmark and Uganda, Hong Kong and Mississippi, and agreed that their experiences had been formative, and in many cases, life-changing. |
| AN INTERNATIONAL CHRISTMAS DINNER |
Another happy group of Erasmus and International students enjoyed a pleasant Christmas dinner with College Principal Dr Ann Heaslett, Dr Maureen Thatcher, Laurence Siberry and the staff involved in the teaching of the International/Erasmus module as well as International Outreach Administrator Margaret Mulhern. Dr Heaslett distributed certificates to the students who had completed a period of study in the University College. Two students have decided to come back to sit their examinations in January and the two Spanish students from Caceres will be here again next semester. |
| A STITCH IN TIME |
Lifelong Learning students unveiled at the end of December their textile pieces produced within the ‘Creative Patchwork’ course, with renowned local textile artist Rachel Hutchinson. Throughout the 10 weeks, Rachel guided eight students through a variety of textile techniques, including collage, decorative stitch-work and various popular patchwork skills. Each student produced an individual piece of work responding to the course. Outcomes included quilts, wall-hangings, cushions and table-runners. Rachel states: “The class have produced some beautiful work over the weeks, and I believe each one of them has unleashed a hidden talent for textiles.” The course is due to take place again in January 2010. For more information, see the Lifelong Learning Programme or contact: Katie Miller Lifelong Learning Office |
| MATHS MASTERCLASSES AT STRAN |
This year, for the first time, Royal Institution Masterclasses came to Northern Ireland and have been delivered on six consecutive Saturdays in November and December at Queen’s University Belfast and at Stranmillis University College. Mathematics Masterclasses were started in 1981 to inspire and foster the enthusiasm of young people for mathematics. Year 10 pupils who have shown an exceptional interest in and ability for mathematics have the opportunity to learn more by exploring topics which are not normally taught at school. Dr Patricia Eaton, mathematics lecturer at Stranmillis, said: “Mathematics underpins the STEM agenda and at a time when the government is trying to encourage further study of STEM subjects these classes provide an excellent opportunity for talented and enthusiastic children to explore the boundaries of mathematics and help foster their long-term commitment to the subject. It is also a great opportunity for our students to be involved in working with these exceptional young people. We hope that these masterclasses become an annual event in Northern Ireland”. Dr Jenny Sharp from University of Plymouth delivered a masterclass on Optimisation at Stranmillis and was assisted by Stran student volunteers. The classes are sponsored by the Royal Institution, the School of Mathematics and Physics at Queen's, and Stranmillis University College. For further information contact p.eaton@stran.ac.uk |
| LAUNCH OF STEM PARTNERSHIP PROJECT |
The first of a series of STEM partnership projects involving Stranmillis University College and Lumen Christi College, Londonderry was recently launched. This first project involves the production of multimedia learning objects (LOs) to support the teaching and learning of ‘A’-level Chemistry. The LOs consist of video and supporting resources (notes and exam questions) relating to popular sixth-form chemistry experiments. In this pilot phase of the project pupils from Lumen Christi College and Stranmillis student teachers will be able to access these resources online before and after their actual practical classes. The availability of these reusable resources means that both sets of learners can access this content off campus and prepare more effectively for practical classes. It is hoped that very soon these resources will be made available to all students throughout Northern Ireland. |
| A VISIT TO KILMAINE PRIMARY SCHOOL |
On Tuesday 24th November the PGCE (Early Years) students joined with the MA in ECS students for a visit to Kilmaine Primary School, Bangor. During the two-hour visit students were able to examine planning methods and daily routines within the context of a Foundation Stage classroom and to hear about the process of planning and building an outdoor play area. The school principal, John Mann, welcomed students to the school and the visit was hosted by Janice Lowry and Victoria McPeake – P2 teachers who are both former Stranmillis students. Students were accompanied by PGCE tutors Dorothy McMillan and Pamela Moffett. |
| B&E STUDENTS VISIT ASHFIELD |
Third year Stranmillis BEd students whose main subject is Business and Enterprise recently visited Ashfield Girls' High School, Belfast, a school which has specialist status for ICT.
Some of the students hope to take up the school’s offer to become involved in the ‘SEP’ Sharing Education Programme that is currently being run with St. Louise’s, facilitated by Ashfield teacher Beverly Cripps through a blended learning model- the programme is delivered through both video conferencing and face-to-face techniques. |
| SPRINGBOARD TO LITERACY |
In March 2008 Stranmillis University College was invited to undertake a comprehensive independent evaluation of the work of Springboard for Children, an educational charity founded in 1992 at the Oliver Goldsmith Primary School in Peckham, South East London. Springboard for Children provides one-to-one tuition for children with literacy difficulties in inner city primary schools – currently in London and Manchester. The evaluation, undertaken over a 12 month period, concludes that Springboard provides a cost-effective way of giving children with learning difficulties a supportive long-term relationship with a trained and committed volunteer tutor. Based on Christian values, every child, regardless of their faith or background, is treated as an individual and is encouraged and supported to achieve their full potential. Springboard programmes use a structured and cumulative synthetic phonics approach that complements and supplements a range of government interventions in the drive to achieve the goal of preventing literacy failure. The Evaluation Report was presented to Margaret McVeigh, Springboard CEO, by the College Principal, Dr Anne Heaslett on behalf of the Project Team: Audrey Curry (Project Leader), Dr Carol Dunbar, Dr Noel Purdy and Dr Denise Mitchell . For more information on Springboard, go to http://www.springboard.org.uk/ |
| ECONOMIC DOWNTURN CONFERENCE |
Stranmillis BEd Business and Enterprise students, accompanied by lecturers Patricia Corrigan and Ann Robinson, recently attended the CBI/ Stratagem conference on how small economies deal with the economic downturn. Taking part in the conference were Chief Economist at the Northern Bank Angela McGowan, Scottish Enterprise Minister Jim Mather MSP, the Republic of Ireland's Minister of State for European Affairs Dick Roche TD, Member of the Treasury Committee at Westminster Sally Keeble MP and CBI NI Chair Brian Ambrose. The conference looked at various strategies that could be adopted by Small & Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in order to help the NI economy out of the recession. These strategies in turn might also lead to the SME being able to make sustainable profits in both the short and medium term. |
| MATHS WEEK 2009 |
Steve has been active through the IMA (Institute of Maths and its Applications) in popularising mathematics and is probably the only maths columnist in a daily newspaper in the world! He writes the Dr Maths Column in the Evening Chronicle in the North East of England and works for NCETM (National Centre of Excellence in Teaching of Mathematics- http://www.ncetm.org.uk ), an organisation created for the professional development of maths teachers in England. Steve conducted a session entitled Hidden Secrets from the World of Dr Maths and his popular, fun and entertaining show was enjoyed by over 500 pupils from a range of post-primary schools including Special Schools, from across Northern Ireland. The timing of week is chosen because it was on 16th October 1843 that Sir William Rowan Hamilton, on his way to a meeting of the Royal Irish Academy, discovered quaternions and scratched the equation onto a canal bridge in Dublin. Quarternions have proved to be extremely important in the development of modern mathematics and are still used today in many areas, for example computer graphics, signal processing, physics, bioinformatics, molecular dynamics, computer simulation and spacecraft attitude-control systems. Maths Week Ireland seeks to promote awareness, understanding and appreciation of maths for all ages. More information on Maths Week Ireland is available on www.mathsweek.ie . The events are presented in conjunction with the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (Irish Branch). |
| £1,600 RAISED DURING CHARITY WEEK 2009 |
Four highly successful days of fundraising madness to support the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice were completed during the first week in November. Following the sponsored leg wax, a table quiz, busking in College and in Belfast City Centre, Sean’s sponsored silence, and a pudding party, the now legendary Stran’s Got Talent took place on the Wednesday night and a fancy dress party was held on the Thursday evening with the theme of ‘What I wanted to be when I was 5’! The time, effort and enthusiasm paid off, as a total of £1,600 was raised throughout the four days- an amazing amount of money, raised with an amazing amount of generosity. Many thanks go to the Students’ Union Executive and the students and lecturers who put in so much effort to produce this wonderful result. Special thanks also go to the Beauty Haven beautician, The Fatted Calf and Sinnamon cafes and the staff of the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice. Charity Week is over for another year, but it’s not the end of student fundraising for the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice. It is hoped that this total will be increased as fundraising continues throughout the year. It is such a worthy cause and the charity, children and families associated will certainly feel the positive impact of the money raised. |
| 1958 FRESHERS HAVE A BIG REUNION |
On 1st October 140 former Stranmillis students met at the Dunadry Hotel at Templepatrick to celebrate with a belated 50th anniversary lunch for those students who entered Stranmillis College on 1st September 1958. The idea of a lunch came about by a chance encounter between James Brewster and Eric Gamble on the 'Friends Reunited' website approximately one year previously. Neither James nor Eric had met since leaving Stranmillis in 1962. After exchanging pleasantries on the net they decided to meet up and have lunch together. Eric Gamble takes up the story of how everything came together ….. ‘As with most former students from the College we enjoyed reminiscing about our first days away from home among like minded teenagers. We were in fact two teenagers ‘up from the country’ (James from Ballymoney and Eric from Londonderry) among all those ‘city slickers’, but living in Balmoral Hall for the first year we realised that we knew as much as they did about the world in general and girls in particular! We invited a few of our former colleagues to join us- Zoe Vallely (née Anderson), Margaret Brown (née Anderson) and Reggie Patterson- and formed a ‘planning’ team. The subsequent meetings were so enjoyable as we gelled together and laughed as we reminisced about the various lecturers and some of the childish antics we got up to! We decided to start with our own friends, asking if they would be interested in joining us for a lunch and seeking from them any names and addresses of other people with whom they had any loose connections or even the name of the last known school where they taught.We felt at that meeting that we would set a target of one hundred to join us for lunch, not knowing how many students had entered Stranmillis in 1958, how many had emigrated or in fact how many sadly had passed away. During the next ten months we gathered names and addresses from former colleagues, internet web sites, electoral rolls, requests to schools as well as the BT phonebook. We also contacted twenty- five local newspapers and twelve local radio stations and asked for their help in advertising our reunion. All of them were very accommodating. A special word of thanks to John Bennett from Radio Ulster who is himself a former Stranmillis student. Many of the contacts brought hours of enjoyable conversations with people we had not met since leaving College in June 1962. Unfortunately the pleasure was tinged with sadness as we discovered several of those we knew as close friends at Stran. had passed away. In fact we listed a total of twenty-nine former known colleagues who were no longer with us. Early in our deliberations we decided that we would like to invite at least one of our former lecturers to join us for lunch and we unanimously choose Mrs Kathleen Mawhinney (née Strawbridge), and what a popular choice she turned out to be. The day of the reunion finally arrived- October 1st . Our day at the Dunadry started with tea/ coffee at 10.30am with lunch at 1.00pm. but many people were still chatting late into the evening. On display at Dunadry we had a DVD showing a selection of formal and informal photographs of our days at Stranmillis - hockey, rugby, soccer, table tennis, badminton, the Dramatic Society, formal dances and a variety of outdoor pursuits. How young and innocent we all looked!! Several colleagues had provided photographs of groups of students in the various halls of residence – The Bungalows, Stranmillis House, Shandon, Beechlands, Westbrook, as well as the men in Balmoral Hall under the guidance of Mr Jock Murry. Many enjoyable memories returned when we thought of those halcyon days. We had a number of items of memorabilia on display including student cards, laundry receipts, examination cards, orders of various religious services, and rules and regulations regarding entry to Stranmillis. These were further reminders of those far away ‘care- free’ days. One of our ’58 Freshers, Arthur Gibson, composed and read a poem for this special occasion. The thirty-three verses brought back memories of what life was like in Belfast in the late 1950s as well as some of the exploits of our fellow colleagues. The main purpose of the day was to renew ‘old’ friendships, have fun and fellowship and hopefully provide happy memories for all of us in the ‘Autumn’ of our lives. This aim would appear to have succeeded as many of those present were busy exchanging telephone numbers and addresses at the end of the evening and many subsequent requests for contact numbers for those who had sent apologies for their non attendance. At Dunadry we employed the services of a professional photographer who took photographs of various groups eg halls of residence as well as the larger group of all of us together. The contrast from the fresh faces of ’58 to the well worn faces of 2009 is fairly noticeable!’ Seems like a great day was had by all!! Photographs taken by Paul Crawford, Glengormley, www.paulcrawford.co.uk |
| CHARITY WEEK- THE STORY SO FAR!! |
It’s a season of good will at Stranmillis this week as staff and students have joined together with the Students’ Union to raise funds for this year’s chosen charity, the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice. Charity Week is packed full of fundraising events which seem to be paying off so far! ‘Beauty Haven’ from Stranmillis very kindly helped us to start the week on a high, as some of our extremely courageous boys had their legs (and even feet!) waxed. Sean McElhinney also raised a sizable amount of money through his sponsored silence on Tuesday from 9 am until 10 pm. Well done Sean! Music has had a large part to play this week, as many staff and students have used their musical abilities to fundraise. Richard Greenwood, Norman Richardson and a number of students busked noisily in the foyer of the Central Building on Tuesday and a number of students also did some busking in the City Centre on Wednesday. A table quiz and pudding party (puddings donated kindly by ‘The Fatted Calf’ and ‘Sinnamon’ in Stranmillis) have also produced some generous giving. With much more in store for the rest of the week, Charity Week 2009 is a massive success so far. Thanks to all of those who have helped with such willingness and generosity. Look out for another Web News story next week with a ‘final report’ and news of the grand total raised. Rachel Green |
| COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS CENTRE CAUGHT ON CAMERA |
The photos show our newly trained peer tutors from the Communication Skills Centre receiving a few last minute words of advice from their colleagues who worked in the centre in previous years. Having undergone their training (and testing!) with Dr Jonathan Worley of St Mary’s University College they are ready to start working to help students with their academic writing for essays and other assignments. Our new location is within the Student Learning Centre (CETL) on the top floor of Central Building. Now in our third year, the CSC has gone from strength to strength and we are striving to top last year’s excellent results. Stran students should look out for information on notice boards around the campus for dates and times when the centre is open. |
| NORTH COAST DAY OUT |
The group of Erasmus and International students who are spending this semester at Stran had a day trip to the North Coast in the middle of October. There are 28 students from 11 different countries on campus this autumn; they come from Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Spain, USA, China and Hong Kong. The students walked along the West Strand, Portrush (but didn’t get to go into ‘Barry’s’!! and then up onto Ramore Head before having a great lunch at the Ramada Hotel in Portstewart. The afternoon was spent exploring the Giant’s Causeway. Many photos were taken and souvenirs bought!! |
| RUTH'S USA ADVENTURE |
Ruth Gaston (Year 3 BEd Primary) spent a year in the USA as part of the Business Education Initiative (BEI). Below she shares some thoughts on a wonderful year. For more information on BEI Northern Ireland, go to: http://www.britishcouncil.org/northernireland-education-intstudlinks-bei.htm |
| NOEL'S QUB TEACHING AWARD |
Congratulations to Dr Noel Purdy (Teacher Education) on his recent Queen’s University Teaching Award. The award was part of a university-wide scheme which aims, according to the QUB web site, ‘ … to encourage and reward the development of learning and teaching practice, and activities that support learning and teaching practices, that have led to particularly effective/worthwhile learning.’ Noel’s award was in the ‘Rising Stars’ category (for colleagues teaching for less than five years), and was in recognition of innovative teaching and assessment in Education Studies modules, notably in the year 4 module Contemporary Issues in Pastoral Care. Here the panel (chaired by Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Ken Brown) was impressed both by the pedagogical strategies used to allow the discussion of sensitive issues in a safe environment and by the use of formative assessment techniques to empower learners . Details about the QUB Teaching Awards scheme and past winners can be found on the QUB web site. |
| 'RACHEL'S PLACE' PRESENTATION |
On Wednesday 16th September the Students’ Union had the privilege of presenting a cheque for £3691.42 to Linda and Rebekah White, the mother and sister of the late Rachel White. Rachel was an Early Childhood Studies Student in Stran from 2005-2008 who tragically died in a car accident. This generous donation goes to ‘Rachel’s Place’, the charity set up in memory of Rachel to support and rebuild an orphanage in South Africa with which Rachel had worked closely in the past. During the last academic year students took part in a range of events, such as sponsored silences, leg waxing, ‘Stran’s Got Talent’, a fun run and themed nights in the Union bar. The total raised in support of ‘Rachel’s Place’ so far is over £17,000, and Rachel’s family would like to extend their sincere thanks to all the students and staff in College who helped to make this possible. |
| LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMME- AUTUMN 2009 |
This Autumn you can experience for yourself the unique landscape within the walls of Stranmillis University College by enrolling on one of our new series of short courses.
Stranmillis University College has one of the most idyllic settings of any educational institution in Europe. This 46-acre estate of woodland, lake and historic gardens was once a deer park and contains a Victorian mansion and the remains of an Irish ring-fort and a Plantation castle. It is also home to a rich variety of animal and birdlife. This is the perfect way to take up a new interest, rekindle an old one, broaden your horizons or make new friends. Click on the link below for more details on the courses on offer: FOR MORE INFORMATION, REGISTRATION & ENROLMENT, CONTACT: |
| GRADUATION & PRESENTATION OF PRIZES |
The 9th July 2009 saw two special occasions- the graduation in the Whitla Hall, QUB of Stranmillis and St Mary’s BEd students and, in the afternoon, the presentation of special prizes here at Stranmillis. On a day that was, thankfully, dry and bright, the Whitla Hall was packed with graduands and their parents and, on the stage, a large number of Stran and St Mary’s staff. As part of the ceremony a QUB ‘Graduate of the Year’ award was presented to classical singing trio ‘The Priests’ whose music has been enjoyed by millions around the world during the last year. Father David Delargy accepted the award on behalf of the two brothers, Fathers Eugene and Martin O’Hagan. After the ceremony, as always, the new graduates, parents, friends and staff all mingled on the lawn outside the Whitla Hall and the Lanyon Building for photos and congratulations! In the afternoon at Stranmillis, a large number of special prizes were presented to students who had excelled in various courses and aspects of College life. Of particular note were students who picked up more that one prize: Sara Lindsay, current SRC President, and Philip Toal (both Post-primary students) won two prizes each, while Deborah Steele won no less than FOUR prizes for excellent results across School Based Work, Early Childhood Education, and examination performance in both Education Studies and Religious Studies. |
| FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT SKILLS |
Congratulations to our PGCE and year 4 students who recently completed the two day Fundamental Movement Skills teacher course with course tutors Madeline Mason and Joanne Gardiner.
Feedback from all the course participants has been extremely positive and we are delighted that so many of our students are now fully trained in delivering the programme in their future schools. Well done everyone! |
| READY TO GO GLOBAL |
During the first week in June 40 students completed the intensive, one-week Certificate course in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) / English as an Additional Language (EAL). The course is unique in preparing student teachers to meet the needs of pupils at school here in Northern Ireland whose first language isn’t English, and at the same time, preparing students for teaching English at home or abroad to any age group for whom English is a foreign language. Noel Purdy, Laurence Siberry, Michael McCurley and Jim Ferguson led the course in providing students with practical methods and approaches, resources and activities to help learners become fluent in English, as well as promoting students’ awareness of how their own language works. |
| GETTING INTERACTIVE WITH HUNTERHOUSE |
A masterclass in the use of interactive whiteboards was provided by staff of the maths department at Hunterhouse College. First and second year maths students visited Hunterhouse and had the opportunity to see how teachers used the boards and other new technologies such as electronic voting systems. The students were then let loose on the boards to practise under the guidance of Ms Diann Semple, Head of Department and her team. Dr Patricia Eaton, the maths lecturer in Stranmillis who coordinated the visit said: “While students use this technology in College, it is an invaluable opportunity for these young people to see the technology being used in the classroom so powerfully to enhance learning and to work with experts willing to share their time.” |
| FINANCIALLY CAPABLE AT STRANMILLIS! |
Mr Paul Gray, Assistant Principal Officer for Financial Capability with CCEA, spoke to first year post-primary students recently on the importance of financial capability in every subject in the curriculum. His interesting and innovative talk highlighted to the students some of the implications for the Northern Ireland economy of a lack of financial awareness and the importance of developing money sense among their pupils. Students enjoyed the interaction and were encouraged to think about how to incorporate financial awareness into their lessons. |
| CONGRATULATIONS TO COLETTE |
Congratulations to Dr Colette Gray (Department of Early Childhood Education), who has been awarded a Visiting Professorship in Child Development & Education by the University College Plymouth St Mark & St John. The award is in recognition of her contribution to scholarly academic research and her extensive publication record in the field of Early Years Education. In this role Colette will support the research endeavours of the academic staff at Plymouth by advising them in the development of research applications with national and international partners, by coordinating research groups and by mentoring staff in the dissemination of research findings. In addition, she will deliver inaugural lectures on behalf of the University. |
| STUDENT CAVE EXPLORERS! |
Ten Year 4 BEd students headed west to explore the Marble Arch Caves Geopark in Fermanagh and take part in an Earth Science workshop delivered by the Earth Science Education Unit. The ESEU is based at Keele University, Staffordshire, and their core business is to provide INSET in Earth Science to teachers across the UK. The students joined a number of teachers as ESEU facilitator Denise Palmer provided three interactive, practical workshops called ‘How the Earth Works in Your Classroom’, ‘The Rock and Soil Circus Comes to Town’, and ‘Spot That Rock- Sorting Rocks the Scientific Way’. Throughout the workshops a ‘hands-on’, experimental approach was used, and ways in which all the experiments and follow-up work could be carried out in primary school classrooms were discussed. Following the workshops, geopark geologist Dr Kirstin Lemon kindly arranged for the students a free tour of the Marble Arch Caves themselves- boat trip and all!! |
| 'DREAMS' SHARED AT STRANMILLIS |
Teachers’ and student teachers’ experiences of using digital technology during the ‘DREAMS Project’ were recently shared at a Dissemination and Evaluation Seminar at Stranmillis. DREAMS stands for Digitally Resourced Engaging And Motivating Science. This school development project, funded by the AstraZeneca Science Trust, involved Year 3 Science students using digital technology to enhance cross-curricular science lessons during a 5 week placement in six primary schools. The conference delegates learned how these resources totally transform children’s disposition to enquiry-based science and support pupil-centred learning, not just in science but in literacy, numeracy and ICT. Through the use of video movie-makers, data-loggers and computer microscopes, pupils’ thinking skills and personal capabilities were also developed. The seminar also provided the opportunity for the participating schools to begin planning to incorporate these approaches into next year’s schemes of work. By all accounts, from teachers and pupils’ own videos, the DREAM is very much alive! Full details of the project can be accessed at project website To find out more about this project contact J.McCullagh@stran.ac.uk |
