Graduation Awards 2019

We had a busy week in the DCU Institute of Education with the class of 2019 graduating and a number of awards to acknowledge the excellence of our students.

Vere Foster Award - Nadine Kate Lyons

Awarded to the PME (Primary) student who obtained the highest marks in Teaching Practice and Curriculum Areas of Education over the two-year PME programme.
Presented by Feargal Brougham, INTO President

Vere Foster was born in Copenhagen to an Irish father. He worked in the UK Diplomatic Corps but left to help victims of the Great Famine. He helped to found and become the first president of the INTO. He travelled throughout the country campaigning for the maintenance and improvement of national schools.

There are five school practices in the PMEP programme. From SP1, there have been reports from supervisors commenting on Nadine's excellence in the classroom. This ranged from her attention to preparation and planning, her knowledge of curriculum areas and methodologies and her relationship with the children.

Catherine Mahon Award - Sarah Higgins

Awarded to the student who obtained the highest place on the PME (Primary).
Presented by Margaret Leahy

The PMEP is a large and complex programme with a wide range of modules. Given the wide range of subjects, it is difficult to do well at everything. Yet across both years of the programme Sarah has done consistently well and produced work of very high standard.

John Smith Award - Maria Mannion

For the student who obtained the highest mark in the Research Dissertation on the PME (Primary).
Presented by Odhran Smith/Siobhan Smith and Margaret Leahy.

Maria's action research project sought to improve her approach to teaching primary classroom music by redeveloping a scheme of work to specifically cater for more able students in a senior class. She accomplished this through an examination of the literature to identify best practice for differentiating learning for "high performing" children in music in a whole class context. In identifying the specific challenges involved in teaching high-performing children to read and play rhythms in a whole class context, Maria developed a range of tools and resources to support their learning and allow their experience of classroom music to go beyond mere class participation.

TUI Award - Christine Young

Award to the top student on the PME.
Presented by David Waters, TUI Executive

Mark Morgan Award - Mary Kingston

This is awarded to the student who received the Highest overall Grade in the Masters of Education programme.
Presented by Catherine Furlong, Programme Chair

Professor Mark Morgan, who joined the staff of St Patrick's College in 1970, was Director of the MEd Programme for many years, prior to his appointment as Head of Education in 2002. Professor Morgan retired from that position in 2010.

Title: An Exploration of the Probabilistic Thinking of Young Children in Senior Infants in an Irish Primary School
Supervisor: Dr Aisling Twohill

The aim of this research study was to investigate the probabilistic thinking of young children, focusing in particular on their identification of the most and least likely outcome of experiments. At present, young children in Ireland are not formally introduced to the concept of probability until Third class. Research studies present conflicting results pertaining to young children's potential to engage in probabilistic thinking and a wide variance exists across international mathematics curricula regarding the age at which children receive formal probabilistic instruction. The study was conducted using a largely qualitative approach and the children's probabilistic thinking was examined using task-based group interviews. The results of this study suggest that young children are capable of engaging in sophisticated probabilistic thinking and highlights that the current practice of formally introducing children to probability in Third class warrants further investigation.

IATSE (Irish Association of Teachers in Special Education) Award - Catherine Brennan

Awarded to the student who achieved the highest overall marks on the Graduate Diploma in Inclusive Education, Learning Support and Special Education.
Presented by Muriel Weekes, IATSE President

ILSA Award - Orla Cunningham

The Irish Learning Support Association (ILSA) have instigated a new award for the student in the Graduate Diploma in Inclusive Education, Learning Support and Special Education with the highest mark in the reflective inquiry module.
Presented by Theresa Woods, ILSA Chairperson

John O'Connor Award - Ann Marie Murphy

The John O'Connor Award for Excellence in Business Studies Teaching for 2019. John O'Connor was a founding member of the Business Studies Teachers Association of Ireland (BSTAI) in 1976. He served for a time as Chairperson of the Dublin Branch of the BSTAI and was a former National President of the association. He was a leading textbook author over the last 4 decades. John had a lifelong record of sharing best practices with Business Teachers and promoting excellence in all aspects of Business Studies Education. While working as managing director of Folens Publishers and running his own publishing company Blackwater Press LTD, John continued his connection to teaching as well as travelling all over the country to give workshops to teachers and revision seminars to Business students. Very close to John's heart was the desire to support teachers new to the profession. John O'Connor sadly passed away in July 2016 and the BSTAI wish to commemorate his ‎memory by commissioning this award to the Business PME student from each university who has obtained the highest mark in their teaching practice of Business Studies. The BSTAI presents the winner with a certificate and a piece of glass.
Presented by Ciara O'Riordan from BSTAI

Vere Foster Award - Caoimhe Shaw

The INTO Vere Foster Medal is awarded to the student on the BEd programme who obtained the highest marks in Teaching Practice and Curriculum Areas of Education over the course of the programme.
Presented by Feargal Brougham, INTO President

Vere Foster was born in Copenhagen to an Irsih father. He worked in the UK Diplomatic Corps but left to help victims of the Great Famine. He helped to found and become the first president of the INTO. He travelled throughout the country campaigning for the maintenance and improvement of national schools.

Caoimhe Shaw is from Mullingar. Within the BEd took Special and Inclusive Education as her major specialism specialism while undertaking the BEd. She also completed a semester abroad travelling to California State University, Chico third year. She is now enjoying teaching 4th class in St. Mary's P.S., Enfield.

Carlisle and Blake Award - Caoimhe Shaw

The Carlisle & Blake Award, a Department of Education and Skills award, is awarded to the student achieving the highest marks in Education (Parts I, II and III in Third BEd).
Presented by Rita Nic Amhlaoibh, Roinnchigire from the DES Inspectorate.

Caoimhe Shaw is from Mullingar. Within the BEd took Special and Inclusive Education as her major specialism specialism while undertaking the BEd. She also completed a semester abroad travelling to California State University, Chico third year. She is now enjoying teaching 4th class in St. Mary's P.S., Enfield.

Brian Ruane Award - Sarah Halpin and Leah Kelly

The Brian Ruane award has been inaugurated in 2018 to honour the late Brian Ruane who joined the staff of St Patrick's College in 2007 as Lecturer in Education (Development and Intercultural Education). Prior to his appointment, Brian had worked as a primary teacher, before specialising in development and human rights education in the late 1990s. Brian made a significant and important contribution to key areas such as School Placement, Ethical Education and Gaeilge. Brian lectured in History Education and Local Studies and married his passion for human rights and global citizenship with his interest in history as a foundational subject in citizenship education and education for democracy. Brian was a highly committed and engaged member of the School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies up to his untimely death from Motor Neurone Disease in January 2018. Brian was a warm, caring and supportive colleague and friend whose good humour and positivity shone through, even in his final months. He was passionate about global justice, children's rights and equality and cared deeply about his students.
Presented by Catherine Furlong, Programme Chair

Leah Kelly, from Knocklyon, is teaching in Scoil Iosagáin, an all boys school in Crumlin. Throughout her degree and through the Geography specialism with Susan Pike, her Action Research Project tutor, came the basis for an interest in doing an action research project specifically relating to local Geography.
The basis for Leah's research was to observe the benefits of using children's ethnogeographies and prerequisite learning and experiences of their local area to create an enquiry that displays children's citizenship, allowing them to have agency and participate in their community.

Sarah Halpin is from Rathfarnham in Dublin. She is now teaching 2nd Class in Scoil Maelruain Junior National School in Old Bawn, Tallaght. Sarah's tutor was Dr Susan Pike for her Action Research Project, which was based around the connections between children's local learning and participation and their sense of citizenship within their communities. She carried out the research project on her final school placement with a junior infant class group. Over the course of the project, the children shared their thoughts and ideas about their local playground which was due to be rebuilt by the local county council. For Sarah it was an amazing learning experience and very rewarding to see the positive benefits of getting the children actively involved in their community and especially in a decision so relevant and meaningful in their lives.

KLOTZ Award - David Barry and Niamh Boyle

The Fred Klotz Memorial Award is presented to the best performing student in Mathematics Education and/or Digital Learning in their final year. The award is generously supported by the family of the late Fred Klotz (who lectured in mathematics and coding in SPD, 1976-1988).
Presented by Olivia Bree, a former colleague of Fred Klotz and former Registrar of St Patrick's College

Vincentian Award - Shauna Marie Kilroy

The Vincentian award is for the top student in the BEd Certificate in Religious Studies.
Presented by Fr Joseph McCann, Vincentian Community

Raymond Topley Award - Shauna Kinsella

The Raymond Topley award is for the top student in the BEd Religious Studies specialism.
Presented by Dr Gareth Byrne, Director MDCCE

ASTI Award – Rachel Anne Smyth and Sinéad Clavin

The ASTI award is awarded to the highest achieving students for the BSc in Science Education (Rachel Anne Smyth) and BSc in Physical Education with Biology/Maths (Sinéad Clavin).
Presented by Deirdre McDonald- ASTI President, Professor Prof Pádraig Ó Duibhir and Dr. Francesca Lorenzi