HDip Galway & NUI colleges

fascination

I'm new to this forum so hello all! I'm just wondering if anyone could shed any light on the pros/cons of the block TP release in Galway versus the sequential release? Anyone have any experience of these? Which would be the best NUI college for the PGDE??
Thanks

Toto Wolfcastle

I did my PGDE in Galway in 2007/2008. I did sequential. I would recommend this over block for a few reasons.

1. With sequential you get to know your students better which I think is an advantage in improving your teaching.

2. With sequential you get to see how a school runs over the course of the year, and also have more opportunities to get sub work. (Although maybe not so much since the budget.)

3. While there is a lot of constant work involved with sequential, block release tends to run just before exams. When I did it, the block students did very little in college until it was time to go out teaching, and it seemed to cause a lot of stress when everything came together at once. On the one hand I suppose you could use all the free time to prepare for both teaching and exams, but on the other hand does this really happen?

It is worth bearing in mind that the timetable of the PGDE changed for the year 2008/2009, so I don't know if some of what I said above applies. I think block release students may now spend more time in schools now, and the timetable definitely changed a lot so there is probably more to do now.

I will say that sequential is worth it for the experience of being in school every week.

As regards the other NUIs, all I'll say is the PGDE in UCC seems a lot harder than the one in NUIG!

Any more questions just ask.

fascination

Thanks for the reply janeybabe. Great advice. I think I would prefer being in the school more regularly to keep up the practise as I have not had much experience thus far. NUIG just seems to promote the block release as the better option as it includes the video analysis etc. Is there any of that in the sequential stream? I'm really bad, throwing in an application just before the late closing date! eek!

Toto Wolfcastle

I didn't do the microteaching (video) as it wasn't offered to sequential students. We were just thrown into the schools but it worked out fine! I had no experience beforehand and I got on ok. It might be available to sequential students now but I don't know. It's not that much of an advantage so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

I remember running around in the rain trying to get my transcripts and everything else 2 days before the closing date for applications! So you're not alone! And it's worth it anyway!

baglady

Hi,

I'm doing the PGDE now in Galway I'm doing sequential and would reccommend it over Block for the same reasons as Janeybabe. We no longer have exams but continuous assessment which means a ton of essays/assignments round feb/march. The blocks are under a lot of pressure when they are teaching and have little or no time to do these assignments. they do of course have time to do them which why are not on TP, but if u are the kind of person who leaves things a little late then it could be v stressful. Also with sequentail you get more oppertunities for subbing, and get to know the school/students a whole lot better. I would think it is a more rounded experience of what day to day life as a teacher is. you also get into a routine and the levels of stress stay pretty much the same all year unlike the Blocks. Thats just my 2c. Good luck!!

baglady

oh by the way, sequentials dont get to do micro-teaching but I really dont think we are missing out. Some friends who do do it have said it is a bit pointless. also dont forget that you are the one who has to find your TP school, so get onto that early, don't leave it till the summer!!

ray ray :)

Hey everyone, I've recently been offered a place on the PGDE course in NUIG. However this was my second choice on the application and today I was offered my first choice which was NUI Maynooth. I really am confused about where to do the course. What's putting me off choosing Galway is the timetable, from mon to wed i hear you're in class from 4pm to 8pm, thurs you're on college campus from 9am to 8pm and fri from 9am to 1pm. If choosing to teach in sequential mode you're in the school mon, tues and wed morning and from what I've read block is even more stressful. However in Maynooth you teach on mondays and fridays and the timetable from tues to thurs is generally between 9am and 1pm. I am hoping to find out did anyone find the timetable in Galway difficult to work around? I have plenty of info on Maynooth as my sister done her hdip there last year. I am by no means looking for the easier option, I would just like to hear from someone who completed the course in Galway so I can make my decision quickly as i have only a week to decide:(! Thanks guys:)x