add on

ahahah

Im aware that theres a lot of talk on here about add ons. Has anyone had any experience adding on a subject to teach. Im currently looking into the theology in Maynooth but would prefer UCD or somewhere closer. Any advice much appreciated.

Crazyteacher

Please choose a subject that you have a genuine interest in not just for the sake of it being a one year course. It's no wonder people with full degrees in theology get annoyed. Loads of subjects to choose from on the Open university website.

ahahah

With all due respect I would hardly fork out over 3.000 to do a subject just for the craic. Appreciate the response but I asked for advice from people who had done this already.

RealJohn

Crazyteacher wrote: »

Please choose a subject that you have a genuine interest in not just for the sake of it being a one year course. It's no wonder people with full degrees in theology get annoyed. Loads of subjects to choose from on the Open university website.

In all fairness, there was nothing in the OP to suggest that they're not serious about doing theology, just that they'd prefer to study in UCD rather than Maynooth.

I'd be interested in learning a bit more about this myself. I'm hoping to add physics and/or applied maths to my qualifications in the future but I'm not getting much of a response from the universities. Any help in that regard would be greatly appreciated. (Not trying to hijack your thread OP)

Edit - It just occurred to me to say that I'm based in Dublin too and I'm just finishing a masters out in Maynooth. If UCD is convenient for you, I wouldn't say Maynooth ought to be massively inconvenient. I found it very manageable and I'm not that far from UCD.

ahahah

Thanks Real John Too much negativity on teacher section of this site we are entitled to ask questions. And even if Im not genuinely interested in Theology (which I am) it's nobody elses concern Im the one who has to teach it in the end. Rant over.


So add ons....as far as I can see the one I referred to in Maynooth is a one year part time course recognised by the TC. As far as other subjects...I think its a case of doing said subject by night as a part time course. I think this means 2-3 years study but Im not 100 per cent. The TC require a certain amount of credits but again Im not 100 pc. I think a lot of teachers could benefit from some info on add ons as it would upskill us and give us more job prospects(in theory).

Thanks realjohn I live right by ucd so u thing maynooth would be ok? Im v interested in the course

As for maths -open university or oscail dcu I think

Pang

I know five people who did the add on course in Maynooth and enjoyed it. All of them found it much easier to get hours when they got the qualification in Religion.

The only way you could do it outside of Maynooth and in the Dublin area, that I know of would be to do a part time Arts course.

St. Angela's in Sligo offer a two year part time higher diploma in Religious Education. However, if Maynooth doesn't suit that well, Sligo definitely wouldn't!

I know a Science teacher who is doing an add on for Maths. I think she does it in UCD, but it's in conjunction with UL. They stream the lectures from UL.

Crazyteacher

Higher diploma in Theological Studies in St Patrick's College, Maynooth for those interested,

The Diploma is recognised by the Department of Education and Skills as entitling teachers holding Department-recognised degrees and teacher-training qualifications to teach up to 15 hours' Religious Education per week in a voluntary secondary school. (Taken from website).

rainbowtrout

Crazyteacher wrote: »

Please choose a subject that you have a genuine interest in not just for the sake of it being a one year course. It's no wonder people with full degrees in theology get annoyed. Loads of subjects to choose from on the Open university website.

OU is great. I did my maths add on modules through them. However there are limitations to OU. If you want to do science add ons, Teaching council will have a problem with the lack of practicals and won't sign off on it (I've asked them). Language requirements I think must include a period of time spent abroad in country where the language is spoken which will not be covered by OU. Most people doing an undergrad in languages fulfill this requirement through Erasmus programme, or work placement abroad. Check with Teaching Council before signing up for OU.


On the applied maths qualification: If a person has completed maths qualifications and registered with Teaching Council *I think* they can do a module add on with OU for applied maths registration. It's either M209 or S207, I'm not sure which but both are 60 credit OU modules which is the equivalent of 30 ECTS credits, and it costs in the region of 3k.

rainbowtrout

Pang wrote: »

I know five people who did the add on course in Maynooth and enjoyed it. All of them found it much easier to get hours when they got the qualification in Religion.

The only way you could do it outside of Maynooth and in the Dublin area, that I know of would be to do a part time Arts course.

St. Angela's in Sligo offer a two year part time higher diploma in Religious Education. However, if Maynooth doesn't suit that well, Sligo definitely wouldn't!

I know a Science teacher who is doing an add on for Maths. I think she does it in UCD, but it's in conjunction with UL. They stream the lectures from UL.

Is that the course for teachers who are already teaching maths but don't have an official qualification in it? I think to get onto that course you have to be teaching and you have to be teaching maths as part of your hours.

evolving_doors

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Is that the course for teachers who are already teaching maths but don't have an official qualification in it? I think to get onto that course you have to be teaching and you have to be teaching maths as part of your hours.

Yes...a few of the posters here said it was a tricky enough course to get through, although that was what they were hearing from other teachers!

Also as regards the OU and science practicals I think there was a thread on it here... I'm open to correction but the upshot was that the TC allowed the person to do the practical lab work in UCD in conjunction with the OU modules..

rainbowtrout

Armelodie wrote: »

Yes...a few of the posters here said it was a tricky enough course to get through, although that was what they were hearing from other teachers!

Also as regards the OU and science practicals I think there was a thread on it here... I'm open to correction but the upshot was that the TC allowed the person to do the practical lab work in UCD in conjunction with the OU modules..

Ya that's the workaround I was originally looking at but my nearest university that offers equivalent modules ( and therefore practicals) is 60 miles away so I think I'll have to come to some private arrangement to do all my labs over one of the holiday period as term time is out.

Pang

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Is that the course for teachers who are already teaching maths but don't have an official qualification in it? I think to get onto that course you have to be teaching and you have to be teaching maths as part of your hours.

She is definitely teaching Science, but for some reason I don't think she is teaching maths presently. I heard that the course is quite intensive and I have heard that the streamed lectures mean there is little opportunity to ask for further explanations or discussion.

Crazyteacher

They have a specific science education 5 year degree in UCD now. Perhaps they are allowing people in to the lab modules of that course? Worth a check.

rainbowtrout

Crazyteacher wrote: »

They have a specific science education 5 year degree in UCD now. Perhaps they are allowing people in to the lab modules of that course? Worth a check.

It's not a problem registering for modules in college in general but science modules require lab work which is normally compulsory so it creates a difficulty for a teacher to attend when they are teaching fulltime. Not living near a university just adds to the problem

Seanchai

I did the Higher Diploma in Arts in UCD a while back to add on a subject. It lasted for two years, each year was 30 ECTS credits, and classes were 18:30 to 21:30 each Tuesday and Thursday night.

To be registered as a teacher of that subject with the Teaching Council (TC), I needed to add a further 10 ECTS credits from 1st year in that subject. I had 20. The TC asked me to get a letter from the UCD department/school confirming this. I did this, sent it into the TC and within a week they had recorded the subject as another which I was qualified/registered to teach. It's probably not popular to say but the TC was very efficient and helpful in expediting this registration.

rainbowtrout

When I was registering another subject it was done within the week too.

What subject did you do in the diploma in arts?

ahahah

Thanks for all the info on this guys. Im considering the year in Maynooth if I can decide that travelling from Dublin wont be too tough,.