Government flip flops / school closures

Warbeastrior

Bananaleaf wrote:

I've no 6th years, so does that mean I won't be in at all? Hardly seems fair to do it that way.

Would that not be very disruptive to a teacher. Having to alter between working from school and home. I know someone who travels 90 minutes to work.

Bananaleaf

Warbeastrior wrote: »

Would that not be very disruptive to a teacher. Having to alter between working from school and home. I know someone who travels 90 minutes to work.

I don't know what you mean. I would assume nobody would be alternating between school and home, but maybe I don't understand your point.

Edit - I think I get what you are saying. I'd imagine a teacher should be off-site, unless they need to be in the building. They will need to be in the building if they have exam classes to teach. While they are there, they may as well do their online teaching on site because it would be too disruptive to expect them to go home to do the online bit.

Teachers like myself, who happen to have no 3rds or 6ths (for the first time ever I might add) wouldn't have to be on site any day if that is the case. It doesn't really seem fair if some of us get to stay at home if most others don't, but neither does it make sense for those of us who don't need to be there to be brought in 'just because'

Alex86Eire

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

We tried in so far as home childcare/sickness/tech ability arrangements worked. We are a 1:1 school. Students overwhelming voted against doing it again. They found it totally overwhelming

Thanks Mirrorwall. We aren't a 1:1 school so not sure how they expect it to work. Hopefully we'll be given a bit more freedom.

Warbeastrior

Bananaleaf wrote:

I don't know what you mean. I would assume nobody would be alternating between school and home, but maybe I don't understand your point.

I mean like if someone has to travel to the school to teach leaving certs then go home to focus on the other years. Could they stay in the school for the day and teach the rest remotely?

Bananaleaf

Warbeastrior wrote: »

I mean like if someone has to travel to the school to teach leaving certs then go home to focus on the other years. Could they stay in the school for the day and teach the rest remotely?

yep, sorry, I edited the post above. Yeah they would definitely be allowed to stay on site if needed.

Alex86Eire

Just to mention that Loom is different to some of the other screen recorders in that you don't need to download the file and upload it to somewhere else like Google Classroom. You record your video and are given a link. You just post that link to your Google Classroom/Teams page and your students can watch the video at their leisure. It may suit people who don't have the best internet speeds.

There are issues with its privacy policy I think though. Some schools are not happy with it being used on a school device as it has access to certain things. I can't remember the specifics I'm afraid.

Bananaleaf

Alex86Eire wrote: »

Just to mention that Loom is different to some of the other screen recorders in that you don't need to download the file and upload it to somewhere else like Google Classroom. You record your video and are given a link. You just post that link to your Google Classroom/Teams page and your students can watch the video at their leisure. It may suit people who don't have the best internet speeds.

There are issues with its privacy policy I think though. Some schools are not happy with it being used on a school device as it has access to certain things. I can't remember the specifics I'm afraid.

But it should be okay (in terms of privacy) if I am just using it and sending a video for students to watch, would that be right?

Alex86Eire

Bananaleaf wrote: »

But it should be okay (in terms of privacy) if I am just using it and sending a video for students to watch, would that be right?

No the privacy issues are in you using it at all. Now our school also had issues with privacy and Zoom so other schools are much more relaxed.

I just went to re-add Loom to Chrome to see if I could learn more about the issues. It says..

Add "Loom for Chrome?"

It can:

Read and change all your data on the websites you visit
Display notifications
Capture content of your screen.

km79

Warbeastrior wrote: »

I mean like if someone has to travel to the school to teach leaving certs then go home to focus on the other years. Could they stay in the school for the day and teach the rest remotely?

I assume they meant adjusting practical dates , exam content further
It would make no sense otherwise
You would have one of the most affected age groups in schools along with all teachers
I don’t see it happening but who knows what they will come up with !

Bananaleaf

Alex86Eire wrote: »

No the privacy issues are in you using it at all. Now our school also had issues with privacy and Zoom so other schools are much more relaxed.

I just went to re-add Loom to Chrome to see if I could learn more about the issues. It says..

Add "Loom for Chrome?"

It can:

Read and change all your data on the websites you visit
Display notifications
Capture content of your screen.

Oh. Wow. Okay. Can it do those things even when I don't have it running? I'm so sorry, some of these questions are probably embarrassingly stupid

km79

km79 wrote: »

I assume they meant adjusting practical dates , exam content further
It would make no sense otherwise
You would have one of the most affected age groups in schools along with all teachers
I don’t see it happening but who knows what they will come up with !

Also
I assume school buses won’t be running

wirelessdude01

km79 wrote: »

Also
I assume school buses won’t be running

If the reports are correct and exam classes are in then transport will have to be provided to those that normally avail of it.

km79

http://twitter.com/newschambers/status/1346588259581878275

Leftwaffe

Hearing a lot of talk about exam classes coming in.

km79

Redordeadqwwer wrote: »

Hearing a lot of talk about exam classes coming in.

That will be half a lot of schools population when staff and snas are taken into account
Congregations at lunch time
Bus journeys in and out
Pure populist decision if true
Jesus show some leadership !

Those classes will need sub cover too with the likely huge amount of absenteeism
Teachers without those classes will also be expected to do their supervision slots at break tiles if students are in ........


Also I predict a lot will stay out and the airwaves will be full of parents calling for simultaneous online teaching for those that do

Rosita

Redordeadqwwer wrote: »

Hearing a lot of talk about exam classes coming in.

So schools are not closing then? Just some groups staying at home. Have you a source for that story?

Leftwaffe

Rosita wrote: »

So schools are not closing then? Just some groups staying at home. Have you a source for that story?

I actually don’t. Twitter and another thread in here are talking about it. Think it was mentioned on RTE as well. It would be an idiotic move tbh. No school closure at all and a clusterf*ck for teachers to manage. Delivering face to face and remote teaching will be a dose altogether.

Rosita

Redordeadqwwer wrote: »

I actually don’t. Twitter and another thread in here are talking about it. Think it was mentioned on RTE as well. It would be an idiotic move tbh. No school closure at all and a clusterf*ck for teachers to manage. Delivering face to face and remote teaching will be a dose altogether.

This was in the Independent and relates to what was said on RTÉ.

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/government-absolutely-committed-to-hold-traditional-leaving-cert-this-year-minister-of-state-niall-collins-says-39936782.html

The only thing is that you hear a lot of stuff said in here and elsewhere as fact when it's not. Everytime there's a hiccup you'll read someone on the Internet saying we'll be in during Easter etc. Hasn't happened yet.

But this would be a monumental about-turn from what the Taoiseach said in interviews today so a proper source should be looked for.

km79

The Cabinet sub-committee on Covid-19 met today, and their proposals also include that special schools will remain open.

If there are units of pupils with special needs within a mainstream school, these pupils will be able to attend classes.

However, if for example there is one child with special needs in a mainstream classroom, there is unlikely to be a provision to keep that child in school while the rest of the school remains closed.

Minister for Education Norma Foley will be asked to consider ways to cater for Leaving Cert students.

From Rte
People jumping to conclusions based on last paragraph
However any teacher who has any period with special classes will have to teach those classes in person and the rest remote

alroley

Does this mean resource classes in second-level mainstream will be in school?

edit - sorry I think I misunderstood a previous post.

Smacruairi

If we just wait 12 hours we will know from the official source to be fair.

km79

alroley wrote: »

Does this mean resource classes in second-level mainstream will be in school?

Don’t think so as the rest of the year group would be at home
It means specifically if there is a dedicated special class/unit within the school

Rosita

Just read back the last few pages and it is remarkable he traction the thing about Sixth Years (or is it Sixth Years and Third years?) coming into school has gotten.

km79

Irish examiner
“ However, Education Minister Norma Foley hopes to keep the country's 124 special education schools and 1,836 special classes in mainstream schools open.

She was still working on the finer details of this on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday's crunch Cabinet meeting.

It is understood that allowing Leaving Cert students to attend school was considered but this was dismissed as it would mean around 60,000 pupils would still be mixing.”

It seems it was suggested alright

wirelessdude01

Wonder was the plan to have the children of key and essential workers attend primary school scrapped?

Seems to have disappeared totally from all the speculation.

am_zarathustra

km79 wrote: »

Irish examiner
“ However, Education Minister Norma Foley hopes to keep the country's 124 special education schools and 1,836 special classes in mainstream schools open.

She was still working on the finer details of this on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday's crunch Cabinet meeting.

It is understood that allowing Leaving Cert students to attend school was considered but this was dismissed as it would mean around 60,000 pupils would still be mixing.”

It seems it was suggested alright

Great, figured it was counter intuitive but you never know with the DOE

km79

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Wonder was the plan to have the children of key and essential workers attend primary school scrapped?

Seems to have disappeared totally from all the speculation.

It was completely unworkable
So I’m suprised it has

The Wordress

As a special class teacher, I don't know how I feel about having to attend school full time. I have 6 children and 2 adults in the room with me in a relatively small classroom

I am in contact with a huge amount of people within our special needs area over the course of the day- other special class teachers, SNAs, bus escorts etc.

I also did my upmost during the March lockdown to support my children and sent work packs home on a regular basis. I got positive feedback from my parents that their children were coping well at home.

I have my own children at home and I will have no childcare for them if they can't attend their mainstream and preschool classes.

I feel like I am in a pickle now and I was prepared to go work online and send supplementary work home to cater for my children's academic needs.

The more I type the more I feel like I could cry to be put into this situation on a (fingers crossed) short term basis.

km79

The Wordress wrote: »

As a special class teacher, I don't know how I feel about having to attend school full time. I have 6 children and 2 adults in the room with me in a relatively small classroom

I am in contact with a huge amount of people within our special needs area over the course of the day- other special class teachers, SNAs, bus escorts etc.

I also did my upmost during the March lockdown to support my children and sent work packs home on a regular basis. I got positive feedback from my parents that their children were coping well at home.

I have my own children at home and I will have no childcare for them if they can't attend their mainstream and preschool classes.

I feel like I am in a pickle now and I was prepared to go work online and send supplementary work home to cater for my children's academic needs.

The more I type the more I feel like I could cry to be put into this situation on a (fingers crossed) short term basis.

I would also guess that some parents won’t send their children in
I know some will but an equal amount may not

Smacruairi

I just hope that if people are disappointed and dissatisfied with the plan tomorrow, its lack of clarity, its openness to interpretation, if it doesnt go far enough, that you encourage everyone, parents, students and your BOM. to formally write to your TD and local councillors to express that point.

It's not good enough bitching on twitter, unless they see real emails coming in that affect their vote, they won't change. Parents have massive power, get them on to your representatives because they sure as hell don't listen to us or unions.

Also I'm banned from the covid forum so someone will have to express the same for me there, lol.