The way forward for LC2021

Treppen

spurious wrote: »

If there is a chance of silly 'predicted' grades in LC again, everyone's mocks have to be run at the same time, or those that hear what was on the paper are at a real advantage.

No hope of standardisation anyway. Especially with DEB gone, examcraft.... well let's just say there will be many teachers making out their own mocks with various things to focus on, and varying levels of difficulty. And we know this time that predicted grades are always on the table, no matter what any minister says.

I suspect the Dept. won't get involved in the area of mocks as that's a definite "local arrangement". Some schools don't even run mocks. Once Norma mentiones mocks the cat is out of the bag with predicted grades.

Wombatman

Treppen wrote: »

No hope of standardisation anyway. Especially with DEB gone, examcraft.... well let's just say there will be many teachers making out their own mocks with various things to focus on, and varying levels of difficulty. And we know this time that predicted grades are always on the table, no matter what any minister says.

I suspect the Dept. won't get involved in the area of mocks as that's a definite "local arrangement". Some schools don't even run mocks. Once Norma mentiones mocks the cat is out of the bag with predicted grades.

If some student's mocks are cancelled then the game is up. Mocks essential to exam prep surely? Students will break Twitter.

Smacruairi

If there's no leaving cert, then mocks almost become the de facto leaving. Which means schools would be stupid to try and run them unless they want a whole heap of trouble. You'd have students appealing their mock results like!

History Queen

Wombatman wrote: »

If some student's mocks are cancelled then the game is up. Mocks essential to exam prep surely? Students will break Twitter.

Some schools don't run mocks at all. They aren't a requirement though I appreciate that they are the norm.

Treppen

Wombatman wrote: »

If some student's mocks are cancelled then the game is up. Mocks essential to exam prep surely? Students will break Twitter.

We're aiming to hold them a week after whenever we go back, students are aware of this so it's game on for Leaving Cert prep too... whenever that it :pac:
Interestingly none of them are writing to newspapers or ranting on twitter like last year's crowd.

Bobtheman

Are LC coming back soon?

Rosita

Minister Foley will have a meltdown on hearing this (perhaps just as well they have so many contingency plans organised!;). It's an awful shame that only a non-politician can speak with this candour.

Transmission levels too high for schools to reopen - Henry

Transmission levels of Covid-19 remain "frankly far too high" for schools to reopen, the HSE's Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry has said.

Speaking on RTɒs Morning Ireland, he said it is tragic to be talking about school closures again and no one wants to see it protracted because of what children experienced during the first lockdown.

However, he said, transmission levels are currently ten times what they were in early December.

He said this needs to reduce to a much lower level "before we can add to additional risk by the mixing of crowds at school settings".

Dr Henry said he hopes there are elements of education that can be looked at more closely, particularly children with additional needs who are much more vulnerable to school closures and "our hope is there would be priority given to certain elements of the education sector".

He said Ireland remains in a "precarious position" and while there is some positive news with falling levels of disease in the community, there are still "extraordinary levels" of infection.

He said to put that in perspective the average number of cases in the community over the past five days is over 2,500 per day.

"Those cases have yet to become sick, some will require hospitalisation, some unfortunately will require intensive care and some unfortunately will die", he said.

km79

http://twitter.com/Education_Ire/status/1352622159978500102


A big pile of nothing there
No update

micks_address

Rosita wrote: »

Minister Foley will have a meltdown on hearing this (perhaps just as well they have so many contingency plans organised!;). It's an awful shame that only a non-politician can speak with this candour.

Transmission levels too high for schools to reopen - Henry

Transmission levels of Covid-19 remain "frankly far too high" for schools to reopen, the HSE's Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry has said.

Speaking on RTɒs Morning Ireland, he said it is tragic to be talking about school closures again and no one wants to see it protracted because of what children experienced during the first lockdown.

However, he said, transmission levels are currently ten times what they were in early December.

He said this needs to reduce to a much lower level "before we can add to additional risk by the mixing of crowds at school settings".

Dr Henry said he hopes there are elements of education that can be looked at more closely, particularly children with additional needs who are much more vulnerable to school closures and "our hope is there would be priority given to certain elements of the education sector".

He said Ireland remains in a "precarious position" and while there is some positive news with falling levels of disease in the community, there are still "extraordinary levels" of infection.

He said to put that in perspective the average number of cases in the community over the past five days is over 2,500 per day.

"Those cases have yet to become sick, some will require hospitalisation, some unfortunately will require intensive care and some unfortunately will die", he said.

seems highly likely post primary and primary non special needs will stay at home for month of feb. I'd imagine special needs in primary will return feb 1st.

French Toast

I foresee the announcement that second level students will be brought back February 22nd, the Monday after the midterm break.

High chance of a lot of posturing and aspirational hot air from the DES in the meantime, but that'll be the ultimate outcome.

rainbowtrout

French Toast wrote: »

I foresee the announcement that second level students will be brought back February 22nd, the Monday after the midterm break.

High chance of a lot of posturing and aspirational hot air from the DES in the meantime, but that'll be the ultimate outcome.

Norma will be seething with rage.

mirrorwall14

I don’t know that she will be able to stop the row she has already caused to be honest. From what I hear negotiations are not ideal

mirrorwall14

km79 wrote: »

http://twitter.com/Education_Ire/status/1352622159978500102


A big pile of nothing there
No update

I cannot understand why they don’t just publish some bloody contingency plans and what would cause them to be implemented. This information vacuum is madness

Bobtheman

Ok
I'm. Confused. Not hard you say.
Has Nphet said it's OK to open schools for either special needs or LC? Specifically

maynooth_rules

spurious wrote: »

If there is a chance of silly 'predicted' grades in LC again, everyone's mocks have to be run at the same time, or those that hear what was on the paper are at a real advantage.

I know Examcraft have asked that if exams cant start the first week in febuary, that schools hold off until after the mid term break to begin mocks. Doubt it matters, they are always up on twitter within minutes. Hard to stop unless you have a country wide timetable which will never happen

French Toast

Am I reading the situation wrong or is it possible that despite having much more time to prepare themselves this time around the DES have somehow managed to make this year's Leaving Cert an even bigger shít sandwich than last years?

Str8outtaWuhan

Interesting position the unions are in. The longer the schools close the more likely that the predicted grade bandwagon gains speed or that the LC runs in July August. ISSU fed surveys to the advisory group recently where the massive majority wanted choice but interestingly very few on the students wanted the LC moved from june to july/august lol.

I'd love to know if teachers here think of having to set exams from now to end of year knowing that there is a chance they might count . How much unconscious bias is there towards students?

Treppen

Str8outtaWuhan wrote: »

Interesting position the unions are in. The longer the schools close the more likely that the predicted grade bandwagon gains speed or that the LC runs in July August. ISSU fed surveys to the advisory group recently where the massive majority wanted choice but interestingly very few on the students wanted the LC moved from june to july/august lol.

I'd love to know if teachers here think of having to set exams from now to end of year knowing that there is a chance they might count . How much unconscious bias is there towards students?

From September our students have been assuming every exam would count towards predicted grades.

DES/SEC should start recruiting volunteers for July or August... Not just for the usual June. I'd volunteer to mark or invigilate.

am_zarathustra

Str8outtaWuhan wrote: »

Interesting position the unions are in. The longer the schools close the more likely that the predicted grade bandwagon gains speed or that the LC runs in July August. ISSU fed surveys to the advisory group recently where the massive majority wanted choice but interestingly very few on the students wanted the LC moved from june to july/august lol.

I'd love to know if teachers here think of having to set exams from now to end of year knowing that there is a chance they might count . How much unconscious bias is there towards students?

The ascertainment bias in asking students if they want to sit a bunch of long, hard exams is staggering. If you ask any group of people if they'd like to sit an exam I'd hazard most would say no.

Unconscious bias is a very real effect. They predict grades every year in the A levels for college placement. Way fewer subjects and only 16% of predicted points are correct. And they have exams at the end of 5th years set by exam boards to go off. You can try your best as a teacher but it's hard to separate some students from others and the random changes to grades by the Department were mental, I couldn't make rhyme or reason of them

Wombatman

In terms of schools reopening, Martin warned that schools may remain closed until St Patrick’s Day. “The full million (students) won’t be back” by this date, he said.

He said discussions with the Department of Education and unions are ongoing, and that children with additional needs remain the priority.

He said “a range of options” will be looked at in terms of Leaving Cert exams, adding that an update is expected in the coming weeks.

https://www.thejournal.ie/covid-19-lockdown-ireland-2-5333549-Jan2021/


A range of options eh? Coming weeks could mean 2 or 8.

Rosita

Funny how St Patrick's Day (a Wednesday) is mentioned so often as a date of significance.

In reality it's just seven school days from Easter break. If we get to that stage then the entire year and its assessments are up for grabs.

And the Taoiseach has just unleashed the "clarity" people so they'd better have some semblance of a plan ready.

rainbowtrout

Rosita wrote: »

Funny how St Patrick's Day (a Wednesday) is mentioned so often as a date of significance.

In reality it's just seven school days from Easter break. If we get to that stage then the entire year and its assessments are up for grabs.

And the Taoiseach has just unleashed the "clarity" people so they'd better have some semblance of a plan ready.

Unfortunately there will be people eyeing it up as a day to go on the piss. And bam back into L5 lockdown.

More to the point, I wonder did Norma learn from the radio this morning that this is what she is doing next week?:D

Rosita

My assumption is that we'll still be in Level 5 on St Patrick's Day. Won't stop people going on the piss mind.

micks_address

I think by end of feb there be decisions around leaving cert. growing talk that we in pretty severe lockdowns till summer. It’s already not going to be the same leaving cert with adjusted papers and i can’t see any chance of a normal sitting happening this year. 13 people died beside us in a nursing home from an outbreak. Leaving cert importance comes into sharp perspective versus life

Rosita

My daughter watched, in inconsolable disbelief, her 40 year old teacher's funeral on webcam last week so yeah it's serious and local.

History Queen

Rosita wrote: »

My daughter watched, in inconsolable disbelief, her 40 year old teacher's funeral on webcam last week so yeah it's serious and local.

Your poor daughter. And that teacher and his family. RIP

Rosita

French Toast wrote: »

Am I reading the situation wrong or is it possible that despite having much more time to prepare themselves this time around the DES have somehow managed to make this year's Leaving Cert an even bigger shít sandwich than last years?

You're not wrong. This looks like a toasted triple decker with a side order of chips.

am_zarathustra

Rosita wrote: »

My daughter watched, in inconsolable disbelief, her 40 year old teacher's funeral on webcam last week so yeah it's serious and local.

God, that's so awful.

mirrorwall14

Rosita wrote: »

My daughter watched, in inconsolable disbelief, her 40 year old teacher's funeral on webcam last week so yeah it's serious and local.

Oh my I’m so sorry. That’s just awful

km79

https://twitter.com/MichealLehane/status/1353020081341689857?s=08