STEM project involving four Laois schools was a big hit with the kids
Some of the pupils from the four schools in Laois that took part in the challenge project
LAOIS Education Support Centre along with four schools in the county have formed a Creative Cluster to design, create, implement and share a two-year project with a focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Tobar an Léinn National School, Raheen, Scoil Fionntáin Naofa, Shanahoe, St Fintan’s Boys NS, Mountrath and Castletown Primary School took part in the project entitled ‘IZAK9 to Develop Playful and Meaningful Approaches to Undertaking Cognitively Challenging Tasks’.
The main thrust of the project centres around pupils in fifth and sixth classes in the four schools, using the IZAK9 cubes resource to design their own cognitively challenging tasks for pupils in the younger classes. As well as designing the tasks, the older pupils worked with groups of pupils from the younger classes in their own schools to familiarise them with the IZAK9 Cubes.
Teachers involved in the Creative Cluster from the four schools included Niamh Campion (principal) and Rose Breen from Tobar an Léinn, Barry Whelan (principal) from Scoil Fionntáin Naofa, Shanahoe, Edel Parkinson (principal) and Roberta Connolly from St Fintan’s Boys NS and Fiona Cuddy (deputy principal) and Anna Hayes from Castletown Primary School.
The teachers met on various occasions throughout the year to plan and work to progress the main aims of the project and were supported by creative facilitator Frances Harney, director of Laois Education Support Centre Catherine Doolan and Yvonne Nolan, who works on the administrative team at the centre.
Part of the work of the Creative Cluster was the ‘Transition to post-primary’ project organised in conjunction with Mountrath CS and supported by principal Kathryn O’Brien and maths teacher Evelyn Geary.
The four schools came together for a large-scale Cubeathon event in Mountrath Community School, which was facilitated by the creator of the IZAK9 Cubes resource Franz Schindlwein, who had travelled from Derry for the event.
Given the success of the transition project, the four primary schools and Mountrath CS intend to make it an annual event.
