Are you looking for ways to help bring science to life for your students? Or ways to help them explore maths using their own natural curiosity? Why not consider taking part in the Discover Primary Science and Maths (DPSM) programme, run nationwide by Science Foundation Ireland. Through both teacher training opportunities and the Science Foundation Ireland Discover Science and Maths Award, DPSM has been running for 12 years helping thousands of schools to foster an interest in science and maths amongst children. Since 2010 this broadened further to work with the European Space Education Resource Office (ESERO) which allowed us to use space to inspire our next generation of innovators.

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Since 2009, over 6,000 primary teachers have availed of in-school CPD in over 500 schools. This coming year could be your opportunity to avail of CPD if you have not received a DPSM workshop since 2013/14.

The CPD will be open to 100 schools in the 2016/17 school year and will help those schools to:

• Operate a whole school approach to engaging with science and maths.
• Grow a love of investigation amongst children by assisting teachers to apply the DPSM/ESERO framework of inquiry based science teaching and learning.
• Make science teaching easier by using the DPSM Classroom Activities Planning Guide and DPSM/ESERO framework of inquiry to deliver the science curriculum in a cross curricular manner.
• Understand the relevance of and be able to use space as a cross curricular theme in their planning and teaching

What do you need to do?

To avail of this free service we are inviting your school to commit to this development programme for the school year, which will consist of the following:

• Host a 2 hour CPD workshop for the whole staff in each school term (i.e. three x two hour workshops). There must be a minimum of 10 teachers participating. This criterion can be met by partnering with another school(s)
• Teachers should be prepared to apply what they are learning from each session and report back at subsequent CPD workshops.
• The school must participate in the Awards of Science & Maths Excellence to see how they can apply the learning. See www.primaryscience.ie/awards
• Teachers will be asked to provide feedback and may be asked to participate in focus groups as part of our ongoing evaluation process.
• The school should commit to achieving the overall objectives of the programme above.

Don’t miss your chance! Registration to avail of this CPD will  open in September 2016. See http://primaryscience.ie/registerforcpd2016_intro.php for more details

Please do not register unless you can meet the commitments above (including the requirement of minimum of 10 attendees for each of the three x two hour workshops. Places will be allocated on first come first served basis based on those schools who can commit to the requirements.

Resources and Support available at the CPD Sessions
› Hands-on school based workshops (three x two hours which are done as part of your planning day or your Croke Park hours).
› CPD and support for effective and engaging teaching of science.
› Explanations of how DPSM activities link to the curriculum and skills.
› A network of Discover Primary Science and Maths Centres offering approved science and maths tours to schools.
› Dedicated websites www.primaryscience.ie and www.esero.ie which introduce new activities.