Research Practice
Throughout my journey of The Professional Master of Education in Art and Design with Digital Media I have been able to engage in various assignments that have led to the investigation of pedagogical approaches and strategies that can be applied in the art and design classroom. This is evident in the Research Project undertaken during my second placement where students in 5th Year were exposed to strategies evident in inquiry-based learning to find whether and how this effected their development of critical thinking skills and their ability to express their creativity. Differentiation strategies in teaching and learning were also implemented during my first placement while undertaking a Special Educational Needs (SEN) Case Study to accommodate this student’s particular needs. I was able to examine the new Junior Cycle Framework in detail by planning units of learning based on the values and skills students should develop during their first three years in post-primary education. While taking part in a group project I was also able to help develop a new short course which can be integrated into the Junior Cycle to help further some of the key skills emphasised by the new Specifications for Junior Cycle.
Research Project
Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) methods are said to promote students use of higher order thinking, critical thinking as well as reflective thinking. This research project explores whether and how specific methods grounded in IBL pedagogy can impact on the development of second-level students critical thinking and creative capacities within the context of Art and Design Education in Ireland.
SEN Case Study
Within this SEN Case Study I was asked to identify a student with special educational needs, liaise with staff supports, as well as research and build evidence-based reference material through the use of Brookfield's model that identifies four lenses: self, colleagues, student, and theory to help build this case study and contextualise the students individual situation which in turn helped me to differentiate as required for this student's specific needs.
