Reading Association of Ireland Conference 2011

 

Congratulations to Karen Stanley, MEd (St Patrick's College), pictured above with Dr Eithne Kennedy (St Patrick's College) who received the Reading Association of Ireland (RAI) Outstanding Thesis on Literacy Award at the RAI conference on October 3, 2011. Karen, a former student of the college, studied for her MEd degree with the Digital Learning team at St Patrick’s College, completing in June 2011.

Karen’s research sought to develop a better understanding of the development of oral language skills in a DEIS infant school setting and investigate whether the use of digital tools could support this development within a constructivist learning environment.

The other two honoured finalists were Caroline Cullen, St Patrick’s College for her thesis entitled: Case Study Investigating Reader Response in an Electronic Reading Workshop and Shirley Heaney, University College Galway for her thesis entitled:  The effects of Computerised  Assisted Instruction ® on the reading ability of  four children from the Irish Traveller community using the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-III).

The conference launched with an opening address by Dermot Bolger, author, poet and playwright. This was followed by the presentation of the biennial RAI children’s book awards.

Dr Bernadette Dwyer presented a keynote address entitled, Meeting the challenges of 21st century literacies: Equity and excellence for all students. In her address Bernadette explored the changes, challenges and consequences of a new literacies framework for the development of classroom curriculum, classroom pedagogies and creating deep learning opportunities within a 21st century classroom. She is pictured with Professor P. David Pearson who argued within his keynote address that the ways we conceptualize, teach, and assess reading comprehension are changing and will continue to change as a function of the constraints and affordances that come with the new emphasis on understanding how reading works within the discourse and argumentation structures of the disciplines. His keynote address was entitled The Future of Reading Comprehension: The Impact of Disciplinary Perspectives.

A range of national and international papers and workshops were delivered across the 3 day conference. Papers delivered by lecturers in St Patrick’s college included:

Ms Tish Balfe: Improving Deaf Children’s Literacy Skills

Dr Eithne Kennedy: Write to Read: A Balanced Literacy Framework in Action

Dr Therese McPhillips, Multiple Pathways to Literacy Support: Examining Theory and Practice

Dr Pádraig Ó Duibhir, Teagasc Éifeachtach Teanga: Sintéis ar an bhFianaise is Fearr / Effective Language Teaching: A Best-Evidence Synthesis

Dr Gerry Shiel, Educational Research Centre, St. Patrick’s College: Assessment of Early Literacy Skills

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Updated: Thursday October 13 2011