On October 3rd, CESI took part in the Teaching Council’s Féilte, with colleagues from all over the country. We had a stand, no 43, and it was great to speak with friends old and new who visited. We especially took pride in a new addition to Féilte, a Researchmeet, which took place in a special area called Rang Bianca. It had been an idea proposed by our own late Bianca Ní Ghrógáin, earlier in the year. A group of current education researchers, and those intending to research, outlined their ideas to those gathered in a lovely part of the RDS Library. Then each researcher was afforded a space in which to discuss their progress with others more experienced. This was a great addition to Féilte, and along with the launch of the Molfeasa strand of the Council’s work, one which will no doubt evolve. Those interested can follow #molfeasa on Twitter, and on the Teaching Council website. The Researchmeet was a moving and insightful way to include Bianca in this year’s Féilte, and we in CESI thank the Teaching Council, and the director Tomás Ó Ruairc in particular, for this mark of respect.
Miriam Judge talks about @bnighrogain as researcher #féilte pic.twitter.com/zUxlfoT8zO
— seamie (@seaoneill) October 3, 2015
The exhibition hall was lively, and the Keynote speakers – adventurer and researcher Mark Pollock, and psychologist and wise woman Maureen Gaffney – were both motivating in their words as they discussed the challenges we all meet as educators and as humans. There was a vibrant Teachmeet in the Library for the afternoon, ably curated and hosted by Ciara Brennan, running concurrently with a variety of workshops and panel debates. It was great to see our young friends from the youth Media Team out in force again. Two Irish choirs, Cór na nÓg and CÓRus, opened and closed the day for us.
The flavour of the day can be followed at https://twitter.com/hashtag/feilte and https://twitter.com/hashtag/tmfeilte and pictures and videos from the day will be available at the Teaching Council website.