AFTER 25 YEARS watching St Patrick's Day unfold in Ireland, I believe I have a refined perspective of what makes a Paddy's Day Parade authentic. It depends upon the place where the parade unfolds.
Continue reading "25 Years of Paddy's Day in Ireland #stpatricksday" »
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ONE OF THE MOST ENDEARING memories I have on my third level campus came through the eyes of my 6yo son (in the photo) who remembers fondly how he won a rocket race during a Maker Meet. Today, Chris Reina from MakerMeet.ie visits the Clonmel Digital Campus to share how he has evolved his making and sharing from evening events into day-long classroom activities.
Continue reading "Welcoming Chris Reina to Clonmel Digital Campus" »
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THE BEST UNCONFERENCE in Ireland offers first-hand proof that small huddles of people who use social venues engender meaningful conversations. This happens every year in the little village of Cong, County Mayo, Ireland.
Rather than predictable SlideShare presentations from a well-lighted podium, the congregation offers a structured schedule that avoids the chaos found in conferences organised around Post-its on whiteboards. But for people like me who enjoy flexibility, every meet-up I attend in Cong rewards me with lots of flexibility. I meet experts in huddles, on the street, and in pub conversation throughout the weekend. The entire experience recharges me.
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IT HAS TAKEN me more than 50 years to catch the Christmas spirit, engage, and joyfully release its energy. That's because as I was growing up, the family business worked exceptionally long and hard through the entire Christmas season, starting with Thanksgiving Week and ending with the Epiphany. I reckon I lost a lot of joy through that experience.
In 2018, something reset my view of Christmas. I think my personal mental adjustment happened partly because seven year old Dylan is visited every night by two elves and he recounts their clever adventures for us every morning. And some of the joy came back during the annual John Lewis advertisement, this time orchestrated with Elton John.
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ALTHOUGH I READ the acclamation voiced on Twitter and Facebook, it took me a day to realise the impact of several very special moments I witnessed first hand while standing in a media scrum set up by Ireland's Youth Media Team when interviewing President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabina. It all happened within the space of 10 minutes at the start of Feilte 2018, the annual conference of the Teaching Council of Ireland.
Continue reading "Learning from President Higgins and @ymtfm" »
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EVERY FALL, I mark the start of another academic year by listening to peers explain a wide range of topics I can immediately use as a creative media lecturer. The presentations, workshops, and networking happen in Feilte 2018, a major initiative of the Teaching Council of Ireland.
Continue reading "Spending a weekend immersed in education #feilte" »
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THIRTY YEARS AGO, I stood in the centre of a patch of ground that was burned black from the wreckage of three aircraft. I will never forget what happened.
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ONE OF THE MOST PLEASANT memories I have of working in County Tipperary is of my daughter and son enjoying the 2016 Maker Meet on the campus of LIT-Thurles. They wish they could attend the 2018 version on Friday the 27th of April, but they're headed to a First Communion in another county and might not be able to change course.
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I WATCHED THE MOST nail-biting final in Irish Robocode history unfold in the Thurles Thunderdome on the LIT-Thurles campus and at the end of a captivating nine-minute round, Robo Panda from the Dundalk Institute of Technology took the trophy from a very aggressive and cleverly programmed Feels Tank Man from ITC Carlow. You can listen to the final round commentary below.
Continue reading "The Most Nail-Biting Robocode Final in Ireland" »
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I'M AT CESICON, learning and sharing alongside several hundred Irish educators. My little workshop involves using handheld tools to create and measure engagement through audio.
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