Swot up on the best education websites
Science
Leaving Cert physics, biology and applied maths, along with notes for Junior Cert physics, chemistry and biology. Run by an award-winning physics teacher, Noel Cunningham of King’s Hospital School, Palmerstown, Co Dublin. His site has been running for more than 10 years.
He uses Facebook and other internet resources in his teaching. Teachers interested in sharing ideas can join discussion groups, the links to which are on the site. Noel is on Twitter @physicsteacher. His blog is at thinkforyourself.ie.
An excellent science website run by Humphrey Jones and Jeremy Stone, science teachers at St Columba’s College. The blog is frequently updated. Humphrey Jones is on Twitter, @humphreyjones.
Biology
A strong site, full of notes and diagrams, but there is no information about who runs it. Excellent resource, though.
Geography
Excellent site developed by Val Redmond of Presentation Secondary School in Wexford. Redmond is keen to share notes and resources with other teachers and classes around the country. There’s an option to swap PowerPoint presentations on the site.
French
This site has a fair amount of content that is free and available to download. Packages are also available for purchase that include worked sample questions complete with translations, vocabulary and explanations of constructions used.
Run by an Ireland-based French teacher, Julian Porzadny, this blog is aimed at his own students, but the resources and links would be useful to anyone studying the language.
History
Run by Dominic Haugh, a history teacher at St Patrick’s Comprehensive School in Shannon, Co Clare. The site has well over 50,000 hits to date.
General
Best one-stop shop for revision notes in a variety of subjects includes revision notes, sample questions and exam tips. Subjects include English, Irish, French, geography, home economics and biology. Notes are free.
10 to follow on Twitter
@annelooney
Anne Looney, chief executive of the NCCA, is an eclectic tweeter. You’ll get comments and retweets on education, culture and even the odd funny Youtube clip recommendation. Sample tweet: “Probably leaves our points race in the shade! Jail for Chinese man who rang exam bell too early – RTÉ News”
@levdavidovic
Fintan O’Mahony, a teacher of English and history at Scoil Mhuire in Co Tipperary, is a trailblazer in the use of social media in the classroom. He is engaged with education and wider issues. He is unafraid to voice his opinion on Twitter and in his blog, levdavidovic.wordpress.com. Sample tweet: “Teaching is a job everyone thinks they can do, guards, judges, politicians [are the] same.”
@toruairc
Not many people know that Tomás Ó Ruairc, the director of the Teaching Council, is on Twitter. Sample tweet: “Somewhat counterintuitively, the more trusting people that actually emerge as less gullible.” (Retweeting @brainpicker)
@aoibhinn_ni_s
Former Rose of Tralee, teacher, Project Maths ambassador and physics nut Aoibhinn Ní Shuilleabháin also manages to squeeze in a bit of broadcasting and PhD research. Not busy at all, then. Her tweets are lively and peppered with bits and pieces relating to science and education. Lots of interesting vignettes, such as TED Talk recommendations, and you’ll be sure to get a heads-up on any interesting science events happening around the place. Sample tweet: “I shouldn’t be so excited that myself and the new Q from 007 have the same cup but I am.”
