**SOLD OUT – WAITLIST CLOSED**
The 2019 BSTAI Annual Conference will take place on Saturday 19th October in Sheraton Athlone Hotel. Tickets will go on sale on Monday 16th September at 6pm.
We are delighted to announce our programme for the day.
Conference Programme
08.30 – 09.15: Registration, tea/coffee, networking and opportunity to view sponsors’ stands
09.15 – 10.30: Welcome and opening remarks from the Honorary National President, Margaret McDonnell, followed by a plenary session
Trends Facing Education – The impact of OECD Education Policy on Business Teachers’ Pedagogy and Practice with an emphasis on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) .
This session will explore how teachers can turn the rhetoric into reality through the lens of the business suite of subjects and will be presented by Rachel Farrell, UCD School of Education and Dr. Brian O’Boyle, School of Education, NUIG
10.30 – 11.00: Tea/coffee, networking and opportunity to view sponsors’ stands
11.00 – 12.00: Workshops, Session 1 (see below for details)
12.00 – 13.00: Workshops, Session 2 (see below for details)
13.00 – 14.00: Lunch and opportunity to view sponsors’ stands
14.00 – 15.00: Workshops, Session 3 (see below for details)
15.00 – 15.45: Plenary Session
Good practice in the classroom in both junior and senior cycle with a specific focus on teaching, learning and assessment – Orlaith O’Connor & Will Donnelly, DES Inspectorate
15.45 – 16.00: Conference Evaluation, raffle and closing remarks
Workshops: Teachers can attend up to three workshops
JCT Junior Cycle Business Studies – Key Skills in Action in the Business Studies Classroom
This workshop presentation will explore each of the eight Key Skills of Junior Cycle and consider practical ways in which we can embed these into the everyday practice of our Business Studies students. This workshop will consider practical examples which we can bring to our classrooms in order to facilitate the development of the key skills among Business Studies students.
PDST Digital Technologies – Using the Flipped Classroom approach to support personalised learning
This workshop facilitated by Siobhan O’Sullivan, Business teacher in Malahide Community School and seconded to PDST as an advisor for Digital Technologies for Teaching, Learning and Assessment will introduce teachers to the concept of the flipped classroom, which facilitates additional class time for critical thinking. Participants will be empowered and enabled to use the flipped classroom model to support students’ personalised, self-directed and independent learning. Teachers are asked to bring along a fully charged laptop or tablet to this workshop.
Leaving Certificate Accounting – Improving teaching and learning in the Accounting classroom for all students
This two-part workshop facilitated by Jane Kelly, Accounting teacher in Loreto, St. Stephen’s Green and Jason Ryan Accounting teacher in St. Mary’s Holy Faith, Glasnevin, Dublin) will involve an overview of practical strategies to facilitate students taking responsibility for their own learning for the Leaving Certificate Accounting Classroom followed by a discussion on how to use different teaching strategies to teach Higher and Ordinary Level Accounting students with a vision of creating a sharing platform for Accounting teachers.
Leaving Certificate Accounting – Introduction to Double Entry at Leaving Certificate
Facilitated by Michael Galligan, Accounting teacher in East Glendalough School and creator of http://www.egs.ie/accountancy. This workshop will explore how teachers can use technology to bridge the gap between Junior Cycle Business Studies and Leaving Certificate Accounting. This workshop is suitable for Transition Year Accounting modules or an introduction to Accounting in 5th year. Please bring your own fully charged device (i.e. laptop or tablet) to this session. Please note, a smartphone is not suitable.
Leaving Certificate Business – ABQ Workshop
Facilitated by Padraig Doherty, Business teacher in Moyne Community School, this workshop will explore the Applied Business Question for Units 2, 3 and 4 which are examinable for Leaving Certificate Business 2020.
Leaving Certificate Business – Sharing Resources and Strategies for Leaving Certificate Business
This workshop, facilitated by Rachael Biddulph, Business teacher in Dominican College, Griffith Avenue and Lisa Young, Business teacher in Salerno Girls Secondary School, Galway will provide a space where resources and experiences in the Leaving Certificate Business classroom can be shared. In addition, Rachael will explore how correcting Leaving Certificate Higher Level Business has shaped her practice.
Leaving Certificate Economics – The Unifying Nature of Strand 1
This workshop, facilitated by Cian Sweeney & Shane Kirwan (PDST) and Dr. Brian O’Boyle (NUIG) will examine a contemporary issue (the dynamics of the property rental market) and how the learning outcomes of Strand 1 relate to applied concepts from other strands; reinforcing students’ understanding of the relevant concepts in this context and promoting student inquiry around the issues of sustainability.
Leaving Certificate Economics – Inquiry Based Learning
In this workshop, Marelle Rice, Director of Philosophy Ireland and The Thinker’s Midwife will support participants in exploring an overview of the Pedagogy of Philosophy for Children (P4C) as a tool for inquiry based learning in the new Economics Specification with practical examples aligned to a sample of the Learning Outcomes.
Gnó as Gaeilge: Ag tacú le múinteoirí gnó i scoileanna lán
Gaeilge, Padraig Ó Beaglaoich, COGG
Tickets for the conference will go on sale on Monday 16th September at 6pm. A pre-conference dinner will take place on Friday 18th November in the Sheraton Athlone Hotel. It will be an ideal opportunity to meet fellow business teachers from around the country. Tickets for both the conference only are €30 while tickets for the pre-conference dinner and conference €50. Click here to access Eventbrite and book.
You will not be able to purchase tickets before 6pm on Monday 16th September.
If you are unable to attend the conference, please follow on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #BSTAIcon
Accommodation:
BSTAI has negotiated a preferential rate for conference attendees of €80 per person sharing B&B and €130 per single room B&B. There is limited availability at this rate and attendees are advised to book early on (0906)451060 and quote BSTAI Conference to get this rate.
Parking:
For anyone staying overnight in the hotel, parking will be validated on checkout.
If you are attending the conference on Saturday only, we have negotiated a special reduced parking rate of €3 for the full day. Please note, to avail of this rate you must park in level B -2. If you park in any other area, you will be charged the normal hourly rate for Athlone Town Centre.
Directions to Sheraton Athlone Hotel
From Dublin: Take M4 and M6 to N55 in Cloghanboy, Athlone. Take exit 10 from N6. Drive to R915, turn left onto N55. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Bóthar Bhaile Uí Mhatháin/R915 and arrive at Sheraton Athlone Hotel.
From Limerick: Take M18 and M6 to N55 in Athlone. Take exit 10from N6. Drive to R915, turn right onto N55. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Bóthar Bhaile Uí Mhatháin/R915 and arrive at Sheraton Athlone Hotel.
From Cork: Take M8 to R445 in Laois. Take exit 18 from M7. Get on M6 in Westmeath from N80 and N52. Continue on M6 to Cloghanboy, Athlone. Take exit10 from N6. Drive to R915, turn left onto N55. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Bóthar Bhaile Uí Mhatháin/R915 and arrive at Sheraton Athlone Hotel.
From Sligo/Donegal: Take N5 to L1805 in Roscommon. Take L1806 to N61. Continue on N61 to Cloghanboy, Athlone. At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Bóthar Bhaile Uí Mhatháin/R915 and arrive at Sheraton Athlone Hotel.