Michael Browne

I'm just going to leave this here for future reference. No doubt I'll end up retweeting this in 2022. #edchatie

@DavidDidau @dylanwiliam @PaulGarvey4 And the Irish Junior Cycle (lower secondary) curriculum.

@dylanwiliam @PaulGarvey4 Also, see the Scottish curriculum

An advantage of knowledge-rich curricula over skills-based ones that I haven't seen discussed much is with the former students can see they are making progress—they know things they formerly didn't. When students see they are making progress they are more likely to invest effort.

I wrote several pieces on the Leaving Cert. and Junior Cycle exams in June. English Paper 1: michaelbrowne.org/2025/06/07/a-b… English Paper 2: michaelbrowne.org/2025/06/23/a-b… Junior Cycle English: michaelbrowne.org/2025/07/01/a-b… #edchatie

The debacle of the Junior Cycle English exam was clear from the beginning. I wrote this in 2015. thevideotrolley.blogspot.com/2015/11/teachi…

@conorsmurf It is, without doubt, the most poorly designed course and assessment I have ever seen.

Junior Cycle English is based on the "tell don't show" approach.

@kevino253 @JeromeDevitt @KMUBarry @Mr_PHuff @KevinCahill5 I actually read it a few weeks ago.

@kevino253 @JeromeDevitt @KMUBarry @Mr_PHuff @KevinCahill5 1982, I thought? Richard Kearney editor of the journal? I might be mistaken.

I have just re-read probably the best essay on this subject by my late colleague John Devitt, 'English for the Irish – Literature and the post-primary curriculum'. Alas I don't have publications details. Any advice? @JeromeDevitt @KMUBarry @Mr_PHuff @KevinCahill5

@conorsmurf @LDHennelly Yeah, the paper is what I'm getting at... It's very similar to the old one (which I don't mind), but the trajectory we're on is Junior Cycle-esque - that's what I'm worried about.

@de_Bruner @LDHennelly More added in terms of possible aspects to look at but it's very similar to the old one. Just need to see the paper to get an idea how they want to assess it. Don't think anything new, apart from the AACs (and the likes of "parody")

How many hours week does the 180 hours become? Need some maths help.

@conorsmurf @LDHennelly We will by the time it comes in. Way too much there in terms of 'coverage'. This is Junior Cycle 2.0.

@de_Bruner @LDHennelly I do.

@conorsmurf @LDHennelly And imagine you have one hour classes...

@LDHennelly Which is why the number of texts to be studied has been reduced, not because of any incentive to teach in more depth. The Dept do know that better wellbeing comes from being better prepared? Reducing hours increases stress on students. Ffs.

@leninology A poor result, and can't disagree that it was deserved. Interesting though... The last time the SPD had a result like this, they were basically the victims of Bismarck's political manoeuvres. Apples and oranges, yes, but nationalism was a factor.

SPD crashes to worst result in 138 years. They deserve that result. AfD within a shout of joining a coalition government of CDU. Silver lining is the polling boost for Die Linke held, but this is going to be grim.

@charlesmurray What is the libertarian response to the post-liberal moment?

3/3 The regulatory state has been strangling that effort for decades. I wish the Administration well.

1/3 This is potentially the salvation of the American Project, which I had considered to be dead. All sorts of things can go wrong, obviously. But it is conceivable that it will succeed. wsj.com/opinion/trumps…

Irish policy-making. Like a kite in a hurricane.

@humphreyjones @Jessjcasey it's not even NCCA's problem. It's the SEC's. This quotation just goes to show disparate the thinking is around this issue - simply not joined up at all. The spoofery is breathtaking.

Creative writing at 2nd level as envisioned by Norma Foley; 1st yr- lots of small to medium pieces trying to build maturity onto their primary school work. 2nd yr- paragraphs in isolation. 3rd yr - paragraphs in isolation. 4th yr- a module. 5th yr-AI will do it. 6th yr- none

I was never told that the Internet would destroy education. Actually, I was told that we should embrace the Internet and that students don't need to know anything. I was told this by people introducing the new Junior Cycle. Now we're being told they don't even have to create.

My open 'letter' to the Chair of the NCCA LC English Development Group. thevideotrolley.blogspot.com/2024/12/open-l…

@Jennifer_Bray FG are out of touch with young people.

Preparing for the pod - send me your tips and thoughts

@ciarancannon Sheer arrogance. You are completely out of touch.

With age, comes wisdom.

A short blog for your morning coffee or commute. What if a student's home life was replicated in an exam hall? Here I imagine that scenario in relation to the new Leaving Cert projects (AACs) @NormaFoleyTD1 insists on despite opposition from experts. thevideotrolley.blogspot.com/2024/11/what-i…

Yawn. Another pie-in-the-sky, naive, and unserious take on SC reform.