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Froebel College, Ireland

Innovative Initiatives and Research Programmes

Dedicated Froebel educators on a small island have a vision of child centred education which includes families and the creative arts. Their new initiatives include, a Journal, a Society and a project in Kenya and innovative programmes.

Special Needs Classroom Assistants

The college is currently offering the first Irish certification for special needs classroom assistants. The curriculum for this project is offered nationwide in partnership with The School of Practical Child Care, Blackrock, Dublin. The college will research the pilot curriculum and provide a detailed report on its effectiveness.

Family Management and Communication

The college offers the only certification and diploma courses sponsored by an institution of Higher Education in Ireland for parents. The programme is 2 years in duration and prepares people to lead parent support groups or work in a voluntary capacity for the welfare of children. It has a unique format. Participants take weekly classes, participate in workshops, and engage in study at diploma level to become group leaders.

Certificate for Parents of Children with Special Needs

The college is offering a certificate programme for parents of children with special education needs. This course will prepare people to assume leadership positions in advocacy, policy making, and to work in partnership with educators, politicians, and academics in re-visioning the Irish special education system.

Resource Teachers and Early Childhood Education

These two Post-Graduate Diplomas are each 18 months courses of study for qualified primary teachers in Ireland. They combine taught course content with on-going, mentored action research in the classroom. Designed for the practicing teacher, each course is modularised and compatible with full-time employment. Both courses are approved by Trinity College Dublin and count as credit towards an M.Ed. degree from that institution.

Collaboration with Froebel Primary School

The Froebel College is working in collaboration with the Alexandra Junior School, a Froebel primary school in Dublin, with a view to providing staff development, student placement, and on-going lecturing exchange between our two staffs.

The effectiveness of the creative arts in reducing violence and aggression among children

Froebel College is currently engaged in a three year research study on the effectiveness of the creative arts in reducing violence and aggression among children from designated schools in Ireland. This programme is part of the MUS-E European Union project originally sponsored by Lord Yehudi Menuhin.

Working artists, i.e. dancers, visual artists, actors, and musicians teach children in schools while attending lectures at Froebel College in child-centred education, classroom management, and the unique learning needs of the maltreated child.

The research will be disseminated at international level.

For further information, contact:

Dr. David J. Carey,
Froebel College of Education, Sion Hill
Blackrock, Co. Dublin
Phone: +353 01 2888520 Fax: + 353 01 2880618
Email: dcarey@froebel.ie