Distance Learning - Flexibility at your Finger Tips

Maybe you cannot find the course of your choice locally or time does not permit you to enrol on a day, evening or week-end course. Whatever the reason a distance learning provider offers you the opportunity to continue your education no matter what time constraints you may have.

Distance Learning is a way of learning that means you are never far away from finding a course of your choice. It is similar to any other course that you would attend, but instead of you going to class and receiving assignments or course work, with distance learning they are sent to you either in the post or by email.

How does Distance Learning Work?

NUI Galway describes the distance learning method of teaching as follows: "If you enrol on a distance education programme, in most cases, you receive a set of self-paced, self-instructional learning materials. You either receive these in hardcopy in the post or they are available online over the Internet. The course fees cover tuition costs and the supply of all course materials. However, for certain programmes, you may be required to purchase additional text books.These learning materials are broken into modules, which you study on your own. A tutor is also assigned to each student, who is available to provide help to students and also corrects and gives feedback on assignments."

Can I receive a qualification with Distance Learning?

Very definitely. There are different types of distance learning providers, private, colleges and universities who offer certificate, diploma, and degree courses.

Gaining a qualification through distance education can be done in a specified time, i.e., a years study to gain a diploma, or you can build towards your qualification on a step by step basis.

Each successfully completed course earns the candidate a set number of credit points. These credit points can be used across a combination of courses and or difficulty progression. On completion the credits earned build toward your experience and qualification.

It is entirely up to the student to decide what level of progression they wish to gain and over what period of time. Depending on the course and credits, you could gain a degree in two years or five.
Please note that some courses will have a set time frame due to course content that may date.

What are the benefits of study by Distance Learning?

Flexibility

In your own time and at your own pace. Fit your study around your work and home commitments.

Tutor Support

Distance Learning Colleges offer 'supported learning'. When you enrol a tutor is assigned to you who will monitor and provide assistance to you throughout the course. Support is available via the internet, phone, and occasional workshops / seminars.

Course Dates All Year Round

Most colleges have no set start dates allowing you to start anytime you want.

No Travelling

Save time, money and be environmentally friendly too.

Distance learning has opened the doors for many people who otherwise may not have been able to avail of further education.

You too can take the next step by requesting information from one of these top accredited colleges and universities.

Kilroy's College

College of Management & IT (CMIT)

NUI Galway

DCU - Oscail

Open University in Ireland

Going to College 2010

Yesterday was the initial deadline for CAO applications. But students can also use the change-of-mind process to change their options before the July 1st deadline.

New figures released last night reveal there are just under two candidates for every place in our colleges and universities, according to today's Irish Independent.

These are to include the unprecedented number of mature students (more than 15,000) seeking college places this year because of the economic downturn; the surge in the number of Leaving Certificate students, after years of decline, up by an estimated 2,000; new social welfare rules whereby those on jobseeker’s allowances risk the loss of benefit unless they are in education or training; and a directive from the Higher Education Authority that staff numbers must be cut by 6 per cent in the two-year period from December 2008 to December 2010 according to the Irish Times. Full articles available online.

Popular 3rd Level Courses may see CAO points surge

Career experts say 2010 could see a reversal of a decade-long pattern, where points for most courses slumped dramatically so says today's Irish Times.

Career experts say other factors are putting upward pressure on CAO point levels.

These include:

* the record number of mature students (more than 12,000) seeking college places this year because of the economic downturn;
* the surge in the number of Leaving Certificate students after years of decline, up by an estimated 2,000;
* new social welfare rules whereby those on jobseeker’s allowances risk the loss of benefit unless they are in education or training......Continue reading in the Irish Times

Aontas - Adult Learning - Budget 2010 Reaction

AONTAS broadly welcomes the government commitment to upskilling and training through the allocation of €136 million in funding to provide 26,000 individuals with training places and supports. Reacting to the announcement, Berni Brady said 'It is encouraging to see that the government investing in training and education to address unemployment. However, training initiatives must be relevant, must provide qualifications and most importantly, must lead to progression to employment or further education. Courses must cater to the needs of people and reflect the emerging needs of the economy. Short term courses which lead to dead ends will only prolong the frustration that accompanies unemployment.' For more information read their press release

The Controversial HPAT Aptitude Test

It is a major breakthrough following the disappointment of high-flying Leaving Certificate candidates who failed to get into medicine in the autumn because of poor HPAT results, according to the Irish Independent. Read the full article.

Commercial Photography Techniques with Ronnie Norton at THE LIGHT EXCHANGE

This seven week course on commercial photography techniques with Ronnie Norton, one of Ireland's foremost advertising photographers will run at The Light Exchange.

The course will begin with a recap of the core principles of;

• lighting in the studio,
• achieving correct digital exposures
• accurate colour rendition
• lenses & accessories essential for commercial work.

During the course he will discuss how to light for various commercial 'people' shots including fashion. He will also demonstrate how to overcome specific problems with a variety of subject matter such as product packaging, glass & bottles, chrome and silver surfaces, gems, fabric and textured objects, including post-production issues. Pricing, invoicing and communicating with commercial clients will also be covered. 8 places are available but they book up fast.

Starts Thursday October 8th from 7.30pm to 9.30pm for 7 weeks price: 350euro deposit required 50euro students 300euro

For further information please contact Susan or Emer on 01 4975626

Recently Norton Associates had the dubious (!!?? :-) pleasure of the famous duo Podge & Rodge into their studios to have their photographs taken. Read about their exploits on Norton Associates blog.

How to Photograph Silhouettes

Just a quick post to pass on a link to a terrific website about photography. Striking examples of silhouette photos that just inspire.

Right now the sun is coming up over Dublin in glorious tones of orange and yellow which would have made a fitting backdrop to a silhouette photograph. Memo to me, be out and about with the camera at 6am tomorrow. Just in case!

There are other really helpful posts on exposure, light, landscape photography and more.

How to photograph silhouettes in 8 easy steps

Swine Flu Guidelines for Schools & Parents

INFORMATION SHEET FOR SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND CENTRES OF EDUCATION ON INFLUENZA A(H1N1)

This information sheet gives general information about Influenza A(H1N1)v (which has been referred to as Swine Influenza) as well as anticipating questions that may arise within a school, college, or centre of education. In particular it advises on what can be done to help prevent the spread of the Influenza and what should be done if a student develops flu-like symptoms whilst at school, college or centre of education (hereafter referred to as school/college). This document will be updated to take account of other questions that may arise or as advised by the Health Authorities.

What is Influenza A(H1N1)v?

Influenza A(H1N1)v is a type of influenza. It causes respiratory disease in humans, pigs and birds. The current variety of Influenza A(H1N1)v is a type that was primarily found in pigs. Up to this, human cases of Influenza A(H1N1) have most commonly occurred in people who have been in close proximity to pigs but it is possible for Influenza A(H1N1) viruses to spread from person to person, as is being seen now. The virus has now changed and can spread easily from person to person. It is called Pandemic Flu because people all over the world are being infected by it.

Is there any requirement at present for schools/colleges to close?

Schools/colleges should continue to operate normally unless advised by their local Department of Public Health in the Health Service Executive (HSE). Refer to http://www.dohc.ie or http://www.hpsc.ie to check for the most up to date guidance in this regard.



What are the symptoms of Influenza A(H1N1)v?

The symptoms of Influenza A(H1N1)v are similar to the symptoms of normal human, seasonal influenza and include sudden onset of fever, fatigue, coughing, sore throat, runny nose, headache and pains in the limbs or the joints. Some people with Influenza A(H1N1)v have also reported vomiting and diarrhoea. Anyone developing these symptoms is advised to stay at home. They should call the HSE Flu Information Line Freephone 1800 94 11 00 or check http://www.swineflu.ie for advice on what to do next. If concerned, they should contact their GP or Out-Of-Hours GP service by telephone.

Should students who have recently returned from travel abroad, be kept away from schools/colleges?

No. As long as they are well and not suffering from flu-like symptoms, there is no reason for these students to be kept away from school/college and they can carry on with their normal routine. They should, however, be vigilant for the symptoms of flu and, at the first signs of these, should stay at home and call the HSE Flu Information Line Freephone 1800 94 11 00 or check http://www.swineflu.ie for advice on what to do next. If concerned, they should contact their GP or Out-Of-Hours GP service by telephone.

What action should be taken if a student develops flu-like symptoms whilst at school/college?

If a student develops flu-like symptoms/Influenza Like Illness (ILI) at school/college, arrangements should be made for him/her to be taken home. Where the student is an adult he/she should be advised to contact the HSE Flu Information Line Freephone 1800 94 11 00 or check http://www.swineflu.ie for advice on what to do next. If concerned, they should contact their GP or Out-Of-Hours GP service by telephone.

Where the student is a minor the parents should be advised as above. Whilst waiting to go home, the student should be placed in a suitable area, such as a small office, away from other students, but where an eye can be kept on them to ensure that they are all right. The student should not return to school/college until 7 days from the onset of symptoms have passed. No further action should be taken unless there is a cluster of ILI, in which case the school/college should seek advice from their local Department of Public Health of the HSE.

What about a student, who was at school/college and is now off school with flu-like symptoms/ILI?

If a student is off with Influenza Like Illness (ILI), no action should be taken, other than to ensure that they do not return to school/college until 7 days from the onset of symptoms have passed. Where there is a cluster of ILI, the school/college should seek advice from the local Department of Public Health.

How will a school/college know if it should close?

Unless the local Department of Public Health advise the management of the school to close as a precautionary measure, the school/college should remain open. A list of the Department of Public Health offices (HSE) is attached for your information at http://www.hse.ie/eng/Find_a_Service/Public_Health/

As is normally the case where management finds it is necessary to close some or all of the school/college it is not necessary to obtain the Department of Education and Science’s approval in advance. Schools/colleges should simply act in accordance with the advice of the health authorities. A school/college closing on foot of advice is however requested to advise the Department of Education and Science of the position without delay. By continuing contact from the public health, a school/college will be advised on when it may re-open.

What if a cluster of schools/colleges are advised to close or it is decided that schools/colleges countrywide should close?

Any decision, based on public health advice, to close a range of or all schools/colleges (and where the number of schools/colleges affected is such that making individual contact locally would be impractical) the advice regarding closure will be announced by a statement through the national and local media with supporting information provided on the Department of Education and Science website.

Should schools/colleges continue to go on trips?

There is no reason why schools/colleges should not continue to go on trips both in this country and abroad. If the trip is abroad we recommend that they look at the latest available travel information, if any, on the Department of Foreign Affairs website (http://www.dfa.ie) and advice on the Department of Health and Children website http://www.dohc.ie

What should you do if a student gets sick on a trip?

If symptoms are consistent with flu they need:

1. To be isolated from the other students.
2. Their parents should be contacted immediately.
3. Arrangements should be made for student to return home if at all possible.
4. If not possible for student to return home, a local GP should assess. If GP advises that the student fits the criteria for a possible Influenza A(H1N1)v case the student must remain in isolation for 7 days from onset of symptoms.
5. If student is very ill and requires immediate medical care, the GP or hospital should be phoned PRIOR to attending.
6. If the GP advises that the student does not fit the criteria for possible Influenza A (H1N1), normal procedures for looking after a sick student on a trip should be followed.

What is the advice to parents regarding student attendance?

While schools/colleges are open parents should send their children to school/college, in the normal way, unless they have any symptoms of Influenza A(H1N1)v.

Can a school/college close if there are high levels of staff absenteeism?

The normal rules in relation to staff absenteeism apply to Influenza A(H1N1)v.

Decisions to remain open or to close having regard to the unavailability of staff due to illness in the event of an outbreak of Influenza A(H1N1)v, are a matter for each individual school/college authority as is the case at present where any significant number of teachers are absent due to illness or the sudden onset of severe weather. Each school/college must assess the viability of remaining open having regard to the number of staff absent/available. The position of students that may already have arrived at school/college before the position on teacher absence becomes fully known should be taken into account. This may mean that in the case of a school, for example, it remains open on the day in question with the available staff carrying out a supervision role over the students where normal classroom and tuition activity is not possible.

Should schools/college invest in masks or cleaning products?

At this time, there is no requirement for schools/colleges to invest in masks or any specialised cleaning products or detergents. However, schools/colleges must ensure that adequate facilities for hand washing are available and routine cleaning of facilities takes place.

Educational institutions, as far as possible, should encourage and facilitate everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like Influenza A(H1N1) including:

* Students should cover their mouth and nose with a paper tissue when coughing or sneezing. If no tissue is available they should cough or sneeze into the inside of their elbow. Students should use a tissue only once and dispose of it quickly and carefully (a dustbin is fine). This is respiratory etiquette. Waste, including used tissues, may be disposed of in the normal way. There is no need to take special precautions in the handling of such waste.

* Students should wash their hands with soap and water.

* Wash hard surfaces such as kitchen worktops, door handles, etc with a normal household cleaner as the virus can live on these surfaces.

Schools/Colleges can encourage good prevention awareness by putting up posters on respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene.

Where does responding to a flu pandemic fit in the context of wider emergency planning guidance?

Schools/colleges are reminded of the departmental advice provided in 2004 in relation to ensuring that they are included in emergency plan framework for their area. Copy of this departmental circular (PBU 04/04) is attached. http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/pbu04_04.doc

The key agency in relation to advice on a flu pandemic is the local Department of Public Health (HSE) and as advised many of the decisions regarding advice and actions will be taken locally by personnel from that office. For that reason it is important that your contact information is provided to the local Department of Public Health, if that has not been done previously.

What is the position if a student is due to take a State examination and becomes ill or is being monitored as a possible influenza case?

The State Examinations Commission (SEC) makes arrangements each year to accommodate examination candidates that are ill, injured, or where a student has to be isolated from other students. These arrangements include where appropriate, setting up special individual candidate centres and making arrangements for taking the examination in hospital. In this regard if a student scheduled to take the Leaving or Junior Certificate examinations is diagnosed with Influenza A(H1N1)v or, is being monitored as a suspected case, the SEC should be contacted in the normal way with any advice made available to the school by the health authorities.

How can schools/colleges keep up-to-date with developments?

Schools and colleges should keep themselves informed of developments regarding Influenza A(H1N1)v by checking the websites provided at the end of this information sheet.

Checklist of key actions that should be taken by Schools and Colleges.

(This should not be regarded as an exhaustive list but as complimentary to existing best practices in school relating to health, safety, and hygiene and existing procedures for notifying parents and students of decisions regarding school/college closures that occur at short notice).

* Keep up to date on advice issued by the health authorities.
* The Health Service Executive has already posted information to every household in the country on the Influenza A(H1N1)v. Schools/colleges can supplement this information by promoting good awareness throughout the school/college community.
* Place posters on hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette up in the school/college. Updated material and posters to assist educational facilities is available at http://www.hse.ie
* Make staff and students (especially at 2nd level and beyond) aware of the symptoms of Influenza A(H1N1)v.
* Make sure the school is part of the local areas emergency plan. See Departmental Circular PBU04/04.
* Update a list of key contacts in the event of a closure (and re-opening).
* Review procedures for communicating with staff and families in the event of a partial or full closure.
* Consider any arrangements that may be required for students with special needs.
* Plan, where possible, for staff absences and consider at what level a school/college may need to close where sufficient staff are not available.
* Identify the arrangements to be made for looking after pupils/students showing symptoms while waiting for parents to collect them.
Where can I get further information?

This information specific to the educational institutions will be kept updated, as further information becomes available. In the interim, further and updated information is available from a range of other websites including:

Department of Health and Children, that provides timely and regular advice and information – http://www.dohc.ie

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre – http://www.hpsc.ie

The Health Service Executive Swine Flu website – http://www.swineflu.ie

In relation to schools, the general position regarding school openings and closures is set out in department circulars 11/95, M29/95, and 107/2007, copies of which are attached.

Standard school year http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/cl0107_2007.doc

Primary Schools http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/PC11_95.doc

Post-Primary Schools http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/m29_95.doc

Current at 31st July 2009.

Taken from http://www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/influenza_information_for_educational_establishments.pdf

Courses.ie Makeover!

We are changing our look and introducing loads of new features to Courses.ie. Be one of the first to hear all about the new features by signing up for our newsletter and be in with a chance to win an iPod!

We are so, so excited by the new developments we are jumping for joy!

CAO Points Pushed up by demand

THOUSANDS of students will be bitterly disappointed today as they discover that points have risen for 550 college courses according to todays Irish Independent...

A record number of applicants has pushed up CAO points virtually across the board this year.

The increase will hit students with around 350 points in particular. They would previously have hoped they had enough points to get into their top choice in today’s first round of offers.

Popular courses such as nursing and teaching – regarded as passports to secure jobs – are all harder to get into this year.

Science has unexpectedly rocketed by up to 85 points, while entry to arts courses is up in most cases.

And the introduction of a controversial aptitude test for medicine this year has thrown up dramatic results, with girls and repeat students losing out badly.

Even some of those with six A1 grades – which is the maximum 600 points in the Leaving Certificate – had failed to get into medicine.

However, others succeeded with just 520 points because, for the first time, they can combine their Leaving with the results of the Australian-devised aptitude test which all medicine applicants had to take.

As a consequence of the change, dentistry has now emerged as the toughest course to get into – up to 575 on random selection in UCC, the equivalent of five A1s and one B3 on higher level papers. In Trinity, entry went from 555 to 570 on random selection.

Despite the current plight of farming, agricultural science has also gone up, as has food science in both UCD and UCC.

The points squeeze comes just days after pupils were left disappointed by the first fall in the number of top A grades in years.

But the sharp rise in points is caused by record numbers of applicants to the CAO.

These include 2,000 more Leaving Cert students than last year and more adults, many of whom have been made redundant. Fewer applications for property- related courses and law have, however, pushed down points in those areas.

And government attempts to boost engineering have yielded disappointing results – dozens of courses will advertise vacancies in engineering on the CAO website within days.

In total, 380 honours degree courses show an increase in points while 252 are lower, 83 remain the same and the remainder are not comparable or are new courses.

Of the ordinary degree and higher certificate courses, 166 were up, 89 were down, 33 remained the same and the remainder were not directly comparable or were new.

This year, overall applications to the CAO were up 7.2pc to just under 74,000. The increase reflects what’s happening in the country due to the recession, said John McGinnity, assistant registrar at NUI Maynooth.

“More adults have applied, and want to get a qualification either because they been made redundant or see the writing on the wall,” he said.

In addition, 2,000 more Leaving Cert students applied than last year. This was partly due to the closure of other non-CAO options, such as apprenticeships.

Arts

Applications for arts were up by 1,000 to just over 10,500, or one in every seven applications. As a result, points for arts were also up. Entry points in UCD for the country's biggest arts faculty, which takes in 1,300 students every year, went from 350 to 360; while in the University of Limerick, arts went from 440 to 445.

Maynooth's arts course now has a higher entry point than NUI Galway, Cork or Dublin. A spokesman for NUIM said the university had broadened its range of subjects to 26 to include law and business and this had proven very attractive to students.

“Many students have chosen a broadly based honours degree during this downturn in the economy, which will allow graduates choose from a range of work or further study options after graduation,” he said.

Other trends from this year’s first round were:

- Nearly half the nursing courses require 400 or more points.

- A poor year for engineering with a slight decrease in applications.

- Two popular business courses – in UCD and NUIG – are down in points, but up in TCD and UCC. The CAO said last night that in round one, 46,918 of all 73,982 applicants received an offer – 63pc of total applicants – as compared with 67.6pc of all applicants in 2008.

Those who did not receive an offer included more than 4,000 who failed ordinary level maths which is needed for most courses.

The figures also show that fewer applicants got their top preferences this year compared with last year.

Of those applying for honours degrees, 26,832 applicants (76.9pc) received either their first, second or third preference as compared with 79pc in 2008.

Already this year 6,922 applicants have received offers in the small earlier Rounds A and Zero, which are mainly for mature applicants, students who deferred a place last year, and some applicants presenting with Further Education and Training Council qualifications for Post Leaving Certificate and other courses.

To date, 5,094 of these (7pc of all applicants) have accepted places.

At this time last year, 3,824 acceptances had accepted offers, representing 5.5pc of total applicants.

- John Walshe and Katherine Donnelly - The article in the Irish Independent

Personally, the fact that the CAO site is not updated constantly with news and information concerning the points situation, only adds to the stress and anxiety of our students, maybe next year they will remedy the situation.

New Masters degree in security and digital forensics

The Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown has launched a new degree course that has been inspired by the rising tide of cybercrime. 98pc of all Irish organisations have experienced incidents of cybercrime according to Silicon Republic.com

They continue to say that the programme is one of three streams in a Masters in Computing (Business Data Mining and Software Engineering are the other two) qualifying for government subsidy and has a number of free places allocated for jobseekers. Full course information is available on www.itb.ie

You can read the full article on Siliconrepublic.com

Leaving Cert Results Out Today

Fingers crossed and good luck to all Leaving Cert students who are either eagerly or anxiously awaiting their results today. There is life after the Leaving Cert!

Results are also available online from noon today at www.examinations.ie

For those who shared their thoughts on Leaving Cert.net do let us all know how you got on!

Student Helpline from the National Parents Council will be in operation at 10am on Wednesday 12th of August

Helpline Phone Number: 1800 265 165

Points calculator and further information courtesy of CAO






* Bonus points for Leaving Certificate Higher Level Mathematics will be awarded in 2008 by University of Limerick and for Liberal Arts (MI004) and Early Childhood Care and Education (MI007) at Mary Immaculate College. The Dublin Institute of Technology also awards bonus points for Mathematics and a number of science subjects in the case of the Level 8 course DT021. Applicants should refer to DIT literature for full details.

# Points for Foundation Level Mathematics will be awarded by certain institutions. Applicants should refer to the HEI literature for full details.

NCAD does not award points for Leaving Certificate or other examinations. Consult NCAD literature for details.

Accompanying conditions:

1. The six best results, in recognised subjects, in one Leaving Certificate Examination will be counted for points computation.
2. One sitting only of the Leaving Certificate Examination will be counted for points purposes.
3. In the case of certain subjects, e.g. Home Economics (General), Foundation Level Mathematics or Foundation Level Irish, some HEIs may not award the points shown above. If in any doubt, check with the Admissions Office of the appropriate HEIs.

# LCVP points awarded: Distinction - 70, Merit - 50, Pass - 30

Top 7 social networking sites our children use

Parents arrive and our teenagers leave? Sound familiar? Well it seems it applies to Twitter and Facebook also. We adults start using these sites and our children find somewhere else to hang out, according to the Times Online.


I am not so sure that the sites listed are where our teenagers are hanging out. Quite a few of the sites listed would suit a younger age group where as Twitter, Facebook, etc are for the older teenager.

Would you agree? Where do you think your children are hanging out online?

5,000 vacancies the IT sector

Yet the CAO (Central Applications Office) report the number of applicants for engineering and technology degree courses was down by 9.8pc on last year. Why is that?

According to the experts, changing the way our education system works is vital if we are to encourage young people to take up professions such as IT and engineering that will benefit our smart economy, reports Silicon Republic in their article Learning our Lesson.

Learning a new language opens your mind!

We are delighted to welcome the first of a number of guest writers to the Courses.ie Learning Blog.

Starting off our series of guest articles is Liz Hannon from Languagewise.

To learn a new language is an acknowledgement that you are willing to embrace the people and culture of another nation. Through learning how to speak the language of another country or state you will not only gain a better understanding of the attitudes of another group of people with a different social, historical and political background to your own but you will also gain an insight into their sense of humour.

To be able to even say a few words of greeting in a foreign language is a great ice breaker and an act of friendship. It shows that you are reaching out to someone of another nationality and are keen to know more about them , their language and culture.

It can be fun learning the different idiomatic expressions and discovering that something that "costs an arm and a leg" translates in French to "it costs the eyes in your head" or that "you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" translates in Spanish to "although a monkey looks like its made of silk, it is still a monkey" !

Absolutely anyone can learn a new language. A lot of people say " I am not good at languages" or "I hated French in school" and from a bad learning experience close themselves off to the idea of learning a new language and feel that they they are not capable. Well they are wrong!! There is no mystery to learning a language. If there was how does a one year old child start speaking!

Once you have a qualified and experienced teacher (preferably a native speaker), they will guide you quite literally from A to Z! It is the experience of the teacher that allows them to interact with a student effectively to make them feel at ease and to progress at a pace that suits the student. Just like learning to swim or ride a bike absolutely anyone can do it and all it takes is practice!

Learning a language is one of the most positive steps one can take in life and enriches the learner who through their experience can open up a whole new world of travel and making friends in a different country. It is a pursuit that transcends age and class and unites people.

Learn a language and broaden your possibilities in life!

On a personal note, I think you also have to be prepared for some laughter as you find your way around accents and nuances of a new language. I was chatting to some friends who were helping me to learn Swedish by webcam and messenger. I had them hooting with laughter as I replied to what they were saying. I thought I was typing, 'I hear you', but it turned out to be something else entirely as I had forgotten to put an accent in the correct place! It was a great lesson as I have never forgotten and won't make that mistake again! What I did discover though was not to be nervous of making mistakes, because when I did (and do) it is beneficial and I found myself enjoying the experience even more.

If this article wets your appetite to explore another language and culture during the Autumn evenings Languagewise deliver courses in a wide range of languages for both business and personal interest, on a day or evening class schedule.

5th Year Student states "Guillotining in the Dáil"

Not old enough to vote yet but political parties take note, the students of Ireland are watching you closely if this blog post is anything to go by....

That time of the year again. Lots of work to be done but no time to do it. The holidays of TD’s and Brian Cowen’s tan takes precedence over the few dozen bills before the house in the coming days. Recently we’ve seen other problems in the Dáil with the house suspended for 3 hours one afternoon after TD’s ran out of things to say. The Seanad is the house that everyone talks about as being in need of reform however everyone forgets that the main house is just as flawed. Here’s some changes I believe will make things run better in the national parliament..........Read his suggestions at http://short.ie/7raa7c

Polish to be taught in NI Schools

Children as young as four will be taught Polish in Northern Ireland primary schools from September, it was revealed yesterday.

According to the Belfast Telegraph:

The aim of the language programme is to offer an enjoyable experience of language learning for the youngest pupils with a view to encouraging more to continue at post-primary level.

So far 25 schools have signed up to have a tutor provided for their Primary 1-4 classes under a scheme funded by the Department of Education. During the last school year 247 primary schools had regular Spanish lessons and 76 Irish lessons.

Do you think this is option to be considered by the rest of Ireland?

Stop Press! The Adult Learning Festival dates are out!

Aontas - The Adult Learning Festival 2010 is coming to a venue near you! The festival will take place from February 2nd to February 6th 2009!

The Adult Learners' Festival is about

* Celebrating adult learning and the achievements of adult learners
* Showcasing the work of adult education providers
* Promoting the work of AONTAS and the adult education sector
* Ensuring that adult education is placed firmly on the political agenda

Aontas exists to promote the development of a learning society through the provision of a quality and comprehensive system of adult learning and education which is accessible to and inclusive to all.


Check the Adult Learning Festival site for information on courses being run as part of the festival which may tweak your fancy to go along and try.

Course Providers - If you are involved in community or adult education, why not organise an event during the festival? You will get publicity for your group’s activities, help to raise awareness about the value of adult learning, and be part of a national event which celebrates the achievements of adult learners all around the country. Contact your local Aontas link here

Email Aontas at mail@aontas.com or phone them on 01 406 8220

They will include details about your event, and send you out posters and other publicity material for your event.


Adult Learning - Something worth celebrating!

CAO site up and running as normal

The CAO website crashed yesterday evening and went off line. It is now fixed and up and running as normal.

Students have till July 1st, which is Wednesday to go online for the change of mind though the CAO.

Hyperwords - such a handy plugin

Reading the Times Online announcing Microsoft's Bing Search Engine

The two biggest names in technology are set to slug it out over the coming weeks in a $20 billion (£12 billion) battle for web supremacy. In one corner is Google, the dominant player in online searches; in the other is Microsoft, the world’s biggest software company. Microsoft is poised to launch Bing, a new search engine it says will give more useful results and end its rival’s hegemony.

I admit to not being sure what the word 'hegemony' means. Instead of having to look for the dictionary (which I don't always have to hand, or opening another tab to access an online dictionary) I just double click on the word and thanks to a plug in called Hyperwords, I have the meaning in seconds without leaving the page.

From Ancient Greek ἡγεμονία (hēgemonia), “‘supremacy or leadership, chief command’”) < ἡγεμόν (hegemon), “‘a leader, guide, commander, chief’”) < ἡγεισθαι (hegeisthai), “‘to lead’”) < αγειν (agein), “‘to lead’”).

I can translate the word into French, hégémonie, into Arabic سيطرة, and replaces the original word in the text with the translated word.

There are a number of other different functions that it carries out, but what a godsend just for its translation and reference features alone!