About me

A blog by @mircwalsh

A journey from someone who never planned to teach.

2011 – 2012
I started working in Education at the beginning of 2011 when I was on the project team to set up Cork Education and Training Board (formally City of Cork VEC’s) iTunes U page. My initial role was designing graphics and editing and creating collections using Final Cut.
I started teaching in September 2011. My students came from minority groups included those on the unemployed register, EAL, SEN students as well as refugees living in direct provision.

In 2012 I was lucky to be able to attend #ADE2012 alongside some of my students and this is where I was first introduced to the ADE community. From that week on my decision was made. I wanted to teach and I wanted to be an ADE.

2013 – 2014

In 2013 I applied to become an ADE and luckily I was accepted. This helped me form connections with other teachers but in Ireland across EMEIA and I began to realise maybe I could teach!
Unfortunately in 2014 government for my courses was cut. Colleagues lot their jobs and while I attended institute in San Diego I was unsure if I would return to a job in September.
Luckily for me I was given a new course to develop and started teaching on New Directions. A course aimed for unemployed single mothers. This course already existed but student retention was weak.

2015 – 2016
I continued to grow New Directions. We doubled the class numbers and it evolved from a single parents course to one for all unemployed. I made changes to the curriculum to include coding. To further my knowledge in education I studied for an completed a Master in E-Learning and Game Design and Development. I also set up Apple RTC Cork and deployed 1:1 iPads across my classrooms.

2017 – 2018
I began to be offered lots of great opportunities to be involved in ERASMUS projects with my college evaluating learning games, I was also lucky to be involved in the set up of #AppleEDUchat EMEIA alongside Martin Coutts. I had previously been involved in #ADEchat.
As well as presenting at institute I was asked to present on coding at the Apple Regent St store during BETT 2018.

2019 – 2020
The opportunities continued. I was lucky to travel a lot including to South Africa where I presented on coding. I became and APLS and since September 2019 have been involved in community engagement projects in schools in my local community.

I served on the ADE Advisory Board for EMEIA from 2014-2018.

From someone who never planned to be a teacher discovering that this really is My Why has been a rollercoaster and the ADE community have played a bit part of this.