ABOUT THE EPI•STEM PODCAST
Please find below links to our EPI•STEM PODCAST brought to you from The National Centre of STEM Education at the School of Education, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, University of Limerick. The EPI•STEM PODCAST discusses contemporary issues in relation to Research & Social Outreach projects relevant to the national curriculum of STEAM Education in Ireland.
The EPI•STEM PODCAST is co-hosted by Geraldine Simmie, Professor of STEM Education, Director of EPI•STEM and Dr. Michelle Starr, Research Liaison Officer at EPI•STEM. Each EPI•STEM PODCAST lasts 20 minutes approximately and concludes with a specially selected music piece from the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Limerick.
The EPI•STEM podcast discusses STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) educational research and applications for inquiry-oriented classroom teaching (second-level schools) and for upskilling teachers’ professional learning. Together with our guests, co-hosts Geraldine Simmie PhD and Michelle Starr PhD open new spaces to discuss all aspects of STEM practices including connectivity with the Arts (e.g. Ethics, Music, & Politics). STEAM Education can interrupt the discourse to inspire a new imagination and new inclusive pedagogical practices, materials and technologies for an expansive view of the multiple purposes of education e.g. for personal development, intellectual growth, moral development and wellbeing, the greater good of society, a thriving economy, a just democracy and a sustainable local environment and planet.
EPI•STEM collaborates internally with 40 affiliates from the School of Education, The Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, Faculty of Science & Engineering, The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, Faculty of Arts and Humanities. We work with local enterprises {e.g. Analog, Serosep}, with community-based partners (e.g. Limerick Education Support Centre; local schools; national policymakers; Hunt Museum in Limerick City; and Cloughjordan Eco-Village in Co. Tipperary) and with national partners (Department of Education) and European funded projects.
We nationally manage our flagship programme, The Professional Diploma in Mathematics for Teaching (PDMT), 2012 to date, for upskilling math teachers. The PDMT is a national partnership programme in teacher knowledge with seven Higher Education Institutes and is fully funded by the Department of Education and accredited by the University of Limerick and the Teaching Council.
We are asking for your support in passing on the Spotify and Apple links below to anyone you think might be interested. Many thanks in advance.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/epistem-podcast/id1775149946
Practicing teachers can access our updated repository of teacher-led CPD resources by registering with our on-line EPI•STEM ACADEMY OF STEM TEACHERS (see our website www.epistem.ie and contact Helen.Fitzgerald@ul.ie if you need additional support). Resources that are free of charge.
ABOUT THE EPI•STEM PODCAST EPISODES
EPI•STEM PODCAST EPISODE 1
In the EPI•STEM PODCAST Episode 1, co-hosts Geraldine Simmie PhD and Michelle Starr PhD discuss an upcoming STEAM Education partnership project with Katelyn O’Neill, a Research Assistant in EPI•STEM and a final year Physics and Chemistry undergraduate student in the School of Education at the University of Limerick [Initial Teacher Education].
Katelyn chats here about how the project is inspiring her fifth year class of boys in her school placement in St. Munchin’s College, Corbally, Limerick City.
The STEAM Education partnership project entitled ‘Design a Sustainable Eco-Village in Ireland in 2050’, is a school-university-museum project, involving a novel collaboration between the Limerick Education Support Centre, the Hunt Museum in Limerick City and EPI•STEM The National Centre for STEM Education at the School of Education, University of Limerick.
The musical selection today is the Kilnamona Barn Dance from County Clare and played on fiddle by Avril McLoughlin who researches and lectures in The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Limerick.
EPI•STEM PODCAST EPISODE 2
In the EPI•STEM PODCAST Episode 2, co-hosts Geraldine Simmie PhD and Michelle Starr PhD chat about the upcoming STEAM Education partnership project, entitled ‘Design a Sustainable Eco-Village in Ireland in 2050’. Geraldine and Michelle share the names of the nine local schools that have registered on the project. They discuss the importance of being able to have the critical literacy and numeracy skills to read quantitative data correctly and to question its source when necessary. They clearly show how this issue speaks to social justice and equality.
They briefly mention the emphasis on mathematics education and math teacher upskilling already underway in EPI•STEM and the UL School of Education.
In relation to the green transition for climate justice, Geraldine and Michelle chat about an exciting project undertaken by local authorities in the Netherlands where they use green bicycle lanes to generate electricity from piezoelectric tiles. This conversion of mechanical energy to electrical energy generates sufficient electricity to have charging stations and surveillance cameras along the cycle lane for healthy exercise and a safe experience. Geraldine and Michelle relate the project to a learning statement in the Junior Cycle Framework that values what it means to be an active citizen, with rights and responsibilities in local and wider contexts.
The musical selection today is a waltz, called Tears, written by Gerry Holland in Cape Bretton in Canada and played on fiddle by Avril McLoughlin who researches and lectures in The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Limerick.
EPI•STEM PODCAST EPISODE 3
In the EPI•STEM PODCAST Episode 3, co-hosts Geraldine Simmie PhD and Michelle Starr PhD discuss the STEAM Education partnership project with Lauren O’Gorman, a Research Assistant in EPI•STEM and science teacher in the Crescent College Comprehensive S.J. in Limerick City. The project is a partnership between EPI•STEM, the Limerick Education Support Centre and the Hunt Museum.
Lauren speaks to new inspiring public infrastructure in Italy and elsewhere that can help to inspire Ireland to make a successful green and equitable transition, for wellbeing, social justice, climate action and sustainability. Lauren shares some new information by Sophie Morris trending on Spotify about food labels, and ends with a chat about the school subject, Climate Action and Sustainability.
The musical selection today is The Boyne Water, an arrangement by Martin Hayes and The Common Ground Ensemble played on fiddle by Eilidh Pope, an instrumentalist and composer and final year student in the BA in World Music in The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Limerick.
EPI•STEM PODCAST EPISODE 4
In the EPI•STEM PODCAST Episode 3, co-hosts Geraldine Simmie PhD and Michelle Starr PhD discuss aspects of the STEAM Education project. This Transition Year project is a partnership between EPI•STEM at UL, the Limerick Education Support Centre and the Hunt Museum.
Geraldine and Michelle speak to the holistic aims of Transition Year as a year to find oneself and to explore ones talents as well as taking an active part in social justice and outreach projects that help make a difference to the greater good of society, the local environment and the planet. Transition Year was recently reviewed by Zoe Williams in The Guardian newspaper (16 Oct 2024) and showed how Irish actors, Cillian Murphy and Paul Mescal started acting during their TY years.
Geraldine and Michelle discuss how the UN sustainable goal # 17 addresses our TY partnership project. They share how SDG #10 to reduce inequality needs framing in the project in nuanced and subtle ways that understand that ‘equality of condition’ is not the same for everyone.
The musical selection is Gan Anam Jig, a lively traditional tune played on keyboard by Ciara Geaney from Dingle, an accomplished piano player and a second year student in the BA in Irish Music in The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Limerick.
EPI•STEM PODCAST EPISODE 5
In the EPI•STEM PODCAST Episode 5, co-hosts Geraldine Simmie PhD and Michelle Starr PhD chat with Emma King from the Hunt Museum about the workshop the museum is providing for the STEAM Education partnership project with EPI•STEM and the Limerick Education Support Centre.
Emma shares how cultural practices from the past can inspire TY students’ vision for sustainable living, including the museum’s Georgian architecture and its transformation from a customs house.
We share how the scarcity of resources led to a culture of reuse, repair, and redesign—sharply contrasting with todays’ disposable society. Students’ consider Sybil Connolly’s iconic dresses, providing inspiration for sustainable fashion practices in preference to fast fashion.
Finally, we explore past innovations such as the Shannon Hydroelectric Scheme at Ardnacrusha. Students will consider how Irish society was initially hesitant but now finds it difficult to imagine life without electricity. It points to the current crossroads in relation to sustainable energy solutions.
The musical selection is from Eoghan Waters, a songwriter and guitarist from Clarina in Co. Limerick. Eoghan is a third year student in the BA in World Music in The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance in UL. Here Eoghan performs his own composition called Bad News.