KERRY COLLEGE TEACHER NOMINATED FOR PRESTIGIOUS EDUCATION AWARD

A teacher at Kerry College has been shortlisted for an award which recognises excellence in inclusive education. Celia O’Shea, an Assistant Principal at the college, will present her work on Universal Design for Learning at the John Kelly Awards next week.

The awards, hosted by University College Dublin, are an annual celebration of Universal Design for Learning expertise, showcasing the breadth and range of best practice in inclusiveness within further and higher education sectors.

This is the second year in which a teacher at Kerry College has been shortlisted for the award following the nomination of Tara O’Halloran Cronin.

Other finalists this year include projects by City of Dublin ETB, National Learning Network, Kilkenny Carlow ETB, Atlantic Technological University and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

“It is a great honour to be shortlisted for the John Kelly Awards. I will be presenting on my research on the best strategies to improve students learning and how best to adapt teaching methods to enhance learning. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is at the heart of everything we do in teaching and at Kerry College.

“This is a great opportunity to share research with others in the sector and to learn more about the best approaches in teaching students with diverse learning abilities,” she said.

Principal of Kerry College, Stephen Goulding, said that the award is a recognition of Celia O’Shea’s research project and the emphasis that the college places on UDL: “The awards application process gives UDL practitioners the opportunity to reflect on their work, design new strategies and develop further opportunities in the future. It is a great honour for a staff member to be shortlisted for a second year running.”

The John Kelly Awards 2023 for Universal Design in Further and Higher Education will take place online on 14 November.