OCCC ANNUAL SEMINAR 2025

Date and time
Sat, 29 Mar 2025 09:30 - 16:00

Location
The Bridge House Hotel and Leisure Club, Tullamore

About this event

We are delighted to have three speakers this year Dr Sharon Skehill, Dr Mary Daly and Shannan Mulrooney.

Join us for an exciting day of exploring pedagogy in the updated Aistear, linking policy to practice along with documenting the emergent curriculum and facilitating open-ended play in the early years setting.

• Dr Sharon Skehill

Dr Sharon Skehill is an Early Years Educator and Researcher at her full daycare outdoor service in Galway. She has been working with babies, toddlers and young children for over 20 years and is a passionate advocate for early childhood education and care. Sharon also works with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) as an Education Officer updating Aistear, the early childhood curriculum framework.

• Dr Mary Daly

Mary Daly lives in Tipperary and has worked in the area of early childhood care and education in a number of different capacities over the past 23 years. Mary has a BA in Early Childhood Studies from University College Cork (1996-1999) and in 2002 she completed a Ph. D.

Mary has worked with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) for a number of years and was involved in the development of Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework, the Aistear Toolkit, the Aistear Síolta Practice Guide, and the Mo Scéal Reporting templates which support children’s transition from preschool to primary school. Recently Mary worked as part of the early childhood team on the updating of Aistear which was published in late 2024.

• Maia Purposeful Play - Shannan Mulrooney

Join Shannan Mulrooney from Maia Purposeful Play for an interactive workshop where you will immerse yourself in hands-on play experiences. This session is designed to inspire you to create simple, open-ended, and sensory-rich play activities that cater to children's emerging interests while supporting their development. Rooted in research and guided by the Aistear and Siolta frameworks, the workshop provides clear, practical strategies for you to incorporate into your daily practice. You will have the opportunity to reflect on your approaches, share experiences with peers, and leave feeling empowered to enrich children’s play, fostering holistic learning, development, and well-being.