St.

Jatlaths College

WORK EXPERIANCE
ST. COLMANS N.S
Thursday 1st September
I visited St. Colmans N.S. I assisted the senior infant teacher. I was
involved in organising the classroom resources such as charts, art
materials and childrens resources. I also photocopied worksheets for
the children. I met the classroom SNA who looks after a girl with
autism. I assisted in the office when necessary.
I learned that teachers prepare a lot of materials for the children and the
lessons they teach. I learned how to use the photocopier efficiently. I
also saw how difficult it can be in the classroom with a child with
special needs.
Thursday 8st September
Today I was in the senior infants class. I assisted some children with
their work. I helped the class SNA with various things. I also organised
a P.E class for the children, this contained many different activities that
were suitable for young children.
I learned how repetition is the key to learning, especially with younger
children who are learning to read and write. I also learned how patience
is a key quality in teaching.
Thursday 15th September
Today I helped the schools secretary. I stamped books for the school, I
handed out letters that were to be given to the eldest of each family. I
also helped with printing documents for the school.
I learned how organisation is an essential skill to have as a secretary. I
learned how to organise documents so that they can be easily accessed
by members of the staff.
Thursday 29nd September
Today I was back in senior infants. I watched over a table of children
doing their reading and writing. I also helped them with their maths.

Joey Duggan

TY A 2016

St. Jatlaths College

TY A 2016

I learned how important it is to listen to the children read and to make sure they know
pronunciations. I also learned how important it is to reinforce the lesson that is taught.
Thursday 6th October
I was in senior infants today. I helped the teacher with the childrens shared reading. I listened to
the children read and helped write a little bit on their book. I also helped with the childrens art
class.
I learned about how important it is to do word structure with the children and teaching them how
to sound out words. It is also vital to do sounds with the children and to do trickier words with
them that they cannot sound out.
Thursday 13th October
Today I helped the children of senior infants with their shared reading and writing in the
morning. Then after lunch I was sent to photocopy a worksheet for the children. Then I had to
use the guillotine to cut them down to size. I also laminated some posters for the class.
I learned how to use the laminator and the guillotine. I also learned how to communicate with the
children better through shared reading.
Thursday 20th October
I was attending St. Colmans N.S today. I helped the class teacher prepare an art class. I gathered
all of the equipment such as paint brushes, paint and sheets of paper. I also helped the children by
pouring out paint, cleaning their brushes and leaving their sheets up to dry.
I learned how to control a class and how to capture the childrens attention. I learned that having
a child with autism in the class can present difficulties and problems within the classroom.

Joey Duggan

St. Jatlaths College

TY A 2016

WORK EXPERIENCE REPORT

ST. COLMANS N.S
ROLES IN THIS WORK PLACEMENT
I have worked as many roles in this work placement. I have acted as an assistant teacher to the
senior infant class and have helped the children in their day to day work. I have also acted as an
assistant to the secretary where I printed this off and learned to be organised.

HOW DID YOU SECURE THIS WORK PLACEMENT

I secured this work placement as my mother works in the school as a teacher. I also had to get
Garda vetted during the process of securing this work placement.

WHAT WAS MOST ENJOYABLE ABOUT THE WORK PLACEMENT?

I enjoyed working with the children most. It was a very enjoyable experience helping the
children with their shared reading, writing and maths. Although the children were loud and noisy
it was an enjoyable experience.

WHAT WAS LEAST ENJOYABLE ABOUT THE WORK PLACEMENT?

I least enjoyed the laborious task of copying thing on the printer, gluing the childrens art work
and cutting things out. It was very boring and repetitive. It was one of the least enjoyable
experiences of my work placement.

DID YOUR EXPERIENCE LIVE UP TO EXPECTATIONS?

Yes my experience lived up to my expectations and beyond. I found it overall very enjoyable and
worthwhile. I found that by the end of my work placement I had a lot more respect for teachers.

WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALENGE YOU FACED?

Joey Duggan

St. Jatlaths College

TY A 2016

The biggest challenge I faced during the course of this work placement was having pactience and
understanding. I soon learned that children learn best through repetition. This became evident in
their shared reading where the children would have to read a page a couple of times before
understanding its meaning.

LIST THE SKILLS YOU HAVE LEARNED

Patience
Communication
Understanding
Teaching
Organisation

HOW HAS THIS WORK PLACEMENT AFFECTED YOR THOUGHTS

ON YOR CAREER PATH
Although I have had a very enjoyable experience I do not think that this work placement has
changed my thoughts on my career path.

HOW WOULD YO RATE YOUR LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION

I think I have given it my all and have done everything that I have been asked. I also worked
well with the children and the teachers.

Joey Duggan

St. Jatlaths College

TY A 2016

WORK EXPERIENCE
MEDTRONIC
Thursday 27th October
Today I was in Medtronic in Galway. Today I was looking at the production line of one of their
ventilators called the 840. I looked at the process of making different components like the PSOL
or the GUI screen.
Today I learned that it is important to document everything in an environment like this as there
are various tests to be done. If a mistake is made and it is not documented it could be deadly as
peoples lives rely on things like these.
Thursday 3rd November
Today I was further up the production line of this ventilator. I was observing the making of AI
and BD boards as well as the BPS (backup power supply). I also saw some tests that they do on
each part such as leak tests, audio tests, etc.
Today I learned that if any component fails a test and cannot be fixed it goes into de-bug to be
look at. I was also told the slogan for the factory floor; Touch the product, touch the patent.
Thursday 10th November
Today I was in Final System Testing. This consists of placing the finish ventilator in the burn out
room for 48hrs. After it has passed this it then goes through a number of other tests. I is also
hooked up to a machine that acts like a patents lungs. After this it is put into Configuration
where different software is put into it for different countries.
I learned that it is very important to do a number of tests on the ventilator. I also learned that the
values on the ventilator must be changed depending on which country it goes to.
Thursday 17th November
Today I was observing the production of a compressor. These are a plastic shell filled with foam
to reduce the amount of noise they make. It is also ensures a constant, clean, dry compressed air
supply for medical ventilators.

Joey Duggan

St. Jatlaths College

TY A 2016

I learned about compressors and there importance in hospitals and on the field. I learned how
they are used if a hospital does not have its own oxygen supply to connect the ventilator or they
can be used to move a patient from one room to another.

Thursday 24th November

Today I accompanied the line lead of the 480 ventilator. This entailed going around counting up
all of the ventilators that are still in the production line, most of which are going to the USA or
Singapore. We had to count each of them separately and then account for them on the computer.
He could then see how
I learned how to organise things using programmes such as Word Excel. I also learned how he
must have a list who is trained in what section of the ventilator and who can cover for someone if
they are sick or on holidays.
Thursday 1st December
Today I accompanied one of the engineers. I had to send a number of USBs to a plant in the USA
as they contained a software change. Then we headed to a room where they were designing a
new line of production. This line is being built to reduce the time it takes to make a certain
ventilator to only 55 minutes. This whole model is made of cardboard and is full sized and 3D.
I learned how a new production is modelled to ensure that everything is functional. I also learned
that it is important to plan things, to insure that that the people who are going to be using it are
happy with it.
Thursday 8th December
Today I was with the same engineer. In the morning I accompanied him to the morning meeting
where some managers and engineers meet to get a review of yesterdays production. We then
went to the room where the concept line was being made and continued with that project.
I learned how to review progress and how to conduct a meeting. I also learned more about the
mechanisms that go into a project like this. It has to be easily refillable so it must have opening
backs and in some cases a conveyor belt like design.
15th December
Today I was with an engineer. In the morning he had to check his emails. Then we went to where
a component of the 840 ventilator is being made called PSOL. There was a problem here but it
was soon fixed. Then he showed me some other components and explained how they worked.
I learned how some components were made and how they work, this includes:

Joey Duggan

St. Jatlaths College

A safety valve
PSOL
Compressor
BDU Board

Joey Duggan

TY A 2016