Knowledge Zone

Portobello Montessori School, based in Portobello Institute, is the first preschool in Ireland to engage with the innovative FIRST® LEGO® League Discover program.  

Children at Portobello Montessori school are the youngest in the country currently discovering how LEGO® and STEAM go hand in hand. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Maths.

Free CPD Webinar: FIRST® LEGO® League Discover: Supporting the Language of STEAM in Early Education - Register Here.

LEGO®, the 'toy' we all know and love, is already being used by hundreds of children aged four to six throughout primary schools in Ireland, the UK and globally.   

Portobello Institute is supporting the innovation of developing STEM/STEAM integration at early childhood level.  

In the second decade of the 21st century, we understand that we are in a changing world with increasing innovation in technology. There is a need to promote creative thinking and innovation in future generations. 

The children in our early years settings today are digital natives, they will never know a world without technology, and they need to be prepared for the world they will live in when they are adults.   

The work we do in their early years can positively impact the rest of their lives, that’s why Portobello Montessori School, supported by Portobello Institute, is leading the way as the first preschool in Ireland to take part in FIRST® LEGO® League Discover giving children a head start in STEAM education.  

By engaging in STEAM activities in early childhood, children begin to understand how to solve problems creatively, building and deepening their knowledge of scientific concepts in the process.    

Portobello Institute will host a free CPD webinar on Monday, March 21st from 7 – 8 pm that will showcase the introduction and implementation of the FIRST® LEGO® League Discover Program at Portobello Montessori School. Register here.

Speaking on the night will be Pauline Maguire and Natasha Murphy. The event will be hosted by Dr Marguerita Magennis.  

Pauline has had a varied career over the last two decades. She began her career in 2002 in Audio Video Production while completing a BA (Hons) in Communications & Creative Multimedia.

By 2006, her career took a u-turn, when she retrained in Montessori Education and opened a Montessori Pre-school in Malahide in late 2006. Montessori Education and the concept of child-led, constructionist education is a passion of Pauline’s.

So, in 2010, she and her husband put their collective knowledge together and set up Learnit. This company's main aim is to introduce STEAM subjects to students through LEGO® Education teaching resources.

Over the last decade, the company has become the leading specialist for LEGO® Education in Ireland, with Pauline and her partner becoming Ireland's only LEGO® Education Academy Certified Teacher Trainers and the official partners of IET to run FIRST® LEGO® League programmes across Ireland. 

Natasha Murphy is the Manager of Portobello Montessori School. She is leading the first implementation of FIRST® LEGO® League in a preschool in Ireland alongside her colleague Katie Kelly. Natasha holds a BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Education and is currently studying for her MA at Portobello Institute.

Dr Marguerita Magennis is the Course Coordinator of the Masters in Early Childhood Studies and Lead Lecturer BA Hons degree Early Childhood Studies at Portobello Institute. Her knowledge, qualifications and experience span everything from STEAM education to psychology, special needs education, curriculum design and leadership. Read her full profile here.

Valuable insights will be shared around STEAM in early childhood and the benefits of a program like this in the early years setting. 

Innovative and resilient children are the way of the future, and as adults who work with these children, it is the role of the parent, practitioners and educators to ensure that we provide these children with the resources they need to be successful adults.  

The young children at Portobello Montessori School are currently taking part in the IET FIRST® LEGO® League Discover programme.

FIRST® LEGO® League Discover is a global STEM programme for 4-6 year olds that helps develop STEM skills from an early age.  Children explore a real-world theme and learn through play.

FIRST® is an acronym for 'For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology', and the FIRST® LEGO® League encourages children to think like scientists and engineers, developing practical solutions to real-world issues.

If you work in the early years sector and want to keep your finger on the pulse of the latest innovation in early childhood education, make sure you register for this webinar for a chance to learn and connect with like-minded people and gain new knowledge from a brand-new project being carried out for the first time in Ireland. 

Those who attend live on the night will receive an e-certificate of attendance from Portobello Institute for CPD purposes. The webinar will be recorded for those who cannot attend live. We highly recommend you attend live on the night for the full benefit of the live Q&A interaction and Portobello Institute eCertificate of attendance.

Register for this free webinar here.

If you have any problems registering, please email michelle.hogan@portobelloinstitute.com for assistance. 

Read more about STEAM in Portobello Institute's Early Years Knowledge Zone here. 

Interested in Early Childhood Studies?

If you are interested in fulfilling your potential and following your passion for early education visit our course pages here, speak to our admissions expert Jennifer Matteazzi who can help you to choose the course that is right for you by calling 01 892 0031, emailing jennifer.matteazzi@portobelloinstitute.com or book a consultation call here.