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CR - Crochet for teachers

A crochet approach to curriculum across the senior classes. 

About the Course

A crochet, STEM, art & literacy approach to cross-curriculum learning at its very best!

Pick up your crochet needle, hook & loop your threads and let’s head out into the curriculum!

Aoibhe Ní

We wanted to commission the very best out there in the world of crochet to create and present this course so we are delighted to say that we managed to secure the services of the fantastic 'Aoibhe Ní ' to do exactly that.  Aoibhe, who hails from County Meath, is a world-renowned expert in crochet. She has performed the craft for over 30 years and has been a professional designer since 2012.  Signature patterns developed by Aoibhe have been featured in books and magazines worldwide and she has many years of experience teaching students from all over Ireland and the UK.  A pioneer of the 'short-hook' Tunisian crochet method for both lace and colour work shawls, Aoibhe is also an expert in amigurumi and traditional crochet. In this course, Aoibhe's step-by-step videos guide you seamlessly on your crochet journey from beginner/early learner to confident practitioner. 

The premise of the course is that you will learn to crochet a range of items that are central to a suite of 10 STEAM cross-curricular projects that you will do with your class across the school year, i.e. you teach them to crochet as part of a deeper dive into STEM / STEAM learning projects.

This is a course like you’ve never experienced before, and the curriculum from an angle never before conceived!

That’s the uniqueness that is CPD, the CPD College way.

We supply the cross-curricular thematic units of work that incorporate each crochet artefact.

When you enrol, you will receive a free crochet pack by courier delivery, with the materials to crochet the following 10 items:

  1. Crochet a ‘Cat/Dog Collar’ as a springboard into a fully integrated steAm unit of learning around ‘pets’.   
  2. Crochet a ‘Bookmark’ as a springboard into a fully integrated steAm unit of learning around a ‘book launch’.  
  3. Crochet a ‘Friendship Bracelet’ as a springboard into a fully integrated steAm unit of learning around a ‘School Craft Fair’. 
  4. Crochet a ‘Christmas Decoration’ as a springboard into a fully integrated steAm unit of learning around ‘Christmas is coming’.
  5. Crochet a ‘Table Coaster’ as a springboard into a fully integrated steAm unit of learning around a ‘Restaurant Opening’.
  6. Crochet a ‘Ruffle Flower’ as a springboard into a fully integrated steAm unit of learning around a ‘Flower Festival’.
  7. Crochet elements of a ‘Hanging Mobile’ as a springboard into a fully integrated steAm unit of learning around a ‘Bedroom Mobile’.
  8. Crochet a ‘Dream Catcher’ as a springboard into a fully integrated steAm unit of learning around an ‘Arts Festival’.
  9. Crochet a ‘Character Model’ as a springboard into a fully integrated steAm unit of learning around ‘Women in STEAM’.
  10. Crochet a ‘Jar jacket’ as a springboard into a fully integrated steAm unit of learning around ‘Upcycling’.

FREE

Aoibhe, through a series of videos, will teach you all the techniques to create each of the items. You will then be empowered to return to the classroom, and teach your students to crochet as a springboard into rich cross-curricular projects.

We set out, develop and detail the broader cross-curricular learning opportunities for each of the projects, covering elements of science, technology, engineering, art/literacy and mathematics.

This is immersive, inspired, hands-on learning at its very best.

Enrol today and return to the classroom in September, skilled in a new craft and a new approach to curriculum. 

You will have them hooked!

FREE CROCHET PACK FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS (Worth €45) - Sent by Post 

FREE

We will send out the free crochet resource pack to all participants so you can start on your crochet journey straight away.  The pack, illustrated above, contains the following items:

  • 8 x balls of Ricorumi DK 25g cotton yarn
  • 1 x 4mm Aluminium Crochet hook
  • 1 x blunt-ended darning needle/bodkin
  • 2 x 10 mm diameter safety toy eyes (& eye backs)
  • 10 x latching stitch markers
  • 1 x embroidery hoop
  • Toy stuffing
  • 1 x Crochet Book 'Quick and Easy Crochet 100 little crochet projects to make'. This is a fabulous 240-page book with colourful illustrations and easy step-by-step guides to help you continue your Crochet journey after you complete the course. 

NOTE:

The on-line format of this course enables you to study at a time and place that best suits your own needs. 

You can access your course anytime until March 31st 2025.

Within this highly interactive web-based course, a dynamic learning experience awaits. You can interact with your fellow course participants through the in-course chat forums and communication tools provided by the CPD College learning system. 

Our friendly and knowledgeable tutors actively support each course, providing expert interaction, guidance and feedback for all participants on chat questions and assignments which call for critical reflection, self-analysis and a reasoned response. 

On successful completion of your course, you can download and print off your CPD record and certificate of completion.

We look forward to welcoming you to your course.

Learning outcomes
In this course we aim to:
  • Deliver a complete working understanding of what constitutes STEM / STEAM
  • Upskill teachers to crochet a number of artefacts as springboards into wider STEAM projects
  • Inspire & skill teachers to create linked, integrated, cross-curricular, rich thematic units of work, with or without a crochet element
  • Turn literacy & numeracy learner outcomes into rich motivating projects
  • Showcase how crochet positively impacts the health & wellbeing of the crafter
Modules
01 - Introduction and basics: Our Crochet expert Aoibhe Ní introduces crochet. She talks through the basic materials needed, how to choose a hook and getting to know your yarn. She introduces basic stitches and progresses on to the creation of a cat/dog collar as a springboard to a fully integrated STEAM unit of learning around 'pets'. The next step is to crochet a bookmark as part of an integrated unit around a 'book launch'.
02 - Building the skills: Further integrated units of work are developed in this unit, requiring the crochet of a friendship bracelet and then a Christmas decoration.  We explore each STEAM element of the units; 'The Craft Fair' and 'Christmas is coming'.
03 - Progression and practise: We examine why 'making' is a key part of the STEM approach and how the process can be extended to support the development of literacy and numeracy skills. Aoibhe demonstrates how to crochet a coaster as a springboard into a fully integrated unit on 'The Restaurant' and a flower as the centrepiece of a STEAM unit on a 'Flower Festival'. 
04 - Confident practise: Aoibhe guides you through the crochet of a bedroom mobile and a dream catcher as the Art elements of fully integrated STEAM units of work that have a strong focus on literacy and numeracy. 
05 - Crochet for the classroom: We explore the crochet of a character model as a springboard into a fully integrated unit of work on 'Women in STEAM'. Aoibhe also works through the crochet of a jar jacket which is the core element of a unit on Upcycling. 

'This was without question the most enjoyable online course I have ever done...in over 20 years of summer courses. I loved the videos, the clear instructions and the written content. I especially liked that I could share my crochet efforts as my assignment.'  Grace, 2023