Professional Learning for Languages

Drop-in support session on using Book Creator for learning and teaching

15th November, 3.45-4.45pm- email gwen.mccrossan2@argyll-bute.gov.uk to receive the link to join.

Drop-in support session on creating Virtual classrooms for learning and teaching

22th November, 3.45-4.45pm- email gwen.mccrossan2@argyll-bute.gov.uk to receive the link to join.

Connecting Learning across the Curriculum (18th Nov) –Find out more and register

A look at how Languages (L2/3) can be linked to other curriculum areas, such as Literacy and topic based approaches.

We shall look at the Themed Activity Cards on the Northern Alliance Family Learning Site for French, Gaelic, German and Spanish for IDL work. We will also look at the Responsive Resources in Powerlanguage Schools for inspiration & touch on the CLIL approach to learning and the resources on the ELAPSE website.

Fun and Games at Kilmodan Primary School

As part of European Day of Languages some of us chose to dress up in the colours of the French flag. Pupils in P6 and 7 enjoyed leading games for younger children.  This photo shows us playing ‘Bonjour, Bonjour, Au Revoir,’ our version of Duck, Duck, Goose.  We were so pleased that the nursery children could join in too.

In the following clip Catriona asks Kathryn to tell us all about leading games for European day of Languages.  At Kilmodan we are developing leadership, literacy, languages, technology and HWB across the school.

P5-7 embraced the challenge of learning a French tongue twister.  Have a look at Fraser, who chose a particularly difficult one: Je cherche Serge.  Well done to everyone who took part and to Catriona who managed to say her tongue twister 70 times in one minute!  It was great fun!


Celebrating European Day of Languages

The P7 pupils at Hermitage Primary School took part in a ‘Voyage en France’ challenge. They were all paired up and given an envelope with a map, 2 cash cards with a budget of £500 each and a budget sheet. The pupils had to plan a trip to France which involved them visiting at least two places, one they had never heard of before, visit at least 3 attractions, try some local food and travel on a French train. The pupils used a range of Literacy, Maths, ICT and mapping skills to complete this task. At the end, they shared their trip with another pair and a few examples were shared with the class. All the pupils thoroughly enjoyed this activity and are keen to put their planning into action.

Linking Learners and Languages Across the Curriculum

Using Playground Games to Celebrate European Day of Languages

Why not try linking Languages up with other things you are already doing like Literacy or PE.  Take a look at this eBook for ideas on how to do this and share your learning as part of a celebration of European Day of Languages. To share the learning follow the instructions in the book  or  contact  me  directly gwen.mccrossan2@argyll-bute.gov.uk

  1. Choose a game/playground game.
  2. Choose what language you want to teach/revise eg. numbers
  3. Play the game inside/outside.
  4. Ask learners if they can remember the instructions (in English) & explain them to someone else. This could be in spoken form as a short presentation or a conversation, or learners could draw & label key words or write a set of instructions/describe what they did. If learners can add anything in another language eg. key words or the language they practised in the game, then that would be great!
  5. Choose how to share the work with others in the class/school community/parents Want some inspiration? Listen to Toby (P3) explain how to play Pêcheurs & poissons in this short video using the App Sock Puppets.

 

Professional Learning for Languages

Click on the links below to register for these sessions.

⭐Power Language Schools – Getting the Most from the Resource⭐

16th September 3.45-5.00pm

We will explore the vast array of support provided by this resource and advise on the best way to use it in your setting. We will also revisit the Family Learning course which all Northern Alliance teachers currently have free access to.

Four-week Introduction to Gaelic Course

  • Session 1: Introductions and Feelings- Tuesday 7th Sept
  • Session 2: Numbers and Days of the Week- Tuesday 5th October
  • Session 3: Weather and Colours- Tuesday 9th November
  • Session 4: Family and Pets- Tuesday 7th December

(Four week follow on course planned for January 2021)

Teaching 1+2 at All Levels

9th September – Early Level,  23rd September – First Level,  7th October Second/Third Level                                                           

These professional learning sessions aim to share resources, classroom teaching ideas, core language and support at each level. The sessions are relevant for all languages, with examples in French and Gaelic.

 

 

Three Peaks Challenge on Gigha

On Saturday 5th June, pupils from Gigha Primary School Eco Schools Committee took part in the Three Peaks Challenge, a 2.8km sponsored circular walk or scoot, which including walking the three highest cairns at the north of the island. Pupils from the nursery through to P7 raised the amazing current total of £630 through sponsorship from their family and friends; this will be used to purchase a variety of fresh fruit plants to be grown in the schools polycrub polytunnel as part of the pupil’s Eco School’s project. The end goal is to create a community growing garden to provide an increasing range of fruit and vegetables to pupils and the families who live on the Isle of Gigha.

Gigha Primary School’s Eco school’s Committee Chairperson, Max, reported “The sponsored walk was really fun and has raised lots of money for plants for the school growing area. We would like to say thank you to all the people who took part and who sponsored us.”

Headteacher, Julie Wilson, said “It is fantastic that despite the restrictions of Covid 19, our families have continued to join in with family friendly outdoor events. The children at Gigha Primary School are fully committed to taking action on issues of sustainability that are really important to them. This has provided an opportunity for them once again to have a voice around these aspects of everyday life, especially to lead community action on climate change. As an island community this allows our pupils to meet the challenges highlighted by the UN Sustainable Development goals in order to make the world a better place. “

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY! (WE’RE NOT SCARED)

Last Wednesday (19th May), some of the children from Dunoon Primary ELC set out on an ad venture. They were going on a bear hunt at the Bishops Glen! Before they fully embarked on their journey they wanted to hide the first of their painted “shanarri calamari” stones. These evolved from the Cowal P1 transition programme promoted by the Early Years Team and after carefully painting images on stones found on the beach, the children wanted to hide them throughout the Dunoon community for people to find. They were keen for folk to let them know if the stones had been found by letter, email or posting a picture on our school Facebook page and have already had their first response. This year’s P1 transition topic, based around the 8 SHANARRI wellbeing indicators of SAFE, HEALTHY, ACHIEVING, NURTURED, ACTIVE, RESPECTED, RESPONSIBLE and INCLUDED is going really well at Dunoon ELC. Thanks to the Early Years Team for gifting each setting with a toy octopus – we named ours “Rocky” and he has played a huge part in the fun and learning opportunities supporting each of our children as they make the journey from Nursery to Primary One.  With the first stone suitably placed, the children continued on their adventure. They trampled through “long wavy grass,” waded through “a deep cold river,” squelched through “thick oozy mud” and searched through “a big dark forest” until, after much excitement, they eventually found A BEAR! We would like to extend a massive thanks to Andy at Chainsaw Craft for donating our fabulous bear – our little ones were so excited to find him. To top it all the children enjoyed a bear hunt themed Bookbug session in the woods at the Bishops Glen celebrating Bookbug week (17th – 23rd May 2021) and Bookbug’s Big Splash. . . . . . . . . The sun was shining and it truly was a beautiful day!

Some Happy Winners of the Languages Storytelling Competition

Lovely to see all the happy faces from around the authority!

Home Languages Category:

1st Prize Olivia Baryla, P5, Dunoon Primary School

2nd Prize Noor Rashid, P7, Rhu Primary School

3rd PrizeKyle Welsh, P2, Hermitage Primary School

Learning Languages Category:

1st Prize Darcy Cameron, P6, Sandbank Primary School

2nd PrizeThe Maclean family, Bunessan Primary School

3rd Prize  Seren Johnston, P4, Bunessan Primary School

Special Merit Awards for Alfie Murray, Melchior Barbottin, Evelyn Taylor and Olivia Le Good in P2 at Hermitage primary School and Calum and Sophie Paterson and Acacia and Emmanuelle Maclean from Bunessan Primary School.

Well done everyone!

Professional Learning for Language Teaching

Follow the links to find out more about all the upcoming professional learning opportunities

6 week Gaelic Course (Commencing Thursday, 29th April, 3.45-4.45pm) Eventbrite Link

4 week follow on Spanish Course (Commencing Wednesday 28th April, 4-5.30pm) Eventbrite link 

Differentiation Strategies and Multi-Composite Class Approaches (Monday 10th May, 3.45-4.45pm) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/148193152709

Ensuring Progression in Language Learning (Monday, 17th May, 3.45-4.45pm) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/148194390411

Celebrating Achievements in Languages (Monday, 24th May, 3.45-4.45pm) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/148195523801

 

Digital Learning Support Site and Webinars

The Digital Learning Team’s support site contains useful videos, guidance and resources for education staff.  You can access the site at:

https://sites.google.com/ab.glow.scot/g-suite/home

The site also lists the team’s upcoming webinars, which staff are welcome to attend and which cover various subjects including Google Classroom, Glow, G Suite and Google Meet.  You can access the webinars page (which is regularly updated) of the site directly at:

https://sites.google.com/ab.glow.scot/g-suite/webinars