Category Archives: Learning Tech

Dunoon Grammar School – Apps for Good final

Achievement, Competitions, Digital Leaders, Digital Learning, Digital Schools, Learning Tech

Dunoon Grammar School have two teams shortlisted for the people’s choice award at this year’s Apps for Good UK finals.

Dunoon Grammar School

The Apps for Good Awards are an annual competition to showcase some of the best apps created by student teams. Over 25,000 young people from 1250 establishments have participated this year – so it is a real honour to have two teams at this year’s awards.

This people’s choice award is a public vote. DGS is up against schools from geographically denser areas – so we are looking for as much help as possible with the vote.

Please could you take a wee minute to vote for one of the DGS ideas viewed at these direct links: (Both open in a new window)

NightLight or SafeSocket

All of the entries can be viewed here:

https://www.appsforgood.org/public/awards/2018/peoples-choice

Digital Learning Strategy and Action Plan

Digital Leaders, Digital Learning, Digital Schools, Learning Tech

The Digital Learning Team seeks to provide digital learning to children, young people and staff in schools throughout Argyll and Bute.  We have a clear vision on what we want to deliver as well as a strategy in place to achieve this vision; you can find the latest versions of our Digital Learning Strategy and Action Plan below:

Our Strategy: Digital Learning Strategy v20

Our Action Plan: Digital Learning Action Plan v20

Digital Xtra Fund on the hunt for inspiring digital initiatives for young people

Learning Tech

Projects that teach digital technologies skills to young people could be in line for a financial boost as the Digital Xtra Fund announces its first funding round since becoming a charity.

A total of £50,000 will be available for projects that inspire young people by taking digital skills out of the classroom and teaching concepts like computational thinking, coding, digital making, or data science in a fun environment. Applications open on 16 June and each project can apply for up to £5000.

Continue reading Digital Xtra Fund on the hunt for inspiring digital initiatives for young people →

St Mun’s Guitar Project

Creativity, Fundraising, Learning Tech, Primary schools, PSE, Secondary schools, ,

The Primary 6/5 pupils from St Muns Primary in Dunoon, recently spent two days visiting the Technical Department in Dunoon Grammar School, making their own guitars. Having been given a basic specification for a guitar, the pupils came up with their own unique designs and with the help of Mr Mollins and some S3 pupils, who acted as team leaders, they constructed the guitar parts from wood and pieced them together.

Continue reading St Mun’s Guitar Project →

Dunoon Primary – After School Coding Club

Learning Tech

img_0342Wednesday afternoons have been full of excitement as Steven Simpson from the Learning technologies team has been in school showing the children how to code Spark + and Drones.  This has been an exciting time for the P5-P7 pupils who are keen coders! Thank you Steven for providing such exciting challenges for our pupils.

Continue reading Dunoon Primary – After School Coding Club →

Digital Learning Strategy Consultation

Learning Tech

Argyll and Bute Councils Digital Learning team have produced a draft Digital Learning Strategy which we would like to receive feedback on.

The Scottish Government launched a Digital Learning and Teaching Strategy in September 2016. The vision is that Scotland’s educators, learners and parents take full advantage of the opportunities offered by digital technology in order to raise attainment, ambition and opportunities for all and that conditions are created to realise this vision and unlock the potential of digital technology in schools. The number of key curriculum developments within digital learning require teachers and learners to be confident and competent in the use of technology. Argyll and Bute establishments, staff and pupils must be ready to embrace the changes that will inevitably take place.

Continue reading Digital Learning Strategy Consultation →

Pupil Digital Leader Event – Tell us what you think

Co-operative Learning, CPD, Creativity, Curriculum for Excellence, Learning Tech, Primary schools, , ,

week7-2The pupil Digital Leaders event took place in Inveraray on Friday 18th November.   This event was attended by 244 pupils from 40 schools.

It is important that our pupil’s opinions are heard and we would like feedback from our digital leaders via the survey emailed to staff.

The survey will close on Monday 28th November at 5pm and will take around 10 minutes to complete.

Digital Leader Labs – 18th November 2016 (Event Full)

Co-operative Learning, CPD, Events, Learning Tech, Primary schools, Training, Workshops, ,

img_20161026_155611The senior pupils’ digital leader training event will take place in Inveraray Primary School on Friday 18th November 2016 from 10:00 till 15:30.  The event is aimed at pupils from P5/6/7 and will include training for pupils on computational thinking, troubleshooting and introduction to computer programming using Drones and Sphero’s.  There will also be a CPD session for staff. Continue reading Digital Leader Labs – 18th November 2016 (Event Full) →

Prints of Play! at Cove Park

Co-operative Learning, Communities, Creativity, Events, Expressive arts, Learning Tech, Modern Studies, Personal Development, Primary schools, Secondary schools, Topics, Training, Workshops

cove-park-prints-of-play-lauraspringThe Hands-On Cove Park Holiday Art Club offers a blast of creativity every day!
Prints of Play! is for children aged 8-11 interested in art, experimenting with colour, shape, texture and pattern. During a course of four daily sessions, 09:30-11:30 from Monday 17 – Thursday 20 October 2016, children will experiment with ideas around the theme of ‘play’ to create a series of quick, inspirational paper collages that will be used to inform a stencil design to print one or more t-shirt designs that they can go on to wear.
Continue reading Prints of Play! at Cove Park →

Minecraft at Dunoon Primary!

Co-operative Learning, Learning Tech, Primary schools

img_20161004_134941On Tuesday 4th October Steven Simpson from the Argyll and Bute Council Learning Technologies Team came into our school to show our P7 class how to use Minecraft Education Edition. The session was very interactive and the pupils had lots of fun learning this new skill. They were able to challenge each other in the same world which had been created by Steven.

Continue reading Minecraft at Dunoon Primary! →

‘Dare to be Different’

Active Learning, Events, Interdisciplinary, Learning Tech, Outdoor Learning, PE, Personal Development, Primary schools, PSE, Topics,

At the end of August, 19 Park Primary School girls from Primary 6 and 7 attended Dare to be Different at Knockhill Racing Circuit. It was an event organised by Susie Wolf (an ex pupil of Park Primary) to encourage girls into motor racing and to promote the message that gender doesn’t limit your choices. We made a hover craft, experienced go-karting, learned how to do a pit stop, participated in a fitness routine and took part in an interview with Sky Sports and some of us even got on the STV news. It was an amazing day that we will never forget.

Continue reading ‘Dare to be Different’ →

Kodu 6-Week Teaching Pack

Learning Tech, Primary schools,

koduwk2Kodu is an application developed by Microsoft which introduces young people to computer games design. The visual programming language allows students to design and build three-dimensional games.  Kodu helps young people to learn the core concepts of computer science through a project approach which includes narrative writing, design, maths and programming skills.

Click here to view the teaching pack, and click here to look at the Digital Learning Team’s Kodu workshop instructions.

 

Helensburgh and Lomond Technology Event

Conferences, Events, Learning Tech, Primary schools, , , ,

Technology DSC00052Showcase – On Saturday 7 May 2016 around 300 primary pupils from across Helensburgh and Lomond attended a technology showcase event with parents.
The aim of the event was to help equip young people with the necessary skills and knowledge to turn computing ideas into concepts, showcase what can be created through technology and provide additional exciting computer science related learning opportunities.

Continue reading Helensburgh and Lomond Technology Event →

JUNIOR SALTIRE WINNERS!

Awards, Communities and Culture, Competitions, Creativity, Curriculum for Excellence, Eco Schools, environment, Events, Exhibition, Geography, Global Citizenship, Interdisciplinary, Learning Tech, Outdoor Learning, Personal Development, Presentations, Primary schools, School trips, Science, Social Enterprise,

Port Ellen Junior Saltire WinnersLast week Joe, Bronagh, Kaya and Murray traveled with Mrs Clark and Mrs Leask to Glasgow and Edinburgh to take part in the Celebration of Science and Engineering run by @scdiYESC at the Glasgow Science Centre. They were finalists in the Junior Saltire Awards with their Wave Islay design, made with help from Bronagh’s dad Gus, an excellent boat builder. They tested their devices at the Flowave facility in Edinburgh along with 6 other primary schools and 5 secondary schools, before attending the event and presenting to the judges.

Continue reading JUNIOR SALTIRE WINNERS! →

Technology Showcase Event @ Hermitage Academy – 7th May

Learning Tech,

A fun and informal technology day – starting at 10am prompt and will include a short presentation by a technology specialist.  There will be a range of exciting hands-on technology workshops, led by primary pupils from Helensburgh schools. This event is open to primary pupils and parents/guardians.  Please note that all pupils must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

 

Continue reading Technology Showcase Event @ Hermitage Academy – 7th May →

App Specific Twilight Sessions

CPD, Learning Tech, , ,

Cardross AppsCardross Primary School RTC are providing free Twilight CPD Sessions for all teachers and educational staff. All sessions are free and will give practical examples, help and advice on how to use each app in the classroom. Sessions will run from 4pm until 5.30pm. iPads and refreshments will be provided. A link to download course materials will be provided the week before each course, to all registered participants. Places will be limited dependent on course content. Continue reading App Specific Twilight Sessions →

Bowmore’s Blast Off!

Events, Expressive arts, Hospitality, Interdisciplinary, Learning Tech, Outdoor Learning, Primary schools, Science, Topics,

Bowmore PS Blat offWe have been studying space at Bowmore Primary and following Tim Peake! G4-7 used their 3D shape knowledge and built a rocket! P1/2 have made rocket packs to help boost them into space. P3/4 found Tim Peake’s space boots in their classroom along with moon dust footprints. P4/5 seem to spend a lot of time researching in their space station as do G1-3. P6/7 used an awful lot of paper to demonstrate the distance between the sun and the planets and the sun.

Continue reading Bowmore’s Blast Off! →

Strone Primary School get crafty!

Communities and Culture, Events, Expressive arts, Interdisciplinary, Learning Tech, Presentations, Primary schools, Workshops

Strone PS get crafty 1On Friday 25th September we took six pupils from the P5-7 class to a Textile Workshop with artist Deirdre Nelson at the Burgh Hall Pop Up Gallery in Dunoon, as part of Craft Scotland’s Meet your Maker campaign. Deirdre showed us round the exhibition of textile art at the gallery, and then we were given the chance get creative, using embroidery techniques to make pictures of the local area.

Continue reading Strone Primary School get crafty! →

Kodu Kup Scottish winners from Dunoon make it to UK final!

Awards, Competitions, Enterprise, Learning Tech, Primary schools

1st-place-dunoon-rural-racersOpen to all Scottish school children ages seven to fourteen the Kodu Kup competition saw pupils from ten schools across the country take on the challenge of coding and creating a game. Impressing the judges with their game creation and entrepreneurial skills the ‘Rural Racers’ from Dunoon Primary School were crowned Scottish Kodukup champions. The champions now have been invited to present their game to a team of expert judges at the UK Finals in Reading on the 13 July with the chance of taking home the UK Kodu Kup! Continue reading Kodu Kup Scottish winners from Dunoon make it to UK final! →