A new ‘Excellence Group’ has been announced by Cabinet Secretary Mike Russell to consider the future direction of GLOW.  It certainly seems like a group constituted to think big and to be creative, leading us to think that the recent GLOW agreement with Microsoft and their “365” suite of tools may not yet indicate our long term direction. 

As well as the most outspoken critic of “old GLOW” in Jaye Richards-Hill, the group contains the BBC’s favourite ICT teaching advisor Stephen Heppell as well as Argyll “old boy” Ewan MacIntosh noted for his promotion of future thinking around social networking and use of mobile devices.  Charlie Love, who has created a brilliant rival to GLOW, “Glew.org.uk”, is a surprising, but probably inspired inclusion indicating that everyone who has something to offer is being listened to.  The full list is as follows:

• Prof Muffy Calder, Chief Scientifi Adviser, Scottish Government.
• Prof Ian Sommerville, Professor of Software, University of St Andrews
• Prof Mike Sharples, Professor and Chair of Educational Technology, Open University
• Mr Ewan McIntosh, Director, NoTosh
• Mr Charlie Love, Teacher of Computing, Cults Academy Aberdeen
• Prof Bill Buchanan, Professor in the School of Computing, Edinburgh Napier University
• Mr Hamish Budge, Education Support Officer, Comhairle Nan Eilean Sar, Isle of Lewis
• Prof Jeff Haywood, Vice Principal Knowledge & Management, CIO & Librarian, University of Edinburgh
• Mr Neil Winton, Principal Teacher of English, Perth Academy
• Mr Tony Rafferty, National Parent Forum of Scotland
• Mr Fraser Speirs, Head of Computing and IT, Cedars School of Excellence
• Mrs Jaye Richards Hill, Former Learning Community Principal Teacher
• Mr Martin Dewar, Digital Director, Young Scot (who will also facilitate the involvement of two school pupils in the group)
• Prof Stephen Heppell, Chair in New Media Environments, Centre for Excellence in Media Practice, Bournemouth University

The announcement can be found at the “Engage” website:  http://www.engageforeducation.org/2012/07/glow-schools-it-excellence-group-set-up/

Matthew Boyle

Quality Improvement Officer