{"id":45,"date":"2015-08-19T14:51:07","date_gmt":"2015-08-19T13:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/an\/anguschildrenandlearning\/?p=45"},"modified":"2015-08-21T15:32:50","modified_gmt":"2015-08-21T14:32:50","slug":"welcome-to-angus-children-and-learning-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/an\/anguschildrenandlearning\/2015\/08\/19\/welcome-to-angus-children-and-learning-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome to Angus Children and Learning Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Margo Williamson<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Hello and welcome to the Angus Children and Learning Blog.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

As Strategic Director, \u00a0I have been charged with writing the first post. This is a privilege and a challenge. Specifically, what aspect of learning, including mine, do I write about?<\/p>\n

Having thought really hard, there was only one avenue to pursue for the first blog:\u00a0 Angus Council staff.<\/p>\n

As Strategic Director\u00a0 – People, I have responsibility for ensuring the delivery of the highest quality services for all our citizens in Angus. In equal measure I have also to ensure the highest quality is affordable so we live within our means.\u00a0 I can only do this through you.<\/p>\n

I am only as good as my team.<\/p>\n

The McKinsey Report 2007<\/a> and The McKinsey Report 2010<\/a>\u00a0states quite clearly, no education system can exceed the quality of its teachers. Similarly, I would argue, no public service can exceed the quality of those staff who serve.<\/p>\n

The only way to improve outcomes for our citizens is to evaluate what we do and learn from it.<\/p>\n

I believe our biggest asset is our staff and significantly we have a staff group largely made up of people who see themselves as learners . \u00a0Since coming to Angus in 2013, I have been struck by the hard work , commitment and dedication of staff \u00a0to the children and young people of Angus. I fully acknowledge their leadership of a huge range of issues including considerable national and local change, much of it requiring new learning:\u00a0: The implications of the Children and Young People\u2019s Act<\/a>; Curriculum for Excellence<\/a>; Changes to Qualifications<\/a>; and GIRFEC<\/a> and the named person, \u00a0to select \u00a0a few.\u00a0 \u00a0I know it has been a challenging but commitment has been unwavering. Our staff can and do support young people in a considerable range of events beyond any \u2018prescribed\u2019 \u00a0hours.<\/p>\n

I realise the hours staff spend on Council \u2018duties\u2019. I am aware that working on these often are at the cost of the time they \u00a0would spend with their \u00a0own families and friends, yet many do this without reservation or complaint. Their example sets the tone for our young people and motivates them to equally contribute beyond expectations and I want to acknowledge that fully.<\/p>\n

Recently, I came across this cartoon.<\/p>\n

\"Cartoon\"<\/a><\/p>\n

With this age of change, it often feels we are constantly having to recalculate, draw on our learning\u00a0 and consider what our best judgement is this time. Sometimes, it can feel incredibly complex as we work through possible solutions. Sometimes, it can feel quite isolated as we seek fresh ideas or approaches to the challenge. Sometimes, we believe we, as an individual, must come up with an answer. Often, we miss the opportunity to clarify our own thinking or create a solution by working with another.<\/p>\n

This blog is a forum for such discussion, clarification and thinking. It is to allow us to present our challenges; our learning and our communication of that learning. It is also an open forum to enable other learners and contributors to participate, adapt or build on our ideas.<\/p>\n

Everyone is being given the opportunity to interact meaningfully with this blog. By getting involved we can all be active begetters of knowledge rather than simply the recipient\u00a0of information from\u00a0others. The blog is open, democratic and gives the opportunity to air ideas and opinions to an audience working at all levels.<\/p>\n

Technology promises us snappy answers, like the satnav mouse seeking direction in the cartoon, but what is more valuable is how it offers a range of opportunities for the kinds of virtual discussion with a range of participants that we could not have in the past.<\/p>\n

I look forward to engaging with questions or discussing some of our challenges in this blog. To get us started I thought I would share the following:<\/p>\n

We recently asked our children and young people about what life was like living in Angus.<\/p>\n

94% of our children and young people responded.<\/p>\n

Out of that 94%, 40% responded with answers indicating \u2018poor engagement\u2019 with school.<\/p>\n

These questions included:<\/p>\n