Category Archives: Technology

Glow Blogs Feedback Required

Education Scotland are seeking feedback from all Glow users on what new functionality they would like to have added to Glow Blogs. A short survey has been created which I ask you to complete and share in order for us to collect as much feedback as possible.

The next release of Glow Blogs is scheduled for summer 2018. In order for all responses to be considered in time for the release, the deadline for survey responses is the 30th November. All responses received after this date will be collected for consideration for future releases of Glow Blogs.

The survey, and more information, is available here

https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/glowbloghelp/suggestions/

Thanks

Making Scotland a STEM Nation

STEM Education and Training Strategy for Scotland has now been published

A STEM (Sciences Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics) Education and Training Strategy was launched in the Scottish Parliament last week by Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science.  The strategy, together with a STEM Evidence Base Report, is now available to download from: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/10/1386/downloads

The strategy sets out the vision for STEM Education and Training for the next five years around the themes of Excellence, Equity, Inspiration and Connection. The ambitious actions for early learning and childcare, schools, colleges, universities and community learning and development (CLD) sectors have been developed through an extensive process of engagement and consultation.

Key commitments within the strategy include:

  • Improving the supply of high-quality STEM graduates into teaching
  • Recruiting a new network of STEM specialist advisors to support practitioners and raise STEM attainment
  • Enhancing opportunities for children in early learning and childcare (ELC) to learn about STEM and their natural environment through outdoor play
  • Delivering an enhanced programme of career-long professional learning for practitioners and technicians to improve STEM learning and teaching
  • Launching a new on-line STEM resource and directory for practitioners
  • Embedding best practice from the successful Improving Gender Balance project to improve participation by under-represented groups in STEM learning, courses and training, particularly for women and girls
  • Establishing a new Young STEM leaders programme to grow and spread inspiration and enthusiasm for STEM, starting in the early and primary years of education
  • Launching STEM Awards for ELC settings, schools and CLD settings
  • Growing successful STEM partnerships between schools and employers through the Developing the Young Workforce Programme
  • Helping science centres and festivals to attract under-served people of all ages and backgrounds
  • Creating a STEM hub network to strengthen regional-level collaboration between partners, including universities, science centres and employers.

A central focus on the strategy is to enable everyone to develop STEM skills for learning, for life and for work. Also included are commitments to expand Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeship Programmes to enable many to pursue jobs and careers in STEM through these pathways. This strong focus on skills and careers will further enhance national efforts to Develop the Young Workforce (DYW) and embed employment and career management skills in the curriculum through the Career Education Standard.

Education Scotland would like to take this opportunity to thank the many practitioners, authority staff and partners who helped to shape this strategy by participating in on-line surveys or by taking part in consultation and engagement events. We are very much looking forward to working with key partners to realise the bold ambitions within the strategy and to improving outcomes for learners, of all ages, across Scotland through STEM.

We would be grateful for any help you can give in disseminating the strategy to your colleagues and networks. Please remember too to share your ideas, practice and approaches in relation to STEM through Twitter @EdscotSciences #ScotSTEM and through our national STEM Yammer Group: http://glo.li/2A7gCgr.

Digital Citizenship – Young peoples’ rights on Social Media

Teaching Digital Citizenship in your classroom and need help with Social Media information?

Please click on the link below to access some Free age appropriate lesson plans for use in the Classroom.

https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/digital-citizenship

Resources have also been uploaded into Aberdeenshire’s Digital Citizenship Glow Site.

Future jobs – are your pupils ready?

Online GLOW session – 20 September 2017 at 16.15

Google, airbnb and facebook have all changed our world by creating new ways of doing things, but did you know that these types of technology businesses also creating lots of highly paid job opportunities?  In Scotland this demand for technology skills and jobs is accelerating, and bringing with it a diverse range of exciting jobs for our young people so it important we prepare them for their digital future.

 Join this session to find out how technology is changing the careers of the future, and what we can do to ensure our young people have the skills and knowledge to take advantage of this wealth of opportunity.

This session is open to all teaching staff working across broad general education in particular we think this session would be useful for Head teachers, subject teachers and guidance staff.

Event description:

Did you know that two thirds of primary school children will have jobs in the future which do not exist today?  It is important that we can open their eyes to the careers of the future and support them to develop the skills they need to thrive in the changing world of technology.

In Scotland Digital technology businesses are booming, continuing to transform the way we live and having an increasingly disruptive effect on business. The tech sector is growing rapidly but it’s not just tech businesses that are affected, this digital revolution is impacting all businesses and organisations across Scotland’s entire economy. As it continues to pick up pace it is creating unprecedented demand for tech jobs and skills from employers and bringing with it a wealth of career opportunities for our young people.

Join Skills Development Scotland in partnership with Education Scotland to find out about some of the technology jobs and careers of the future, and what we can do to help prepare our young people for the jobs of the future.

During this Glow Meet Up you will learn about:

  • How technology is changing future careers
  • What opportunities are available to young people to embrace this change
  • Challenges we face in helping young people realise these opportunities
  • Resources and support available to young people and schools

This is a 25minute session followed by 20minute Q&A

To participate, please register here by Monday 11 September using the password GLOW.

We will email the online details to those registered the week before the session.

Scottish National Standardised Assessments now available

As part of the on-going implementation of the National Improvement Framework (NIF), the Scottish National Standardised Assessments (SNSAs) have now been launched. The SNSAs are a diagnostic tool to support improvement in children’s learning and to inform teachers’ professional judgment on pupil progress.

Information about SNSA is available on a new Standardised Assessments website, there’s also a leaflet for parents and carers. Visit the Scottish Government website for further information about the National Improvement Framework.

Curiosity, Inquiry and Creativity using Technology in the Early Years

This is an in-service day event aimed at Early Years practicioners.

The day will consist of Keynote Speakers and hands on workshops demonstrating how technology can be used in an Early Years enviroment.

Agenda for the day below,

Time Agenda Speaker Item
9:30 – 9:45 Opening TBC Introduction
9:45 – 10:45 Keynote Abdul Chohan Change belief, change behaviour
10:45 – 11:00 Break
11:00 – 11:30 Workshop 1
11:30 – 12:00 Workshop 2
12:00 – 12:30 Workshop 3
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch
13:30 – 14:00 Workshop 4
14:00 – 15:00 Keynote Joe Moretti
15:00 – 15:15 Digital Leaders James McLean
15:15 – 15:30 Closing Susan Sey Q & A

 

Workshops
Workshop 1 Creating interactive lessons using Smart Notebook Susan Sey
Workshop 2 Embedding coding in Early Years Jim McLean
Workshop 3 Digital storytelling to promote Curiosity, Inquiry and Creativity PT
Workshop 4 Realising the potential Abdul Chohan
Workshop 5 Using animation to capture Pupil Voice PT
Workshop 6 Using OneNote to celebrate and reflect on learning Graeme Slapp
Workshop 7 Profiling in the Early Years PT

Please contact the Learning through Technology Team if you have any queries re the above event. We look forward to seeing you there 🙂

Staff Digital Leaders

Many thanks to those of you who have volunteered for the Staff Digital Leader Programme for Education.

We are now sitting at over 50 members of staff who are keen to support schools with using Technology to enhance Learning and Teaching. These people will liaise with the Learning through Technology Team to coordinate training sessions and pass on information re technology in the classroom and the National Digital Agenda.

We will be officially launching our programme on the 15th September in Committee Room 5, Woodhill House. This day will be a mixture of planning, discussions and hands on workshops.

We have a Glow Site with more information about the programme and a Yammer group for ongoing discussions.

Staff Digital Leader Glow Site

The session will be advertised via Aberdeenshire Events as soon as they move to the new Aldo system after July.

Please get in touch with the Learning through Technology Team if you would like to enroll in this new exciting programme.

james.mclean@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

susan.sey@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

STEM Survey

You may be aware that Government Ministers launched a consultation at the end of 2016 on a National STEM Education and Training Strategy for Scotland. The many responses received clearly articulated the importance of having a coherent strategy for career-long professional learning for practitioners in STEM subjects (Sciences, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics).

Education Scotland and Scottish Government are currently undertaking further engagement with key stakeholders to help shape the actions for career-long professional learning to appear in the final strategy to be published later this year.

We’re very keen that these considerations are guided by the views and experiences of practitioners across the country. We’d like to gather practitioners’ views about their professional learning needs and the most effective way for them to access professional learning.

I’d be grateful if you could  complete the following online survey: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/7YF22GR

We’re keen for this to be completed by practitioners at all levels in early learning and childcare, additional support needs, primary and secondary school settings.

The survey should only take a few minutes to complete but will be of enormous value helping us to support practitioners more effectively and to improve outcomes for learners in relation to STEM.

The survey will remain open until Thursday 22nd June.