Thanks!

Farewell Keith

Sadly we say farewell to Keith Walker as he leaves us for the sunny slopes of retirement.  Keith will be well known to many of you not only as part of the RAiSE Team but also in his role as Outdoor Learning Development Officer and, before then, secondary science teacher (indeed, Keith probably taught many of you!).  He was a valued member of our team bringing with him not only his expertise in science but also his knowledge of our schools.  But we will probably miss him most for his enthusiasm, humour and unfailingly positive outlook.  We are sure all of you who have worked with him and benefitted from his wit and wisdom will join us in wishing him well. You’ll be genuinely missed, Keith!

Yammer

At the time of writing, Yammer continues to be unavailable due to safety and security concerns.  It is absolutely correct that pupil online safety must be a priority, however, it does mean that one of our main ways of communicating with you is currently out of action.  Hopefully, over the summer the issues with Yammer will be resolved; however, if not we will increase the frequency of our blog posts to ensure that you don’t miss out on any STEM opportunities.  Weekly?  Fortnightly?  What would you prefer?  Vote above to tell us what you think.

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

You can hardly have missed the mass of emails hitting your inbox asking you to confirm your agreement or re-register with websites due to the GDPR changes introduced last month.  However, be careful about what you are agreeing to.  Some sites, such as Accelerated Reader, have asked schools to sign and return new contracts, but do not sign any contracts without first referring to Susan Martin, Education Support Services Manager.  She will be able to obtain appropriate legal advice for you to ensure that the contract/agreement is a Local Authority one and does not leave you personally liable.

These changes have also raised concerns amongst teachers about whether sites which require staff or pupils’ information to be shared (ie to create pupil accounts) comply with regulations. Some have questioned whether sites such as SeeSaw or Class Dojo are okay to use, having heard that they are banned in some authorities but approved in others.  In D&G schools should follow the guidance provided by the Procedures for Assessing Suitability of Websites Which Require Pupil and Staff Personal Details to be Registered 2017.  This provides a flowchart to guide you through the process of assessing websites, and a matrix to assess the level of risk.  In addition, there are blank forms to record your risk assessment and seek parental permission.  You will find partially completed forms for some commonly used sites on the D&G Risk Assessments page of our website.  We are working to try to cut down the amount of paperwork schools need to complete for the most commonly used sites.  Please use the survey above to tell us the sites you have pupil accounts on and would like to see included in a more streamlined system.

iPads 

Great news!  You can now purchase iPads centrally (still using your school budget though) and have them connected to your school network.  These centrally purchased iPads will also have access to a range of useful education apps.  Contact EducationICT@dumgal.gov.uk for more information and support.  Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to add devices already purchased by schools to the school wifi, however, watch this space.  Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is being piloted in the Authority and if successful may be rolled out to more schools in the future.

If you are lucky enough to have access to iPads, then Apple provides some good support to help you use them effectively and innovatively in your classroom.  Find out more here:  https://www.apple.com/uk/education/

Holywood Trust RSE Talks 2018-19

The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) in collaboration with The Holywood Trust, has just launched their 2018-19 brochure of school talks.  All of the talks are by experts, keen to enthuse and excite students from P6 to S6, on a wide range of subjects from biology, astronomy and physics to literature, culture and the arts. Many of their speakers will work with you to tailor their talks
to fit with class curriculums and for different age groups and class sizes. In their programme, Holywood Trust Talks 2018-19, you will get a flavour of some of the speakers they have available, along with their lecture topics. If, however, there is a particular topic that you would like to cover, just get in touch and they will endeavour to find a speaker to suit.

The talks are FREE to schools. The RSE will cover all speakers’ costs, including travel and accommodation. All the school needs to provide is a venue for the talk and, of course, the audience!  If you would like to invite them to your school then contact Kate Kennedy, Outreach Officer, 07502 111 610, email kkennedy@therse.org.uk, for further details.

RAiSE Team Visit D & G

We are one of eight authorities who are part of the RAiSE project, and recently we were delighted to welcome Primary Science Development Officers from across Scotland and Gayle Duffus from The Wood Foundation (who provide funding for RAiSE) to Dumfries and Galloway.  Karen Creighton put together a full and wide-ranging two-day programme showcasing rural STEM.  We visited  Threave Estate, Tongland Hydro Station, a robotic milking parlour, egg production units, a gin distillery and Cree River Hatchery, as well as meeting with representatives of RHET, The John Muir Award and the Scottish Dark Sky Observatory.  We also made charcoal with Keith Walker!  Everywhere we went, we saw STEM in action, and our visitors were particularly struck with how high tech some traditional industries, such as dairy farming, have become.

Often we think of STEM industries as being located in the central belt, yet all of this is on our own doorstep.  Plus they are keen to work with schools.  If you would like support in making contact with STEM industries near you, get in touch with RAiSE Teachers, Karen Creighton or Carol Moyes.

The Digital Divide

Recently the RAiSE Team attended the Learning Through Technology conference in Edinburgh.  As you would imagine, there were lots of examples of schools using technology to enhance their pupils’ learning, but an interesting theme to come out of it was that of the ‘digital divide’.  This theme was picked up on in an Insight article in Tes Scotland (15 June 2018) which opened with the statement: “The ‘digital divide’ among pupils is a well-known factor in Scotland’s attainment gap between rich and poor.  But the failure of many teachers to get to grips with new technology may be worsening the problem – and leaving students at a further disadvantage.”  They also stated that 90% of teachers, based on a Tes Scotland Twitter poll, don’t feel “they have the tools they need to make the most of technology in their classrooms.”

Infrastructure and access to technology obviously have a part to play, however, a number of teachers also expressed concerns that they didn’t have the knowledge or skills to make the most of the technology they did have.  The RAiSE Team will be in post next session, so please do get in touch if there is an aspect of technology you would like support with and, together, let’s close the digital divide in our schools.

Showcase Your Talents!

First an apology –  many of you had recently shared your activities on our Yammer page and we would have loved to share them here, but unfortunately are unable to access your photos while Yammer is down.  Until Yammer gets sorted, please send anything you would like to share directly to Carol Moyes (gw08moyescarol@ea.dumgal.sch.uk).

Congratulations to Brodie Thomson, S2 pupil at St Joseph’s College, who was one of only 24 pupils from across Scotland to be awarded the Scottish Engineering Leaders Award recently.

Wallace Hall Primary School early years and P1 pupils have had a fantastic time recently integrating STEM with Literacy.  They have been carrying out a number of themed activities using a beautiful pop-up version of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as inspiration.  The project was an opportunity to enhance transition for their rising 5s as well as encourage parental engagement.

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Running an afterschool club, entered a competition or just have some excellent STEM curricular work?  Then have it showcased in the Full STEM Ahead Round-Up.

We know that celebrating success across the region is key in raising attainment and showcasing good STEM practice.  If you have a piece of work or activity you would like us to share with fellow learners and practitioners across Dumfries and Galloway, then send a photograph and short description (no more than 150 words) to gw08moyescarol@ea.dumgal.sch.uk and look out for yourself in next month’s issue!

• Seasonal Changes
• Environment and Habitats
• Light and Sound
• Forces and Magnets
• Future of Energy
• Working Scientifically
• Food and Feeding
• Body Systems
• Plants
• Planet Earth and Space
• Animals and Humans
• Rocks and Soils

Coming Soon

Thank you to everyone who responded to our recent survey about your STEM needs.  Based on your feedback Karen and Carol have planned an extensive programme of CLPL twilights for next session.  These will include:

• Using the WeDo 2.0
• Meet the Robots
• Introduction to Micro:bits
• Integrating Technology and Literacy
• Introducing the Subsea UK STEM Project
• Starting with Scratch
• Addressing Science Skills
• Textile Technology
• Introduction to Cubelets
• Using Green Screen
• Get Hands on with SSERC activities:
  • Sound
  • Chemistry
  • Forces
  • Inheritance
  • Electrical circuits
  • Constructing with wood
  • Technology Orienteering
• Introducing Tinkercad
• Computational Thinking using Barefoot
• Learning through ‘The Lost Words’
• Improving Gender Balance
• Assessing STEM
• Digital Schools Award
• STEM Capital – what is is and how to develop it
• Introducing the Astrobiology Project

As you can see, there will be lots to choose from so check out the CPD directory after the summer to find out when courses are available near you.  In addition to our CLPL programme, Karen and Carol will also be available to come to your school to do bespoke training with you and your class or colleagues.  Just drop us an email and let us know what you’re interested in.

“Never trust a computer you can’t throw out a window.”

Steve Wozniak

Have a great summer … see you in August!