Tag: Resources

New Resource for Early Years and Accessing Outdoor Spaces

The Scottish Government, the Care Inspectorate and Inspire Scotland have produced a useful new document Out to Play, Practical guidance for creating outdoor play experiences in early learning and childcare.

With the Government expansion of early years provision to 1140 hours per year by 2020, the Out to Play document is practical guidance and advice for early years practitioners on how to access outdoor spaces.

If you click on the link it will take you to the PDF document.

Out to Play Document

If you would like any help developing outdoor play please contact Tim who will be very happy to come out and talk with you and obviously play in the outdoors.

Environmental Studies with Breasclete School

Tim went to Breasclete School to explore the croft land next to the school, there were plenty of invertebrates including a spider who was ‘snacking’ on a fly. The young people used the Field Studies Council fold out charts to identify the species and plants they found and collated the information using cameras and drawing.

Questions about Ticks and Lymes Disease

We are in the middle of the busy season, with the team out and about working with schools and young people in the outdoors. There are often questions about ticks and Lymes disease, we thought it would be useful to post some information about what to do if you are bitten by a tick and things you can do to prevent being bitten.

It is important ticks should not stop you going outside but to take a few sensible precautions to prevent being bitten and if you are, what to do about it.

See the source image

Lymes disease if carried by ticks which latch on and then take a blood meal. The Comhairle have produced a leaflet with information on the disease (CnES Tick leaflet). More information can be found on the Lymes Disease Action web site.

There is an excellent YouTube video produced by NHS highland on how to remove a tick with Dr James Douglas

There is also good advice from the NHS Scotland web site:

Be tick aware

Ticks in Scotland can carry the germ that causes Lyme disease

Ticks are small spider-like creatures that can be found on bushes and undergrowth in Scotland’s countryside, parks and gardens from spring through summer and well into autumn. Most ticks that bite people are unlikely to be carrying the germ that causes Lyme disease, but there’s no way of knowing at the time. So, it is best to:

  1. Try to avoid being bitten by ticks
  2. Remove any ticks that do bite as quickly as possible

How to prevent tick bites

You can reduce your chances of being bitten by ticks by:

  • covering skin which may come into contact with plants
  • wearing long trousers tucked into boots and long sleeves
  • using an insect repellent containing DEET
  • trying to stick to paths and avoid dense undergrowth
Hopefully this helps and if you have any questions contact your GP or if you need more information contact the Outdoor Team.

 

The John Muir Award

In the outdoor team we are passionate about encouraging everyone to  appreciate what is around us. We believe the John Muir Award is one very effective way of becoming connected with the place we live and making the learning place based. There is not a set syllabus, it is up to you how you meet the criteria, and it is open to all (families can get involved, and individuals generally from an upper primary level). If you would like to talk about the John Muir Award and how you can take part in it or use it Contact the Team

There are four challenges at the heart of the Award:

Discover a wild place:

This can be the school grounds, an area near your school or something further afield?

Explore it:

Do things which will help you understand and become more aware of your wild place. Experience it.

Conserve it:

Do something practical and take personal responsibility for making it better

Share your Experiences:

Let others know about your wild place, what you have done and what you have learnt.

The Levels

There are three levels of award – Discovery, Explorer and Conserver. There is a time commitment to each and it should be seen as a minimum and the majority of the time should be spent outdoors. There is no upper limit but time can’t be carried forwards to the next award.

Discovery Award – 4 days (or equivalent) minimum time commitment

Explorer Award – 8 days (or equivalent) minimum time commitment

Conserver Award – 20 days (or equivalent) time commitment, over at least 6 months

The Thinking

The Award uses the Head-Heart-Hand Model from Patrick Geddes:

 

There is a downloadable John Muir Award Information Handbook

 

Free Learning for Sustainability Training for Teachers

Edinburgh University and The British Council are offering free places to teachers on a professional on-line learning course. The course starts on the 20th April 2018 and it will take about two to three hours of your time each week to take part in discussions and activities.  To book a place Click Here

This is a fantastic opportunity as it is a GTCS accredited course and by The Scottish College for Educational Leadership (SCEL).

The Benefits of the course

Scotland is unique internationally in having a requirement for all teachers and education professionals to address Learning for Sustainability (LfS) in their practice. This fully funded professional learning has been developed by experts in online learning and is based on the most up-to-date methodologies.

It will:

  • support you to create an enabling environment for pupils’ Learning for Sustainability, with a focus on critical thinking and problem solving and citizenship;
  • help you to meet the GTCS Professional Standards, contributing to Professional Review and Development and Professional Update and contributing to a whole school approach to learning for sustainability;
  • offer the opportunity to meet and share ideas with other like minded professionals across Scotland
  • offer flexibility for you to participate at a time that is convenient to you
  • give access to an international network of like-minded teachers
  • provide support for British Council Professional Partnerships with schools overseas.

 

Learning For Sustainability : Connecting Classrooms Free ONLINE Course January 2018

Learning For Sustainability : Connecting Classrooms Online Course, January 2018

Over the weekend an invitation to sign up for this event arrived, this is a great opportunity run by the British Council and the University of Edinburgh. It is a facilitated online learning course which is free and is a GTCS accredited course (General Teaching Council for Scotland).

Learning for Sustainability (LfS) is one of the Standards for Career Long Professional Learning set out in the GTCS standards. The course is also endorsed by The Scottish College for Educational Leadership (SCEL).

The course starts on the 19th January so sign up soon.

If you answer YES to any of the following questions, then you should be seriously considering this course:

  • Are you interested in Learning for Sustainability and implementing it in your school?
  • Do you need practical help and support?
  • Would you benefit from sharing your ideas with other professionals?
  • Are you interested in developing or extending a British Council Professional Partnership with a school overseas?

The Course will help you with think about the following:

  • Critically consider the nature of teaching and learning within the context of Learning for Sustainability, which includes Sustainable Development Education, Outdoor Learning, and Global Learning.
  • In the context of the British Council’s ‘core skills’, reflect critically on developing the skills and dispositions required of teachers and learners related to Learning for Sustainability.
  • Apply in practice, and reflect upon the impact of, principles and practices of and approaches to Learning for Sustainability.
  • Work together towards the development of a Learning for Sustainability professional network for practitioners to support teacher learning and practice in Learning for Sustainability.

This is a fantastic opportunity and we recommend considering taking part.

Year of Young People 2018 – Bliadhna na H-òigridh 2018

The Year of Young People 2018 in Scotland is an opportunity to celebrate the amazing young personalities, talents and achievers which make up Scotland. It’s about inspiring our nation through its young people’s ideas, attitudes and ambitions.

The aim of YOYP 2018 is to inspire Scotland through its young people, celebrating their achievements, valuing their contribution to communities and creating new opportunities for them to shine locally, nationally and globally.

Our team hopes to contribute by:

  •  Giving our Apprentice and young volunteers the opportunity to have an input in what we are doing throughout the year, this includes working with young people who are doing their Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition
  • Give young people the opportunity to achieve through various schemes such as Youth Navigator Star Awards (YNSA), British Canoeing’s Paddlepower schemes and other awards
  • Recognising their efforts through our blog, for instance Lews Castle Grounds Trail Maintenance
  • Asking young people for feedback on our work
  • Giving young people the chance to develop their confidence through developing their outdoor skills
  • Providing courses for volunteers and young people in the Outer Hebrides so they can have the same opportunities which are available to people on the Mainland

For more information about YOYP 2018 visit their site

And for more information about YOYP in The Outer Hebrides

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