Author: Miss Abercrombie

Falkirk Digital Learning Leadership Week

Digital Learning Leadership Week (26th to 30th May 2025) is focused on developing and enhancing digital learning leadership across our education establishments in Falkirk. Through a series of events, including digital partners and guest speakers, we’ll explore strategies, approaches and tools to help us meaningfully integrate technology into teaching and learning to improve learning outcomes and experiences for children and young people.

This week is about creating the time and space to collegiately discuss, explore, share and develop the ways in which we can lead the leverage digital tools effectively, to improve educational outcomes for our students and equip them with the confidence, skills and knowledge needed to thrive in an ever-changing, fast-paced digital world. From strategic school leadership level, to classroom based leaders of learning – there are events for everyone over the course of the week.

What’s on?

Google Discovery Day: Leading Digital Learning

Time: 10am – 3pm • Location: Forth Valley College

Audience: Senior leadership/digital leads in all sectors

Description: Join Canopy and Google for Education to explore how school leaders can effectively lead digital learning in their establishment to improve student outcomes. The session emphasises strategic and pedagogical approaches and innovative uses of technology. Hear inspiring stories from local schools who have successfully implemented digital learning strategies, overcome challenges and are having an impact on learners and learning. Explore how to leverage technology to enhance teaching and learning, and ultimately, drive student success.

Your school does not have to be actively using Google Workspace for Education to attend, the session focuses on leadership of digital learning. Lunch is provided at this event.

Day Overview:

This full day workshop aims to equip school leaders with strategies and frameworks to effectively lead the consistent and meaningful use of digital learning tools in their schools, particularly in relation to Google Workspace use on iPad. Sessions will have a Google focus, but strategies shared could be applied in any school setting. The day will be split into four parts consisting of:

Your Reality – Usage, Impact & Potential: Participants will reflect on their school’s current usage of digital tools, identify barriers to best practice, and potential for improving provision.

Defining Success – Powerful and Effective Workflows: This section focuses on agreeing upon core workflows that support school priorities and balancing consistency with pedagogical freedom. We will introduce Google’s Gemini AI tool in this session. 

Leading the Change – Supporting Staff & Embedding best practice: Practical strategies to support staff in adopting and embedding Google Workspace effectively will be discussed, including the use of Google tools for leadership and planning professional development.

Learning from the Field – Effective Leadership in Practice: Participants will hear real-world examples of leading Google Workspace implementation from local peers in a Q&A panel format.

Sign up here.



 

Teaching and Learning Using Google on iPad

Time: 10am – 3pm •  Location: Grangemouth Town Hall

Audience: Classroom teachers, faculty heads and SLT in all sectors.

Description: Join Canopy and Google for Education in this professional development day for classroom teachers who lead learning in their classroom every day. Focused on enhancing your teaching and learning using Google Workspace tools. Find solutions to your questions about AI, digital pedagogy and practice. Discover tips and tricks to reduce your workload using Google tools to maximise productivity and lead change in your setting from the ground up.

Your school does not have to be actively using Google Workspace for Education to attend but this session does focus on Google tools, please ensure you have logged into Google Workspace via Glow (including checking you have access to Google Gemini) and accepted the terms and conditions prior to attending this session. This session is perfect for those already using Google Workspace who wish to delve deeper into the tools or those who are interested in using Google Workspace to get hands on and discover what is possible. Lunch is provided at this event.

Day overview

Today is all about maximising impact using Google Workspace and your iPad in the Classroom. Join us for a practical, hands-on workshop focused on getting the most out of Google Workspace and iPads in your classroom. This day is designed for teachers who want to enhance learning, save time, and create inclusive learning environments using technology. Here’s what you can expect:

Session 1: The Connected Classroom – Mastering Google Classroom on iPad:

  • Learn to navigate the Google Classroom app on the iPad efficiently.
  • Discover how to create and manage assignments using the iPad, incorporating photos, videos, and annotations

Session 2: Engaging Learners – Dynamic Formative Assessment & Feedback with Google on iPad:

  • Explore using Google Forms for quick quizzes, exit tickets, and feedback.
  • Learn to provide timely, effective feedback using iPad annotation tools and Google Docs/Slides features.

Session 3: Inclusive Practice – Supporting Every Learner with Google on iPad Accessibility:

  • Learn to leverage Google Workspace and iPad accessibility features to support students with diverse needs.
  • Discover how to adapt assignments and materials for differentiation.
  • Explore tools like Google Keep and Calendar to aid organization for learners.

Prerequisites: Please bring your iPad with the necessary Google apps (Classroom, Drive, Docs, Slides, Forms, Keep) installed and logged into your Glow/Google Workspace account.

Sign up here.

Adobe x Falkirk: Adobe Creative Educator and AI Tools in Express

Time: 4pm – 5.30pm • Location: Online

Audience: Educators in all sectors.

Description: Calling all creative teachers! This session is for our classroom teachers who value creativity, imagination and self expression in the classroom. Explore Adobe Express and find out how it can be used to encourage and inspire creative projects where learners can show what they know, explore ideas and tell their stories. Get to grips with exciting built in AI features including AI image generation. Become a certified Adobe Creative Educator Level 1 and become a creativity leader in your school. All Falkirk teachers have access to Adobe Express via Glow on iPad (app) and desktop (browser) – make sure you have logged in prior to the session.

Sign up.

Heads of Establishment Conference: Digital Leadership

Time: 9.15am – 2.30pm •  Location: Forth Valley College

Audience: Head Teachers and Heads of Centre in ELC, primary and secondary.

Description: The focus of this Heads of Establishment Conference is digital leadership. Join Dan Fitzpatrick – educational strategist, author and international keynote speaker on artificial intelligence in education – for a morning keynote on navigating the changing landscape of education. Learn the “Three Box Solution” to drive innovation and develop future-ready leadership skills.

Participate in hands-on workshops with Dan Fitzpatrick and our local Digital Learning Team focused on AI leadership as well as time to collaborate with colleagues on the Agile Leadership work we are currently exploring with Dr. Simon Breakspear. 

The afternoon culminates in a session with Professor Steve Munby – a world-leading authority on leadership and on system reform –  focusing on building future-ready schools. 

No sign up required. Confirm attendance in line with usual practices for HOE Forum.

Prep the machine: writing AI prompts for teachers with Dan Fitzpatrick

Time: 3pm – 4pm • Location: Larbert High School

Audience: Classroom teachers in primary and secondary (limited spaces)

Description: Looking to level up your prompt engineering and truly leverage the power of an AI assistant? Join educational strategist and author of “The AI Classroom,” Dan Fitzpatrick, for this intimate and interactive workshop on crafting powerful AI prompts. Learn the PREP framework to get the most out of AI tools. Discover how to write prompts that generate engaging lesson plans, personalised learning materials, and innovative assessment tasks. This hands-on session will equip you with the skills to effectively integrate AI into your teaching practice. Don’t just use AI, master it and lead the way with prompt engineering in your school. Limited places available.

Sign up here.

The AI Classroom with Dan Fitzpatrick

Time: 4:15pm – 5:15pm • Location: Larbert High School

Audience: Classroom teachers, faculty heads and SLT in all sectors.

Description: Ready to ride the AI wave instead of being wiped out by it? Join educational strategist Dan Fitzpatrick, author of “The AI Classroom,” for an inspiring session on revolutionising learning with artificial intelligence. Discover how AI can free up educators to focus on critical thinking, understand its disruptive potential, and learn practical ways to harness its power today. Explore advanced AI and its implications for education. This isn’t just about tech; it’s about transforming the learning experience. Sign up now and prepare your students for the future.

Sign up here.

Adobe Express: Logging In

Adobe Express is available to use for all Falkirk staff and pupils via Glow. This article takes you through how to access Adobe Express on Connected Falkirk iPad and the sign in process. You can share this with learners to support their login. Once you have logged in on your iPad your app will stay logged in unless you delete the app or choose to sign out – for this reason the app can only be used on 1:1 iPads at the moment or in a browser on a desktop computer.

Please note that your iPad must be on iOS17 or above to run the Adobe Express app.

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Before you start

The Adobe Express app is required on iPad. Although you launch Adobe Express from Glow on a browser (via the tile in Glow) you cannot use Adobe Express in Safari, Chrome or any other mobile browser on a mobile device including tablets. Adobe Express is available via Glow on desktop and laptop computers through the internet browser – there is more on this at the end of the article.

Teachers in Falkirk should request the iPad app for their pupil and staff app portals by emailing connectedfalkirk@falkirk.gov.uk as per the usual process.

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Logging in

  1. Ensure you have downloaded the Adobe Express app from the Connected Falkirk App Portal. Open your Adobe Express app.

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2. Choose ‘Continue with email’ to access your education Adobe Express account via Glow email.

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3. Type in your Glow email address. When you hit ‘Continue’ the Glow login page will launch, type in your Glow username and password.

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4. When prompted choose ‘Company or School Account’. Do not choose ‘Personal Account’, if you choose personal account you will not have access to the Adobe Express Education benefits and features. 

5. When prompted choose ‘Falkirk Council – Education’. Do not choose Education Scotland, if you choose Education Scotland accidentally you should log out using the profile button in the top right hand corner and begin the log in process again.

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5. Wait for the loading screen to pass. 

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6. When you first log in there will be two pop ups to resolve by hitting ‘ok’ and ‘continue’.

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7. You are now logged into Adobe Express and you can begin creating!

Using Adobe Express on desktop or laptop

Adobe Express is also available on desktop and laptop computer via internet browser. To log in:

  1. Open your web browser
  2. Go to Glow
  3. Log in to Glow using your Glow username and password.
  4. In the Falkirk Council launch pad click on the Adobe Express tile.

Case Study: Improving Writing with Digital Technologies

This case study looks at how class teacher Ciara Hutton at St Francis Xavier’s RC Primary School explored the impact of integrating digital technology into primary school writing lessons. By allowing three students with varying writing challenges to type their work, the Ciara observed significant improvements in confidence, writing quality, and engagement. This successful intervention has led to the wider implementation of digital tools within her classes and has been shared with the wider school supported by Pupil Digital Leaders.

Context

“My main goal was to improve attainment in writing by introducing digital technology. I had a class of 33 pupils in the upper school and I found that they did not feel confident in their writing. I selected three pupils who did not have any specific learning needs but did require some support with writing. One learner found concentrating at a table with others difficult, another found handwriting challenging and one struggled to write quickly for long periods of time. We are not a 1:1 device class so I decided to use a combination of class PCs and our shared Connected Falkirk iPads to give the pupils the opportunity to type their writing. This was to not only build confidence but remove any literacy barriers from their ability to succeed in writing.”

What did you do?

“I had a rota which rotated the devices used by the pupils over the course of four weeks. They would type directly on to Word and then save these on a OneNote, which was shared with myself and someone at home. Pupils did require some training at first on how to edit and save their work but they were confident with this by week 2.

During this time I collected my findings in 3 different ways, though a baseline questionnaire, a Leuven Scale and document analysis. The questionnaire was to uncover learners’ attitudes to writing and their confidence with the subject. The Leuven Scale was to determine if they were more focussed when given the device.

Finally I conducted a document analysis to see if there was improvement in learner work. After the four week period, I decided the whole class would benefit from the opportunity to write on a device and so I created a randomiser wheel in which pupils would be selected and all pupils would be given the chance to type by the end of the year. This allowed me to see the writing ability in the class as a whole and offer the opportunity to engage with digital devices for writing to all learners.”

Learners used Word to write. Word Online is available to all Falkirk Council learners through their Glow account. 

OneNote and OneNote Class Notebook are also available to all learners through Glow.

What was the impact?

“Overall, I saw a large increase in learners’ confidence and understanding of writing. Learners could see the increase in the quality and quantity of their writing, as they could see the progress from week 1 to week 4.

When pupils then returned to writing in their jotters, the skills they had gained had transferred. They were more confident with editing and reading their writing and they were writing similar amounts to week 1.

The questionnaire found that children felt more confident in their work and enjoyed the ability to do further research while writing. The Leuven Scale showed that pupils enjoyed the opportunity to write in a different way and focussed more as a result. The document analysis showed an increase for all 3 children in the length of their writing and the clarity on what they were saying. We did have to discuss the risks of plagiarism and how all ideas must be their own. However this was a useful opportunity to inform all pupils about this.

The findings suggest that the use of digital technology can improve attainment in writing. Although time still needed to be given for handwriting, introducing typing as a form of writing allowed pupils to focus their time on creative writing skills. I also found my ability to mark and give specific writing feedback improved, as I could clearly see their successes and areas of improvement.”

Pupil Voice

My baseline questionnaire had stated that the learners found writing “hard and bad”, whereas the final questionnaire stated that they thought that writing could be “exciting” and they were “able to use imagination more.”

The Leuven Scale which showed an increase in pupil overall, with the only decreases being due to some issues with using the new technology at first. Overall their focus and enjoyment increased through the four week period.

Where next?

“The immediate next steps I took were to offer all pupils one opportunity a year to write using digital technology. This allowed me to assess their writing ability without literacy barriers and for learners to see their progress clearly. I also continued to assess and monitor the three pupils within the focus group to see if they were able to transfer and maintain the skills they had gained during this practitioner enquiry. I found that they were able to transfer back to their writing jotters and had more confidence with their writing.

Since this practitioner enquiry, I have begun teaching another class and I have used this approach straight away. I have used a randomizer wheel so that all pupils have had the opportunity to use these tools, and not just those with specific learning needs. I have also trained the Digital Leaders within the school to be able to support other learners with writing on Word and uploading documents to One Note, so that other teachers may try this approach in their own class.”

Numbers

Apple Numbers – A visual spreadsheet that turns data into interactive stories, charts, and creative organisers.

 

🔍 What does it do?

Unlike traditional spreadsheets, Numbers is a “free-form” canvas. You don’t start with a giant wall of cells; you start with a blank page where you can place small tables, images, and charts exactly where you want them. This makes it perfect for pupils to create lab reports, personal trackers, or interactive posters.

 

🎓 Why is it useful?

  • Multiple Tables on One Sheet: Pupils can have a small table for their results, a text box for their hypothesis, and a photo of their work all side-by-side.

  • Touch-First Data Entry: When you tap a cell, Numbers brings up a custom keyboard (numeric, date, or duration) designed specifically for the data you are entering, making it much easier for younger pupils to use their fingers accurately.

  • Interactive Charts: You can create “Interactive Charts” that allow pupils to use a slider to see how data changes over time – perfect for showing plant growth or weather patterns.

  • Smart Forms: You can turn any table into a “Form.” Pupils can then enter their data into a simple, clean interface that feels like a mobile app, which then populates the main spreadsheet automatically.

⚙️ How does it work?

  1. Launch: Open the Numbers app (Green icon with a white bar chart).

  2. Start with a Template: Choose from the Education section for pre-made templates like “Lab Report,” “Grade Book,” or “Attendance.“

  3. Add Objects: Use the ‘+’ icon at the top to add Tables, Charts, Text Boxes, Shapes, and Media (photos or videos).

  4. Format: Tap an object, then tap the Format (Paintbrush) icon. This is where you change colors, fonts, and chart styles using your finger.

  5. Calculate: Tap a cell and select ‘Cell Action’ > ‘New Formula’ to use the built-in formula editor. It is designed to be tapped, not typed, so pupils can easily build sums.

 

🚀 Beyond the Basics

  • Digital Lab Report: Use a blank sheet. Pupils can record a video of their experiment and embed it directly next to their results table.

  • Character Trackers: Use a table to track a character’s emotions through a book. Pupils can use the ‘Star Rating’ or ‘Pop-up Menu’ cell types to make the data entry fun and visual.

  • Visualising Budgets: Give pupils a “Budget” of £50 to plan a party. They can add photos of items from the web and use a simple SUM formula to see their remaining balance update live.

  • Fitness Trackers: Create a simple “Daily Activity” log. Pupils can use the ‘Checkbox’ cell type to tick off when they’ve completed their daily mile or drank enough water.

  • Interactive Planners: Teachers can create “Weekly Checklists” for pupils. Because you can drag tables anywhere, you can make the planner look like a visual dashboard rather than a boring list.

🔗 Teacher Quick Links

Numbers User Guide for iPad

Get Started with Numbers on iPad

Microsoft OneDrive

Microsoft OneDrive in Glow: securely store, share, and collect files from anywhere.

🔍 What does it do?

OneDrive is the “storage heart” of Glow. Every Falkirk teacher and pupil has space to save documents, photos, and videos. Because it is cloud-based, you can start a file on your classroom PC and pick it up exactly where you left off on your iPad. It’s also the engine that allows for real-time collaboration in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

 

🎓 Why is it useful?

  • Version History: Accidents happen! If a pupil accidentally deletes their entire essay, you can use “Version History” to go back in time and restore a previous version of that document.

  • Files On-Demand: It doesn’t use up all the space on your iPad. You can see all your files, but they only download when you actually click to open them.

  • Seamless Sharing: No more emailing large attachments. Send a “view-only” or “edit” link to a colleague or pupil to work together on a single version of a file.

 

⚙️ How does it work?

  1. Access: Find the OneDrive tile on your Glow Launchpad or open the app on your iPad.

  2. Organise: Create folders for different subjects or terms to keep your “My Files” area tidy.

  3. Share: Select a file and click the Share icon. You can decide if the person can “Edit” or just “View,” and even set an expiry date for the link.

  4. Sync: Ensure the OneDrive app is signed in on your iPad so that your “Camera Roll” can automatically back up your classroom photos. Find out how to do this here.

 

🚀 Beyond the Basics

  • Shared Folders: Create a folder for your department or stage. Share it with your colleagues with “Edit” access to build a shared library of lesson plans and resources that everyone can contribute to.

  • Data Analysis: If you collect survey data using a Microsoft Form, the results are stored in your OneDrive as an Excel file. You can share this file with pupils so they can practice “Live Data” analysis in class.

  • Live Peer Editing: Have two pupils share a Word document stored in OneDrive. They can use the “Comments” feature to give each other feedback in real-time without ever leaving the document.

🔗 Teacher Quick Links

Glow Connect – OneDrive Articles

Microsoft Sway

Microsoft Sway is a digital storytelling made simple: Professional presentations, newsletters, and portfolios in minutes.

🔍 What does it do?

Microsoft Sway is a web-based storytelling app that helps you create interactive reports, personal stories, and newsletters. Unlike PowerPoint, which is slide-based, Sway is a scrolling digital canvas. You provide the content (text, images, and videos), and Sway’s built-in design engine handles the layout, ensuring it looks great on any screen- from a desktop to a smartphone.

 

🎓 Why is it useful?

  • No Design Skills Required: You focus on the story, Sway focuses on the design. With one click of the “Remix” button, you can instantly change the entire look and feel of your project.

  • Accessible by Design: Sways are easy to read. They include an “Accessibility View” that optimizes the screen for high contrast and screen readers, making it inclusive for all learners.

  • Modern Newsletters: It is an extremely useful tool for school newsletters in Falkirk. Parents can scroll through updates and watch embedded videos of school life directly on their phones.

  • Web-Based Sharing: You don’t “send” a Sway; you share a link. This means you can update the content even after you’ve sent the link, and everyone will see the latest version.

 

⚙️ How does it work?

1. Launch: Access directly at sway.office.com using your Glow login details or via the waffle menu in OneDrive in Glow.

2. Start from Scratch or a Document: Click + New Blank to start fresh, or upload an existing Word or PDF document and watch Sway “transform” it into a web page automatically.

3. The Storyline: Use the “Storyline” to add “Cards.” There are cards for text, images, video, and even “Stacks” (groups of photos that you can tap to flip through).

4. Design & Remix: Switch to the Design tab to see your work. Click Styles and then Remix! to cycle through different fonts, colors, and scroll directions (Vertical or Horizontal).

5. Share: Click the Share button. For school newsletters, ensure you select “Anyone with a link” so parents can view it without needing a Glow login.

 

🚀 Beyond the Basics

  • Digital Portfolios: Pupils can use Sway to curate their best work over a term. They can embed audio recordings of them reflecting on their writing alongside photos of their physical work.

  • Interactive Reports: Instead of a poster, pupils can create a scrolling report. Use the “Comparison” card to show “Before and After” photos of an experiment using a slider.

  • Virtual Trips: Create a Sway about a country or historical period. Embed Google Maps (using an embed code) and YouTube videos to create an immersive research hub for the class.

  • For Admin: Create a “Living Document” for staff or pupils. Because it’s a web link, you can update the school calendar or policies in the Sway throughout the year without having to re-send emails.

Microsoft Forms

Microsoft Forms is an easy way to create surveys, quizzes, and polls with built-in Practice Mode and Data Insights.

🔍 What does it do?

Microsoft Forms is a web-based tool for gathering information and assessing learning. It allows you to create interactive quizzes and surveys that work on any device. In a Falkirk classroom, it can be used as a go-to tool for “check-ins” and low-stakes testing providing instant feedback to both the teacher and the pupil.

🎓 Why is it useful?

  • Instant Assessment: Create a “Check for Understanding” quiz at the end of a lesson to see exactly which pupils have grasped the concept.

  • Low-Stakes Learning (Practice Mode): This new feature allows pupils to try questions multiple times, see correct answers instantly, and receive encouraging feedback, turning a “test” into a learning activity.

  • Smart Data Insights: Forms doesn’t just show you “who got what”, it automatically identifies “Hard Questions” where a large percentage of the class struggled, helping you plan what to re-teach.

  • Self-Marking: Quizzes can be auto-graded, giving pupils immediate results and saving you hours of manual marking for certain types of assessment.

⚙️ How does it work?

1. Launch: Access directly at forms.office.com using your Glow login details or via the waffle menu in OneDrive in Glow.

2. Create: Click + New Quiz (to add correct answers and points) or + New Form (for surveys).

3. Enable Practice Mode: Go to Settings (…) and toggle on Practice Mode. This allows pupils to see if they are right or wrong immediately after answering each question.

4. Present Mode: Use the Present button in class to show live, anonymous results (like a word cloud or bar chart) as pupils submit their answers in real-time.

5. Review: Click the Responses tab to see a summary of the data and open it in Excel for a detailed breakdown.

🚀 Beyond the Basics

  • Practice Mode for self paced learning: Turn any quiz into a revision tool. Pupils get instant feedback and can “try again,” which helps build confidence and independence.

  • Branching Logic in Literacy: Use the “Branching” feature to create a digital “Choose Your Own Adventure” story. Depending on the choice a pupil makes, the form sends them to a different page of the narrative.

  • Live Data in Science: Open a Form in Present Mode during an experiment. As pupils enter their findings, the charts on your board update live, allowing for an immediate class discussion on the results.

  • Accessibility with Immersive Reader: Every Form has Immersive Reader built-in. Pupils can tap the icon next to any question to have it read aloud, translated, or broken into syllables.

 

Quick Links

Microsoft Forms for Education

Microsoft Forms Quick Start Guide