Category: Support

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 as opposed to products. Lunch is provided at this event.

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.

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: 9.30am – 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 education 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.

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2. Open Safari and go to Glow. Log in using your Glow username and password.

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3. Go to the Falkirk Council launchpad and tap on the Adobe Express tile. This will open a new tab in Safari.

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4. Tap on ‘Launch Adobe Express app’.

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5. Wait for the loading screen to pass. If you are asked for a verification code, return to the original tab in Safari where you will now see the code displayed.

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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!

Alternative logging in via App

If you experience difficulty logging in using the above method you can try logging in directly in the Adobe Express app.

 

  1. Open the Adobe Express app on your iPad.

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2. Everyone, including teachers, should choose ‘Student’s sign in here’ to access their education Adobe Express account via Glow.

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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 ‘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.

AI in Education: Guiding Principles and Support

As technology evolves, Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers powerful tools to enhance teaching and learning. This guide provides our position on AI use, links to guidance from other bodies and organisations and recommends tools that educators might consider exploring in their classroom. We emphasise the importance of AI literacy to prepare both educators and students for the future and offer a model for educators to work from. This is also where we will provide access to resources to help you navigate AI’s role in education confidently and responsibly.

As this is a rapidly evolving field we will review and update this page when necessary. The last time this page was updated is: 26 March 2025

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Our Position in Education

As a digital learning team, we have developed this stance in co-ordination with Falkirk Council’s Data Protection Officer and the Information Management Working Group.

It is important that staff familiarise themselves with and consider the risks involved in using AI before they begin making use it. These risks include:

      • AI lacks human empathy and insights. It cannot judge if something is ethically correct.
      • It can inadvertently replicate bias that is present in the web pages, documents, books, articles etc it is trained on.
      • It can provide answers that are inaccurate and can be inconsistent.
      • Responses can be out of date.
      • Any input can become part of the ‘learning’ of AI, so you cannot guarantee any information you input will be dealt with in confidence. You should not input any confidential Council information, including personal information we hold (for example, about our employees and citizens).
      • It is susceptible to copyright infringement.
      • It has limited creativity as it can only generate responses based on existing data.
      • It can be used to generate fake news and misinformation.

The Learning about AI section of this page provides signposting to materials staff can access to learn more about AI, machine learning and the ethics of AI.

Our position emphasises that AI should enhance, not replace, human teaching. We are committed to ethical and responsible AI use, ensuring compliance with data protection principles. Teachers are empowered to use AI tools thoughtfully, with a focus on professionalism and informed decision-making, while safeguarding sensitive information and conducting proper risk assessments.

All education staff making use of AI in schools must comply with the following advice:

Staff Use

Teachers are permitted to use generative AI tools for a variety of educational activities, provided they adhere to established professionalism and data protection legislation.

Tool Approval and Risk Assessment

Currently, no generative AI software requiring pupil login credentials is approved for pupil use. As with any digital tool, teachers must conduct an appropriate risk assessment before implementation as outlined in Falkirk Council’s Service Circular 50, available on the Intranet.

Professionalism

Teachers using generative AI to create content are reminded of their professional responsibility to thoroughly review any AI-generated material before sharing it with pupils or the wider school community. Just as with any other resource, teachers must ensure content accuracy and appropriateness.

Data Protection

Under no circumstances should sensitive or personal information about pupils, staff, or other stakeholders, including the school itself, be submitted to AI tools or software. This is a critical GDPR compliance issue. Only data already in the public domain may be used, and no personally identifiable information should be shared with AI models.

Additional Documentation

Links to further guidance and support documentation from public bodies and organisations.

Digital Scotland

SCOTLAND’S ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STRATEGY

 Scotland’s AI Strategy focuses on building a trustworthy, ethical, and inclusive AI ecosystem. While the strategy isn’t exclusively education focused, for educators it highlights the importance of AI literacy and education to equip both students and teachers with essential AI skills. The strategy encourages integrating AI into education to enhance learning while preparing students for an AI-driven future. It also discusses the importance of teaching ethical AI use, ensuring technology benefits society fairly and inclusively.

You can access the full document here.

UK Government Department for Education

GENERATIVE ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) IN EDUCATION

The UK government’s document on generative AI in education provides guidance on using AI tools responsibly in educational settings. It mentions the potential benefits of AI for personalised learning and administrative efficiency while highlighting the importance of ethical considerations, data privacy, and avoiding reliance on AI-generated content for assessments. The document encourages educators to develop AI literacy among students and to integrate AI in ways that support, rather than replace, traditional human led teaching methods.

For more details, visit here.

Llywodraeth Cymru (Welsh Government)

GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN EDUCATION

Hwb’s* guidance on generative AI in education focuses on fostering AI literacy, critical thinking, and creativity within Wales’ Curriculum. It emphasises safeguarding against online risks, equitable access, and supporting educators with resources. Estyn (education and training inspectorate for Wales) is reviewing AI use in schools to explore its benefits and challenges, with findings due this summer.

*(Hwb is a digital learning platform provided by the Welsh Government to support education across Wales)

Access the full guidance here. 

Education Scotland

MACHINE LEARNING AND AI WITHIN GLOW

The “Machine Learning and AI within Glow” guide outlines the use of AI and machine learning tools within Scotland’s Glow platform. It explains how educators can leverage these technologies to enhance teaching and learning, while also touching on ethical considerations and data privacy. The resource highlights the importance of AI literacy for both students and teachers, providing guidance on responsible AI use in educational settings.

For more details, you can visit the full document here.

WEST Partnership

AI IN EDUCATION SCOPING REVIEW 

The AI in Education Scoping Review explores the potential of AI in educational settings, examining its benefits, challenges, and ethical considerations. It emphasises the importance of teacher training, data privacy, and the need for careful implementation to enhance learning outcomes. The review calls for ongoing research and collaboration to effectively integrate AI into education.

You can access the full document here.

Goodison Group

21ST CENTURY SKILLS: AI AND EDUCATION REPORT

The report from Scotland’s Future Forum explores the impact of AI on education, discussing its potential to transform teaching and learning. It highlights the need for ethical considerations, teacher training, and equitable access to AI tools. The report emphasizes collaboration between educators, policymakers, and technologists to harness AI’s benefits while addressing challenges.

For more details, you can access the full report here.

OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)

GENERATIVE AI IN THE CLASSROOM: FROM HYPE TO REALITY?

The OECD document discusses the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, focusing on its potential to enhance learning outcomes, address educational challenges, and support personalized learning. It also emphasizes the need for ethical guidelines, data privacy, and teacher training to ensure responsible AI integration. The report provides recommendations for policymakers and educators on effectively using AI in education systems.

For more details, you can access the full document here.

Daydream Believers and Education Scotland

GenAI IN EDUCATION EXPLORATION HUB

The GenAI in Education Exploration Hub is a website in joint partnership between Daydream Believers and Education Scotland to help make sense of the Generative AI advancements and how best to utilise them in learning environments to be helpful tools for educators and students.

You can access the website here.

DigiLearnScot (Education Scotland)

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN SCOTTISH EDUCATION

This blog post explores the burgeoning presence of artificial intelligence (AI) within the Scottish education landscape, outlining key considerations for educators and stakeholders. It highlights the potential of AI to transform teaching and learning practices, including personalized learning experiences and streamlined administrative tasks. However, it also underscores the critical importance of addressing ethical implications, data security, and the necessity for professional development to equip teachers with the skills required to navigate and leverage AI tools effectively. The article serves as an informative resource for understanding the current and future impact of AI on Scottish education, promoting informed discussions and strategic planning.

Read the full post here.

SQA Guidance

It is imperative that secondary teachers are aware of the clear SQA clear stance around pupil use of generative AI for assessments associated with national qualifications including assessed coursework and exams. Below you can find the guidance published around this. 

SQA – Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Assessments

 The SQA’s current stance prohibits learners from submitting outputs generated by AI tools as their own work for assessments, including exams and coursework, as this constitutes plagiarism. Additionally, learners are not allowed to reference AI-generated content as sources due to concerns about the reliability and validity of these outputs, which could disadvantage learners in assessments.

For full details on the official SQA stance, visit this page.

SQA – Authenticating Learner’s Work Good Practice Advice for Centre Staff

The SQA’s document on authenticating learners’ work provides guidance to ensure the integrity of assessments. The advice includes strategies such as supervising assessments, using plagiarism detection tools, and encouraging learners to maintain a reflective log. It also highlights the need for clear communication between educators and students regarding expectations and the consequences of academic misconduct.

For more details, you can access the full document here.

Learning About AI

Links to free online courses where teachers who are keen to learn more about AI generally can learn at their own pace.

University of Helsinki – Elements of AI

 Elements of AI is an online course designed to make AI accessible to everyone, regardless of their background. Part one of the course, ‘Introduction to AI’ covers what AI is, what is possible (and not possible) with AI, and how it affects our lives – with no complicated math or programming required. The course is free, self-paced, and suitable for learners of all levels, helping them understand and engage with AI technology responsibly.

For more information, visit Elements of AI.

University of Helsinki – Ethics of AI

The Ethics of AI is a free online course created by the University of Helsinki. The course is for anyone who is interested in the ethical aspects of AI – we want to encourage people to learn what AI ethics means, what can and can’t be done to develop AI in an ethically sustainable way, and how to start thinking about AI from an ethical point of view.

For more details, you can access the full document here.

Google Cloud Skills Boost – Introduction to Generative AI Learning Path

 This Google Cloud Skills Boost pathway offers a series of courses designed to help learners develop an understanding of artificial intelligence. We recommend the first three short courses in this pathway to professionals looking to deepen their knowledge of Generative AI, Large Language Models and principles of responsible AI. Courses are free and award badges at the end upon successful completion of a quiz.

For more information, visit Google Cloud Skills Boost

Google – Making Friends With Machine Learning

Making Friends With Machine Learning was a 6 hour internal-only Google course specially created to inspire beginners and amuse experts. It has now been made available to everyone and this article by presenter Cassie Kozyrkov gives the links to watch the videos. Part one of the course, Introduction to ML and AI simplifies AI concepts and gives real-world examples, it is ideal for those looking to better understand how AI works without diving into too much technical detail.

For more details, you can read the full article here.

Tools for Educators

Discover some AI tools, or services which use AI models, handpicked for their ability to either assist teachers in planning and delivery of learning or to allow learners to explore and work with AI in a controlled manner.

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Before you take a look at the tools please remember that there are many tasks that Generative AI can be used for, educators and learners should use the chart below to assess whether it is safe to use Generative AI for a task.

In addition, anyone using Generative AI should remember:

  • Check for Bias and Accuracy: AI may produce biased or incorrect content. Always double-check your output thoroughly before sharing.
  • Human Judgment Matters: See AI-generated content as a starting point, not a final product. AI outputs can be helpful, but they should not be used to replace human/professional judgements.
  • Protect Privacy: Do not give any personal or sensitive information about people or organisations to the AI model.

Google Gemini

What does it do?

Google Gemini chatbot is a large language model (LLM) developed by Google. While Google Gemini describes a family of LLM tools integrated throughout Google Workspace, the Google Gemini standalone chatbot is available to all staff via Glow login to the Google Workspace tenancy operated by Glow/Education Scotland. Its ability to process and generate diverse information aims to create more natural and helpful AI interactions. Google Gemini is an 18+ product and is only available to staff users within Glow. It is designed to be multimodal, meaning it can understand and operate across text, code, images, and more.   

How do I get access? Staff can log into Google Gemini for free via their Glow account. Learners do not have access to Google Gemini via Glow as it is an 18+ product.

Quizizz

What does it do? Quizizz is an online learning platform that enables teachers to create and share interactive quizzes, polls, and lessons. Quizizz has integrated AI features that allow teachers to automatically generate quizzes, worksheets, and questions based on specific topics or curriculum needs. By using AI, Quizizz can suggest questions tailored to different skill levels, provide instant feedback to students, and offer personalized learning paths. This streamlines lesson planning and helps teachers quickly assess student understanding, making the platform more efficient for educational purposes.

How do I get access? Teachers can sign up for a free account at quizizz.com 

Pupils do not need accounts to participate in Quizizz activities.

Curipod

What does it do? Curipod is a platform designed to assist educators in creating engaging and interactive lessons. It combines elements like polls, word clouds, and drawing activities to make learning dynamic and participatory. Curipod’s built in AI features allow educators to generate interactive lessons quickly and easily. All AI output is customisable. Additionally, Curipod’s AI adapts content to suit different teaching styles and student needs, streamlining the lesson material creation process while making learning more interactive and engaging.

How do I get access? Teachers can access Curipod by signing up for a free basic account on the Curipod website.

Pupils do not need accounts to participate in Curipod lessons.

Diffit

What does it do? Diffit is an AI-powered tool designed to help educators create differentiated learning materials quickly. It allows teachers to generate customised content at various reading levels based on a given text or topic. By adjusting the complexity of language, Diffit ensures that students with different abilities can engage with the same subject matter, supporting personalized learning and making lesson planning more efficient for teachers. 

How do I get access? Teachers can sign up for a free account on the Diffit website.

Pupils do not need to access Diffit.

Magic School

What does it do? Magic School is a collection of 70+ AI tools (Magic Tools) to help teachers with a variety of tasks including lesson planning, differentiation, planning group work, generating vocabulary lists, and so much more. It also has 40+ responsible AI tools that can be launched to students to allow them to explore generative AI while the teacher can monitor their interactions with and the outputs from the AI model. Tools for students include study habits, debate partner, multiple explanations and more.

How do I get access? Teachers can sign up for a free account on the Magic School website.

Pupils do not need accounts to participate in Magic School activities.

School AI

What does it do? School AI allows learners to explore a Large Language Model in a safe environment through ChatGPT powered experiences called Spaces. Teachers can choose from a library spaces, or create their own with custom instructions tailored to learners’ needs. Teachers can manage, moderate and steer as students interact with the machine and receive real time ‘insights’ as well as being able to access live conversations from the teacher moderation screen.

How do I get access? Teachers can access School AI by signing up for a free basic account on the School AI website.

Pupils do not need accounts to participate in School AI spaces.

Perplexity AI

What does it do? Perplexity AI is a Large Language Model similar to ChatGPT and Google Gemini Their goal is to offer more intuitive and efficient search experiences compared to traditional methods. Ask any question, and it searches the internet to give you an accessible, conversational, and verifiable answer. Unlike it’s counterparts Perplexity AI provides clickable links to the sources it has gathered information from.

How do I get access? Anyone can use Perplexity AI for free. It does not require a log in.

Padlet ‘I Can’t Draw’ text to image AI

What does it do? Padlet’s “I Can’t Draw” feature uses a text-to-image AI model to transform users’ written descriptions into images.

How do I get access? Teacher sets up a Padlet and learners access via link or QR code. Pupils do not need to log in.

Adobe Express ‘Firefly’

 What does it do? Adobe Firefly in Adobe Express is an AI-powered tool that allows users to generate and edit images using text prompts. It enabling users to quickly create designs, add effects, and make creative adjustments to photos, illustrations, and graphics.

How do I get access? Learners have access to Adobe Express via Glow.

Importance of AI Literacy

Learn why developing AI literacy is crucial for both teachers and students, preparing them for a tech-driven future.

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Developing AI literacy is crucial for both teachers and students as it equips them with essential skills to thrive in a tech-driven future. It enhances critical thinking, problem-solving, and ethical awareness, enabling students to navigate AI technologies responsibly. For teachers, AI literacy allows them to guide students effectively, integrating AI into learning while fostering digital citizenship. This knowledge ensures both educators and students are prepared for the evolving job market and societal shifts driven by AI advancements.

AI literacy as a concept is still evolving because AI technology itself is rapidly advancing and becoming more integrated into everyday life. As generative AI and automation, continue to shift the landscape, requiring ongoing adaptation in educational frameworks and public understanding to keep pace with innovation.

The AI literacy model we will work with in Falkirk Council education establishments is shown below. This is adapted from a model from the University of Hong Kong and includes principles and conceptualisations from across AI4K12 Initiative, ISTE’s AI Education Framework and the OECD’s AI Literacy Principles. It has been adapted to be simple, clear and suitable for children, young people and adults alike.

Support: Changes to Microsoft Desktop Apps Download

Due to Microsoft global licensing changes, from the 1st August 2024 Glow users will no longer be able to download the desktop applications through their Glow account. This page provides information on how to download Microsoft Office Apps via your Falkirk Council credentials. It also provides alternatives to Microsoft products that you may wish to consider. For more information from Glow directly please visit this post on the Glow Knowledge Hub. 

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