Category: Professional Learning

September 2024 LfS Updates

  1. Eco Schools Journey – a new Eco School Support channel has been created in our Falkirk Learning for Sustainability Team (join code h7cr6l2). The Eco school process has been simplified to make it less bureaucratic and more pupil-led. Keep Scotland Beautiful will facilitate 2 online Eco-schools training sessions for children and young people between 1.30 – 2.30 pm on Thursdays 31st October and 14th November (your group need to attend both). Contact Yvonne McBlain by Monday 10th October to sign your class or Eco-group up and receive the links for these meetings.
  2. Our first Falkirk Carbon Ready Classroom training for teachers took place last week (a new collaboration with Keep Scotland Beautiful).  This training was provided to support class teachers of upper primary children who want to build a Carbon Ready Classroom(CRC) and become climate-informed together. The CRC experience can contribute to your school’s Eco Schools journey and supports upper primary teachers and their classes with this vital aspect of Learning for Sustainability.  The teacher support materials are in a CRC folder within the Eco Schools channel of our Falkirk LfS Team. Our CRC children’s training day is Thursday 28th November between 9.15 and 2.45 pm. Please email Yvonne McBlain by Monday 18th November to register your class for participation or to request another training session for staff.
  3. We are glad that our very own Falkirk LfS Peer mentor (and RMPS Teacher) Samantha Wilson-McCaw from Braes HS will continue in her role this term. Samantha is happy to engage with schools and staff who have LfS as an improvement priority this year.
  4. Our Falkirk Learning for Sustainability blog has been refreshed over the summer here. This is our space for sharing and celebrating good practice and valuable ideas relating to LfS so please email Yvonne to add a post about your work.
  5. News from Education Scotland LfS Team – The DECS have updated their Climate Justice through Human Rights education resource. It can be accessed through the resources section of our website, and directly: ttps://wosdec.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ECJ-T5.pdf
  6. Education Scotland’s new webpage on Children’s Rights is available Children’s rights in Scotland | Resource Themes | Education Scotland
  7. Social Enterprise Academy support opportunities – 26.9.24 teacher information session on Preparing for an SEA Dragon’s Den PLUS Understanding Social Enterprise – 18.9.24, 4- 5 pm – both online. Practitioners should register by emailing SarahRogerson@socialenteprise.academy
  8. Secondary School Global Social Leaders membership – more information here about this interactive, project-based learning programme where students, aged 11-18, work in teams to design and deliver a social action project. Students will connect with others across the world to learn from each other’s social action journeys through live virtual sessions and student-led, self-paced activities that encourage autonomy and agency. The programme is designed to support problem-solving, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration, enabling students to adapt and thrive in life and the future world of work
  9. Falkirk Secondary Schools Climate Summit takes place in Braes HS on 18th This event was organised by young people in Braes and Falkirk High Schools and delegates from each secondary school have been invited to attend. Yvonne contacted cluster chairpeople to invite primary pupil representation, but this does not appear feasible this year. We look forward to their involvement next time.
  10. John Muir Award – Information about changes to the running of the award: The John Muir Trust is redesigning and improving the John Muir Award – aiming to launch in 2025. Updates on progress through the autumn and winter via website and Award e-Bulletin. Due to the current challenging financial environment the Trust is making the following changes to how they run the John Muir Award:
    • No new Proposal Forms for the Award are being accepted at this time.
    • Any Proposal Forms that have already been received by the Trust will be reviewed and registered, providing Award Criteria can be met and the Awards are intended to be completed by 1st September 2024.
    • Upon Award completion, where registered participants have achieved the Award Criteria, electronic certificates in PDF format will replace hard copy certificate

11. The Scottish Government  have released this information and this toolkit to support Scotland’s Climate Week and climate action across the country:

Scotland’s Climate Week, held annually since 2016, brings together communities and organisations across the country to support climate action. This year, Climate Week will take place from 23 – 29 September. The focus of the week is on sharing “Stories for Change”, and we’ve created a toolkit for early learners, schools and caregivers, to get involved in this fantastic opportunity.

And finally, we hope to have your support with our first Falkirk LfS audit between October and December of this year. The audit is designed to establish what LfS looks like in our schools and centres and how we can support you better. We’ll keep it short and snappy but thought you’d like to know it was on its way.

January 2021 Professional Learning Opportunities

Upcoming professional learning in Falkirk:

LfS 6-2021 9th February 2021 3.30-5 pm – Building LfS into your curriculum – introducing the Falkirk LfS framework and exploring how it can support your integration of LfS within your curriculum and the broad general education

LfS 7-2021 4th February 2021 3.30-5pm – An Introduction to Learning for Sustainability for practitioners and senior managers who are at the beginning of their LfS journey and would like to explore how the Falkirk LfS Framework can help

Professional learning information and opportunities available nationally – shared by Ian Menzies, Senior Development Officer, Education Scotland:

AimHi virtual sessionsclimate change and the biology curriculum – Education Scotland is partnering with AimHi to deliver three inspiring virtual sessions on LfS/Biology themes for learners and their families. The AimHi Team have delivered sessions to many thousands of viewers in over 100 countries and we’re delighted to be working with them to develop exclusive sessions specifically for the Scottish Curriculum. These have excellent guests  are not to be missed and there is still time to access 2 sessions (ideal for those interested in/studying biology) which focus on the future of food and farms and re-wilding in Scotland. The sessions are targeted at learners and their families, link to our national STEM focus,  and run at 7:00pm on the 27 January and 3 February 2021. Click here for details.

New LfS Guide – GTCS has launched a new Learning for Sustainability guide for teachers in partnership with Learning for Sustainability Scotland. The guide aims to help teachers understand their responsibility to embed Learning for Sustainability in their practice, inspiring and motivating learners to address the challenges of learning to live within the environmental limits of our planet and to build a just, equitable and peaceful society. A professional learning module is to follow – click here to to view the guide.

Food, STEM & Sustainability Online Teacher Training  The Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET), The Rowett Institute, Food and Drink Federation (FDF) Scotland and Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) are offering teachers and educators online training opportunities highlighting the importance of food. The online training (endorsed by Education Scotland) covers four main subject areas – Technology & Engineering, Health & Wellbeing, Maths (Big Data) and Food & Climate. Click here to register for online sessions and webinars – the online training site will go live in February.

Creative Thinking Qualification Pilot Programme  Working alongside Edinburgh Napier University and Edinburgh College, Daydream Believers has created a SCQF level 5 and level 6 award in Creative Thinking. The award provides a valuable framework for a wide variety of themes including STEM and Learning for Sustainability. Click here to register for the workshop on 29 January if you would like to know more about piloting the award in the 2020/2021 academic session.

Carbon calculators and resources – Two new online tools to support learning about sustainability and UK progress towards its net zero ambitions:

  • My 2050 – click here to explore this interactive online resource to help learners create strategies towards the UK’s 2050 net zero target:
  • MacKay Carbon Calculator – Click here to explore this more detailed model of the UK energy system and potential pathways to decarbonisation, including net zero by 2050

Learning for Sustainability Update – November 2020

Yvonne McBlain and Jane Jackson have liaised with partners to build a programme of professional learning and resources for the next few months. This programme will be sent to all Falkirk establishments in November via our Children’s Services Weekly Communication email, and regular updates will follow. We hope it supports colleagues with their ongoing development of curriculum during this unusual school session.

 

Learning For Sustainability – CLPL and Resources – The following sessions can be accessed on CPD Manager:

 

LfS 3-2021:  26th November – Developing Social Enterprise in Education as part of your schools LfS

This session is being run by one of our LfS partners Social Enterprise Academy and will introduce this exciting project that could see your pupils taking part in a Dragons Den!

 

LfS 4-2021: 1st and 15th December – Outdoor Journeys

Find out how local area journeys can enable young people to find out about the people and place in which they live in a fun and engaging way.  Keep Scotland Beautiful will be facilitating this session with links to how Outdoor Journeys can be part                                                              of your wider outdoor learning and LfS curriculum.

 

LfS 7-2021: 4th February – An Introduction to LfS

A session aimed at practitioners with limited knowledge of LfS.  As well as finding out what LfS is all about you will get resources linked to a Falkirk LfS framework that is being developed.

LfS 6-2021: 9th February Building LfS in to your curriculum

Aimed at practitioners with some prior knowledge of LfS this session will explore the Falkirk LfS framework and associated progressive IDL ‘bundles’.

 Other LfS CLPL opportunities

Scotdec are delighted to share with you professional learning opportunities around Learning for Sustainability for November and December 2020. All courses are free and take place online.

Secondary teachers

The future we want – a series of subject focussed webinars for secondary teachers wanting to explore how and why a global citizenship approach can add value to your teaching.

  • Active citizenship through maths – 3 December, 14 January and 11 February 5 – 6.30pm

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-future-we-want-active-global-citizenship-through-maths-tickets-128563515937

  • Active citizenship through modern languages – 8 December 5 – 6.30pm

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-future-we-want-active-global-citizenship-through-modern-languages-tickets-128565780711?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch

All teachers

Speak up! Race, bias and my classroom – a digital workshop series for teachers interested in exploring Anti-Racist education – for more information see attached fliers.

  • Edinburgh’s Black History –  24 November 4.30 – 6pm
  • Towards and Anti-Racist classroom  – 25 November and 2 December 4.30 – 6pm

Teaching for the Sustainable Development Goals – a series of webinars focussing on specific SDGs and how to engage young people with key global issues. Follow the links for more information and to register.

  • SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Fairtrade – 19 November 4 – 5.30pm

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sdg-12-responsible-consumption-and-fair-trade-tickets-126257689147

  • SDG 16: Young people, democracy and political literacy – 2 December 4 – 5.40pm

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/young-people-democracy-and-political-literacy-towards-sdg-16-tickets-125152800395?ref=estw

  • SDG 13: Climate Action – 3 December 5 – 6.30pm

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lfs-and-sdg-13-climate-action-tickets-125152431291