Category Archives: Creative practitioners

CPD, Creative practitioners, Curriculum for Excellence, Health and Wellbeing, Opportunities, Outdoor learning, Primary schools, Scotland Colleges, Secondary schools

Without Walls: The Outdoor Classroom

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16-18 June 2014

Never tried outdoor learning?  College Development Network, John Muir Award, The Outward Bound Trust and Youth Scotland invite you to break out into the most exhilarating, imaginative, thought-provoking environment that you will ever experience.  Challenge yourself to think differently about outdoor learning, the curriculum and what it takes to develop the outdoor classroom.

What’s on offer:

3 days, 2 nights at The Well Road Centre, Moffat, where you will experience a range of outdoor learning experiences and consider how you can build your own outdoor learning class.

Who it is for:
Priority will be given to those who do not have experience of outdoor learning.  In keeping with the philosophy of The Emporium of Dangerous Ideas, we will be looking for a mix of participants from education providers.

Cost:
£100 per person – covers accommodation, food and outdoor learning experiences.

How to apply:

Please email Kelly Fitzpatrick with a short piece (200 words) describing what you would hope to get out of this residential, and clarifying what your role and work setting is by Friday 14 February 2014.

CPD, Creative practitioners, Opportunities, Primary schools, Scotland Colleges, Secondary schools

The Emporium of Dangerous Ideas

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For the past two years College Development Network has curated the Festival of Dangerous Ideas – a festival aimed at re-establishing the importance of ideas as agents of change in education – shifting the axis of what is possible in education.

The festival has been highly successful, but we didn’t think that ‘festival’ with its connotations of celebration and one off events really reflected what we are trying to do.

We have decided to develop the festival into an Emporium of Dangerous Ideas – purveying the finest danger in education.  In fact there will be many emporia where the focus will be on selling, exchanging and creating the education of the future.  Events will be happening across the country, developed and facilitated by a range of partners, but always with the aim of challenging what exists and thinking about how it could be.

Dangerous Conversations

Fancy hosting a ‘dangerous conversation’ in an exciting location between the 9th and 18th June?

As part of the Emporium of Dangerous Ideas 2014, would you be willing to help organise a conversation about the future of Scottish education in an unusual, exciting or challenging environment? It could be talking timetabling on a train through the Highlands; or debating classroom layout round a campfire; maybe creativity in a castle or lecturing on a mountain peak?  The only requirement is that you give partners the chance to talk, think and engage in a space which takes them away from their desks/classrooms.

Building on the success of previous Philosophy Cafes, and Creative Learning Network’s Creative Conversations series, we are eager to continue to promote the importance of creative debate and conversation about the future of education.

We aim to have ‘dangerous conversation’ events across the whole of the country, and we would be delighted if you could host one in an exciting location in your area.

All we ask is that you feedback on the debate, and send some pictures which will be collated into an overall presentation of all of the thoughts, questions and images from across Scotland.

Key questions that are likely to be covered are:

  • What will Scottish education look like in the year 2024?
  • What is creativity, and what does it mean for us now?
  • What is the creative space, and how can it best be used?
  • What is the creative lecture, and what is the creative lecturer?
  • What is creative learning and what is the creative learning provider?

All we want you to do is sign up as a host, and pitch us the exciting location that will really inspire debate, get people thinking and talking creatively. We hope your event will be arranged and supported through partnerships; however, small amounts of money could be made available if lack of funding is prohibitive. Please include a brief outline of any such requirements you might have.

Please email Karen Lawson your ideas by Friday 14 February 2014.

CPD, Creative practitioners, Primary schools, Scotland Colleges, Secondary schools

Radio Edutalk – Professional learning for teachers channel

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Radio Edutalk (http://edutalk.cc) is an online radio station and free professional learning resource, organised by teachers David Noble and John Johnston. There are no costs to listeners and shows can be streamed, downloaded or subscribed to anytime, anywhere via most web-enabled devices, including mobile phones and tablet PCs. Shows are broadcast every Wednesday and Thursday evenings at http://www.edutalk.cc/listen.

A series of international education keynotes begins on the ‘Professional learning for teachers’ channel on Thursday 13 February (http://www.edutalk.info/upcoming). These online radio shows feature excellent content, delivered by acclaimed speakers from across the education world. Listeners are able to interact with each speaker via email or Twitter.

A new ‘Professional learning for teachers’ channel has been launched on Radio Edutalk (http://bit.ly/17WB5Sf). Fortnightly online radio shows feature teachers who, having conducted practitioner enquiry and other forms of research into teaching, learning and education, have improved teaching and learning, and pupil attainment and achievement.

For your diary:

·         Thursday 13 February, 6.45 pm – Gerd Leonhard: Futurist in Human Futures, Media, Content, Publishing & Entertainment, Telecommunications and ICT,  Marketing, Branding, Advertising & Communications, Culture & Creative Industries, Energy, and Environment and Sustainability.

·         Thursday 20 February, 7.45 pm – Clare Bryden, Teacher of English at Oban High School.

·         Thursday 6 March, 7.45 pm – Bonnie Stewart and course participants in Communications in Education at the University of Prince Edward Island, Canada. ‘Considering Networked Communications for Educators’.

·         Thursday 13 March, 7.30 pm – Professor Paul Kirschner, Welten Institute, Open University Netherlands. ‘Urban Legends in Education: What does good science say?

CPD, Creative practitioners, Curriculum for Excellence, Education Scotland, Health and Wellbeing, Outdoor learning, Science, Secondary schools

Supporting Outdoor Learning in Secondary Schools (event)

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Saturday 1 March 2014, 9.30 am – 4.00 pm

St Joseph’s Academy, Kilmarnock

In the revised GTCS Standards for Career Long Professional Learning teachers are required to ‘understand and develop the most appropriate contexts for learning including outdoor learningand be able to apply appropriate pedagogies for these environments’. This event aims to support this and build confidence and capacity in the delivery of outdoor learning in secondary schools in particular within Broad General Education (S1-S3).

This is a free event open to secondary teachers in Scotland – in particular those who are starting out on their outdoor learning journey and wish to develop their confidence in taking the curriculum outdoors. There is an expectation that those who attend this event will be willing to share their learning with colleagues in their establishment.

Registering for this event: If you wish to attend this event please register online byWednesday 19 February @ https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VSCB9NP

Early registration is advised as this event is likely to be very popular. Workshop choices will be sent out mid-February.

If you would like further information about this event please contact: Fiona Cruickshanks, Development Officer, Outdoor Learning Fiona.Cruickshanks@educationscotland.gov.uk

Creative Partners, Creative practitioners, Curriculum for Excellence, Funding, Opportunities, Primary schools, Science, Secondary schools, Social Studies

St Andrews Botanic Garden Free Transport for School Visits‏

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St Andrews Botanic Gardens have been fortunate in being awarded a grant from Fife Culture and Heritage Fund to cover the TOTAL cost of  your transport for educational visits to  Garden between now and the Easter Holidays.
They have lots of indoor and outdoor activities  which meet Curriculum for Excellence outcomes for all levels  in science, social studies,  maths, language and art. Their most popular activities are  Rainforest / Plant Lifecycles/ Seasons / Weather / Climates / Plant Growth / Grow your Own /Animal Homes / Wildlife Gardening / Conservation /Senses / Enterprise /  Dig for Victory / Egyptians / Tree-mendous Maths / Gruffalo Trail/ Pond Dipping and Minibeasts  and they are happy to devise activities to suit your requirements. See the attached programme for full details.
Charges for tutor-led visits are £3 for a half day (two activities, 10 am to 12 pm) or £4.50 for a full day (three activities, 10 am to 2 pm, including lunchbreak). They have an indoor Glass Class which takes up to 60 pupils, indoor facilities for lunch and refreshments are provided for accompanying staff and helpers.  You can also come for a free self-guided visit to the Glasshouses and Garden as a taster until the end of March 2014. There are tree trails and guide books and they can provide support materials to accompany your self-guided visit.
Creative practitioners, Drama, Expressive Arts, Glow TV, Literacy and English, Music, Primary schools, Secondary schools, Social Studies

Glow TV – Scotland Sings – Celebrate Burns

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24/01/2014 09:30-10:15

Join us live from the Glow TV Studio as we celebrate Burns with a feast of Scottish songs – and accompanying instruments.

Sing along with us and learn some new songs and some new Scots language as well!
You can also tell us what you are doing to celebrate Burns in your schools – we want to hear about all the exciting things you are doing.

So join us to sing and share in our Burns celebration!
Competition, Creative Partners, Creative practitioners, Curriculum for Excellence, Glasgow2014, Literacy and English, Music, Opportunities, Primary schools, Secondary schools

Big Big Sing – Song Writing Competition

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Write a Commonwealth Games song! Big Big Sing is a nationwide celebration of singing that will inspire thousands of people to get singing in the lead up to and during Games Time.  As part of this project, Big Big Sing is running an exciting songwriting competition open to Primary and Secondary School pupils in Scotland.

Big Big Sing invites pupils to write a song inspired by the Commonwealth Games, pupils can work individually or as a class to write a song between three and five minutes in length.  With the games just around the corner there’s no shortage of inspiration for budding songwriters!

For more information click here.

Creative Partners, Creative practitioners, Events, Health and Wellbeing, Primary schools, Scotland Colleges, Secondary schools

Scotland’s Big Laugh‏

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Did you know that January 24th is a day for laughing?
In partnership with Suzanne Zeedyk Ltd & Starcatchers we invite everyone to join in the fun!
Global Belly Laugh Day has a Scottish Twist this year.
After last year’s Laughter Day (you may remember lost polar bears, hopping ladies and surprise orchestras)  we are cranking it up to Scotland’s Big Laugh this year.  Everybody can take part . . . just by creating laughter on the day and sharing your journey with the rest of us!
Join us on Facebook and Twitter to create some giggles, after all laughter is the best medicine and we all need a bit of that in January!
Creative Partners, Creative practitioners, Literacy and English, Primary schools, resources, Secondary schools

Making Makars

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The Scottish Poetry Library has launched our shiny new blog for teachers!  Here you can find resources for poetry teaching in primary and secondary schools. Plus in our Over to You category you can share your own resources and examples of class work. Clyde Valley High in Wishaw have already sent us a photo and poem. By the time you read this, there’ll probably be more!

Click here to read Making Makars

CPD, Creative practitioners, Health and Wellbeing, Scotland Colleges

Free Webinar Series: Gonnae no dae that!

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‘Gonnae no dae that’ is a series five of webinars focusing on positive behaviour management strategies for working with younger students in college.  There is an expectation that there will be increased numbers of younger students working and learning in colleges and this series of webinars will focus on strategies to promote a positive response from and self-regulation in student behaviour.

Please click on the links below to view the programmes and book online: