Category Archives: Technologies

Primary technologies curriculum conversation day – 28 February 2014

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Education Scotland is holding a conversation day focused on technologies within primary on Friday 28 February, venue to be confirmed. This event is aimed at any primary practitioners or school leaders interested in this area.  We are keen to take stock of how schools and centres are delivering learning in the technologies and we would like to hear your views and experiences.

The purpose of the day is to:

•           look at where technologies needs to go and what is needed in order to best support all learners.

•           identify areas that require further support and what that support needs to look like.

There will be opportunities to hear from a variety of stakeholders, including practitioners as well as time for discussion.

If you would be interested in attending please contact diane.carson@educationscotland.gov.uk. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Please note travel expenses are not paid for conversation days.

Safer Internet Day: Let’s create a better internet together

On the 11th February 2014, the eleventh annual Safer Internet Day will take place with the theme ‘Let’s create a better internet together’.

Celebrated globally in over a hundred countries, Safer Internet Day aims to inspire the safe, responsible and creative use of technology.

This year’s theme covers the responsibility that everyone has in making the internet a safer and better place. For young people, Safer Internet Day is a chance to celebrate being kind and creative online, while educators, parents and carers can help to empower young people to embrace the positive by equipping them with the digital literacy skills they require for today’s world. Industry should work in partnership with others to create and promote a positive online environment for young people.

Coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre, Safer Internet Day brings together hundreds of organisations from across the UK in promoting the safe use of technology.

To mark the day the UK Safer Internet Centre will be presenting a live TV Show from Belfast as well as hosting a youth event at Microsoft’s head offices in London.

SID TV will be broadcast live at www.saferinternetdaytv.com with advice and practical information from experts and providers such as Facebook, Twitter and BT for teachers, young people and parents on internet safety and issues such as cyberbullying, sexting, parental controls, reporting and privacy.

The Safer Internet Day 2014 Youth Event will bringing together a panel of young people with experts across government, industry and education to hear more about what a better internet means to each of these important audiences.

As Will Gardner, Director of the UK Safer Internet Centre, says:

“This Safer Internet Day looks set to be the biggest one yet – the fantastic range of supporters really reflects how widespread and important this issue is, and we are delighted to see such collaborations where schools, civil society, public and private sectors are all championing the same cause. Safer Internet Day is a time to celebrate the great work that everyone across the UK is doing to create a better internet together.”

For more information on the activities taking place to celebrate Safer Internet Day, visit the UK Safer Internet Centre website.

EXTRA WEEK FOR SUBMITTING – My Place Photography Competition

*NEW* Deadline Friday 7 February 2014 *NEW*

Due to our new website launch we have extended the deadline for submitting images by one week. Sign up now to take part in a national  competition that encourages your pupils to get out doors, get involved in the subjects of architecture, placemaking, civic pride and photography.

·         Every image submitted will be displayed on our online gallery and exhibited in our exhibition at The Lighthouse, Glasgow, from March to May 2014.

·         Winning entries are published in the International Photographic Experience catalogue, shared across Europe.

·         Winners will receive a camera for themselves and one for their school.

The Scottish Civic Trust’s My Place Photography Competition is a Scotland-wide heritage photographic project for schools.

It encourages children to look at their built heritage in the places they live, and through the medium of photography, develop an understanding of the things around them.

To take part:

Register as a member – sign up FREE HERE

Submit your students images – click HERE for guidance

For more information on the competition background click HERE

BBC Commonwealth Film making competition

School story competition – promoting your school, community and Commonwealth values (extended deadline: 21 February 2014).

The BBC are looking for 3 schools – 1 in the UK and 2 from other Commonwealth countries who will make a film with the help of a TV crew, which best reflects the Commonwealth values and shares what it means to be a global citizen.

Winning schools will have their films featured on the BBC Commonwealth Class website www.bbc.co.uk/commonwealthclass.

My Place Photography Competition and new website

Happy New Year! Happy new website!

The Scottish Civic Trust enters 2014 with a fresh new look on our websitewww.scottishcivictrust.org.uk with a dedicated area for the My Place Photography Competition click HERE to view now.

The My Place Photography microsite has lots of new features for all of your My Place Photography Competition entries.

There is a new member’s area for schools and teachers with a multiple image upload facility that automatically resizes your photographs, so no need to crop or cut before you submit.

Click HERE to register as a new member

Our resources section has lots of hints tips and help sheets on how to use the site and on how take make great photography.

Click HERE to view our competition resources

My Place Photography Competition is open to all school age children in Scotland; it is FREE to take part in and is a great way of getting out and about with young people, getting into your local cities, towns and villages and exploring your very own built environments through photography.

Click HERE for more information on the My Place Photography Competition

The competition closes on Friday 31 January so make sure to register and upload images as soon as they are ready.
Happy snapping from all at Scottish Civic Trust

Creative pupils invited to ‘impress’ at the Scottish School Media Awards

Pupils attending Scotland’s secondary schools are being encouraged to submit their print or online ‘newspaper’ for the Scottish School Media Awards, with the best of the entries from Scotland’s young creative talent being revealed at a ceremony in Edinburgh on Friday 13 June.
The awards aim to encourage young people into careers in publishing and the creative industries, and are of particular interest to pupils who have an interest in writing, photography, design and business, giving them a unique opportunity to demonstrate their organisational skills, team work and creative flair, while gaining hands-on experience in managing a project from start to finish.
There are 14 categories, from outstanding features to the most exceptional finished magazine or newspaper. Pupils have until Wednesday 30 April to submit their entries, with the imPRESS judging panel looking for projects that have evidence of strong content and commercial thinking.
For more information and to register visit www.impressscotland.co.uk.

Get pupils excited about reading with Book Trailers

Creating Book Trailers is a fantastic way to enthuse your learners about reading and develop their critical skills. This year, Scottish Book Trust are running their first ever book trailer competition for the Scottish Children’s Book Awards, and have published a wealth of resources to help you get creative with trailers. Closing date for entries is 7 February.

Resource Calendar (January 2014)

The events in this calendar are celebrations, awareness days and action weeks all covering topical issues relevant to schools. Each of the events includes details of websites and support materials to help plan activities for learners.
The January events include:
· World Religion Day (19 January)
· Martin Luther King Day (20 January)
· RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch (20 January – 14 February)
· Burns Night (25 January).
Click here for the calendar.

inGenious competition brings STEM classes to life

A new competition has been launched to inspire the most creative teaching minds to translate their passion for science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects into exciting classroom experiences.
The inGenious competition – co-ordinated in the UK by Futurelab at NFER – calls for all teachers in Europe to help their pupils better see the link between their passions, the set of skills which make them possible, and the education paths leading to those skills.
The inGenious competition is open to all teachers at primary and secondary school level. Applications are open until 28 February 2014, and 30 finalists will be invited to attend the inGenious European Award Ceremony in Brussels later in the year.

The Scottish Civic Trust My Place Photography Competition

What is the My Place Photography Competition?
Now in their ninth year the Scottish Civic Trust My Place Photography Competition is a heritage photographic competition for young people in Scotland of school age. It is aimed at encouraging young people to explore their built environments in a creative way using photography as means of investigation and creative expression.

The My Place Photography Competition is part of Scotland’s contribution to European Heritage Days, and links into the International Heritage Photographic Experience run out of Barcelona and to the Council of Europe.

The awards are supported by the Scottish Government, The Lighthouse and Architecture + Design Scotland
Who can enter?
All young people in Scotland are eligible to enter.
Entrants should be of either primary school age or secondary school age.
Entries should be made by a group leader or teacher on behalf of their students.

All entries are recognised with a certificate and will be placed in an online gallery, displayed in a public exhibition at The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture.
Two winners will be selected by a panel of judges and these will go on to represent Scotland in a worldwide exhibition and catalogue.

How can you take part?

·         Participation is free, simple and straight forward, guidelines can be found on our website HERE

·         Register your interest by email sct@scottishcivictrust.org.uk or by phone 0141 221 1466

Nominations must be made by 31 January 2014