Category Archives: CPD

Early Years Teacher Training: Thu 6 Feb, 10am – 12noon, Perth Concert Hall

January 28, 2014 Olivia Wexelstein Leave a comment

A training session led by RSNO Violinist Lorna Rough giving practical ideas for music making activities with children working at the early level of curriculum for excellence (age 3 – 6yrs).

Space is limited as the training is tailored to suit the needs of the individual participants.

Suitable for all, whether you have some music experience or none.

Cost £20.

This includes an information pack with practical ideas for early years music activites and a ticket to the RSNO concert in Perth Concert Hall that evening (Music Director Peter Oundjian conducts Wagner’s Tannhauser, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 and Walton’s Symphony No. 1).

Feedback from previous participants:

“Perfect for someone who is ‘scared’ of music” Nursery teacher, Dundee

“Great hands-on experience and really useful. I’ve already used some of the activities with my children!” Nursery teacher, Angus

To book, please email engage@rsno.org.uk or call Andra on 0141 225 3574

Could you also spare 10 minutes to complete our survey? Your responses will contribute towards our future plans for schools in the academic year 2014-15 and will help us create more training and participating opportunities for students and teachers in your area.

Please access link below.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RSNOEngage

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

Without Walls: The Outdoor Classroom

January 26, 2014 Olivia Wexelstein Leave a comment

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

January 26, 2014 Olivia Wexelstein Leave a comment

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

January 24, 2014 Olivia Wexelstein Leave a comment

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)

January 24, 2014 Olivia Wexelstein Leave a comment

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

CPD, Creative Partners, Dance, Primary schools

CREATIVE LEARNING FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS / WHAT ABOUT DANCE?

January 19, 2014 Olivia Wexelstein Leave a comment

CPD Sessions this March for primary school teachers

We’re back from the festive break and raring to go with another term of fun and active CPD sessions for primary school teachers starting this March. In these sessions you can expect to take part in creative tasks and come away with fresh new ideas which can be adapted by you to deliver the Curriculum for Excellence in your classroom.

The important thing to remember about our sessions is that it’s not about teaching you to dance. It’s about helping you deliver the curriculum for excellence to your pupils in a fun way which will help them remember. It’s all about creative learning.

TESTIMONIALS

Primary teachers who have come to our sessions in the past had this to say…

“I have learned lots of useful ideas to take forward into the classroom. Gained more confidence in how to deliver a dance lesson”
Primary Teacher at Auchinleck Primary School

“Great ideas that could be easily adapted…Fantastic Training”
Primary Teacher from East Ayrshire Council

“Useful to have loads of ideas which I could then develop according to class/ideas etc. Liked how you can use a traditional dance as a starting point”
Primary Teacher at St Andrew’s Primary School

“Lots of useful ideas to use in practice also very helpful ideas of how to differentiate for different abilities”
Primary Teacher at New Cumnock Primary

“Teaching dance 20 odd years. Still getting lots of inspiration and ideas that I will take away and use tomorrow”
PE Specialist at Linlithgow Primary School

DATES

Nursery & Lower Primary

Basic Components of Dance
5 March 2014 (9.30am to 12.30pm)
@ a venue in Glasgow tbc – £40

Dance & Stories
5 March 2014 (1.30pm to 4.30pm)
@ a venue in Glasgow tbc – £40

Upper Primary

Basic Components of Dance
12 March (9.30am to 12.30pm)
@ a venue in Glasgow tbc – £40

Dance & Science (Making Science Physical)
12 March (1.30pm to 4.30pm)
@ a venue in Glasgow tbc – £40

Basic Components of Dance
19 March (9.30am to 12.30pm)
@ a venue in Glasgow tbc – £40

Dance & Numeracy (Let Numbers Dance off the Page)
19 March (1.30pm to 4.30pm)
@ a venue in Glasgow tbc – £40

BOOKING

Bookings can be made easily through our online booking form via the website

Alternatively you can email victoria@ydance.org or call the office on 0141 552 7712.

DISCOUNT

Feel free to contact us at any time with any questions you may have – we offer discounts for multiple bookings.

CPD, Creative Partners, Early Years, Health and Wellbeing, Primary schools, Science, Secondary schools

The RHS and Growing Schools Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Courses for Spring 2014

January 17, 2014 Olivia Wexelstein Leave a comment

Available to teachers, support staff, school governors and others who are involved in teaching and inspiring children about plants gardening and keeping animals in school. A wide range of topics is available, encompassing the use and development of school grounds, thus providing practical experience, activities and ideas for utilising horticulture in all areas of the curriculum.

The aims of this Programme are:

To enthuse and support adults in developing and using gardens in school.
To support progression through the RHS Campaign for School Gardening benchmarking scheme, levels 1 to 5.
To encourage and advise teaching of the curriculum both inside and outside the classroom using, plants, gardens, animals, school grounds and environmental areas.
To improve knowledge and understanding of plants, gardening and raising animals in school.

For further details about the courses and to register your school for the RHS ‘Campaign for school gardening’ visit: rhs.org.uk/schoolgardening

CPD, Creative practitioners, Health and Wellbeing, Scotland Colleges

Free Webinar Series: Gonnae no dae that!

January 12, 2014 Olivia Wexelstein Leave a comment

‘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:

Webinar 1: Ways to create a calmer climate in college classrooms and work areas
Tuesday 18 February 2014 (16:15 – 17:00)
Webinar 2: Low level categories
Tuesday 4 March 2014 (16:15 – 17:00)
Webinar 3: High level categories and how they can be managed
Tuesday 18 March 2014 (16:15 – 17:00)
Webinar 4: Assertive collaboration and cooperation
Tuesday 29 April 2014 (16:15 – 17:00)
Webinar 5: what are we managing in college classrooms?
Tuesday 13 May 2014 (16:15 – 17:00)

CPD, Creative practitioners, Scotland Colleges

Activity generator: participatory ideas to spice up your classroom and engage your learners

January 12, 2014 Olivia Wexelstein Leave a comment

Friday 7 February 2014 (10:00 – 16:00)

College Development Network, Argyll Court, Stirling

View Programme and Book Online

This half-day experiential event will provide participants with lots of ideas for engaging students from induction through to pre-exit.

We will be demonstrating how to build a positive classroom climate, engage students and how to structure sessions that maintain cooperative behaviours.

Activities will include:

Ice-breakers – how to develop positive relationships from the start
Building a positive classroom climate – maintaining relationships
Energisers – dealing with apathy
Settlers – creating focus and structure
Promoting both individual and group work
Evaluating the class experience, learning and the teaching approach.