Category Archives: Opportunities

CPD, Health and Wellbeing, Opportunities, Primary schools, Secondary schools

Active Fife Training Programme

March 17, 2014 Olivia Wexelstein 2 Comments

Active Fife are committed to providing opportunities for sports coaches and physical activity leaders as well as potential leaders and coaches to develop their ability to lead sessions for a variety of people.

Active Fife work in close partnership with a range of external organisations to ensure they are able to support and develop coaches at all levels.

The Active Fife Training Brochure below offers a wide range of courses for experienced coaches and volunteers wishing to assist at local clubs, or those looking to start coaching with little or no experience. Many of the courses are also applicable for teachers, parents, senior pupils, coaches youth workers and uniformed group leaders.

For further information please contact

Sports Development on 01383 602393 or

SportsDevelopment.Enquiries@fife.gov.uk

Active Fife Training Programme 2014

Competition, Outdoor learning, Primary schools, Science, Secondary schools, Social Studies

Would you like to win £1000 for your school or group?

March 17, 2014 Olivia Wexelstein Leave a comment

Enter Scotland’s Environment Website Youth Discussion competition by 31 March for a chance to win.

We have £1000 to award to the best school/group entry and £100 for the best individual entry. We have lots of other exciting prizes including HP tablets, educational experience days with a “green” theme, a backstage tour of The Hydro and tickets to the Irn Bru Carnival 2014.

To enter, just answer the following question: “What needs to change in your local community that will make a positive difference to your environment and what role can you play in making it happen?”then submit your answer in an imaginative way.

Follow the link for further information about this competition and to get an entry form:www.environment.scotland.gov.uk/yd

The competition is easy to enter and is relevant to many areas of the curriculum including drama, art, science, English and even modern languages. This means entering the competition can easily be dovetailed into current project work or class topics. The competition entry rules are very flexible which enables teachers to choose the level of input they feel is appropriate and suitable for their pupils. A number of useful teaching aids and resources have been developed that provide a good starting point.

You can choose to present your answer in a number of formats from a simple drawing, painting or report to something more complex such as a video, website or photographic essay; be as creative as you want!

The competition is open to all young Scots aged between 5 and 18 years old and you can enter as an individual or as a group e.g. Eco Group, class, youth group. The closing date is 31 March 2014 so there is still time to enter – what are you waiting for?

Your entry may also be eligible for the Young Reporters for the Environment competition. It is being run in Scotland by Keep Scotland Beautiful and is open to young people aged 11 to 21 years.

CPD, Creative Learning, Early Years, Numeracy and Maths, Primary schools, Secondary schools

Creative Maths! with Rob Eastaway

March 17, 2014 Olivia Wexelstein Leave a comment

For some of us maths is not our favourite subject, we don’t find Compare Bears and plastic sorting sets particularly motivational! In this workshop Rob, will look at innovative tools for making learning Maths stimulating and achievable for children and young people, improving numeracy in and outside of the classroom. With examples of games, puzzles, curiosities and mathematical “magic”, these workshops are about enriching teachers’ own view of maths, as well as offering numerous ideas that can be transferred straight to the classroom. Rob will also address some strategies for getting parents on board, including tips on maths activities that parents can incorporate into their busy lives.

Listen to the reviews!

“Many thanks for an excellent and inspirational morning. Our group of headteachers went away with a renewed passion for maths.” Primary maths consultant, Hampshire.

“The best maths course I’ve ever been on- a breath of fresh air” Secondary maths teacher, Bromley

Venue: Edinburgh
Duration: Half-day

Book now to avail yourself of our early bird discount!

Delegate Cost: £99.00

Discounts available:
Discounted rate: non-member individuals and small organisations (incl early bird discount) £81.00
Discounted rate: member statutory and large voluntary organisations (incl early bird discount) £81.00
Discounted rate: member individuals and small organisations (incl early bird discount) £68.00

Also:

Book three delegate places and the 3rd delegate is entitled to 20% off
Book five delegate places, and the 5th gets a place for half price
To book more than seven delegates, call 0131 222 2410 and ask for Noelle.

About Rob Eastaway – Rob has written and co-authored 11 books, including the bestselling two part book collection Maths for Mums and Dads. He is the Director of Maths Inspiration, a national programme of theatre-based lecture shows for older teenagers. He regularly appears on BBC radio to comment on topical issues related to maths and maths education. He is a former President of the Mathematical Association and has a degree in Engineering and Management Science from the University of Cambridge. He has three young children.

Who should attend: . This event is for teaching staff, early years practitioners, and others involved in education children and young people; as well as parents and carers.

Art, Art and Design, Creative practitioners, Events, Learning, Opportunities, Science, Secondary schools

‘Weather to Whether’

March 17, 2014 Olivia Wexelstein Leave a comment

Fife Contemporary Art & Craft (FCA&C) are delighted to announce the ‘Weather to Whether’ event in partnership with Bright Green Hydrogen, who operates the Hydrogen Office project in Methil.

The event is aimed at S2/S3 pupils and will showcase FCA&C’s‘Weather Project’, which took place in the Levenmouth area, as well as visual displays/working models of power from the weather and hydrogen and energy storage by Bright Green Hydrogen (see programme below).

We are delighted to be able to offer a travel subsidy for this event, supported by Fife Cultural Trust’s Seedcorn Transport Scheme (details and form below).

***Spaces are limited and early booking is advised***

Weather to Whether Flyer

SeedcornApplication2013

FCT SEEDCORN TRANSPORT SCHEME

The maximum amount you can apply for is £250 per school towards transport costs to attend this event. Once you have confirmed your booking at the event through FCA&C, please complete the attached Seedcorn Transport Scheme Application Form and return it to the address at the bottom of the form. This fund is administered by FCT Cultural Partnerships and they will confirm your award and advise how to claim the monies for your school.

CPD, Creative Partners, Dance, Drama, Music, Primary schools, Secondary schools

Blue Blocks, Going to the Zoo and an orchestral Work-In-Progress

March 9, 2014 Olivia Wexelstein Leave a comment

We’ve got a busy office here at Starcatchers HQ – with our Creative Skills and Expecting Something projects going full speed ahead, and productions of Hup, A Small Story, Blue Block Studio and Yellow Valley all touring over the next few months. For more details, and to marvel at how Starcatchers staff are keeping their sanity (lots of biscuits is the key!), read on!

Blue Block Studio

Development of Blue Block Studio, our innovative programme of creative play and storytelling for babies and young children, which will be visiting 10 communities across Scotland as part of the Culture 2014 programme celebrating the Commonwealth Games, is well under way! We’re very excited that some venues are now on sale and others will be joining them very soon.

Blue Block Studio is a space specially designed for babies under 24 months. It is a creative place for babies and their adults to listen, to explore, to build, to watch, to lie down, to look and to touch. See www.starcatchers.org.uk/things-to-do/blue-block-studio to check which community we’ll be visiting near you!

Performances of Yellow Valley, the musical-storytelling performance created for children aged 2-4 years which will accompany Blue Block Studio, are also on sale, and again more will be added over the coming weeks. See www.starcatchers.org.uk/things-to-do/yellow-valley for more details and venues.

A Small Story

Dates for the Scottish tour of ‘a small story/ eine kleine gesichte’ our co-production with Berlin-based Theater o.N, are now on our website at www.starcatchers.org.uk/things-to-do/small-storyeine-kleine-geschichte-scotland with most venues now available to book!

The show is for children aged 2 and over and is all about the small stories which make up big stories life – love, marriage, babies, friendships, everything! It has been made by Andy Manley and Ania Michaelis with design by Fred Pommerehn and music by Danny Krass.

Don’t miss this opportunity to see this fabulous international performance!

Creative Skills Programme

Our Creative Skills Programme is in full swing! Early years practitioners in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Fife, Inverclyde and South Lanarkshire took part in a What is Creativity? session with Heather at the start of the year and have begun practical sessions delivered by Early Years artists. Sessions have been well attended with early years practitioners from a variety of settings, and early feedback is positive with a high percentage of participants having already started using skills and techniques they’ve learned in the sessions in their own practice.

The HNC Childcare students at Glasgow Kelvin College and Dumfries and Galloway College also continued their training, with music sessions led by Greg Sinclair. The students seem to have carried the same enthusiasm from last year’s sessions into the new year – long may it continue!

So please click here for more information or to sign up.

Expecting Something

We’re more than halfway through our second block of Expecting Something, our project with the Family Nurse Partnership Edinburgh and Lothians. In this block lead artist Sacha Kyle has been looking at the concept of there social and connected mother and baby, and our young mothers, babies and mothers-to-be, have been enjoying relaxing music and movement with various visiting artists. Our mums, their partners, friends or family are also looking forward to the last couple of sessions in this block, where we’ll be going on trips to Edinburgh Botanic Gardens and Edinburgh Zoo! All together now “We’re going to the zoo, zoo, zoo, How about you, you, you…”

For more information on everything that Expecting Something have been up to see Sacha’s blog at http://expectingsomething.wordpress.com.

Nickum

We’re getting closer and closer to the culmination of our Nickum project, in conjunction with the RSNO, and nursery and family centre venues in Aberdeen are now confirmed for the mini-tour of the work-in-progress Hup. Abi and Hazel, our lead artists, along with musicians Liz Lloyd and Andrew Huggan have only had one week of intensive rehearsals but already Hup is coming together and enthralled the 0-24 month audiences who saw shadings at Out of the Blue, Leith and Ashgrove Family Centre, Aberdeen.

To read all about Nickum and Hup see Hazel and Abi’s blog at http://nickumaberdeen.wordpress.com

Community Learning and Development, CPD

Upcoming Training – Youth 1st

March 9, 2014 Olivia Wexelstein Leave a comment

What’s on at Youth 1st

^{April 2014}

Introduction to Fundraising (for youth workers and volunteers)

Date: 17/04/14

Time: 6pm to 9pm

Venue: Auchmuty Learning Centre

Cost: FREE for Youth 1st member groups and voluntary youth organisations. £15 per person for all others.

This practical course will provide participants with an introduction to fundraising. It will help you to understand the different types of funding available,

make sense of the jargon and build your confidence in applying for funding.

There are STILL PLACES AVAILABLE on this workshop. BOOK NOW to avoid disappointment. Deadline for registrations is 3^rd April 2014.

Children’s Rights (for youth workers and volunteers)

Date: 24/04/14

Time: 6pm to 9pm

Venue: Youth 1st

Cost: FREE for Youth 1st member groups and voluntary youth organisations. £15 per person for all others.

This training session will give an overview of children’s rights and provide a greater understanding of working with children using a rights based approach.

There are STILL PLACES AVAILABLE on this workshop. BOOK NOW to avoid disappointment. Deadline for registration is 7^th April 2014.

Click here for contact details.

CPD, Primary schools, Scotland Colleges, Secondary schools, Technologies

Linking education and employment outcomes

March 9, 2014 Olivia Wexelstein Leave a comment

We are delighted to confirm that Andy Creamer, Deputy Head Teacher from Menzieshill High School, will be presenting at Learning through Technology 2014. Andy will speak about the LEEO project on Linking Education and Employment Outcomes; discussing the work students have undertaken with partner schools in Florida and ongoing collaboration with industry and employer mentors.

Learning Through Technology 2014 will be an unmissable event for all of Scotland’s lecturers. Now in its third year, LTT is a unique opportunity to explore the effective use of technology to enhance the learning experience and examine ongoing developments in policy, resource and practice.

Technology is a vital education resource with the potential to increase engagement, widen participation and inspire creativity in the classroom. You will explore how it can be used to best effect with examples of innovative practice from an impressive array of leading thinkers and practitioners. The event will also present am ideal forum for knowledge exchange and networking with educators from across Scotland.

Speakers will include:

Dr James Fanning, Head of Emerging Technologies, Education Scotland
Prof. Lizbeth Goodman, Chair of Creative Technology Innovation/Professor of Inclusive Design for Education, University College Dublin. Founder and Directpr of the SMARTlab
Prof. Bill Buchanan, Professor of Computing and the Institute for Informatics and Digital Innovation, Edinburgh Napier University
Charlie Love, Education Support Officer, Aberdeen City Council
Jane Houston, Head Teacher, Struthers Primary School
Christine Lamont, Primary Teacher, Struthers Primary
Lynn Brand, Principal Teacher, Tollcross Primary
David Cameron, Head of Career Management Skills, Skills Development Scotland

View the Tuesday 29th April Agenda here (pre-16) or Wednesday 30th April Agenda here (post-16)

Learning Through Technology 2014 also benefits from up to 10.5hrs of verified CPD from the CPD Certification Service, so BOOK NOW to hear from the experts, take part in thought provoking discussion, share your knowledge with like minded peers and boost your CPD hours.

What? Learning Through Technology 2014
When? 29th and 30th April 2014
Where? Our Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh

CPD, Creative Partners, Drama, Primary schools, Secondary schools

Junction 25 Teachers CPD Workshop

March 9, 2014 Olivia Wexelstein Leave a comment

Teachers CPD Workshop

Sunday 30th March 2014 12-6pm

Tashi Gore and Gary Gardiner directors of the most recent Junction 25 show, i’d rather humble than hero lead a creative session designed for teachers and educators.

This one-day workshop aims to explore ways into the devising process alongside ideas of ownership and authorship in making original performance work with young people.

To book a space contact the Tramway box office on 0845 330 3501
Limited spaces available for £15/10

CPD, Creative practitioners, Scotland Colleges

Free Webinar Series: Making Assessment Meaningful

March 5, 2014 Olivia Wexelstein Leave a comment

Webinar 1: Diverse Assessment Approaches

Wednesday 12 March 2014 (15:30 – 16:30)

In this webinar we will be looking at how assessment can be an integral part of the learning and teaching process on NC, National, Higher and HN programmes. Cherry Hopton from Dundee and Angus College will be demonstrating how diverse assessment approaches provide opportunities for her students to focus less on recall and more on application.

Webinar 2: Marked Improvement

Wednesday 26 March 2014 (15:30 – 16:30)

The Higher Education Academy (HEA) has recognised that assessment practices have not kept pace with the changes in education and that current assessments do not always meet the learners’ needs in relation to the world of work. A representative from HEA will share a review tool which is designed to demonstrate whether assessment is fit for purpose, professional judgements are reliable and learners have a shared understanding of standards.

Webinar 3: PeerWise

Friday 9 May 2014 (13:30 – 14:30)

Edinburgh University has been using the free online tool ‘PeerWise’ to support learners in the creation, sharing, evaluation and discussion of assessment questions. A representative from Edinburgh University will demonstrate PeerWise in a hands-on session. She will present their findings on how PeerWise supports collaborative learning and contributes to the development of analytical skills in an engaging way for learners.

Webinar 4: Assessing Creativity

Wednesday 28 May 2014 (15:30 – 16:30)

In this webinar we will be looking at creativity as a 21^st Century skill that can be taught and assessed. Fiona McGarry from Dundee University will share effective and innovative models of assessing creativity.