CPD, Creativity, Curriculum for Excellence, Opportunities

Learner Voice and Pupil Participation Conference, 23 March 2012

March 7, 2012 Ms Higgins Leave a comment

If you are interested in developing ‘learner voice’ and ‘pupil participation’ within your classroom, school or local authority, there will be a national conference in Edinburgh on Friday, 23 March 2012.

The event will feature sessions and workshops presenting successful and effective examples of developing and sustaining a pupil centred and participatory learning environment.

With a keynote address by Tam Baillie, Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, some of the main themes covered on the day will include: rights respecting schools, community partnership projects, pupil councils, learner engagement with Curriculum for Excellence and peer education. The event will also provide reference to global citizenship as a theme across learning highlighting how sustainability or international education allow for inclusive and pupil driven learning experiences.

Register for this free event today, or for further details please contact Diane Carson on 0141 282 5172 or email globalcitizens@educationscotland.gov.uk

Creative Learning, Creativity, Education Scotland, Marks on a Landscape, Opportunities

Wanted! Creative teachers and group workers!

March 7, 2012 Ms Higgins Leave a comment

Are you creative in the classroom? Do you empower creativity in your young people?
Education Scotland is looking for teachers and CLD staff who use creativity in their work to speak up and share their creative learning and teaching approaches with the rest of Scotland through a series of very short online film clips.

Creativity in its purest sense involves generating original ideas that have value and crosses ALL areas of the curriculum (not just the arts) and we are looking for examples from subjects as diverse as PE, Languages and Maths. It could be the young people learning creative skills or an approach to lesson planning that is particularly creative. What creativity might involve can be found here: http://glo.li/xGyO32

Here are the questions we would like to put to you:

• What is creativity (to you)?

• Why be creative in your teaching?

• What happens when the young learners are engaged in a creative activity?

• What did you and your young learners do that was creative?
You might explain an example of what creativity looks like in your classroom or group.
You might detail day-to-day creative approaches or else explain a specific project, topic or development.
How did this specifically benefit you and the young people?

You will be filmed by a professional film company (they really put you at your ease) who will come to you, fit around your timetable, and the whole process of setting up and filming will take less than half an hour. Ultimately we are capturing just 3 minutes of glorious quality footage from you that will be shared through the Creativity Portal. This is a great opportunity to showcase your creativity to a national audience.

The filming will be arranged to suit you some time in the next three weeks.

It takes moments to offer your experience or suggest a colleague who you think would fit the bill:
Go to: http://glo.li/z0Mi3s
Email: Stephen.bullock@educationscotland.gov.uk
Phone: 0141 282 5194

CPD, Curriculum for Excellence, Events, Opportunities

Curriculum for Excellence Discussion at Donibristle with David Cameron

March 7, 2012 Ms Higgins Leave a comment

In an effort to demystify and raise awareness of a Curriculum for Excellence, Donibristle has been fortunate enough to secure the services of David Cameron (currently working with Education Scotland) as a key speaker on Tuesday 20th March at 6.30pm.

Light refreshments will be available.

Please contact school on 01383 602412 for more information.

Competition, Creativity, Curriculum for Excellence, Opportunities, Primary schools

Fife primary school’s animation wins national film award!

March 7, 2012 Ms Higgins 2 Comments

Well done Burntisland Primary School!

The children from Burntisland Primary School won the award for their stop motion film, Granny Mac’s Meringues.

The children from Burntisland Primary School made Granny Mac’s Meringues as part of a school project.

The children from Burntisland Primary School took just two months to create their stop motion film, Granny Mac’s Meringues.

The children were involved in writing the script, building the set and models, filming and recording voiceovers.

In the film, the Queen travels to Hisland Island to choose a hat from famous milliner Hettie McHattie for the Royal Wedding. On the boat on the way back to the mainland there is a mix up with the boxes and the hat goes missing.

The children were one of three groups shortlisted for the Best Film by Under 11s at the First Light Awards. They were up against films from Middlesbrough and Belfast.

The competition was judged by Danny Boyle and Sam Mendes .

Find out more http://news.stv.tv/scotland/east-central/299963-primary-schools-animation-wins-national-film-award/

Creativity

2012 World Creativity & Innovation Week

March 5, 2012 Ms Higgins Leave a comment

World Creativity & Innovation Week April 15 – 21

Creativity is in you…use it…Go!

Creativity, Expressive Arts, Opportunities, Primary schools, Secondary schools

Face Britain

March 5, 2012 Ms Higgins Leave a comment

Face Britain is the UK’s largest mass collaborative art project, and involves children and young people aged 4-16 in creating self portraits. The project has been designed with schools in mind and all self portraits will celebrated in a number of exiting ways including screenings on BBC Big Screens in 21 cities around the UK which will become the official Olympic Live Sites this summer. So far over 1000 schools have signed up and submitted over 13,000 portraits.

To view the gallery visit: http://www.facebritain.org.uk/

Click here for full details- Face Britain

For further information on Children and the Arts programmes and resources visit www.childrenandarts.org.uk

Creative Learning, Creativity, Education Scotland, Funding, Literacy and English, Opportunities, Primary schools

Money for language departments and projects in Scotland

March 5, 2012 Ms Higgins Leave a comment

The British Academy is offering two awards of £4000 specifically for Scottish schools that want to develop creative ways of improving language teaching and learning. It could go towards helping you to work with your local primary schools, take forward business links, or develop a new course.

Click here for more info

Opportunities

Equality and diversity:Fife’s Diversity Week 12th-18th March 2012

March 2, 2012 Ms Higgins Leave a comment

The Scottish Government believes in a One Scotland of many cultures. A nation that values diversity and recognises a multi-cultural society is one that is vibrant, successful and energetic – as Scotland aspires to be. A nation where people from all backgrounds can live and raise their family in peace and where all people – of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds – can achieve their potential.

The One Scotland campaign seeks to create a Scotland where racism is not acceptable and hopes to inspire communities to pull together and be united and stronger. The campaign was updated and repackaged in 2011 in the form of a USB stick containing all the One Scotland material, which can be used to deliver anti-racism messages as part of the wider curriculum.

The One Scotland toolkit is free and can be obtained by contacting Anna Riva (Scottish Government Equality and Communities Division) on 0131 244 5519 or by email: Anna.Riva@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Curriculum for Excellence, Engage for Education

Scottish Studies across the curriculum

March 2, 2012 Ms Higgins Leave a comment

Scottish school pupils are set to broaden their knowledge on aspects of Scottish life and culture across all areas of learning.

Learning Minister Alasdair Allan yesterday confirmed the award in Scottish Studies is among a number of recommendations made by the Scottish Studies Working Group that will be taken forward.

Linda Donnelly, a member of the Working Group and head teacher at Carleton Primary School in Glenrothes added:

“Curriculum for Excellence encourages relevance and coherence. Its aim is to provide a flexible and enriched curriculum. The idea of using Scottish studies as a vehicle to achieve this is both exciting and challenging. Learning about Scotland in Carleton Primary school is taught, not a discrete subject but rather as a whole school themed approach. Staff and pupils are encouraged to take the opportunity to learn about Scotland when and wherever possible.

“Exploring Scotland’s rich cultural diversity and understanding Scotland’s role in the wider world are two of the key principles in developing global citizens. I would therefore encourage everyone to embrace the recommendations from the group and help embed learning about Scotland across the curriculum.”