‘If you have an idea and don’t do something about it, then it’s not an idea.’

CLD Standards Council are pleased to announce that the new Ideas Academy section of our website <http://www.cldstandardscouncil.org.uk/Ideas_Academy/Index> is now live – but what is the Ideas Academy?

Developing dialogue, debate and conversation that encourages us to lead, think and act beyond boundaries. Creative, provocative, inspiring and motivating. Ideas that aspire to this. Contributions will be considered in terms of the validity of the argument, rather than assessing them according to the power positions of those who promote them.

http://bit.ly/gMZer7

An exciting new national competition for all schools in Scotland opens on 9 May.

You can take part and design a new tartan for the Commonwealth Games 2014. The submissions will incorporate as many as all six of the colours found on the Glasgow 2014 logo and the winning design will become the official tartan of the Commonwealth Games 2014.

Designing the tartan however, is only the beginning. The competition will focus not only on the design but also on global citizenship.
The competition hopes to provide opportunities for wider learning on sustainability, citizenship and international education themes.  The focus could come from the values of the Games –‘humanity, equality and destiny’, international school links or the culture and heritage of Commonwealth countries. Submissions will be made through engaging with innovative tartan generator software.
The competition goes live on 9 May with a closing date of 17 June. If you would like to express an interest in taking part in this competition, please contact Neil Fogg <mailto:nfogg@ltscotland.org.uk>  (N.Fogg@LTScotland.org.uk).

Festival of Museums celebrates Scotland’s wealth of culture with day and night time events scheduled to take place from 13 to 15 May 2011. The festival promises to offer local families a range of cultural experiences that will ‘ignite imaginations’.

http://www.festivalofmuseums.com/

Across Scotland, museums and galleries are finalising their plans for a packed weekend of surprising and exciting events. Around 60 venues are holding events, and there’s something for everyone – so come along and join in the fun!

This one-day event aims to share the learning from Co-Create, a Scotland-wide arts project for Glow, the world’s first national schools intranet.

Co-Create <https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/CoCreate/about/> is a pioneering initiative which has brought together schools, Creative Scotland-funded arts organisations and other partners in ten online collaborations using Glow, new media technology and imaginative, high quality arts to create exciting and relevant teaching materials and experiences to support the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence.

This event will give practitioners from both the arts and education sectors direct access to in-depth case studies from Co-Create participants and partners on how they have used Glow to develop innovative and creative approaches to learning and teaching.

If you have not already reserved a place and would like to, or for more information on the programme, please email Glow Admin: glowadmin@ltscotland.org.uk <mailto:d.carson@ltscotland.org.uk> , using Co-Create: Sharing the Learning as the subject header.

Co-Create is funded through a partnership between Learning and Teaching Scotland and Creative Scotland’s National Lottery Fund.

A new elearning module from the JISC-led Strategic Content Alliance is available online to help update people dealing with intellectual property rights in universities, colleges, museums, libraries and other public bodies.

The module will help them understand the implications and roles of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and licensing – all crucial to their institution’s role as a provider, aggregator and/or publisher of digital content.

The module is divided into six learning objects with a range of supporting case studies, video and animation:

1. Introduction to IPR and licensing
2. Creative Commons licences
3. Orphan works and risk management
4. Digital Economy Act
5. Accessing and using third party content
6. Protecting and managing rights.

Access the module online <http://www.web2rights.com/SCAIPRModule>

Third year pupil from Whitburn Academy, Marc Wright scooped the coveted top slot in Schuh Design Challenge 2011 with his Scottish themed boot.

The competition – now in its 15th year – was organised by West Lothian Council’s Enterprise in Education team and sponsored by the Livingston-based footwear company.

Marc has won a pair of shoes of his choice, as well as a chance to work with one of Schuh’s top designer.

Depute Chief Executive Gordon Ford commented: “We would like to thank Schuh for their continued sponsorship of this excellent challenge and congratulate Marc on his success.

“The high standard and creativity of the designs impresses me each year.  West Lothian has a wealth of talented and creative young people and this competition is a fantastic showcase for them.  The designs are really miniature works of art and it was also very appropriate that they were on displayed at Howden Park Centre, West Lothian?s premier arts venue.”

Neil Blackburn, marketing manager, Schuh commented: “The fifteenth schuh design challenge was a fantastic event and as always we saw some incredible ideas from some very talented young people. The quality of work is a real testament to the high standards of West Lothian’s schools and students.”