Category Archives: Subjects and Themes

Technologies

Scottish students shortlisted in BAFTA Young Designers Competition

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Pupils from Larbert High School, Falkirk Council, have reached the final of the BAFTA Young Game Designers competition for 11-16 year old and will attend the Children’s BAFTA awards on Sunday 25 November in London to see if they have won. Their entry, in the Game Concept Award section, has a solitary Highlander fending off attacks from wild haggis with only his magic bagpipes to defend him.

Details of the BAFTA competition can be found here:

https://www.bafta.org/press/bafta-announces-finalists-for-2012-young-game-designers-competition,228,SNS.html

Details of the pupil entry can be found here: http://ygd.bafta.org/piping-thistles

The pupils worked on their entry during a Wider Achievement Opportunity, which runs for senior pupils two periods a week. The class is organised by Computing Science teachers within the Technologies Faculty of Larbert High School and is inspired by the Computer Games Development award offered by the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

http://scottishgames.net/2012/11/20/bafta-games-nomination-for-scottish-high-school-pupils/

http://glo.li/RTdGbB

Technologies

The shape of things to come – design project

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Over 100 third-year Auchinleck Academy pupils had their first taste of the design process, as Interaction launched in nine secondary schools across East Ayrshire.

Architect David Ross of Keppie Design said: “It may seem almost chaotic in the early stages, but we want the young people to experience going through the process of changing and evolving ideas, to get to a final design. This is what architects do”.

The Interaction project calls for students to respond to specific needs in their own schools, leading to the actual realisation of built structures.

The youngsters’ brief for the morning was to work in groups, mentored by seniors, to design and build a 1:20 scale model for a structure to display and sell products.

On hand to help were David Ross; Hanneke Scott van-Wel, architect with Stone Opera; and Kathy Li, also of Stone Opera and part-time lecturer in architecture at Glasgow School of Art (GSA). Ian Hope of Hope Homes – builders of Cumnock’s Knockroon development, in a partnership with the Prince’s Charities Foundation – also dropped in to see the potential architects at work.

Headteacher Peter Gilchrist was delighted with the enthusiasm shown by his students and praised their creativity.

Hanneke Scott van-Wel said: “Today’s event is just a taster for the bigger project. Pupils will be asked to work on individual designs for a moveable structure to be used in selling products made in school. It must be flexible, portable, fit to be used outdoors and it must reflect the school identity.

“They will work in art and technical classes on their designs up until Christmas, when one winning design will be selected from each school. That design will be constructed as a model.

“The finalists will go forward to a Dragons’ Den type contest, where all nine schools will come together and a winner will be chosen. By the end of the school year, the structures will be realised.”

David Ross stressed that the design brief was a guide and was open to interpretation – different schools could evolve their own ideas. Kilmarnock Academy, for example, is coming up with ideas around a prototype racing car model!

He added: “Interaction will involve a number of departments in each school working on the problem simultaneously. We hope that art, technical, business and IT departments would form the core teams for this exercise”.

Councillor Iain Linton, Spokesperson for Lifelong Learning, said: “This initiative is in the early stages but has all the hallmarks of a unique and innovative project which will enhance what is already on offer in the curriculum, by giving students the opportunity to work with professionals and experts in their fields”.
Developing the Young Workforce, Sciences, Technologies

Scottish Gov. challenge prize fund for young innovators – 18-24 years

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The Scottish Government announces the launch of the Young Innovators Challenge which will be open to young people aged 18-24 who are in their final year of college or university, taking part in a national training programme or studying for a Modern Apprenticeship. Industry leaders will set young competitors challenges across a number of specialist fields, judge competition entries and offer mentoring and support to successful entrants.

SG News Release: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2012/11/young-innovators13112012

Sciences

Scottish Physics teacher presented prestigious top teacher award by Brian Cox

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Celebrations were the order of the day as a Kilmarnock teacher scooped a prestigious award from the renowned Institute of Physics (IOP) – and chatted to tv’s star scientist, Brian Cox.

Colin Barbour, Principal Teacher at St Joseph’s Academy, won this year’s coveted Teacher of Physics award. He was presented with a £300 cheque, a paperweight and certificate by IOP President Sir Peter Knight at a glittering ceremony in the Intercontinental Hotel, Park Lane, London.

Colin said: “It was absolutely brilliant. I didn’t know what to expect at all.

“The IOP put me up in the £470 a night hotel. There were 650 people at the ceremony and we had a champagne reception followed by an excellent meal. The guest speaker was Professor Brian Cox, who also received the President’s Medal in recognition of his achievements in promoting science to the general public.

“I’ll remember the ceremony for a long time –and the engraved glass paperweight now has pride of place at home”.

Former Loudoun Academy pupil Colin explained that he had been nominated by Professor Danny Gorman, retired, of Strathclyde University, whose daughter he previously taught.

Former students were contacted to write testimonials about Colin’s inspiring teaching ability and methods.

Colin said: “I didn’t know a thing about any of this at the time. The news of my award came totally out of the blue. Fortunately, enough pupils said nice things about me!”

A teacher for 24 years, Colin has spent 22 of them at St Joseph’s Academy, where he has been Principal Teacher since 1995.

Spokesperson for Lifelong Learning Councillor Stephanie Primrose said: “Congratulations to Colin on receiving this national recognition for his outstanding teaching.

“He was honoured alongside distinguished research scientists and industrialists at the annual awards dinner. In this way, the IOP recognised that without dedicated teachers, there would be no physics research community or technological base in our society”.

Developing the Young Workforce, Languages and Literacy

Young Writers Conference 2012

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Are you aged between 14 and 17 years old? Do you love writing? Do you want to develop your writing skills? Come along to our Young Writers Conference!

Come along to our Young Writers Conference, where you’ll meet loads of like-minded people, hear from award winning novelist Annabel Pitcher and choose from workshops on writing fiction, comics, poetry, plays or writing a truly convincing fight scene!

We’re very excited to confirm that this year’s conference will include workshops led by Annabel Pitcher, Cathy Forde and Steve Cole. We’ve got something for everyone, including fiction, playwrighting, poetry and comics.

For more information on the individual workshops please visit the website.

When: Saturday 1st December, 10.00am – 4.15pm

Where: The Mitchell Library, North Street, Glasgow G3 7DN.

Tickets: £6, must be booked in advance.
This opportunity is available in: All Scotland
For further information, please contact Claire.Marchant-Collier@scottishbooktrust.com (Claire Marchant-Collier), or call 0131 524 0160, or visit http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/young-writers-conference-2012. The deadline isFriday 30 November 2012 at 09:00.

Developing the Young Workforce

Xpress Yourself – Make a Movie – Edinburgh based 12-19 year olds

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Screen Education Edinburgh in partnership with Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian Football Clubs launched Xpress Yourself, film making workshops for 12–19 year-olds, with priority given to those from ‘areas of deprivation’ in the city. Funded by Creative Scotland’s CashBack for Creativity programme, participants are given a taste of the filmmaking process, with the opportunity of receiving ongoing training and support via ‘core filmmaking groups’ based at each club.

http://www.screen-ed.org/2012/xpress-yourself-make-a-movie/

Community Learning and Development, Developing the Young Workforce, Technologies

Opportunity for young people to create their own Social Enterprise – 11-16 year olds

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Live UnLtd, InspirEngage International and Xing Education launched Create Your Career, offering 11–16 year-olds across the UK the opportunity to start their own social enterprise. Successful applicants receive up to £500 kick-start funding, a free place at an InspirEngage Skills Bootcamp and access to support. The deadline for applications is 10 December.

http://liveunltd.com/campaign-posts/create-your-career/

Languages and Literacy

Inspired? Get Writing! Creative Writing Competition 2013

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School pupils and their teachers are invited to choose an inspirational painting, photograph, print or sculpture from the National Galleries of Scotland’s Collection and to create a piece of poetry or prose not exceeding 1,000 words in length. Works may be viewed in person, or online at www.nationalgalleries.org/onlinecollections

There are three categories for school pupils:

Category A School Pupils Under 12

Category B School Pupils 12-14 Years of Age

Category C School Pupils 15-18 Years of Age

There will be ten awards in each category: Winner, two Runners-up and seven Special Merit. All will be included in a public reading at the Scottish National Gallery in April 2013.


http://www.nationalgalleries.org/education/competitions-3740/inspired-get-writing-creative-writing-competition-20122013

Full details of rules, and a very comprehensive and helpful resource, can be viewed on www.nationalgalleries.org. Follow the link to Education and click on competitions. The closing date is Friday 18 January 2013.

Community Learning and Development, Dance

Get Scotland Dancing: The Film

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Get Scotland Dancing aims to encourage more people to get active and participate in dance. The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and 2014 Commonwealth Games, provide an unparalleled opportunity to raise the profile of dance as a creative, participative and physical artform. In support of this Scottish Government policy, Creative Scotland will invest £1.5 million across a four year period, creating an inclusive celebration of dance across Scotland, linking into the wider UK and marking Scotland’s place in the world.

Working with Scotland’s key dance organisations, Get Scotland Dancing will bring together professional and amateur dancers of all ages to dance in public spaces in our towns, villages and cities – bringing dance to the people and people to dance. We want to strengthen opportunities to participate in dance and create a lasting legacy for communities throughout Scotland.

This summer thousands of people across the UK, from professional to amateur dancers, young and old were involved in Big Dance 2012, the UK’s biggest celebration of dance as part of the push to Get Scotland Dancing.

Link to the film.

www.creativescotland.com/getscotlanddancing.

Drama, Music

2012 John Byrne Award launched

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John Byrne hosted a camera crew at his studio to launch the 2012 Award, introduce the stimulus, and outline how you can get involved.
This year the stimulus – the inspiration – for entrants isLetter From America by The Proclaimers.

For full details of this year’s Award, and how to enter, visit the 2012 Award pages.

John, and all of us, look forward to seeing what you’ll come up with.  Remember, your entry can be in any medium – film, music, visual art, writing, or something else entirely.