The BP Portrait Award showcases the very best in contemporary portrait painting from around the world. BP Portrait Award: Next Generation opens up free opportunities for 14–19 year olds to creatively engage with portraiture.
The National Galleries of Scotland are hosting the BP Portrait Award: Next Generation at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery this winter. They are offering four, short taster sessions where young people can experiment with drawing techniques and two, two-day Winter Schools where young people can experience a more intense approach to drawing and painting, coached by past BP Portrait Award-winning artists.

These are free and open to young people from all over Scotland. A small number of travel bursaries are available to young people on application.

For more information or to book a place, please email Joanna Mawdsley, Schools Education Officer.

http://www.nationalgalleries.org/education/projects/bp-portrait-award-2012-next-generation?dm_i=LQE,10RS7,3GU5HR,348LG,1

Edinburgh City Council announces that children and young people are being encouraged to get creative and follow in the footsteps of a ‘shoe’ in a new competition launched by Edinburgh Museums & Galleries and Red Kite Animation.  Inspired by artist Qian Shi’s award-winning short film about a toy shoe, the ‘Hidden Stories’ animation competition is designed to celebrate Edinburgh’s rich heritage and the art of animation.

Budding animators have until 22 March to submit short films based upon either a real or imagined back story of an object of their choice, housed in one of Edinburgh’s Museums & Galleries.

http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/news/article/1043/the_shoe_fits_new_animation_competition

A half hour talk by John Cleese on what creativity looks like and how to make space for it. He draws upon psychological research and makes reference to some of the key themes to our current education thinking – persistence, gestation (time), making connections and how humour is somehow tied to it inextricably.

http://creativityportal.org.uk/

A picture tells a thousand words… http://engageforeducation.org/news/a-picture-tells-a-thousand-words/

The Power of the Sea is a fantastic chance to flex your creative muscles to win photography equipment and lessons for you and your school!

School pupils from all over Scotland are invited to capture ‘the power of the sea’ in a junior photography competition aimed at highlighting the awesome force and natural resource of the waters around our coast.

Entries will be judged by the critically-acclaimed, world renowned Scottish photographer, David Eustace. So if you’re a budding photographer in Primary, S1-3 or S4-6 then look no further! Submit your entries before the competition closes on 2 November.  Find out more here.

What does remembrance mean? – Winners of Moving Stories 2011, 2 November 10.00 am http://glo.li/SwTNpQ

This year Poppyscotland has teamed up with Glow TV to bring you a series of events about remembrance.  This is the first of this thought provoking series. During this Glow Meet you will get the chance to hear from and chat with St Brigid’s Primary school as they talk about their experience of entering and winning Moving Stories 2011 and how you can enter the competition this year! Other Glow TV events on Remembrance will take place on 8 November and 22 November

For full details of these and other events, please log in to Glow and view the current schedule:

https://portal.glowscotland.org.uk/establishments/nationalsite/GlowTV/tvpages/Schedule.aspx.

(Glow log-in and password required).

The future provision of Glow is beginning to crystallise, get the latest detail on the Glow Scotland blog:

http://blogs.educationscotland.gov.uk/glowscotland/2012/10/26/a-guided-tour-of-the-new-glow-interface/

Migration of Glow to Office 365.

Consultation on Education Scotland’s strategic priorities

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/about/consultation/index.asp

The Education Scotland corporate plan will set out the vision for where we would like Scottish education to be in three years’ time.  As our new agency moves forward, we need to agree with partners the priorities which will have most impact on learners. Take part in our corporate planning process. The consultation closes on 16 November 2012.

Professional Recognition in ‘Creativity’.   Deadline for submissions Monday 3rd December 2012 to be eligible for the national award ceremony in this new category in the Scottish Parliament on the evening of January 29^th 2013.

Hundreds of teachers have had their knowledge and skills recognised and been awarded with a certificate in Professional Recognition. We want you to join the group now being awarded the new category of ‘Creativity’. This will include dance, music, visual art, creativity in science, drama. In fact creativity covers a huge range of subjects.

Professional recognition allows registered teachers to focus their CPD in particular areas of interest, and gain recognition for enhancing their knowledge and experience.

In order to gain Professional Recognition teachers need to demonstrate their professional knowledge and understanding in four key areas:

professional knowledge and understanding in four key areas:Click to read more about each.

• Subject/ Curriculum

• Professional knowledge
• Professional skills and abilities
• Reflecting, reporting and sharing

The Framework for Professional Recognition explains in detail how teachers can gain Professional Recognition. It was established to help teachers develop their knowledge and skills and to ensure that they are able to gain the recognition they deserve.

There are many areas in which primary and secondary teachers can gain professional recognition. Creativity is just one area.

How to apply for Professional Recognition ( Further details on our website www.gtcs.org.uk under ‘Professional Development’)

Steps in the application process

Before applying for Professional Recognition, applicants should follow these steps:

1. Carry out a personal self-evaluation

If eligible, you should undertake apersonal self-evaluation to identify area(s) which you might wish to gain professional recognition.

2. Have a Professional Discussion with your manager

Once you have completed your self-evaluation, you should have a Professional Discussion with your manager/school/local authority/CPD co-ordinator to discuss your intention to work towards gainingprofessional recognition.

3. Complete your CPD programme

Now complete the CPD Programme agreed in your professional discussion, maintaining a profile following the Professional Action process.

4. Undertake a self-evaluation against the framework

Complete a Personal Evaluation against the Framework which will identify the knowledge/experience gained.

5. Discuss your submission with your manager

Your second Professional Discussionwill see you discuss your professional recognition submission with your manager/school/local authority/CPD co-ordinator.

6. Apply for Professional Recognition

Download and complete our:

·         Professional Recognition Application Form (PDF)

·         Professional Recognition Application Form (Doc)

Place a copy of all the evidence noted in your application form in a portfolio

Your recommendation for professional recognition should be agreed and signed by your Headteacher.

Send your completed application to:

Professional Learning and Development Department
General Teaching Council for Scotland
Clerwood House
96 Clermiston Road
Edinburgh
EH12 6UT

CONTACTS

To discuss any aspect of Professional Recognition contact:

Professional Learning and Development Department

T: +44(0)131 314 6086

E: pld@gtcs.org.uk

The first of the 2012/13 Creative Conversations will be on Monday 29th October at 4 for 4.30 till 5.30 with wine and canapes afterwards (venue to follow with confirmation of attendance). Our first Creative Catalyst this session is Frank Crawford.

Frank is a former Chief Inspector (HMIe), forward thinker, innovator and enthusiastic biker. He has been centrally involved in the development of Scottish education and remains at the forefront of thinking. Frank will take a creative approach, sketching out ideas about meeting the demands of external evaluation, handling inspections, what self evaluation should really be and how we need to think about change and innovation. Frank is in great demand internationally so this is a great chance to catch up with him here in Edinburgh.

As with all previous Creative Conversations, David Cameron will facilitate the discussion and you are invited to continue the conversations afterwards with Frank, David and colleagues over wine and canapes!

This will be a popular Creative Conversation – please get back to me directly if you would like to attend and I’ll send full venue details and confirmation of your place next week.

I look forward to seeing you on the 29th.

Linda

Linda Lees

Arts and Learning Manager

City of Edinburgh Council, Children and Families

Waverley Court Business Centre 1/2

4 East Market Street

Edinburgh

EH8 8BG

Tel: 0131 469 3956

Fax: 0131 529 6212

Email: linda.lees@edinburgh.gov.uk