All posts by J. Fenby

CfE, Education News, Parents

CfE for Parents

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Be at the heart of your child’s learning

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/parentzone/

A national campaign has been launched which aims to help parents and carers develop a better understanding of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) and how they can become more involved in their child’s learning. Children do better when families support their learning. From reading together, spending time talking and listening through to finding out about their day and helping them prepare for exams – involvement makes a world of difference.

Curriculum for Excellence is raising standards of learning and teaching across Scotland. It is preparing children and young people with the skills and qualifications they need for a fast changing world.

Parentzone is a website dedicated to providing parents and carers with the most up to date information about their child’s education. It provides practical advice and ideas of how parents and carers can be involved in their child’s learning, as well as essential information on features of Curriculum for Excellence.

Get involved today by visiting www.educationscotland.gov.uk/parentzone.

CPD, Dundee, Science

Robots and CPD

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Teacher open evening event, Thursday 30 August, 4 pm – 6.30 pm

http://www.sensation.org.uk/

Dundee Science Centre is hosting an open evening for all teachers and educators, showcasing the work of the Science Learning Team and the opportunities available to schools throughout the coming academic year.  The centre will be open from 4 pm and there will be the chance to see the Robot exhibition and see the range of science resource boxes available for loan.  This is a free event.

CPD

CPD in Cultural Planning

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Dates: 6 & 7 September and 4 & 5 October 2012

Venues: UWS Paisley Campus; Pearce Institute, Govan; Glasgow East Arts Co, Easterhouse

The University of the West of Scotland is running a short course on Cultural Planning.

This short course provides an introduction to the background and concepts of cultural planning, drawing on a range of sectors such as culture, housing, planning, social work, health and education.

Course Outline

Aimed at professionals working in the above areas, the course will be of interest to those who wish to understand the background, concepts and approaches to cultural planning and those seeking to develop partnerships and collaborators from across a range of areas to finance new initiatives and developments.

For further information click here

CfE, CPD, Events

Creativity across Learning: Rethinking the Future

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An article in TESS this week highlights the importance of creativity in art and science as an S4 physics class visit Glasgow School of Art’s product design engineering course and see that it is the combination of creative and analytical skills that are required to make great innovative products:

http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6268747

Connected to this theme, is a session at SLF on Thursday 20 September, a round table discussion with Dame Ellen MacArthur: Rethinking the Future: technology, design and business in the 21st century, which will focus on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s research into the circular economy, an industrial economy that designs out waste, with strong links to many aspects of Curriculum for Excellence including: interdisciplinary learning, creativity, design, technologies, sustainability, economics, science, engineering, enterprise and skills development.

Creativity Portal, Dance, Drama, Literacy, Music

How to Subscribe to Creativity Portal News Feeds

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Visit the Creativity Portal to subscribe to the Creativity newsfeeds

http://www.creativityportal.org.uk

Visit the Creativity Portal to subscribe to the Creativity newsfeeds and receive up to date news on free and subsidised opportunities, workshops, CPD and competitions from creative partners. The news arrives in your inbox and is easily skimmed for opportunities and inspiration that interests you.

You can also follow the Creativity Portal newsfeed on Twitter:http://twitter.com/CreativPortal or Facebook: http://bit.ly/facebookCP.

If you have a specialism you can even subscribe to newsfeeds for Creativity and Literacy, Sciences, ASL, Drama, Music, and Art and Design – you can find all of the Creativity newsfeeds on the new look Creativity Portal.

To subscribe to the NCLN newsfeed click here:

http://bit.ly/NCLNnewsfeed

CfE, Creativity Portal, NCLN, Resources

New look Creativity Portal

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Creativity Portal redesign

The Creativity Portal has undergone an exciting redevelopment. It is more accessible than ever and tailors content to all users, ensuring you have easy access to the most vital case studies, creative partners, CPD, teaching tools and inspiration for your work.

Users can log in and receive a customised experience with resources recommended by similar users rising to the top. You can then recommend content yourself, helping to shape the Creativity Portal for others.

Creativity Toybox

Twenty-one very short creative exercises for use with whole groups of young people in the classroom or community setting. These will be warm-up/warm-down/filler activities that develop creative thinking skills. Click here to view the Creativity Toybox activities.

Creative Learning Networks

A themed area on the Portal where you can access information about the Networks together with links to CLN blogs and Glow groups. You’ll also find a series of short films illustrating the work of the CLNs including case studies from Aberdeen, Argyll and Bute, Edinburgh, Fife and Scottish Borders.

Click here to visit the Creative Learning Networks area

Creative Learning Contacts

A Who’s Who of local authority creative learning contacts across Scotland, together with Glow key contacts and weblinks.

Click here to view all Creative Learning Contacts

www.creativityportal.org.uk

Careers and Pathways, Funding, Young People

Funds for young people to develop their creativity

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Creative Enterprise Fund

Creative Scotland and Young Scot see the Creative Enterprise Fund as providing a means for Scotland’s young people to develop their artistic talent and unlock opportunities within the creative industries. The Fund aims to promote the values of creative enterprise and leadership, creating positive pathways to employment and providing wider benefits to local communities.

The Fund can offer awards of up to £200 for individuals aged 15-22 or £750 for groups of three or more young people, where two thirds of any group are aged between 15-22.

The deadline for applications is 17 September 2012.

Contact: Young Scot, phone: 0808 801 0338 [ e-mail | website ]

Young Start Fund

A new fund aimed at unlocking the potential of Scotland’s children and young people has been launched by the Big Lottery Fund. Young Start will invest dormant accounts money in projects that encourage young Scots aged 8 to 24 to be:

  • CONFIDENT – Children and young people have more confidence and skills;
  • HEALTHY – Children and young people have better physical, mental and emotional health;
  • CONNECTED – Younger and older generations are better connected and have more understanding and respect for each other;
  • ENTERPRISING – Young people are better prepared for getting a job or starting a business.

Young Start, which is forecast to invest £8.9 million by March 2013, will award grants of between £10,000 and £50,000 for up to two years. The fund is aimed at third sector organisations including voluntary organisations, community groups, social enterprises, housing associations, sports organisations, cooperatives and charities.

Projects will have a better chance of success if they can show young people have been meaningfully involved in the development, design and delivery of the project. Young Start can fund a range of projects including the following examples:

  • Using local artists in a creative arts project to improve young people’s confidence;
  • Getting young people involved in sport through the use of local sports facilities;
  • Young people teaching older people how to use technology and try new activities such as using the internet, social networking and gaming;
  • Work experience tasters with local employers.

Application form and guidance materials are available online here. There are no deadlines and applications can be submitted at any time. Applicants will hear if they have been successful within 8 weeks of submitting an application form.

Groups can keep in touch with the latest Young Start news at www.facebook.org.uk/youngstartfund or following Young Start atwww.twitter.com/youngstartfund.

Creativity Portal, NCLN

CLNs feature in GTC’s Teaching Scotland magazine

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This month’s issue of Teaching Scotland continues its focus on creativity.   Articles include ‘One-stop shop for creative learning‘, a feature on the CLN initiative and Creativity Portal; ‘Making a show of education‘, an interview with Simon Sharkey of  National Theatre of Scotland on using theatre without walls to engage learners, including NTS and Education Scotland’s Transform Toolkit; plus an overview of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas which encouraged Scotland’s colleges to think differently about the future of education.

Download a copy of the magazine here: teaching-scotland-issue-46

CfE, Education News

Creativity’s Place in Building the Curriculum 4: new online resource

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Education Scotland has recently published a practical guide to support the development of the key messages surrounding Building the Curriculum 4: Skills for Learning, Life and Work. It will provide teachers and other practitioners with support to help them ensure that skills development is an integral part of learning throughout the broad general education stage of Curriculum for Excellence.

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/s/skillsinpractice/introduction.asp?strReferringChannel=educationscotland&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-615801-64

Creativity as a Thinking Skill –

http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/s/skillsinpracticethinkingskills/creativity.asp