Category Archives: CfE

CfE for Parents

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.

Creativity across Learning: Rethinking the Future

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.

New look Creativity Portal

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

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

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

New Guidance for Expressive Arts Practitioners

Education Scotland has published new resources to support practitioners in planning learning and teaching in line with Scotland’s new National Qualifications . These include graphic design and contemporary sculpture (N4, N5 and Higher) plus contemporary and jazz dance technique and advice on the choreographic process (N5).

Resources now available:

Art and Design

Graphic Design (N4, N5, Higher)

Expressive with Critical (N4, N5, Higher)

Expressive with Critical: Contemporary Sculpture (N4, N5, Higher)

Dance

Choreographic Process (N5)

Dance Technique, Contemporary and Jazz (N5)

Drama

Transform Toolkit

Music

NQ Music (N3, N4, N5)

Impact of CfE on school leavers heading for HE

Information about CfE for universities

A new section on the Education Scotland website summarises the impact Curriculum for Excellence will have on school leavers heading for higher education and suggests that maximising the opportunities that CfE provides requires a joined-up approach across sectors. University entrants who have experienced CfE throughout their secondary education will have a different experience of learning and teaching and different pathways through qualifications. Read more here.

Artist CPD – Working with Schools, 26 Aug 2012

Skills Development CPD for Artists: Working with Schools
Sunday 26 August, 1.30-4.30pm
Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SR

Cost: £28/£24 Network members

Bookings: 0131 556 9579

Participants will look at the four capacities of the Curriculum for Excellence and how participating in the arts enables young people to become Successful Learners, Confident Individuals, Effective Contributors and Responsible Citizens. The programme will also look at the outcomes and experiences for the Expressive Arts, as well as how the arts can be used across the curriculum to meet the health and wellbeing, literacy and numeracy outcomes. There will also be a chance to examine case studies of education projects, share ideas for future projects and tips on how to fund work in schools. Led by Fiona Dalgetty

For artists: If you have already worked with schools, please bring a short summary or case study of a project you have run

Programme:

1.30pm – 2.30pm – Curriculum for Excellence
2.30pm – 3.00pm – Case studies of education projects
3.00pm – 3.15pm – Coffee break
3.15pm – 3.45pm – Case studies and ideas for future projects
3.45pm – 4.15pm – How can we fund work in schools?
4.15pm – 4.30pm – Final questions