At the end of May, and last December, we blogged about an exciting project “Forensic Rookies” involving primary and secondary schools in West Lothian, Shetland and Perth & Kinross. Collaboration via Glow Wikis and culminating in a Glow meeting in February was the key to success for the learners, in this ASZTT funded project.

Each of the authorities is taking the “Forensic Rookies” project forward with a variety of approaches being used to meet the needs of the learners within each setting.

A series vodcasts with feedback and reflections from learners and practitioners is available on YouTube’s ScienceEdResearch channel. These vodcasts are rich in reflection on why schools got involved and benefits to learners. I had the opportunity yesterday to review some of the learners discussions via Glow and was hugely impressed with learners collaboration and thinking.

Janette Kean and primary 4-7 learners from Westfield Primary, West Lothian

Margaret Cameron, Helen McCulloch, and learners from Couper Angus Primary, Perth & Kinross

Wilma Missenden and learners from P1-P7 at  Urafirth Primary School, Shetlands

W Pieroni and L J Grant and learners from Blairgowrie High School, Perth & Kinross

An issue discussed when we were working with practitioners recently was around how to meet the needs of a range of learners within an S1 science class, with a range experiences. These vodcasts, discussing an inquiry based approach to learning used with learners in multi-composite classes could provide useful CPD around this.