December 11, 2015
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Education Scotland STEM e-bulletin – December 2015

Welcome to our e-bulletin for sciences, technologies, engineering and maths (STEM). Please forward to those who may be interested.

Received this from someone else? Sign up to receive it directly.

Sciences

Royal Institution’s Christmas lectures announced
Physiology competition for Advanced Higher Biology pupils
See our planet from a different perspective as an Earth observation detective
Sign up for Twig and TigTag topical science updates
Watch again – Glow meets on sequencing the genome and food security
Spotted an issue in your local environment? Win £1000 by thinking of a solution

Technologies

Computing science professional learning event – Ethical hacking
Create wearable technology with Raspberry Pi
Cyber Christmas lecture tour 2015 – register now
October highlights from primary engineer
Selex and Craigroyston High School S1 engineering partnership project

Numeracy and mathematics

Check out the hub broadcast schedule for 2016
Schools STEM advisory network in Scotland’s north east
Resources and advice to develop higher order thinking skills in mathematics
Data and analysis resource – worm survey
Read here why mathematics is important for many careers
Christmaths fun with these activities

Did you know…….?

Maryam Mirzakhani was the first woman to ever win the Fields Medal – known as the ‘Nobel Prize for Mathematics’

Professional learning

The Primary STEM Learning magazine is available for teachers to download

Video inspiration

One is one…or is it? Christopher Danielson explains in this Ted Talk

We’ve got loads more news to share! See our STEM blog for the latest updates.

December 11, 2015
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Scottish Education Awards 2016

Sciences, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Award

The Scottish Education Awards recognise schools and centres that have developed a vibrant and progressive culture and climate of continuous innovation.

The culture and ethos should promote respect, ambition and achievement while improving outcomes for all learners in ways which eliminate inequity.

Do you know a school or centre that can respond to the statement above and in detail to the questions below? Then why not nominate them for the STEM Award?

Nominations should include practical activities and projects that the school or centre has undertaken, detailing the impact these strategies have had on pupils, staff, parents and the community.

In what ways do learners in your establishment demonstrate successful application of STEM skills?
In what ways are learners using STEM to develop skills for learning, life and work?
In what ways do you work with partners/parents/wider community to support STEM?
How is STEM supporting the four contexts of learning (curriculum, inter-disciplinary learning, ethos and life of the schools and opportunities for personal achievement)?

Describe the outcomes of these approaches in terms of impact on:

children and young people
the whole school community
the wider community

Nominations close at 12 noon on Monday 15 February 2016

NOMINATE TODAY AT www.scottisheducationawards.org.uk

SEA2016_Flyer_STEM

December 6, 2015
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Quantum Physics Course

Quantum Physics Course March 4th, 2016 – Satrosphere Science Centre, Aberdeen

Glasgow University is recognised as a world leader in quantum technology. In this course, researchers from QuantIC, the quantum enhanced imaging hub, based at the university’s physics department will guide teachers through some of the new H and AH physics content, setting it in the context of their own work. There will be practical sessions too, giving delegates the chance to participate in activities to support the teaching of quantum physics in the classroom. Resources will be provided to take back to school, including a Photonics Explorer optics kit.

Only 20 places are available. The course costs £180. Local Authority schools and FE colleges will be entitled to receive a Cutting Edge Science Award of £180 for each delegate in attendance. The Cutting Edge Science Award is funded by Research Councils UK (RCUK) administered by the National Science Learning Network.

To apply for a place please download and fill in the application form here or request one from sts@sserc.org.uk This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please note the closing date for applications is 12th February 2016; places will be allocated on the closing date and delegates will be notified of the status of their application as soon after that date as possible.

Further details can be obtained from the Course Leader Gregor Steele – gregor.steele@sserc.org.uk This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information on Quantic, please visit quantic.ac.uk

December 5, 2015
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Blast Off Live!

BLAST OFF LIVE – 15th December 2015 BBC coverage starts at 10.30am

Watch it live on BBC One and live streamed at bbc.co.uk/timpeake

Tim Peake is the first British ESA astronaut to fly to the International Space Station. He launches at 11.02am on Tueday 15 December from Kazakhstan. His six-month mission provides a unique context for classroom activities to inspire all your pupils.

The UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency have put together an education and outreach programme that spans a broad range of subjects and age ranges, all linked to the Principia mission. These activities can be found here.

Glasgow Science Festival and Three Minute Learning have been funded to develop their online science and literacy resource 3ml, in support of Principia, and offer it free to all Scottish schools. If you would like a 3ml test account, please send your name, email and school to admin@three-minute-learning.org

December 3, 2015
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Assessment for Learning in STEM Teaching

A free online course facilitated by Future Learn and led by Dylan Wiliam and Christine Harrison, to help STEM teachers get to grips with Assessment for Learning.

Assessment for Learning is a term that’s widely used in education, but applied in ways that are variable in their effectiveness. This free online course – designed for STEM teachers in primary and secondary schools, and sixth form and further education (FE) colleges – will help you understand and use it more effectively.This course is designed for English-speaking teachers of STEM subjects in primary and secondary schools, and sixth form and FE colleges. It’s also relevant to trainee teachers; teacher trainers; those thinking about a career in STEM teaching; and developers of STEM-related course materials.

It is a CPD course for people who, in the main, have a degree level qualification, or who are in the process of obtaining one.

Further information and registration details can be accessed following this link.

December 1, 2015
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ASE Scotland Annual Conference 2016, 5th March 2106, Robert Gordon’s College, Aberdeen

The ASE Scotland Annual Conference is a festival of best practice in science education for everyone with an interest- teachers, technicians, lecturers, trainees, advisors, CPD suppliers and more. Keynotes confirmed including Global Teaching Prize finalist, Richard Spencer.

Bookings now open.

Full programme and booking details will be circulated to all Scottish schools in the autumn.

There is a great discount for ASE members to attend this conference.

Date: Saturday 5th March, 9.00am – 5.00pm

Location : Robert Gordon’s College, Schoolhill, Aberdeen AB10 1FE

How to book : Please complete the booking form on page 8-9 of the conference programme and send to events@intel-events.co.uk or telephone 01786 611 030 with any further enquries.

Conference Rates	Early Bird (Ends Thursday 31 December)	Standard
Conference registration includes lunch and refreshments. There is a large discount for members.
ASE member	£50	£75
Non member	£100	£125

Conference themes, in addition to supporting teaching in biology, chemistry and physics will explore primary science, using mobile devices in practical science, careers in STEM and space science. There will also be a full exhibition of support and resources for science education at this conference.

December 1, 2015
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Promoting the Uptake of Girls into Physics and Engineering

If your school is interested in bringing a group of girls to this event at Vale of Leven Academy on Friday 12th February 2016 from 10 am to 2.30 pm then please contact Rhona McCaughey at Rhona.McCaughey@west-dunbarton.gov.uk

This is another of the successful events held to promote Physics to girls. At the event the girls get the opportunity to take part in hands on experiments and meet with female Physicists and engineers.

If you need help with transport costs then please contact Gail Millar at gailemillar@gmail.com

Don’t delay..if you are interested contact Rhona NOW!!!! as places tend to fill up quickly.

Please ask the girls you bring with you to bring their own packed lunch.

I hope you and the girls you take have a super day.

Any queries please email offline

Happy Christmas and best wishes for 2016

Gail

December 1, 2015
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Delve and Sway now available to Glow users

Two new services went live on 26th October 2015, Microsoft Sway and Microsoft Delve. These new services are available with your Glow username and password, accessed within Microsoft O365.

Sway allows Glow users to create highly visual presentations with ease, these can then be shared with other Glow users or with people outside of Glow. Sway can also be used to create and share interactive reports and personal stories. Sway helps users find relevant content such as images for your creation which you can drag and drop straight in to Sway.

Delve also lets you view your colleagues’ profiles, or edit your own.

Delve never changes any permissions, so you’ll only see documents that you already have access to. Other people will not see your private documents.

When you view, edit, and share documents, Delve learns from how you work and tailors the information to you on your personalised Home page. What you see in Delve is personal to you.

Visit Glow Connect to find out more.

November 30, 2015
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Scottish Space School

The Rationale

Science and technology play a large part in all our lives and in the economy of Scotland, and the Space School seeks to inspire the next generation to pursue science related courses of study, and consider careers in science and technology.

The Objectives

Provide inspiration, increase motivation and raise aspirations of young people in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM)
Encourage more students to study STEM subjects at National 4, National 5, Higher level and University
Promote the wide range of career opportunities in science and technology
Increase self-confidence through the development of high quality communication, team-building and problem solving skills

The History

Since its inception in 2002 1706 pupils from high schools across Scotland have taken part in the Scottish Space School, with approximately 900 now employed in well paid jobs with prospects in science and technology.

The Programme

The current programme comprises a week long residential summer school with an eclectic mix of lectures, labs and workshops all on a space theme, delivered by leading academics and researchers, and supported by NASA astronauts and engineers.

The top 10 students will be selected for a 7-day Learning Journey to Johnson Space Center in Houston in October.

The Scottish Space School at Strathclyde is open to S5 pupils in all Scottish schools.

More information can be found here.

November 30, 2015
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Physik im Advent (Physics in Advent)

You call it playing, we call it doing experiments.

With “PiA – Physics in advent”, we’ve created a special and unique kind of advent calendar: a physical advent calendar. We introduce young scientists, and everyone who has fun with it, to 24 simple and yet ingenious experiments and physics puzzles. They will arouse interest in doing experiments for yourself and ignite excitement within any observer.

From 1st to 24th December 2015, we present a little experiment as video clip every day. You can do the experiment yourself at home and answer the question on our web page throughout the day before seeing the solution video the next day. Hints to help teams will be posted on the PiA homepage at 5am CET ( 4am UTC) each day and entries have to be submitted by 11pm CET (10pm UTC).

Students in S1-S6 are eligible to compete and entrants can be individuals, classes or entire schools. In addition to fun experiments you can also win prizes. We draw prizes among the best participants in the individual categories and among the best school classes and schools.

Every participating individual or team receives a certificate with their achievements for download and print-out.

Participation in “PiA – Physics in Advent” is free.

Further details are found here.

Registration is located here.