Education Scotland in partnership with the Scottish Food and Drink Federation and Dundee Science Centre have create a series of Career Long Professional Learning events about Food Science. These events would be particularly relevant for those teaching N5 and Higher Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Science as well as those teaching Higher Health and Food Technology and Hospitality.
1. Cooking Bus Career Long Professional Learning at Dundee Science Centre 10th – 14th November 2014
Free 3 hour CLPL sessions available during 10th – 14th November 2014 – open to teachers and support staff. For more information and how to sign up for a workshop. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CookingBusatDundeeScienceCentre2014
Please note the date and time you sign up for – your place will be confirmed in October.
2. Home Economics & Science staff Teach Meet Dundee Science Centre Tuesday 11th November
Teach Meet for Home Economics and Science staff offering support around Broad General Education, National Qualifications, positive destinations, progression with assessment. Presenters include Education Scotland, Scottish Food & Drink Federation, Food Standards Scotland, SQA, University of Abertay, SSERC & Dundee science Centre to name but a few.
Also included in the session will be a ‘Science of Gin’ presentation, discussing the use of botanicals to produce different styles.
TUESDAY 11th NOVEMBER 4.30pm – 7.30pm Dundee Science Centre.
Sign up here – https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/teachmeetDundeeScienceScentre
Log on to GLOW 365 and explore the various RM Unify tiles which support learning and teaching in the sciences.
Tiles include:
Twig, which provides films and learning materials which have been mapped to the CfE Experiences and Outcomes for Sciences, Maths and Geography
Tigtag the complete online resource for primary science
Scale of the Universe and NASA which includes video clips of the first moon landing
The tile giving access to the ever popular TED talks will ensure your lessons stimulate debate and discussion, while the TED lesson creator allows you to create an animated lesson to enthuse and inspire your learners.
The NAR tile gives access to exemplars on science assessment and you can access our sciences Glow meets through the Glow TV tile.
Use your Glow password, log on to the RM Unify Launch pad and explore all the materials available to support the science curriculum.
Education Scotland and Twig World are delighted to announce the launch of the newly updated and refreshed Twig On Glow website, which coincides with the switch over to the new Glow platform. Twig continues to bring you stunning film footage and learning materials for sciences, maths and geography all linked to Curriculum for Excellence. Twig has already started the process of mapping the content to the national qualifications and there are quick links now available in the top menu bar. More links will be added as further content is mapped, for instance to the newly included Science Experiments films.
Faster loading
As well as the refreshed design interface, users will find that the new Twig On Glow site loads faster, the mind map responds more quickly and the films cache more effectively which will improve streaming.
New content on Tigtag
People and Places is the new Tigtag module for geography. Matched to Curriculum for Excellence, the module includes 223 films covering six topics:
Environmental awareness and care
Future of energy
Human impact on the environment
Human geography
Physical geography
Mapping
Imperial College London and Tigtag launch free online resource to help Scotland’s primary school teachers with science
Thinking like a scientist is a valuable skill. Analysing information, asking good questions and recognising how evidence wins arguments; all these things help people make better decisions. The time to nurture this skill is when children are naturally most curious about the world around them – when they are of primary school age.
According to a 2013 National Science Learning Centre report, only 5% of primary school teachers have a science degree, and teachers themselves say that their confidence to give inspiring science lessons rises when they have access to appropriate training, guidance and resources, to help them plug the gaps.
That’s why Imperial College London (www.imperial.ac.uk) and education technology provider Tigtag (www.tigtagworld.co.uk) have come together to support every teacher to deliver the science curriculum.
Through Reach Out CPD (Continuing Professional Development) teachers can learn directly from Imperial experts about the science they need to cover in the classroom. Offering concise topic knowledge, short films, experiment ideas and more, this new resource aims to equip all primary teachers with the skills to excite children about science.
All training is delivered online in handy 20-minute units, so busy teachers can top up their knowledge anytime, anywhere on a computer, tablet or smartphone.
At the end of a course, teachers can download an official Reach Out CPD certificate endorsed by Imperial College London – one of the world’s leading science universities.
Reach Out CPD is free to Scottish teachers and will remain so!
Twig World has been nominated as one of the Top 25 Most Innovative Companies within Digital Education in a new report by Total Education, the global educational technology event company. The report was compiled by interviewing experts in the major education markets around the world including teachers, industry professionals and keynote speakers. Twig World is one of only four content providers in the report. This latest acknowledgement adds to a growing list of accolades for the company. Twig World has won many international education awards including the prestigious Bett Award for the past three years running. Anthony Bouchier, CEO of Twig World says: “To be selected with the likes of Google and Microsoft just three years after launching our first product is a huge achievement and testament to the talent of our teams in Glasgow and London. We are still at the start of our mission to empower teachers and learners as digital resources reach the classroom – there’s a much more to come from us in the years ahead!”
The new Primary Science Glow 365 site is currently under development but at the moment we have a Primary /Early Years blog page which is easily accessible and provides up to date relevant information for practitioners in each sector.
Our latest blogs include how to access the new FREE primary Reach Out CPD programme and you can download the recent Supporting Primary and Early Years science Glow Meet.
The online Disruptive Innovation Festival (DIF) is working with organisations, universities and individuals from all over the world to spotlight and explore the disruptive innovations that are shaking up industry and creating new opportunities in the economy. Many of the sessions during the festival have been crowd-sourced from global contributors and emphasises the opportunity for interaction and engagement with these ideas. Throughout the four weeks, the DIF provides thought-leadership, advice, short courses, design challenges, resources and networks for new or budding entrepreneurs, designers, makers and doers. The DIF will also welcome participation from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s network including business, policy makers, academics and designers who are contributing to and participating in the DIF 2014.
Of particular relevance from a STEM perspective are the following sessions:
Particle Physics features in the new Higher and Advanced Higher courses.
For those who would like to brush up on your knowledge of this topic, a Glowmeet will be run on November 6th a 4 pm (“doors open” 3:30 pm) featuring Dr Aidan Robson of Glasgow University. Aidan will cover the theory for the new courses and will then answer questions from participants.
If you would like to join the Glowmeet, please let us know by emailing sts@sserc.org.uk with your Glow username and your school email address.
This is the first of a series of Glowmeets covering new Senior Phase topics. It is the result of a partnership between Education Scotland, SSERC, STEMNET and SUPA
Following the publication of its 3-18 Curriculum Impact Report for Sciences in September 2012, Education Scotland organised a series of conversation days where priorities for action to secure improvements in science education nationally were identified.
Key aspects for development emerged, which included primary and early years practitioners requiring:
• support with the initial planning for learning and teaching in the sciences
• guidance and exemplifications for assessment in the sciences
• support in delivery of topical science
• planning and delivering Citizen Science
To address each aspect the sciences team will be hosting four Glow Meets, complimented by a series of professional learning twilight sessions.
The first Glow meet Supporting the Sciences: planning the primary & early years science curriculum took place on Wednesday 17th September 3.45 – 4.30pm.
Revisit the Glow Meet through http://bit.ly/1DltfRy or download the presentation through our new Glow 365 primary science site http://bit.ly/glowsciences
Dates, times and venues for the complimentary twilight sessions are:
Glasgow, Education Scotland Offices, Optima Building, 30th October 4-6pm
Dundee, Dundee Science Centre, 4th November 4.30-6.30pm
Aberdeen, Mile End Primary School,10th November 4-6pm
Dumfries, Lochend Education Centre, 13th November 4-6pm
Edinburgh St Augustine’s High School, 20th November 4-6pm
Brought to you by BP, the Science Museum and STEMNET
The Ultimate STEM Challenge is a brand new competition brought to you by BP, the Science Museum and STEMNET.
We are asking teams of two to four students aged 11 to 14 from across the UK to put their Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths skills to the test and win some fantastic prizes, including an invitation to a celebratory event at the Science Museum in London, £500 for their school and Science Museum goodies.
Ever wondered where all the food that you eat comes from? Well it might surprise you that a significant proportion is provided by bees one way or another.
If you look at the plate of food on your dinner table, bees have played their part either pollinating the many vegetables and fruits we eat directly, or pollinating the food for the animals that we then consume. And that’s not all bees do for us – honey and wax are two other important products that come courtesy of bees.
But honey bees are disappearing globally at an alarming rate due to pesticides, parasites, disease and habitat loss. If these little insects that help provide so much of the food we eat were to vanish, what would we do without them?
Development Officer Posts – Community Resilience and Learning for Sustainability
Working in a team led by a Senior Education Officer, Development Officers work in partnership with colleagues from across the education sector, Scottish Government and other national organisations to develop, promote and support effective and innovative approaches within their specialist areas. We invite applications from highly motivated and enthusiastic individuals to support ongoing curriculum development in relation to the following two areas:
LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY
This role will support the implementation of the recommendations in the Learning for Sustainability Report. Candidates should have an excellent knowledge of a number of aspects of the learning for sustainability agenda including: global citizenship, outdoor learning, sustainable development education, international education, children’s rights and play. The post-holder will also play a key role in supporting the activities of the National Implementation Group for Learning for Sustainability and will work closely with colleagues in the Learning Directorate of the Scottish Government as well as in Education Scotland.
COMMUNITY RESILIENCE
Flooding and other extreme weather events have affected many areas in Scotland and it is important for schools and their wider communities to be prepared for emergency situations like these. The post-holder will be responsible for liaising with key contacts in local authorities and other national and regional bodies to help learners and their school communities to become more resilient. This post requires an individual who will bring enthusiasm to the role and who is skilled in working in partnership with others. A detailed knowledge or previous experience of community resilience activities is welcome but not an essential requirement as a suitable induction and training programme will be provided.
The successful candidate for each post will remain on their employer’s salary rate, terms and conditions. They will continue to be paid by their employer and will remain an employee of their organisation during the period of secondment.
Candidates should have an excellent knowledge of Curriculum for Excellence and be able to contribute to its continued development and implementation. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills will be required for both posts and candidates are expected to hold a relevant degree and have experience of teaching in a school.
Secondment duration for each post: 23 months.
Location: Successful candidates can choose to work from any of the Education Scotland offices subject to local availability.
Closing date for applications: Midnight on Sunday 5 October 2014
