Author: George Milliken

Additional Teaching Qualification in Computing Studies CPD Award (2023) at The University of Highlands and Islands

The course is designed to allow you to teach computing within secondary schools as it has the required numbers of credits stated by the GTCS. The programme is designed to be a roll on roll off programme as each of the units are separate although designed to encompass what is involved in the computing curriculum by the end of the course.

The module, Web Design and Development will be delivered over 14 weeks and the semester will start week beginning 23rd January 2023 with an online induction and initial lecture.

The courses are open to any teachers with the relevant entry qualifications (degree and existing teaching qualification) who have an interest in computing or cyber security.

There is normally a weekly lecture and support session that lasts for approx. an hour, or more if required, with further e mail support available. The sessions are certainly beneficial as they allow you to ask questions there and then. However, the course is designed to be taught when is convenient for all the students and all lectures and tutorial session are recorded for viewing at your leisure.

There is only one module delivered each semester with no time off required during the school day. The lectures are recorded for students unable to attend in person. All activity is carried out online the majority of which happens asynchronously. The modules have a notional 200 hours per module over the semester. It would depend on your previous experience on whether you needed all that time. If you were able to set aside a day at the weekend or a couple of evenings for study, you would not be far off what is required for achieving the award.

To gain accreditation with the GTCS you need to teach a certain number of hours in computing, and you would need to discuss that with your local head teacher, as we only provide the academic requirement. This equates to 0.42 teaching or 100 teaching days.

The price is £215 per module, and this can be paid on a module-by-module basis. As the modules are 20 credits each if you were to do two in an academic year you may be eligible for SAAS funding. It is suggested contacting SAAS directly if you are planning to start next semester and confirm whether you would be eligible for funding.

 

You can apply through the university web site located using this link or searching for the Additional Teaching Qualification in Computing Studies CPD award at https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/ under courses.

Please get in touch if you have any further questions with this email: Gordon.macpherson.ic@uhi.ac.uk

Introduction to Cyber Security for Teachers – Funded places available!

The CPD award Introduction to Cyber Security, jointly funded by Education Scotland, was created for ALL primary and secondary teachers and designed to give background knowledge and understanding related to teaching basic cybersecurity and configuring an environment suitable for cybersecurity education.

The module allows you to get a basic practical understanding of cybersecurity and cyber resilience and the relationship between these two areas of security. This will enable you to have the awareness and confidence to support pupils and create practical activities and content. The module content is levelled at SCQF 7 however is appropriate for teachers delivering to BOTH primary and secondary pupils. 

The module will be delivered over 14 weeks and the semester will start Week beginning 29th August 2022 with an online induction with the course commencing week beginning 5th September 2022. 

With the support of Education Scotland, we have funding for teachers to enrol on the module. The usual cost of the module would be £215. It is recommended you apply as soon as possible as the funding will be allocated on date of application.

The courses are open to any teacher with the relevant entry qualifications (degree and existing teaching qualification) who have an interest in computing or cyber security.

There is normally a weekly lecture and support session that lasts for approx. an hour, or more if required, with further e mail support available. The sessions are certainly beneficial as they allow you to ask questions there and then. However, the course is designed to be taught when is convenient for all the students and all lectures and tutorial session are recorded for viewing at your leisure.

No time off will be required during the school day. The lectures are recorded for students unable to attend in person. All activity is carried out online the majority of which happens asynchronously. The modules have a notional 200 hours per module over the semester. It would depend on your previous experience on whether you needed all that time. If you were able to set aside a day at the weekend or a couple of evenings for study, you would not be far off what is required for achieving the award.

You can apply for the course with this link:
https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/courses/cpd-award-introduction-to-cyber-security/

Please get in touch if you have any further questions:

Gordon.macpherson.ic@uhi.ac.uk

cyber security

Cyber Security

This page contains all the ideas, information and resources specific to Cyber Security in Scotland.

Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety (CRIS)

Our Digilearn.scot site contains all the ideas, information and resources for supporting Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety, as this sits within the Digital Literacy Experiences and Outcomes.

Go to the CRIS site

Cyber Security Opportunities and Community Posts

Introduction to Cyber Security for Teachers – Funded places available!

The CPD award Introduction to Cyber Security, jointly funded by Education Scotland, was created for ALL primary and secondary teachers and designed to give background knowledge and understanding related… Read more

cyber security

Cyber Security

This page contains all the ideas, information and resources specific to Cyber Security in Scotland. Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety (CRIS) Our Digilearn.scot site contains… Read more

level 4 prior verified assessments at level 4 cyber

Level 4 Resources for Cyber Fundamentals and Internet Safety

Education Scotland have collaborated with Girvan Academy in South Ayrshire to produce a set of resources that combine the SQA level 4 units in Cyber Security Fundamentals… Read more

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Technology Assisted Harmful Sexual Behaviour with Stop It Now

Technology Assisted Harmful Sexual Behaviour (TAHSB) is unfortunately an issue that educators deal with on a daily basis. It impacts on friendships and relationships of… Read more

Cyber Resources – Cyber Centurion

Cyber Centurion provides a range of cyber resources:   CyberCenturion – Cyber Security Challenge UK Cyber Challenge in a Box – Cyber Security Challenge UK… Read more

Cyber Chef

CyberChef – the Cyber “Swiss Army Knife” is GCHQ’s intuitive web app for analysing and decoding data. CyberChef – the Cyber “Swiss Army Knife” –… Read more

Cyber Resources – CS4FN

Here are some articles and content from CS4FN to engage learners with cyber security: Computer Science for Fun – cs4fn: cs4fn Magazine+: Issue 24: Cyber… Read more

Sign up for CyberFirst Girls Development Days!

This year’s CyberFirst Girls Competition was a great success with over 6,000 entries from across the UK! And we’re not stopping there – girls that… Read more

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TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS ON CLPL – UHI INTRO TO CYBER SECURITY ONLINE COURSE FOR TEACHERS

“Courses like this are vital to give teachers the skills and confidence to deliver Cyber Security to their pupils.” by Darren Brown, Computing Science Teacher… Read more

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CLPL – Introduction to Cyber Security at UHI

This module is aimed at qualified primary and secondary teachers who wish to develop the knowledge, understanding and problem-solving skills related to teaching basic cyber… Read more

CYBER SKILLS LIVE

The Cyber Skills Live site offers interactive ethical hacking challenges for learners to test their cyber security skills. Keep an eye on their site for… Read more

level 4 prior verified assessments at level 4 cyber

Level 4 Resources for Cyber Fundamentals and Internet Safety

Education Scotland have collaborated with Girvan Academy in South Ayrshire to produce a set of resources that combine the SQA level 4 units in Cyber Security Fundamentals and Internet Safety.  These resources reinforce our belief that every learner should have the knowledge and skills to use the internet and online services safely, allowing them to spot potential risks and recover from any potential harm, they face while using online services. 

 

 

The following teaching resources have been created:

 

Assessment evidence  

The assessor will use the portfolio approach to generate evidence that learners have achieved these units. 

A learner must complete the Getting Started with Online Accounts booklet, one of the relevant ”Getting Started with Chromebook/iPad’ booklets (depending on what device they have set up), and then the assessor must complete an observation checklist for every learner:

  • Assessor answer booklet  
  • Observation checklist  
  • Learner profile  

 

The teacher answer booklet and prior verification certificate can be downloaded from the SQA secure site.

blog post about graduate apprenticeships from glasgow uni

Graduate Apprenticeships – a potential route to university for all 

by Dr Matthew Barr, Programme Director for the Graduate Apprenticeship in Software Engineering at the University of Glasgow

 

Last week, my colleague Anna and I were in a school on the south side of Glasgow to talk to pupils about our Graduate Apprenticeship in Software Engineering. Many of the young people we met were confident in articulating their plans for life after school, and several were already considering university or college. Others were less certain. Was university for them? What does it mean to go to university? Shouldn’t they get a job instead? 

In some schools, pursuing a university degree is understood to be an option for many pupils. That is not always the case, however, which is why we’re visiting schools in areas of multiple deprivation across the west of Scotland. We’re talking to pupils who might be the first in their family to attend university, or those for whom getting a job when they leave school is the first and only priority.  

 

A Graduate Apprenticeship – where students earn a living wage while working towards their degree – seems an obvious solution for pupils who find themselves in such circumstances. The problem, though, is that many pupils are unaware of university-level apprenticeships. This isn’t surprising, given that GAs are a relatively new offering in Scotland, but it’s essential that we get the word out to the young people that might benefit from these opportunities the most. 

There are many bright, brilliant young people in Scotland with a passion for tech. And our tech sector desperately needs them! There are plenty of well-paid and hugely rewarding jobs out there for young people with Software Engineering skills, and an apprenticeship is an ideal route to securing such a job. Indeed, the job starts right away: by the time an apprentice graduates, they will already have accrued four years of work experience.  

But we don’t want our apprentices to miss out on the university experience, either. That’s why our GA programme includes eight-week blocks of on-campus learning in years one and two, allowing apprentices to bond as a cohort while taking advantage of all that university life has to offer. The block-based structure of our GA programme also means that we are able to frontload a lot of our teaching, making sure that our apprentices get all of the basics down as early as possible – making them productive in the workplace as quickly as possible.  

This is an opportunity that I would have seized upon, had it been an option 25 years ago. And, when I talk to pupils, parents, or teachers about the possibilities offered by a Graduate Apprenticeship, the advantages quickly become obvious: a good salary, four years’ work experience, and a University of Glasgow degree – where do I sign up?! But we need to get the message out there, which is why I was delighted to be given the opportunity to write this blog. 

 

There is more information on our website, including our entry requirements. It’s worth noting that Higher Computing is absolutely not a requirement – we’re looking for four B grades at Higher, including a B in Maths. We also have a number of alternative routes on to the programme, which take into account certain HNC and HND qualifications, and we offer support with CV and cover letter writing when it comes to applying to employers. 

The website also lists the opportunities currently on offer. This year, for example, we’re offering places with top multinational corporations like Barclays and Morgan Stanley, dynamic public sector companies including the BBC and Student Loans Company, and cutting-edge tech firms like Smarter Grid Solutions and VeryConnect.  

 

We’re also more than happy to come and talk to pupils – please do get in touch with me directly at Matthew.Barr@glasgow.ac.uk to arrange a visit, or for more information. The Graduate Apprenticeship in Software Engineering is such a fantastic opportunity, and we don’t want anyone to miss out! 

 

what digital learning might look like document

What Digital Learning Might Look Like – Education Scotland

The aim of the document is to provide examples of learning activities and how they can be incorporated into a range of contexts at early, first and second level.

The document lists the experiences and outcomes in the left-hand column with suggested learning activities in the right-hand column.

These examples are not exhaustive and are only to illustrate how educators can include the digital literacy and computing science experiences and outcomes into cross-curricular contexts.

Improvement questions

  1. How confident are you that the experiences you are providing for learners allow them to develop the skills, knowledge and understanding outlined in the curriculum guidance?
  2. Do you know the level of digital literacy learners come to you with?
  3. How confident are you when using digital technology in your lessons?
  4. How well do your learners make use of high-quality resources and equipment, including digital technologies?

promoting effective computing pedagogy

Promoting Effective Computing Science Pedagogy – The National Centre for Computing Education

The National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) have created 12 pedagogy principles for teaching computing science.   

 

You can download a handy classroom poster featuring all 12 pedagogical principles, to act as a quick reminder for busy teachers. 

 

The National Centre for Computing Education promotes effective pedagogy in a number of ways