DOs were at SSERC yesterday, working on STEM Central, and were lucky enough to be allowed a sneaky peak at some of what’s in store for the delegates on the Physics to support CfE two part residential course. Looking forward to the return event on 9th – 10th December 2011 when ES DOs will be sharing STEM Central and working in partnership with SSERC to explore practical work to underpin the STEM Central contexts.
Monthly Archives: September 2011
Using Glow/Technologies to Support Learning, Teaching and Assessment
Today I had the pleasure of visiting Bridgend Primary, in West Lothian to find how they used Glow and other Technologies last session in their Primary 6/7 class. Glow was used in a number of ways to support learning and teaching within various areas such as; linking with a school in Orkney, a Class Election (involving cluster schools) and topic work.
Luckily you also have the chance to find out about what they have been doing at Bridgend Primary, as they are presenting at the Education Showcase on Thursday 22nd September at 2pm at the Scottish Learning Festival. Their presentation is called Using Glow/Technologies to Support Learning, Teaching and Assessment. You do not have to sign up to this presentation, so pop along and find out what Bridgend Primary have been up to.
You can also find out about some of their projects by visiting the West Lothian, Sharing our Learning Blog.
Famine in East Africa
A new resource produced by the Edinburgh Disasters Response Committee aims to support teachers who want to assist with charitable aid relief for the famine in the Horn of Africa. Details of the EDRC education pack, and more information about other educational resources to help young people discuss the situation and its causes, are described on the Education Scotland Global Citizenship blog. http://ltsblogs.org.uk/globalcitizenship/
The pack is available for download from the national Glow Group for Developing Global Citizens. https://portal.glowscotland.org.uk/establishments/nationalsite/Developing%20Global%20Citizens/Lists/Pages/Resources.aspx
Mandarin milestone in languages Baccalaureate
Glasgow student makes top grade as interest in Chinese hits new heights
The first pupil to receive a Scottish languages Baccalaureate which includes Mandarin is spearheading a growing trend in learning Chinese for future careers.
French resources to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day – Jan 27th 2012
Based on the Louis Malle film “Au Revoir Les Enfants” and the Joseph Joffo novel “Un Sac de Billes”, these engaging resources have been added to the Modern Languages National Glow Group. They encourage learners to explore the plight of Jewish people in France under the Nazi occupation. Click here to access resources
STEM Central – new contexts on the way
Development Officers for Sciences and Technologies, along with the team at ES, are working on a new context which will soon be added to the STEM Central resource. The Bioengineering context will feature learning journeys for sciences and technologies, based on third and fourth level E&Os, including learning, teaching and assessment ideas. Stop by STEM Central for quality assured resources, bringing relevant, engaging and exciting Scottish contexts into the classroom.
The Land of Me pilot project
The past 6 months or so has seen the team from the Consolarium working within Early Years and Early Primary settings in Dundee, West Lothian and Argyll & Bute in order to explore the educational potential of a piece of software called The Land of Me. A number of posts have been made on the Consolarium blog (content soon to move over to this blog) about the work that some teachers have been doing with this resource. This post gathers all realted posts together so that they are easily accessible:
Posts from Argyll & Bute
Land of Me Initiative kicks off in Argyll & Bute
1/5 Land of Me at Port Ellen PS: Planning for Good Learning
2/5 Land of Me at Port Ellen PS: A Visit from the King of the Land of Me
3/5 Land of Me at Port Ellen PS: Gleeful Children Lost in the Learning Space
4/5 Land of Me at Port Ellen PS: Parental Involvement
5/5 Land of Me at Port Ellen PS: Encouraging Outdoor Adventure
Posts from Dundee and West Lothian
Land of Me pilot: Dundee teachers’ and EYPs’ early feedback
The Land of Me in Dundee: Building Dens in Templeton Woods
West Lothian Land of Me pilot concludes
Feedback or comment on any of these posts are most welcome. If you are using this resource or any other digital world in an early years or early primary setting then please do let us know.
SSERC Residential CPD for teachers of Chemistry
This two part residential course takes place at the end of next month. More information in the flyer http://www.science3-18.org/images/CPD_1112/Chemistry/Chemistry_flyer_11_1page.pdf and Chris Lloyd (chris.lloyd@sserc.org.uk) can provide more information.
David Mach Exhibit
Just to remind you that the David Mach exhibit is still on at the City Art Centre in Edinburgh. This exhibit uses the King James bible as inspiration and David has used sculpture and collage to convey his interpretations of classic biblical stories.
A Design challenge for both Art and Design and RME is being developed with kind permission from David himself – so look out for this in future as a way of linking together two subjects.
Ideas for celebrating world animal day Oct 4th 2011
New French resources have been posted in the Modern Languages Glow group in the resources and sharing area that will help you and your pupils celebrate World Animal Day and discover information about endangered species, their habits and habitats. Click here to access resources
16+ Learning Choices Coordinators’ meeting
Presentations from the 16+ LC event. 71 delegates from Shetland to the Borders attended the event and participated in workshops re provision and support for young people with additional support needs.
Fiona McKean – SDS Presentation
Alison Mitchell – Presentation
Ron Crichton – Assessment – SDS
Rosie Whelan – Scottish Government – Presentation
Health and Wellbeing
New HWB and OL Team are now all in place and looking forward to the work ahead in continuing to support the embedding of HWB, and the promoting of OL, within Curriculum for Excellence.
Last week the team delivered 2 joint events, one with the SCYP team and one with SCYP and the Positive Behaviour team, to lecturers from the Teacher Education Institutes and the FE colleges. Both events were very positively evaluated and a real step forward in terms of partnership work with the colleges and the universites.
16+ Learning Choices Newsletter August 2011
The new look 16+ learning Choices Newsletter August 2011 has been published. In addition to good news articles from across the country, there are updates on developments and links to resources. The newsletter can be downloaded from the 16+ Learning Choices blog
Supporting Learners recently published support for staff materials
The following case studies have been published online
Flexible Learning: supporting transitions for young people with additional support needs
The Flexible Learning Initiative in North Lanarkshire has been set up to support young people who have become disengaged with education to the extent that many of them struggle to attend their mainstream schools.
Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) help support transitions for young people
ELO is a transition programme based in three North Lanarkshire special schools which builds and develops unique programmes for individual pupils with additional support needs arising particularly from social and emotional factors.
Coalyard transition project – providing stepping stones to employment for young people with learning disabilities http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/sharingpractice/c/coalyard/introduction.asp?strReferringChannel=supportinglearners&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-520567-64
The Coalyard is a project in Larkhall offering support and skills development to young people with additional support needs who are making the transition into employment, training or further education.
Self-evaluation in the context of CfE
8th September – Early Years and Primary: 2.00 – 3.30 
Secondary: 4.15 – 5.45
You may be interested in joining this Glow Meet with Kenneth Muir, HM Chief Inspector of Education from Education Scotland to find out more about this topic. He will present on three key areas under the theme of self-evaluation that will help to support the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence. The three areas are:
• Self-evaluation questions to support implementation
• Self-evaluation within the new inspection model
• Inspection advice note (Aug 2011) – further guidance on the implementation of progress with Curriculum for Excellence.
The main focus of Kenneth’s input will be to provide practical advice on the role of self-evaluation in implementing Curriculum for Excellence. He will also set out the expectations of HM Inspectors which are based firmly on the national implementation timetable and expectations endorsed by the Curriculum for Excellence Management Board. There will be a number of opportunities for discussion both during Kenneth’s presentation and following it.
This Glow Meet CPD opportunity will be relevant for all of those interesting in exploring the topic of self-evaluation. There will be two sessions on 8 Sept:
Early Years and Primary: 2.00 – 3.30
Secondary: 4.15 – 5.45
To sign up for this Glow Meet visit the Glow group here: http://glo.li/pcN5lC
If you would be interested in attending this event in person at Optima in Glasgow there are a small number of places available which you can request once in the Self-evaluation Glow group.
We will inform anyone who has secured a place at the ‘live’ session in Optima, otherwise we look forward to seeing you in Glow Meet from 2.30 to 3.30 or 4.15 to 5.15 on the 8th September.
Scots Language Glow Meet
Christine De Luca reads ‘Dodie’s Phenomenal Pheesic’ to a class at Sound Primary School, broadcasted live via Glow Meet 
On Monday 5th September 2011 at 11:15am Christine De Luca will be in Sound Primary School, Lerwick, reading to a P5 class, from her Shetland dialect translation of Roald Dahl.
Roald Dahl’s famous children’s book ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’ contains such a wealth of charming situations, characters, and imaginative language that it stood out as a perfect opportunity for translation into Shetland dialect. Christine De Luca, an admired writer in Shetland, Scotland and beyond, took Roald Dahl’s classic and created a fantastic new version which keeps the story and spirit of the original but tells it in Shetland dialect with Shetland characters.
The dialect of Shetland, like so many of the dialects of Scotland, has unique features but also similarities with its neighbouring Scots languages. Christine De Luca is well-known for her talented use of Shetland dialect in her poetry and children’s stories and is an experienced, expressive reader.
The Creative Links team at Shetland Islands Council’s would like to share this reading with as many other schools as possible so are broadcasting the event live via Glow. After the reading the author will answer questions from children in the class – and also any that come in from viewing schools.
Visit Glow TV to sign up and take part in this event: http://glo.li/nw6vbx
