Daily Archives: October 13, 2011

Mathematics, Sciences, Social studies, Technologies, Young people, children & families

Schools Global Footprint – refreshed resource now live

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Education Scotland’s new-look Schools Global Footprint Calculator is now live and can be viewed at: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/schoolsglobalfootprint

This key online resource has had a significant make-over and now features:

  • a user-friendly interactive calculator
  • streamlined navigation
  • a comprehensive teacher handbook
  • tutorial videos for practitioners
  • inspiring examples of how schools have used the resource to reduce their footprint.

The school estate is responsible for an estimated 50% of greenhouse gas emissions from local authorities. The online calculator allows learners to measure the ecological footprint of their school in relation to six topic areas: food, water, energy, buildings, transport and waste. Learners are also encouraged to develop innovative approaches to reducing their impact on the environment and promoting sustainable lifestyles in the wider community – from tackling the school run to growing and eating their own produce to reduce food miles.

In addition to providing an exciting real life context for delivering the experiences and outcomes, the resource greatly supports Eco-Schools activities and provides learners with skills for learning, life and work as Scotland move towards a low-carbon future.

View the Schools Global Footprint resource or find out more about Education Scotland’s sustainable development education resources.

Expressive Arts, Technologies

Using Glow Blogs to engage with actors from the Tron

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The Creativity Portal offers the 100 or so nationally funded creative organisations the opportunity to engage with Glow and to post to their own creativity Glow blog.

Some of the organisations have found the tool so useful they are now experimenting with it for other purposes – generating targeted, conversational resources for pupils that would otherwise have been impossible.

Tron Participation Creative Blog

As part of our ever expanding Glow area; Tron Participation wants to give pupils and staff an insight into what happens at the Tron Theatre on a day to day basis. The best way for us to do this is via a blog. This blog will allow actors, directors, designers and many more people who work with the Tron to share their thoughts, feelings and experiences with a wider audience. Pupils and teachers can contact Tron Participation if they have a specific question for the person blogging, meaning we are able to create a dialogue with creative professionals and schools. You can find the blog on the Virtual Learning page of the Tron Participation Glow area.

Currently blogging is Sally Reid and Keith Fleming who are performing in ‘Days of Wine and Roses’ a co-production between the Tron Theatre and Theatre Jezebel.

CLD, Community Capacity Building, Early Years, Health and wellbeing, Health and wellbeing, National Qualifications, Religious and Moral Education, Religious Education in Roman Catholic schools, Responsibility of All, RME, Senior Phase, Social studies, Young people, children & families

A Guide to Faith Communities in Scotland

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To advance public knowledge and understanding of the teachings, traditions and practices of the different faith communities in Scotland, SIFC has produced the above booklet. It has recently been reprinted in May 2011. It can be downloaded  here:

A Guide to Faith Communities in Scotland

Responsibility of All

Open day CPD event – Garrowhill Primary School, Glasgow

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Date and time: 9:30am – 3.00pm, Tuesday 29 November 2011

Theme:  Sustainable Development Education

This CPD event offers practitioners and school leaders a wonderful opportunity to visit Garrowhill Primary School – winner of the ‘Sustainable school’ category in this year’s Scottish Education Awards.

Garrowhill Primary is an inspiring example of a school that has adopted a whole school approach to sustainable development education. The secret to the school’s success has been the embedding of sustainability across the curriculum which has had a demonstrable impact on every classroom and learner. This has been driven forward by strong distributed leadership and a positive, caring ethos which permeates the school.

A focus of the event will be to identify and share the practical lessons and ideas that have helped the school move forward on its journey including: 

  • Making the most of the curriculum to provide momentum and sustain programmes
  • A strong focus on pupil voice to lead learning and activities
  • The effective use of programmes such as Eco-Schools, Fairtrade Schools and the John Muir Award to support learning and teaching
  • Extensive partnerships with the local community to transform the school’s ageing buildings and grounds through the development of an outdoor classroom, wildlife area and vegetable garden which are regularly used for curricular activities
  • The reduction in the school’s energy consumption by 30% through sustained commitment.

Participants will have the opportunity to meet and talk with the Head Teacher, staff and learners and also tour the classrooms, buildings and grounds. Time will also be set aside for participants to reflect and share their own experiences.

How to book

To book, please email: globalcitizens@educationscotland.gov.uk or Tel. 0141 282 5172.

Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. This is a free event!

Download programme by clicking on the link below

Garrowhill PS Open Day 29 Nov 11

This is one of a series of open day events organised by Education Scotland’s Developing Global Citizenship Team. View the full programme of open day events here>>