The Ethical Dilemma- Special Edition

This is a special edition of the Talking Stem Cells Ethical Dilemma series with this event featuring Dr Bill Ritchie who was involved in the creation of Dolly the Sheep.

This workshop event is aimed at S1-S3 pupils (but is also suitable for P6/7 who would like to ask Dr Ritchie questions about his work) and is a mix of a short presentation from Dr Ritchie, interactive enquiry, student debate activities and live questions and answer interaction.

The Scientist

Dr Bill Ritchie is best known as the embryologist who, with a team of experts, produced the first cloned lambs from cultured cells, Morag and Megan. The following year he and his colleagues produced Dolly the first cloned animal from an adult cell. Following this success they produced Poly etc. the first cloned animals from transgenic cells. Later he produced the first cloned animal with a gene knocked out. This proved the principal that disease genes could be deleted from animals. There will be plenty of opportunity for the students to interact with the scientist.

The Patient

In addition to the scientist there will be input from a patient suffering from a disease who might have the potential to be treated by stem cell treatment.

This event will be coming live from Gairloch High School in the Highlands and you can find a Student pack associated with this event in the Stem Cell Glow Group.

Sign up and join us in Glow TV on Thursday 17th May from 11-12.30pm – or for as long as you can!!

Learning for the new NQs :Nuclear Power and Energy Security:

This week sees the shutdown of Japan’s last working nuclear reactor, in a country previously dependent on nuclear power for 30% of its energy needs.

Tomari shutdown leaves Japan without nuclear power

Energy Security is a rich context for learning which could meet the needs of learners for National 3, National 4, National 5 or Higher, in Environmental Science, Physics or Science. Advice and guidance aimed associated with Energy Security for National 4 Physics can be found on the Education Scotland website.

Advice and guidance associated with Nuclear Chemistry for National 5 has also been published. This has been written to intertwine the work of Albert Einstein and Marie Curie, exploring the issues associated with harnessing the power of the atom over the last 100 years and equally addressing the learning associated with National 5 Physics.

Throughout the advice and guidance, reflective questions are included to help you plan for learning and teaching to engage and challenge your learners. Does nuclear power play a role in our future? What about harnessing the atom’s power for other uses such as medical applications?

The Shared Responsibility Project

On Wednesday 16th May at 3.45pm we will be joined in the Glow TV Studio by PC Elaine MacLennan, SCDEA, who will be discussing and highlighting the Shared Responsibility project that is currently undertaken by schools throughout Scotland.

The project is run in conjunction with the Government of Colombia, The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh and the Science Centre Glasgow.

Scotland currently has the highest prevalence of cocaine use per head per capita of population in the world, (2011 UNODC report-annual prevalence of use as a percentage of the population aged 15-64)and Shared Responsibility is a creative and innovative project, utilising the concept of global collaboration to impact on the demand for Class A drugs and improve the environment/community both at home and abroad.

The aim of the project is to generate attitudinal and behavioural change in a fresh and inventive way by equipping young people with the tools they need to live healthy positive lives and assist with making the right choices in life.

Shared Responsibility embraces the key messages delivered in the national Choices for Life programme. It is hoped this will lead to pupils making positive choices in life, resulting in healthier lifestyles and enhanced citizenship. The programme is interdisciplinary in nature and designed to illustrate the benefits of Curriculum for Excellence. The project has developed pupils understanding, not only of their place in the world, but of the different beliefs and culture in Colombia and how cocaine in particular has an impact on communities on the other side of the world.

So why not sign up and join us in Glow TV?

Calling all educators interested in languages!

We are hosting a CPDMeet on Glow on the use of technology in the learning of Modern Foreign Languages. Catriona Oates (facilitator of MLPSNet on Glow) will host the online webconference. It will be of interest to language educators in all sectors; primary, secondary and special education.

It starts at 4pm on Thursday 17th May. More details and sign-up at http://bit.ly/cpdmeet48

MLPSNet is a community on Glow which is open to all educators. See http://bit.ly/mlpsnet for details.

Note that this CPD opportunity came about as a request from one of our CPD community members. You too can ‘order’ free, online CPD on any subject matter using the service at http://bit.ly/cpdrequest

Wise up Wednesday – Learning about Scotland in the Early Years

Last chance to sign up for our next Saturday Conference!

Early Years Saturday Conference

Learning about Scotland in the Early Years

Saturday 19 May, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

The study of Scotland is right at the heart of Curriculum for Excellence. This conference will provide an opportunity to develop practitioners’ understanding of a renewed emphasis on learning about Scotland and how we can enrich the learning experience for our youngest children.

Keynote speakers

  • Liz Niven – Liz is an award-winning poet who writes in English and Scots.
  • Juliet Robertson – Juliet is one of Scotland’s leading education consultants, specialising in learning and play outdoors.
  • Dr Donald Smith – Donald is the Director of the Scottish Storytelling Centre, as well as a novelist, poet, playwright and storyteller.

Vist here to find out more.

If you are already attending why not join our Early Years Saturday Conference community and meet other attendees before the event?

Visit  www.bit.ly/earlysat and make a pledge today!

The Early Years Team