Category Archives: Mathematics

Mathematics, Sciences, Technologies

Junior Saltire Prize 2014

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Schools across Scotland are invited to make a splash by entering the Junior Saltire 2014 marine renewables competition.

Last year over 130 primary and secondary teams rose to the challenge.  For 2014, the brief is to design a simple hydrokinetic generator – a turbine to produce electricity when submerged in flowing water.

Great prizes of up to £750 as well as Junior Saltire medals are up for grabs and the competition is open to teams of four in three age groups – P5/7, S1/S3 and S4/S6.

Click here for further information and links to the brief and registration form.  NB The closing date for team registrations is Friday 20 December 2013.  Multiple entries per school welcome!

CfE, Expressive Arts, Mathematics, Technologies

The Queen’s Baton Design

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Game on Scotland : Learning Zone Glow Meet: The Queen’s Baton Design

This session allows learners to:

  • hear from the Queen’s Baton designer Will Mitchell (4cDesign) & share their own a baton design ideas
  • find out more about the challenges of producing lawn bowls from Grant Heron Taylor bowls
  • learn how they can get involved in the Scottish Engineering Special Leaders Award from Angela Greene from Primary Engineers.

In order for your learners to get involved most effectively in this session why not:

  • set your class a baton design challenge
  • prepare a 2 minute pitch of your idea to Will Mitchell from 4cDesign (Dragons’ Den Style) on the day.

Register for the Glow Meet either before Tuesday 26th November or join us on the day, 11 am – 12 noon, for the second of our Game on Scotland Technologies Glow Meets.

Glow meet sign-up: http://bit.ly/gostechnologieslearningzone

For more information email Kirsty McFaul (DO Technologies) kirsty.mcfaul@educationscotland.gov.uk

CfE, Health and wellbeing, Mathematics, Outdoor Learning, Responsibility of All, Sciences, Technologies

The Royal College of Surgeons Christmas Lecture

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RCSEd Christmas Lecture :

“The work of the Sports Doctor; Tales of the Unexpected”

Join Dr James Robinson in a Glow meet  on Monday 2nd December, 1.55pm-2.55pm, where he will outline the role of exercise in health, both to the individual and the population.

Dr Robson has been team doctor on the last six consecutive tours by the British and Irish Lions. He joined the Scotland team as doctor at the start of season 2002/2003 and has now been team doctor for more than 100 Scotland Test matches, including the Rugby World Cup competitions in 2003, 2007 and 2011. 

He will endeavour to bring to life through his own experiences, over many years of International rugby, the life and times of the team doctor. From the lows of injury, to the highs of sporting victory, the lecture will touch on some moments of drama for those whose work is sport, and for those who care at pitch side.

For further details regarding registration: http://bit.ly/rcschristmaslecture

CfE, Mathematics, Sciences, Technologies

The Engineering Development Trust

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The Engineering Development Trust provides STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) enrichment activities for UK youth.

Work related learning schemes provide opportunities for 11-21 year olds to enhance their technical, personal and employability skills through industry-led projects, industrial placements and specialised courses.

EDT develops partnerships, build links between education and industry and helps organisations reach talent and connect with young engineers and scientists across the UK.

The EDT portfolio includes:

First Edition Hands-on STEM activity days for Year 7-11 & S1-S5 (11-16 yr old) students. Providing opportunities for under-represented groups (girls, ethnic minorities, first in family to consider higher education).

Open Industry Curriculum focused in-company educational experiences for students of all ages.

Go4SET Environmental themed 10 week STEM projects for Year 8/9 & S2 (12-14yr old) pupils.

Engineering Education Scheme (England & Scotland) Real life 6 month STEM projects for Year 12 (16-17yr old) students.

Headstart STEM experience courses at university for Year 12 & S5 (16-17yr old) students.

The Year in Industry  Paid career development work placements for students completing

A levels/Scottish Highers/equivalent qualifications or as part of a university sandwich year.

Download further information regarding EDT’s events programme:

EDT Schools Programmes 2013-14                               

edt scotland events calendar 2013-14 

To access EDT’s website:   http://bit.ly/1cvayeN

 

Mathematics, Outdoor Learning, Sciences, Technologies

Young Engineers & Science Club Scotland

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The Young Engineers & Science Clubs Scotland is a Scotland wide primary and secondary programme run by the Scottish Council for Development and Industry and supported by many of its members including BP, Skills Development Scotland and the Lloyd’s Register Foundation.

Through a network of over 700 science, engineering and technology clubs throughout Scotland, from Orkney to Dumfries, pupils from P5-S2 test their problem-solving skills on a number of themed investigations. So far 12,000 members have worked alongside their teachers, real engineers and scientists on a variety of STEM projects.

Projects include:  

  • Junior Saltire Awards – 2014 Marine Energy Challenge
  • Science on the Menu – experiments and investigations to explore the world of food and drink through science  
  • Carbon Capture and Storage – S1/S2 interdisciplinary project to engage learners in the global challenge of limiting CO2 emissions
  • Ping Pong Pentathlon – STEM sporting challenge to mark the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games

Participating schools are fully supported by YESC in the form of start-up grants, free resource kits, advice and assistance.

Further information, advice and contact details can be accessed through the YESC website: http://bit.ly/1cU2F7H

 

CfE, Mathematics, Sciences, Technologies

Scotland’s Environment Web Competition

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Your environment, your views – get involved!

Scotland’s Environment Web is running exciting competition for young people with fantastic prizes!

What is the competition about?

What needs to change in your local community that will make a difference to your environment and what role can you play in making it happen?

We want you to answer the question above. Tell us how you could make your environment better. Planet Earth faces tough environmental challenges which will directly impact your future. Everyone can be a part of the solution to these challenges and Scotland’s young people have a key role to play.

Who can enter?

This competition is open to all young people throughout Scotland between the ages of 5-18, whether through your school, as part of a group or as an individual.

You can also enter the Young Reporters for the Environment competition if you are eligible.

Join our Glow meet too at 11am on 6th November to share your story and ideas and to have the chance to win a further exciting prize of £200 to purchase Citizen Science equipment for your establishment: http://bit.ly/1daPP4b

For more information, visit www.environment.scotland.gov.uk/yd

Mathematics, Sciences, Technologies

The Queen’s Commonwealth Baton

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As Glasgow eagerly awaits the start of the 2014 Commonwealth Games one very important element has already been completed – the Queen’s Commonwealth baton.

The baton carries the Queen’s message to all competing nations and territories of the Commonwealth. The concept was introduced in 1958 at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

On 9th October 2013,  the Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay began its 190,000 kilometre journey, unifying the two billion people of the Commonwealth in a celebration of sport, diversity and peace.

The hand-crafted baton made of titanium, wood and granite embodies Scotland and Glasgow’s culture, combining cutting edge technology with artisan skills.

Click on the link below to learn more about how the design team, 4cDesign, effectively utilised science, technology, engineering, maths, art and design skills to create the Queen’s baton.

http://bbc.in/19FDUIe

For further information regarding the Queen’s Commonwealth baton and the Queen’s baton relay, explore the official education programme, Game on Scotland:

 http://bit.ly/1gDOQcy

Mathematics, Sciences, Senior Phase, Technologies

Millennium Youth Camp 2014

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Applications for the fifth international Millennium Youth Camp have begun.

The 2014 Millennium Youth Camp will be held during 3rd–11th June 2014 in the Greater Helsinki area in Finland

The one week camp takes place in Finland every summer and is organised by the Technology Academy Finland, the Finnish Science Education Centre LUMA (University of Helsinki) and Aalto University.

The camp offers young people from across Europe, aged between 16-19, who are interested in mathematics, the natural sciences and technology, an opportunity to learn more about Finnish expertise and top level research in these areas.  It’s also a great opportunity to meet other young people who share similar interests.

In addition to lectures, workshops and visits to Millennium Youth camp partners, the project includes project work supervised by experts and carried out in small multi-national organisations.

There is a two phase application process and applicants choose their preferred topic area from the 10 listed on the application form: applied mathematics, climate, ICT and digitalization, water, renewable natural resources, energy, bio-sciences and -technology, food sciences and technology, material sciences and technology, and urban planning.

Application for the first phase begins on 15th October and ends on 15th December.

On 3rd February 2014, 200 young people will be chosen from these applicants for the second phase.

On 17th March 2014 the names of 60 participants chosen for the camp will be published.

For further information please contact:

Professor Maija Aksela, chairman of Millennium Youth Camp steering group
Finland’s Science Education Centre LUMA, University of Helsinki
maija.aksela(at)helsinki.fi, tel. +358 50 514 1450

Caroline Korhonen, Project Coordinator, Technology Academy Finland
caroline.korhonen(at)technologyacademy.fi, tel. +358 40 5569 999

A link to the application form and additional information about the application process can be found on the Millennium Youth Camp website.

CfE, Health and wellbeing, Mathematics, Responsibility of All, Sciences, Technologies

Remember, remember the 6th of November!! SEWeb Glow Meet

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Scotland’s Environment – Glow Meet

11am – 12pm, Wednesday 6th November 2013

Calling all citizen scientists!!!

Trying to change, protect and improve your local environment for the better? Collecting information to contribute to our knowledge of the natural environment?  Ready to share your research, data and ideas with us?

Scotland’s environment is world-famous and draws tourists and visitors from across the globe. It needs to be protected but many of the challenges facing our environment are complex, and can only be solved in partnership; a partnership which involves children, young people and adults working together as citizen scientists.

This Glow meet will explain how you can get involved and to better understand, care for and improve Scotland’s environment. We want to hear about:

  • All the ways you have been collecting, measuring, observing and recording information about your local environment
  • Your views and ideas on what needs to change to improve our environment and what role you are playing making it happen.

You will be able to question and share you information and ideas with our panel of experts and the school which most impresses the judges will win a superb prize!

The session will be led by:

  • Debbie Bassett, Head of the Biodiversity Team in Scottish Natural Heritage
  • Martin Marsden, Head of Environmental Quality in the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. 
  • Nick Wright, Scottish Wildife Trust

Visit http://bit.ly/SEWeb to register and join the Glow meet on the day.

Further links:

Scotland’s Environment website  http://www.environment.scotland.gov.uk/

Scottish environment youth discussion  http://bit.ly/19dnExK

Competition details :http://www.environment.scotland.gov.uk/get_involved/young_people/youth_discussion.aspx

Assessment, CfE, Mathematics, Sciences, Technologies

Resource Guide for the Sciences

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Following on from the STEM programme of events at the Scottish Learning Festival Education Scotland has produced a resource guide for the sciences.

The guide provides links to useful websites, relevant documentation, on line resources and methods of communicating about the sciences.

For example:

access the updated 3-18 sciences impact report

visit STEM Central to explore a wide variety of activities and learning experiences

keep up to date with STEM news through our twitter feed

To access and download a copy of the science resource guide click  Education Scotland Sciences Resource Guide

CfE, Mathematics, Outdoor Learning, Sciences, Technologies

STEM at the Scottish Learning Festival

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Raising the Bar in Scotland – transforming lives through learning.

Science, technology, engineering and maths are key priorities within Curriculum for Excellence.

The Scottish Learning Festival 2013 provides numerous opportunities for practitioners to engage in meaningful discussions and attend seminars and workshops relating to STEM.

 A select showcase of innovative practice will demonstrate how STEM skills are being developed in creative, exciting and thought provoking ways.

Come along and watch learners from Hamilton College demonstrate how Lego Mindstorm robots helped develop their problem solving skills, take the I-pad journey with Bellshill Academy pupils and find out how to bring science into your school community through Citizen Science activities.

Download the STEM programme of workshops and seminars detailing dates and times:

STEM at the Scottish Learning Festival 2013

To book and register for the Scottish Learning Festival follow the link below:

http://bit.ly/1eqaimD  

CfE, Early Years, Mathematics, Research, Sciences, Technologies

Equalities in STEM education – An exciting professional learning opportunity

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Education Scotland is offering a very exciting opportunity to any practitioners interested in looking at equalities issues around STEM. The facts are stark in this area.

“In Scotland, 27% of women graduate in STEM work in the sector they qualified in, compared with 52% of male graduates.  This means that of the 56000 female STEM graduates in Scotland, just over 15000 continue to work in the sector.”

The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 2012.  Tapping all our Talents: Women in STEM: strategy for Scotland, 10.

“23% of the most socially advantaged pupils aspire to become a scientist, compared to just 9% of disadvantaged pupils.”

TISME, spring 2013.  Interim Research Summary, ASPIRES project:

What shapes children’s science and career aspiration age 10 – 13, 7.

This is an opportunity to develop a fuller understanding of the issues and consider approaches to tackling them.

The first of two day long sessions will include a morning with SLF keynote speaker Dr Avis Glaze, Edu-quest International Inc and Former Chief Student Achievement Officer of Ontario. Dr Glaze brings a wealth of experience and expertise in addressing issues of equity and this is a unique opportunity to spend time with her in a small group setting. The afternoon will consider relevant research into equalities across STEM and how this is relevant to practitioners’ own contexts. A second day will be planned for early 2014 and will be held in a STEM industry setting with an opportunity for practitioners to share their own experiences and thinking and hear about equalities in STEM from a business perspective.

There are 20 places available to any interested practitioners and these will be allocated on a first come first served basis. If you are interested in taking part please email Diane Carson at Diane.Carson@educationscotland.gov.uk .The first day will take place on Tuesday September 24th in The Optima building in Glasgow. The second day will be held in early 2014 in an industry setting, date and venue are yet to be confirmed.

CfE, Mathematics, Outdoor Learning, Sciences, Social studies, Technologies

Forth Replacement Crossing – education centre now available for bookings

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The Forth Replacement Crossing Contact and Education Centre is now open and taking bookings for school groups to find out about the construction of the new bridge across the Firth of Forth – recently named ‘The Queensferry Crossing’.

Visit the Centre to find out more about the project, view the works and get involved in engineering and construction related activities.

The Centre can provide customised sessions related to school topic areas including maths, geography, science and technology and the visits can be linked to Curriculum for Excellence.

Did you know?

■     Multiple bookings can be made by each school for groups of 12 or more

■     Visits are tailored to your needs

■     School groups of all ages are welcomed

■     The centre provides amazing views of the bridges

The Centre provides a fantastic opportunity for people of all ages to view the works and find out more about the largest engineering project in Scotland in a generation.

To find out more and make a school booking:

–          visit website : www.forthreplacementcrossing.info

–          email : frcenquiries@transportscotland.gsi.gov.uk

–          phone: 0800 078 6910

CfE, Expressive Arts, Mathematics

Working in the Music Business

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Yes World of Work Wednesdays is back again just in time for the summer break!

This event will give you a great insight into the real world of the music industry. The UK music business employs 150,000 people and is worth £3.5billion to the UK economy. We’ve brought together experts from all aspects of the industry including a manager, a singer, a record producer and a marketing manager.

As well as discussing their different roles, they will also be taking your questions. So if you want to ask, “how do I break into the music business”, “how do I get my song on iTunes”, “how can I get my band on T in the Park”, “is X Factor a good way of starting out”, or anything else you can think of then this is your chance!

You’ll hear from the panel that there are many career opportunities in the industry and how certain school subjects such as English, Maths, Art, ICT and of course Music can help you achieve them. With an interactive pop quiz included, it promises to be a fun, interesting and exciting event and we hope to see you there!

Sign up and join us in Glow TV on Wednesday 5th June at 2pm – Working in the Music Business

Assessment, Languages, Mathematics, Sciences

Content Authors Required

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SCHOLAR is a major national programme delivering online learning content to support the secondary and tertiary sectors in Scotland.

As part of a programme to upgrade the SCHOLAR materials and ensure relevance to the SQA curriculum they wish to recruit authors to write new materials for CfE Higher for delivery in 2014/15. This will also include identifying appropriate content from existing SCHOLAR materials.

SCHOLAR require authors from the Teaching sector to revise our current portfolio of the following Higher SCHOLAR subjects.

· Accounting
· Art & Design (Textiles)
· Biology
· Business Management
· Chemistry
· Computing
· Economics
· ESOL
· French
· Gaelic
· German
· Human Biology
· Mathematics
· Physics
· Psychology
· Spanish

The course development will be expected to last from September 2013 until September 2014. The aim is to have some initial materials live for September 2014.The remaining materials will be made live throughout the school session 2014/15.

More details about this opportunity can be found on the CfE Higher Document.
Closing date is 28th June 2013.

CfE, Mathematics, Sciences

Scottish Engineering Special Leaders Award for STEM 2013

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Leaders Award for STEM and Scottish Engineering are challenging primary and secondary school learners in Scotland to consider what they would do if they were an engineer. Learners are being asked to research engineering and interview practicing engineers to illustrate and annotate their interpretation of the statement “If I could be an engineer in Scotland, what would I do?”

This award is a great opportunity to engage both primary and secondary school learners with real engineers who will convey the importance of STEM in their daily working lives. Schools will be able to develop relationships with industry, both local and worldwide, giving children and young people a unique perspective of the diversity of engineering professions and their significance in the wider world.

Register your school via the website and state that you are participating in the Scottish Engineering Special Leaders Award.

Assessment, CfE, Literacy, Literacy and English, Mathematics

SSLN Professional Learning Resource

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The Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy (SSLN) is a sample survey which monitors national performance in literacy and numeracy, in alternate years, of school children at P4, P7 and S2. It also provides information which will inform improvements in learning, teaching and assessment at classroom level. This SSLN was the first to assess literacy, and took place in May 2012. The full report on the survey was published on the 24th of April 2013 and can be accessed via this link – Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy.

The survey is designed to assess the wide range of knowledge, skills and capabilities across learning identified in the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE). The tasks were also designed to reflect some of the CfE requirements that pupils should have achieved in breadth, challenge and application of their learning.
To accompany the report, Education Scotland has produced professional learning resources to support learning and teaching – Professional Learning Resources

The full resource consists of listening and talking: group discussion, reading and writing materials.
The listening and talking: group discussion resource:
• explores and exemplifies key skills
• exemplifies discussion tasks and contexts
• describes effective learning and teaching approaches
• shows group discussions across levels
• provides links to existing high quality materials.

The reading resource:
• explores and exemplifies key skills;
• describes effective learning and teaching approaches;
• exemplifies reading activities; and
• provides links to existing high quality materials.

The writing resource:
• explores key skills;
• describes effective learning and teaching approaches;
• exemplifies tasks and contexts for writing across curriculum areas;
• gives examples of writing from across levels; and
• provides links to existing support materials.

The resource is designed to encourage professional reflection and dialogue.

Once you have used the resources, please let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

CfE, Glow TV, Health and wellbeing, Health and wellbeing, Literacy, Literacy and English, Mathematics, Sciences, Technologies

Virtual Glow Roadshow

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Glow is packed full of educational resources and national communities where teaching staff can collaborate with colleagues across Scotland. To showcase some of these great resources RM is hosting a week of Glow Meets featuring a few of these. These 30 minute sessions are being run twice so sign up for the time slot that suits you best!

Twig on Glow – Over 1500 high quality films covering Maths, Science, Geography and Health – complete with support resources matched to the curriculum of excellence levels 2,3 and 4.

Join us either on Monday 22nd April at 8.15am or Thursday 25th April at 3.45pm

Just2easy is an online blogging tool. Children can create, sharing and learn in an esafe environment.
Join us either on Monday 22nd April at 3.45pm or Wednesday 24th April at 8.15am

Scran is a charity & online learning resource base with over 360,000 images & media from museums, galleries, archives and the media. These resources can be downloaded and used copyright free.

Join us either on Tuesday 23rd April at 8.15am or Wednesday 24th April at 3.45pm

The Daily What News is an online news service provided for Scottish Schools supporting the development of literacy and language across the curriculum. The site also provides a wealth of support materials.

Join us either on Tuesday 23rd April at 3.45pm or Thursday 25th April at 8.15am

Assessment, CfE, Glow TV, Languages, Literacy and English, Mathematics, National Qualifications, Senior Phase

Maths and English Exam Revision – Support Online

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Revision support for NQ English and Mathematics

With the SQA National Qualifications examinations looming, the National Glow Team are pleased to announce the launch of exam revision support for NQ English and Mathematics. Aimed at pupils and supported by teachers, this Glow revision resource will help pupils in their preparation for national examinations by allowing them to post questions and queries into a teacher facilitated Glow Forum. The resource will be open to all pupils and teachers with the potential to become a vibrant self-supporting community.

Find out more here.

Assessment, BtC5, CfE, Early Years, Expressive Arts, Health and wellbeing, Health and wellbeing, Languages, Literacy, Literacy and English, Mathematics, Moderation, Modern Languages, NAR, Outdoor Learning, Profiles, Profiling, Religious and Moral Education, Responsibility of All, RME, Sciences, Social studies, Supporting Learners, Technologies

Taking a closer look at the National Assessment Resource: A professional learning resource

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Education Scotland have recently developed this professional learning resource.  It provides an opportunity to reflect on effective practice in learning, teaching and assessment, drawing on the work published on the National Assessment Resource (NAR).  It also provides a structured look at the NAR flow chart as a tool for planning effective learning, teaching, moderation and assessment.

The resource can be used by individual practitioners keen to reflect and improve on their assessment practice as well as pairs, groups of practitioners, associated school groups (ASGs) or clusters working collegiately to reflect on and improve practice.

It is available to download from the Education Scotland website and welcome section on NAR.  There will be a Glow meet on Wednesday the 13th of February at 8:20am and Thursday the 14th at 4:15pm to explore the resource further.

Classical languages, Expressive Arts, Mathematics, National Qualifications

Further titles published in series of Professional Focus Papers

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Education Scotland has published further titles in its series of Professional Focus Papers.  These materials have been designed to assist those supporting learners as they work towards the new qualifications.

The papers highlight important features of learning which are enhanced or different from previous arrangements. They provide advice on approaches to learning and teaching which build directly on those used in the 3-15 Broad General Education in order to promote continuity in learners’ acquisition of knowledge, understanding and skills. The papers are also intended to stimulate professional reflection and dialogue about learning. 

This set of materials covers a variety of subjects at National 4 and National 5: Lifeskills Mathematics, Mathematics, Care, Latin and Classical Studies. 

Also available, at National 5 only: Dance, Psychology, Sociology and Economics. 

They come as part of the development of exemplar course materials across the full range of National 4 and National 5 qualifications, being managed by Education Scotland in partnership with ADES. 

The Professional Focus Papers are now available for download on the National Qualifications area of the Education Scotland website.

CfE, CLD, Community Capacity Building, Early Years, Expressive Arts, Health and wellbeing, Languages, Mathematics, National Qualifications, Outdoor Learning, Research, Responsibility of All, RME, Sciences, Senior Phase, Social studies, Supporting Learners, Technologies, Young people, children & families

Learning for Sustainability – report published

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Learning for Sustainability – the report of the One Planet Schools Working Group, was published 17 December 2012. 

The report includes strategic recommendations to support the development of coherent whole school approaches to ensure that learning for sustainability, global citizenship and outdoor learning are experienced in a transformative way by every learner in every school across Scotland. The report includes a number of recommendations relating to career-long professional learning and initial teacher education and advocates genuine partnerships with local communities and action to improve the sustainability of the school estate. A key ambition of the report is to provide an agenda for strategic change that will create an enabling framework, remove barriers, and build on existing excellent practice.

Dr Alasdair Allan, Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s Languages said:
“I welcome the publication of Learning for Sustainability and would like to thank the Working Group for their work and commitment to producing the report and recommendations. As we approach the Year of Natural Scotland in 2013, the report reminds us of the importance of learning which connects young people to local and global issues, an integral part of Curriculum for Excellence.

“A wide range of actions have been taken as part of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development and we welcome steps to encourage and support schools in their approach to sustainability and global citizenship, including through outdoor learning.

“We will take time to consider the report, to engage with partners on its recommendations and respond in full in March 2013.”

The report can be downloaded from:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Schools/curriculum/ACE/OnePlanetSchools 

See the associated Engage in Education blog from Professor Pete Higgins, Chair of the One Planet Schools Working Group: http://engageforeducation.org/news/learning-for-sustainability/

Early Years, Expressive Arts, Health and wellbeing, Languages, Mathematics, Religious and Moral Education, Responsibility of All, RME, Sciences, Social studies

BBC Class Clips

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A group of Development Officers from Education Scotland worked with the BBC yesterday exploring BBC Scotland’s Learning Scotland website and the BBC Class Clips resource. It’s possible to embed BBC Class Clips in blogs and share links through social media. One handy feature for practitioners who are subject specialists is the ability to search for the clips used in BBC Bitesize. To find the clips, include Bitesize as a keyword along with your subject specialism.

Assessment, CfE, CLD, Early Years, Expressive Arts, Health and wellbeing, Languages, Mathematics, National Qualifications, Research, Responsibility of All, RME, Sciences, Senior Phase, Social studies, Supporting Learners, Technologies

Glow TV – Watch Again!

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Have you read about an event in Glow TV and wanted to join in live but were unable to because of other classroom commitments or timetabling? Do you want the ability to view exciting or interesting pupil focused Glow Meets at a time that is convenient to you? Do you want to enhance your Professional Learning at a time that suits you? Well you can in Glow TV’s Watch Again facility!

All Glow TV events are recorded so if the time of the live event isn’t suitable for you and/or your class to join in you can still have the opportunity to watch the recorded version at a time that suits your timetable or other classroom/personal commitments.

Watch Again is available in Glow TV and you can filter all the recordings that have taken place over the past 17 months either by name or by the programme category eg Literacy and English, CPD etc or by the programme tags.Once you have found what you want to watch simply click the Watch Again link which will take you to your chosen programme (and all the others in that channel category too!) and you can then view the recording at your leisure. You can also have the opportunity in our Watch Again Feedback Forum to let us know how useful you found the recording and if/how it enhanced your or your classes learning.

So why not take part in Glow TV when it suits you? You may not be able to ask questions in a live environment but you will still be able to see and listen to experts in their field and have fun in our numerous interactive Glow TV events.

CfE, Mathematics

Support for Mathematics – Twig on Glow Resource

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Mathematics CPD on Glow TV – 10th September at 4pm

Join us for the next Glow TV event to explore new materials supporting learning and teaching in Mathematics.

Twig World Ltd, the company behind the popular Glow Science, has released an additional two subjects – maths and geography – to their online resource. The addition of over 200 films brings the total online content to over 1000 high quality short films with related learning materials.

Twig on Glow can be accessed from www.twigonglow.com as well as from within Glow.

The new maths materials include a range of topics from space, measurement, shape, number, algebra, accuracy and proof, statistics and probability and a history of maths.

Twig films are high quality, inspiring videos to support the curriculum and engage learners using real world images rarely seen in the maths classroom. The everyday application of mathematical concepts provides answers to those pupils who struggle to see ‘why maths matters.’ The support materials complement the videos to explore topics from ‘The Heartbeat formula’ in Algebra to ‘Why do we count in tens’ in Number.

“The resource fits nicely into CfE. The films instigate discussion and that’s a really important thing… it’s about getting the kids to understand and think for themselves.” Maths Teacher, West Lothian

Mathematics CPD – 10th September at 4pm

Join us to find out what’s new, get a tour of the website from Twig staff and speak to teachers who have been using the materials.

To find out more and sign up click here.

Mathematics, Sciences, Technologies

If you could be an engineer…what would you do?

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Engineers touch every aspect of our lives but frequently we do not recognise who they are or what they do. To inspire young people to become engineers we must first help them to understand what it is that engineers do, what inspires them and what it takes to become one. Engineering as a rich, stimulating and challenging context for learning in sciences, technologies and maths is the basis of Education Scotland’s STEM Central resource.

Today saw the launch of a challenge for learners in primary schools in Scotland. Scottish Engineering and The Leaders Award for STEM are challenging learners to become Leaders for STEM in their schools by considering what they would do if they were an engineer.

Engineers will visit schools and answer questions from learners, hoping to inspire a generation with their experiences.

Learners are challenged to draw or write ‘What I would do if I was an engineer in Scotland.’ Competition closing date is 30th November 2012 with winners announced on the 7th December 2012 and all shortlisted entries displayed in The Barony Hall at the University of Strathclyde  Glasgow on 15th and 16th December.

For more information how to enter visit: www.leadersaward.com.

Leaders Award co-ordinator: Susan Loxley susan.loxley@leadersaward.com

Expressive Arts, Health and wellbeing, Health and wellbeing, Literacy, Mathematics, Social studies

Dennis the Menace becomes a global citizen

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Who’d have thought it? Dennis the Menace becoming a global citizen and the Bash Street Kids growing their own vegetables and getting their 5-a-day!

In the forthcoming special edition of the Beano, primary school pupils will get to see a very different side of their favourite characters. Scottish Business in the Community, a charity that actively encourages businesses from all sectors to improve their impacts on the economy, environment and society, has teamed up with one of its members, DC Thomson, to support the creation of a special edition Beano designed to engage young people in environmental and societal issues in a positive and fun way.

Sent to every primary school pupil in Scotland, the free special edition Beano will incorporate the key themes core to SBC and central to creating a sustainable future for Scotland including: 

  • Environment / visioning the future
  • Health & wellbeing / growing your own veg
  • Employability and soft skills
  • Responsible citizenship and community

 This special edition Beano is supported by a teachers information pack linking to Curriculum for Excellence.

 Dr Alasdair Allan, Minister for Leaning, Science and Scotland’s Languages, is very supportive of the initiative saying, ‘I welcome the opportunity afforded to schools to use resources such as this to engage the children in positive and more importantly, fun learning experiences.’

 Comics will start arriving in schools towards the end of August.

Mathematics, Sciences, Technologies

STEM Central: supporting you to enhance learning and teaching

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Our STEM Central Electric Transport context is currently aimed at third and fourth level. In the next school year, we will be publishing an extension to the context for second level. Offering opportunities to embed sustainable development and give insight into STEM in everyday life, the second level extension will highlight green buses on Scottish roads. Last year 15 buses engineered at Alexander Dennis Ltd in Falkirk took to the streets of Edinburgh, with partial funding from the Scottish Government’s Green Bus Fund.

The video Electric Vocabulary from TEDEd’s YouTube channel tells the story of how “charge” and “battery” became part of our everyday language of “electricity”. Useful for your own background and understanding, or for learners at second level.

Assessment, CfE, CLD, Early Years, Expressive Arts, Health and wellbeing, Languages, Mathematics, National Qualifications, Responsibility of All, RME, Sciences, Senior Phase, Social studies, Supporting Learners, Technologies

Schools IT Excellence Group set up

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The Scottish Government has announced that Education Secretary Michael Russell has appointed the Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Muffy Calder to convene an ICT Excellence Group to consider the future development of the schools’ intranet ‘Glow’.

 The new ICT Excellence Group will draw on the experience and expertise of end-users, and educational technology experts to scope the long-term user-centred future of Glow.

 Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Michael Russell said:

 “It is crucial that the next generation of Glow allows schools to harness the power of technology for learning, to keep pace with rapidly evolving developments and speak the language that young people speak online.

 “Professor Calder’s group will have the challenge of imagining a future for the service that can be customised to the individual requirements of our young people, is dynamic and can remain relevant for years to come. I look forward to receiving their advice later this year.”

 The group members are now announced as follows: Prof Muffy Calder, Prof Ian Sommerville, Prof Mike Sharples, Mr Ewan McIntosh, Mr Charlie Love, Prof Bill Buchanan, Mr Hamish Budge, Prof Jeff Haywood, Mr Neil Winton, Mr Tony Rafferty, Mr Fraser Speirs, Ms Jaye Richards Hill and Mr Martin Dewar who will facilitate the involvement of two school pupils in the group.

See announcement on Engage for Education.

Early Years, Mathematics, Sciences, Senior Phase, Technologies

Ask an Astronaut with the Scottish Space School…or an Evening with NASA

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Wednesday 13 June 10:00 – 10:45  http://glo.li/MsbNg9

Join us again this year for a fantastic opportunity to explore space travel and meet three NASA guests all in one day. Find out about what they’ve done, ask your own questions, take part in space quizzes and use this unique opportunity to enter the world of space exploration.

The University of Strathclyde’s Scottish Space School runs from 10-15 June for learners in S5. Find out more at the Scottish Space School web page.

The Scottish Space School will also be hosting its annual  public lecture on Wednesday 13th June 2012 from 18:30 to 20:00, when the guest speakers will include two astronauts with six space missions between them, and a lead engineer on spacesuit design. If you would like to attend this event please apply for an e-ticket by clicking on to the link: E-ticket application

Did you know Scotland is active in space research? STEM Central’s Exploring Engineering is aimed at learners and practitioners for CPD and includes interviews with Scottish and global engineers, working in Scotland, round the world, and beyond!

Assessment, CfE, CLD, Early Years, Expressive Arts, Health and wellbeing, Languages, Mathematics, National Qualifications, Research, Responsibility of All, RME, Sciences, Senior Phase, Social studies, Supporting Learners, Technologies

Cabinet Secretary announces positive future for Glow

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Mr Michael Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, made an announcement today on the immediate and long-term future of Glow. 

You can read full details of Mr Russell’s announcement on Engage for Education.

Assessment, CfE, Early Years, Health and wellbeing, Mathematics, Moderation, Responsibility of All, Sciences, Technologies

Sharing learning and teaching ideas for early to second level

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Participating in in-service today provided an opportunity to talk with practitioners around learning and teaching in science and share some of the ways in which Education  Scotland can provide support. Issues explored included assessment and moderation, a shared understanding of standards, progression, meeting the needs of learners, transitions, using effective partnerships and keeping the curriculum alive and relevant to inspire young learners.

The following were used to exemplify support for practitioners:

STEM Central

Weather and Climate Change

Exploring Climate Change

Marks on the Landscape

Glow TV

Education Scotland Learning blog – sharing by the Development Officers in Education Scotland

STEM Central in Motion blog – sharing by practitioners and partners

Food for Thought leaflet and poster – we will shortly be developing the new Food Security context for STEM Central

STEM Central Learning Journeys from the Sound context, early years and first level due for publication later this month, and the draft second level journeys due for publication within the next few months

Journey to Excellence

NAR (National Assessment Resource)

and

Glow Science

Practitioners shared resources they also find useful such as Planet Science , I’m a Scientist, get me out of here and I’m an Engineer, get me out of here.

Mathematics, Sciences, Technologies

Learning in the Broad General Education for EY to Second Level: Speak up Scotland! A Year of Science Debating

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We had the opportunity to participate in a local authority in-service today, working with early years and primary practitioners from a cluster. One aspect of this was to discuss how we are supporting teachers in achieving the vision of Curriculum for Excellence in sciences, and STEM.

One important aspect of learning and teaching in sciences is to create opportunities or learners to gain confidence in using scientific language, and to be able to express informed views within discussion and debate. What tools and approaches can be used to ensure learners are developing their skills in discussion, argumentation, and debate?

A teacher’s handbook from the English-Speaking Union (ESU) Scotland came across my desk recently and I thought this was something worth sharing at the session. 2012 is  the year of the ESU’s Speak up Scotland! Science Debating project. Within this easily digestible, practical handbook are a range of techniques and approaches which can be used to structure debate within science, and include all learners within the class. It explains how to plan and structure a formal debate, if that is what you are looking for, including how to structure a speech, a format for judging the content and skills of the participants – useful for teacher or peer evaluation. Other approaches described include balloon and role play debates. Exemplification is given for role playdebates in bio-prospecting and badger culling.

The teachers who reviewed this booklet immediately saw opportunities to use this to support learning and teaching, to enrich the development of our learners as scientific thinkers.

The booklet also contains starters for debates such as:

 ”this house believes the government should fund research on planet earth rather than the cosmos”

“this house would ban research on embryonic stem cells”

Each section includes “fast facts”, and suggested questions to ask – does an embryo have human rights? how do we know how old the universe is? how do we control nanoparticles in our environment; or artificial organisms we create?

All of this is also available on the project website where you can  find out how schools are using the debates and the feedback from learners.

If your learners need support in building confidence to speak in front of others, why not look back to our Debating in Schools resources published in 2007 which include Building Speaking Confidence: Guidance for first-time speakers.

CfE, Mathematics

Going bananas about Algebra!

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Join us in Glow TV on Thursday 31st May at 2pm for this very different ways of learning about algebra.

This lesson will show basic uses of algebra using bananas as an everyday context, and be mainly suitable for P4 pupils.

During the live transmission Tom Renwick from Maths on Track will be seen working with a P4 class, initially measuring the weights of three bananas labelled a, b and c and then going on to evaluate simple expressions such as a+b and a-b etc.

Towards the end of the event you will have the weights of three bananas measured in your own classroom and your pupils will be invited to evaluate simple expressions based on their own data.

As in most areas of maths lack of associated numeracy numeracy skills can hamper understanding, so Tom has prepared graded practice sheets (three pdf’s provided in Supporting Materials and suitable for smart board use) showing the numeracy skills which will be associated with the algebra the lesson, given that bananas usually weigh between 100g and 200g.

It would be beneficial if pupils watching the live transmission were reasonably competent with these numeracy skills beforehand since it’s Tom’s intention to have as many P4 pupils as possible ‘going bananas about algebra’!

Sign up and join us in Glow TV!

CfE, Expressive Arts, Mathematics, RME, Sciences

Education Scotland Identified Good Practice – Aboyne Academy

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The practice of inter-disciplinary learning in the Secondary context is one that is central to the underpinning ethos of Curriculum for Excellence. Schools all over Scotland are looking at ways in which this can be made as purposeful and meaningful as possible for both pupils and teachers and in that aspect Aboyne Academy is no different from any other.

Aboyne Academy’s efforts in this area were given favourable comment during a recent inspection so much so that the inspection team recommended that this practice be celebrated and shared via Glow TV.
During this Glow Meet you will be able to meet the teachers from a range of departments who have begun to collaborate in order to make inter-disciplinary learning work for them. You will see how Geography, Science and Maths, Drama and Guidance and RME and Physics have all worked together on different projects in a complementary fashion. You will be able to hear how the teachers worked together and what impact they feel such working has had on the teaching and learning at Aboyne.

Join in the Glow Meet in Glow TV on Tuesday 22nd May at 11am and get the chance to ask questions of colleagues who are are making inter-disciplinary learning work in their setting. Sign up and join us in Glow TV.

Expressive Arts, Health and wellbeing, Mathematics, Sciences, Technologies

STEM Central and The James Hutton Institute Water Works

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An update on The James Hutton Institute’s Water Works competition with the announcement of the April winner.

The April winner is Aimee Holton, aged 16, from Banchory Academy with her picture “Droplets”. Aimee says “You don’t realise how precious water is until you see things like the hosepipe ban in England. It makes us appreciate every last droplet even more”.

This exciting competition could be used in many contexts, including  to enrich the STEM Central water context. Details of the competition can be found on this blog, or in the competition details. Closing date is the 22nd of each month.

Early Years, Mathematics, National Qualifications, Sciences, Social studies, Technologies

STEM Central and The James Hutton Institute’s Water Works

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Earlier this year, we blogged about this exciting opportunity which can be used in many contexts, including to enrich the STEM Central water context.

A trickling burn, a flooded street, a horse’s trough or a grand Scottish loch – no matter what comes to mind when you think of water the Water Works competition wants your photographs. The James Hutton Institute has now announced the March winner of the competition,  John Smith, Age 8, from Orkney. His picture, shown above, is called “The Flood at the Pumping Station” and shows his local pumping station at North Stronsay, flooded due to the nearby loch overflowing.

The James Hutton Institute’s Facebook page has more information on the March entries and how you can take part in May’s competition.

Need some more inspiration on water? 

Whether you are working with the STEM Central Flood Management learning journeys in the context of social sciences, technologies or maths, or planning learning and teaching around themes of sustainability for new National Qualifications, this article published in The Telegraph, by James Dyson “Engineering can save us from drought” might provide information or inspiration. Perhaps you could use this year’s Dyson Challenge as a basis for learning, maybe your learners hold the key to saving water for a more sustainable future?

If your learners are considering the current drought and flood situation in large parts of England, why not use it as an opportunity to explore the role of engineers in sustainability? We would love to hear your ideas on our STEM Central in Motion blog.

Or try using the mindmap tool in Glow Science to kickstart thinking for you or your learners.

The James Hutton Institute via the Centre of Expertise for Waters  are running a year long competition aimed at raising awareness of water and water-related issues across both primary and secondary ages. The competition, with monthly prizes, aims to encourage learners to think about the natural environment and make the link between CfE curriculum areas Sciences, Technologies and Expressive Arts. The competition page gives background on the competition and entry instructions.

Mathematics, National Qualifications, Sciences, Senior Phase

Learning in the new NQs: numeracy in sciences

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Education Scotland’s recently published advice and guidance includes exemplification of skills appropriate to National 4 and National 5. These have been exemplified in a biological context for National 4 Science, and in a physics context for National 5 Physics and can be used by practitioners to consider the level of challenge appropriate to N4 and N5 in terms of Building the Curriculum 4: Skills for Learning, Life and Work, the SQA’s Skills Framework, and the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework.

One area of numeracy you may be planning to explore with learners is the issue of causality and correlation. Can we use data to draw conclusions? Among the examples included in the advice and guidance for science is a consideration of whether or not there is a link between Type 2 diabetes and obesity. A starting point for discussion comes from the BBC’s Go Figure series in this article Watching out for Wimbledon-washing machine links. Does Wimbledon fortnight really affect demand for washing machine repairs?

Mathematics, National Qualifications, Sciences, Social studies, Technologies

STEM Central Water water everywhere…engineering solutions needed!

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Whether you are working with the STEM Central Flood Management learning journeys in the context of social sciences, technologies or maths, or planning learning and teaching around themes of sustainability for new National Qualifications, this article published in The Telegraph, by James Dyson “Engineering can save us from drought” might provide information or inspiration. Perhaps you could use this year’s Dyson Challenge as a basis for learning, maybe your learners hold the key to saving water for a more sustainable future?

If your learners are considering the current drought and flood situation in large parts of England, why not use it as an opportunity to explore the role of engineers in sustainability? We would love to hear your ideas on our STEM Central in Motion blog.

CfE, Expressive Arts, Health and wellbeing, Health and wellbeing, Languages, Literacy, Literacy and English, Mathematics, Modern Languages, Religious and Moral Education, Responsibility of All, RME, Sciences, Social studies, Technologies

School Open Day – Bo’ness Academy, Falkirk Council

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School open day – using international education to develop a whole school approach to global citizenship

Venue: Bo’ness Academy, Falkirk

9:30am – 3.00pm

Thursday 17th May 2012

Note: this event was due to place at an earlier date in the year but has now been rescheduled for the date above.

Theme:  International Education

This CPD event offers practitioners and school leaders an exciting opportunity to visit Bo’ness Academy and attend Falkirk Council’s Global Citizenship Showcase Event.

Bo’ness Academy is an inspiring example of a school that has used international education as a vehicle to engage the whole school in global citizenship activities. Through the Comenius Programme and other well established links the school has developed a rich international programme connecting it to countries across the world including: The Gambia, The Netherlands, China, France, Germany and The Czech Republic.

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 global citizenship a key priority in the school and a focus for the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence
  • Using international links to explore important issues in a global context and to create engaging, meaningful and challenging learning experiences
  • Developing strong international partnerships which can be sustained and which have made an impact on every learner.

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

Download Programme for Bo’ness Academy Open Day 17May12

How to book

To book, please contact Megan Farr, Policy Officer, Falkirk Council. Email: megan.farr@falkirk.gov.uk or Tel. 01324 506671.

Places for the open day section of the event are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. This is a free event!

CLD, Early Years, Health and wellbeing, Health and wellbeing, Literacy, Literacy and English, Mathematics, Responsibility of All

Wise up Wednesday – see our exciting new early years resources!

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Every Day’s a Learning Day 

Two new books have been published by Education Scotland to help parents and carers of young children to make the most of the learning experiences that exist in everyday life.

 ‘Every Day’s a Learning Day (Birth to 3 years)’ and ‘Every Day’s a Learning Day (3 to 6 years)’ aim to help parents support their child’s development in the crucial areas of health and wellbeing, literacy and numeracy.

 Both books are available in English and Gaelic language versions.

 www.educationscotland.gov.uk/everydaylearning  

There will be a copy of each of the books with the next issue of Education Scotland’s Early Years Matters.

The books will be distributed in the Scottish Booktrust’s Bookbug bags. The Birth to 3 book will go to parents when they visit their health visitor for their child’s first vaccination from March onwards. The 3-6 book will be in Bookbug bags for children when they turn 3 and join nursery.

Health and wellbeing, Mathematics, Responsibility of All, Sciences

Alcohol – using percentages to calculate units

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Glow Meet with Tom Renwick – Monday 12 March at 2 pm

Education Scotland will be hosting a Glow Meet with a difference with Tom Renwick from Maths on Track. Aimed at third level and suitable for S1, S2 and S3 pupils, this live transmission from the Medical School at Glasgow University, will examine the percentage calculations required to confirm units of alcohol, given the volume and alcoholic strength of the liquid.

Please note that cans of beer, as well as bottles of wine and spirits, will be used as examples of numeracy in the context of everyday materials.

Colleagues from the Medical School will be on hand to help explain the effects of units of alcohol on the body.

The lesson will last about 45 minutes and be available shortly after on Watch Again TV. You will need a Glow login to view this event.

Early Years, Expressive Arts, Health and wellbeing, Languages, Mathematics, Responsibility of All, RME, Sciences, Social studies, Technologies, Young people, children & families

Wanted! Creative teachers and CLD staff

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Are you creative in the classroom? Do you empower creativity in your young people?
Education Scotland is looking for teachers and CLD staff who use creativity in their work to speak up and share their creative learning and teaching approaches with the rest of Scotland through a series of very short online film clips.

Creativity in its purest sense involves generating original ideas that have value and crosses ALL areas of the curriculum (not just the arts) and we are looking for examples from subjects as diverse as PE, Languages and Maths. It could be the young people learning creative skills or an approach to lesson planning that is particularly creative. What creativity might involve can be found here: http://glo.li/xGyO32

Here are the questions we would like to put to you:

• What is creativity (to you)?

• Why be creative in your teaching?

• What happens when the young learners are engaged in a creative activity?

• What did you and your young learners do that was creative?
You might explain an example of what creativity looks like in your classroom or group.
You might detail day-to-day creative approaches or else explain a specific project, topic or development.
How did this specifically benefit you and the young people?

You will be filmed by a professional film company (they really put you at your ease) who will come to you, fit around your timetable, and the whole process of setting up and filming will take less than half an hour. Ultimately we are capturing just 3 minutes of glorious quality footage from you that will be shared through the Creativity Portal. This is a great opportunity to showcase your creativity to a national audience.

The filming will be arranged to suit you some time in the next three weeks.

It takes moments to offer your experience or suggest a colleague who you think would fit the bill:
Go to: http://glo.li/z0Mi3s
Email: Stephen.bullock@educationscotland.gov.uk
Phone: 0141 282 5194

Health and wellbeing, Mathematics

Glow Meet with Tom Renwick – Monday 12 March at 2 pm

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Alcohol – using percentages to calculate units

Education Scotland will be hosting a Glow Meet with a difference with Tom Renwick from Maths on Track. Aimed at third level and suitable for S1, S2 and S3 pupils, this live transmission from the Medical School at Glasgow University, will examine the percentage calculations required to confirm units of alcohol, given the volume and alcoholic strength of the liquid.

Please note that cans of beer, as well as bottles of wine and spirits, will be used as examples of numeracy in the context of everyday materials.

Colleagues from the Medical School will be on hand to help explain the effects of units of alcohol on the body.

The lesson will last about 45 minutes and be available shortly after on Watch Again TV. You will need a Glow login to view this event.

Click here to sign up!

Mathematics, Sciences, Technologies

STEM Central and Research Recommendations

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How can teachers engage with the recommendations of a recent research pilot by the Department for Education and carried out by the Centre for Education and Industry at the University of Warwick (CEI), the International Centre for Guidance Studies at the University of Derby (iCeGs) and Isinglass Consultancy Ltd? This three year programme of work sought to explore the potential to embed STEM careers awareness in the early stages in early stages of secondary education.

STEM Central demonstrates opportunities for using engineering to learn through enquiry and investigation in curriculum areas and interdisciplinary studies. STEM Central  provides opportunities to embed learning of STEM across traditional subject boundaries, and offers opportunities for all learners to understand the wealth of learning and career opportunities offered by STEM.

Using the careers based videos can enrich teachers understanding of opportunities STEM offers their learners, and assist in planning for learning and teaching which prepares our young people to 

“gains the skills and aspirations essential for building the UK’s economy and to help them participate in an increasingly scientific and technological society.” (Good Timing: Implementing STEM careers strategy in secondary schools, November 2011)

http://www.derby.ac.uk/files/icegs_good_timing.pdf

Health and wellbeing, Health and wellbeing, Mathematics

Happy Talk

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One factor that is increasingly being cited as an important economic indicator is happiness.

After all, what good is increased production and consumption if the result isn’t increased human satisfaction? Until fairly recently, the subject of happiness was mostly avoided by economists for lack of good ways to measure it; however, in recent years, “happiness economists” have found ways to combine subjective surveys with objective data (on lifespan, income, and education) to yield data with consistent patterns, making a national happiness index a practical reality

But at this moment in history, as GDP growth becomes an unachievable goal, it is especially important that societies re-examine their aims and measures. If we aim for what is no longer possible, we will achieve only delusion and frustration. But if we aim for genuinely worthwhile goals that can be attained, then even if we have less energy at our command and fewer material goods available, we might nevertheless still increase our satisfaction in life.

To read the full article click here.

Mathematics, Research, Sciences

A Random Walk through Mathematics at Stirling University

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A planned context for phased development within STEM Central is the “Invisible Worlds” context. Envisaged as a context exploring the Invisible World that’s going on inside our bodies, this will connect the cutting edge of modelling, measuring, investigating, diagnosing and treating in these Invisible Worlds, associated with industry and education in Scotland.

If that sounds like something which you might be interested in, then why not take a look at Stirling University’s lecture on 23rd February which looks at their interest and expertise in modelling biological systems, disease spread and control, and building simple models of population growth.

CfE, Early Years, Mathematics, Responsibility of All

Developing Learning in Early Number Conferences 16th & 17th March

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The Numeracy team at Education Scotland is hosting events for practitioners on Friday 16 March in the Drumossie House Hotel, Inverness and again on Saturday 17 March in the AECC, Aberdeen. The aim of the event is to support effective teaching and learning of number in early years settings and primary schools. Throughout the day there will be opportunities to participate in workshops, network with colleagues, share good practice and hear key messages in numeracy.

 http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/newsandevents/events/2012/eventgeneral_tcm4687535.asp (Inverness)

http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/newsandevents/events/2012/eventgeneral_tcm4687537.asp (Aberdeen)

 The event will be of particular interest to practitioners in early years settings and in primaries 1 to 3. If you are interested in attending this free event please email either staffdevelopmentunit@highland.gov.uk (Inverness event) or cpd@aberdeencity.gov.uk (Aberdeen event).

CfE, Mathematics, Sciences, Social studies, Technologies

Developing global citizens through sciences, social studies and technologies

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Developing global citizens through sciences, social studies and technologies

Interdisciplinary learning for a low carbon and zero waste future

CDP event for practitioners in secondary schools

Menzies Hotel, Washington Street, Glasgow G3 8AZ

9:30am to 3:30pm, Friday 30st March 2012

Target audience: Practitioners, Principal Teachers and Faculty Heads of Technologies (e.g. CDT, Food and Textiles, Business and Enterprise), Sciences and Social Studies. Also local authority coordinators and QIOs.

Aim of the event:

This CPD event provides an exciting opportunity for secondary school practitioners to discover how cradle to cradle technologies and a circular economy can be used as a rich and stimulating context for interdisciplinary learning relating to sustainable development education and global citizenship within Curriculum for Excellence.

The Scottish Government is committed to a low-carbon and zero-waste economy, and the development of enterprise, creativity, STEM (Sciences, Technologies, Engineering and Maths) and higher order thinking skills in young people are essential if we are to realise these ambitious plans for the future. The circular economy concept proposes the use of sustainable technologies, innovative design and production methods and systems thinking to minimise waste and reduce the exploitation of the Earth’s precious resources. This event will draw on practical and exciting developments within industry which are set to transform the way our economy operates in the decades ahead.

Education Scotland is working in partnership with The Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the University of Edinburgh to develop strategies for professional development around sustainable development education and the circular economy to encourage the setting up of communities of practice among practitioners in Scotland. These will provide opportunities for ongoing, localised support and collaboration.

To find out more about the circular economy visit:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCRKvDyyHmI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

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 CPD event flyer and programme >>

CfE, Expressive Arts, Health and wellbeing, Languages, Mathematics, Responsibility of All, RME, Sciences, Senior Phase, Social studies, Technologies

Falkirk – global citizenship showcase and school open day

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Falkirk Council global citizenship showcase and school open day

Venue: Bo’ness Academy, Falkirk

9:30am – 3.00pm

This event will now take place on Thursday 17th May 2012

This CPD event offers practitioners and school leaders an exciting opportunity to visit Bo’ness Academy and attend Falkirk Council’s Global Citizenship Showcase Event.

Bo’ness Academy is an inspiring example of a school that has used international education as a vehicle to engage the whole school in global citizenship activities. Through the Comenius Programme and other well established links the school has developed a rich international programme connecting it to countries across the world including: The Gambia, The Netherlands, China, France, Germany and The Czech Republic.

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 global citizenship a key priority in the school and a focus for the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence
  • Using international links to explore important issues in a global context and to create engaging, meaningful and challenging learning experiences
  • Developing strong international partnerships which can be sustained and which have made an impact on every learner.

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

Following the open day event, participants will also have the opportunity to attend Falkirk Council’s Global Citizenship Showcase event which will also be taking place in Bo’ness Academy from 4pm – 6pm. This will feature exhibitions and displays from leading organisations such as Eco-Schools and British Council and will showcase innovative global citizenship practice from many Falkirk schools.

How to book

To book, please contact Megan Farr, Policy Officer, Falkirk Council. Email: megan.farr@falkirk.gov.uk or Tel. 01324 506671.

 Places for the open day section of the event are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. This is a free event!

Download programme for Bo’ness Academy Open Day >>

CfE, Mathematics, Sciences, Social studies, Technologies

SCIPD Group Study Visit to the Netherlands

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SCIPD Group Study Visit to the Netherlands

6th  – 10th March 2012

Theme: The Circular Economy – Sustainable technologies, design, economics and production for the 21st century

Education Scotland is inviting applications from secondary teaching staff for a group study visit to ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands to investigate how cradle to cradle technologies and a circular economy can be used as a rich and stimulating context for interdisciplinary learning relating to sustainable development education and global citizenship. This visit has been arranged in partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

The Scottish Government is committed to a low-carbon and zero-waste economy, and it is important to develop enterprise, creativity and STEM (Sciences, Technologies, Engineering and Maths) skills in young people to ensure the realisation of these ambitious plans for the future. The circular economy concept proposes the use of sustainable technologies and innovative design and production methods that minimise waste and reduce the exploitation of the earth’s precious resources. Industrial companies in the Netherlands are at the forefront of developing products that mimic natural processes and that are designed for disassembly and reuse.

Education Scotland, in collaboration with The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, is developing strategies for professional development around sustainable development education and the circular economy to encourage the setting up of communities of practice among practitioners in Scotland. These will provide opportunities for ongoing, localised support and collaboration as recommended by Teaching Scotland’s Future. 

It is expected that the visit to the Netherlands will include:

–       Orientation sessions with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the Dutch curriculum agency SLO, to introduce participants to the model of the circular economy and brief them on the structure of the Dutch school system and curriculum

–       Visits to businesses which have adopted cutting-edge approaches to circular economy principles

–       Visits to schools to see how learning relating to the circular economy is being used as a theme for interdisciplinary learning around sustainability

Travel to the Netherlands will be on Tuesday 6th March, with three working days in the area, followed by return to Scotland on Saturday 10th March.

SCIPD funding will cover return flights to the Netherlands, airport to hotel transfers, and overnight hotel accommodation in ‘s-Hertogenbosch on a bed and breakfast basis.

Participants will be offered a pre-visit preparatory meeting, and a post-visit meeting to support follow-up activity and encourage wider impact.

This study visit is targeted at education professionals in Scottish secondary schools, particularly teachers of sciences, technologies, mathematics, business studies, economics and geography.

Expected learning outcomes

Participants will have an opportunity to:

  • Increase their knowledge of the circular economy concept, its implementation in industry, and its impact on education for sustainability
  • Investigate and discuss Dutch educational practice for sustainable development and its place in the curriculum
  • Share professional dialogue and reflection with their hosts and with colleagues in the group.

Upon returning from the study visit, participants will be expected to:

  • Produce reports for Education Scotland which demonstrate the impact on their professional practice of the study visit experience
  • Disseminate findings, share ideas and new approaches within their own establishment and beyond
  • Make changes to learning and teaching practices in their own professional context.

Applicants may wish to use the experience of the study visit towards professional recognition by GTCS or simply to enhance their professional understanding and practice.

Applications are invited from suitably qualified members of Scottish school or authority staff, who should complete the Netherlands group application form available below or by email from Nick Morgan at nick.morgan@educationscotland.gov.uk

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 21st Feb 2012

SCIPD Netherlands application form

CfE, Health and wellbeing, Health and wellbeing, Literacy, Literacy and English, Mathematics, Responsibility of All, Supporting Learners

Scottish Education Awards

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The Scottish Education Awards celebrate the hard work and success which takes place in Scottish education. They recognise the achievements of people who dedicate their lives to children and young people and showcase the valuable work and innovation in Scottish classrooms. Nominations close on Friday 2 March 2012. Visit the Scottish Education Awards website for more information.

Mathematics, Sciences, Technologies

STEM Central and STEM Careers

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With announcements like those below indicating the health of Scotland’s renewables future, what better time to explore the contexts in STEM Central for use with learners?

This Interactive Map of Renewable and Alternative Energy projects in the UK would make a good starting point for discussion.

Osborne unveils £103m renewables funding for Scotland

Renewables growth ‘to continue’ in Scotland during 2012

Samsung wind turbine project to create 500 jobs in Fife