I came across this interesting video from a 1947 classroom which gives teacher tips on managing pupil behaviour. Have a wee look:
Some questions to reflect on:
We’re looking for participants for the 2015 Fuselab Go tour, an out-of-this-world experience where you’ll help plan the future of an as yet uninhabited world!
If you’re aged 15–18, this is your chance to learn about innovation and creativity and build the skills, networks and confidence that will help you thrive in a fast moving future.
WHAT IS FUSELAB?
Fuselab is an innovation and creativity bootcamp run by Edinburgh International Science Festival. Now looking to recruit the next group of pioneers, so if you’re aged 15-18 this is your chance to get involved!
Fuselab Go is an exciting new touring version of the original programme which was launched back in July 2013. It has been designed to take a fresh, fast and fun Fuselab learning experience to locations across Scotland in summer 2015.
This is your opportunity to think bigger than ever before on a completely blank canvas, developing out-of-this-world solutions to real world problems.
You’ll discover new approaches to challenges through workshops, skills sessions, talks and games that will encourage you to respond both individually and as a group, seeking out relevant skills among your colleagues and collaborating to design, prototype and test your ideas.
Check out the Fuseab website to discover more about the project –
WHAT OUR FIRST PIONEERS THOUGHT ABOUT FUSELAB…
‘I have taken away from Fuselab an even bigger love of the sciences than Ialready had (…I didn’t know that was possible!)’
‘It really pushed me as an engineer and really made me work hard’
‘I loved every minute of it!’
2015 TOUR SCHEDULE AND INFORMATION
Fuselab Go is visiting a host of exciting venues across Scotland in summer 2015. There are 10 sessions in all, each session lasts for two days, happening in 6 cities. Check out the list below to see when the tour is coming to
a location near you:
Edinburgh – 6/7, 8/9 and 11/12 June
Greenock – 15/16 June
Inverness – 18/19 June
Aberdeen – 22/23 and 25/26 June
Dundee – 29/30 June
Glasgow – 4/5 and 6/7 July
You will be expected to make your own travel arrangements to attend each day, but Fuselab is completely free of charge and you will be provided with lunch and refreshments.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications are open now! For your chance to be part of this exciting project, simply read the terms and conditions to ensure you’re eligible to apply and then complete the short application form available online at sciencefestival.co.uk/fuselab
.
You will receive an automated response when we receive your application and successful applicants will be contacted by email by the end of May 2015.
If you have any queries about your application you can contact Fuselab on fuselab@scifest.co.uk but please be aware that due to the high number of applications we are dealing with it may take a few working days for us to respond.
Education Scotland will publish the report of the Technologies Impact Review, “Building Society: young people’s experiences in the technologies”, on 9th March 2015. This report continues the series in which Education Scotland evaluates the quality of young people’s learning and achievements, in this case in the technologies. The report contributes to the overall picture of what it is like to be a learner in a Scottish early years centre or school in this second decade of the 21st Century.
Education Scotland have organized a launch event for this report and the college aspect report Computing and Digital Media.
Making tomorrow happen: technology education in Scotland
will be held in Celtic Park, Glasgow on 9 March 2015.
The event has been organized to raise awareness of the reports and to discuss the implications for future developments in the Technologies area of the curriculum.
It would greatly assist the organisation of the conference if you could send your nominees to Kenneth Rae – Kenneth.Rae@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk by 27th February 2015, stating their name, role and email address.
The Society of Biology is pleased to announce the first round of our Regional Grant Scheme in Scotland
Individual biologists or biology-related organisations can apply for funding to run a biology public engagement or schools event or activity in Scotland.
The grant scheme is funded by the Scottish Government and offers grants of up to £200 for small events and up to £500 for larger events.
Events can take place between May and December 2015 and priority will be given to events in under-served areas of Scotland.
Application forms are submitted by email and the deadline is Monday 16th March 2015.
Full details and application forms are available at www.societyofbiology.org/RGS-Scotland
For questions about the grant scheme, please contact
Dr Jane Magill
Regional Co-ordinator (Scotland and Northern England)
Society of Biology
janemagill@societyofbiology.org
Mobile: 07885 914212
First Minister meets Higgs Prize for Physics winners.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced the newest winners of the Higgs Prize for Physics, congratulating them on their success.
The prize is named after Scottish-based Nobel Physics Prize winner Professor Peter Higgs, whose work in the field has had a significant impact on modern day particle physics, and rewards pupils who show a particular aptitude for the subject.
Ms Sturgeon and Education Secretary Angela Constance met Professor Higgs himself and the four winners in the First Minister’s office on Thursday 29th January.
The winners are:
• Eilidh Birse – a former pupil at Boclair Academy in Bearsden who is now studying medicine at the University of St Andrews
• Julie Lynch – a former pupil at St Ninian’s High School in Giffnock who is now studying Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Glasgow and is continuing to take Physics as a third subject
• Stuart McGibbon – a fellow former pupil at St Ninian’s High School in Giffnock, now currently studying Physics at the University of Glasgow
• Raheem Beg – a former pupil at Perth High School who is currently studying mathematics at the University of Dundee
As part of the Scottish Government funded prize, they will travel to the internationally renowned CERN research facility in Switzerland in July to attend lectures and seminars on physics as part of the summer school programme, as well as talking to Scottish researchers about their work at the facility and their careers in physics.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:
“Scotland has a wonderful history of scientific discovery and it’s encouraging to see that tradition continue through today’s pupils and students who continue to be passionate and excited to take on the scientific challenges that remain unexplained.
“Science is hugely important to Scotland in the modern era and the achievements of Professor Higgs – a man whose work is internationally renowned – are of course inspiring for any budding scientist. This year, the International Year of Light, also celebrates the incredible legacy of another Scottish physicist, James Clerk Maxwell, whose theories underpin the technology at the heart of almost all communications equipment we take for granted today.
“We are absolutely determined to support pupils to excel and remove any barriers that might prevent them from realising their full potential. This prize is the perfect example of hard work opening up life-changing opportunities. Today’s four winners Eilidh, Julie, Stuart and Raheem now have the opportunity to go to the fantastic CERN research facility in Switzerland to listen and learn from some of the brightest minds of our generation. We are offering them the chance to be the very best they can be – the vast knowledge and experience they will have access to is an opportunity that many across the world will envy.
“I’m therefore delighted to award a prize in Professor Higg’s name to these exceptionally hard working and talented youngsters.”
Professor Higgs said:
“Everyone in life has people that they admire and strive to be like – my own inspiration was Paul Dirac, a man who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1933 – and I’m honoured that an award in my name is used as inspiration to the younger generation of physicists.
“I congratulate Eilidh, Julie, Stuart and Raheem on winning this prize and I am sure they will have an amazing time at CERN where they will learn from the very best. I hope these four promising young talents go on to became esteemed in their own right.”
Background
Pictures of the First Minister meeting Professor Higgs and the prize winners will be available here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/firstministerofscotland
The prize is awarded on merit, to the highest performing male and female Advanced Higher Physics candidates from a publicly-funded school.
Another phase of funding has been announced as part of The Food for Thought Education Fund to support schools across Scotland to develop and improve learning and teaching around food education.
Schools are also required to identify and work in partnership with a local business to enhance their project and to develop skills for learning, life and work. In Phase One, 176 different businesses engaged with schools. The value of their time, resources, advice, expertise and volunteering was estimated by Scottish Business in the Community to be worth £300,000, which is very close to match funding the £358,618.61 awarded to schools as part of Phase One.
Now in its third year, the aim of the Food for Thought Education Fund is to support schools to use food and health as a context for learning across Curriculum for Excellence, to improve teacher confidence in delivering food education and as a way to engage with parents and the wider community.
The Fund allows schools to apply for grants individually or in a joint application as part of a cluster of schools from their education authority. More information about applying for funding can be found on the Education Scotland website.
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment, Richard Lochhead, said:
“In Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink I want to see more young people engage with the journey of their food and drink – but not only that: I want them to look to the future and think about the potential careers they could have in an industry that is full of promise – they can learn about business management and how to plan and promote events in the sector.
“I’m delighted that the Food for Thought funding has entered its third phase, with another £300,000 going towards developing and improving both teaching and learning around food education. Scotland’s food and drink industry is booming, and interest in what we have to offer has never been greater. This is a successful sector which Scotland can be – and is – proud of, and it’s really fantastic to see schools getting involved.
“This third round of funding is now open through the Education Scotland website and I would encourage more schools across the country to look at possible projects and get involved in helping Scotland to become a Good Food Nation. I’m also keen to see the private sector support this project – both to increase the funds available and to develop productive relationships between schools and local firms.”
Suzanne Hargreaves, Senior Education Officer for Health and Wellbeing at Education Scotland, said: “We are thrilled to be able to give schools the opportunity to apply for the third phase of the Food for Thought Education Fund, which is having such a positive impact in schools across Scotland already. Since the fund started we have helped support 9,143 learners get involved in new and exciting food education projects.
“One very interesting project we have supported is at Charleston Academy, Inverness where the school has had the help of world-renowned chef Albert Roux over the last five years with both culinary and financial support. The Food for Thought Funding combined with funding from Highland Council and the school’s own fund raising activities has allowed them to open The Albert Roux Training Kitchen at the school. We wish them all the best with this project and would encourage all schools to consider the great opportunities this funding could bring to their learners.”
A total of 232 schools were involved in the first phase of the fund, amounting to an average spend of around £1,532 per school across 25 local authorities, with 20 per cent of the fund targeted at schools to help learners from disadvantaged backgrounds
To enquire about applying for funding or to read a copy of the full evaluation report from Phase One of the Food for Though Education Fund, please contact the Food for Thought team. Schools who were awarded funds in Phase Two are currently evaluating the impact of their projects, and schools who have applied for funding in Phase Three will be notified if their application has been successful by June 2015.
Additional information:
•£358,618.61 of funding was granted in Phase One and £649,006.41 in Phase Two.
•232 schools were involved meaning an average spend of £1,532 per school in Phase One.
•A total of 9,143 learners were involved in Phase One.
•There were 61 successful applications across 25 Local Authorities, with 20% of the fund focused on the least advantaged areas in Phase One.
•There were 124 successful applications across 30 Local Authorities in Phase Two.
•176 different businesses engaged with schools, some with more than one school in Phase One.
•The value of the time, resources, advice, expertise and volunteering provided by the business who were engaged with schools in Phase One is estimated to be worth £300,000 according to Scottish Business in the Community.
•In Phase One 100% of schools reported that learners, staff and the local community benefited as a result of receiving funding.
Education Scotland has been working in partnership with a number of organisations and food education partners to embed food and health in the curriculum and produce resources, host career-long professional learning events and to provide guidance and support to schools developing their food education programmes. These partners include the Royal Highland Education Trust, Crofting Connections, Scottish Food and Drink Federation, Food for Life Scotland, Healthier Scotland Cooking Bus, Seafood Scotland, Chefs@School, Dumfries House, Young Engineers and Science Clubs Scotland, Quality Meat Scotland, Food Standards Agency Scotland and Eco Schools Scotland.
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
This year a new award category for STEM, Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics, has been introduced.
This category recognises establishments who are helping children and young people develop STEM skills and apply these across the four contexts for learning – curriculum, inter-disciplinary learning, ethos and life of the school and opportunities for personal achievement.
Nominations should be able to evidence the following questions and describe the impact on learners, the school and wider community:
Nominations for this year’s awards are now open.
Nominations close 12pm on Monday 16 February 2015.
#primaryscience
Looking for a weekly summary of both new chemistry research and studies that have been in the news? ComPound Interest is a blog by Andy Brunning, a chemistry teacher in the UK, creating graphics looking at the chemistry and chemical reactions we come across on a day-to-day basis. This week’s summary features a nanoparticle drug that prevents the spread of cancer in mice, the discovery of polymeric organic material on comet 67-P, and more.
The Infographics he creates can be used as corridor and classroom displays and cover Elements, Food chemistry, Colour chemistry, Organic Chemistry and many more. You can subscribe to receive new content posted on the site automatically via email.
SLF 2015 takes place on Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 September in Glasgow.
SLF provides high quality continuing professional learning and is a rendezvous for educational professionals both nationally and internationally, providing a unique platform to engage with a diverse range of experts, colleagues and suppliers.
We are now accepting seminar proposals for the 2015 conference programme which will feature around 100 seminars over the 2 days.
Is there a project you have been working on that could be showcased? Or perhaps you are aware of establishments that demonstrate good practice? We would encourage you to share this information with your colleagues and networks and submit relevant proposals for consideration.
The theme for SLF 2015: Raising attainment and achievement for all, with a focus on maximising educational outcomes through:
• local partnerships and collaboration – to share approaches that lead to better outcomes
• self-evaluation – to ensure creative and innovative approaches to sustained improvement
• work-related learning – to improve transitions into sustainable, productive employment.
Full details of the theme are available on the SLF website.
If you would like to submit a proposal for consideration please do so before Friday 27 February. Proposals received after this date will not be considered for inclusion in the conference programme. All proposals must be submitted online.
There is a robust review, evaluation and scoring system in place to help ensure that all submissions are treated equally therefore it is essential that all requests to participate go through the submission process and adhere to the timescales.
Last year we received in excess of 300 proposals which allowed Education Scotland to deliver a relevant and balanced conference programme covering all key areas of education. The 2015 conference programme and registration will be launched in May and will feature the sessions that have been submitted and selected for inclusion.
We look forward to receiving your proposals and hope you will contribute to SLF 2015 to help continue to deliver Scotland’s largest annual national education event. If you would like any further information about SLF 2015 please contact the SLF team.
Celebrate your 16th birthday in style and register to vote! February 5 marks National Voter Registration Day. Run by the youth political engagement charity, Bite The Ballot, they aim to get as many new voters on the register as possible. Last year they registered 50,000 new voters with just £9000. It costs just 25p each to register a new voter. Help them raise the bar even higher.
Bite The Ballot have lots of brilliant resources to help you organise your own voter registration day. http://bitetheballot.co.uk/nvrd/
Use the Twitter hashtag #NRVD to keep tabs on what other schools and colleges are doing to raise voter awareness and register young people on the electoral register.
The countdown is on for nominations to the Scottish Education Awards and your school could be the inaugural winners of the newly established Learning for Sustainability award. This award replaces the separate categories for global citizenship and sustainable schools. It aims to recognise the connections schools and centres have made between the different aspects of learning for sustainability (sustainable development education, international education, education for citizenship, global citizenship, outdoor learning, children’s rights and play) and how they have successfully implemented them across their schools and wider communities.
See our Conversations about learning for sustainability report for case studies of schools and centres that have demonstrated a commitment to learning for sustainability.
The full list of award categories is online, and we would encourage teachers, schools and local authorities to consider nominations before the deadline on Monday 16th February 2015.
Reminder – sign up to our new learning for sustainability ebulletin to keep up to date with the best news about new resources, professional learning and events.
We’re delighted to announce that SLF 2015 will take place on Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 September in the SECC, Glasgow. SLF is the largest education event in Scotland and will focus on raising achievement and attainment. Those interested in presenting a seminar at the festival can submit a proposal in January, when further information will be available on the SLF website.
Registration for the SLF will open in May, look out for more information over the coming months and save the dates in your diary now.
We are also working with a range of partners to host a series of SLF Extra events in 2015. On 17 February, Aberdeen City Council in partnership with Education Scotland, Aberdeenshire Council and Moray Council will host the Aberdeen Learning Festival in the AECC. The festival will include keynotes, workshop and an exhibition. More information about the event and how to register will be available in January.
On 27 February Children in Scotland, in partnership with Education Scotland, are hosting the first in a series of six free events for all those involved in education. The morning session will focus on pupil engagement and participation and the afternoon session will look at parental engagement. This first event takes place in Melrose and more information is available on the Children in Scotland website.
More SLF Extra events will be taking place in 2015, visit the SLF website for details.
Advanced Higher Biology learning and teaching resources for Unit 1 and Unit 3 have been added to the Education Scotland website at http://bit.ly/1yY12Qz
These resources contain activities, tutorials and powerpoints to support the delivery of Revised and CfE Advanced Highers. Unit 2 to follow soon.
Twig on Glow’s new Biology module, Animal Kingdom, has over 60 stunning films for you and your learners to explore.
Mapped to Biodiversity and Interdependence within Curriculum for Excellence, these captivating short films give learners an insight into the lives of some of the planet’s most unusual and exciting species.
Teachers why not try the Weird and Wonderful Animal Kingdom Quiz with your class? Submit your class’s answers via the online form and you could win £100 of Amazon vouchers for your school!
All you require is your glow log in https://www.twigonglow.com/
#primaryscience
Young Engineers and Science Clubs Scotland encourage you to enter the Junior Saltire Competition 2015 Marine Energy Challenge.
Finalists will be invited to test their devices at FloWave’s Ocean Energy Research Facility, which is the world’s most sophisticated ocean simulator.
Prizes of up to £750 and unique Saltire medals are up for grabs!
Read more in our newsletter http://eepurl.com/-Iaif
#primaryscience
The Christmas cyber security lectures, run in association with SICSA, are a series of lectures for school pupils that take place across Scotland in the week before the Christmas holidays. With up to 5 talks from leading industry figures, Police Scotland and University academics in one session the lectures provide a fun and varied introduction to the challenges facing all of us as we move towards the internet of things. The lectures aim to use light-hearted and fun methods to promote cyber security and to highlight educational and career options in the field.
The first two times slots are for school pupils only (approximately age 14+), while the third, starting at 14:30, is a public lecture open to all. There are public lectures at Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow universities.
· Glasgow Uni – Mon 15th Dec, 1430-1630
· Edinburgh Napier (Riady lecture theatre, Craiglockhart campus) – Tue 16th Dec, 1430-1630
· Dundee Abertay – Wed 17th Dec, 1430-1630
Registration is free and is open via Eventbrite at
https://christmas-cyber-security-lectures-2014.eventbrite.com/
By Ron Cowie, Senior Education Officer in Express Arts at Education Scotland.
Ever dreamed of yourself as Britain’s next great artist? Well, now is your chance to put your artistic skills to the test.
Well-known artist and playwright, John Byrne, is inviting children and young people in schools across Scotland, from P4 – S3, to take part in the first annual John Byrne Drawing Competition, which was officially launched on Friday 5 December 2014.
The aim of the competition is to encourage children and young people from P4 – S3 to increase the amount of time they spend drawing in school and at home. The competition also aims to encourage you to be imaginative and creative and really enjoy drawing!
You don’t have to follow a particular theme but John has suggested ‘A day in my life’ as a possible theme for those who want some inspiration. The drawing can be of any size but you might want to consider the size and weight if your school is going to send it in the post. You can use any kind of drawing materials but an important requirement is that your work can clearly be identified as a drawing, as this is the basis on which your work will be judged.
John Byrne was born and raised in Paisley, attending St Mirin’s Academy before becoming a student at the Glasgow School of Art. He began his career designing covers for Penguin books before moving on to designing sets for his plays and then record covers for the likes of The Beatles. An exhibition of John’s work was recently held at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh.
If you are lucky enough to be one of the three winners, you will receive one of the following prizes, as well as having your drawing included in an exhibition at Paisley Museum, alongside artwork by John, from the museum’s collection.
Entries must be received by Friday 6th March 2015 before 4pm. All entries should be posted or handed in to Education Scotland at either their Glasgow or Dundee office. Entries must be submitted through your school, with only one piece of work per pupil. On the back of the drawing you should include your name, class, teacher, school address and phone number to be eligible to win. If you’d like your entry returned, please include a stamped addressed envelope with your entry.
The winners will be decided by a judging panel including John Byrne himself. The winning entries will be announced on Education Scotland’s learning blog by 5pm on Friday 27th March 2015.
Further information and details of the terms & conditions for the competition are available here.
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.
This year a new award category for STEM, Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics, has been introduced. 
This category recognises establishments who are helping children and young people develop STEM skills and apply these across the four contexts for learning – curriculum, inter-disciplinary learning, ethos and life of the school and opportunities for personal achievement.
Nominations should be able to evidence the following questions and describe the impact on learners, the school and wider community:
Nominations for this year’s awards are now open.
Nominations close 12pm on Monday 16 February 2015.
#primaryscience
There is still plenty of time to sign up for the BBC’s School Report. The next practice day is on the 11th December.
BBC News School Report gives 11-16 year-old students in the UK the chance to make their own news reports for a real audience.
It is a collaborative project run by BBC News and BBC Learning.
Using lesson plans and materials from this website, and with support from BBC staff and partners, teachers help students develop their journalistic skills to become School Reporters.
In March, schools take part in an annual News Day, simultaneously creating video, audio and text-based news reports, and publishing them on a school website, to which the BBC aims to link.
School Reporters produced a stunning array of content on 27 March 2014, with more than 1,000 schools across the UK making the news on the biggest ever School Report News Day.
The ninth News Day will be held on 19 March 2015.
Sign up to the Social Studies e-bulletin: bit.do/e-bulletin
By Dr Simon Hall, a Scots Language Coordinator at Education Scotland.
I sometime use the phrase ‘national treasure’ when I’m out and about talking to people about Scots language. There are a few reasons why I like this phrase. Firstly, Scots is indeed a ‘national’ language. It is spoken in all its rich varieties from Stranraer to Shetland, and pretty much everywhere in between. Folk in the Borders use it, and it’s used in our Scottish cities and across the Central Belt. It thrives in Angus, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Caithness and Orkney.
Scots is the ancient language of Lowland Scotland and the Northern Isles, once used in parliament, formerly spoken by kings, poets, courtiers and commoners. Along with English and Gaelic, it is one of the three indigenous languages of modern Scotland, and you’ll hear it today on our streets, and in our offices, factories, construction sites, shops, schools and hospitals.
Of course, Scots has a vast and rich vocabulary. Some of the academic Scots dictionaries have as many as 60,000 entries. Many of the most colourful, stand-out words are what linguists call ‘lexical items’, nouns or verbs like clanjamfry, glaur, bogle, bubblyjock, threip, gilravage, dordie-lochran, mirk or moose. But there is also a range of more common verbs and everyday prepositions – mak, tak, ken, doon, owre, ahint, afore – which are also unique to our part of the world.
Scots is so much more than just our favourite Scots word; it is the sum of the parts of the lexical items, the prepositions, and the accent. In common with Norwegian and other related Scandinavian languages, Scots uses the older ‘oo’ vowel sound in words like hoose, moose or ku where English adopted ‘ou’ or ‘ow’.
Is this stuff really treasure, though? I would have to say I think it is. Scots is a unique cultural phenomenon. Along with things like traditional dance or Scottish song, it belongs in the category of ‘intangible cultural heritage’, and, as such, it is fragile, and in some danger of being forgotten in our multi-media global village. If Scots were a wild plant or a wild creature, we would be doing everything we could to preserve it. Towns and communities using guid Scots would be designated as Sites of Special Linguistic Interest.
Scots is becoming increasingly present in social media. Shetlanders use it on Facebook every day. It is popular in text. Scots Language Dictionaries has just launched a superb new Scots dictionary app. BBC Radio Orkney broadcasts in excellent Scots every morning. Translation of classic bairns’ books into Scots is at an all-time high level.
So it’s with these and other positives in mind that the team of Scots Language coordinators at Education Scotland are working to celebrate and promote excellent Scots Language education in our schools.
Many primary schools across a range of Local Authorities are looking at developing their ability to teach Scots within the areas of Literacy and English, while a number of forward-thinking secondary schools are pioneering the new Scottish Qualifications Authority Award in Scots Language. Another exciting development is Education Scotland’s ‘Scots Language Ambassadors’ initiative, where a team of Scots speakers from all walks of life are pairing up with schools to celebrate and promote Scots. Chefs, shopkeepers, authors, musicians, broadcasters, teachers and senior educationalists have all signed up to form friendly partnerships with schools: their ultimate aim is to promote this national treasure among the next generation of learners.
Date: Tuesday 9 December
Time: 16:30-18:30
Venue: Studio 1, Learning Centre, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
Cost: Free
Booking: Please book your FREE space by email schools@nms.ac.uk or phone 0131 247 4041. Tea/coffee and cake will be provided. Spaces are limited so please book your place as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
This session will introduce teachers to the Game Masters exhibition in preparation for visiting with a class.
The event will run as follows:
4.30pm – Registration and Refreshments
4.45pm – Introduction, practicalities about visit & overview of resources
5pm – Sarah Rothwell, Assistant Curator (Modern & Contemporary Design), introduces exhibition
5.15pm – Short tour of exhibition, followed by opportunity to explore exhibition and try games
6.15pm – Finish
More details about school visits to Game Masters: www.nms.ac.uk/schoolgames
Presentations
Our presentations are designed to be delivered to up to 150 people. We can happily deliver these to an entire year group. All presentations run from 40mins– 1 hour
P7 – S3 Workshops
Our workshops are intensive fully interactive sessions designed for groups of up to 30 pupils (unless otherwise stated). Workshops are 45mins—1 hour long to fit into a standard lesson.
Careers & Parents’ Evenings
We are happy to attend your careers event or parents’ evening to answer individual questions and provide literature and information on our courses. We also have presentations suitable for a group of parents & carers. Please let us know your date and we will check availability.
Edinburgh Napier University Information Stand
If you are holding a careers event or parents’ evening, invite us along, and we can bring our information stand with literature about our courses and applying. We will provide a member of staff to answer any questions.
For more information and a brochure on more about ‘what we can do for your pupils’ – studentrecruitment@napier.ac.uk
Instellar – CfE Higher Physics Resources 
An Education pack has been created by the makers of Interstellar that helps teachers with some of the topics covered in the film. In discussion with Professor Martin Hendry from Glasgow University it became clear that this deals directly with some core topics of the new revised Physics Higher.
This guide to be available on the Glasgow Science Centre website at: http://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/online/astronomy-activities.html. Or from the Sciences Glow site in the Higher Our Dynamic Universe folder.
Additionally Martin has written a great blog post about the film here: http://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/science/the-science-of-interstellar.html
Engaging with Scottish schools to promote STEM
10am to 3:30pm, 2nd February 2015
Venue: Deans Community High School, Livingston
The Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce states in its report that ‘a focus on sciences, technologies, engineering and mathematics (STEM) should sit at the heart of the development of Scotland’s young workforce’ and calls for long-term partnerships to be established between schools, colleges and employers to bring about significant change.
Similarly, higher education institutions and research groups are looking for ways to engage effectively with school communities to encourage learners to develop STEM skills and pursue further study in these areas.
There are many activities taking place nationally and schools are already engaging with a variety of partner organisations and institutions to enhance the learning and teaching of STEM within Curriculum for Excellence and to develop the employability skills of learners. However, more needs to be done to coordinate efforts and scale up successful approaches to bring about the transformative change that is required.
The purpose of this event is to:
• Share interesting and thought-provoking models of school partnerships with industry, higher education and colleges
• Create a forum for discussion regarding effective partnership working with schools to support learning and teaching in STEM areas
• Outline the national actions that are being developed by national bodies to address the recommendations from the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce.
Audience: This event is aimed at key decision makers or a nominated substitute (persons with interest in STEM School engagement) in local authorities, professional bodies, colleges, higher education, research and industry.
Programme: The event will include a stimulating mix of keynote presentations, workshops and discussion. Further details regarding speakers and workshops will be provided in due course.
To register: This is a free event. Please email STS@SSERC.org.uk to book a place. It is advisable to book early as places are limited. When booking, please remember to send details of any special dietary or access requirements.
For further information please contact Scott Bryce at scott.bryce@sserc.org.uk.
On Saturday 15th November the second of our ‘Supporting Outdoor Learning in Secondary Schools’ events took place at Speyside High School in Aberlour. The day began with an opening presentation from Nigel Engstrand, Head Teacher, Speyside High School who shared his thoughts on the relevance and importance of learning outdoors and discussed the commitment that Speyside High School has made to outdoor learning.
Throughout the day 12 workshops ran offering participants a variety of practical ideas on how to use outdoor learning approaches across the curriculum. Examples included using the outdoors to develop literacy skills, outdoor learning through physical education and physical activity, creativity in the outdoors, taking science outdoors and progression in outdoor learning from S1-S6. Many workshops also highlighted how partnership working had also helped enrich outdoor learning experiences. Details of all the workshops which took place can also be downloaded here: Workshops – Detailed descriptors
Representatives from 11 partner agencies also took part in the market place providing a wealth of information on further resources available to support outdoor learning.
But the undoubtable highlight of the day was the captivating keynote speech delivered by S4 Speyside High School pupil Zeki Basan. Zeki, a junior ‘Ray Mears’, provided a fascinating talk on bush craft (or the term he has coined ‘Bushology’) in which he shared his vast knowledge of the medicinal properties and practical uses of the wild plants and trees which exist in the local Speyside countryside. Most inspiring was Zeki’s candid account of how a meeting with Ray Mears together with his own passion for the natural world and thirst to learn more about it helped him to overcome his own personal barrier to learning.
Many thanks also to the other Speyside High School pupils Lee Tarling, Annemiek Daggert, Connel Laing and Elliot Gould who kindly gave up their Saturday to help meet and greet the participants and to share their experiences of outdoor learning at Speyside High School.
Feedback from the event has been very positive with many participants already making use of the contacts, resources and ideas they gained from the day:
“It was good meeting such positive teachers and outdoor learning providers. Seeing a school being successful in incorporating OL in the curriculum and not making it an add on.”
“Having young people involved and sharing their passion was the most engaging part of it.”
“I have already discussed using the local farming community with a geography colleague who wasn’t sure where to start.”
“I have an increased awareness of the value of outdoor learning within school and will work with others to improve, increase, support good practice.”
Participants have also had the opportunity to put forward suggestions for future outdoor learning events which will of great use in our planning.
Further information on this event including presentations and materials from the workshops and links to all of the partner organisations that took part can be found on the new Glow Outdoor Learning Community which can be accessed via: http://bit.ly/1umiCug. From here click on the tile ‘Previous events’ to access the sites for the Supporting Outdoor Learning in Secondary Schools events.
Many thanks to staff from Moray Council, Speyside High School, Banchory Academy, Kemnay Academy, Grantown Grammar School, Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET), The National Trust for Scotland, Horseback UK, Cairngorms National Park Authority, The John Muir Award, Field Studies Council, OPAL, Grounds for Learning, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Adventure Aberdeen, Classroom Outdoors, The Outward Bound Trust, Abernethy and Angus Education Service.
The highly popular Resource guides for N5 and Higher have been updated with the latest SQA information and new links.
Two versions are available on the Sciences Glow 365 site http://bit.ly/glowsciences
Got some good links to share? Then post using the edit online feature on the editable resource guide.
Or use the pdf version for Education Scotland’s latest update.
These guides can also be found on the NQ Course Materials portal at the following links
Higher Biology
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nqcoursematerials/subjects/b/nqresource_tcm4829573.asp
Higher Human Biology
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nqcoursematerials/subjects/h/nqresource_tcm4844711.asp
N5 Biology
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nqcoursematerials/subjects/b/nqresource_tcm4838382.asp
Higher Chemistry
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nqcoursematerials/subjects/c/nqresource_tcm4844708.asp
N5 Chemistry
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nqcoursematerials/subjects/c/nqresource_tcm4838371.asp
Higher Physics
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nqcoursematerials/subjects/p/nqresource_tcm4843582.asp
N5 Physics
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nqcoursematerials/subjects/p/nqresource_tcm4838378.asp
Hopefully you will have had the chance to see some of the outstanding sessions available as part of the online Disruptive Innovation Festival which has been running from 20th October to 14th November 2014. For those of you that have not managed to catch any of the sessions or missed some due to other commitments we are delighted to announce that many of the events have been recorded and will be available to view for another 30 days.
Visit the DIF website archive at DIF Archive to access the sessions that are still available until 14th December 2014.
Here is a small sample of some of the events that will be available to view until 14th December:
• 3D Printed materials and the Circular Economy
• Internet of Things
• Circular Economy Classroom Activity
• Biomimicry Classroom
• William McDonough (Cradle to cradle): Redesigning the Future
• Jeremy Rifkin: The Next Industrial Revolution
• Mark Miodownik: Made to be Made Again
• TU Delft: Pioneers of Design -Longer Lasting Products
• Sir Ken Robinson: Inspiring a Generation
Please share this information with colleagues who might be interested: STEM subjects, Geography, Business Education, Economics, Modern Studies and anyone interested in inter-disciplinary learning.
If you are inspired to introduce your pupils to the circular economy but would welcome some help in getting started please do not hesitate to contact me by email at jen.barrett@ellenmacarthurfoundation.org
On Monday 3rd November, at Ardrossan Academy, Professor Martin Hendry, Head of the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Glasgow, gave a talk on the astronomy and cosmology content in the CfE Higher Physics course.
The talk can be seen on GlowTV’s watch again service by following this link.
As part of the Scottish Universities Deans of Science and Engineering education groups work to support Scottish Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education in schools many Universities in Scotland have recently set up a single e-mail address for teachers who have STEM related enquiries. It is not expected that the person receiving the initial e-mail at the University will always give a direct response but it would be expected that they ensure a response is made from a related department within the University or to direct you to the appropriate contact within the University.
University of Aberdeen – STEM@abdn.ac.uk
University of Abertay – STEM@abertay.ac.uk
University of Dundee – STEM@dundee.ac.uk
Glasgow Caledonian University – STEM@gcu.ac.uk
University of the Highlands and Islands – STEM@uhi.ac.uk
University of Glasgow – STEM@glasgow.ac.uk
University of Edinburgh – STEM@ed.ac.uk
For a brief overview of STEM study options within each University please refer to the following brief document. (Please always refer pupils to University prospectus and websites as this document may not always be up to date).
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wg-EaXb-X30TUkT5y1Ok7bm-ll-38zXgF4NsLJ1jgeg/edit?usp=sharing
Please feel free to share this information with other colleagues in STEM departments.’
It’s week 3 of the Disruptive Innovation Festival: an online festival exploring emerging ideas and technologies that have the potential to reshape our economy. The Festival is curated by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
So far you will have had the opportunity to drop in on events covering ideas such as self-driving cars, powering cities with coffee bean waste, cradle-to-cradle design, restructuring the financial system, biomimicry design and the sharing economy.
This week – the penultimate week – has a strong focus on education. This includes a Headline Act by Sir Ken Robinson on Thursday where you will have the opportunity to put questions to him and hear of his thoughts for a transformed educational system. Sign up for free here: http://thinkdif.co/headliners/sir-ken-robinson
Transforming D&T Education
04 Nov 16:00 GMT – 04 Nov 17:00 GMT
http://thinkdif.co/emf-stages/transforming-d-t-education
Steve Parkinson of Teach Design will host this session where he will take a look at the changing face of D&T education, and what he and his students have learned from studying the circular economy and Cradle-to-Cradle design.
—
Product Teardown
05 Nov 17:00 GMT – 05 Nov 18:00 GMT
http://thinkdif.co/emf-stages/product-teardown
Kyle Wiens will walk us through product teardown, showing us the process the iFixit team go through when rating products for their repairability. Kyle will take your questions on how designers could re-educate themselves to design for disassembly and repairability.
—
Transforming Learning: Beyond the $1,000 Pencil
06 Nov 13:00 GMT – 06 Nov 14:00 GMT
http://thinkdif.co/emf-stages/transforming-learning-beyond-the-1-000-pencil
Join the renowned Alan November to hear how we can equip our students to take responsibility to manage a large proportion of their learning, and to help others to learn.
—
The Circular Economy Workshop
06 Nov 17:00 GMT – 06 Nov 18:00 GMT
http://thinkdif.co/emf-stages/the-circular-economy-workshop
Watch this video to learn how the circular economy can be introduced to a large group of students by taking a group work approach. Download the presentation and lesson plan so you can replicate the session in your setting
—
Education: What are the new stories?
06 Nov 17:30 GMT – 06 Nov 18:30 GMT
http://thinkdif.co/emf-stages/education-what-are-the-new-stories
Is the traditional narrative of school, qualifications and a ‘good job’ still relevant? Oliver Quinlan doesn’t think so, but he wants to hear from YOU in this session as he asks for the new stories around education
—
Watch this quick video summary of what else is in store for educators this week at the DIF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NXYY9mkGN8&utm_source=DIF&utm_campaign=9bd7318ffa-DIF_Mon_3_Nov11_3_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_45b4eeb0e0-9bd7318ffa-87295145
Many thanks to Aberdeen City Council for sharing even more resources to support Physics learning and teaching at National 4 and 5. These materials have been posted on the NQ Course Materials Portal and can be found using this link.
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nqcoursematerials/subjects/p/nqresource_tcm4817069.asp
Staff are encouraged to draw on these materials, and existing materials, to develop their own programmes of learning which are appropriate to the needs of each individual school.
The materials include National 4 and National 5 teacher guide and a complete set of problems and answers for:
•Electricity and energy
•Waves and radiation
•Dynamics and space.
These resources will soon be shared through the Sciences Glow 365 site http://bit.ly/glowsciences
Do you have something to share? Contact grant.mcallister@educationscotland.gov.uk for further details on ways to share.
Many thanks to Aberdeen City Council for sharing even more resources to support Chemistry learning and teaching at National 4 and 5. These materials have been posted on the NQ Course Materials Portal and can be found using this link.
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/nqcoursematerials/subjects/chemistry/coursematerials.asp
The materials include teaching and learning activities for:
•Metal Chemistry
•Electricity and Chemistry
•Corrosion
•Plastics, Polymers, Ceramics
•Plant Nutrients and Fertlisers
•Nuclear Chemistry
•Chemical Analysis
Also in the package are updated materials for Volumetric Calculations. These materials will also be shared on the Sciences Glow 365 site.
Do you have something to share? Contact grant.mcallister@educationscotland.gov.uk for further details on ways to share through Education Scotland’s Sciences Glow 365 site and NQ Course materials portal.
The Education Scotland Sciences 3-18 impact report stated as an ‘aspect for development’ in Scottish Sciences was that ‘staff in secondary schools need to recognise and act on gender imbalance in physics and the biology where it exists’
To support Science departments action this as part of their development needs The Institute of Physics (IOP) has produced a support pack that supports teachers in planning to encourage increased participation of girls studying Physics.
https://www.iop.org/education/teacher/support/girls_physics/action_pack/page_41739.html
The misconceptions amongst some teachers regarding the implementations of addressing such imbalance is –
– that this would be at the detriment of boys into Physics, which is not the case as these programmes are looking at an increase in girls on top of existing numbers, not as a balance of existing class numbers
– Focussing on Girls is in itself gender biased. These programmes are about how teaching pedagogy can improve perceptions of the subject amongst girls without affecting the perceptions of boys. In short, teaching pedagogy in Physics education has in past been biased towards the interests and needs of boys without intending to do so.
Some stats –
5% of young people who took up modern apprenticeships in STEM careers last year via Skills Development Scotland were girls. (Scottish Resource Centre for Women in SET (2010))
73% of female STEM graduates do not continue in STEM careers in comparison to 48% of male STEM graduates. (http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/advice-papers/inquiry/women_in_stem/tapping_talents.pdf)
If gender equality in Sciences is part of your local, school or Science departmental improvement plans and you would like advice and support to use the resources then please contact Alison McLure of the IOP, Alison.McLure@iop.org.
Education Scotland in partnership with the Scottish Food and Drink Federation and Dundee Science Centre have create a series of Career Long Professional Learning events about Food Science. These events would be particularly relevant for those teaching N5 and Higher Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Science as well as those teaching Higher Health and Food Technology and Hospitality.
1. Cooking Bus Career Long Professional Learning at Dundee Science Centre 10th – 14th November 2014
Free 3 hour CLPL sessions available during 10th – 14th November 2014 – open to teachers and support staff. For more information and how to sign up for a workshop.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CookingBusatDundeeScienceCentre2014
Please note the date and time you sign up for – your place will be confirmed in October.
2. Home Economics & Science staff Teach Meet Dundee Science Centre Tuesday 11th November
Teach Meet for Home Economics and Science staff offering support around Broad General Education, National Qualifications, positive destinations, progression with assessment. Presenters include Education Scotland, Scottish Food & Drink Federation, Food Standards Scotland, SQA, University of Abertay, SSERC & Dundee science Centre to name but a few.
Also included in the session will be a ‘Science of Gin’ presentation, discussing the use of botanicals to produce different styles.
TUESDAY 11th NOVEMBER 4.30pm – 7.30pm Dundee Science Centre.
Sign up here – https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/teachmeetDundeeScienceScentre
The online Disruptive Innovation Festival (DIF) is working with organisations, universities and individuals from all over the world to spotlight and explore the disruptive innovations that are shaking up industry and creating new opportunities in the economy. Many of the sessions during the festival have been crowd-sourced from global contributors and emphasises the opportunity for interaction and engagement with these ideas. Throughout the four weeks, the DIF provides thought-leadership, advice, short courses, design challenges, resources and networks for new or budding entrepreneurs, designers, makers and doers. The DIF will also welcome participation from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s network including business, policy makers, academics and designers who are contributing to and participating in the DIF 2014.
Of particular relevance from a STEM perspective are the following sessions:
[27 Oct] Eben Bayer – An Entrepreneur’s Story
– http://thinkdif.co/headliners/eben-bayer
[29 Oct] The Circular Economy: an educator’s guide
– http://thinkdif.co/emf-stages/the-circular-economy-an-educators-guide
[30 Oct] Systems thinking and restorative agriculture-at scale
– http://thinkdif.co/emf-stages/systems-thinking-and-restorative-agriculture-at-scale
[30 Oct] Assembly Line or Mind Gym? Where is education going?
– http://thinkdif.co/emf-stages/where-is-education-going
[3 Nov] Mark Miodownik – Made to be Made Again
– http://thinkdif.co/headliners/mark-miodownik
[6 Nov] Sir Ken Robinson – Inspiring a Generation
– http://thinkdif.co/headliners/sir-ken-robinson
[6 Nov] Education: What are the new stories?
– http://thinkdif.co/emf-stages/education-what-are-the-new-stories
[12 Nov] Janine Benyus & Michael Pawlyn – Biomimicry
– http://thinkdif.co/headliners/janine-benyus
[Throughout] Experts on Demand
– http://thinkdif.co/emf-stages/experts-on-demand
[Throughout] Design Challenges
– http://thinkdif.co/pages/challenges
People sign up to receive news about the DIF at www.thinkdif.co
All of the sessions are free to attend, and most will be made available for a short period of time after the event.
Particle Physics features in the new Higher and Advanced Higher courses.
For those who would like to brush up on your knowledge of this topic, a Glowmeet will be run on November 6th a 4 pm (“doors open” 3:30 pm) featuring Dr Aidan Robson of Glasgow University. Aidan will cover the theory for the new courses and will then answer questions from participants.
If you would like to join the Glowmeet, please let us know by emailing sts@sserc.org.uk with your Glow username and your school email address.
This is the first of a series of Glowmeets covering new Senior Phase topics. It is the result of a partnership between Education Scotland, SSERC, STEMNET and SUPA
At the beginning of September the Senior Pupil Residential took place at Lagganlia Centre for Outdoor Learning in Glen Feshie. This residential which is now in it’s fourth year is part of the Outdoor Learning with National Parks project and was jointly funded by Education Scotland, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority, Cairngorms National Park Authority and the Forestry Commission Scotland. In total 14 schools from across seven local authorities took part in this residential with 64 pupils and 11 staff attending. The aim of the residential programme is to consider the ways in which residential experiences can challenge and support pupils in the senior school, with a focus on leadership, personal development and National Parks. Pupils from as far afield as Portree to Portlethen, Crieff to Clydebank and Banff to Blairgowrie worked in groups throughout the week to complete a range of problem solving and team building activities. All pupils took part in an overnight camp with only a bivi-bag and tarpaulin for shelter! As part of this year’s residential the pupils also had to collaborate with their group to present their thoughts on key issues such as ‘What are the benefits of outdoor learning?’ and ‘How can National Parks engage effectively with young people?’ Pupils also worked towards the John Muir Award and are now completing the final Sharing stage of the award back in their schools.
Feedback from both pupils and staff attending the residential was overwhelmingly positive:
“One of the aspects I benefited from was the opportunity to meet new people form all over Scotland, become more open-minded due to the different areas in which we live, create new friendships, boost my confidence and improve my knowledge of the National Parks.” Pupil
“This week has had a huge impact on the pupils’ social skills and their leadership skills.” Teacher
“The impact on the learners has been massive – they have developed so many skills but especially their ability to come out of their comfort zones and interact with new people from different areas across Scotland.” Teacher
BBC iWonder – Would we starve without bees?
The importance of bees
Ever wondered where all the food that you eat comes from? Well it might surprise you that a significant proportion is provided by bees one way or another.
If you look at the plate of food on your dinner table, bees have played their part either pollinating the many vegetables and fruits we eat directly, or pollinating the food for the animals that we then consume. And that’s not all bees do for us – honey and wax are two other important products that come courtesy of bees.
But honey bees are disappearing globally at an alarming rate due to pesticides, parasites, disease and habitat loss. If these little insects that help provide so much of the food we eat were to vanish, what would we do without them?
Development Officer Posts – Community Resilience and Learning for Sustainability
Working in a team led by a Senior Education Officer, Development Officers work in partnership with colleagues from across the education sector, Scottish Government and other national organisations to develop, promote and support effective and innovative approaches within their specialist areas. We invite applications from highly motivated and enthusiastic individuals to support ongoing curriculum development in relation to the following two areas:
LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABILITY
This role will support the implementation of the recommendations in the Learning for Sustainability Report. Candidates should have an excellent knowledge of a number of aspects of the learning for sustainability agenda including: global citizenship, outdoor learning, sustainable development education, international education, children’s rights and play. The post-holder will also play a key role in supporting the activities of the National Implementation Group for Learning for Sustainability and will work closely with colleagues in the Learning Directorate of the Scottish Government as well as in Education Scotland.
COMMUNITY RESILIENCE
Flooding and other extreme weather events have affected many areas in Scotland and it is important for schools and their wider communities to be prepared for emergency situations like these. The post-holder will be responsible for liaising with key contacts in local authorities and other national and regional bodies to help learners and their school communities to become more resilient. This post requires an individual who will bring enthusiasm to the role and who is skilled in working in partnership with others. A detailed knowledge or previous experience of community resilience activities is welcome but not an essential requirement as a suitable induction and training programme will be provided.
The successful candidate for each post will remain on their employer’s salary rate, terms and conditions. They will continue to be paid by their employer and will remain an employee of their organisation during the period of secondment.
Candidates should have an excellent knowledge of Curriculum for Excellence and be able to contribute to its continued development and implementation. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills will be required for both posts and candidates are expected to hold a relevant degree and have experience of teaching in a school.
Secondment duration for each post: 23 months.
Location: Successful candidates can choose to work from any of the Education Scotland offices subject to local availability.
Closing date for applications: Midnight on Sunday 5 October 2014
Further information about the posts and how to apply is available from the education Scotland website: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/about/vacancies/dosustainabilityresilience.asp
Applications should be returned electronically to recruitment@educationscotland.gov.uk
Shared in the N5 folders of the GLOW 365 Sciences site, http://bit.ly/glowsciences , two versions of the updated National 5 Resources Guide for #NQChemistry, #NQBiology and #NQPhysics. Both contain all the amendments to the National 5 Course and Unit Support notes from SQA in June. One is a static pdf version, commissioned by our writers, the second is a word version editable online, for all of us to share our best links and support each other in providing the best learning and teaching for the N5 sciences.
National Museums Scotland have launched a programme of Challenge Days for pupils undertaking their National Qualifications in Physics, based on the topic of renewable energy.
The days have been created by National Museums Scotland, working with experts from the energy industry. They will provide pupils with the opportunity to meet and interact with real-life scientists and engineers, plus hear from a keynote speaker about their career path and experiences. Working in groups, pupils will solve challenges around four types of renewable energy: hydro, wind, marine and solar power.
Throughout the day, each group will take part in two challenges and then feed back their findings. Industry experts then choose one winning group. Each pupil receives a certificate for taking part, and the winning group receives a prize for their school and themselves.
The Challenge Days are at National Museum of Rural Life on Thursday 23, Friday 24 & Monday 27 October 2014. Those at National Museum of Scotland are on Monday 3 & Monday 17 November 2014.
There are also two twilight CPD sessions for teachers being held on 1 October at National Museum of Rural Life and 2 October at National Museum of Scotland.
Get Energised is made possible by the generous support of the ScottishPower Foundation and all sessions are free, but spaces are limited. To book a place contact schools@nms.ac.uk or phone 0131 247 4041
More information available on www.nms.ac.uk/getenergised
The Dance National Working Group (NWG) met for the third time on 2nd September at the Optima, Glasgow. Notes from the meeting are attached below.
Dance National Working Group (NWG) Meeting Notes
The Implemento document attached below summarises the ‘futures’ discussion we had in relation to dance education 3-18. From the process we have identified key areas for development and action.
Comments and suggestions in relation to all the above documents are very welcome.
The draft action plan document explains how we arrived at the actions and next steps for the group to take these forward.
The Dance National Working Group will meet again at the joint NWG meeting on 27th November at Atlantic Quay.
Good Brain, Bad Brain: Parkinson’s Disease
Learn the fundamentals of Parkinson’s disease; what causes it and what we can do to ameliorate the symptoms.
This free online course is aimed at anyone with an interest in finding out the fundamentals of Parkinson’s disease; how it affects people, what causes it, what we can do to try and ameliorate the symptoms and what we don’t yet know about it.
As one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases, most people at least know of one person who has Parkinson’s disease.
As the population ages, so the number of people with it will increase. Many people will be able to give a vague description of how that person is affected but may not know why. In this course we will consider how the normal principles of how neurones work and communicate are altered in the parkinsonian brain and why this leads to the symptoms that we see. We can then apply this knowledge to thinking about how current therapies work.
Finally we can think about where the holes in our knowledge are and the importance of this for improving our ability to alleviate the symptoms of the disease.
Posted on the NQ Higher Sciences website Higher evidence recording spread sheets for Higher Biology, Higher Chemistry, Higher Human Biology and Higher Physics. Similar to the spreadsheets shared to record the evidence for nationals, these are bespoke to each Higher. They can accessed at
Biology http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/highersciences/biology/learningandteaching/resources.asp
Chemistry http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/highersciences/chemistry/learningandteaching/resources.asp
Human
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/highersciences/humanbiology/learningandteaching/resources.asp
Physics
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/highersciences/physics/guide/resources.asp
Many thanks to John Watson of Campbeltown Grammar and to the SQA for their help and support in producing these.
Sign-up now for TeachMeet @ Scottish Learning Festival 2014.
Learn something new, be amazed, amused and enthused. This is an informal gathering of those curious about teaching and learning. Anyone can share great ideas they’ve trialled in their classrooms, ask important questions or simply sign up to take part in learning conversations. Education professionals from all sectors are welcome to take part.
The Scottish Learning Festival TeachMeet is always something special. It is usually the biggest TeachMeet in Scotland and often attracts some of the biggest names in education. It is also great fun!
With SLF 2014 now only 4 weeks away we hear for one of this year’s keynote speakers, John Carnochan about his keynote and thoughts on Scottish education.
Responding Differently
“We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects.” Herman Melville
Teachers, parents and families have a collective responsibility to ensure our children receive a rounded education that helps prepare them for life. Sadly, in the process, we too often forget or ignore the fundamental importance of human connection and relationships in our lives.
We seem to think now that as professionals we just need to do more of the same and everything will be ok, more policy, more training, more process and everything will be fine. This slavish adherence to professional process is, at times, naively arrogant and often ineffective. Not only does it ignore the value of human attributes, it often deliberately de-values them as being somehow unprofessional.
Professionals do not have all the answers and neither can we continue to assume that professional skills are the only “skills” appropriate or adequate responses to persistent problems. The strategies, systems and structures that exist today often can only manage the problems we face, new thinking is required if we are to make these problems better. We must begin to Respond Differently.
Professional and technical skills are important but they are not more important than the human attributes that demand we care for our fellow humans that help us establish relationships and that keep us connected. By combining the professional technical skills with our human attributes we will produce far more effective services and also help us do the right things for the right reasons.
Teachers are on the front line of Responding Differently, helping prepare our children for life. It’s certainly true that our children will need many of the technical skills delivered so effectively everyday in classrooms across Scotland. But these technical skills alone will not be enough if our children are to lead successful and productive lives. There is every possibility that many will be working in roles and doing jobs that have not yet been invented; they may be working in industries that haven’t been created yet. The skills that will be of most use to them in everything they do will be human “skills’. Our children will need to be resilient, adaptable, courageous, thoughtful, collaborative; they will need to communicate, problem solve, negotiate, compromise. Most importantly they will need to connect with others, they will need to be human; create better relationships and in schools it will create better learning and better behaviour.
In Scotland we have started to Respond Differently, particularly in Education. We have defined What our ambition is for our children, we want to make Scotland the Best Place to Grow Up. We have also defined How we are going to do it with the introduction of national policies such as GIRFEC and CfE. The inclusion of “wellbeing”, in CfE, with its aims to help children become Successful Learners, Confident Individuals, Effective Contributors and Responsible Citizens is hugely important.
This is an exciting time for Scotland and I sense that we have started to Respond Differently to children how we educate them and how we include them.
We know What we want to do and we know How we’re going to do it that’s a great start. Change is always difficult but if we remember also Why we are doing it the angst borne of the change will lessen as our aspirations increase. We are after all humans first and change is what we humans do, its what we have always done. Leadership has a role to play but we are all leaders and we can all Respond Differently.
If you want to hear John’s keynote then register for SLF 2014.
Meet the Engineer with Primary Engineers.
This is an exciting series of 6 Glow TV events between the 4th of September and the 23rd of October from 10am until 11am to help support the Scottish Engineering Special Leaders Award with Primary Engineer and the Leaders Award for STEM.
Ask your pupils the question ‘What would you do if you could be an engineer in Scotland?’ to help them formulate their answer join our Glow TV interviews with engineers and a Glasgow based solicitor who can tell you how to protect your ideas!
For the third year in a row Education Scotland supports this award as an exciting and relevant way for students from primary and secondary schools in Scotland to discover more about the impact and diversity of engineering, alongside paths and routes into this amazing career.
The list of all the dates and speakers is shown below and their biographies can be found on the leaders award website http://leadersaward.com/index.php/corporate/glow-meets
4th September – Philip Hannay – Cloch Solicitors (Patents Solicitor) – Watch Again
11th of September – Craig Goldie – Director Sweitelsky
25th of September – Gordon Masterton – Vice President Jacobs Engineering
2nd of October – Tom Sreeves – Director of Manufacturing Aggreko
9th of October – Douglas Anderson – Founder and CEO OPTOS – this presentation will not be interactive and will be recorded and uploaded to the Education Scotland website Technologies pages
23rd of October – Emma Henderson – Senior Engineer Expro Group
You can find out more and sign up for any of these events by following the relevant links above.
The Leaders Award for STEM website holds resources such as lesson plans for primary and secondary schools, links to resources from The Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame and award winning engineering companies from across Scotland through Scottish Engineering.
Entry deadlines are the 12th February 2015 with awards being presented in Glasgow alongside a public exhibition in March 2015.
Fully functional immune organ grown in mice from lab-created cells.
Scientists have for the first time grown a complex, fully functional organ from scratch in a living animal by transplanting cells that were originally created in a laboratory. The advance could in future aid the development of ‘lab-grown’ replacement organs.
Researchers from the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, at the University of Edinburgh, took cells called fibroblasts from a mouse embryo and converted them directly into a completely unrelated type of cell – specialised thymus cells- using a technique called ‘reprogramming’. When mixed with other thymus cell types and transplanted into mice, these cells formed a replacement organ that had the same structure, complexity and function as a healthy native adult thymus. The reprogrammed cells were also capable of producing T cells – a type of white blood cell important for fighting infection – in the lab.
For the full story visit the Centre for Regenerative Medicine website
With SLF 2014 now only 4 weeks away we hear for one of this year’s keynote speakers, Prof Alma Harris about her keynote and her thoughts on Scottish education.
I am looking forward to being part of the ‘Scottish Learning Festival’ 2014 and engaging with this vibrant educational community. I will be bringing a group of Malaysian educators with me and I have promised them a warm welcome but not warm weather! In my previous visits to Scotland I have found that teachers and principals appreciate honesty and integrity so my aim is demonstrate both.
In my session I will argue that we need to go ‘beyond PISA’ to find the touchstone of real educational success and that there are important lessons that systems, like Scotland, can give to the global educational community. Despite the fact that education systems in Asia currently dominate the top of the PISA tables, there is much that the East can learn from the West in terms of educational change and improvement. Some of these messages will be shared with you all.
The aim of the session is not to devalue or dismiss PISA but rather to underline that high performance in education is defined by much more than rankings. The session will argue that we need to put the ‘learner’ at the forefront of our educational reform processes and avoid being seduced by superficial explanations of ‘high performance’ that tend to objectify learners and place performance above learning.
I will also focus upon leadership and will aim to answer the question, ‘what type of leadership is required to ensure success for every student in every setting?’ To answer this question, I will share the findings from two recent comparative studies. The first set of findings comes from a ‘7 System Leadership Study’ that is exploring the relationship between leadership development and leadership practice in differentially performing systems (Australia, England, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia Singapore and Russia). Initial findings highlight that there are more similarities than differences in the approaches these systems are using to secure and sustain improvement. The findings also challenge some of the cultural assumptions and popular assertions about ‘high performing systems’.
The second study looks at leadership within high performing organisations across different sectors (education, sport and business). The full range of empirical findings can be found in a new book with Andy Hargreaves and Alan Boyle called ‘’Uplifting Leadership’. Among, a range of conclusions, the findings from this study show that the type of leadership needed to secure and sustain exceptional performance is that which builds professional and social capital.
Overall, my message is that we need to look ‘beyond PISA’ and to move past the current preoccupation with international rankings, if authentic school and system improvement is to be achieved. I will propose that the real power and potential for system transformation in Scotland resides in the professionalism of its teachers and its school leaders, combined with an unshakable belief that every child deserves the best education possible.
It is with a huge degree of humility that I take part in this ‘Scottish Learning Festival’ 2014 involving educators from many countries. It is also with a great sense of pride that I am speaking at a conference that is about learning first and foremost. Putting the learner at the heart of the reform process, deeply, authentically and genuinely gets us much closer to the outcomes that we want for all young people.
If you want to hear Alma’s keynote then register for SLF 2014.
1 day – Thursday 25th September 2014 from 09.30-16.00
The Lighthouse, Glasgow
Delivered by Made-by (www.made-by.org) on behalf of Zero Waste Scotland
This event is suitable for individuals and companies involved in the design and manufacturing of apparel as well as academic and education professionals interested in the wider issues of clothing and environmental sustainability.
Event detail
The days training will provide you with an overview of:
Alongside the global case studies you will also hear from our speakers working within Scotland
For further information and to book onto this event please visit here.
Pilot project for schools, using museum collections datasets as part of the Computing Science curriculum:
Museums have an untapped resource of rich data, relating to their collections, which can be explored and re-used in new and exciting ways.
Museums in Scotland have identified digital engagement as a priority (see page 17 of One Year On: Turning Actions into Advocacy), with a focus on how to reuse assets such as digital collections records (which can be similar to library catalogue records, containing data about individual or groups of museum objects) and images.
Education Scotland and MGS (Museums Galleries Scotland the national development body for the museum sector in Scotland) would be keen to establish up to a number of pilot projects to run over the autumn to spring terms, through which schools would make use of museum collections data, as part of the Computing Science curriculum.
Museums would provide access to museum collections data, to support coding or other exploratory work. The time available by the museums involved in these pilot projects will vary, but there would be the opportunity to discuss with the museum what the collections data represents, and how it is currently organised, and for the museum-school partners to explore their shared interest in data reuse. There may also be the opportunity to work with the museum to create a resource which has a life beyond the project, to present new stories about the collections in new ways to the museum and its visitors.
Education Scotland and MGS would aim to work with the school-museum partnerships to develop case studies and a report on what has been learned from the pilot projects, to share with the wider museum and education sector.
If you are interested or would like to find out more about this opportunity please contact Kirsty McFaul Senior Education Officer Technologies, Education Scotland, Kirsty.mcfaul@educationscotland.gov.uk
Inside Cancer: How Genes Influence Cancer Development
An ideal introduction for those interested in understanding how genetics influences the development and spread of cancer.
As an ‘Inside Cancer’ student, you will learn about the fundamental biological concepts that inform our current understanding of the molecular genetics of cancer development and its spread within the body. The course will be delivered by some of the University of Bath’s leading cancer researchers and clinical oncologists.
Cancer cells form part of complex tissues, containing different cell types, each with their own unique set of rules of behaviour. As a class, we will explore this unique genetic landscape of cancer cells. We will introduce the concept of DNA mutations and the emerging area of epigenetics and identify how they confer a selective advantage to cancer cells with unstable DNA, leading to uncontrolled cell division and tumour growth.
For more course information follow the link
As a resource to support the Advanced Higher in Art and Design, Education Scotland has secured enough catalogues from the 2013 Advanced Higher exhibition to make one available for each secondary school in every Local Authority, free of charge.
We have contacted every Local Authority and made the catalogues available for uplift from our offices across the country from Tuesday 12th August 2014. Our offices may be found at the following locations: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Livingstone and Clydebank.
We are delighted that over 20 Local Authorities have taken us up on our offer of free catalogues to support their schools.
If you wish to acquire a copy of the catalogue for your school, please contact the officer responsible for Expressive Arts in your Local Authority.
With SLF 2014 now only 5 weeks away we hear for one of this year’s keynote speakers, Dr Frank Dick OBE, on his thoughts about how people are prepared to take ownership of their lives and the vital role that teachers and mentors play.
A Winning Lead
Whether as teacher, coach or mentor, our purpose is to prepare the pathway that takes people from who they are to who they will become. My thinking in this was mostly shaped by two life changing books: Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull which to me was about taking the risk of being different; and The Prophet which persuaded me that the coach is to the athlete as Kahlil Gibran saw the parent to the child – the parent is to the bow as the child is to the arrow.
Both of these seemed to point to preparing people to take ownership of their lives – to doing things right and to do the right thing.
We are not in total control of conditions in our lives, nor of results, but we are of our attitude to dealing with them and of our performance. And because life is more like a white water ride than a flat water glide, our attitude must find us controlling the controllables and being agile to turn uncertainty and adversity to advantage. In this, focussing on the performance of those whose development we influence and our own, is key.
Our behaviours, it seems to me, must work to a simple acronym: “O.D.D.” Own: take personal ownership of each moment to turn it into opportunity. Decide: take considered risks in decision making to turn opportunity to advantage. Do: just do it – effectively and excellently.
Giving ownership means not only preparing people to be let go (arrow) but being prepared to let go (bow).
Whether teaching, coaching or mentoring or being taught, coached or mentored, the most important quote to reflect on is Arie de Geus: “Probably the only sustainable advantage we have, is the ability to learn faster than the opposition.” The key to this, clearly is in being prepared to learn.
“Being prepared” is about attitude (again!) and process. The attitude part is clear and must be there every step of the life experience pathway towards who we will become.
The process starts with learning to learn and having in place the “machinery” to learn. For example, before a Commonwealth Games you must put in place how you will collect the necessary intelligence to debrief meticulously all that has influenced the performance and results.
In all of this we might agree that there are some things in life we can be taught, and others we can only learn.
Early in our life experience pathway of shaping personal and professional growth, we are taught the “science” for our education and development role. As we proceed, through experience, we learn the “art” of translating the science to action excellence by effective decision making.
The trouble, however, as Vernon Law avered, is: “Experience is a hard teacher, because she gives the test first and the lesson after.”
Yet if we are to learn the art of delivering our purpose in education, we must be exposed to the challenge and pressure of experiencing the untrodden path. It is by taking such risk that we turn fear to courage in the process of making right judgement calls.
It is important to get this right. The learning experience must be planned to ensure it is appropriate for the intended lesson, and we must have a critical competency set in the person responsible to teach, coach or mentor following the experience.
To return to our purpose: by preparing the pathway well, we not only develop people for their arena, but through the process for a better life. We not only develop them to improve performance, but to deliver it under pressure, on the day.
Want to hear more from Frank? Then register for SLF 2014 today.
