Have you had a chat with children and young people about what they want to do when they grow up?
Reflective/challenge questions –
Why not continue the conversation here?
DYW in pictures
We have tried to capture some of the messages around DYW into cartoon format.
Challenge Questions
Developing the young workforce
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.
Following the publication of its 3-18 Curriculum Impact Report for Sciences in September 2012, Education Scotland organised a series of conversation days, where priorities for action to secure improvements in science education nationally were identified.
Key aspects for development emerged, which included:
“In the primary sector and at the early stages of secondary school, there is generally less emphasis in the key area of Topical Science than on the other four organisers……. In these cases, children and young people do not have enough opportunity to discuss and debate a range of ethical issues.”
To address this aspect the Sciences team hosted a “Topical Science and Partnerships” Glow Meet .
To Watch Again : https://meet.glowscotland.org.uk/p5rd5cx8od8/
Each glow meet is complimented by a series of professional learning twilight sessions.
Please register through: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TwilightSessions2015
Breakout sessions will be provided by Dynamic Earth, The Royal Society of Chemistry, Glasgow City of Science, Stem Ambassadors and The English Speaking Union.
Education Scotland will also be delivering sessions on Citizen Science, Community Resilience, Food and Science and Social Studies and Science.
Following the publication of its 3-18 Curriculum Impact Report for Sciences in September 2012, Education Scotland organised a series of conversation days, where priorities for action to secure improvements in science education nationally were identified.
Key aspects for development emerged, which included:
“In the primary sector and at the early stages of secondary school, there is generally less emphasis in the key area of Topical Science than on the other four organisers……. In these cases, children and young people do not have enough opportunity to discuss and debate a range of ethical issues.”
To address this aspect the Sciences team hosted a “Topical Science and Partnerships” Glow Meet on Wednesday 4th March
To watch the meet again : https://meet.glowscotland.org.uk/p5rd5cx8od8/
The glow meet will be once again be complimented by a series of professional learning twilight events.
To register :https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TwilightSessions2015
Breakout sessions will be provided by Dynamic Earth, The Royal Society of Chemistry, Glasgow City of Science and Stem Ambassadors.
Education Scotland will also be delivering sessions on Citizen Science, Community Resilience, Food and Science and Social Studies and Science.
Following the publication of its 3-18 Curriculum Impact Report for Sciences in September 2012, Education Scotland organised a series of conversation days, where priorities for action to secure improvements in science education nationally were identified.
Key aspects for development emerged, which included:
“In the primary sector and at the early stages of secondary school, there is generally less emphasis in the key area of Topical Science than on the other four organisers……. In these cases, children and young people do not have enough opportunity to discuss and debate a range of ethical issues.”
Young people are increasingly surrounded by scientific issues in the media and their everyday lives. By considering current issues through topical science, learners increasingly develop their understanding of scientific concepts and their capacity to form informed social, moral and ethical views. They reflect upon and critically evaluate media portrayal of scientific findings.
To address this aspect the Sciences team is hosting a “Topical Science and Partnerships” Glow Meet which will be complimented again by a series of professional learning twilight sessions.
Join us on Wednesday 4th March at 3.45 – 4.45 pm in Glow TV to find out more.
Register https://meet.glowscotland.org.uk/topicalscience/event/event_info.html
Register for the twilight session
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TwilightSessions2015
Sessions will include input from STEM Ambassadors, Royal Society of Chemistry, Citizen Science , Community Resilience, Creative Thinking and the Sciences and Glasgow City of Science
Generation Science (GS) – the largest science education outreach programme in the UK – is once again hitting the road as its 2015 tour gets under way, with science shows and workshops visiting Primary Schools the length and breadth of Scotland.
This Generation Science tour is set to be one of the biggest ever, with visits to all 32 of Scotland’s Local Authority areas scheduled, travelling from the Borders right up to Shetland. The 2015 tour also sees the addition of two brand new workshops to the GS stable, Fuel Hunters and Lego Mindstorms Advanced.
In Fuel Hunters pupils take on the role of exploratory engineers as they learn about geology, where fossils come from, and how oil and gas are formed over millions of years. They then form a team to build their very own 6ft oil rig platform – it’s exploration on a brand new level!
Lego Mindstorms Advanced sees pupils join ‘Mission Control’ to learn about the amazing real-life robots currently operating in space, before programming their own robots on a rescue mission to another planet, as we aim to inspire the computer scientists of our future.
Each year Generation Science tours all around Scotland from February until May, reaching around 60,000 children aged 5 – 12 years all over the country, where teams of skilled science communicators will bring science and technology to life across a range of subjects through 17 shows and workshops.
Visits are designed specifically to support and supplement the Curriculum for Excellence and introduce children to ideas in science and technology in a fun and immersive way. The programme also aims to inspire tomorrow’s scientists, by alerting young girls and boys to the possibilities of a career in science and technology.
For more information about the programme visit generationscience.co.uk.
Participating in the Food for Thought project provides opportunity to raise awareness of STEM careers in the food and drink industry, one of our key economic growth sectors.
Recent figures estimate that 170,000 employees with STEM skills are required by 2020.
Apply now and take STEM forward in your establishment.
Applications can now be made to the Food for Thought: Education Fund Phase 3. The fund aims to support practitioners to build their confidence and capacity and to improve learning and teaching within food education in Curriculum for Excellence. Awards of up to £3000 per project are available. Apply now.
This year we are looking for schools to plan food education projects that:
Proposals must be submitted by Sunday 29 March 2015. You will receive a confirmation email once your application has been submitted.
Read also our news release: Food for Thought Education Fund serves up another course of funding.
Many governments and organisations are concerned that not enough young people are choosing to study Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) after the age of 16.
There is also widespread concern that the profile of those who do go on to study STEM subjects and pursue STEM careers is too narrow, with women, working-class and some minority ethnic groups remaining under-represented, especially in the physical sciences and engineering.
Particular STEM fields are predicting or already experiencing significant STEM skills gaps that may impact negatively on the economy. There is also a pressing need to improve the spread of scientific literacy across all societal groups.
The ASPIRES study sought to shed new light on our understanding of how young people’s aspirations develop over this 10-14 age period, exploring in particular what influences the likelihood of a young person aspiring to a science-related career.
The project is a five-year study funded by the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of its Targeted Initiative on Science and Mathematics Education (TISME).
In addition to researching influences on students’ aspirations, the project also worked with a small group of teachers to develop approaches for integrating STEM careers information into science lessons.
Access the report through http://bit.ly/1fkDdDy
The Scottish Learning Festival (SLF) 2015 will address the theme of 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.
Is your establishment delivering Learning for Sustainability (LfS) that you would like to showcase? Are you able to share your approaches to promoting local partnerships and collaboration? Would you be willing to help others make the connections between the different aspects of LfS; including global citizenship, sustainable development education, outdoor learning, international education, children’s rights and play?
If the answer to any (or all) of these questions is “Yes”, we would love to hear from you. Please consider submitting your seminar proposal by Friday 27th February 2015.
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
Education Scotland and partners link up with The Herald and Evening Times
The third issue in a series of publications for young people called ‘What could I be?’ has been produced by The Herald and Evening Times newspapers, together with Education Scotland, the Scottish Government, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Qualifications Authority. Parents, carers and teachers will also find this innovative series of publications about careers helpful. This edition looks specifically at career ideas in the food and drink industry.
Access the Magazine here
The Society of Biology launched a project (June 2014 – March 2015) named “Biology: Changing the World”, funded by BBSRC and the National Lottery to promote and celebrate the lives and contribution of famous biologists to the way we live now.
The project utilises heritage plaques present on buildings nationwide to highlight famous biologists in local areas. A tablet based App (freely downloaded from App’s store) has been developed which locates plaques closest to the user giving information about the scientist, such as their life stories and their contribution to biology. Interviews with contemporary biologists are also included.
For schools, and in particular for children aged 7-10 years, there is a teachers booklet and poster available (free of cost) to explain the project with suggestions for workshops and lessons.
More details can be found on the website below.
http://biologyheritage.societyofbiology.org/bcw-schools
British Science Week (BSW, formerly National Science & Engineering Week (NSEW)) is a ten-day programme of science, technology, engineering and maths events and activities across the UK aimed at people of all ages.
Anyone can organise an event or activity, and the British Science Association helps organisers plan by providing free activity and support resources. It welcomes and supports any type of organiser, from schools to community groups and from parents to large organisations. The resulting programme of events is a hugely varied and eclectic mix.
Get lots of information about how to plan your events for British Science Week and find events you can attend near you.
For further information and details regarding registration click on the link below:
http://britishscienceweek.org/
Social Studies and Digital Technologies Day
organised by Education Scotland
Date: 21st March 2015
Time: 9:30 – 3:00
Venue: Stirling Management Centre, Stirling
Places: 40 – open to all primary and secondary practitioners
This is an excellent CLPL opportunity to refresh and learn new approaches to integrating ICT and Technologies through Social Studies.
There will be three exciting keynote speakers in the morning, followed by an afternoon session with a choice of three interactive workshops.
A complete programme for the day and the opportunity to book a place will be published in early February.
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.
The Ri and the Causeway Foundation are offering UK schools grants of up to £500 to host a show, talk, workshop, debate, challenge or other STEM activity to supplement their students’ classroom activities.
Grants of up to £500 are being offered to eligible state-funded schools, academies and FE colleges in the UK to take part in an Enrichment and Enhancement (E&E) STEM activity from the STEM Directories before July 2015. This is an exciting opportunity for students to take part in a mathematics activity and help integrate mathematics enrichment in school practice.
The Scheme is now open and the deadline for applications is 9th February 2015 at 5pm.
For more information and to apply, visit the STEM Directories website. Priority will be given to schools meeting certain criteria; please see the grant terms for more details.
If you have any questions relating to the grant scheme or the STEM Directories, please contact info@stemdirectories.org.uk.
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:
• In what ways do learners in your establishment demonstrate successful application of STEM skills?
• In what ways are learners using STEM to develop skills for learning, life and work?
• In what ways do you work with partners/parents/wider community to support STEM?
Nominations for this year’s awards are now open.
Nominations close 12pm on Monday 16 February 2015.
#primaryscience
The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) is the Government department for economic growth.
It works with further and higher education providers to give students the skills they need to compete in a global employment market and supports the UK’s science and research industry, which is important to economic growth.
The organisation has produced Project STEM, Book of Insights 2014 which details young people’s attitudes, beliefs, motivations and behaviours that affect their decisions on subject choice and career paths to add depth to the current understanding of how they perceive STEM careers.
The book brings together four phases of research activity with young people; qualitative, social listening, co-creation and quantitative research activities that ran between February and March 2014.
To complement the qualitative research, the researchers listened to young people’s social media conversations to understand their sentiment towards STEM careers and subjects.
To access the research document Project STEM, Book of Insights 2014
Following the publication of its 3-18 Curriculum Impact Report for Sciences in September 2012, Education Scotland organised a series of conversation days where priorities for action to secure improvements in science education nationally were identified.
Key aspects for development emerged, which included primary and early years practitioners requiring guidance on and exemplifications for assessment in the sciences.
To address this aspect the sciences team will be hosting the second of three Glow Meets, complimented again by a series of professional learning twilight sessions.
The Education Scotland assessment support documentation will be explored, using exemplifications from the NAR, addressing particular science Significant Aspects of Learning.
The second Glow meet Assessment in the Sciences will take place on Tuesday 13th January 3.45-4.30pm
To register: https://meet.glowscotland.org.uk/e7wzsiv2uvs/event/event_info.html
Dates, times and venues for the complimentary twilight sessions to date are:
Dundee, Education Scotland Endeavour House, Monday 26th January 4-6pm
Dumfries, Lochside Education Centre, 27th January 4-6pm
Inverness, Mercure Hotel, Wednesday 28th January 4-6pm
Aberdeen, Satrosphere Science Centre, Thursday 29th January 4-6pm
Edinburgh, Dynamic Earth, Monday 2nd February 4-6pm
Glasgow , St Andrew’s Secondary, Thursday 5th February 4-6pm
Please sign up through https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/twilightsessions
Revisit the first Glow meet Supporting Primary & Early Years Science
Following the publication of its 3-18 Curriculum Impact Report for Sciences in September 2012, Education Scotland organised a series of conversation days where priorities for action to secure improvements in science education nationally were identified.
Key aspects for development emerged, which included primary and early years practitioners requiring guidance on and exemplifications for assessment in the sciences.
To address this aspect the sciences team will be hosting the second of three Glow Meets, complimented again by a series of professional learning twilight sessions.
The Education Scotland assessment support documentation will be explored, using exemplifications from the NAR, addressing particular science Significant Aspects of Learning.
The second Glow meet Assessment in the Sciences will take place on Tuesday 13th January 3.45-4.30pm
To register: https://meet.glowscotland.org.uk/e7wzsiv2uvs/event/event_info.html
Dates, times and venues for the complimentary twilight sessions to date are:
Dundee, Education Scotland Endeavour House, Monday 26th January 4-6pm
Inverness, Mercure Hotel, Wednesday 28th January 4-6pm
Aberdeen, Satrosphere Science Centre, Thursday 29th January 4-6pm
Edinburgh, Dynamic Earth, Monday 2nd February 4-6pm
Glasgow , St Andrew’s Secondary, Thursday 5th February 4-6pm
Dumfries and Borders (tbc)
Please sign up through https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/twilightsessions
Revisit the first Glow meet Supporting Primary & Early Years Science
Glasgow Science Festival is pleased to announce the K’Nex Cluster Challenge for 2015. This annual competition is a chance for primary 5 and 6 pupils to apply their creativity and construction skills to various engineering based challenges, competing at three levels; classroom, cluster and area to become their area champion.
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
On Saturday 22nd of November we hosted a further ‘Risky Behaviours’ event, mainly aimed at primary, secondary and further education practitioners but also attended by representatives from our Health and wellbeing (HWB) partner organisations. The event took place in the Dalhousie Building at University of Dundee and was attended by over 100 delegates from across Scotland. In keeping with the spirit of the day, we took a risk in beginning with a flash mob style performance by students from Dundee & Angus College. Working in partnership with NHS Tayside, the dance/drama project is piloting support in mental and emotional wellbeing for secondary school pupils. Some of our delegates identified this as a highlight, which provided an “uplifting” start to the day.
The day was organised into three sections using the following HWB curriculum organisers:
~ Mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing
~ Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood
~ Substance Misuse
Each part of the day was introduced by a key note speaker. Firstly, Brian Donnelly (Directory of Respectme) presented a common sense approach to anti-bullying in schools with powerful messages on the nature, intent and impact of bullying. He also offered suggestions on how schools might re-think their anti-bullying policies and approaches, including online bullying. Many of our delegates stated that Brian’s speech was ‘inspirational’ and that his messages will have an impact on their future practice.
The second part of our day saw an excellent presentation from John Naples Campbell from Knightswood Secondary School on LGBT, which took delegates on an emotional journey as John gave insights into his personal experience. He called for a change in the way that homophobia is addressed in schools and offered resources and strategies to support children and young people.
Finally, Emma Hamilton from the Scottish Drugs Forum provided a very informative presentation on drug use in Scotland, with a particular focus on drugs that young people are accessing and using. Bringing us right up to date with the issues that need to be tackled, Emma offered suggestions on what schools can do and provided links to further sources of information and support.
Throughout the day 15 workshops took place showcasing examples of innovative practice, resources and strategies from a range of schools and partner agencies. Many of the workshops highlighted how partnership working has helped learners to become better informed and to develop the skills and confidence to make informed choices about risky behaviours. Details of all the workshops which took place can also be downloaded here: WorkshopDescriptors
A special thank you must also go to the range of peer educators, including those from Kirkcaldy High School, The Corner (Dundee) and LGBT Youth who gave up their time (on a Saturday of all days!) to present at this event. This was praised as a particular strength of the day, as it was felt that the contributions of the young people added depth to inputs and gave learners a voice. Many of the young people have commented on what a valuable (if a little nerve wracking) experience this was for them also.
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. Participants have also had the opportunity to put forward suggestions for future ‘Risky Behaviours’ events which will be of great use in our planning. Our next ‘Risky Behaviours’ event is due to be held in Inverness on 28th of February 2015.
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 HWB Learning Community which can be accessed here: hwbrisky by searching for ‘HWB events’.
Many thanks to the representatives from University of Dundee, Dundee and Angus College, Respectme, Knightswood Secondary School, Scottish Drugs Forum, International Futures Forum, University of Dundee College of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing, Dundee City Council, Fintry Primary School, North Ayrshire Council, NSPCC, Sexpression, LGBT Youth, Angus Council, Perth and Kinross Council, NHS Tayside, Kirkcaldy High School, The Corner, Medics Against Violence, ASH Scotland, Police Scotland and Tayside Council on Alcohol. An additional thanks goes to the Education Scotland staff who supported with presentations at this event.
Primary 7 pupils at Hermitage Primary School, Helensburgh took part in their Technology Challenge presentation evening on Thursday 4th December, which brought their interdisciplinary topic to a close.
The project incorporated all STEM subjects enabling learners to develop their knowledge and understanding of the concepts and skills in Technologies, Maths, Language and Science. This also included aspects of PSD.
The Technology Challenge required pupils to work in cooperative groups, to plan and design a working electrical vehicle which was supported by a good business plan. Their progress was recorded in the form of a booklet and i-pad presentation.
Vehicles had to move forwards, backwards and have working lights and were to be created within a given budget. In addition, pupils were granted an additional £10 by the Head Teacher in order to add extra technology such as LED lights, pulley operated doors, a working lift and even a moving dragon’s head!
Following weeks of hard work the 10 teams of 6 pupils spoke to a panel of 3 judges and an audience of invited guests.
Each team gave a presentation about their vehicle detailing their experiences of working as a team, planning and designing, working to a budget and what they felt they had achieved.
The judging panel were very impressed with the standard of work and the efforts of every team member and eventually selected U-PoP as the winning team.
U-Pop created a mobile recording studio which included a working recording and playback sound module.
The delighted team members were Max Kemp, Hamish Paterson, Annika Seitz, Shannon Beaton, Esther Lopez and Rory Frew.
#primaryscience
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
The Amnesty Youth Awards bit.ly/132PPRy celebrates young people’s talents for human rights reporting, photography, songwriting (and performing), campaigning and fundraising.
Applications for our Youth Awards 2015 open on 8 September 2014 and closes on the 30 January 2015.
The competition is open to young people between the ages of 7 – 19 (up to and including Further Education). Students can take part in one or more categories to develop new skills and confidence to engage creatively with human rights.
Amnesty has awards and teaching resources to support five different catagories:
The Awards run in conjunction with the Times Educational Supplement and this year’s judges include:
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
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.
38 primary teachers from 8 different local authorities landed on the Isle of Cumbrae between the 14-16th November for a fun packed weekend of Outdoor Learning. The Social Studies fieldwork skills CLPL was held at the Field Studies Council centre in Millport. The course was fully funded by Education Scotland and organised in conjunction with Scottish FSC manager, Daniel Moncrieff, and his team.
FSC Scotland delivers Primary, Environmental, Biology, Adventurous Activity and Geography courses for over 5000 students a year. The course built on this expertise and introduced participants to a range of different fieldwork activities which can be used with primary school students. The course was aimed at primary teachers and educators who wanted to further develop their skills to support and lead outdoor learning.
On Saturday, the course focused on Biodiversity and school grounds activities. Engaging activities to illustrate geographical processes included Kung Fu, Geosquishing and Sensory Mapping.
A trip to the Rocky Shore included a competitive scavenge for seal life, making Rocky Shore Real Estate adverts, using string quadrats to compare different areas of plants, and using found objects to create environmental beach art.
The afternoon consisted of fun interactive games helping to explain food chains and food webs, digging for and collecting worm data (using one of the free Citizen Science Opal packs), a trip to the aquarium to study plankton under the microscope and an energetic game of Star Orienteering.
On Sunday the focus was on Energy and the Viking history of the island. The Viking activities included landscape poetry, sound maps, family dramas and a superb Viking Changing Rooms activity where groups had to piece together the interior of a Viking home.
The Energy activity introduced annotated sketches and photos. The groups explored the advantages and drawbacks of different energy production methods present on the Clyde (including wind, coal and nuclear) and considered possible and probable futures over the next 100 years based on these activities. IPads were used to GPS log and annotate photos and to film imaginative stories explaining the litter objects found on the beach from the perspective of someone from 2600!
The feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive:
“I was not confident in my ability to come up with and deliver creative lessons which targeted the relevant CfE outcomes for Social Studies. With all the great ideas for games and activites I can transfer these skills to pretty much any outcome (with some tweaking of course).”
“The best bit was the practical nature of the whole weekend. It gave the opportunity to feel like the pupil and how they would benefit from all the different types of learning we experienced.”
“Daniel was absolutely fantastic at delivering every experience. His humour and intelligence go hand in hand.”
“The resources needed were easily accessible, cheap and did not require specialist knowledge.”
“I loved the rocky shore activity because it is something I could easily adapt at the allotment – searching through leaf piles and logs, etc.”
“I loved how they brought the history of the Vikings to life, incorporating Social Studies, literacy and Drama. I plan to adapt this activity next term during the Victorians IDL topic.”
“I enjoyed the course enormously. The course instructors were enthusiastic, passionate and very helpful. I look forward to taking outdoor learning to a higher level and delivering meaningful and engaging learning experiences to children.”
“Excellent opportunity for teachers to not only gain experience and knowledge of outdoor learning but it also provided an opportunity for teachers to get together and share experiences informally without paper work and expectations.”
The Education Scotland Social Studies team plan to run more opportunities in the future for primary and secondary teachers to improve their fieldwork skills.
Sign up now to the Social Studies E-Bulletin so you don’t miss out: http://bit.do/e-bulletin
Log on to the Social Studies Network on Glow to share your thoughts on Outdoor Learning: http://bit.do/socialstudiespl
Contact Daniel and his staff at Millport FSC for more information about class visits and OPAL Survey packs: enquiries.sco@field-studies-council.org
The sciences Glow 365 site continues to develop and is being populated with many resources to support the sciences curriculum.
A tile entitled Primary/Early Years Science is now available on the site through which you can access our newsfeed, resources and blog page. All are easily accessible and provide up to date relevant information for practitioners in each sector. 
Our latest blogs include details about grants from the British Science Association, how to access the new FREE primary ReachOut CPD programme and you can download the recent Supporting Primary and Early Years science Glow Meet.
To access the site http://bit.ly/glowsciences
The site is work in progress and further developments will be introduced as the Glow 365 platform takes shape
You can also access information and discuss the latest developments with colleagues through the Learning Together site www.bit.ly/learningtogetheredscot
#primary science
15 primary schools from the Oban area have taken part this year in an Outdoor Learning Programme delivered by Stramash, the Oban based social enterprise and charity. 
“The programme uses the unique environment of the west coast of Scotland to help inspire the next generation to enjoy and engage with all the great outdoors has to offer. The programme offers a range of outdoor experiences for children & young people that challenge and inspire, enrich the learning that takes place inside the classroom and supports the personal, social and emotional development of each individual. This supports Curriculum for Excellence, providing experiences which stimulate learning, connect to the natural environment and encourage active, healthy lifestyles. The programme is varied and tailored to suit each school. We have delivered the programme in forest, woodland and coastal environments and the children have participated in a variety of activities including hillwalking, orienteering and sea kayaking as part of the programme.” Outdoor Learning Manager, Stramash
Stramash have created a film to tell the story of the programme. To view the film click on this link http://vimeo.com/110570839
Digital Design Studio (DDS) is a specialist department of the world famous Glasgow School of Art.
Launched in 1997, DDS focuses upon true-realistic digital 3D visualisation in the areas of Medicine and Architectural History. It produces images which are faithful reproductions of the real object in digital 3D, images with which the public can truly engage and interact.
Join Professor Paul Anderson on Monday 1st December 1.50pm for the Glow Meet where he will examine how computer graphics can be used to improve our understanding of human anatomy for both training, educational and research purposes.
For further information about DDS http://bit.ly/1v03hBA
The Royal Academy of Engineering provides leadership and promotes excellence across all fields of engineering.
The Academy has a diverse range of partners and a long history of delivering STEM enhancement and enrichment programmes in schools to inspire the next generation of engineers and technicians.
Teachers can access resources created by teachers and engineers that aim to engage school students with science, technology and mathematics by placing these subjects in engineering contexts
The most recent resource is Deployable Structures.
These resources allow the learning of maths within the engineering context of deployable structures. There are a range of Third level maths topics covered including density, nets, transformations, scale, conversions, circles, area, compound shapes problem solving. A source of challenging material for Second Level learners.
The resources consist of a teacher’s guide to explain how the activities could be used, six activities and two case studies about engineers involved in deployable structures. Please read the safety advice in each activity.
Further information about the Royal Academy of Engineering resources can be found at
EDF Energy has three main aims:
EDF have produced a variety of resources to support STEM education which can be accessed through The Pod
The most recent resource supports the WW1 centenary year.
Many schools are looking at what the war meant for the country in 1914 and the impact it had on people’s lives at the time and in the following years.
Engage your learners using a power point presentation showing how electricity was used during both World Wars.
The slides describe how some of the equipment developed during the wars – such as radar and the enigma machine has gone on to shape our modern world.
Further information can be accessed through http://jointhepod.org/resources
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 for the coming year include:
2015 Junior Saltire Awards Challenge- Design and Build a Wave Energy Convertor
Free Watt’s Watt Kit – Marks the 250th anniversary of James Watt’s invention to greatly improve the steam engine
The Ultimate STEM Challenge – Primary and Secondary Challenges
Further information, advice and contact details can be accessed through the YESC website:
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 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.
Get with the Programme
An evening of resources, ideas and discussion for computing classes and STEM clubs in primary and secondary schools.
With sessions and discussions from:
Skills Development Scotland
Code Club
Abertay university
Apps for good
FREE Professional Learning session for education practitioners
Thursday 30th October 2014, 1615-1830 at Dundee Science Centre
Delivered by
Sponsored by
Bookings can be made by contacting learning@dundeesciencecentre.org.uk, or calling 01382 868609/10.
Log on to GLOW 365 and explore the various RM Unify tiles which support learning and teaching in the sciences.
Tiles include:
Twig, which provides films and learning materials which have been mapped to the CfE Experiences and Outcomes for Sciences, Maths and Geography
Tigtag the complete online resource for primary science
Scale of the Universe and NASA 
which includes video clips of the first moon landing
The tile giving access to the ever popular TED talks will ensure your lessons stimulate debate and discussion, while the TED lesson creator allows you to create an animated lesson to enthuse and inspire your learners.
The NAR tile gives access to exemplars on science assessment and you can access our sciences Glow meets through the Glow TV tile.
Use your Glow password, log on to the RM Unify Launch pad and explore all the materials available to support the science curriculum.
Twig refresh now live!
Education Scotland and Twig World are delighted to announce the launch of the newly updated and refreshed Twig On Glow website, which coincides with the switch over to the new Glow platform. Twig continues to bring you stunning film footage and learning materials for sciences, maths and geography all linked to Curriculum for Excellence. Twig has already started the process of mapping the content to the national qualifications and there are quick links now available in the top menu bar. More links will be added as further content is mapped, for instance to the newly included Science Experiments films.
Faster loading
As well as the refreshed design interface, users will find that the new Twig On Glow site loads faster, the mind map responds more quickly and the films cache more effectively which will improve streaming.
New content on Tigtag
People and Places is the new Tigtag module for geography. Matched to Curriculum for Excellence, the module includes 223 films covering six topics:
Imperial College London and Tigtag launch free online resource to help Scotland’s primary school teachers with science
Primary school teachers can sign up now at www.reachoutcpd.com
Thinking like a scientist is a valuable skill. Analysing information, asking good questions and recognising how evidence wins arguments; all these things help people make better decisions. The time to nurture this skill is when children are naturally most curious about the world around them – when they are of primary school age.
According to a 2013 National Science Learning Centre report, only 5% of primary school teachers have a science degree, and teachers themselves say that their confidence to give inspiring science lessons rises when they have access to appropriate training, guidance and resources, to help them plug the gaps.
That’s why Imperial College London (www.imperial.ac.uk) and education technology provider Tigtag (www.tigtagworld.co.uk) have come together to support every teacher to deliver the science curriculum.
Through Reach Out CPD (Continuing Professional Development) teachers can learn directly from Imperial experts about the science they need to cover in the classroom. Offering concise topic knowledge, short films, experiment ideas and more, this new resource aims to equip all primary teachers with the skills to excite children about science. All training is delivered online in handy 20-minute units, so busy teachers can top up their knowledge anytime, anywhere on a computer, tablet or smartphone.
At the end of a course, teachers can download an official Reach Out CPD certificate endorsed by Imperial College London – one of the world’s leading science universities.
Reach Out CPD is free to Scottish teachers and will remain so!
Sign up now at www.reachoutcpd.com
More awards for TWIG
Twig World has been nominated as one of the Top 25 Most Innovative Companies within Digital Education in a new report by Total Education, the global educational technology event company. The report was compiled by interviewing experts in the major education markets around the world including teachers, industry professionals and keynote speakers. Twig World is one of only four content providers in the report. This latest acknowledgement adds to a growing list of accolades for the company. Twig World has won many international education awards including the prestigious Bett Award for the past three years running. Anthony Bouchier, CEO of Twig World says: “To be selected with the likes of Google and Microsoft just three years after launching our first product is a huge achievement and testament to the talent of our teams in Glasgow and London. We are still at the start of our mission to empower teachers and learners as digital resources reach the classroom – there’s a much more to come from us in the years ahead!”
The report is available at http://blogs.terrapinn.com/total-education/2014/09/03/top-25-innovative-companies-digital-education
Developing the Life and Ethos of West Barns Primary School
Over the past 12 months at we have been working with pupils, families and the wider community to help us develop a clear rational for our curriculum based on shared values of respect, happiness, confidence, responsibility, safety and friendliness. The school continues to develop open and supportive relationships with children and their families. We are now beginning to see the impact of many months of hard work on the life and work of the school.
This year we have introduced Learning Journeys which will support pupils in reflecting on their learning and identify their next steps as well as recording their wider achievement. We are sharing these with parents and families on a regular basis and encourage them to add their own comments, photos, certificates etc. and help their child set health and wellbeing targets. This will provide parents with a great opportunity to become more involved in their child’s learning and achievements. By the end of this first term we are already seeing pupils engaging more in discussing their learning, identifying their strengths and next steps, thinking of strategies to help them move forward and evidencing their achievements.
Parents and families also recently helped our Primary 4-7 pupils understand the importance that literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing skills will play in their adult lives. Pupils interviewed adults as part of the Family Homework task (download parents survey). Pupils then worked together to process and present the information. This gave our children a greater understanding of why it is important to master these basic skills during their school years. Younger pupils have been thinking about what jobs they would like to do when they are older and which skills they will need. Staff continue to make the links between the children’s learning and skills for learning, work and life.
This year we felt it was essential that we looked at how we could better promote emotional resilience in our pupils. We are using a whole school approach to health and wellbeing through using Edinburgh City’s ‘Creating Confident Kids’ resources (http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20075/information_for_professionals/383/learning_publications ). The Headteacher is working with all classes to develop a whole school approach through active learning and school assemblies. The Playground Committee has also been looking at ways that we could better support pupils during break times through developing games and activities and have introduced their own Playground rules.
The whole school community are now working together to develop an ethos of positive behaviour to promote effective learning and wellbeing across the school. This year, before choosing new House Captains, pupils were asked what attributes they valued most in a leader. The results were unanimous – pupils wanted role models who showed respect, kindness and responsibility. Candidates then used these findings to inform their election campaigns and now have a clear remit of what the school community expects from them in their new roles.
Our recent pupil survey showed us that our children wanted to contribute more to the life and work of the school. We are now giving all our pupils the opportunity to exercise their responsibilities through playing an active part in one of our 4 school committees. We have timetabled quality time and invested in resources to ensure that pupils have real opportunities to participate responsibly in decision-making, contribute as leaders and role models and offer support and service to others through meaningful projects that will benefit the school and our wider community.
Although we have an open door policy here at West Barns and welcome communication from parents, we were keen on trying to involve our parents more in the day to day running of the school. Our Parent Council have recruited many volunteers through the West Barns Helping Hands scheme which involves parents, families or neighbours offering their help in a variety of different ways from creating resources, digging the garden, mending toys, making curtains and helping organise events. We are seeing many more parents and families becoming involved in the school and we are making headway with many new projects thanks to their help.
Next month see how our curriculum rationale is being developed.
How Would You Make Our Environment Better?
“Take part in Our Environment Competition. Show us how you would make our environment better and win £1000! ”
The competition is open to young people of school age. It opens on 24th September 2014 and closes on 31st March 2015.
Young people need to:
Entries should:
The competition provides an engaging way of involving young people in their local environment and environmental issues.
It enables a focus on investigation and analysing skills.
It allows children to participate in scientific discussions and topical science.
There are four age categories:
Individual or group
You can develop an entry as an individual or as a group.
School or outside of school
You can submit your entries from 1st January 2015. Remember the closing date is 31st March 2015. If you submit your work by the end of February 2015 you will be eligible for a £100 prize draw.
You should submit your entry by going to the competition website. The website will ask you to fill in a simple form and then upload your application.
There is a £1000 prize for the best group entry from all the age categories, and a £100 prize for the best individual entry, money which you can use to further develop your ideas and make them happen.
In addition, there will be two prizes for each age category, one for the best individual entry and one for the best group entry.
All winners will also be invited to attend a celebration ceremony. Further information can be found on Scotland’s Environment Web.
Supporting Outdoor Learning in Secondary Schools
When: Saturday 15th November 2014
Where: Speyside High School, Aberlour
Time: 9:30am-4pm
In the revised GTCS Standards for Career Long Professional Learning teachers are required to “understand and develop the most appropriate contexts for learning including outdoor learning and be able to apply appropriate pedagogies for these environments”. This event aims to support this and build confidence and capacity in the delivery of outdoor learning in secondary schools.
Throughout the day participants will have the opportunity to attend a variety of practical outdoor workshops delivered by teachers and outdoor partners. These workshops will showcase outdoor learning approaches and will demonstrate how these can be incorporated into practice.
A market place and other networking opportunities will allow practitioners to meet with outdoor partners and find out more about the range of resources available to further support outdoor learning.
This is a free event open to secondary staff in Scotland – in particular those who are starting out on their outdoor learning journey and wish to develop their confidence in taking the curriculum outdoors. There is an expectation that those who attend this event will be willing to share their learning with colleagues in their establishment.
Registering for this event:
If you wish to attend this event please register online by Wednesday 29th October @ https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7P9PS8R
Early registration is advised as this event is likely to be very popular. Workshop choices will be sent out at the start of November.
If you would like further information about this event please contact:
Fiona Cruickshanks, Development Officer, Outdoor Learning Fiona.Cruickshanks@educationscotland.gov.uk
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
Ultimate STEM Challenge
Brought to you by BP, the Science Museum and STEMNET
The Ultimate STEM Challenge is a brand new competition brought to you by BP, the Science Museum and STEMNET.
We are asking teams of two to four students aged 11 to 14 from across the UK to put their Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths skills to the test and win some fantastic prizes, including an invitation to a celebratory event at the Science Museum in London, £500 for their school and Science Museum goodies.
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
Teachers Tea and Scones
Free
8th October 2014
4pm –6.30pm
You’re invited to meet Glasgow Science Centre’s education team, experience our shows, components of our education programme and chat to some of our executive team over tea and cakes. We’d also like to introduce you to colleagues from Cineworld, Skills Development Scotland and Whitelee Windfarm Visitor Centre, who contribute to making the Science Centre a significant education resource.
Please register your interest at http://science-glasgow.polldaddy.com/s/teacherdays
World Space Week,
4th-12th October 2014
Education activities suitable for P4-S6
Celebrate World Space Week by joining us for our space themed programme of activity. Get hands on in the Lab and explore how we can use Invisible Science to view deep space or join us in the Fantastic Forces science show where we investigate the forces needed to get a rocket into space. Stargaze in our Planetarium or experience a multimedia musical feast amongst the stars with guest presenters Let’s Talk About Space. Pupils can also engage with cutting edge research happening right here in Scotland through our Meet the Expert programme.
Please call our bookings team on 0141 420 5003 for more details.
THE SCOTTISH LEARNING FESTIVAL 2014: RAISING ACHIEVEMENT AND ATTAINMENT FOR ALL
SLF 2014 is completely FREE for everyone to attend and will support practitioners as they explore a wide range of practical approaches, resources and research aimed at improving achievement and attainment for all learners in Scotland.
There will be inspirational keynotes speeches, conversation and debate in the professional discussion sessions and professional learning seminars where you can engage in activities and learn from practitioners and young people;
This includes a number of seminars specifically aimed at addressing the sciences curriculum.
Wednesday 24th September 9.30-10.15am
Learning for sustainability – a strategic agenda for change – SLF Guide Page 7
In February 2014, the National Implementation Group for Learning for Sustainability was established to ensure all learners in schools experience global citizenship, outdoor learning, sustainability, children’s rights and play in a transformative way. This seminar will outline the ambitions of the group and this exciting agenda for change which will impact on all schools and support the introduction of the new GTCS Professional Standards.
Thursday 25th September 12.00-12.45
Supporting primary science to inspire STEM careers – SLF Guide Page 21
STEM subjects are central to Scotland’s economic future and our health and wellbeing. They also offer a range of excellent career opportunities for young people. This seminar will demonstrate how SSERC and Education Scotland provide valuable support for primary practitioners to enthuse and inspire learners about science and STEM careers.
Thursday 25th September 13.15-14.00
Engaging pupils with science – SLF Guide Page 23
Outlining the various projects Aberdeen City have developed, which have increased pupils’ engagement and enthusiasm in science. This includes the S6 Science Ambassador Award; Science Buddy Award; P6/7 Science Champions; Intertek Science Fair; Science for PSAs & Playground Science.
Wednesday 24th September 14:00 -14:30
Thursday 25th September 11-11.30am
Conversation Area : Supporting the Sciences
Meet the Education Scotland Sciences Team and explore the vast range of support available across all levels of the sciences curriculum. Discuss how to enthuse and motivate learners and practitioners through real life contexts and partnership working.
To book your place browse the conference programme, note the seminars you want to
attend and visit the SLF website – www.scottishlearningfestival.org.uk.
Register on line today.
Dundee Science Centre Science Learning Institute is a partnership for professional development in learning, teaching and public engagement with science.
The Science Learning Institute is a collaborative approach to providing support and development for the many professions who engage with learners throughout the community. Dundee Science Centre’s vision is a culture of curiosity, confidence and engagement with science for the whole community, and we are working with our partners to provide high quality and interprofessional training for practising professionals, those in further and higher education, STEM Ambassadors and others working with children and young people in formal and informal learning settings, to enhance learning for all across our region.
Working in partnership allows us to support you in making your teaching relevant, engaging and challenging, reflecting cutting-edge science in Dundee and the surrounding area, Scotland and beyond.
Through joint programming, a wide range of learning sessions and courses are created and delivered by the Dundee Science Centre Science Learning Institute team and partners. We are delighted to have funding to cover the costs of attendance. Please not that this is limited, so please get in touch soon to reserve a place for the session(s) you’d like to attend.
To help with your planning, we have arranged our information in date order and have indicated suggested level for each session. For more information on our offerings, please see our website where information on Curriculum for Excellence organisers and significant aspects of learning can also be found for each offering.
Except where stated, all courses are open to all professions and backgrounds. We look forward to welcoming and working with you.
Upcoming Professional Learning sessions
www.DSCScienceLearningInstitute.org.uk
Kindly supported by the Mathew Trust and Dundee City Council
Edinburgh International Festival is an educational charity. Each year it delivers one of Europe’s largest science festivals, a primary school education programme and a variety of international projects.
A key part is Generation Science.
Generation Science tours all over Scotland bringing educational and entertaining performances to your classroom, including hands on activities.
This year, to compliment the Logo Mindstorms Challenge workshop, there will be a Mindstorms Advanced workshop where learners will be challenged to use their programming skills to rescue a robot stranded on another island.
Through the Fuel Hunters workshop learners will become exploratory engineers and discover the origins of oil.
The Generation Science team deliver science workshops from Early to Second Level. The team will come to your establishment and support your delivery of transition projects, science fayres and science themed days.
For further information call 0131 553 0321 or download the Generation Science Brochure www.generationscience.co.uk
Following the publication of its 3-18 Curriculum Impact Report for Sciences in September 2012, Education Scotland organised a series of conversation days where priorities for action to secure improvements in science education nationally were identified.
Key aspects for development emerged, which included primary and early years practitioners requiring:
To address each aspect the sciences team will be hosting three Glow meets, complimented by a series of professional learning twilight sessions.
The first Glow meet Supporting the Sciences: planning the primary & early years science curriculum will take place on Wednesday 17th September 3.45 – 4.30pm.
To register for the glow meet: http://bit.ly/supportingthesciences1
Further information regarding dates and venues for the professional learning twilights relating to this Glow meet will be available shortly.
Following the publication of its 3-18 Curriculum Impact Report for Sciences in September 2012, Education Scotland organised a series of conversation days where priorities for action to secure improvements in science education nationally were identified.
Key aspects for development emerged, which included primary and early years practitioners requiring:
To address each aspect the sciences team will be hosting three Glow meets, complimented by a series of professional learning twilight sessions.
The first Glow meet Supporting the Sciences: planning the primary & early years science curriculum will take place on Wednesday 17th September 3.45 – 4.30pm
To register for the glow meet: http://bit.ly/supportingthesciences1
Further information regarding dates and venues for the professional learning twilights relating to this Glow meet will be available shortly.
