Author: Malcolm Wilson

Digital Support from DigiLearnScot for Going Virtual or Hybrid

From time to time, and sometimes with little notice, situations arise which require learning and teaching to move from in-school settings to virtual or sometimes a hybrid of some pupils/staff in-school and some pupils/staff remote.

Education Scotland’s DigiLearnScot site has a range of resources online, created from webinars drawing on experiences from many educators around the country and elsewhere, which can provide advice, guidance and illustrations of how virtual, remote or hybrid might work in different situations

The following are selected from the wide range of support available on the DigitLearnScot site at https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/digilearn

Making your virtual classroom more real

Making your virtual classroom more real – how we plan learning, teaching and assessment in a digital environment, regardless of the digital platform being used. A recorded webinar by George Milliken where he starts by asking the questions of himself as a teacher “Am I starting with experiences/outcomes, learning intentions and then success criteria?” “Which aspects will suit in-class delivery, which online?” “How does this link in with class learning?” “What happens when a learner is stuck? “How will support be provided for the parents/carers of the pupils supporting their children/young people?”

Whiteboards and Notebooks

Whiteboards and Notebooks – illustration of virtual whiteboard/notebook tools within Glow which may be useful tools for learners to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding – making them effective assessment opportunities. The recorded webinars at this section of the DigiLearnScot site https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/digilearn/2021/02/09/whiteboards-and-notebooks/ provide different videos to illustrate different tools within Glow (Microsoft OneNote, Google Jamboard, and Microsoft Whiteboard) showing use at different stages or curricular areas to suit different experiences and tools in use for different schools

Pathways for Professional Learning

What if you’re looking for the resources to support you if you are looking for support about a particular stage, or if your schools uses a specific digital platform? The DigiLearnScot Professional Learning landing page gives you a launchboard to whichever of these best suits you, whether hearing about the experience of your colleagues in other parts of the country, or all you might need about iPads in Education, Google Workspace for Education, or Microsoft Office 365, or anytime learning by a particular stage: https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/digilearn/professional-learning/

 

How will I find what I need for my situation in my educational establishment?

The DigiLearnScot site has a wide range of posts which serve to illustrate the digital learning journeys/experiences across the country of different education settings, large and small, all stages and ages, and across the curriculum.

If your school uses Google then there are specific resources to support using the tools available in that platform, and likewise if your school uses Microsoft then there is a range of support materials available to support that platform too.

To find what will best support you then click into the search box on the DigiLearnScot site and start with a search for the tool with which you and your learners are most familiar. The following link here will present a series of posts (illustrations of experiences from different educators from around the country as well as how-to video guides for the use of specific digital tools or platforms) which can be found by entering the search term “virtual” https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/digilearn/?s=virtual

 

Wee blether about how Microsoft Teams has been used across the curriculum

Join educators from across Forth Valley and West Lothian Regional Improvement Collaborative for a wee blether about how Microsoft Teams has been used across the curriculum. Share what’s worked for you and your learners

Are you teaching using Microsoft Teams? Are you wondering how others are using the features of Microsoft Teams with their learners?

Then why not join in a chat with colleagues doing likewise from other schools in Forth Valley and West Lothian Regional Improvement Collaborative (Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, Stirling and West Lothian) – share what’s worked for you and your learners, and hear from others.

Join educators from across FVWL RIC for a wee blether on how Microsoft Teams has been used across the curriculum. Share what’s worked for you and your learners. The conversations will be facilitated by Education Scotland and FVWL RIC digital officers. There are different sessions for educators to choose depending on whether your pupils are first level, second level, third level or fourth level, so you can join in whichever sessions suit you.

A Glow login is required to join these sessions. They will take place on Glow, in the FVWL Webinars Digital Learning and Teaching channel in Microsoft Teams. Just sign up at the link below for your choice of session, and joining details will also be sent to you to confirm your place:

First Level Teams Wee Blethers – Monday 9 November 4.30pm-5.30pm – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/126305125029
Second Level Teams Wee Blethers – Thursday 12 November 4.30pm-5.30pm – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/126314781913
Third Level Teams Wee Blethers – Monday 23 November 4.30pm-5.30pm – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/126315088831
Fourth Level Teams Wee Blethers – Thursday 26 November 4.30pm-5.30pm – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/126315475989

 

Forth Valley and West Lothian Education Scotland Team Update February 2020

Click on the link below for the Forth Valley and West Lothian Regional Improvement Collaborative Education Scotland Team Update for February 2020.

FVWL_ES_Team_Update_February_2020

In this update read about work which has been undertaken alongside partners across the FVWL Regional Improvement Collaborative (RIC) highlighting one or two particular actions the Education Scotland team members have been engaged in and drawing upon their national roles and engagements.

The FVWL Education Scotland Team involves staff with a range of expertise, combining their national remits with support for the FVWL RIC.

FV&WL RIC Workstream Plans 2019-2020

We have set out our vision and priorities. In this document workstreams provide a detailed overview of their aims, priorities and plans set out in short, medium and long term timescales for implementation.

 

FV&WL RIC Workstream plans 2019-2020

 

The underpinning workstreams are Improving Performance, and Career Long Professional Learning (CLPL), which support the work of the core priority work streams: Numeracy, Literacy and Early Learning and Child Care (ELC). New workstreams have also been introduced this session: Health and Wellbeing (HWB), and Curriculum including STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

We work in close partnership with colleagues in Community Learning and Development (whose plan is included in this document) and the RIC Educational Psychology team who are supporting the CLPL plan. The
RIC Education Scotland team have worked collaboratively with the RIC Strategic Board and the Connect workstream leads to develop an offer of support that ties with local authority and national plans.

 

February 2020 Edition of Forth Valley and West Lothian Regional Improvement Collaborative Newsletter

Click on the link below for the February 2020 edition of Forth Valley and West Lothian Regional Improvement Collaborative Newsletter.

February 2020 FVWLRIC Newsletter

This edition of the Forth Valley and West Lothian Regional Improvement Collaborative Newsletter highlights the Ferre Laevers event and Nursery Equity and Excellence Leads/Nursery Teacher Network in the Early Years Workstream; the Literacy Workstream CLPL programme including the “It’s a good time to give it LAL-day literacy showcase; Maths recovery, P1/2 Conceptual Understanding, 5/10 frame training, cuisenaire rods and Numicon Intervention programme in the Numeracy Workstream; bringing our Early, Primary, Secondary and Community Learning & Development colleagues together onto the same professional learning platform by the end of June 2020 in the CLPL workstream; Data Literacy CLPL programme in the Performance Workstream; and new appointments and priorities for the health and wellbeing workstream.

 

Forth Valley and West Lothian Education Scotland Team Update January 2020

Click on this link for the Forth Valley and West Lothian Regional Improvement Collaborative Education Scotland Team Update for January 2020. In this update read about work which has been undertaken alongside partners across the FVWL Regional Improvement Collaborative (RIC) highlighting one or two particular actions the Education Scotland team members have been engaged in and drawing upon their national roles and engagements.

The FVWL Education Scotland Team involves staff with a range of expertise, combining their national remits with support for the FVWL RIC.

Winter Edition of Forth Valley and West Lothian Regional Improvement Collaborative Newsletter

Click on the link below for the winter edition of Forth Valley and West Lothian Regional Improvement Collaborative Newsletter.

Forth Valley and West Lothian RIC Winter Newsletter December 2019

It has been a busy period with the establishment of 3 new priority areas for development: Health & Well Being, Curriculum and STEM.

Detailed outlines of plans for all work streams can be found in the Plan 2019-2022 which can be found on our RIC Blog.

Our main focus as a Collaborative is to enable people to come together and support improvement in areas such as learning and teaching, developing curriculum and raising attainment in numeracy and literacy.

The RIC CLPL programme and the Numeracy & Literacy Academies are designed to support these specific areas, build knowledge, skills and confidence for practitioners, making a difference for children from age 3-18. If you would like to know more about what your school is getting involved with across the RIC, a map of involvement will be produced in January along with the ‘Plan on a Page’.

You are also part of a neighbourhood of schools and your Head Teacher/Head of Establishment can provide details of your group and its activities.

Forth Valley & West Lothian Education Scotland Team Update December 2019

 

Click on this link for the Forth Valley and West Lothian Regional Improvement Collaborative Education Scotland Team Update for December 2019. In this update read about work which has been undertaken alongside partners across the FVWL Regional Improvement Collaborative (RIC) highlighting one or two particular actions the Education Scotland team members have been engaged in and drawing upon their national roles and engagements.

The FVWL Education Scotland Team involves staff with a range of expertise, combining their national remits with support for the FVWL RIC.

Forth Valley & West Lothian Regional Improvement Collaborative Plan 2019-2022

Click on the link below for the Forth Valley & West Lothian Regional Improvement Collaborative Plan 2019-2022

FVWL Regional Improvement Collaborative Plan 2019-22

This Regional Improvement Plan is for the Forth Valley and West Lothian Improvement Collaborative and takes account of the following national and local plans and advice for Falkirk, West Lothian, Stirling and Clackmannanshire:

  • 2019 National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan for Scottish Education
  • Education Reform-Joint Agreement (Scottish Government, June 2018)
  • Regional Improvement Collaborative plan 2018-2019
  • Local Outcome Improvement Plans
  • Integrated Children’s Services Plans
  • School Improvement Plans 2019-2020

This phase of the plan has been informed by:

  • The review of the Forth Valley & West Lothian Regional Improvement Plan (Phase 2)
  • Regional Improvement Collaboratives (RICs): Interim Review, November 2018

Autumn 2019 Newsletter

The latest Newsletter for Autumn 2019 is available now to read here.

Find out more about what’s happening within the Forth Valley and West Lothian Regional Improvement Collaborative.

There’s a spotlight on Career Long Professional Learning (and you can download the latest CLPL programme here); and you can find out about the latest developments within the Literacy Workstream, Numeracy Workstream, and Early Learning and Childcare Workstream.

Click here for the Autumn-Newsletter-2019

Click here for the latest CLPL programme