We began with music this week, and looking at rhythm and beat. Using only drumsticks or beaters, we learned how to tap out the beat to a number of different songs and genres. Similar to the figure notes system we looked earlier in the module, we used a very basic coded system designed to introduce children slowly to the timings of notes. Using words with the same number of syllables as beats in a note, for example ‘square’ for a crotchet and ‘circle’ for a quaver, even the most musically challenged of us (me!) could pick it up easily. This was then extended to the more common ‘ta’ and ‘te-te’ system of counting out the rhythm. We progressed on to the symbols for each note, and then on to reading traditional music notation, including rests and bars. We practiced playing different songs of varying difficulty within these systems, progressing rapidly through a programme that would usually stretch over a number of terms in primary school, to give us an overview of how much the children would learn and develop over the course of this programme. The final activity shown was an interactive task that enabled children to compose their own beat using the various different notes to produce four-beat bars.
Within the visual arts workshop, we discussed as a cohort, the experiences we had each had on placement within the arts. It was clear that there was a lot of similarities and routinisation in our experiences, with not a lot of originality observed. This led on to consideration of alternative themes to use for art; swapping ‘Christmas’ art for ‘Winter’ art, looking at myths such as the firefox legend surrounding the Northern Lights, and thinking about how these could be used to inspire creativity and originality in ideas. Another idea discussed was the notion of removing one of the senses to cause children to think creatively and extend their imaginations – for example playing a movie clip without showing the visuals and encouraging the children to draw their interpretation of the scene. This activity does not require a lot of resources – a simple pencil drawing would suffice – but gives children a chance to develop the basic skill of drawing. Tim Ingold (2013) tells us that we are educating children out of drawing by placing so much more value on writing, which makes this a highly effective activity to impress upon learners the value of drawing and creative interpretation.
The last point discussed was from an international standpoint. We looked at how the environment can be used in the creation of art, through the use of snow in Finnish schools as a material for art. Whilst we don’t get enough snowfall in Scotland to be able to produce anything close to the scale of snow art in Finland, it is worthwhile considering the opportunities the environment can offer for art – using seasonal materials such as fallen leaves in autumn and colourful flowers in spring and summer allows children to create without the restriction of traditional materials.
The common thread running between both of today’s inputs for me has been the idea of stripping things back to basics, and using minimal resources to get the creative juices flowing. When children are shown that they can compose music with something as simple as two drumsticks, or create sculptures from nature’s materials, they are shown the value of their imagination.
REFERENCES
Ingold, T. (2013) Thinking Dangerously in Teacher Education Conference Keynote Speech 34.03 mins. [Online] Available: https://vimeo.com/77119799 [Accessed: 5 October 2017]
Climate Change is a controversial topic most of the time. The term Global Warming, often used synonymously with climate change, can bring out a range of strong opinions; is it really happening? Is it a natural phenomenon that happens repeatedly throughout history, or is it a man-made issue? Regardless of where you stand on this, the evidence is there to show that since the Industrial Revolution, the Earth’s temperature has risen immensely compared to patterns throughout history (Met Office, 2015). Whether we have caused climate change or not, there is no denying that we are exacerbating the problem.
It is easy for us here in Scotland, to say that climate change is not a problem, where is the evidence of global warming when we only get one day of summer a year?! However, in the short film Antarctica on the Edge (2017), it is obvious that the effects of climate change are most clearly seen in the more remote biomes of our planet. The Antarctic and southern oceans influence the whole world’s weather systems and ocean currents. This means that we are all affected by the melting ice from the region, whether we want to believe it or not.
When a piece of the Mertz Glacier measuring over 26 square kilometres broke away in 2010, it had massive repercussions. Enabling scientists to explore the large area of the ocean floor now exposed for the first time, they discovered vast holes and caverns in the underwater ice. Referring to the ice as “rotten”, the scientists explain this as the result of warmer ocean currents causing the core of the glacier to melt. The presence of air bubbles seven metres down in the ice show signs of salt water infiltrating the glacier and weakening the ice.
I found the film very informative. Although I was aware that the remains of dead marine creatures contained carbon and were fossilised or ground into tiny particles in the sea bed, I had not made the connection between this and the role nature plays in the removal of carbon in the ocean to beneath the sea floor until I witnessed the brittle starfish immobilise and devour the fish on the ocean floor.
I also increased my knowledge of the role of aerosol particles in the air, and the implications on our water cycle of the air quality. It was interesting to hear how knowledge of how clouds are formed and the variations of this from before the Industrial Revolution can impact climate change, as this was not something I had ever considered. I did however have some concerns about the impact this scientific voyage would have on the environment of the Antarctic, particularly observing the blasé way the ship seemed to crunch through the sea ice. It seemed slightly ironic that they would break the ice up even further, in their quest to prevent the ice breaking up!
Climate Change Scotland Act
In terms of how this has affected my own life, I would say that it has not had much of an effect as I almost feel as if I am one step ahead of the government on this issue. Having been a teenager in Ireland when the plastic bag levy was introduced there in 2002, it quickly became habit to bring your own bag. I incurred strange looks for a few years when producing my own reusable bags in supermarkets in Scotland. However, I have not once paid for a plastic bag since the levy was enforced here, as it was already second nature to me. Similarly, I had been separating my waste for recycling in Ireland, long before it was rolled out in Scotland and so my family were already in the habit of separating waste before municipal refuse was recycled in Scotland.
I was delighted to see that the Scottish Government’s initial interim target of reducing CO2 emissions by 42% of the 1990 baseline by 2020 was exceeded six years early in 2014 (Scottish Government, 2017).
One issue I would really like to see the government tackle, is the amount of plastic used by our supermarkets. The human race managed to survive for thousands of years before the invention of plastic, so there is no reason why we couldn’t cope without it again. With 9 out of 10 people calling for a plastic free aisle in UK supermarkets, it wouldn’t take long for big businesses to see that a complete overhaul of the way we shop would be a welcome change for most people (A Plastic Planet, 2017). There is provision in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 for this to happen (section 83 ), however my search for any information on any proposals towards this came to nothing.
Carbon Footprint:
I was very satisfied with the results of my carbon footprint test, however I do feel that some questions were quite vague and made assumptions that may not be accurate, for example my monthly spend on cosmetic products is quite high, and this is obviously taken to equate to overconsumption by the diagnostic test. It doesn’t take into consideration that the reason I spend so much, is that I only buy cosmetic products that have been made using all natural, ethically and sustainably sourced materials and ingredients, using only recycled/biodegradable containers and packaging. This is something I am quite zealous about, as I try very hard to avoid the ethical and moral consequences of purchasing popular branded products using palm oil, animal testing etc.
Although the test results indicate I am saving 5% of my carbon share, the implications of my travel are quite high. This is due to the fact that travelling to university is a 68 mile round trip, four days a week by car. Unfortunately, this is due to the excessive costs of travelling by train: the price of a weekly train ticket to university is £15 more than my weekly petrol costs, and this includes my husband using the car at the weekends, along with taking children to afterschool activities etc. I definitely feel that the government could do more to improve public transport for people, for example improving reliability and lowering costs.
Johnstone is a relatively medium-sized town in the royal burgh of Renfrewshire, in the west of Scotland. Under electoral ward designation, Johnstone is split into two categories: Johnstone North, which is categorised together with the nearby villages of Kilbarchan and Lochwinnoch, and Johnstone South, which is teamed up with the village to its immediate east, Elderslie. The combined population of these two electoral wards in 2016 was 30,639 (Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics Guide, 2017).
Johnstone has a variety of different buildings, from the recently refurbished remains of the 16th century castle right in the middle of the Johnstone Castle housing scheme, to the strikingly modern town hall built in 2015.
Johnstone Town Hall – by Paisley Scotland CC BY 2.0Johnstone Castle – by Alex McGregor CC BY-SA 4.0
The town centre has two public squares,Ludovic Square and Houston Square, both named after the family of estate owners who founded the basis of the current town in the late 18th century. Houston square boasts a war memorial and a band stand, both of which are unfortunately given very little attention outwith Remembrance week. The town centre also hosts many retail business, with three supermarkets, numerous restaurants and cafes, hairdressers and beauty salons. Recently opened in the old registry office building is a café/ice cream parlour, with a games room and outdoor space for local teens to hang out.
Originally a mining town in the 16th & 17th centuries, the 18th & 19th centuries saw Johnstone grow as a cotton mill town, with Paton’s Mill and bootlace factory being a cornerstone of the town. The old mill still lies in ruins, a pain in the backside of the local fire service as the local arsonists regularly try to destroy what is left. The Hannah’s sweet factory on Walkinshaw Street is now the most notable manufacturing business in the town, with the firm’s infamous white mice being exported all over Europe.
Within the new town hall, are many community services. Police Scotland and Renfrewshire Council both have access points within the building. There is also a performance area, where a number of local schools took part in a collaborative dance initiative led by YDance, titled “Look Up, Look Out, Look Under” in March of this year. The town library is also located within the town hall building, and is a valued resource for many of the town’s residents.
Residential dwellings are a mixture of terraced and semi-detached houses, maisonettes, flats and some more modern apartment blocks. Two new private housing estates have been built within the last 18 months at the outskirts of the town. There is also one tower block of high flats in the town centre. Most of the properties are council and ex-council houses and flats, which were built to accommodate the overspill from Springburn in the 1950’s and 60s.
Johnstone has four non-denominational primary schools, three Catholic primary schools, four nurseries and pre-5 centres and one high school. Located within the grounds of Johnstone High is the Johnstone Sports Hub, run by Renfrewshire Leisure. It boasts a swimming pool, sports facilities, gym, fitness classes and astro turf pitches. Local schools operate a rota system for pupils to take part in swimming lessons during school term.
Johnstone has several green spaces, most notably Thomas Shanks Park, known locally as ‘the public park’. However, most of these areas contain little or no playground equipment for children to use, and those that do are poorly maintained and often unsafe. Corseford, a council housing scheme to the south west of the town, has no facilities whatsoever for young residents. Community centres are few and far between, leaving young people in the area to try and find their own entertainment, meaning the area does experience bouts of anti-social behaviour.
Johnstone has two train stations, Johnstone station to the north-east boundary of the town, and Milliken Park to the south west, both of which are on the Ayr/Largs to Glasgow line. Bus services to Glasgow city centre and nearby towns are run by McGill’s, who have a depot located close to the Milliken Park railway station, and local shuttle bus services by Keycoaches. Johnstone is also located in the flight path for Glasgow Airport, and this causes some noise pollution to the town. By way of compensation, Glasgow Airport Flight Path Fund provide financial assistance in the form of grants to local community groups who are affected (Glasgow Airport, 2017).
For such an urbanised town, Johnstone does have a remarkable natural environment right on its doorstep; the stunning Rannoch and Bluebell woods surrounding the Johnstone Castle estate provide a variety of wildlife, from foxes, squirrels and deer, to owls and bats at night time. The woods lead right up to the Glennifer Braes in the south, and provide beautiful and stimulating walks for dog walkers, children and amateur hikers alike. The numerous streams and burns are rich in pondlife and on a summer’s day, the woods are peppered with the sound of local children playing ‘tig’.
Bluebell Woods – author’s own image
I was pleasantly surprised to find the air pollution of Johnstone rated at level 2 – low, but also quite shocked to find that this was higher than Glasgow city centre’s rating of 1 (Air Quality in Scotland, 2017). I had wrongly assumed that the air quality of the city centre would be worse than a suburban town, however research shows that due to shorter commuting distances, and the close proximity of services in cities, cities residents expend less energy per capita that their more rural counterparts (European Environment Agency, 2013).
To devise a lesson in which a class of primary 5 pupils can investigate their urban environment, I would start with a discussion on the different types of housing that exist both in Scotland and around the world, and the benefits and disadvantages of each (SCO 2-13a). I would then organise a walk for pupils around the local area, to investigate and record the different types of housing present and how prevalent each is. Back in the classroom, I would ask the children to think about and discuss what they think these types of homes were chosen, and what impact this has on the local area. I would then encourage the children to devise a plan for a proposed new housing development in their local area, and get them to research features of houses that they could include, and the impact these would have on the environment (SCO 2-10a, SCO 2-8a, SCO 2-8b). This could be extended across the curriculum to include literacy, art and design, technology and numeracy by creating brochures and advertisements for their proposed development, creating a model of their development and investigating potential costings for the development based on different materials and options.
REFERENCES
Air Quality in Scotland, 2017. [Online] Available: www.scottishairquality.co.uk [Accessed: 22 September 2017]
Curriculum for Excellence: Social Studies Experiences and Outcomes [Online] Available: https://www.education.gov.scot/Documents/social-studies-eo.pdf [Accessed 22 September 2017]
European Environment Agency, 2013. Urban Environment [Online] Available: https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/urban/intro [Accessed: 22 September 2017]
Glasgow Airport, 2017 Flightpath fund [Online] Available: http://www.glasgowairport.com/community/flightpath-fund/ [Accessed : 22 September 2017]
Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics Guide, 2017. [Online] Available: http://statistics.gov.scot/resource?uri=http://statistics.gov.scot/id/statistical-geography/S13003082 and http://statistics.gov.scot/resource?uri=http://statistics.gov.scot/id/statistical-geography/S13003083 [Accessed: 22 September 2017]
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