Category: Main News

Any posts with this will be shown on the home page (latest) and new page

Additional Teaching Qualification in Computing Studies CPD Award

Additional Teaching Qualification in Computing Studies CPD Award

The course is designed to allow you to teach computing within secondary schools as it has the required numbers of credits stated by the GTCS. The programme is designed to be a roll on roll off programme as each of the units are separate although designed to encompass what is involved in the computing curriculum by the end of the course.

The module, Computer Systems will be delivered over 14 weeks and the semester will start Week beginning 29th August 2022 with an online induction, with the course commencing week beginning 5th September 2022.

The courses are open to any teachers with the relevant entry qualifications (degree and existing teaching qualification) who have an interest in computing or cyber security.

There is normally a weekly lecture and support session that lasts for approx. an hour, or more if required, with further e mail support available. The sessions are certainly beneficial as they allow you to ask questions there and then. However, the course is designed to be taught when is convenient for all the students and all lectures and tutorial session are recorded for viewing at your leisure.

 

There is only one module delivered each semester with no time off required during the school day. The lectures are recorded for students unable to attend in person. All activity is carried out online the majority of which happens asynchronously. The modules have a notional 200 hours per module over the semester. It would depend on your previous experience on whether you needed all that time. If you were able to set aside a day at the weekend or a couple of evenings for study, you would not be far off what is required for achieving the award.

 

To gain accreditation with the GTCS you need to teach a certain number of hours in computing, and you would need to discuss that with your local head teacher, as we only provide the academic requirement. This equates to 0.42 teaching or 100 teaching days.

 

The price is £215 per module, and this can be paid on a module-by-module basis. As the modules are 20 credits each if you were to do two in an academic year you may be eligible for SAAS funding. It is suggested contacting SAAS directly if you are planning to start next semester and confirm whether you would be eligible for funding.

 

You can apply through the university web site located HERE or searching for the Additional Teaching Qualification in Computing Studies CPD award at https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/ under courses.

 

Please get in touch if you have any further questions

 

Gordon.macpherson.ic@uhi.ac.uk

Introduction to Cyber Security for Teachers

Introduction to Cyber Security for Teachers – Funded places available!

The CPD award Introduction to Cyber Security, jointly funded by Education Scotland, was created for ALL primary and secondary teachers and designed to give background knowledge and understanding related to teaching basic cybersecurity and configuring an environment suitable for cybersecurity education.

The module allows you to get a basic practical understanding of cybersecurity and cyber resilience and the relationship between these two areas of security. This will enable you to have the awareness and confidence to support pupils and create practical activities and content. The module content is levelled at SCQF 7 however is appropriate for teachers delivering to BOTH primary and secondary pupils.

The module will be delivered over 14 weeks and the semester will start Week beginning 29th August 2022 with an online induction with the course commencing week beginning 5th September 2022.

With the support of Education Scotland, we have funding for teachers to enrol on the module. The usual cost of the module would be £215. It is recommended you apply as soon as possible as the funding will be allocated on date of application.

The courses are open to any teacher with the relevant entry qualifications (degree and existing teaching qualification) who have an interest in computing or cyber security.

 

There is normally a weekly lecture and support session that lasts for approx. an hour, or more if required, with further e mail support available. The sessions are certainly beneficial as they allow you to ask questions there and then. However, the course is designed to be taught when is convenient for all the students and all lectures and tutorial session are recorded for viewing at your leisure.

No time off will be required during the school day. The lectures are recorded for students unable to attend in person. All activity is carried out online the majority of which happens asynchronously. The modules have a notional 200 hours per module over the semester. It would depend on your previous experience on whether you needed all that time. If you were able to set aside a day at the weekend or a couple of evenings for study, you would not be far off what is required for achieving the award.

 

You can apply for the course with this link:
https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/courses/cpd-award-introduction-to-cyber-security/

Please get in touch if you have any further questions:

Gordon.macpherson.ic@uhi.ac.uk

Scottish schools to receive 20 micro:bits

Every primary and secondary school in Scotland will receive 20 V.2 micro:bits, in a partnership between The Micro:Bit Education Foundation, Nominet and The Scottish Government. The roll out of these devices started in May 2022 and is still continuing.  Alongside this there is free comprehensive teaching resources and professional learning for all educators.  Primary schools will be the first to receive the devices followed by secondary schools.

The BBC micro:bit is a pocket-sized computer that introduces you to how software and hardware work together. It has an LED light display, buttons, sensors, built-in microphone and speaker, and many input/output features that, when programmed, let it interact with you and your world.

Professional Learning Offer

  • Resources and professional learning to get you started with microbit.org/primary
  • Professional learning courses from micro:bit – Micro:bit Educational Foundation (thinkific.com)
  • New 3 part course, This is Micro:bit, which can be found on the webinars page of DigiLearnScot.  This course will be offered again in the new academic year 22′-23′.
  • DigiLearnComputingScience provides a comprehensive overview of the micro:bit V1 and V2 and you can also access our watch again webinar on Getting started with micro:bit.
  • The Micro:bit Education Foundation provides extensive access to learning resources, ideas, and support to help get practitioners and learners started using the devices or to move onto more complex projects using the micro:bit.
  • Barefoot have created lesson plans to support outdoor learning with the micro:bit for ages 7 – 11.
  • Request free micro:bit posters and stickers for your school here.
  • Join our national computing science glow teams community for ELC & primary educators here.

Scottish Government Have Released £1.3m Capital Spend for Computer Science Equipment in Scottish Schools

The Education Secretary has announced up to £1.3m for Computing Science education in Scottish schools. Schools will be able to use this money, which will go directly to them, to buy physical computing resources to support engagement with Computing Science in the BGE stages. They are able to access £2000, with additional £500 available for resources that will be incorporated into transition events with associated primary schools or pupils with additional support needs.

 

She also announced two appointments to the new teacher-led the University of Glasgow ‘STACS’ initiative, which aims to help prepare pupils for careers in tech.

Read the full announcement here

Computing Science in Local Authority Secondary Schools

This paper provides an overview of Computing Science delivery in Local Authority secondary schools.

Education Scotland carried out a survey of 356 schools between July 2021 and October 2021. The survey was promoted via local authority technologies leads, Computing Science teacher groups and Education Scotland officer contacts with local authorities and RICs. At the point of writing, the survey had 309/356 unique local authority school responses. This represents 86.8% of local authority secondary schools. While this is the majority of schools, it is acknowledged that the survey data is not complete and that this paper should be treated as provisional in this respect.

The survey collected data relating to Computing teacher numbers, delivery of Computing Science in S1/2 and opportunities for learners to study Computing Science or related courses in the senior phase.

The paper also provides an overview of Senior Phase Computing Science uptake and attainment, including summary data relating to attainment and deprivation.

View the document here

Cyber Scotland Week 2022 – Capture the Flag with Try Hack Me for Secondary Schools

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F4Z_0pMxE0]

 

CAPTURE THE FLAG NOW

 

This page is for secondary teachers interested in entering teams into a FREE cyber security Capture the Flag event on TryHackMe.

The challenges will be suitable for complete beginners as well as experienced tech-savvy students. Try Hack Me will support teachers with three recorded lessons. This information might be useful to know before starting with the recorded lessons and the Capture the Flag event:
TryHackMe | Network Fundamentals

This video from TryHackMe gives an overview of the platform to get you started

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3iRaVEJ6zs]

 

 

SIGN UP NOW CLOSED

Recorded Lessons

lesson 1

 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMqBv5M4fXE]

lesson 2

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lCHlt5-M2Y]

lesson 3

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l__MsMtUxa0]

Room for them to follow along: https://tryhackme.com/jr/introdigitalforensics

Room to complete after https://tryhackme.com/jr/windowsforensics1

digital wellbeing award

The Digital Wellbeing Award for Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety – Digital Schools Award

The Digital Wellbeing Award for Cyber Resilience and Internet Safety is designed to provide education professionals with the resources and support required to help pupils safely navigate the digital world.

Schools that successfully complete the programme receive a nationally recognised award by Education Scotland.
Register your school 

 

Find out more about:

Digital Schools Award

Digital Wellbeing Award

Digilearn.scot Shortlisted for Scottish Cyber Awards 2021

We’re delighted, and immensely proud to be able to announce that we have been shortlisted for two awards at the upcoming Scottish Cyber Awards 2021.
Even to be shortlisted is a great achievement for us and we’d like to thank all of the educators who have engaged with us, and also our Education Scotland colleagues that support us.

The awards we’re shortlisted for are:

  • Best Cyber Education Programme category for the
  • Best New Cyber Talent

We can’t wait to see you all at the Cyber Awards and hear about the impact that everyone’s work us having across the country.

#ScotCyberAwards21

Digilearn.scot Shortlisted for Scottish Cyber Awards 2021

We’re delighted, and immensely proud to be able to announce that we have been shortlisted for two awards at the upcoming Scottish Cyber Awards 2021.
Even to be shortlisted is a great achievement for us and we’d like to thank all of the educators who have engaged with us, and also our Education Scotland colleagues that support us.

The awards we’re shortlisted for are:

  • Best Cyber Education Programme category for the
  • Best New Cyber Talent

We can’t wait to see you all at the Cyber Awards and hear about the impact that everyone’s work us having across the country.

#ScotCyberAwards21

P6 Pupils at Noblehill Primary School are European Runners Up in the Microbit Do Your Bit Challenge

During Term 4 of last session, P6 pupils at Noblehill Primary School in Dumfries and Galloway took part in a Micro:Bit Global Challenge.  Their challenge was to design a ‘gadget’ which would support the work currently being undertaken  around the world to support climate change.  The pupils chose Verity, Lilly and Sophie’s design ‘Shell Cam’ as the winners and this was entered into a global competition.  Shell Cam was designed to be hidden somewhere on the beach and video all the different species that spent time there.  This information would then be sent back to scientists so they could track the movement and number of species. 

We have recently heard the amazing news that the design was chosen as runner up in Europe!!! 

3 learners holding microbits and design for do your bit project

The success has been posted on the Micro:Bit webpage along with the answers to a few questions that our amazing team had to give: 

How do you feel being runners-up in Europe?
– ‘Amazed, surprised, actually can’t believe it, it’s just WOW!’ 

Why did you choose to tackle the problem of animals becoming extinct?
– ‘A lot of animals are becoming extinct and food chains are being damaged so we wanted to think of a way to help.’ 

How long have you been using the micro:bit?
– ‘We have only used them 3 or 4 times but we loved them.’ 

 How has taking part in do your:bit inspired you?
– ‘We want to know more about what the Micro:Bits can do as well as help the environment.’ 

What will you create next?
– ‘Maybe a similar kind of thing but more for plants/ flowers, different types of nature.’ 

Well done team, Noblehill are very proud of you!
Lindsey Kirkwood, Principal Teacher, Noblehill Primary School