If you are unsure who your Digital Learning Champion is, please do reach out!
Category Archives: News & Updates
Safer Internet Day 10 February
There are lots of activities happening for Safer Internet Day 2026. Here are a couple of Education Scotland’s key activities:
- Digital Youth Work Conference: A day of insights, discussion and networking, with new resources, keynote speakers, workshops and plenty of interactivity. Key topics include Exploring AI, Developing ethical partnerships with the tech sector, Digital Youth Work Research Hub, and Supporting young people’s digital lives. The Conference is at Heart of Midlothian Football Club, Edinburgh. Book at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/digital-youth-work-conference-edinburgh-2026-tickets-1975274568407.
- Sky Up Academy Studios Event for Schools: Sky Up Academy Studios in Livingston will host visiting schools in an immersive experience that supports online safety, digital wellbeing and responsible media creation. Pupils will step into the role of content creators, producing news reports, films and creative media. The sessions are designed to prompt meaningful discussion and critical thinking around staying safe and respectful online, digital footprints, identifying misinformation and using technology positively to share stories and ideas. This experiential model links learning directly to the ways students consume and create content, fostering safe, empathetic and responsible digital behaviour. More information and booking at: https://www.skyup.sky/academy-studios.
For more resources, see Safer Internet Day 2026 Education resources.
Read&Write Webinar 26/01/26
With our authority subscription to Read&Write we have access to the Read&Write tools on any device. This overview webinar provides details on how to access them.
You can also check out the slide deck here.
Early Years Professional Learning Network, Session 3
Check out the recording from session 3 of our professional learning network for the ELC digital award. This one is all about setting culture.
Glow Updates
Unsure where to check when something in Glow appears to be not working? Education Scotland have a very useful page – the Service Status page – which alerts users to any issues affecting Glow Services, the Education Scotland websites and also Education Scotland managed SWAN circuits.
Staying up to date via the Service Status page may save you time if something isn’t working for you when trying to access any of these services. If the issue is not highlighted in this page then you know it is a local issue and can take appropriate action.
Use the link below to access it. You could bookmark this so you can access it quickly.
Read&Write in Renfrewshire
We have an authority wide subscription to Read&Write. Here’s a quick guide to get you started.
Digital Skills for Scottish Educators
Did you know that Education Scotland have published a revised Digital skills for Scottish educators Digital skills for Scottish educators – DigiLearn Further support is coming soon and we will be incorporating this new guidance into our Transform to Innovate plans.
Renfrewshire Apple Regional Training Centre
Did you know that we are a certified Apple Regional Training Centre (RTC)? We have regular RTC sessions to support you with all things iPad and have a dedicated website as well (see below)! Alongside this, we are building a staff toolkit for using iPads which you can access here. If there is anything in particular you would like to see or you have something useful that we can add, please use the feedback form to let us know,
Young Games Designer competition
Making Games: BAFTA Young Games Designer competition 2026 – DigiLearn
I am delighted to be able to share Education Scotland’s schedule of learning to support educators with the aim of entering the BAFTA Young Games Designer (YGD) competition. Making Games: BAFTA Young Games Designer competition 2026
Once again, the amazing Into Film will support this by delivering:
- a webinar about YGD and their Games Lite resource: Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams
- two LIVE lessons to guide educators, children and young people through their game concept development:
Attendance at all 3 sessions would be preferred as the sessions are planned that educators will know about YGD and Games Lite, have the resources and the time to teach these lessons.
Spaces are limited to 30 classes.
Digital Critical Friends – ScotlandIS
What is this project?
In response to the tech skills crisis, ScotlandIS run an innovative project to provide every secondary school across Scotland with a tech expert at their disposal – these are Digital Critical Friends.
ScotlandIS aim to raise awareness of the skills and knowledge required for working in the tech sector amongst educators, learners and their families. The programme will help teachers shape a curriculum that matches the needs of industry and ensure learners are aware of the opportunities for careers, training, and further study.
Why is this programme needed?
There is currently a shortage of learners qualifying in, studying, or having the opportunity to study Computing Science in schools across Scotland – especially amongst girls and young women.
Only 27% of young women say they would consider a career in technology, and only 3% would say it is their first choice of career. (PwC UK, Women in Tech Report)
The tech industry in Scotland promises creative, flexible, and highly rewarding career pathways, and it is estimated that around 80% of future jobs will require STEM skills, including Computing Science.
13,000 digital tech job opportunities are created every year in Scotland; filling all of them would add £1bn to Scotland’s economy. (ScotlandIS)
How does this work?
ScotlandIS will work with interested schools across Scotland to provide a Digital Critical Friend in every secondary school interested in the project.
Digital Critical Friends will inform teachers and pupils of what is happening in the sector: where the new technologies are, share emerging career opportunities and how to access them.
Digital Critical Friends can connect flexibly, by video call, email or over coffee. They will act as a sounding board, a friend, a guide to the teachers. They’ll be willing to take part in catch-ups and could present to students about subjects that interest them, demonstrating how exciting the tech sector is. Teachers and Digital Critical Friends may also arrange a visit to each other’s workplace in order to understand the opportunities and challenges that they work with.
How do I get involved?
To discuss further, and register your interest, please contact Fiona Thomson at fiona.thomson@scotlandis.com.
