Category: News

Midweek Byte Week Commencing 7 September

Week Commencing 7th September

Read&Write

There’s still time to book one of our Read&Write Professional Learning sessions on CPD Manager. Both courses are being held at Cochrane Castle Primary School:

1 October – Supporting Every Learner with Read&Write using iPads, Course ID: 95776

6 October – Supporting Every Learner with Read&Write using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, Course ID: 95778

 

Accessibility Staff Toolkit

🧰Have you checked out our Staff Toolkits on the new DigiLearnRen? We have created these toolkits as how-to-guides to get you going. There is no expectation that you work your way through them all, rather it is a pick and mix selection that allows you to choose what you need, when you need it.

They are broken down into the main tools available through Glow. So, if you decided that you wanted to know more about the AI tools available in Glow, you could either sign up for our AI Champion courses, Watch Again our AI videos from our sessions run in partnership with Education Scotland or work through our Staff Toolkit.

If you are new to the Google tools, there is a Google Staff Toolkit with a host of helpful resources on using Gemini and Notebook.

Or if you want to learn more about Read&Write our authority subscription accessibility tool, click on the Accessibility Toolkit and then Read&Write to find out all about it – including how to use it in exam mode.

 

Immersive Learning Mobile View with ThingLink

If you haven’t claimed your authority ThingLink seat to allow you to create interactive content – either for use with learners or for learners to create their own – please use the contact form to reach out. There are a host of different ways to use ThingLink with some brilliant ideas to get you started available on their blog. This post is all about using ThingLink mobile view: https://www.thinglink.com/blog/immersive-learning-in-your-hands-introducing-mobile-view-for-thinglink/

Toolkit for Reflecting on Digital and AI Technologies in L&T

Monday 14 September, 9.30 – 11.30 am online

The event marks the launch of a new open-access resource designed to support critical, evidence-informed reflection on the use of digital and AI technologies in education, and to hear how the research team and educational partners will using it in practice this academic year.

The team at the School of Education, University of Glasgow has developed the Toolkit for Reflecting on the Use of Digital and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technologies in Learning and Teaching. Rather than promoting specific technologies or offering a compliance checklist, the toolkit encourages structured reflection, professional dialogue, and enquiry through self-assessment activities, real-world case studies, and guided reflective frameworks. It supports reflection across a range of dimensions of technology use and can be used individually or collaboratively, with flexibility to adapt to the needs and realities of different educational settings.

At this launch event, we will introduce the toolkit and explore how it can be used in practice. We will share more information about the design process of the tool and where we are heading with our current piloting of the resource in different contexts across Scotland. The event will also provide opportunities for discussion, questions, and feedback, allowing participants to contribute to conversations about the future development of the toolkit and related professional learning resources. The toolkit and associated pilot work are supported through Scaling Educational and Policy Impact through Co-designed Digital and AI Professional Learning and Educational Resources (SCOPED), a project funded through the ESRC Impact Acceleration Account at the University of Glasgow. The launch event marks the starting point for SCOPED’s knowledge exchange and dissemination activities and provides an opportunity to share emerging insights with educators, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders.

Anyone with an interest in the thoughtful, critical, and evidence-informed use of digital and AI technologies in education is warmly invited to attend. This includes educators, teacher educators, school and college leaders, professional learning facilitators, researchers, policymakers, and others interested in the educational implications of emerging technologies. Whether you are new to the toolkit or already exploring its use in your own setting, we would be delighted to welcome you.

Attendance is free. Places for the in-person event are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Online attendance is also available.

Book your place here: Launch Event: Toolkit for Reflecting on Digital and AI Technologies in L&T Tickets, Monday, September 14  •  9:30 AM – 11:30 AM | Eventbrite

Access the toolkit here: https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/366744/

 

September – Monthly Download

Can you believe it is September already?!

We hope you have been enjoying the resources found in our newly-launched DigiLearnRen website, you can check it out here and via the new tile in the Renfrewshire Launchpad on Glow.

As September begins we have the new edition of The Monthly Download. Our September 2026 Accessibility Monthly Download is here to support you in reaching all learners.

 

Midweek Byte 26th August

Week Commencing 24th August

S&Q Report

Here is the Standards and Quality Report for 25/26. Click on the image to access all the links.

Glow Updates

Canva is now available!

For everything you need to know about Canva in Glow, check out our handy guide available here!

🔑Glow Password Reset

The pupil password reset took place on 11th August and Staff passwords change on 25th August. Staff will be prompted to change their password the next time they log on.

Back to School with Glow

Check out this handy guide from Glow Connect for all you need to know about Glow! Back to School August 2026.

🔐Phase 3 Security Updates: Auto blocking of network traffic from out with the UK

Glow have now rolled out Phase 3 of their security changes.

What’s changing?

They have rolled out a security change within Glow that will block Glow users from accessing Glow from identified high risk countries.

Timeline for this change

RM have now enabled this change.

Why are they blocking network traffic from some countries?

They heard at Cyber UK earlier this month how increases in geo-political tensions are changing the landscape, and that cyber is now a fundamental part of modern warfare, we also heard how AI is accelerating the pace of disruption.

It’s critical that they respond to the changing landscape and the increasing threat. Standing still is no longer an option. They’ve been looking for some time at ways in which they can strengthen the safety of Glow for all users and one of those ways is to block internet traffic from some high risk nation states.

What countries will be blocked from accessing Glow?

China, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Ukraine and Russia.

How will this impact Glow users?

If a Glow user tries to access Glow from one of the identified blocked countries, they will be presented with the error message below.

This means that Glow users will need to be aware of this change before travelling and assuming they will be able to access Glow.

VPN User experience

They are aware that some users use VPNs to access Glow so again, this may impact if the VPN appears to come from one of the blocked countries.

Additional information

Please note that they will be regularly reviewing the global landscape and as a result, some countries may be added to the list, and some may be removed.