Category: Read&Write

Midweek Byte for Week Commencing 14th September

Promethean

If you missed our Getting to Know your ActivPanel on 3 September or would like to Watch Again, check out the recording on our YouTube channel here:

https://youtu.be/FF5dug_ytk8

There is also an opportunity to attend a Digital Drop-In Day with Promethean and friends!

Digital Drop-In Day

Explore practical EdTech solutions, meet providers and discover new ways to support teaching and learning.

We are delighted to invite you to our Digital Drop-In Day—an informal, hands-on event created for educators who want to explore technology that can make a real difference in the classroom.

Event details

Date: Tuesday 29th September
Time: 12pm-6pm
Venue: Midwich AV Hub, Westcott House, South Queensferry, EH30 9QZ

What to expect

  • Meet a range of EdTech providers and see their solutions in action.
  • Drop in for live demonstrations and informal, one-to-one conversations.
  • Ask questions about implementation, accessibility, training and classroom use.
  • Explore tools for teaching, assessment, collaboration and school operations.
  • Connect with other educators and share practical ideas and experiences.

There is no need to stay for the whole event—simply drop in at a time that suits you. Whether you are beginning your digital journey or looking for the next solution to enhance your existing approach, you will find friendly guidance and practical inspiration.

Register your interest

Get up-to-date information in the run up to the event
Register at Digital Drop-In Day 29th Sept Midwich AV Hub – Fill out form.

We look forward to welcoming you and helping you discover technology that works for your learners, colleagues and setting.

Everway Unlocked 26

Everway, the makers of Read&Write are bringing you Everway Unlocked 26!

What to expect at Everway Unlocked

Technology has the greatest impact when it’s designed and used with intention.

At Everway Unlocked, discover how purposeful tech can remove barriers, build confidence and create learning experiences that work for every mind.

During this one day PD event, sessions and themes will focus on what works in real education settings today.

Join them to explore what purposeful technology can unlock. Register your interest here: https://www.everway.com/en-gb/events/everway-unlocked-education/

Adobe Express Update

Find out all the latest Adobe Express news here on Glow Connect: https://glowconnect.org.uk/adobe-express-for-education-back-to-school-2026/

Canva Learning Lab

Want to learn more about Canva and how to use it? Why not join the Canva Team at a Learning Lab in Scotland to celebrate the launch of Canva Education within Glow?

All you need to know can be found here: Scotland Canva Learning Labs

 

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/

 

MidWeek Byte Week Commencing 31st August

Week Commencing 31st August

Accessibility!

September is accessibility month in Renfrewshire!

Read&Write

We recently ran a session on Read&Write for a group of staff. The session slides contain a wealth of follow up resources for staff and pupils, including a full training video for each platform. These should fully support anyone wanting to revise certain tools.

The slides can be accessed here. Please feel free to share as widely as you see fit.

We have 2 new Professional Learning courses on Read&Write available to book via CPD Manager. Both courses are face-to-face sessions. Supporting Every Learner with Read&Write using iPads, Course ID: 95776 on 1 October and Supporting Every Learner with Read&Write using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge, Course ID: 95778 on 6 October.

 

ThingLink Integration with Adobe Express

Check out this interesting article on how easy it is to integrate your Adobe Express content into ThingLink:

https://www.thinglink.com/blog/how-to-create-immersive-learning-with-adobe-express-and-thinglink/

If you have never used ThingLink before and are interested in getting a Renfrewshire “seat”, please reach out via our contact us page and we will get you sorted. If you are a visual person, you can watch our ThingLink Professional Learning videos here and here.

We hope to have further PL on ThingLink coming soon so please keep checking our PL calendar and CPD Manager for details.

 

Canva

Last week we said that Canva is now available in Glow and you can access this via a tile on your LaunchPad. We have now added on the Canva Professional Learning on offer via Education Scotland to our Professional Learning calendar so check out the dates by scrolling to the bottom of this page to book and get your self going with Canva!

https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/re/digilearnrenfrewshire/professionallearning/

 

Glow Security Improvements

As part of Education Scotland’s ongoing review of Glow account security and access management, they will be removing certain administrative privileges from Glow accounts that have not logged on in the last 18 months.

The following privileges will be removed from inactive accounts:

  • RM Unify Admin
  • RM Password Admin
  • RM Launchpad Admin

This change is intended to ensure that administrative access is limited to active users who continue to require these permissions as part of their role.

If you still require any of the above privileges following the removal, please reach out to csbit@renfrewshire.gov.uk who will be able to assist.