Hello and a Happy New Year! We hope you had a good break over the festive season. In our first newsletter of 2024, we are highlighting the following continuing professional development oppportunities:
- Returning to Teaching (10-week course)
- Technology for Additional Support Needs (10-week course)
- Intermediate Timetabling (One-day course)
- Rewilding Education (webinar)
- Froebelian Futures National Conference 2024
Return to Teaching Course
In this 10-week online course, participants will be thoroughly briefed on Scottish education policies, priorities and issues and will also receive guidance on applying for teaching posts.
Please note, participants must be eligible for registration with the GTCS (General Teaching Council for Scotland). If you are not already registered, please contact the GTCS directly.
Comments from previous participants:
“I thoroughly enjoyed the course and feel motivated and enthusiastic about returning to teaching. The clips and presentations were excellent, and extremely helpful.”
“The course was well lead, very supportive and manageable despite working full time and having a family. I wholeheartedly recommend anyone considering a return to teaching to complete this course.”
“The course has given me much more confidence than I previously had. I feel secure in my knowledge of current policies and practices.”
- Course dates: Fri 23 February 2024 – Sat 11 May 2024
- Course fee: £450
- Delivery: Online
Booking deadline: Fri 9 Feb 2024
Technology for ASN – Last Chance to Book
This innovative and exciting 10-week online course, delivered by CALL Scotland, is aimed at educators who would like to increase their knowledge of how technology can expand educational opportunities for learners with Additional Support Needs (ASN), ie arising from conditions such as dyslexia, sensory impairment, severe and complex learning needs, autism, and communication difficulties.
The course will highlight and explore a range of assistive technologies and resources for pupils who require additional support within an educational context to address barriers to learning. You will learn about strategies and processes to help you make the most of technology, either specialised software or tools that are built into the operating system of devices, eg Windows, iPads (iOS) and Chromebooks.
Comments from previous participants:
“The variety, range and quality of materials was excellent. It was also great to have the opportunity to hear from others who are working in this area.”
“The course content was excellent including the extensive knowledge and experience of the CALL Scotland team, the opportunity to read so extensively, and the access to so many online resources. The overall course has had a very positive impact on the development of our service going forward.”
“The opportunity to discuss best practice, ask questions of various professionals contributing to the course. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to undertake professional reading. I really enjoyed the course.”
- Course dates: Tues 6 Feb – Tues 9 April 2024
- Course fee: £450
- Delivery: Online
- Booking deadline: Fri 2 Feb 2024
Find out more about CALL Scotland (Communication, Access, Literacy and Learning)
Please note that the weekly workshops for this course will now be held on Tuesdays at 4pm
Intermediate Timetabling
This one-day course is for those who have completed the Introduction to Effective Timetabling Course or who already have prior knowledge/experience of timetabling.
Course participants will:
- Look at the parameters within which a curriculum is designed and constructed: eg teacher contracts, structure of the school day, SQA subjects offered, length of teaching units, etc.
- Meet with colleagues to share different school curricular arrangements across all age groups of learners and share timetabling experiences delivering different designs
- Look at some examples of different approaches to timetabling the senior phase in Curriculum for Excellence. eg single cohorts of pupils from S4 to S6
- Learn how to use computer software to allow pupils to make free subject choices at key transition points in their education
- Consider ways of delivering pupil entitlement subjects across all the year groups.
Practical exercises will complement the techniques and ideas examined during the day.
- Date: Wed 28 Feb 2024
- Delivery: In person, central Edinburgh venue
- Cost: £139
- Booking deadline: Fri 16 Feb 2024
Note: Our next introductory courses on Effective Timetabling will run Nov 2024, Dec 2024 and Jan 2025. If you wish to be notified when bookings open, please register your interest on the professional learning website.
Rewilding Education
This online session will explore the concepts and metaphors of ecology and discuss how an understanding of complex ecosystems can help us to better manage and steer change in our own education work.
Speakers Dr Graham Thomson and Dr Hannah Grainger Clemson will discuss their own interactions with these ideas, coupled with different images and graphics as food for thought. Participants will have the opportunity to complete voluntary interactive tasks, engage in Q&A, and share their own ideas.
- Date: Tues 13 Feb 2024: 4.30-6.00pm
- FREE
Delivery: Online (MS Teams)
Froebelian Futures National Conference 2024: Repositioning power in early childhood
This national gathering of Froebelian educators will offer a wide selection of discussions, debates, films and research on topics including:
- Froebelian understandings of inclusion and additional need
- Froebelian Leadership
- Anti-racism through a Froebelian lens
- Froebel in schools – how can we go further?
- Music and song in contemporary Froebelian practice
- Learning with families
- The Froebel Play Café Project
- Reimagining the children’s garden
- Froebelian affordances in our governing bodies (SSSC, Care Inspectorate, etc)
- Filming with young children – purpose, ethics and practice
Keynote speakers:
- Professor Alison Clark, Senior Research Fellow, University College London – author of Slow Knowledge And The Unhurried Child
- Professor Kay Tisdall & Dr Lynn McNair, University of Edinburgh + child/family contributors
- Dr Sacha Powell, Chief Executive, The Froebel Trust
- Date: Sat 25 May 2024
- Cost (includes lunch and refreshments): Sliding scale £15-£40 / Early bird discount for bookings before 29 Feb 2024
Venue: John McIntyre Conference Centre, Edinburgh
