✨💻Digital Skills Week 💻✨

Digital Skills week is just around the corner!

We’re thrilled to announce Digital Skills week is just around the corner! From 26 May, we invite all staff to dive into a week full of learning, sharing new skills and discovering handy tips and tricks.

Join us on Viva Engage All Company throughout the week for a treasure trove of information designed to boost your digital skills. Whether you’re looking to master a new tool or simply want to stay updated with the latest digital trends, we’ve got something for everyone.

Got some great tips to share? We’d love to hear them. Head over to our Viva Engage – Unlock your Potential: Productivity Pointers Community and share your insights. Your tips could be the key to unlocking someone else’s potential.

And don’t forget there’s a fantastic £50 Amazon voucher up for grabs, generously donated by CGi – make sure to participate for your chance to win!

We’re delighted that the Inspire Team has agreed to deliver two live 30-minute sessions, which you can attend in person or online on Friday 30 May. The sessions will cover SharePoint Tips & Tricks at 10am and Microsoft Tips & Tricks at 11am. You can secure your space at the in-person session by completing our booking form. A link will be sent to the live event nearer the time, so be sure to block the time in your calendar.

Check out our schedule for the week below – we can’t wait to see you there and make this Digital Skills Week the best one yet.

#digitalskillsweek2025 #getinvolved #bestoneyet

If you have any queries, please submit them using the Digital Skills Week MS Form

#digitalskillsweek2025 #getinvolved #bestoneyet

SBCAN are excited to launch our Youth Climate Action Fund 2025

Young people across the Scottish Borders are full of inspiring ideas to help tackle the climate crisis and promote community climate action– and we’re here to help bring those ideas to life. We’re inviting youth groups, schools, clubs and voluntary groups to apply for up to £750 to run a project that makes a difference in your community. Please note, we can only accept one application per group/ school/ organisation.

Key info:

• Projects must take place in 2025.
• The deadline for applications is 6th June 2025.
• Applications will be reviewed and money will then be distributed to those successful w/c 16th June 2025 in time for the summer holidays!
• The application form is available now on our website: https://www.sbcan.co.uk/funding
• Please return the application form to sbcan@sup.org.uk
• Projects must be based in the Scottish Borders

Helen Orde, Learning for Sustainability (LfS) Teacher

As you know, our Leadership+ offer launched late last year. Leadership+ is a series of one-off bespoke webinars which complement the work of Education Scotland’s leadership programmes, and we have since delivered four sessions from Dr Karen Edge, Dr Simon Breakspear, Dr Paul Bloomberg and Dr Karen E Bohlin.

 

We can now announce the speaker for our final session of the 24-25 session, and we’re delighted to share that it is Education Scotland’s own Education Officer for Digital Skills – Brian Clark! He will be joining us on Tuesday 10^th June, 4pm-5pm to discuss Artificial Intelligence, in his webinar AI Opportunities, Ethics and Practical Applications.

 

This Leadership+ webinar is designed to equip school leaders with an understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative AI and their potential within education. We will explore practical applications of AI in key areas such as curriculum planning, resource development, and assessment design.

 

Beyond the applications, this session will also delve into the crucial ethical considerations, potential risks, and effective mitigation strategies associated with AI adoption. You will gain insights into how to leverage AI to foster innovation, all while championing responsible and informed implementation. Whether you are beginning your AI journey or seeking to develop your understanding, this session will provide support to guide your leadership in this evolving landscape.

 

We anticipate high demand for this event, so would encourage you to sign up quickly. If a number of you in your establishment want to sign up, then why not watch together, learn together and take forward your post-event plans together?

 

Please click here to register for a place at the webinar or click the register now button on the attached poster.

 

Please note this session will not be recorded, but following the webinar Brian Clark will record a 15 minute summary of his session, which will be housed on the Leadership resource page on the Education Scotland website.

 

Leadership+ is offered to anyone in a leadership role in Scottish education, across sectors (this includes classroom practitioners, ELC and CLD practitioners, middle leaders, and school, setting and system leaders). The aims are:

• to enhance leadership learning across pertinent themes
• to encourage critical thinking in leaders at all levels.

 

As part of our PLL Community of learners (past and present) you benefit from prioritised spaces at Leadership+ sessions, as we will advertise these sessions to you before we advertise more widely.

Toolkit Launch– As you may be aware the youth nicotine prevention toolkit is due to launch on the 28^th of May. This is a resource aimed at educating, informing and challenging nicotine use amongst children and young people in the Scottish Borders. The resource will be rolled out in all Primary and Secondary Schools as well as community settings. We are hoping this can be extended to early years settings to help ensure a cohesive approach to youth nicotine prevention.

 

The toolkit itself is closely aligned with the UNCRC and provides evidence based current key messages, learning resources from early years to senior phase, a new nicotine cessation service and referral pathways for under 12years and those 12  years + (this is the first in Scotland) as well as a charter to support nicotine free environments, including guidance statements for establishments to implement. The launch event will be an opportunity to hear more about this resource, with key speakers from Scottish Government, ASH Scotland and IAMME. I would really appreciate if you could attend this event or assign a depute to come along as well as opening this opportunity to other colleagues to help implement the toolkit across the Borders.

 

Free Training opportunity

 

As part of the youth nicotine prevention agenda, in partnership with Youth Borders the Nicotine Prevention Working Group (NPWG) are providing a free training opportunity on nicotine prevention and the toolkit. This will be taking place on the 14^th of May at Tweed Horizons (see attached email with details). This is aimed at those supporting parents, children and young people including volunteers. Healthy snacks, tea and coffee is provided with certification provided on completion. Again, I have sent some further details in my previous email which state learning outcomes etc. It would be great if this could be promoted throughout your networks to encourage attendance.

EPIC Think Learn are hosting a free to access Neurodiversity webinar for teachers! The webinar will focus on common neurodivergent co-occurrences such as autism, ADHD and FASD. The content will focus on talking about the latest research on this topic in everyday language with a particular focus on the impact of particular co-occurrences on the child and young person and how they can be supported. The speakers are developmental psychologist Professor Sinead Rhodes and educational psychologist Miranda Eodanable. The webinar will focus on children and young people aged 5-18 years and so is suitable for primary and secondary level teachers. The webinar is on Wednesday 21st May 4.15-5pm including Q&A To book your free place click here: bit.ly/3Suumv3 Best wishes EPIC Think Learn team

As part of Scottish Digital Literacy Week 2025 , the following online opportunities are available for all ELC and early level settings this week:

 

The Big Listening Quiz  May 12, 2025 9:00 am – 16, 2025 6:00 pm.  

The Big Listening Quiz is an audio quiz, where you will activate both your sense of sight and your sense of hearing. The quiz will have a variety of sounds (audio recordings) to listen to and a choice of pictorial answers. Once you think you have identified the sound, select the answer and move through each sound until you have reached the end.

 

Creating ELC family newsletters with Adobe Express in Glow May 12, 2025 10:00 am – 11:00 am.  

Emma from the Adobe Express for Education Team in this beginners demo session, as she takes us on a guided tour of creating your own interactive and accessible nursery newsletters.

 

Sharing Practice Session: Digital Profiling in Aberdeenshire ELC Settings & Primary Schools  May 13, 2025 10:00 am – 11:00 am. 

Join us in this sharing practice session with Julia Rickard, Education Officer, Aberdeenshire and Nikki Kimbell, Educational Consultant at digital profiling platform Just2Easy, to discover how ELC settings and primary schools in Aberdeenshire are using the j2journal – Just2easy.

 

Research Highlights with Dr Kate Cowan and The Froebel Trust May 13, 2025 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm.  

In this 30 minute recording Kate will share insights from research highlight FROEBEL TRUST GUIDANCE FOR PRACTITIONERS ON DIGITAL DOCUMENTATION published in 2020.

 

Research Highlights with Dr Lorna Arnott  May 14, 2025 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm.

In this 30 minute session Lorna will talk about her experiences and findings from research around what digital and online play looks like in practice. Drawing on data from a recently completed ESRC funded project, Lorna will share examples of high quality and creative play experiences with babies and toddlers in family homes.  

 

CALL Scotland Early/First Level Accessible Read Along ’10 Dogs’.  May 15, 2025 10:00 am – 10:30 am. 

Join this 30 min accessible Live Read Along with Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Joanna Courtney from CALL Scotland who will take us through an accessible format of ’10 Dogs’ by by Louise Fitzgerald (Author) and Kate Hindley (Illustrator), from the BookBug P1 Family Bag.

 

All sessions apart from the read along will be recorded.

**PLACES AVAILABLE! MANAGING DISCIPLINE & GRIEVANCE – HR POLICY TRAINING SESSION***

We have places available on this training session for managers that explores SBC’s disciplinary and grievance policies. The session will be on Teams on Tuesday 20th May from 9.30 to 11.30.

You can book a place through the course catalogue on Business World or by contacting Andrew Frost directly.

Current CLPL Offer – Signposts for Global Citizenship

I also wanted to share our new antiracist website antiracisted.scot which provides workshops for 2nd, 3rd level. We have been supporting local authorities with this work and offering CLPL that guides practitioners through this resource and develops probationers’ anti-racist practice.

We would be happy to facilitate a local CLPL session designed bespoke to your local authority priorities including Global Citizenship / LfS and anti-racist education.

sarahjane@scotdec.org.uk

The Digital Schools Awards is a national awards scheme to promote, recognise and encourage a whole school approach to the use of digital technology in schools.

Participants can sign up to individual sessions and do not have to attend them all.

 

The Digital Schools Award and Digital learning Through Play Award is a 3-step programme to help schools assess progress and recognise excellence in the use of digital technology at nursery, primary, enhanced provision and secondary level while providing practical support and encouragement.

 

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

The Equitable Creative Coding Award offers special recognition for the inclusion of coding and computational thinking in the planning and delivery of the curriculum in school.

Digital Schools Award – European Recognition

Participation is free and schools that successfully complete the programme receive a nationally recognised award.

 

Scottish Digital Literacy Week 2025
Scottish Digital Literacy Week 2025

 

 

Educator webinars

 

Launch and Update on Digital Literacy Guidance: May 7, 2025 4:00 pm – 4:45 pm

The aim of this webinar is to provide an overview of Scottish Digital Literacy Week 2025 and provide updates on the development of digital literacy as part of the Curriculum Improvement Cycle that is being undertaken.

 

Creating ELC family newsletters with Adobe Express in Glow May 12, 2025 10:00 am – 11:00 am

Emma from the Adobe Express for Education Team in this beginners demo session, as she takes us on a guided tour of creating your own interactive and accessible nursery newsletters.

 

Educator webinar – Digital Schools Award (Scotland) May 12, 2025 3:45 pm – 4:30 pm

The aim is to provide up-to-date and relevant information on the Digital Schools Award Scotland and the latest developments, including other awards for wellbeing, coding and early learning centres. 

 

Educator Webinar – Digital Citizenship  May 13, 2025 3:30 pm – 4:15 pm

The aim of this session is to set out a data justice approach, in which all young people have a right to information integrity. We are looking to engage teachers in processes of reflection on their own practice, drawing on examples of leading practice across the curriculum from our project so far.

 

Research Highlights with Dr Kate Cowan and The Froebel Trust May 13, 2025 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm

In this 30 minute recording Kate will share insights from research highlight FROEBEL TRUST GUIDANCE FOR PRACTITIONERS ON DIGITAL DOCUMENTATION published in 2020.

 

Educator Webinar – Scottish Esports May 13, 2025 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

The aim is to provide up-to-date and relevant information on Esports in Scotland. It will cover: the Scottish Esports Education landscape, pathways and organisations they can work with locally for engagement and the new HNC ESports being developed.

 

Research Highlights with Dr Lorna Arnott  May 14, 2025 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm

In this 30 minute session Lorna will talk about her experiences and findings from research around what digital and online play looks like in practice.  Drawing on data from a recently completed ESRC funded project, Lorna will share examples of high quality and creative play experiences with babies and toddlers in family homes.  

 

Digital Learning Through Play Award in ELC May 15, 2025 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm

This 30-minute information giving session is for ELC practitioners working across a range of ELC settings in Scotland to find out about the exciting Digital Learning Through Play Award in ELC.

 

In Person Training – Adobe Express for Education – DigiLearn May 14, 2025 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

During this in person event. you will gain hands-on training with Adobe Express and discover responsible generative AI tools that make teaching & learning experiences more engaging.

Adobe will have refreshments, snacks and more for all teachers to enjoy during the session!

 

 

 

Sharing practice

 

Sharing Practice Session: Digital Profiling in Aberdeenshire ELC Settings & Primary Schools  May 13, 2025 10:00 am – 11:00 am

Join us in this sharing practice session with Julia Rickard, Education Officer, Aberdeenshire and Nikki Kimbell, Educational Consultant at digital profiling platform Just2Easy, to discover how ELC settings and primary schools in Aberdeenshire are using the j2journal – Just2easy.

 

 

 

LIVE lessons

 

The Big Listening Quiz  May 12, 2025 9:00 am – 16, 2025 6:00 pm

The Big Listening Quiz is an audio quiz, where you will activate both your sense of sight and your sense of hearing. The quiz will have a variety of sounds (audio recordings) to listen to and a choice of pictorial answers. Once you think you have identified the sound, select the answer and move through each sound until you have reached the end.

 

Using Podcasts for Learning & Teaching with Adobe Express  May 13, 2025 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

Learners will explore the basics of podcasts and will develop an episode on a topic. If learners could have a topic in mind that would hugely beneficial.

 

Using Podcasts for Teaching & Learning with Adobe  May 13, 2025 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Learners will explore the basics of podcasts and will develop an episode on a topic. If learners could have a topic in mind that would hugely beneficial.

 

Tech for Everything Assembly 1 with Tech She Can  May 14, 2025 10:00 am – 10:25 am

Tech for Everything Assembly 1 is the first assembly in a brand-new series for P7 and S1 students. This first assembly in the series focuses on the subjects of English, Languages, Music, Art and Drama.

 

Technology for Everything Assembly 1 with Tech She Can  May 13, 2025 2:00 pm – 2:25 pm

Tech for Everything Assembly 1 is the first assembly in a brand-new series for P7 and S1 students. This first assembly in the series focuses on the subjects of English, Languages, Music, Art and Drama.

 

CALL Scotland Early/First Level Accessible Read Along ’10 Dogs’.  May 15, 2025 10:00 am – 10:30 am

Join this 30 min accessible Live Read Along with Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Joanna Courtney from CALL Scotland who will take us through an accessible format of ’10 Dogs’ by by Louise Fitzgerald (Author) and Kate Hindley (Illustrator), from the BookBug P1 Family Bag.

 

Live Lesson – Playing and Making Games  May 16, 2025 9:30 am – 10:30 am

Callum Croughan from North Lanarkshire will deliver this live lesson on making games with MakeCode Arcade.

 

Live Lesson – Search for AI: Close reading not required?  May 16, 2025 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm

The aim of the session is to foster critical information literacy, offering several examples of how search engines might not give you the most relevant information, with some suggested strategies for navigating digital spaces overloaded with information.