My recent CPD activities have included completing the West Lothian Leadership course and have now started an MSc course in Educational Leadership at Stirling University. I have also undertaken marking for the SQA of both Standard Grade and Advanced Higher scripts. I have been leading the Rights Respecting Schools initiative within my school and have recently been appointed the Business Links development post holder within the school. Over the past year, I have also been trying to implement more use of technology in my teaching, by using facilities such as the PS3 and XBOX to enhance the learning of pupils. In addition I have recently been looking to use Edmodo with my classes such that more online resources have been available to them. I have also lead a recent foreign trip to CERN in Geneva, and undertaken the arrangement of the end of term shows within the school.

One of the main focuses of my CPD is to continue to develop my leadership skills both in and out of the classroom. I have found that the Stirling Course I am attending has been a great tool to give me new skills to lead forward initiatives by allowing me to reflect upon what I believe to be effective leadership and management and to allow me to consider how I would like to be perceived as a manager. These new skills are making the job of implementing Rights Respecting Schools and the Business Links more efficient and hopefully more successful. By working as a marker for SQA, this allows me to give pupils the most up to date and relevant information about their qualifications and enable me to better ensure that they meet the national standards required. Using technology is key to effective learning and by having tried to promote this work, it enables the pupils to better enjoy my subject while seeing their work as being related to the real world. Having led a foreign trip for the first time, this has allowed me to understand the complexity behind the procedures to ensure the safety of group members.