Try one of the following in a class next week…..
Resource Calendar
The events in this calendar are celebrations, awareness days and action weeks all covering topical issues relevant to schools. Each of the events includes details of websites and support materials to help plan activities for learners.
September events include:
- Harvest Festival
- Scottish food and drink fortnight
- International literacy day
- Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)
- International day of democracy
- Jeans for genes day
- International day of peace
- Health and wellbeing international conference
- Autumn equinox
- Scottish learning festival
- Eid-ul-adha
- Battle of Loos
- Worlds biggest coffee morning
- European day of languages
- International right to know day
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/r/resourcecalendar/september.asp
Learning Rounds…coming soon
A group perspective
A new approach to peer observation, borne from medical rounds, is creating a more collegiate approach to the systematic development of working practices in our schools.
Many of us will be used to peer observation and the subsequent feedback. But trials of a new approach to changing and developing teaching practice could change our perception of the traditional observational model.
‘Learning Rounds’, championed by the Scottish Centre for Studies in School Administration (SCSSA) and the national CPD team, is a system of non-judgemental, evidence-based group observation which encourages those taking part to view their performance and approach from a new perspective. As a result, individuals, their colleagues, whole schools and even entire local authorities have changed and improved the way they work in the classroom.
Find out more at the link below.
Better together? Understanding the processes involved in learning rounds as an instance of teacher collaborative professional learning
Contributors: Catriona Oates, University of Stirling
Currently rated 5.0 by 1 person
Abstract
This is an extract from a 15 month PhD progress review report. The study is of Learning Rounds in Scottish schools and locates this practice within the wider context of teacher professionalism and professional learning communities. The report reviewed a selection of relevant literature on professional learning communities and has been used as reading for Professional Enquiry modules in Stirling University’s School of Education
Dear Colleagues,
My name is Colin Dorman and I am currently co-ordinating a pilot project for the GTCS called EducationHUB. EducationHUB provides a platform for teachers to read, review and share practitioner enquiry and teacher-led research projects. EducationHUB currently has 300 users and hosts a variety of articles related to different aspects of learning and teaching. I am aiming to build a community of teachers who are willing to share their work and/or engage in online professional dialogue with other teachers across Scotland.
There has been some amazing work taking place in local authorities throughout Scotland related to career-long professional learning and practitioner enquiry, such as probationer projects, teachers working towards post-graduate qualifications and school-based projects. EducationHUB provides an excellent opportunity for these teachers to showcase their work and to contribute to the professional learning of others.
I am appealing to professional learning and practitioner enquiry co-ordinators in local authorities to publicise EducationHUB and in particular to encourage individual teachers who have produced particularly high quality practitioner enquiries or teacher-led research to share their work with others.
EducationHUB can be accessed through the Research Portal of MyGTCS or alternatively can be accessed at: http://www.ed-hub.co.uk/account/register
If you require any additional information or advice regarding the educationHUB project please contact me (my details are included below).
Thank you for your time.
Kind regards
Colin Dorman
Email: colindorman@ed-hub.co.uk
Twitter: @edhubScotland
Curriculum for Excellence: transformational change or business as usual?
ABSTRACT
Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) is a good example of a new breed of national curriculum; a curricular model that seeks to combine top-down government prescription with bottom-up school-based curriculum development by teaching professionals.
However, in developing a renewed view of teachers as agents of change and relaxing curriculum prescription, CfE has attracted criticism for its vagueness in terms of content and for a mix-and-match approach and seemingly atheoretical design.
This paper engages in a critique of CfE, and proposes a process by which practitioners may make sense of and enact the new curriculum.
‘Curriculum for Excellence is designed to transform education in Scotland, leading to better outcomes for all children and young people.’ (Scottish Government, 2009: 4)
‘Innovation after innovation has been introduced into school after school, but the overwhelming number of them disappear without a fingerprint.’ (Cuban, 1988: 86)
Contributed by F. Culbert
Well being indicators
The path of a teacher’s journey at the beginning of their career goes through the early phase of Initial Teacher Education and onto a probationary period. The next phase of career-long professional learning can last a career as a teacher continues to advance their knowledge and pedagogical expertise. There is also the leadership and management phase for those in, or aspiring to, formal leadership roles. No matter which phase you are in we have created the following interactive area to assist you as you navigate through a career in teaching.
Highly trained, respected and free: why Finland’s teachers are different
Extensive training is the basis for giving teachers the autonomy to work the way they want. The result is a highly prized profession and an education system always near the top in international rankings.
Read the article at http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jun/17/highly-trained-respected-and-free-why-finlands-teachers-are-different
Contributed by A. Foster.
The Four Common Types of Stress
Dr Karl Albrecht published his model of the four common types of stress in his 1979 book, “Stress and the Manager.” These are:
- Time stress.
- Anticipatory stress.
- Situational stress.
- Encounter stress.
While everyone experiences different physical and emotional symptoms of stress, it’s important to understand how you respond to each one. When you can recognize the type of stress you’re experiencing, you can take steps to manage it more effectively.
