connected M o v i n g e d u c at i o n f o r wa r d
Winter 2010-11
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d ar e aw in z ld a o g g a e M id est PR B 10 or 20 f
Get the picture? Eric Booth’s approach to Curriculum for Excellence
p16 Senior Phase Modelling Ideas for curriculum planning in the Senior Phase
p20 Scottish Learning Festival 2010
Missed it? Read the highlights here
p32 Breaking down barriers How art engages pupils of all abilities
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Supporting Assessment in Practice
Scotland’s National Assessment Resource for Curriculum for Excellence Advice and support materials to help practitioners use the assessment exemplars in NAR are available now:
ltscotland.org.uk/nationalassessmentresource/about/ A user guide to NAR is also available at:
ltscotland.org.uk/nationalassessmentresource/about/help/
34 The Scottish education system is embracing some of the most sweeping changes in decades. We have an ambitious new curriculum that enables practitioners to personalise learning for our young people, with the support of Glow, the world’s first national schools’ intranet. In partnership with the Scottish Government, Learning and Teaching Scotland has launched a wide range of new resources, including the Senior Phase Models (p16–19), National Assessment Resource (p11) and Creativity Portal (p8) to support schools to deliver an exceptional educational experience. In response to your feedback, we have also relaunched our website and made a number of improvements to Glow. The education community has embraced these changes with a healthy dose of creativity. This issue of Connected celebrates that creative streak in an exclusive interview with Eric Booth (p24–25), ‘In Our Experience’ (p32–33) shows how art can break down barriers, and ‘A Week In My Shoes’ reveals how music can reinforce learning. You can also read highlights of the SLF 2010, and see keynote speeches at SLF Extra (www.ltscotland.org.uk/slf). In October, Michael Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, announced that a new executive agency, the Scottish Education Quality and Improvement Agency, will be created to lead support for education in Scotland. The new agency will be operational from 1 July 2011. It will initially bring together Learning and Teaching Scotland and HM Inspectorate of Education to create a co-ordinated education body that will provide, lead and drive Curriculum for Excellence. We look forward to working with HMIE in the months ahead. Finally, we were delighted to receive a 2010 PRide gold award for Connected recently from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Scotland. This is a fantastic endorsement and I’d like to thank everyone who contributes to the magazine, as well as all those who read it and offer useful feedback to help us make it even better.
contents 16 20 COVER FEATURE: SLF 2010 Missed the Scottish Learning Festival? Connected reflects on the highlights
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viewpoint Glowing in the Western Isles upfront The latest education news
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LTS Working With You Support and resources from LTS
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Tomorrow’s world New climate change website prepares the next generation
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Senior phase modelling Guidance and inspiration for planning the senior phase in your school
on 26 Game Celebrating the educational possibilities of the Commonwealth Games for All 27 Books A new database for accessible texts Point 28 Talking LTS’ new Communities team Our Experience 32 In Art breaks down barriers at Hunterian Museum and Gallery week in my shoes 34 AWith Glow Arts Development Officer Julia Fenby
Issue #27 Winter 2010-11 Learning and Teaching Scotland Editor: Denise Brock Assistant Editor: Wendy Grindle Write: Connected Magazine, Learning and Teaching Scotland, The Optima, 58 Robertson Street, GLASGOW G2 8DU
Contact us Telephone: 0141 282 5000 Email: connected@LTScotland.org.uk Web: www.LTScotland.org.uk/connected Twitter: Follow LTS on twitter.com/LTScotland Facebook: Become a fan of LTS on Facebook www.LTScotland.org.uk/facebook
Connected is published on behalf of Learning and Teaching Scotland by White Light Media – www.whitelightmedia.co.uk Connected has been printed on environmentally responsible paper manufactured using 50% recycled waste and 50% fibre from well managed forests, controlled sources and recycled wood. Learning and Teaching Scotland is a registered charity (charity number SC030217).
Denise Brock Editor
Editor: Nicola More | Creative Director: Eric Campbell Writer: Liz Longden Designers: Jenny Proudfoot, Islay Brown Managing Director: Fraser Allen Photography: Tom Muir, Rob McDougall, Allan Shedlock, Ashley Coombes All rights reserved. Material contained in this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior permission of Learning and Teaching scotland (OR OTHER COPYRIGHT OWNERS). Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information given herein is accurate, no legal responsibility is accepted for any errors, omissions or misleading statements. NEITHER Learning and Teaching scotland NOR THE EDITOR NECESSARILY AGREE WITH THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THE MAGAZINE.
Viewpoint: “Glow extends the pupils’ experiences in school and lets their ideas and creativity flow” For Kirsteen Maclean, Glow Mentor and Headteacher of Bernera Primary School in the Western Isles, Glow provides a gateway to the rest of Scotland and meaningful engagement with the new curriculum
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hen I first came to Bernera Primary School there was a class of just nine or ten pupils and one computer, but I realised fairly early on how important ICT was likely to be for the children I was teaching. The world is moving on around them and I’m open to trying anything that will help prepare them for their future careers. When our ICT Co-ordinator asked me to become a Glow Mentor, I was originally apprehensive. I had to cover a wide geographical area – what if I didn’t have time? Or worse still, what if I didn’t have the skill-sets? I set my fears aside and we gathered together in January 2008 for the mentor training. To begin with, we just learned the various skills, had a look around and made sure we had everything we needed to go online. My school was the first in our local authority to come online in March 2008, with the Western Isles being one of the first five local authorities to get started.
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Almost three years on, we use it completely differently. In the early days, we saw Glow as a big bank in which we put the component parts of our lessons – videos, images, documents – but our lessons largely remained the same. At that time nobody else in our local authority was online, so we concentrated on populating Glow with our own material and teaching the pupils how to use it. When we returned after the summer holidays, we started to look beyond ourselves and link up with other schools. We held regular Glow Meets with Pinwherrie Primary School in Ayrshire, with the help of Avril Taylor (now Avril Denton). They were doing a topic on island life and wanted a link with an island school. I won’t lie – sometimes we encountered technical issues to do with the way we had set up the technology, but sheer dogged perseverance eventually paid off and getting one good session every now and then made it all worth it. When Avril moved on to Girvan Primary our Glow relationship followed her.
In December 2009 we held a Glow Meet with the pupils at Girvan Primary, and had a journalist and photographer from The Times reporting on it. The pupils were totally easy about the whole thing – they’d done it loads of times before – but when they invited our guests to speak to Girvan Primary over the live link-up they totally froze. Two mediasavvy adults found it difficult to get to grips with, but the children are totally blasé about it all. In the early days all we got from them was “Can we go on Glow?” but now it’s just a part of daily classroom life. Even the youngest of our pupils can log in and change their profiles and passwords. Our current P4 pupils were in P1 when Glow first rolled out so they’ve had it for their whole school life. Some of our senior pupils spoke at our local authority’s Headteachers’ Conference last year and you could see the eyes of the headteachers glazing over as the children spoke about Javascript! We introduced parents to Glow through curriculum
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If any teachers reading this are considering trying it, I’d say don’t consider, just go for it evenings and they were very positive. Half of them didn’t understand it but they looked at it in amazement. Nowadays, we’re happy to dip in and out of Glowing Thursday and other events. I won’t say we use Glow for absolutely everything. If a task is better done on paper then we do it on paper, but where Glow is relevant and can produce better outcomes we have no hesitation in using it – and if any teachers reading this are considering trying it, I’d say don’t consider, just go for it. It’s about extending the experiences of
children while they’re in school. In delivering Curriculum for Excellence we’re giving them the confidence and skills of the 21st century and Glow helps their ideas and creativity flow – you can’t beat that. Glow is hugely valuable for us because as a small island school we don’t have access to certain things, and it’s good for our pupils to link up with their peers across Scotland. Back in May, we had Lord Sebastian Coe up promoting the 2012 London Olympics, and he opened our rural sports day and took part in a Glow Meet with schools in our local authority. In September, we joined the Glow Meet with the National Museum of Scotland and learned all about the Lewis Chessmen. The pupils were posting questions on the whiteboard and there were challenges and activities. It was fantastic. Since we don’t have physical access to organisations like the National Museum of Scotland, Glow opens up a virtual gateway for us. We’re no longer bound geographically and that’s hugely important to how we are able to connect with
Curriculum for Excellence and equip our pupils for life in the 21st century. In our local authority alone we’ve had links with Sebastian Coe and NASA astronauts, and I am hoping to set up a link with an award-winning American novelist. We couldn’t achieve that without the technology. Until you see the wonder in the pupils’ eyes at what can come through their classroom door, you can’t imagine how good it can be. Bernera Primary School
Bernera Primary School is a two-teacher school with 19 pupils ranging from P1 to P7. There is an English Medium class and a Gaelic Medium class, though changing cultures on the island mean there are just two pupils in the Gaelic class. Situated on the island of Great Bernera, the school is 26 miles from Stornoway, the principal town of the Western Isles. Despite the geographical separation, Kirsteen Maclean says they don’t feel at all disconnected, thanks to a lively community and active relationships with the parents.
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upfront
What’s got you talking?
Connected rounds up some of the latest comments posted by practitioners on the Glow Scotland blog: Glow: listening to you and improving “Thank you for all of this useful information. Yes, I can already see that much has been done over the last several months by way of improvement. Keep it going please.”
National Poetry Day Glow Meet “P5 loved being involved in their first Glow Meet. They were delighted when their suggestions/comments were read out.”
News from the SQA
“This was my first Glow Meet. I thought it was great.”
The SQA has created a new Curriculum for Excellence Liaison team to ensure the delivery of the new National Qualifications is successfully supported and implemented.
Early Years Enchanted Forest project “All staff, pupils and parents absolutely LOVED this Enchanted Forest topic! The dragon really came to life through Glow for the children, which was a super way to end such a fabulous project!”
The team will provide a dedicated resource for every school and college in Scotland, delivering support and advice during the transition to the new qualifications and assessment system. A quality assurance approach for the new qualifications at SCQF levels 3 and 4 will be developed in consultation with schools, colleges and local authorities. The team will also work with centres to ensure they are aware of the new qualifications so the teaching profession can prepare those pupils currently in S1 for the new qualifications in 2013–2014. More information can be found at www.sqa.org.uk/cfeteam Meanwhile, the SQA’s Overview of Qualifications Reports can now be read online at www.sqa.org.uk/ overviewforqualifications The reports form part of the development work for the new National Qualifications to support Curriculum for Excellence. The documents outline the list of subjects that fall within each curriculum area and the suites of courses that will be developed. The decision on which subjects to include was taken following extensive research and targeted engagement with a range of stakeholders. Each overview was informed by the Progress Reports published earlier this year.
“Hello! My daughter was in P1 and really enjoyed this Dragon topic. Each night she would tell us detailed stories about what had happened at school – usually we have to ask! I am sure this will be a lasting memory of her time in P1. Well done and thank you!” “As a P2 teacher involved in the Enchanted Forest what I loved was the ‘magic of learning’ which developed. The children were constantly coming up with ideas of new things to do so it was very hard work for us but totally worthwhile.”
P3 Active Maths project “It’s great to see Glow being integrated into the daily work of an infant class and see that the children have clearly been at the forefront of the school’s use of Glow. I’m definitely going to use this idea with the children in my school.”
North Lanarkshire Glow Showcase “The Showcase is a great idea which encourages teachers to take Glow further than they might have done on their own because the examples are taken from groups used by teachers and pupils in real classrooms. It highlights new ways of using Glow and gives teachers confidence to try these as they can see others have had success with them.” Option 1
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To find out more about Glow, visit: www.LTScotland.org.uk/usingglowandict
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• Get all the latest news updates at www.sqa.org.uk/cfenews • Provide feedback at www.sqa.org.uk/ haveyoursay • Volunteer for Subject Working Groups at www.sqa.org.uk/subjectworkinggroups • Receive email alerts by subscribing at www.sqa.org.uk/myalerts
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Developing global citizens through visual art Learning and Teaching Scotland’s Developing Global Citizens team has worked with schools in Dumfries & Galloway, Argyll & Bute, Stirling, Dundee, East Renfrewshire and Orkney to develop innovative approaches to embedding global issues in the expressive arts curriculum.
HMIE unveils support programme HMIE has taken the innovative step of shifting some of its resources from inspection to support. The inspectorate has not carried out any secondary school inspections between August and December 2010. Instead, inspectors are providing a wide range of support activities for schools, in partnership with local authorities, the SQA and Learning and Teaching Scotland. Inspectors have been involved in over 400 activities, covering a broad range of areas but with a particularly strong emphasis on support for curriculum planning. Activities may include meeting with groups
of staff in individual schools, contributing to existing professional development programmes, supporting self-evaluation activities and working with groups of principal teachers, senior management teams and local authority staff. Inspectors are also visiting a small number of schools to gather information that will inform future plans for professional development for Curriculum for Excellence in the medium and longer term. Further information on the support programme can be found on the HMIE website (www.hmie.gov.uk) under ‘Supporting the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence’. Option 1
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Working across subject areas, classes and entire schools, learners illustrated their thoughts and feelings about global issues such as identity, prejudice, the rights of children, global interdependence and the environment. Some of these impressive works of art were on display at the Scottish Learning Festival 2010, providing much inspiration for practitioners. More showcase galleries are planned at local and national levels, and the art work will also shortly feature on the Learning and Teaching Scotland website and Glow. “The big issues affecting our planet require an innovative generation that is adept at finding solutions, values active participation and is unafraid to make its voice heard,” said Professor Kay Livingston, Director, International, Research and Innovation. “Artistic expression is a powerful means of depicting our rapidly changing world and is a rich vehicle for young people to express their social and emotional literacy.”
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Find out more at www.LTScotland. org.uk/globalcitizens or email globalcitizens@LTScotland.org.uk
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• inspecting a smaller sample of schools each year, but with annual risk assessment arrangements to ensure that ‘high risk’ schools are included in the sample • focusing inspection more closely on aspects of provision which are the most important in driving improved performance • increasing the involvement of learners and parents in the inspection process • ways of increasing staff involvement in inspection • clearer, more accessible reports • moving towards a shorter period of advance notice for inspections
www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected
upfront GTC Scotland launches consultations on its independence
The new Learning and Teaching Scotland website
The General Teaching Council for Scotland has launched two consultations on issues relating to its future independent status. Both consultations launched on 1 October and will examine: • P roposals relating to how registered teachers are elected and public interest members are appointed to a future independent GTC Scotland. Also how individuals (registered teachers and lay people who are not Council members) are appointed to GTC Scotland panels • New Registration and Standards Rules, and a revised Statement of Registration Principles concerning the registration of individuals qualified to teach outside Scotland (currently known as the Statement of Principles governing Exceptional Admission to the Register)
The LTS website supports practitioners to make meaningful connections across learning. There’s information about Curriculum for Excellence, assessment, using Glow and ICT and different curriculum areas. There’s also advice, practice and resources for supporting learners and working with young people and adult learners in the community.
New search
Still Glowing
The new, improved search functionality helps website visitors to find what they’re looking for much more easily. As well as being able to search by keyword or phrase as before, visitors can also filter the search by type of content, curriculum area, key theme and sector. www.LTScotland.org.uk/search
There are even more learner resources to discover in Glow, such as:
Learner resources
Daily What: a news service provided by LTS for Scottish schools to help the development of literacy and language (English and Gaelic) in young people aged 9 to 16. www.LTScotland.org.uk/ usingglowandict/resources/ featuredresources/mediatednews
LTS has also added to its popular learner resources – from the groundbreaking Scotland’s History to the brand new Weather and Climate Change via the fascinating Scots and Australia. There’s a wealth of information for learners, and everyone else, to discover. www.LTScotland.org.uk/ scotlandshistory www.LTScotland.org.uk/ weatherandclimatechange www.LTScotland.org.uk/ scotsandaustralia
My Experiences & Outcomes This practical online tool for planning and monitoring learning now has its own address. Log in through Glow to: browse experiences and outcomes across curriculum areas; save outcomes and organise them into groups; a dd notes to help plan learning and monitor progression; save groups of outcomes and notes online or as a downloadable file. www.LTScotland.org.uk/ myexperiencesandoutcomes
Purple Mash: a selection of online creativity tools to support and inspire young children. www.LTScotland.org.uk/ usingglowandict/resources/ featuredresources/purplemash
Glow Science: an exciting collection of general science videos designed to support Curriculum for Excellence. www.LTScotland.org. uk/usingglowandict/resources/ featuredresources/glowscience
Another great new feature is the ‘+ Glow’ links, which are placed throughout the website. When website visitors see the ‘+ Glow’ icon they can head over to a relevant area or resource on Glow to enrich learning, share their thoughts and get the latest news. Option 1
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The consultations aim to prepare the GTC Scotland for independent status. A Scottish Government Order is currently making its way through the Scottish Parliament. This will allow the GTC Scotland in 2011 to run processes and make rules in preparation for the formation of the first independent Council early in 2012. Anthony Finn, Chief Executive of the GTC Scotland, said: “This is an exciting time in the development of the GTC Scotland. Independence will offer new challenges and opportunities to the teaching profession in Scotland and it is important that we prepare carefully and make the right decisions. I would urge parents, teachers, education professionals and those with an interest in education in Scotland to take part in this consultation process.”
To take part in the consultation, or to find out more, visit www.gtcs.org.uk/independence
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mousewatch SLF Special
Sites to help you get the most out of the Scottish Learning Festival 2010
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A groundbreaking online public participation project to enable people across Scotland’s education community to engage directly with the Scottish Government about the issues important to them.
Engage for Education The Engage for Education website is an innovative new forum for debate and conversation on all aspects of education in Scotland. It aims to bring together the whole education community to engage directly with the Scottish Government about the issues important to them. Michael Russell MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, used the platform to share his daily blog from his recent visit to China, coinciding with Education Month at the Shanghai Expo where he met Scottish and Chinese pupils. Mr Russell wrote about the value of educational links with China and how Scottish schools are bringing Mandarin to life in Confucius classrooms. Furthermore, pupils from Bathgate Academy shared their China experiences on Engage and presented their video questions to a school in Tianjin. Scotland’s culture and language has also been a lively topic, with guest bloggers Matthew Fitt (writer & education director of Itchy-Coo) and Arthur Cormack (Chair Bòrd na Gàidhlig) sharing their thoughts on the future of Scots and Gaelic in our schools. Other recent features include Mr Russell’s launch of the new Literacy Action Plan, video highlights from the first National Parent Forum Conference and a thank you to all teachers on World Teachers Day. Visitors to the site can participate in online workshops on important issues, and their comments can make a real difference to the delivery of Government policy. For example, comments on the support for implementation of Curriculum for Excellence led the Scottish Government to produce simplified guidance documents and comments on the ‘Teachers for Tomorrow’ workshop fed directly into the Review of Teacher Education in Scotland.
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A new site that aims to inspire and stimulate creativity in learning and teaching through partnerships between education and the arts and cultural sectors.
Advice and information about games-based learning.
www.LTScotland.org.uk/weatherandclimatechange
The new Climate Change site launched by Heather Reid OBE at a spotlight session.
DCS John Carnochan’s spotlight ‘Born to Fail’ was one of the most compelling sessions of the SLF 2010. Read more about the Violence Reduction Unit on this site.
Read more about the new and improved Glow site.
www.LTScotland.org.uk/globalcitizenship
The Developing Global Citizens Visual Arts Gallery was one of the most popular areas of the exhibition hall. View more of the pupils’ work in the Global Citizenship area of the LTS website.
If you enjoyed Stephen Heppell’s spotlight about ICT in learning, read more about his work here.
Watch the keynote presentations from Michael Russell MSP, Richard Gerver, Eric Booth and Sugata Mitra.
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Missed the Scottish Learning Festival this year? Catch the highlights at SLF Extra.
For regular updates, follow @engagefored on Twitter, and don’t forget to have your say at www.engageforeducation.org.
www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected
LTS: Working with you Over the next five pages, find out about the practical support LTS offers you
The great outdoors: national CPD events
Creativity Portal launches Learning and Teaching Scotland has launched a rich new resource that encourages creativity across the curriculum. The Creativity Portal, which officially launched at the Scottish Learning Festival 2010, aims to inspire and stimulate creativity in learning and teaching through partnerships between education and the arts and cultural sectors, to support Curriculum for Excellence. The Portal brings together: • Creative Directory – listing public arts organisations with links to their websites • Case studies – examples of successful projects between arts and education • Articles and links – resources, videos, features and information supporting creativity • Glow Groups – links to relevant groups on Glow • Forum – log in to Glow to join in discussions, share ideas and network The Portal also features an inspirational series of films, which asks ‘What is creativity?’ “It’s exciting to see all these features coming together in the one creative space,” says Glow Arts Development Officer Julia Fenby, who led the project for LTS in partnership with Creative Scotland.
“As creative partners populate their own spaces within the Portal, and teaching practitioners go to the Portal for inspiration on creativity in learning and to connect with cultural organisations, we will see learning and the benefits of creative partnerships being shared at a national level.” Developed in partnership with Creative Scotland, the Creativity Portal is the first initiative to emerge from the Scottish Government’s Education and Culture Action Plan, which was launched on 17 September with a view to promoting greater collaboration between the education and cultural sectors. “Across Scotland there are many examples of good work, where strong partnerships are key to developing successful creative teaching and learning opportunities,” says Linda Lees, seconded to Creative Scotland to develop the Creativity Portal. “We need people to really engage with this to share practice and demonstrate the potential for arts and culture to help improve educational outcomes.” With the Portal now live, Glow Development Officer Stephen Bullock has come on board to support practitioners as they engage with the site. Contact Stephen at s.bullock@LTScotland.org.uk
Learning and Teaching Scotland’s Outdoor Learning team has put together a comprehensive programme of CPD around outdoor learning for teachers and practitioners. Running from mid-November to the end of March, the programme includes sessions across Scotland covering everything from biodiversity and nature reserves to mountain biking. The programme aims to provide practitioners with: • practical tips and ideas for outdoor learning • suggestions to develop outdoor learning within and across curriculum areas • the knowledge and confidence to present pupils with a range of outdoor learning opportunities at different levels • opportunities to find out about local and national partner organisations that can help deliver experiences and outcomes outdoors All sessions are free to attend and a wide range of times, dates and venues has been offered to make it easier for practitioners to attend. A programme leaflet was sent to schools and key personnel in late October.
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newsbites A Wee Blether Learning and Teaching Scotland is supporting the office of Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People with the planning and delivery of the forthcoming national consultation for early years (currently known as a ‘wee blether’). Working with the Early Years Focus Group, LTS will ask 2 to 5-year-olds across Scotland for their views on the issues that are important to them. In other early years news, the National Childhood Practice Development Group (CPDG) is working with LTS and education groups to plan a national development event for the children’s workforce. Details of the event will be made available in the Early Years section of the Learning and Teaching Scotland website.
Outdoor Learning takes to the tipi
National Assessment Resource materials A major new online resource has been launched to support assessment approaches for Curriculum for Excellence. NAR, Scotland’s National Assessment Resource, was unveiled at the Scottish Learning Festival by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Michael Russell MSP.
Outdoor learning was the focus of a lively conference held on 28 October. Teachers, researchers and outdoor learning experts gathered together in the idyllic setting of the headquarters of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, Carrochan. The event featured a range of workshops designed to support practitioners to overcome barriers to outdoor learning and to celebrate successes within the seven local authorities partnering in the project. Some workshops took place outdoors – and in the true spirit of outdoor learning there was even a portable tipi!
Created by Learning and Teaching Scotland, SQA and the Scottish Government, NAR provides advice, support materials and assessment exemplars, including: 1. Quality marked and quality assured examples of assessment approaches and evidence, initially relating to experiences and outcomes in Literacy, Numeracy and Health and Wellbeing across learning, curriculum areas and stages, and within levels. 2. Literacy and Numeracy materials developed by SQA. Further materials will be made available in the new year. NAR will support practitioners to develop a deeper understanding of standards and expectations in assessment, and develop their cwapacity to make sound judgements about progress and achievement. All local authority practitioners in schools and early years settings can access NAR through their Glow account, and independent schools and colleges will be given access through the SQA Connect service.
Chemistry and Physics resources An excellent range of support materials for chemistry and physics has been added to the National Qualifications site, which can be found at www.LTScotland.org.uk/ nationalqualifications
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LTS: Working with you
Save on software Schools and local authorities can now benefit from reduced prices on a range of software. The Learning and Teaching Scotland Customer Services team has reached an agreement with leading software publishers – including Microsoft, Adobe, Don Johnston Special Needs Software and more – to sell their products through software licensing schemes. These are unique to Scottish education and deliver a number of benefits, including: • considerably reduced prices on educational software • no minimum quantity required in order to purchase • flexibility to purchase additional licences as and when required • opportunity to purchase replacement media when it is lost in the school Software titles range from pre-school and primary education through to secondary, including a selection of popular schools software titles such as PDF Aloud – a plugin for Adobe Acrobat Reader which allows PDFs to be read aloud. The Customer Services team is happy to advise and help with any projects or ideas practitioners might have. Email j.cairney@LTScotland.org.uk for further support and information Extra content
New DVD supports physical activity Learning and Teaching Scotland has developed a DVD resource to support primary teachers and key partners in implementing physical education, physical activity and sport in schools and learning communities. The DVD aims to provide a professional development tool to challenge practitioners to make physical education more relevant, motivating and enjoyable. The resource has six sections: • Curriculum for Excellence – transformational change • Health and Wellbeing • High Quality Physical Education – one of the six organisers within Health and Wellbeing • Physical Activity and Sport – partnership planning and working • Teaching and Learning within Physical Education • Assessment within Physical Education
Suzanne Hargreaves of Learning and Teaching Scotland. “Physical education should be all about movement and thinking, developing in children a practical ‘how to’, which in turn leads to autonomous learners, able to work on their own and as part of a team. “Daily opportunities for physical activity and sport not only help to develop cognitive abilities in children, but also generate a desire for active participation which is mostly likely to lead to sustained physical activity in adult life. Partnership working is essential to ensure that participation and performance pathways are in place to meet the needs and interests of all our children and young people.”
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Copies of the DVD will be sent to all schools and settings and to sport and physical activity partners.
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Developing Gaelic in the early years Language skills begin early, and Learning and Teaching Scotland has recognised this with a new DVD resource designed to help early years staff engage with Gaelic across the new curriculum. The resource includes film clips showing the new curriculum in action and offers suggestions for using meaningful Gaelic play and active learning. The case studies were captured from five settings across Scotland, and show children learning Gaelic in a range of activities such as engaging with the wider Gaelic community, using ICT and active learning. Gaelic practitioners will also be provided with information about how children acquire language and then progress to becoming bi-lingual and bi-literate. Copies of the DVD have been sent to all pre-school and primary settings that provide Gaelic Medium education.
Remembering Jimmy Reid Learning and Teaching Scotland is celebrating the remarkable life of the late Jimmy Reid with a special resource on its Scotland’s History website. The resource includes two speciallycommissioned videos narrated by Billy Elliot star Gary Lewis, who grew up in Glasgow and took part of the march of 1971 to support Jimmy Reid and the shipbuilders. Jimmy Reid: Pride of the Clyde charts the trade unionist’s life and work, whilst Jimmy Reid: The UCS Work-in tells of the success of the UCS industrial action. Also included in the resource is a downloadable transcript of Jimmy Reid’s famous Rectoral address at Glasgow University in 1972, and online support
materials have been published for practitioners wishing to teach their pupils about the great Scot. Says Gary Lewis: “At the age of 14 my friend Jim MacNamara and I joined 80,000 workers on a march through Glasgow in support of the UCS fight to save jobs, led by Jimmy Reid and Jimmy Airlie. Our fathers were somewhere among the masses. There are many lessons to be learned from that struggle and the huge expression of solidarity, which is why it is important for it to form a part of learning in Scotland.”
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www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected Multimedia content
LTS: Working with you New Curriculum papers published
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Two short summary papers are now available of Building the Curriculum 1: The contribution of curriculum areas, Building the Curriculum 2: Active learning. In addition, Building the Curriculum 5: A Framework for Assessment has been published. The short guide to Building the Curriculum 1 encourages practitioners to develop their professional practice regarding the contribution of the different curriculum areas towards developing the four capacities. The Building the Curriculum 2 summary encourages practitioners in all stages to develop their professional practice regarding the consistent use of active learning approaches. Building the Curriculum 5 is a new publication that provides guidance on understanding, applying and sharing standards in assessment. It has information on the support structures in place at national level to ensure that quality assurance and moderation are fair and consistent and that local and national practices are aligned.
Listening to you and improving Glow Learning and Teaching Scotland has introduced a number of new components and features to Glow, as a direct response to feedback from Glow users.
Other changes include an increased log-out time, a new Glow Mail interface and an enhanced search function.
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Key improvements include an easier to navigate homepage known as Glow Light, the opportunity to publish and share information with Glow Blogs and an area to interact with other users in Glow Forums. Multimedia content
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For more about the new tools in Glow, or to access a range of support videos, visit the Improving Glow section of the LTS website at www.LTScotland.org.uk/ usingglowandict Multimedia content
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Your Curriculum for Excellence toolkit Multimedia content
Practitioners can now access a toolkit and fact file to help them discuss the new curriculum with confidence. Available on the Learning and Teaching Scotland website, the toolkit includes PowerPoints, fact files, leaflets, film clips, images and templates to support practitioners in discussing Curriculum for Excellence with parents, learners and other stakeholders. The toolkit contains both ready-made materials and templates that can be customised. The Fact Files provide a vast range of information about current changes in Scottish connected | winter 2010-11
Blog discussion
education, broken into three sections entitled ‘Background and benefits’, ‘Assessment and qualifications’ and ‘The secondary experience’. Practitioners could use the materials in a number of ways, for example by showing the videos at parents’ evenings, customising a presentation for staff meetings or creating an information sheet. The toolkit is available for download in the Understanding the Curriculum area of the LTS website. Click on ‘What is Curriculum for Excellence?’ and follow the link.
Download the guides at www.LTScotland.org.uk/ buildingyourcurriculum
climate change
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limate change is rapidly moving up the global political agenda and attracting acres of press coverage along the way. Most people now accept that the warming planet and diminishing natural resources are everyone’s responsibility – but it is even more important for the generation of young people in schools today.
“Young people have an innate sense of justice,” says Ian Menzies, Development Officer, Developing Global Citizens at Learning and Teaching Scotland. “They hear about these issues and are struck by the unfairness of it all. However, they need support to broaden and deepen their understanding.They are equipped with a willingness to search, enquire and explore.” It’s often said it will fall to the next generation to right the environmental wrongs of recent decades. This gives education a major role to play not only in teaching young people about sustainability and global citizenship, but also in preparing them for emerging new industries and careers that currently do not even exist. “There are some incredibly exciting new careers opening up as renewable technologies evolve, and the green sector will need as many as 60,000 additional trained people to fill the gap,” says Ian. The Scottish Government has set the most ambitious environmental targets of any nation in the world, aiming to reduce carbon emissions by 42% by 2020, and 80% by 2050. “In Scotland climate change is a national priority, and education is crucial to that agenda,” says Ian. “Curriculum for Excellence aims to equip young people for life in the 21st century, and climate change connects areas such as citizenship, sustainable development, ethics, technology, science, social studies and international education. It empowers young people to become resilient and to process complex ethical, moral and technological issues and make informed decisions.” Learning and Teaching Scotland is supporting teachers to meet this challenge with a dedicated new weather and climate change website. The site brings together:
Preparing for tomorrow’s world Learning and Teaching Scotland’s new climate change website provides a one-stop shop of resources and inspiration A series of informative videos presented by former BBC Scotland weather presenter, Heather Reid OBE
The site includes a number of inspirational case studies, such as Lawthorn Primary in Irvine, North Ayrshire, winner of the Scottish Education Awards 2010 for sustainability. The school has cut its energy consumption by an impressive 48% and encouraged 60% more parents to walk to school with their children instead of driving. “It was the pupils’ idea – they looked at their energy consumption and wanted to put something back,” says teacher Amanda Milne. “They’re so inspired by the project. One Primary 3 pupil has even initiated litter picking in his street and written to the Prime Minister to encourage him to set up Eco Street as well as Eco Schools! The pupils have no trouble with thinking big.” “We know that climate change is an important area of study in Scottish schools, and there’s already lots of fantastic work going on,” says Ian. “The new website provides a valuable resource for learning about this crucial issue as Scotland sets its sights on a low carbon future”
Case study videos from schools, exploring climate-related issues in their community Reflective questions encouraging teachers to consider how the material might be used to enhance learning and teaching Useful links to other resources An RSS news feed A Sustainable Education Glow Group
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www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected Multimedia content
Planning for the senior phase:
where do I start? Learning and Teaching Scotland has pulled together five models of how senior phase education might look under Curriculum for Excellence. Read on for some inspiration
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he senior phase of a child’s education is one of the most important, and potentially one of the most challenging. Schools are tasked with creating a curriculum that not only provides a meaningful learning experience which supports pupils in obtaining qualifications, but also enables them to develop emotionally, physically and socially as young adults. In short, the senior phase prepares pupils to make their own way in the world. The flexibility of Curriculum for Excellence means that schools can shape the curriculum around each individual learner, personalising their educational experience and ensuring they study the right range of subjects at an appropriate level for them. Yet this level of flexibility can also lead many schools to wonder ‘where do I start’? To help answer that question, the Cabinet Secretary Michael Russell MSP asked Learning and Teaching Scotland to develop a series of models designed to stimulate discussion and aid planning and CPD at a local level. There are five models so far – four school models, of which two are real, and two are hypothetical. Each shows the delivery of the full range of learner entitlements and illustrates six learner journeys. The models are complemented by a range of reflective questions that encourages schools to think about what would work for their learners, and CPD sessions are being planned with local connected | winter 2010-11
authorities. More models will follow in the months ahead. The fifth model illustrates the senior phase in a college context. “The senior phase is not just about qualifications – it’s about looking at the individual experience of each pupil,” says Linda Rae, National Co-ordinator, Building Your Curriculum at Learning and Teaching Scotland. “One of the big challenges is achieving the breadth, depth and progression which builds on the broad
“The senior phase is not just about qualifications – it’s about looking at the individual experience of each pupil” general education but at the same time provides personalisation and choice. I hope the models will help schools to look at the flexible delivery of different learning pathways. “They are not designed to be exhaustive or prescriptive. Instead, they aim to provide inspiration. The new curriculum brings with it an opportunity to approach things in a totally new way, and I hope the models will support schools to think more creatively about how they deliver the curriculum.”
senior phase ed u cation
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www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected
“We are charting new territory” Stewart Young, headteacher of Clydebank High School, shares his experiences of establishing the senior phase curriculum Prior to starting the modelling exercise, we were looking at S1–S3, so planning the senior phase curriculum required us to think quite far ahead about how we can meet the needs of the full range of learners as they come up into S4 and beyond. We needed something that was flexible enough to cater for all interests and abilities, so we came up with small building blocks through which learners can build up their qualifications. It works a bit like a jigsaw puzzle that will be pieced together over time. Under the broad general education, we have maintained a traditional curriculum structure for S1, introduced a degree of connected | winter 2010-11
choice in some curriculum areas by the start of S2, and strengthened our commitment to interdisciplinary learning. Moving up into the senior phase, S4–S6 are timetabled as a single cohort and will follow one of two key routes (see panel on right). Route A is most suitable for less academic pupils, including up to 10 options with a three-period allocation for each. There is one core column for PE, PSHE and RE. In Route B, pupils have a choice of five courses at SCQF levels 4,5,6 and 7. There is a six-period allocation for each column, but one period of each is dedicated to other activities related to achievement. The biggest
change is that pupils in S4 can choose to undertake two-year courses, and particularly capable pupils and those in S6 may take a one-year course. Many pupils will take a combination of routes A and B, mixing them to suit their own needs and interests. This is a structure we have never tried before. It enables the most able pupils to bypass a national examination in S4, allowing them to get started early with Highers. This level of flexibility is also beneficial for less academic young people. We are looking at ways to improve achievement as well as attainment, for example by developing life skills such as enterprise and encouraging work in the community through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and similar schemes. We are taking Curriculum for Excellence as our
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senior phase ed u cation
Clydebank High School Senior Phase: At A Glance School roll: 1414 Location: Urban FME: 20.6% School week: 30 periods x 53 minutes Key Features Broad General Education: • Traditional curriculum structure for S1 • Degree of choice in some curriculum areas at the start of S2 • Significant commitment to interdisciplinary learning Senior Phase: S4 to S6 are timetabled as a single cohort and will follow routes:
Route A
Route B Choice of five courses at SCQF levels 4,5,6 and 7
Intended for pupils studying at SCQF levels 1,2 or 3
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Pupils may also study at National 4 provided that their prior experience is appropriate Up to 10 options with three-period allocation each
Pupils will have two routes to choose from when they reach S4 checklist, and ‘successful learners’ is only one of the four capacities – we want to ensure we are meeting them all. The model represents our plans for the senior phase. We have conducted six learner journeys which informed our thinking, and discussed our ideas with pupils and parents, but the next step is to look at the practicalities, such as timetabling. We are charting new territory here, so it’s important that we have as much support as possible. With that in mind, we conducted a wide consultation and have created a steering group made up of at least one member of staff from each curriculum area. Building a senior phase curriculum is not a management thing – it’s important that the whole school has a sense of ownership.
One core column for PE, PSHE and RE
Two courses could be combined to provide a six-period allocation for courses at National 4 or 5
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Six-period allocation to each column, but only five periods will be available to the course, with remaining one period being used for other activities relating to achievement
S4 pupils following Route B will undertake two-year courses One-year courses will be available for S6 pupils and those demonstrating aptitude and talent
Combination Routes Many pupils will take a combination of Route A and B courses appropriate to needs and abilities
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www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected Multimedia content
The best of Scottish education The Scottish Learning Festival 2010 welcomed a record-breaking number of delegates from every area of Scotland and across the world. Connected brings you the highlights
Watch SLF 2010 online
Missed the Festival? Fear not – keynote sessions are available to watch online and you can link in to Glow Groups for more resources, ideas and discussions. Visit www.LTScotland.org.uk/slf
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he biggest SLF to date brought together educationalists and practitioners from all over the world to discuss everything from climate change and inequality to creative learning and educational gaming. The hot topics were Curriculum for Excellence and Glow, both of which are now beginning to have a measurable impact on learning and teaching across Scotland.
In his keynote seminar, Michael Russell MSP, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, praised delegates for their continued hard work and dedication to improving Scottish education. “My parents were both teachers, and my wife is a primary school headteacher, so I have a deep personal commitment to education as well as a political one,” said Mr Russell. “Our education community has already been brave and wise enough to embrace reform in Curriculum for Excellence, so we will focus now on making it real. I will sign on for stability as we finish the task schools are now engaged in.” Mr Russell said it is a case of “steady as she goes” and pledged that all efforts will now be focused on ensuring a smooth transition into the new curriculum and exams. Mr Russell also invited parents, stakeholders, pupils and practitioners to join a national debate on education by sharing their views on the new Engage for Education website, www.engageforeducation.org “As teachers, you are a role model, mentor and guide to Scotland’s young people,” he concluded. “Thank you for setting us on the right track. There is nothing wrong with Scottish education today that can’t be put right by those with a passion.”
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connected | winter 2010-11
Visit the new Engage for Education website at www.engageforeducation.org
scottish learning F eat u re festi titlev al in here 2010
SLF 2010 by numbers
02/03 20/21
Born to fail?
8,315
delegates – the highest ever attendance
32%
of delegates attending for the first time
235
international guests
32
local authorities represented
200
companies exhibiting
160 seminars
“If violence is an iceberg, we’ve been chipping away on the bit we can see. But to reduce the size we need to increase the heat of the water, and we don’t do that with strategies and policies.“ DCS John Carnochan of Strathclyde Police delivered a rousing seminar in which he called for early intervention to prevent escalating violence in society. With 30 years’ experience as a detective, and leader of Strathclyde’s Violence Reduction Unit, John has seen first-hand how disadvantaged young people become trapped in vicious circles with inevitable consequences. “If violence is an iceberg, we’ve been chipping away on the bit we can see,” says John. “But to reduce the size of the iceberg we need to increase the heat of the water, and we don’t do that with strategies and policies. We do that by changing people and attitudes, and that takes time.” John argued that violence is not a criminal justice issue, but a public health one – by the time the police are involved, he said, it’s already too late. John illustrated his point by telling the story of David – a young man born into deprivation and domestic violence. Without the meaningful intervention he needed, David quickly drifted into petty crime and
drugs, a situation that escalated until he murdered someone at the age of just 15. On sentencing, the judge described David as an ‘ordinary boy’ – a symptom, John believes, of our society’s worrying tolerance of violence in some areas of our society. “If you bring a child into a warzone, you create a warrior,” says John. “Children are incredibly good at adapting to their environment, and David learned simply to survive.” John argues that to effect meaningful change, we must take action on four key levels: Individual: provide positive male role models in early years and teach life skills that are crucial in child development Relationships: provide the necessary support for parents who are most vulnerable Community: end the cultural norm for legitimisation of violence Societal: criminal justice has a role to play but prevention is key
www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected
Sharing through Glow
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he Curriculum for Excellence and Glow session may have been the early bird session of the first day of the SLF 2010, but it was inspiring enough to keep delegates alert.
In a practical and insightful seminar, teachers were welcomed on stage one by one to share their experiences of how Glow is supporting Curriculum for Excellence. Word of the morning was ‘share’. Cathy Francis and Donna Evans of St Thomas RC Primary School told of their nursery school’s Commenius link-up with a school in Germany, which formed lasting friendships that helped ease the transition into P1. Principal Teacher (PT) Cathy said that holding Glow Meets enabled teachers to come together to make the event work, and as a result she is better informed about how the nursery is implementing the new curriculum.
connected | winter 2010-11
Next, the audience heard how Glow Learn was supporting every stage at Forehill Primary School. PT Fiona Meney has created Glow Learn stores containing word documents, presentations, videos, games and websites for a topic on Phonics, which ensures consistency in transitions across stages. The school has also used Glowing
The changes come from the teachers, so Glow belongs to all of us. Potential to create topics on Katie Morag and a lighthouse project. A P6 maths topic saw pupils discuss the curriculum online in Glow Discussions. One pupil wrote: “I love solving maths problems with my friends on Glow. It’s so cool!” Bruce McMaster of Broughton High School highlighted that Glow benefits pupils of all ages and abilities. Bruce led a project which saw his S1 pupils record videos about what they had thought secondary school would be like, compared
to the reality. S1 pupils and P7s from the feeder primary then met up on Glow to chat about the transition. P7s asked questions like ‘What if I get lost?’ and ‘Are the teachers scary?’ and were duly reassured by their older peers. Bruce also used Glow to teach his Advanced Higher Biology class. Bruce put every lesson up on Glow Learn and watched in amazement as pupils exchanged questions and feedback on discussion groups, even entering complex scientific equations to help pupils struggling with a particular topic. “Perhaps excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way,” concluded Andrew Brown, Head of Glow at Learning and Teaching Scotland. “Glow is changing and improving in line with your feedback – we have a new interface and it’s easier to get around and to create content. The changes come from the teachers, so Glow belongs to all of us.” “Sharing is the key word of this seminar,” said Marie Dougan of Learning and Teaching Scotland. “By sharing resources, ideas and experiences between pupils, teachers, parents and schools locally and internationally, Glow will help us to deliver Curriculum for Excellence.”
scottish learning F eat u re festi titlev al in here 2010
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Let the games begin!
The LTS Consolarium seminar, presented by Ollie Bray, was packed with inspirational ideas for developing literacy and numeracy through games. Here’s five of the best:
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pictures: rob McDougall
s always, the sessions on games-based learning at the SLF were among the most lively of the event. The level of engagement among pupils was plain to see – they gathered, spellbound, around the Nintendo EyePet at the LTS Consolarium, competed for a Nintendo Wii for their school in the MarioKart race and spoke proudly of their achievements in the Consolarium’s games design competition.
The games design competition, which launched in March, invited pupils from primary and secondary schools across Scotland to design and build their own computer game. A challenging brief, but one that proved massively popular. “We were immediately inundated by emails and people getting in touch to express an interest,” recalls Charlie Love, Development Officer, Games Design at the Consolarium. “We were really pleased that so many people came to us for help and advice, and it was exciting to get so much interest so early on.” When all went quiet during the summer holidays, Charlie and his colleagues wondered if all that excitement had died down. They needn’t have worried – pupils were getting together on Glow throughout their break to discuss their plans, problemsolve and exchange ideas. The entries, when they came in, were not only of a very high standard, but also
Pupils compete to win a Nintendo Wii and Mario Kart game for their school.
Pupils were getting together on Glow throughout their break to discuss their plans, problem-solve and exchange ideas exemplified the cross-curricular elements of game design. The winner of the secondary school (individual) category had created a massive 3D game, while the group entry was led by an English teacher, so focused more on strong storylining and characterisation. “Games design is a hub for so many other kinds of learning too, particularly expressive arts,” says Charlie. “We’re keen to run the competition again; the quality of entries was excellent.” Congratulations to winners Shapinsey Primary School and Garnock Academy, and to Jonathan Hay of Whitburn Academy, who won the individual award.
Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympics provides what the Consolarium calls a ‘contextual hub’ – teaching young people about sport, teamwork, fitness, science and geography through a game they know and love. Consolarium staff have used Sony’s virtual pet, the EyePet, to support transition topics – children ‘hatch’ the pet in nursery and take it with them to primary. Big Brain Academy and Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training both improve math skills. The audience watched a video showing a Primary 6 pupil solving 20 sums in just 13 seconds (although his personal best was nine seconds!). Professor Layton on the Nintendo DS is a mystery game that develops strong literacy and problem-solving skills. Pupils using I Can Broadcast wrote a script, recorded their own video, performed it and broadcast it with remarkable confidence using green screen technology.
www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected
The rise or fall of this wave of opportunity depends on teachers In his inspirational seminar, ‘Creativity as Catalyst: Manifesting the Potential of the Curriculum for Excellence’, Eric Booth called on educationalists to embrace creativity as the final link to a world-leading curriculum. Connected caught up with Eric after his seminar to find out more. In your seminar you mentioned the ‘Scottish cringe’ – our tendency to play down achievement. What advice would you offer to teachers who feel daunted by the creative challenge? EB: My advice is to start with small, interesting experiments – just one or two things a day. If you start small and it doesn’t work out, it’s not a disaster. If it does work out, you can see how it might grow and it’s easier to share with colleagues. The key is that it feels good – feeling successful gets over the cringe factor and awkwardness. It’s important to acknowledge that you already know how to do this. It’s not about a brand new way of thinking, but about taking what’s buried and letting it come out to play. Exercises like this make us more confident as guides of creative learning.
by contrast, creativity feels ambiguous and touchy-feely. It’s hard to reconcile a preference of the system with a different set of considerations, so when they meet it feels like pressure. The way out is the method described above – small experiments that feel good. In fact, you’ll quickly discover that the two systems have worked well together all along.
What do you think it is about creativity that people feel threatened by? EB: The education system is designed around single correct answers, finite goals and data that are readily assessable;
What are the qualities that you believe make a good teacher? EB: First of all, being a good learner. If you’re an irrepressible learner students are drawn into different habits of mind
connected | winter 2010-11
– they feel they’re colleagues in learning advancement. Secondly – and this does sound touchy-feely – you should love the people you work with. That means appreciating the extraordinary uniqueness of each individual. Young people have a profound understanding of whether they are loved and if they believe they are loved, they will self-correct their behaviour to stay with you on that. If not, they peel off. It’s a bond of trust. Thirdly, adopt experimental habits of mind. Don’t be afraid to try things – teaching is action and resolution and students are colleagues in that process.
scottish learning festi v al 2 0 1 0
Describe your vision of a successful learning environment. EB: It’s physically safe of course, but also emotionally safe. By emotionally safe, I mean that pupils should not be afraid to speak for fear of bullying, or of looking stupid. Beyond that, it should be safe enough for learners to be adventurous and take risks without peer pressure. There are things you can do to make a safe environment for different learners to contribute. That’s one of the benefits of creative learning: often, those students who struggle with standard tools of assessment can shine in their peers’ eyes, by showing for example original thought, divergent thinking or physical capacity. Another trait of a successful environment is distributed learning, where the whole is more successful than the single individual. So you will see pupils turning to each other not just to see who knows the answer, but for ideas. It’s a learning ensemble.
portrait: rob McDougall
How does creativity fit in to Curriculum for Excellence? EB: The experiments I’ve been part of show that pupils achieve long-term goals as well or better with investment in creative learning, as a result of interdisciplinary learning and higher engagement. The short-term is admittedly more difficult. It invites loosening up on tools that teachers have a firm grip on, because they believe they work best for the system they’ve got. It requires a major act of faith, and that’s a big ask in an economy of scarce time, especially when you don’t see immediate results. This is where the education bodies can help – by requiring experimentation.
You spoke about adopting a system of assessment that recognises creativity. Is assessment and creativity not a contradiction in terms? EB: There are a few existing instruments out there for measuring creativity. The Torrance Test rates the capacity of the individual to develop ideas, and the Studio Art Advanced Placement Exam has a rubric for creativity. What hasn’t been done before, and what I challenge Scotland to lead in, is to pull these together as part of a comprehensive new assessment that tests creativity with the same rigour as we test other capacities. It’s about using a broader range of tools.
What life skills does this develop? EB: Look at the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence – they are not soft-headed, they’re what the world actually needs. They’re what employers need. Since 80% of the jobs our pupils will do in future don’t yet exist, no company can succeed without successful learners. Creative learning is the way to unlock those four capacities. You said ‘80% of what you teach is who you are’. Do teachers have a role as social workers and mentors too? EB: That would be a huge pressure. What I’d say is that teachers should model the four capacities within their role as a
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“Creative learning is the way to unlock the four capacities” teacher. Be a successful learner with your students, be a responsible citizen within the classroom. Embody the principles within your 80% and you are already a valued mentor and guide. You believe that Scotland has the potential to lead the educational world with Curriculum for Excellence. What do we need to do next, in your view? EB: What’s happening here is historic – Scotland genuinely has an unprecedented opportunity. I believe the rise or fall of this wave of opportunity depends not on Government bodies, not on resources or CPD, but on the willingness of Scottish teachers to take an act of courage to lead it. I am fiercely supportive of those people who facilitate the healthy beauty of creativity in their own lives. Plato said, “The one thing society must do is to teach its young people to find pleasure in the right things.” Well, there’s no more right thing than creative learning. And it’s fun!
Eric Booth’s keynote and the other highlights of the Scottish Learning Festival 2010 are available to view online at: www.LTScotland.org.uk/slf
www.ltscotland.org.uk/connected
commonwealth games
Game on
A word from the guest bloggers Maria Ure : “I hope readers back home find the blog inspirational. The Commonwealth Games are relevant to everyone – after all, in four years time it might be happening just down the road from where pupils live. The international community will see Scotland through its people, so it’s really important that we all get involved. To me, being active and energetic creates opportunities – it allows you to take fate into your own hands. If my blog inspires even one person to do one thing it will have been worthwhile.” Maria Ure is a dancer and former student at Perth Grammar School. She performed at the Delhi handover and recorded her experiences on her blog.
A new blog and interactive map will help schools make the most of the educational legacy of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games
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cotland is gearing up for one of the most important events in the nation’s sporting history. On 14 October, India handed responsibility for the Commonwealth Games to Scotland, in a ceremony viewed by one billion people worldwide.
Learning and Teaching Scotland has launched new resources to support schools and community organisations in developing the educational legacy of the Games. Twelve ambassadors from Glasgow secondary schools toured schools in Delhi, exploring what makes a successful international school partnership, then recording their experiences in a dedicated new blog. A number of teachers, performers and athletes also signed up as guest bloggers, providing a rich commentary for schools and community organisations back home. The online resources also include an interactive map, where practitioners can record their organisation’s activities and highlight their international partnerships with a link on the map. “We already have many schools and
community groups in Scotland with international partnerships, but this is an opportunity to increase that significantly,” says Mike Farrell of the Developing Global Citizens team at Learning and Teaching Scotland. “We live in an inter-connected modern world, so why confine our learning to the walls of a classroom?” The educational legacy of the Games goes far beyond sport and physical activity, and can promote a culture of participation in every aspect of the curriculum. “This is an opportunity to connect up so many areas – from literacy, numeracy and health and wellbeing to sustainable development, international issues, modern languages, human rights and social justice,” says Mike. “It also develops vocational skills and pathways into a range of positive destinations, including event management, hospitality and customer services. “Curriculum for Excellence prepares young people as creative and critical thinkers, active global citizens of the 21st century. Major sporting events such as this provide a wonderful context to bring this aspiration to life.”
Chiara Ruddy: “We want to give behind the scenes accounts to encourage other young people to become actively involved in the preparations for the Games coming to Scotland. My own school puts a great deal of emphasis on active learning, and I really believe that the research, self-motivation and self-confidence I’ve developed while trying to find interesting topics to blog about, make the Interaction Ambassadors programme an excellent educational experience.” Chiara Ruddy is a pupil at St Aloysius’ College in Glasgow and an Interaction Ambassador in Delhi.
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connected | winter 2010-11 Multimedia content
boo k s for all
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Books
for all The new Books For All database provides a one-stop shop for adapted resources for pupils in Scotland with a print disability
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or most people, the term ‘print disability’ is an unfamiliar one. Indeed, it’s a relatively new concept, which embraces a broader understanding of what it means to have difficulty accessing the printed word.
Paul Nisbet of CALL Scotland explains: “When we think of accessible texts, we generally think of Braille, large text and audio formats, yet the number of pupils in Scotland with a visual impairment is comparatively small. In fact, a far greater number have a ‘print disability’ – this is a much broader term, including visual impairment, physical disability and dyslexia.” In 2007, the Scottish Government commissioned CALL Scotland – which specialises in communication and assistive technology – to explore the challenges young people can encounter when accessing the printed word. The results showed that access to resources was a widescale problem for a range of pupils – not just those with a visual impairment, but pupils who could not physically hold a book or turn the pages, or pupils with dyslexia and dyspraxia. Whilst some resources were available, local authorities generally produced them independently, and there was little opportunity to share material. CALL Scotland in partnership with Learning and Teaching Scotland has been working on a Government-backed project, Books For All, to develop a database which allows the sharing of adapted resources. The database is hosted
by SCRAN and accessed via Glow. Once a local authority has signed a CLA Print Disability Licence, practitioners in that area can create an accessible version of a text and upload the resource to the database, following the terms of the licence. Other practitioners can then download the text directly from the database to use with a print disabled pupil. In order to develop this resource, the team had to overcome a number of challenges, not least the copyright issues associated with reproducing commercial books. “Without RNIB’s original campaign to have the copyright law changed, none of this could have been achieved,” says Stuart Aitken of CALL Scotland. “The copyright licensing framework has been extended to allow teachers to create accessible versions of a text for a specific, named pupil. The potential now to deliver the resources that teachers need, when they need them, is tremendous.” The team is also working with publishers such as Teejay and Hodder to
make more adapted resources available. Of course there are major benefits for learning and teaching, particularly in delivering Curriculum for Excellence for pupils with additional support needs. “Pupils are able to work more independently,” says Patricia Carroll of Learning and Teaching Scotland. “This enables support staff to use their time more creatively and productively, and instils greater confidence in the learner. I would encourage all practitioners to log on and discover not only what it can do for them, but how they can contribute to a truly valuable resource for pupils with a print disability.”
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The Books for All database can be found on the Additional Support for Learning Glow Group. For more information, visit: www.books4all.org.uk View CALL Scotland’s accessibility guide at www.callscotland.org.uk/ resources/books/accessible-text
Taking a holistic approach Introducing Learning and Teaching Scotland’s new Communities team, which is leading practice development and policy implementation in community learning and development
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Edith MacQuarrie
As a new team within Learning and Teaching Scotland, can you describe your remit? CR: We support policy implementation and practice development in community learning and development (CLD). MG: Local authorities lead local partnerships, which also involve the voluntary and community sectors, colleges and others depending on local circumstances. These partnerships encourage and co-ordinate community learning and community development activities locally. CR: The three national priorities – agreed by the Scottish Government and COSLA – are: achievement through learning for adults; achievement through learning for young people; and achievement through building community capacity.
pictures: tom muir
Colin Ross
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Mhairi Gilfillan
Vince Moore
How does your team support those national priorities? CR: We work with a wide range of partners and stakeholders. This includes national agencies, the voluntary sector and local authorities. We support networks including CLD Managers Scotland and the Community Development Alliance Scotland. We also work with our partners on a number of joint programmes to improve outcomes for Scotland’s young people, adults and communities. EM: Our team links particularly to the Lifelong Learning strand of the Scottish Government. Part of our engagement with local authorities is to bring a lifelong learning dimension to Curriculum for Excellence. We provide direct support to community learning and development practitioners to deliver Curriculum for Excellence on the ground.
VM: I worked as part of a team delivering The Big Plus adult literacy and numeracy campaign. This campaign came from the Learning Connections team in Communities Scotland in 2003, which moved to the Lifelong Learning Directorate of the Scottish Government and is now the Communities Team here at LTS. Projects such as the national literacy and numeracy campaign are now at the heart of the work we do in partnership with local authorities, yet The Big Plus dates back to 2003. This is an evolution of work that’s been under way for a number of years. How does CLD link in with the principles of Curriculum for Excellence? EM: CLD has a significant role in the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence. The ethos of CLD is about working with people to address their
learning needs and enable them to engage in their communities. CR: Curriculum for Excellence links in with all three of the national priorities. In terms of learning for young people, CLD provides a range of opportunities which promote achievement and personal development. The Government’s 16+ Learning Choices ensures that young people have a planned pathway into work or further learning. CLD has already demonstrated a key role in leading the 16+ Activity Agreement pilots. A key aspect of what we do is about promoting a holistic view of education, lifelong learning and community development. Achievement through learning for adults is also relevant to Curriculum for Excellence because young people do not develop in isolation. We recognise that families and
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communities are crucial to learning and that means that building capacity in the wider community has a key part to play in Curriculum for Excellence. EM: Learners are at the heart of Curriculum for Excellence and practitioners working within CLD are focused on building learning around the needs of the individual learner. Is there a perception that CLD is principally for underprivileged communities? CR: It is particularly significant for communities that are more disadvantaged, and that’s at the heart of what CLD is about, but it’s important to emphasise that CLD has a significant part to play in achieving many of our national outcomes, including those relating to health, employment and equality, as well as those relating to learning and building stronger communities. CLD has a significant role in improving the lives of individuals and communities across Scotland. EM: The social justice agenda is at the heart of our ‘working and learning together’ policy and that’s reflected in the work of our team as well as what CLD is doing across Scotland to open up opportunities for individuals and communities who are excluded. CLD practitioners have a particular commitment to closing the opportunity gap and promoting inclusion for all. What kinds of activities would you highlight as being particularly successful? MG: There are many examples of the impact CLD has across Scotland. The Scottish Government recently published Making an Impact, containing 15 case studies of effective CLD practice, highlighting how it impacts on the national outcomes and on outcomes set locally. They range through: work engaging isolated and disadvantaged people in Moray in learning; a social enterprise providing personal and social development for young people through outdoor learning as part of a More Choices,
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CLD has a significant role in the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence. The ethos of CLD is working with people to address their learning needs and enable them to engage in their communities
More Chances programme; a support network for new migrants to Shetland; and an account of how CLD in Dundee has become a key and integrated part of the community planning partnership’s drive to make the city a better place to live. At the Scottish Learning Festival, colleagues from Perth and Kinross and South Ayrshire showcased the work they are doing in partnership with schools to open a wide range of opportunities for youth achievement, as a key part of the curriculum. And CLD Managers Scotland have just published Doing it Differently, which highlights the effectiveness of CLD practice and also the way it can
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CLD can have on improving outcomes for young people, adults and communities. We will be working with CLD Managers Scotland to support practitioners to use the Let’s Prove It framework, which identifies ways of gathering evidence to demonstrate impact. What are the main benefits of being part of the Learning and Teaching Scotland team? VM: We work with a number of other teams within Learning and Teaching Scotland to support policy and practice development nationally. This includes the early years, literacy, numeracy, health and wellbeing and outdoor learning teams, among others. EM: The second half of the UN Decade for Education for Sustainable Development focuses on communities, so we’re working with the Developing Global Citizens team on that. Colin chairs a ministerial group around learning for change, which reports to the Minister in March. So we have a significant voice in a number of areas at a national level.
have an important role in reshaping public services at a time when resources are under such great pressure. How do you translate that policy into practice through your work with local authorities? MG: We’re there to provide advice and guidance, but the local authority itself determines how to deliver CLD because every area is different and they know best what will work for their communities. EM: One of the ways we support them, for example within the literacy agenda, is by providing a framework with examples
of good practice and making sure the appropriate guidance is made available to them. The booklet Making an Impact provides a number of case studies that local authorities can use for inspiration. CR: There is a need to support work on the ground and assert the importance of what community workers and lifelong learning practitioners are doing. If we’re actively promoting a framework for CLD and highlighting its potential, that’s welcomed. However, in doing so we need to be in tune with the realities practitioners are facing. One of our priorities is to work with CLD partners to demonstrate the impact
MG: The other body that joined Learning and Teaching Scotland alongside the Communities Team is the Standards Council for CLD. It is responsible for approving qualifications and courses in CLD, is developing a system of registration of practitioners and has introduced a refreshed set of competencies for effective CLD practice. The Standards Council has a very important role to play at a national level. EM: There’s lots of common ground. Members of our team have an area link role matching the Area Advisers at Learning and Teaching Scotland, and HMIE colleagues; this enables us to provide strengthened support at local level. Learning and Teaching Scotland has been a welcoming place. We’re beginning to build relationships with other colleagues and look forward to developing further joint working opportunities.
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In our experience: art breaks down barriers A pioneering initiative by the Hunterian Museum and Gallery used art and history to bring together visually impaired and sighted pupils
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he Hunterian Museum and Gallery in Glasgow is Scotland’s oldest public museum, a cavernous and majestic space filled with artefacts spanning thousands of years of cultural history. Grand spaces like these often feel foreboding to visitors, meaning staff have to work hard to promote exhibitions and create a welcoming culture. In 2007, while the Hunterian was celebrating its bicentenary, Monica Callaghan, Head of Education, was guiding a group of visually impaired people around the collections. “As I walked with the group into the main hall, for the first time I became aware that it was a sea of glass,” Monica recalls. “It struck me that this was an overwhelming barrier for people with a visual impairment, and we needed to find a solution.” finding common ground
Monica hit on the idea of creating an education programme that integrated visually impaired pupils with their sighted peers, working together to make the collections more accessible. Funding for the idea came from BBC Children In Need, and Monica contacted Glasgow City Council’s enterprise officer for additional support needs for help identifying groups to take part in a pilot programme. Six groups were created from four schools and two visual impairment units, and the pilot was split into three courses across the school terms. The programme involved school visits, site visits to the Hunterian and sessions with a local artist. As important as making the collections accessible was helping pupils to work together and support one another. Monica asked the groups to choose between the Hunterian museum, art gallery and zoology collection, then took them on a guided tour. “I asked the sighted pupils to look at the objects that were on display and pick out items that they thought nobody should connected | winter 2010-11
in o u r e x perience
It really broke down barriers and showed the pupils that people are people, regardless of their abilities. That was a really nice outcome of the course miss,” says Monica. “I’m so glad I didn’t just pick things for them, as I couldn’t have chosen what they did. They went for items that were completely unexpected to me. As adults we tend to favour things that are culturally meaningful or historical, whereas the children just choose whatever they think is cool! They chose things like birds’ nests and other items from the natural world.” The sighted pupils were then asked to describe the objects to their assigned buddy, who had a visual impairment. “I think it was quite daunting for them at first, so they were a little quiet to begin with,” says Monica. “However, it quickly became apparent how much they had in common, and friendships started to develop. It really broke down barriers and showed the pupils that people are people, regardless of their abilities. That was a really nice outcome of the course.” Mickie Milne of the Visual Impairment Unit at Hazelwood School agrees: “Working with sighted peers from a mainstream establishment was a great way to engage our pupils, as for the most part their language and interests were similar – thus encouraging our pupils to listen to them. A clarity of language was required to describe an item, but with the right direction the pupils were extremely good at finding alternative ways to deliver the information to their partners.”
Monica. “What they produced was truly staggering, and it was all led by the young people. It was totally unexpected.” By taking ownership of their own learning and working together, pupils felt more engaged with the project. “The feedback from the pupils was positive throughout,” says Mickie. “Long after the project finished they were still able to recall parts of it and they spoke about their satisfaction in participating in it. Our staff also greatly enjoyed seeing the pupils interacting with one another and really appreciated the effort the mainstream pupils put in – changing their timetables to accommodate the project. It was a very worthwhile experience.” keepers of the future
Indeed, it was not just pupils from the VI units that benefited. “This was a fantastic opportunity for our students,” said Donnie MacBride of Shawlands Academy, who chose a small group of Advanced Higher
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Art students to take part. “The pupils got an art project from it and a personal experience that they could put on their UCAS applications. However, it was about so much more than that. They got the opportunity to socialise with pupils at Hazelwood and discover how much they had in common – it’s an experience that will last them a lifetime.” Monica now hopes to use the experience of the pilot to roll out a similar programme over a three-year period and record the educational outcomes as a research project. “We have a model that works here and I’d be really happy if other cultural institutions took up the mantle and worked on this as part of a wider initiative,” she says. “It’s absolutely fundamental to have partnerships between education and cultural organisations. We are the keepers of our own future and also our own past. From the Hunterian’s perspective we want people to discover and enjoy our collections, and projects like these can serve to raise young people’s aspirations. It’s a win-win situation. I really hope this is the tip of the iceberg and we see more cultural and educational organisations teaming up to make our society more inclusive.”
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For more information about education projects at the Hunterian, visit www.hunterian.gla.ac.uk/education
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pictures: rob McDougall
Creative interpretations
The next stage was for the groups to explore the items back in the classroom. If the chosen object was a bird’s nest, the class brought in similar materials and explored the textures and smells, making use of all their senses to highlight that sight is not the only way of interpreting the world around them. Pupils at Darnley Primary School and VI unit, who chose a painting from the Art Gallery, worked with a local artist to explore different interpretations of the artwork. They created new works of art, poems and pieces of music inspired by the original, and also looked at fabrics and textures. “The various interpretations they created gave a brilliant idea of what the painting looked like,” says
Back in the classroom, pupils worked together on creative interpretations of the museum and gallery artefacts.
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A week in my shoes:
Julia Fenby
connected | winter 2010-11
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Since much of my work is project-based, every week is different, and every day brings new and interesting ideas.
Monday I spend the day with Cumnock Academy, where I get to see Visible Fictions’ ‘State of Emergency’ project in action. ‘State of Emergency’ is an online drama exploring the complexities of conflict. The drama provides the stimulus for S2 teachers in seven secondary schools to develop a week of learning around that theme. Teachers have really embraced the idea, creating a series of interdisciplinary lessons and activities both on and off timetable, so the entire year group is immersed in the topic for the whole week. In maths, they’re making and breaking codes, and designing bridges; in science, they’re discovering ways to filter dirty water; and in domestic science they’re
portrait: tom muir
Julia Fenby of Learning and Teaching Scotland shares her very creative week as Glow Arts Development Officer
y role focuses on working with creative and cultural partner organisations, and supporting them to explore innovative ways of engaging with schools using Glow. A major aspect of that role is Co-Create, a partnership project with Creative Scotland which funds arts organisations to develop new methodologies and resources for learning and teaching. We have selected 10 demonstration projects, which are diverse in terms of art forms, geography and target audience, but all take an innovative approach to Glow and support the delivery of Curriculum for Excellence. Both the Co-Create programme and the newly-launched Creativity Portal are part of a Joint Ministerial Action Plan agreed by the Ministers for Culture and Education to encourage partnership working between the two sectors.
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Left: The Co-Create programme funds innovative arts-based education through Glow. Above: Arts make learning fun and relevant for pupils.
schools so it’s good to sit down and catch up with what everyone is doing. They’re brilliant, talented people so there’s a lot of benefit to be gained from regular learning exchange. The rest of the day is spent catching up on emails and communicating with the Co-Create projects, which are all at various stages of delivery. I am sharing news and learning with a wider audience as each project develops by keeping a blog on the Creativity Portal and on Glow. In the evening, I attend a twilight session run by theatre company TAG, which has teamed up with Strathclyde Police on a project that looks at addressing violence before it begins. ‘Don’t Start Me’ is aimed at early years primary level, and we have 20 schools in Glasgow taking part and engaging through Glow.
pictures: Pupil, Tarbert Academy; Drake Music Scotland
Wednesday learning to make nutritious ration packs. The school has also had visits from the Red Cross, the Army, the Marines and the Refugee Council. The Army set up a fantastic assault course in the gym which was a real hit with pupils. Both teachers and pupils have been really challenged by this project. There are so many moral and ethical aspects to war and conflict and discussing them in this context has helped develop pupils’ critical thinking. The school had a human rights lawyer in to visit and he was impressed by the depth of the pupils’ questions. It was fantastic to see this kind of rich, relevant, connected learning first-hand, and see the pupils so enthused.
Tuesday Today the Glow team comes together for one of our twice-monthly meetings. Every Glow Development Officer spends a lot of time out and about running projects and visiting
I spend the first part of the morning answering Glow enquiries – our team takes it in turns to respond to users’ questions. They can be very diverse, ranging from someone outside a local authority asking to access Glow, to practitioners seeking support on setting up a Glow Meet. I answer as many as I can and refer others on to colleagues who can help. After that I have an interesting meeting with the organisers of the Love Music Festival, whose music software, Map Mixer, contains sound and music samples from around the world. They demonstrate how users can hear sounds relating to specific loctions by zooming in on maps or satellite images – in this case, a stream in Barra, and the sound of moving water. It’s a great tool for linking up geography and music and exploring cultural differences. I meet regularly with creative organisations like Love Music Festival to discuss how they can support learning and teaching through Glow.
Thursday In the morning I meet with YDance, who are working with three local authorities to support the teaching of Higher Dance. Higher Dance is often delivered by PE teachers who don’t necessarily have a dance background, so YDance is creating a new resource for Glow which provides dance instruction, illustrating different dance styles and offering teaching support. I then meet with the developer of the Moving Image Education Glow Group to discuss ways in which we might work collaboratively and make useful links.
Friday The development of the Creativity Portal has been a major aspect of my work to date, and in October Stephen Bullock took up post as Glow Development Officer, Creativity Portal, to take forward its day-to-day management and development. Stephen and I attend a meeting at Creative Scotland to discuss the next phase of the Portal’s development, which is to bring on arts organisations not currently funded by Creative Scotland. They have a lot to offer and we are keen to find a balance between being inclusive and getting the right level of quality assurance. The Portal has been very well received by participating arts organisations and our focus now is making sure teachers are engaged with it. One of the next steps is to add more content that is useful in the classroom, such as five minute activities which any teacher could use to encourage creative thinking. The Portal provides a great shop window through which practitioners can find inspiration for creative learning and teaching.
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Access the Creativity Portal at: www.creativityportal.org.uk and the Co-Create Glow Group at: http://bit.ly/d42B1q
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Listening to you and improving Find out more about the new tools and visit our support leaflet which can be found alongside a host of support videos on the Improving Glow section at:
ltscotland.org.uk/glow