At the recent CPD Network event, Iain White and Ian McCracken, head teacher and learning resources manager respectively, of Govan High School shared their journey from school library to learning resources centre. During the short talk, I was grateful to Douglas Blane of the Times Ed who contributed this interesting article on Govan High’s school to Core Skills via Twitter.
The “On Our Doorstep” event on the 17 March at Stirling Management Centre provided an opportunity for 37 colleagues to reflect on the potential of partners in providing CPD for all teachers from sources which may previously have not been seen as relevant unless working in specialist services.
The presentation from the independent sector outlined their model of CPD and partnership working ; the school library service was profiled as a source of collaborative working in addressing , for example , literacy across the curriculum; psychological services was presented as another viable resource for all teachers , particularly highlighting the source of reference materials available on line ; a CD Rom produced by Social Work Services for We Can & Must Do Better for Looked After Children is full of information and suggestions on how to deal with a range of issues which are not unique to children who are looked after; guidance being finalised by the Allied Health Professionals in partnership with Education rehearses examples of collaborative working in schools which has relevance for all staff.
The information and approaches suggested by the contributors has relevance to all the key agendas impacting on the profession – CfE : GIRFEC & ASL. We would encourage colleagues to explore these avenues which provides teachers with independent access to CPD as well as providing focus for collegiate discussion.
Thanks to a wee prompt from Fearghal Kelly (CfE support officer in East Lothian), I picked up on this research study of one Science department in a school in Australia.
“Our analysis reveals three important findings:
The clear implication of these findings is that it is teachers, working within the department and wider science education community, who were making the conceptual change from professional development to professional learning.”
This research is also featured in the most recent research round-up from LTScotland, which this month also includes CPD-related research into CPD in ICT for educators in England and an evaluation of the Chartered Teacher Pilot in Wales.
On Thursday, Neil Stewart of the Glow team and I worked with Pam Dunsmore and East Ayrshire colleagues on the use of CPDFind and Glow for CPD. East Ayrshire (like Aberdeen City, Falkirk and Orkney Islands Council) are now a registered provider on the system and Pam is hoping to use CPDFind as a complement to the course booking system currently offered by Gateway.
We also looked at the structure for local authority CPD that is under development by Fiona Taylor and her team in South Ayrshire and were impressed by its simple but powerful cycle; reflect-identify-practice-impact. Pam will be hosting a session in April where establishment-based CPD leaders will be invited to help us build the online CPD provision for East Ayrshire – just like that!
Neil in the meantime was supporting Audrey Brotherston of the CfE team to develop a simple front-end to national and local CPD materials for Curriculum for Excellence.
You will recall that last year in January 2008, the First Minister announced that the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) was to become a “self-regulating, profession-led body.”
Between April and June 2009 the Scottish Government issued a consultation seeking views on the functions and governance arrangements for an independent GTCS. I now attach a link to a document containing both the analysis of the consultation and the official Scottish Government response which indicates the way forward for the GTCS.
The key question in the consultation for us in the CPD world was of course Question 4 which explored the role of the GTCS in relation to CPD. In response to the issues raised, the SG is “not minded to significantly amend the functions of the GTCS to give the Council an overall lead in this area”.
However the GTCS will be asked to take lead responsibility in relation to the development and subsequent management of a system of re-accreditation of teachers. The Government suggests this fits well with GTCS overarching responsibility to ensure that the teaching profession provides the highest possible quality of education for children in Scotland’s schools, and will help embed a culture of ongoing professional development throughout the profession.
The GTCS will set the requirements for entry into the profession, set the standards that all teachers must work to, while taking on a new responsibility for helping teachers ensure their skills remain up to date.
There is more information on re-registration and how it might work in the document.
The CPD Team would love to hear your thoughts on this!
PARTNERSHIP WORKING – CPD ON OUR DOORSTEP !
Curriculum for Excellence places great emphasis and value on partnership working – the CPD Network reflects that in practice. The seminar on the 17 March will profile the contribution from a range of partners who may not have always been recognised as having an impact on the professional development of teachers and support staff, or whose traditional role may have been focussed on colleagues with particular remits : eg pastoral care, additional support needs, behaviour support.
Colleagues from the school library service, social work services, psychological services, the independent and voluntary sector, health and SQA will outline resources and experiences which are relevant to the professional development of all staff in 7 minute presentations which will set the scene for “Open Space” follow up activity of discussion and sharing.
We realise that our sample range is not exhaustive and hope that pre, during and post the seminar colleagues will be able to share similar or different examples from their own authorities. If you have partnership working on your doorstep please share it with us on the CPD blog.
In October 2009, the CPD Network set out some of its priorities for CPD for CfE. One interesting priority discussed was the needs of colleagues.This Scottish Government funded programme will be of value in addressing this priority.
The StaffWise Toolkit is an organisational resource for improving staff wellbeing in Scottish schools and early education centres.
It provides local authorities, managers and individual staff with a simple and effective set of tools for achieving excellence in wellbeing at work.
This practical resource includes audits, guides and policy information, which promote good management practice and effective ways of working. The content and format can help employers and managers fulfil the requirements of the Health and Safety Executive Stress Management Standards with confidence and ease.
StaffWise offers a positive framework for creating the conditions in which wellbeing will thrive.
Thanks to everyone who has already completed the CPD Survey. The prize draw for those who have done so will take place on January 29th. So if you’ve not filled it in, or know someone else who has yet to do so – don’t delay.
Find it here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/K6C555K
Please note there is no sound on this video for the first minute and a half!
At the December meeting of the ADES-led CfE Implementation Partnership in Edinburgh, John Connell of Cisco International gave a very thought-provoking presentation. I took the opportunity to record it using my laptop and Glowmeet and John kindly allowed us to publish this here and in the CPD Network Glow group.
It was a spur of the moment decision to record and I missed the start getting set up hence the silence at the start. The sound is also a bit dodgy, but for all that, it’s worth a watch.
You can find out more about John on his blog and follow him on Twitter @jconnell
I spent this morning in the company of colleagues from the Highland Council (mainly Dave McCartney, Terry Kerr (CPD manager) and Louise Jones) looking at the various CPD offerings on the Highland Virtual Learning Centre and highland.gov web sites. We focussed on how national CPD tools can enhance the already forward-thinking, online practice in Highland. Specifically:
I look forward to going back up in December to help take these innovative ideas forward.
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