I was invited by Gillian Brydson to talk to 2 groups of colleagues from Dumfries and Galloway yesterday. In the morning, it was the PRI strategy group who (among other things) are currently reviewing the local PRI process. As always I learned a wee bit (eg their excellent response to an authority-wide online survey using Survey Monkey). It was good to see sharing of practice featured in the CPD network and the influence of the team’s efforts, especially the focus on the Standards.

I demoed CPDReflect and they are keen to adopt with one or more groups. Importantly, the group are also keen to incorporate CPDReflect ‘mentions’ into their PRI guidelines so that it is seen as a clear alternative to the paper process.

In the afternoon, I spoke to secondary CPD coordinators and (among other things) demoed CPDReflect again. One head teacher commented that it was a valuable addition to their PRD toolkit. “It might not suit all but some will take to it”

Next on their agenda, interestingly, was the Child Protection officer who outlined the compulsory Tier 1 ‘training’ on CPD which has to take place every 3 years. It would be interesting to offer online CPD in that area! Any one got some thoughts on that?

If you are visiting from Dumfries and Galloway, you will find the various links on the festival post.

 Many thanks to Gillian and her colleagues for their hospitality and opportunity to learn with them.

And the title of this post? We had a laugh that we could rename the review process to the above if we used the innovative feature in CPDReflect?

Just catching my breath after going straight from Kirkwall to Lerwick last weekend. It was good to be part of another great CPD event. My thanks to all the participants who took part and they can get a set of notes in my previous festivals post. The scenery, as always, was spectacular and the weather included, gales, hail, rain, sunshine and snow (as you’ll see from the photo show below!)

It was great to get time with Sarah Henry (the new CPD manager for Shetland Islands Council). She did a great job of the two-day event and she will be a great addition to the CPD Network.

http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/34006.html

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework Partnership (SCQFP) will very shortly open a consultation on the referencing of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) to the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning (EQF) and welcomes your participation. The consultation period will run from 9 September to 28 November 2008. To access a copy of the initial report and consultation document, please see the SCQF website.

I have spent many an enjoyable afternoon and evening with colleagues around Scotland and beyond.  I always promise the participants a copy of the presentation and a note of the online CPD links we explore in each session.

Here is the presentation

And here are the links

CPDFind, CPDReflect summary, CPDScotland, CPDConfer home page, Information on Glow, Don Ledingham’s blog.

For this year’s SELMAS Conference we will return to Stirling Management Centre where we will address the theme of “Leadership Challenges”. Many of you were disappointed last year when we had to turn you away, so book your place now by contacting selmasbooking@st-georges.edin.sch.uk.

 Delegate rate is £80

Raymond Young’s stand-in (Con Morris) made a plea for the Standards as a unifying measure for assessing the impact of CPD, but not before playing a version of ‘Call my Bluff’ to see who knew their Standards best!

Gllian Brydson of Dumfries and Galloway Council led a lively session on how we measure the impact of CPD on professional practice.

Lawrence Ingvarson of the Australian Council for Educational Research was next to lead a presentation / workshop on how we identify and reward professional learning.

Peter McNaughton of HMIE opened the CPD network meeting with a presentation and workshop on ‘Self evaluation, Improvement and INEA2′.

I picked the best day ever to go and visit Donald MacLeod, the CPD manager of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, in Stornoway. The flights there and back were in perfect weather and I could see right across Scotland from Fort William to Inverness.

I spent a small part of the day talking to the Eilean Siar probationers about online CPD but mainly it was talking with Donald about various CPD issues including how best to share among the CPD network, how to promote CPD in, and about, Gaelic and how come the best teachers are often mavericks (or positive deviants as Graham Thomson of SCSSA dubs them!)

In the afternoon, Donald had a meeting at Sgoil Uig, and the drive across Lewis was wonderful (hence the picture above).

I realise that not everyone is as privileged as me to share with CPD people right across Scotland and I came away even more determined to make Glow a place where we can readily share online.

Donald wanted to know about other authorities’ probationer arrangements. Please feel free to leave a comment here or join the discussion on CPDCentral.