As you know Fiona completed her secondment in November, and John is due to return to his substantive post in June. As a result, we have two vacancies for new people to become part of this successful and innovative team. It could be you, or it could be someone you know - please pass the word to everyone you think might have an interest in matters of CPD, leadership, CPDScotland, etc.

Below are full details of how to apply and some additional information that might be helpful.

I look forward to hearing from you - and all of your friends and colleagues!

Closing date for applications is April 23rd 2008

CPD Adviser (Secondment) – two posts

Due to current members of this successful team completing their secondments, applications are invited

As the festive season approaches, and to save a tree or two, the CPD Team would like to wish you all a fantastic Christmas.

As a thank-you to all our readers, we are offering a bottle of Champagne to the person who comes up with the wittiest (and printable!) caption to this photograph of our very own Jim Keegans!

Just select the comment button below to leave your caption.

And here’s a bit of fun too. It might be slow to load but it’s worth the wait!

Happy Christmas!

Margaret, Ruth, Jim, John, Con

The CPD Team are looking to improve the way that policy is developed and practice is shared and making even stronger links between the two. We are very keen to involve as wide a range of practitioners in our work as early as possible.

I have just finished a workshop on ‘It’s CPD Jim, but not as we know it’ with some educators from Shetland Isles. I promised the participants a list of types of CPD I used with the CPD bingo game. These are all valid CPD activities from various sources. I am happy for you to use them and even happier to debate them!

hot seat, consultancy, CPD recording, action learning, mentoring, action research, sharing of practice, development of practice, classroom observation, face to face course, study visit, placement, membership of a committee, work shadowing, portfolio of evidence, online learning, professional study, online seminar, CPD planning, membership of community, coaching, reflection on practice, inter-agency working, working with parents, membership of focus group, and other!

I promised you an update on what’s happening with CPDReflect toolkit (see blog here) and would welcome your thoughts at any time in any form!

We are hoping to sign off the detailed design in early September. The process by which we are getting there is enlightening.

The project is adopting a user-centred design approach that puts the end users’ needs first before pen touches paper (so to speak!)

I am very grateful to the usability group some of whom are pictured above. These brave souls took part in the 1st usability workshop before the summer break and took the trouble to return questionnaires during it.

A key part of the next stage has been the production of a document which highlights key journeys through the system. I have posted an extract from the document. If there are key journeys you think we have missed please feel free to comment.

I will post soon on the best way to exemplify the reflection process and I look forward to sharing with you the 1st ‘look and feel’ screenshots in September.