- February 3rd, 2012
SCIPD Group Study Visit to the Netherlands
- imenzies
- Comments: none
SCIPD Group Study Visit to the Netherlands
6th – 10th March 2012
Theme: The Circular Economy – Sustainable technologies, design, economics and production for the 21st century
Education Scotland is inviting applications from secondary teaching staff for a group study visit to ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands to investigate how cradle to cradle technologies and a circular economy can be used as a rich and stimulating context for interdisciplinary learning relating to sustainable development education and global citizenship. This visit has been arranged in partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
The Scottish Government is committed to a low-carbon and zero-waste economy, and it is important to develop enterprise, creativity and STEM (Sciences, Technologies, Engineering and Maths) skills in young people to ensure the realisation of these ambitious plans for the future. The circular economy concept proposes the use of sustainable technologies and innovative design and production methods that minimise waste and reduce the exploitation of the earth’s precious resources. Industrial companies in the Netherlands are at the forefront of developing products that mimic natural processes and that are designed for disassembly and reuse.
Education Scotland, in collaboration with The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, is developing strategies for professional development around sustainable development education and the circular economy to encourage the setting up of communities of practice among practitioners in Scotland. These will provide opportunities for ongoing, localised support and collaboration as recommended by Teaching Scotland’s Future.
It is expected that the visit to the Netherlands will include:
- Orientation sessions with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the Dutch curriculum agency SLO, to introduce participants to the model of the circular economy and brief them on the structure of the Dutch school system and curriculum
- Visits to businesses which have adopted cutting-edge approaches to circular economy principles
- Visits to schools to see how learning relating to the circular economy is being used as a theme for interdisciplinary learning around sustainability
Travel to the Netherlands will be on Tuesday 6th March, with three working days in the area, followed by return to Scotland on Saturday 10th March.
SCIPD funding will cover return flights to the Netherlands, airport to hotel transfers, and overnight hotel accommodation in ‘s-Hertogenbosch on a bed and breakfast basis.
Participants will be offered a pre-visit preparatory meeting, and a post-visit meeting to support follow-up activity and encourage wider impact.
This study visit is targeted at education professionals in Scottish secondary schools, particularly teachers of sciences, technologies, mathematics, business studies, economics and geography.
Expected learning outcomes
Participants will have an opportunity to:
- Increase their knowledge of the circular economy concept, its implementation in industry, and its impact on education for sustainability
- Investigate and discuss Dutch educational practice for sustainable development and its place in the curriculum
- Share professional dialogue and reflection with their hosts and with colleagues in the group
Upon returning from the study visit, participants will be expected to:
- produce reports for Education Scotland which demonstrate the impact on their professional practice of the study visit experience
- disseminate findings, share ideas and new approaches within their own establishment and beyond
- make changes to learning and teaching practices in their own professional context.
Applicants may wish to use the experience of the study visit towards professional recognition by GTCS or simply to enhance their professional understanding and practice.
Applications are invited from suitably qualified members of Scottish school or authority staff, who should complete the Netherlands group application form available below or from Nick Morgan at nick.morgan@educationscotland.gov.uk
The closing date for applications is Tuesday 21st Feb 2012
- February 3rd, 2012
Marine Science Glow meet – a fun and quirky look at life in our seas and oceans
- imenzies
- Comments: none
Marine Scotland Science GLOW Meet
Everything you ever wanted to know about the marine environment but were too scared to ask….
11am – 12pm, Thursday 23 February 2012
Why are fish slimy? What is the weirdest sea creature? Which sea dad gives birth through its mouth? What yukky substance from the sea is used in lipstick?
Around one fifth of Scotland’s population live within a kilometre of the sea and our marine environment is one of the most diverse in the world – supporting over 48,000 species. Despite its importance in terms of our economy and biodiversity, we still know very little about marine life and the oceans remain one of the Earth’s last unexplored frontiers.
Join this interactive Glow meet for a whacky, fun and informative look at the science of our oceans and seas. This Glow meet will be aimed at learners in primary schools. The school submitting the best questions during the Glow meet will win a visit by the Edinburgh Science Festival Marine Detectives Workshop, complete with rock pool and live creatures.
Visit http://bit.ly/marineglowtv to register and join the Glow meet on the day. Further resources about the marine environment are available on Glow at: http://bit.ly/marineresources
- February 3rd, 2012
Environment Online – a global schools network for sustainable development education
- imenzies
- Comments: none
Environment Online – ENO is a global virtual school network for sustainable development.
Learning is student and problem-centred with both online and offline activities. At the end of each theme there is a campaign week during which the results of learning are raised in local communities and on the web. Students eventually become ambassadors for the environment of their respective local communities and regions. Regular themes and have been forests, climate change, ecological footprint and different cultural themes.
The success of the ENO Programme lies in the fact that it is run by teachers. Over 7000 from 105 countries are part of the ENO network. The ages of learners involved range from 12 – 18 years.
Objectives
- to deepen environmental themes at schools
- to add global awareness and internationality
- to educate for active citizenship
- to get schools from developing countries as active participants
- to learn basic skills in ICT
- to make a change together
Visit http://www.enoprogramme.org/ to find out more.
- January 30th, 2012
‘Learner Voice’ and ‘Pupil Participation’ Conference – 23 March 2012
- kmayer
- Comments: none
Education Scotland invites practitioners interested in developing ‘pupil participation’ and ‘learner voice’ within their classroom, school and local authorities to attend a national conference in Edinburgh on Friday, 23 March.
The event will provide practitioners with a number of dynamic addresses and interactive workshops presenting successful initiatives of creating, developing and sustaining a pupil centred and paticipatory learning environment. The key note address will be delivered by Tam Baillie, Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People.
If you wish to pre-rigster for this event please email: globalcitizens@educationscotland.gov.uk
- January 30th, 2012
Chinese New Year
- nickmorgan
- Comments: none
As we enter the Chinese Year of the Dragon there is activity all around Scotland to welcome the New Year. The Education Scotland website carries details of resources which can help schools to celebrate.
Here’s a few of the events taking place: a delegation from Shanghai visited several Confucius Classroom hubs, and their song and dance performance is being broadcast on our Glow TV intranet; the Ricefield cultural centre in Glasgow runs a Takeaway China festival with a particular focus on photography and film; and the Take One Action organisation offers a selection of four films about contemporary China, titled ‘China on the move’, each accompanied by discussion with expert speakers.
Out in Scottish schools, there are also events to mark the New Year. For example, in East Dunbartonshire the students at St.Ninian’s High School are participating in cultural and artistic workshops and performances.
- January 30th, 2012
Holocaust remembrance in Scotland
- nickmorgan
- Comments: none
Last week we commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day 2012 with events all over the country in communities and schools. This annual occasion is an opportunity to remember those who died in the Holocaust of World War 2 and in the genocides since, and to challenge the prejudice and discrimination which can lead to such horrors.
The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) takes a lead in facilitating such commemoration, and it picked the theme of ‘Speak Up, Speak Out’ for its 2012 campaign. It created education resources and material to help local organisers such as teachers and librarians to create activities which increased public participation.
Each year in Scotland one local authority hosts a national event. In 2012 Dundee City Council took the lead, working with partners such as the Scottish Inter Faith Council, HMDT, and the Anne Frank Trust. The event included participation by John Swinney MSP on behalf of Scottish Government, a local disabled dance group, students from Dundee schools, and visiting speakers from Denmark, Japan and Canada. A unique element of the evening was focused around ‘Inside Hana’s Suitcase’, the story of one victim of the Nazis, her family and how a suitcase stimulated learning about the Holocaust in many countries.
Two Grove Academy students presented personal views of the impact of their participation in the ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ programme managed by the Holocaust Education Trust. The Scottish Government recently confirmed that it will continue its support for this programme for another year, enabling more Scottish school students to learn from the experience.
In Edinburgh the public library service launched its Ernest Levy archive at an event hosted by Portobello High School. Ernest Levy was a Holocaust survivor who made his home in East Renfrewshire and then dedicated a great deal of time to working with schools to spread a message of tolerance and respect.
- January 27th, 2012
Earth Hour 2012 – wear it bright!
- imenzies
- Comments: none
WWF’s Earth Hour – 31 March 2012
WEAR IT BRIGHT!
Join with schools and youth groups across the UK for WWF’s Earth Hour, the world’s largest display of hope for a world with a bright future.
From Edinburgh to Sydney, New York and Singapore people all across the world will be joining WWF to switch off and show they care about tackling climate change and protecting the natural world.
WWF is encouraging schools and youth groups to support the event and there is a range of FREE resources which can be used in the days or weeks leading up to Earth Hour, including:
- A support pack
- A climate change information pack
- Ideas to help you promote your activities
Get involved, visit http://earthhour.wwf.org.uk/get-involved/sign-up-for-schools-and-youth to register
- January 27th, 2012
Global citizenship online community – Join now
- imenzies
- Comments: none
Do you have an interest in, or remit for, global citizenship? Need some advice or want to share ideas with like-minded practitioners?
If so, then you’ll probably want to have a peek at the shiny new online community for global citizenship on CPD Central. Join now so you can brag to colleagues about how you were one of the pioneering members .
Why have we set it up? Well, there’s always a buzz of ideas and sharing at our face-to-face CPD events and we thought it’d be amazing if we could find a way of bringing people together again and again to keep the discussion and buzz going. Well we’ve found a way! Here’s your bit:
Step 1 – Visit http://bit.ly/DGConline and add your picture (Glow log in required)
Step 2 - Share an idea or ask the audience
Welcome gift! If you join before Friday 17th February 2012 we’ll be happy to offer you a special gift to welcome you to the community – one of our highly-prized global citizenship wall calendars (these have been flying off our shelves!).
- January 27th, 2012
Whitelees Primary School – Open Day
- imenzies
- Comments: none
School open day
Whitelees Primary School, North Lanarkshire Council
9:30am – 3.00pm, Monday 20th February 2012
Theme: Sustainable Development Education
This event was originally due to take place on 8th December 2011 but had to be cancelled due to the severe storms. It has now been rescheduled for Monday 20th February 2012.
Whitelees Primary School hit the headlines in 2011 when it became the first primary school to be awarded five ‘excellent’ grades by the school inspectors. This isn’t the first time their achievements have made news. The school’s accolades and awards include:
- Finalist, Scottish Education Awards – Sustainable School category (2011)
- Best Green School Award (2009)
- Winner, Scottish Education Awards – Best Enterprise category (2008)
- Four Green Flags, Eco-Schools Scotland.
A key factor in the school’s success has been the way it has placed global citizenship and sustainable development education at the heart of the curriculum to provide exciting, relevant and engaging contexts for learning. This has helped to create, ‘Highly motivated, confident and ambitious children who are keen to learn and to make a difference in school and the wider community.’
This CPD event offers practitioners and school leaders from across Scotland the chance to visit Whitelees Primary School to meet with the Head Teacher, staff and learners and also tour the classrooms, buildings and grounds. A focus of the event will be to identify and share the practical lessons and ideas that have helped the school develop a successful whole school approach to sustainability and global citizenship including:
- A sustained commitment to pupil voice with learners being given real opportunities to shape the curriculum and school decision making
- Effective use of the school grounds, nature and vegetable gardens to support outdoor learning and deliver the curriculum
- The inspiring pupil rock band which has achieved notable success through their songs about fair trade and climate change.
Those participating in the open day will also have time to reflect and share their own experiences.
Click here to download programme for open day
How to book
To book, please email: globalcitizens@educationscotland.gov.uk or Tel. 0141 282 5172.
Places are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. This is a free event!
- January 18th, 2012
Global Citizenship – Glow drop-in session
- imenzies
- Comments: none
Developing Global Citizens through sustainable development education
Time: 3.45pm – 4.45pm, Thursday 26th January
Where: The shiny new Glow community for global citizenship
2012 is a big year for Sustainable Development Education (SDE):
- World leaders will gather in Rio to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 and decide on further action
- 2012 is the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
- We only have three years until the end of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development Education and there is a buzz of activity happening in schools and local authorities across Scotland.
If you’d like to tune into all that’s happening and are looking for inspiration and ideas to kick start 2012 then this is the Glow meet for you. The Developing Global Citizenship Team will be hosting this informal session open to any practitioner or school leader – just drop into the Glow meet to pick our brains, find out what’s coming up or tell us what you’re up to. If you missed the previous sessions then click here to see how they work.
Note: if you join us with a headset or webcam then it means we can have a good blether. However, if you prefer to type fast with wonky spellng then that’s good too!
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