Global Citizenship

March 22nd, 2012

School Open Day at Bo’ness Academy

imenzies

Comments: none Tags: Tags: CPD, europe, events, modern languages, school improvement
 : Categories CPD, china, commonwealth, curriculum areas, europe, expressive arts, health and wellbeing, international, languages, mathematics, religious and moral education, sciences, secondary schools, sharing practice, social studies, technologies

School open day - using international education to develop a whole school approach to global citizenship

Venue: Bo’ness Academy, Falkirk

9:30am – 3.00pm

Thursday 17th May 2012

Note: this event was due to place at an earlier date in the year but has now been rescheduled for the date above.

Theme:  International Education

This CPD event offers practitioners and school leaders an exciting opportunity to visit Bo’ness Academy and attend Falkirk Council’s Global Citizenship Showcase Event.

Bo’ness Academy is an inspiring example of a school that has used international education as a vehicle to engage the whole school in global citizenship activities. Through the Comenius Programme and other well established links the school has developed a rich international programme connecting it to countries across the world including: The Gambia, The Netherlands, China, France, Germany and The Czech Republic.

A focus of the event will be to identify and share the practical lessons and ideas that have helped the school move forward on its journey including: 

• Making global citizenship a key priority in the school and a focus for the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence
• Using international links to explore important issues in a global context and to create engaging, meaningful and challenging learning experiences
• Developing strong international partnerships which can be sustained and which have made an impact on every learner.

Participants will have the opportunity to meet and talk with the Head Teacher, International Coordinator, staff and learners and also tour the classrooms and school. Time will also be set aside for participants to reflect and share their own experiences.

Download Programme for Bo’ness Academy Open Day 17May12

How to book

To book, please contact Megan Farr, Policy Officer, Falkirk Council. Email: megan.farr@falkirk.gov.uk or Tel. 01324 506671.

Places for the open day section of the event are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. This is a free event!

March 22nd, 2012

Students model the UN

nickmorgan

Comments: none Tags: Tags: united nations
 : Categories international, languages, learner voice, secondary schools, sharing practice, social studies

This March weekend the Model United Nations programme takes place in Edinburgh, organised and hosted by George Watson’s College. This annual event brings together hundreds of senior pupils and teachers, not just from Scotland and the UK but also groups from Germany, Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Norway. 

The students take on the role of delegations to the United Nations, and work through a series of debates and deliberations to address key issues faced by the international community. It is a great example of global citizenship education in practice, encouraging consideration of global issues, democratic participation, and intercultural exchange. Students research, present and discuss topical subjects, demonstrating their abilities as effective communicators.

Afterwards: a news piece about MUN appeared in the Edinburgh Napier News. Congratulations to all the participants and the organising team at George Watson’s.

February 24th, 2012

Open Day Study Visit – St Paul’s High, Glasgow

imenzies

Comments: none Tags: Tags: CPD, democracy, events, Fairtrade, holocaust education, learner voice, nature, school improvement
 : Categories CPD, citizenship, community, curriculum areas, leadership, outdoor learning, secondary schools, sharing practice, social studies, sustainable development

9:30am – 3.00pm, Thurs 10^th May 2012

Theme:  Sustainable Development Education and Education for Citizenship 

St Paul’s High School is an inspiring example of a school that has adopted a whole school approach to global citizenship. The school’s achievements in this regard have earned it national recognition as a finalist in the 2011 Scottish Education Awards (Sustainable School Category) and as a winner of the 2009 Scottish Education Awards (Active Citizenship Category).

The school’s approach and vision for global citizenship has made an identifiable impact on learners, helping them grow in confidence and providing them with real-life opportunities to develop their skills and transform their local community. The school has supported a wide range of activities to achieve this, most notably:

• Dedicated time within the social studies curriculum for learners to choose and engage with local community projects and tackle anti-social behaviour in the wider community
• A strong school ethos which puts respect for others and service to others at the heart of school life and the curriculum
• A sustained commitment to learner voice and a well-established school parliament that provides learners with decision-making powers and a budget to make things happen
• A diverse range of activities and initiatives which support a whole school approach including a Fairtrade group, Eco-Schools group and pupil campaign group
• Planned opportunities for personal achievement through S1 electives, S2 citizenship and S3 skills academy.

This CPD event offers practitioners and school leaders from across Scotland the chance to visit St Paul’s High School to meet with the Head Teacher, staff and learners and also tour the classrooms, buildings and grounds.

Those participating in the open day will also have time to reflect and share their own experiences.

Download Programme for St Paul’s 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!

February 9th, 2012

Developing global citizens through sciences, social studies and technologies

imenzies

Comments: none Tags: Tags: climate and energy, CPD, events, resources
 : Categories CPD, creativity, curriculum areas, expressive arts, mathematics, renewables and climate change, sciences, secondary schools, sharing practice, social studies, sustainable development, technologies

Developing global citizens through sciences, social studies and technologies

Interdisciplinary learning for a low carbon and zero waste future

CDP event for practitioners in secondary schools

Menzies Hotel, Washington Street, Glasgow G3 8AZ

9:30am to 3:30pm, Friday 30th March 2012

Target audience: Practitioners, Principal Teachers and Faculty Heads of Technologies (e.g. CDT, Food and Textiles, Business and Enterprise), Sciences and Social Studies. Also local authority coordinators and QIOs.

Aim of the event:

This CPD event provides an exciting opportunity for secondary school practitioners to discover 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 within Curriculum for Excellence.

The Scottish Government is committed to a low-carbon and zero-waste economy, and the development of enterprise, creativity, STEM (Sciences, Technologies, Engineering and Maths) and higher order thinking skills in young people are essential if we are to realise these ambitious plans for the future. The circular economy concept proposes the use of sustainable technologies, innovative design and production methods and systems thinking to minimise waste and reduce the exploitation of the Earth’s precious resources. This event will draw on practical and exciting developments within industry which are set to transform the way our economy operates in the decades ahead.

Education Scotland is working in partnership with The Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the University of Edinburgh to develop 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.

To find out more about the circular economy visit:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCRKvDyyHmI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

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!

Download CPD event flyer and programme >>

February 9th, 2012

Falkirk Council DGC Showcase and open day at Bo’ness Academy

imenzies

Comments: none Tags: Tags: CPD, europe, events, modern languages, school improvement
 : Categories CPD, Uncategorized, china, citizenship, curriculum areas, early years, europe, expressive arts, health and wellbeing, international, languages, leadership, mathematics, modern languages, primary schools, religious and moral education, sciences, secondary schools, sharing practice, social studies, sustainable development, technologies

Falkirk Council global citizenship showcase and school open day

Venue: Bo’ness Academy, Falkirk

9:30am – 3.00pm

This event will now take place on Thursday 17th May 2012

Theme:  International Education

This CPD event offers practitioners and school leaders an exciting opportunity to visit Bo’ness Academy and attend Falkirk Council’s Global Citizenship Showcase Event.

Bo’ness Academy is an inspiring example of a school that has used international education as a vehicle to engage the whole school in global citizenship activities. Through the Comenius Programme and other well established links the school has developed a rich international programme connecting it to countries across the world including: The Gambia, The Netherlands, China, France, Germany and The Czech Republic.

A focus of the event will be to identify and share the practical lessons and ideas that have helped the school move forward on its journey including: 

• Making global citizenship a key priority in the school and a focus for the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence
• Using international links to explore important issues in a global context and to create engaging, meaningful and challenging learning experiences
• Developing strong international partnerships which can be sustained and which have made an impact on every learner.

Participants will have the opportunity to meet and talk with the Head Teacher, International Coordinator, staff and learners and also tour the classrooms and school. Time will also be set aside for participants to reflect and share their own experiences.

Following the open day event, participants will also have the opportunity to attend Falkirk Council’s Global Citizenship Showcase event which will also be taking place in Bo’ness Academy from 4pm – 6pm. This will feature exhibitions and displays from leading organisations such as Eco-Schools Scotland and the British Council and will showcase innovative global citizenship practice from many Falkirk schools.

How to book

To book, please contact Megan Farr, Policy Officer, Falkirk Council. Email: megan.farr@falkirk.gov.uk or Tel. 01324 506671.

Places for the open day section of the event are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment. This is a free event!

Download programme for Bo’ness Academy Open Day >>

February 3rd, 2012

SCIPD Group Study Visit to the Netherlands

imenzies

Comments: none Tags: Tags: climate and energy, CPD, enterprise, europe, events, research
 : Categories creativity, europe, international, mathematics, renewables and climate change, sciences, secondary schools, sharing practice, social studies, sustainable development, technologies

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

SCIPD Netherlands application form

January 30th, 2012

Holocaust remembrance in Scotland

nickmorgan

Comments: none Tags: Tags: holocaust education
 : Categories citizenship, international, religious and moral education, social studies

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 East Renfrewshire students from all the local secondary schools were involved in a commemorative event at Eastwood Theatre, covered by one of  the local newspapers.

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.

December 14th, 2011

The Great Climate Change Debate – Join us on Glow

imenzies

Comments: 2 Comments » Tags: Tags: climate and energy, events, nature
 : Categories citizenship, renewables and climate change, sciences, social studies, sustainable development, technologies

A series of interactive and lively Glow meets  

In November this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change launched a report warning that climate change is likely to lead to more extreme weather. Within weeks of this launch, Scotland was battered by severe flooding and hurricane-force winds which brought much of the country to a standstill. Is our climate already changing? What will climate change mean for Scotland? How can we respond positively and adapt to the changes ahead? 

We’re inviting your school to join the great climate change debate. We’ll be bringing together a panel of scientists and experts to answer questions, spark debate and discussion and help learners navigate their way through climate fact, fiction and controversy.

• Glow meet 1: Our changing weather and climate (23^rd Jan ’12)
• Glow meet 2: Climate science – evidence versus controversy  (30^th Jan ’12)
• Glow meet 3: Adapting to climate change (6^th Feb ’12)

Each Glow meet will take place from 2pm to 3:00pm. These events will be targeted at learners in secondary schools and upper primary.

Please see links below for further details about each event:

GLOW MEET 1 Our changing weather and climate 23Jan12 

GLOW MEET 2 Climate science evidence vs controversy 30Jan12 

GLOW MEET 3 Adapting to climate change 6Feb12

Click here to view the recordings of these Glow meets >>

For resources and videos on climate change visit Weather and Climate Change, Exploring Climate Change and Climate Change on Glow.

December 9th, 2011

SEweb – Scotland’s Environment Website

imenzies

Comments: none Tags: Tags: climate and energy, community, events, nature, research, resources, water, waterways
 : Categories ICT, biodiversity, community, outdoor learning, sciences, scottish culture, social studies, sustainable development, technologies

For the first time, everything you want to know about Scotland’s environment will now be available at the touch of a button on a new website provided by Scotland’s key environment and health agencies.

Scotland’s Environment Web – named SEweb – aims to be the gateway to everything you want to know about Scotland’s environment. This three year project, supported by funding from the European Union, will put Scotland at the global forefront of sharing environmental information, prioritising problems and involving citizens in assessing and improving their own environment.

Features of SEweb will include:

Visit the website at: http://www.environment.scotland.gov.uk/default.aspx

December 9th, 2011

Last day at UN Climate Talks in Durban

imenzies

Comments: none Tags: Tags: action, climate and energy, poverty
 : Categories africa, citizenship, renewables and climate change, sciences, social studies, sustainable development, technologies

As major UN climate talks in Durban, South Africa reach their final day, the most likely outcome is a modest step towards a broader deal to cut greenhouse gas pollution to fight climate change.

Scottish climate campaigner, Lexi Barnett (Campaigns Officer with SCIAF), has been attending the talks with one of Latin America’s leading climate scientist. Check out her blog and the news from the last day.