Glow Scotland

Pupils across Scotland will have the chance to take part in activities and Glow Meets about five hot science topics in the Too Hot to Handle? series in the next few months, starting next week with Space for P6-S1 on 25^th March.

Cathy Southworth from Edinburgh University is heading up this development and is keen to involve as many youngsters as possible. She says, “Too Hot To Handle? is here to support the Topical Science organiser of a Curriculum for Excellence from P6-S3. It provides access to current scientists in Scotland that work on a range of hot topics, through a vidcast, teaching materials and a discussion board for questions about the topics that are answered by the scientists, and a GLOW meet where you can grill the scientists with questions.”

As well as learning about the science, pupils will get a flavour of the excitement of being a scientist.

Visit the Too Hot to Handle Glow Group. Have a look at the wealth of materials for the Space topic, show your class the videos, post some questions for the scientists on the discussion board and come into the Glow Meet on 25^th to grill the space scientists – Noe Kains from The University of St Andrews and Duncan Forgan and Chris Evans from The Royal Observatory, Edinburgh.

There will be a competition challenge on the day and members of your class could win a prize.  

Other topics in the series:
Flu Fighters for 2nd level (P6-P7) ready for after the Easter break; Glow Meet 20th May
Biodiversity Buzz for 2^nd & 3^rd  levels (P7-S2) ready for after the Easter break; Glow Meet 25th May
Doable Renewables for 2^nd & 3^rd  levels (P7-S2) ready for May; Glow Meet 15th June
Me and my Brain for third and fourth levels (S1-S3) ready for May; Glow Meet 17th June

This week too, we have another two science based Glow Meets:
Dr Bunhead’s Spoofbusters on 16^th (1.30 – 2.30) for upper primary and secondary pupils,
Industrial Chemistry on 18^th (1.45-2.45) for Higher and AH Chemistry pupils.

All these Glow Meets use the same Science Glow Meet webpart in the National Sciences Glow Group. 

18th March, 1.30pm – 2.15pm

How is your memory? Could it be improved?

Join Drew McAdam, Scotland’s foremost mindreader to find out how to improve your memory and learning techniques.

Join this Glow Meet in collaboration with the BBC and find out how to use systems to make the most of your memory. You can put these to good use for revision or in fact anything else!

Drew will be working with an S4 class at Kirkintilloch High School and allowing everyone else to join using Glow Meet. These techniques can be applied across the curriculum and used by pupils at a range of stages.

Ever wished you could get your brain to work better? Brainsmart can help you discover how to:

* maximise your memory
* get motivated
* achieve your goals

Find out more about the BBC Brainsmart website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/brainsmart/

Sign up and take part in the Brainsmart Glow group:

https://portal.glowscotland.org.uk/establishments/nationalsite/MINDPLAY%20with%20Drew%20McAdam/default.aspx

On 18th February David Terron from Elgin Academy delivered a masterclass session to teachers across the country that was packed full of ideas for allowing a class to ‘publish’ their work.

During his session David showcased the range of work that he and his classes are doing with WIKIs and blogs, from simple ideas like homework reminders, through model essays and intense drama analysis to a poetry WIKI which has been so successful it now gets requests from other schools for poems they would like to see included!

David then went on to link this work to Curriculum for Excellence, assessment and Skills4Life before explaining how WIKIs can also be used for planning all kinds of activities -in his case TeachMeet Highlands. The session was so packed with great ideas that one of the participants posted “That was fantastic but I need time to take it all in!”

To read David’s own account of delivering the session click HERE to access his blog.

All of the resources discussed in this masterclass can now be accessed through the English Teachers National Glow group and a recording of the session will also be available soon.

Every month a masterclass like this one is delivered FREE through the English Teachers’ National Glow group. The sessions cover a variety of areas but all have an English/Literacy focus. Click HERE to request membership.

Another fantastic masterclass will be available to join in March. Keep checking Glowscotland for further details.

David Terron is an English Teacher at Elgin Academy Moray. As a former Army IT expert, David has been using wikis, blogs, ePortfolios and websites in teaching throughout his career. Rather than a theoretical session David’s masterclass will highlight the many ways WIKIs are being used on a daily basis in Elgin Academy, including the work he has been doing with his own English classes.
The session will show the clear links between WIKIs and assessment, Curriculum for Excellence and Skills for Life. David will showcase the work he has been doing on Bold Girls , Intermediate 1 poetry, S1 reading records and will also explain the usefulness of WIKIs as a way of keeping Eportfolios.

This session will run on THURSDAY 18 FEBRUARY at 4pm and is free to all members of the English Teachers’ national Glow group. You do not have to be an English teacher but you do have to be a member to join in! To request membership click on this LINK or alternatively go to National Site – National Groups – Staffroom – English Teachers and request membership from there.

Please note: If you would like confirmation of membership please remember to include a valid e-mail address with your application. All applications will be approved within 12 hours.

The Positive about Science campaign is Scottish Government led and aims to increase interest in studying science, showing children that you can do interesting and exciting things with science e.g. diverse careers/fun activities. The campaign aims to take science ‘out of the classroom’ and show children how science is all around them. The website has a range of great resources for exploring careers in science.

The Big Experiment

Part of the campaign is The Big Experiment which this year is Dr Bunhead’s Spoof Busters.  In a Glow Meet, Dr Bunhead will present and discuss the skills needed for evaluating ’science’ videos posted on the internet, and classes across Scotland will investigate one of these videos for themselves and decide if it is true, partly true or false.  This activity will suit a wide range of ages.

To find out more, go to the National Sciences Glow Group and check out the Glow Meets tab, or click here to go to the Dr Bunhead’s Spoof Busters Glow Group.  Have a look round the Glow Group and sign up for the Meet (1.30pm 16^th March).  You can download teacher notes with instructions, an equipment list and background information from the Glow Group, and there will be discussion opportunities to explore science myths.

Competition

There will be a competition in the Glow Group, where classes can post a link to a hoax science video and the most convincing one will win a great prize.

The Early Years Team and the Glow Team at Learning and Teaching Scotland are delighted to host a specific early years Glow Meet as part of the “Glowing Thursdays” programme.

We are delighted to have:

* Paul Bradshaw, Project Manager from the Growing Up in Scotland Study (GUS)
* Jacqué Fee, Assistant Director for Children and Families Research and Development Centre, University of Strathclyde
* Jean Carwood-Edwards, Early Years Team Leader, Learning and Teaching Scotland.

They will discuss how practitioners can use the latest Scottish research findings to inform and enhance their practice for the benefit of all children and families. Paul will discuss the latest research findings from the Growing Up in Scotland Study and how practitioners can use this information within their current practice. Jacqué Fee and Jean Carwood-Edwards will discuss the recent research commissioned by Learning and Teaching, ‘CPD and Working with Children Under Three’ and how Glow was able to facilitate the dissemination of the research during recent partnership activities with North Lanarkshire Council.

The event takes place in Glowing Thurdays from 4- 5pm. We hope you can join us.

Today Glowing Thursday rang with the sounds of more than 30 schools from across Scotland joining hands and singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ together! This special event was part of the Burns celebrations in Glow this month and what a start it was.

Kevin Thompson in full costume entertained children from the Isle of Lewis, Dundee, North Lanarkshire and many many more with his story of the life of Burns accompanied by background slides and involving history, geography, music and literature. During his performance Kevin sang many Burns songs and the children were encouraged to take part and join in clapping, snapping and singing!

The children taking part even managed to type in messages to Kevin during the event with many P1 and 2 pupils saying how much they loved the singing. Maya in P1, from East Linton Primary said “We like the music’ and Sam in P3 said “I love your song” as they joined in with Rantin’Rovin’ Robin whilst P6 in Dunoon Primary clapped along!!

To find out more about Burns250 why not visit the blog http://burns250.blogspot.com/

Are you and your class celebrating Burns Day with dancing, poetry or maybe something else? Why not share your talents with other schools throughout Scotland and join in through Glow Meet?

Whether you are doing To a Mouse, Tam O’Shanter, Highland dancing or playing an instrument sign up in the Homecoming Glow Group where the event will be held and let us all enjoy your celebrations of Burns Day.

Our event takes place from 1.30 – 3pm on Monday 25th January.

In addition why not start your celebrations a little earlier and join us from 2-3pm on 21st January for a special Glowing Thursday entitled Burns250?

Written to fit with the concepts of Curriculum for Excellence Burns250 is a one-man show of songs and verse, in full costume, telling Burns life story, accompanied by background slides and involving history, geography, music and literature.

Songs and poems include: To a Mouse, To a Louse, Tam O Shanter, Scots Wha Hae, A Man’s a Man, Auld Lang Syne and many others. Celebrate Burns with us in the Glowing Thursdays Glow Group.

We hope you can join us to celebrate this important event in the Scottish calendar!

2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity and at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh they are celebrating this by staging an exciting programme of events and activities. This special year is designed to celebrate the astonishing biodiversity of life on Earth and the myriad connections between plants, animals, fungi and microscopic life forms that make up the complex web of life. We ourselves are part of this jigsaw. Our daily lives depend upon it for food, fuels, medicines, materials and for nature’s services including the provision of fresh air and clean water. We would be lost without biodiversity, and yet the expansion of human activities has nature on the retreat in ways that make the world a poorer place.

To celebrate the launch of the International Year of Biodiversity the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh will be hosting an event with children from Tynewater Primary School in Midlothian taking part. They will be asking questions of Roseanna Cunningham MSP and taking part in activities surrounding the exhibition.

Why not join them from 10am – 11.30am on Wednesday 13th January? You too can ask questions of the minister and join the Tynewater Primary children in some collaborative fun in Glow Meet! If you want to post a question before the event please feel free to do so on the discussion board on the International Year of Biodiversity page.
You will also find the Glow Meet there as well so join us at 10am on Wednesday!

Once again the children around Scotland entertained us with their singing and dancing during Glowing Thursday’s ‘Scotland’s Got Christmas Talent’. The afternoon was filled with renditions of Jingle Bell Rock, All I want for Christmas is You and a wonderful array of songs from school shows and pantos.

A huge thanks goes to all the individuals and classes who took part that afternoon and to their teachers for making it happen!! We were delighted that we were also joined by many other schools who were our audience and kept writing wonderful comments about the performances. “Fantastic”, “brilliant” and “well done” are amongst a few of the comments made on our public message board.

Thanks again to all those who took part and we hope to have another event like this in the summer term – and find even more homegrown Scottish talent!!