Glow Scotland

November 19th, 2010

STATE OF EMERGENCY – Day Five

Julia Fenby

Comments: Comments Off Tags:  : Categories Argyll and Bute, Co-Create, Curriculum for Excellence, East Ayrshire, Expressive Arts, Glasgow City, Glow, Glow Meet, Health and Wellbeing, Inverclyde, Literacy, Mathematics, Moving Image Education, National Groups, North Lanarkshire, Outdoor Learning, Religious and Moral Education, Sciences, Social Studies, South Lanarkshire, Technologies, West Lothian, modern languages

On the final day of State of Emergency, S2 year groups from all seven schools came together via Glow Meet to share their learning experiences from this intensive week of activity.

Tarbert Academy journalists gave a live report on the conflict as news broke in the west of Scotland. Their broadcast was interrupted when freedom fighters broke into the newsroom in protest against the government regime.

A Bathgate Academy human rights campaigner gave a powerful speech about the importance of integrity and trust.

During the week, Lochend Secondary pupils had explored war poetry in English and code breaking in Maths. In Drama they’d made a film about a boy who wanted to join the army and in PE they’d learned what it might feel like to be in the army as they were made to run outside in the cold!

Clyde Valley High had a visit from the Red Cross and found out about refugee camps; they created Facebook pages and video messages for viral communications; they made images of war by acting out and photographing scenes involving rebels, civilians and government soldiers.

The Army marched into Cumnock Academy hall and set up an assault course – the highlight of the week for the reporters:

“It was amazing, great fun – I didn’t come first but I did enjoy it!”

“It helped build my confidence”.

They also had visits from the Red Cross and a Human Rights lawyer and learned that everyone has rights to equality and protection. Pupils had purified water in Science, and designed and built devices to transport black market goods through underground tunnels in Technology and Art.

At Greenock Academy aid workers had training in basic first aid and learned to cook nutritious meals with limited supplies. The army launched a search for a missing soldier and through constructing a refugee camp, they learned team work, how to filter water, make up ration packs and distribute food to refugees.

Holy Cross High reported that propaganda was rife, with posters put up around the school by both factions; normal lines of communications had been destroyed. The Department of PE had transformed soldiers into ‘lean, mean fighting machines’ in Sniper Alley; the Department of Technology investigated ways of disposing of human waste; the Department of Social Studies researched the causes of conflict, whilst the Department of Drama explored the motivations of those involved.

State of Emergency has clearly been an amazing experience for both pupils and staff. I would encourage you to visit the Glow Group to read pupil diaries about their learning, look at more photographs of cross-curricular activities and see the rich variety of resources shared by participating teachers. This really has been Curriculum for Excellence in action.

Co-Create is funded through a partnership between Learning and Teaching Scotland and the Creative Scotland National Lottery Fund.

Image credit: Kath Morley, Greenock Academy

November 18th, 2010

STATE OF EMERGENCY – Day Four

Julia Fenby

Comments: Comments Off Tags:  : Categories Argyll and Bute, Co-Create, Curriculum for Excellence, East Ayrshire, Expressive Arts, Glasgow City, Glow, Glow Meet, Health and Wellbeing, Homecoming, Inverclyde, Literacy, Mathematics, Moving Image Education, North Lanarkshire, Outdoor Learning, Religious and Moral Education, Sciences, Social Studies, South Lanarkshire, Technologies, West Lothian, modern languages

This project is so rich that it is impossible to fully reflect the depth and breadth of the activities and learning taking place in seven secondary schools across Scotland.

Today I went out to visit Cumnock Academy in East Ayrshire where staff have embraced the project and as well as designing an exciting timetable of activities for S2, have created opportunities for other pupils, such as the higher media studies students who are recording and reporting on the week’s activities, and the S6 pupils who are helping S2 build emergency shelters.

I arrived in time to join pupils in the hall to watch the fourth and final webisode. They were totally engaged and focused as the drama reached its sad and shocking conclusion. The atmosphere was palpable as pupils silently started to take in and make sense of what they’d seen.

The online dramas have provided the stimulus for the week’s activities and have generated deep discussion and raised big questions. Some of the pupils later engaged in a conversation with a group at Tarbert Academy via Glow Meet and had a serious debate about the motives behind different characters’ actions. Would they have stolen food if they were freedom fighters? Did they think being an insurgent would put their family in danger?

Yesterday, a Human Rights Lawyer visited the school as an expert witness. He was surprised by the pupils’ depth of knowledge, their insight into conflict situations and the challenging nature of their questions.

Participants have explored the physical, ethical and political issues and challenges thrown up by conflict and they have seen the relevance and connectivity of learning across the curriculum. The project has provided a stimulus for learning and a platform for creative response.  The impact of State of Emergency looks set to be long lasting.

Co-Create is funded through a partnership between Learning and Teaching Scotland and the Creative Scotland National Lottery Fund.

Image credit: Eoghann MacColl, Cumnock Academy

November 17th, 2010

STATE OF EMERGENCY – Day Three

Julia Fenby

Comments: Comments Off Tags:  : Categories Argyll and Bute, Co-Create, Curriculum for Excellence, East Ayrshire, Expressive Arts, Glasgow City, Glow, Glow Groups, Health and Wellbeing, Inverclyde, Mathematics, Moving Image Education, North Lanarkshire, Outdoor Learning, Religious and Moral Education, Sciences, Social Studies, South Lanarkshire, Technologies, West Lothian, modern languages

“This is an act of peace not war”, the politician announces in a TV news broadcast as government troops are mobilised for Operation Democracy – “the aim, to disable the unelected regime and restore democracy”. The reality for State of Emergency narrator Chloe is chilling – she is able to watch military strikes online whilst her own building shakes.

So began day three of State of Emergency, an intensive week for S2 pupils in seven schools, exploring the dilemmas and complexities of war, supported by Visible Fictions Theatre Company, and using a project Glow Group to share information, ideas and resources.

At Greenock Academy, staff and pupils have been living out a conflict, using role play to explore issues faced by refugees, soldiers, journalists and politicians.

“We don’t belong anywhere and we can’t trust anyone. We don’t want to fight, we just want to go home.” S2 ‘Refugee’ Pupil to Journalists, Greenock Academy

Clyde Valley High mathematics pupils were faced with the challenge of constructing new bridges to transport supplies over the Clyde after a bombing raid had destroyed the existing ones. They also learned how to make and break codes.

With the threat of shortages caused by the conflict, home economics pupils investigated what food supplies would be needed and where to locate them. At Bathgate Academy, the dining staff are involved too  – their State of Emergency lunch time menu includes a ‘No deliveries’ day, with store cupboard ingredients only, and ‘No power or cooking facilities’ day when only cold food will be available.

“Its exciting, really different from normal school” S2 Pupil, Clyde Valley High

“We could have done a whole month on this”. Teacher, Lochend Secondary

Co-Create is funded through a partnership between Learning and Teaching Scotland and the Creative Scotland National Lottery Fund.

Image credit: Julie Austin, Lochend Secondary

November 17th, 2010

STATE OF EMERGENCY – Day Two

Julia Fenby

Comments: Comments Off Tags:  : Categories Argyll and Bute, Co-Create, Curriculum for Excellence, East Ayrshire, Expressive Arts, Glasgow City, Glow, Health and Wellbeing, Inverclyde, Literacy, Mathematics, Moving Image Education, North Lanarkshire, Outdoor Learning, Religious and Moral Education, Sciences, Social Studies, South Lanarkshire, Technologies, West Lothian, modern languages

“The first victim of war is the truth”, The journalist’s view – Greenock Academy

Day two of the project and the second State of Emergency webisode starts to bring home some of the realities and complexities of war. What would it be like to live in a war zone?

Pupils and teachers have been engaged in challenging and thought provoking discussions…….What are the differences between needs and wants? Which version of a story is the truth? What is it like to live in a refugee camp? Who is right – the government or the freedom fighter?

Each school involved in the project is using conflict as the focus for learning and teaching, exploring war from both subject specific and interdisciplinary perspectives. Pupils at Tarbert Academy have created their own images of what war might look like for them; Clyde Valley High have been discussing war art and the deeper meanings hidden within it. At Bathgate Academy, pupils are working in groups to write their own blogs or online diaries about their learning experiences. At Greenock Academy, the resource centre has been converted into a field hospital and physical borderlines have been created in the school.

One thing is certain– this week is providing many participants with a completely new experience and way of working that is all engaging.

“Day one is over. Two webisodes down and not a technology disaster in sight! Now I know why we say “lines of communication”, how fast soup can be cooked (or not). The young people are engrossed in the fight for freedom. Can’t wait for Sniper Alley tomorrow….” Teacher, Holy Cross High

Male pupil: Miss, see in maths- are we gonnae dae that State of Emergency thing tae? Maths teacher: Yes we are Male pupil: Yabby dabby dabby do! Conversation, Lochend Secondary

For an overview of the project read the recent TES article and visit the State of Emergency Glow Group.

Co-Create is funded through a partnership between Learning and Teaching Scotland and the Creative Scotland National Lottery Fund.

Image credit: Pupil, Tarbert Academy

November 16th, 2010

STATE OF EMERGENCY – Day One

Julia Fenby

Comments: Comments Off Tags:  : Categories Argyll and Bute, Co-Create, Curriculum for Excellence, East Ayrshire, Expressive Arts, Glasgow City, Glow, Glow Groups, Health and Wellbeing, Inverclyde, Literacy, Mathematics, Moving Image Education, National Groups, North Lanarkshire, Outdoor Learning, Religious and Moral Education, Sciences, Social Studies, South Lanarkshire, Technologies, West Lothian, modern languages

“This film is about what’s going on in my city, right now”…..

For S2 pupils in seven secondary schools, this week began with the first of four webisodes about conflict. Each day, they will learn about the crisis and dilemmas faced when a city is transformed into a war zone.

Over the last few months, teachers have been working together with Visible Fictions theatre company to share ideas and plan activities for this intensive week. The State of Emergency Glow Group is the central collaborative space for all participants; it contains an amazing bank of documents and information on war and related issues, with materials relevant to all subject areas and aspects of the Curriculum.

Now State of Emergency has begun, schools are uploading images, videos and diary entries about their experiences and their learning. Here are just a few entries from Day One:

“Red Cross and Army came through as did staff in school….Loads of discussion, design of emergency shelters, building emergency shelters, army assault course, science dept filtering dirty burn water through socks, tights, sand and other things and the webcasts – first class. We also had our own STV newsdesk presentations personalising the state of emergency to Cumnock. Roll on day 2..”

Teacher, Cumnock Academy

“We started playing games to get to know each other. We then got into groups to discuss the film we watched in the morning, we also discussed what a state of emergency is and the things we would need if this happened.  After lunch a police officer came into the school and showed us their equipment for a riot and a state of emergency. We got back to class we talked about the difference between needs and wants, we came to a conclusion about healthcare, basic food, childcare, water and shelter as our basic needs.  Transport caused us come debate but in the end we decided in was a need because our legs are a type of transport too.  Nearer the end of the day we talked about world war two, rationing, the dig for victory and make mend and do campaigns.  Pupil, Bathgate Academy

And from a teacher in Greenock Academy:

“We thought we’d struggle to fill three days, now we think we could keep this running for two whole weeks”

For an overview of the project read the recent TES article and visit the State of Emergency Glow Group.

Co-Create is funded through a partnership between Learning and Teaching Scotland and the Creative Scotland National Lottery Fund.

Image credit: Eoghann MacColl, Cumnock Academy

November 12th, 2010

STATE OF EMERGENCY

Julia Fenby

Comments: Comments Off Tags:  : Categories Co-Create, Curriculum for Excellence, Expressive Arts, Glow Meet, Outdoor Learning, Religious and Moral Education, Sciences, Social Studies, Technologies

Something rather extraordinary is taking place in seven secondary schools in Scotland next week. Teachers and S2 pupils will be spending the entire week exploring issues and dilemmas relating to war. Each day a dramatic ‘webisode’ shown on Glow will provide an update on what’s happening in the lives of people living in a city under siege.

Since February this year, teachers have been working together with Visible Fictions theatre company and script writer Louise Ironside (River City and Waterloo Road) to plan how they will use online dramas as the stimulus for learning and teaching for one week in November.

Teachers have been sharing ideas and resources via the STATE OF EMERGENCY Glow Group and have contributed ideas to the storyline as it developed. They have embraced the opportunity to work collaboratively and to adopt the interdisciplinary approach which the project allows.

STATE OF EMERGENCY has inspired a huge amount of enthusiasm and creativity, with plans for building refugee camps, creating menus for ‘ration lunches’, visits from specialists such as press photographers and the Red Cross, and using role play to explore different perspectives on conflict.

Each school is adopting a model that works best for them. In most cases this means the entire S2 year group is coming off timetable; in another, each timetabled lesson is using State of Emergency as the stimulus for learning. A teaching artist will be based in each school, working collaboratively with teachers to explore creative approaches, supporting Curriculum for Excellence.
Pupils from all schools will come together on Friday 19th November for a panel discussion about the project via Glow Meet.  It’s sure to be an unforgettable week for everyone involved.

The participating schools are: Clyde Valley High, North Lanarkshire; Lochend Community High, Glasgow; Cumnock Academy, East Ayrshire; Bathgate Academy, West Lothian; Holycross High, South Lanarkshire; Greenock Adcademy, Inverclyde; and Tarbert Academy, Argyll and Bute.

For further information, read this article which recently appeared in TES.

Co-Create is funded through a partnership between Learning and Teaching Scotland and the Creative Scotland National Lottery Fund.

September 28th, 2010

Glowing Thursday – Outdoor Education

Jennifer McDougall

Comments: Comments Off Tags: Tags: Craggan Outdoors, Highlands, Outdoor Learning
 : Categories Curriculum for Excellence, Expressive Arts, Glow Meet, Local authorities, Outdoor Learning

Craggan Outdoors is an award winning outdoor activity centre based in beautiful Speyside in the Cairngorms National Park.

Offering one of the widest ranges of outdoor activities available in the Scottish Highlands, Craggan Outdoors serves groups from two to sixty-plus people, either as day visitors for activities, or residential packages with bunkhouse accommodation. Bunkhouse and bothy are also available for group hire, separate to the activities.

Join Keith Ballan at 4pm on Thursday 30th September as he talks about what this centre can offer to children of all ages and abilties in the Glowing Thursday Glow Group.

September 20th, 2010

Co-Create at the Scottish Learning Festival

Julia Fenby

Comments: Comments Off Tags:  : Categories Argyll and Bute, Co-Create, Curriculum for Excellence, East Ayrshire, Expressive Arts, Glasgow City, Glow, Glow Groups, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Outdoor Learning, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Sciences, Shetland Islands, Social Studies, South Lanarkshire, Technologies, West Lothian, Western Isles

Throughout 2010, ten demonstration projects are taking place in 18 local authorities across Scotland. Arts organisations are working together with teachers, pupils and other partners to explore and develop new approaches to teaching and learning using Glow and supporting delivery of Curriculum for Excellence. Four projects are presenting at the Scottish Learning Festival. Don’t miss:

S1A – Make Art Not War: A Dynamic, Interactive, Cross-curricular Experience for S2 pupils
Paul Gorman from Visible Fictions Theatre Company talks about ‘State of Emergency’, an ambitious project in which a series of webisodes and ‘live’ broadcasts from an online fictional country will be created and broadcast through Glow in November. This seminar outlines the process so far to highlight how creative approaches, facilitated within Glow, can ensure best practice in Curriculum for Excellence.

B1C – Curriculum for Excellence: Enhancing Performing Arts Experiences through Glow This seminar presents a new online learning resource that aims to support teachers and pupils to evaluate and appreciate performing arts experiences. The new resource supports teachers in meeting Curriculum for Excellence expressive arts experiences and outcomes across all levels and is a development of Imaginate’s range of resources on art appreciation.

B1E – Glow Co-Create model project: Hooks + Bites
Barbara Chalmers and the Plan B Collective team give a presentation on how they worked together with nursery, P7 and S6 pupils from St John’s Academy Perth to create a digital art bank for Glow made up of sound journeys, percussion and digital animation based on the pupils’ experience of ‘transition’.

B1H – Co-Creating with Glow: Walking Within Langass Wood
Join Sarah MacIntyre to hear about this collaborative project involving S2 pupils and staff from Sgoil Lionacleit (Benbecula), Carinish and Lochmaddy Primary Schools, Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum and Arts Centre, Urras nan Craobh Uibhist a Tuath (North Uist Woodland Trust), and Scottish Natural Heritage. The project aims to creatively interpret the ecology and heritage of Langass Woods on North Uist through visual art, creative writing, science, history, geography and music.

Co-Create is funded through a partnership between Learning and Teaching Scotland and the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Fund.

Image credits: Visible Fictions; Screen Media & Imaginate; Plan B Collective; Sgoil Lionacleit

September 20th, 2010

Breaking Guinness World Record on Glow!!

Jennifer McDougall

Comments: Comments Off Tags: Tags: Cycle Co-op, Glow Meet, Guinness World Record
 : Categories Curriculum for Excellence, Glow Meet, Local authorities, Outdoor Learning, Pupils

Wednesday 22nd September 2010 has been designated European Car Free Day as part of European Mobility Week which aims to encourage the use of public transport, cycling and walking. Over 1,000 cities across Europe will be participating in this year’s event and so will we at SLF!!

East Dunbartonshire’s Cycle Co-op, in partnership with four local authorities across Scotland, aim to set a Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous bike bell ringing in order to celebrate active travel especially cycling and walking. The aim is to get over 1,000 pupils from nursery, primary and secondary schools across Bishopbriggs in East Dunbartonshire, along with partners in East Renfrewshire, Moray, Aberdeenshire and Edinburgh to ring their bike bells to the tune of The Blue Danube at 1pm via a broadcast by Sunny Govan FM and over the internet. The previous record in Scotland was around 500 in 2007.

Why not log in from 12.30pm on Wednesday 22nd September and watch the first record being broken live on Glow Meet? GWR Simultaneous Bike Bells Glow Group.

September 17th, 2010

Walking Within – Langass Woods

Julia Fenby

Comments: Comments Off Tags: Tags: Co-Create
 : Categories Co-Create, Curriculum for Excellence, Expressive Arts, Glow, Outdoor Learning, Sciences, Social Studies, Technologies, Western Isles

‘Walking Within – Langass Woods’ is a truly interdisciplinary project which combines outdoor learning and the arts with social subjects, sciences, languages and new technologies. Importantly, it is encouraging children and young people to make a valuable contribution to the care and future of their own natural environment.

I had the pleasure of spending yesterday with Sarah MacIntyre, Cultural Access Officer at Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum and Arts Centre, north Uist, and meeting some of the pupils and teachers involved in Walking Within, one of ten Co-Create projects for Glow.

S2 pupils from Sgoil Lionacleit, and P5-7 pupils from Carinish and Lochmaddy primary schools, have been working with artist and publisher Alec Finlay, musician Rhodri Davis, poet and naturalist Colin Will, and poet Ken Cockburn to create a ‘Letterbox trail’ for the woodland, with an accompanying digital guide for handheld mobile devices.

This project is a fantastic example of the power of partnership working. Urras nan Craobh Uibhist a Tuath (North Uist Woodland Trust) and Scottish Natural Heritage (South Uist) have spent time with pupils talking about the history and ecology of the woodland and helping with the pupils’ research, identification and interpretation of local species of plants, trees and birds. Graphic designer Lorraine Burke ran a workshop on logo design, and the resulting designs by S2 pupils have been uploaded to the project Glow Group.

Outdoor education specialists, Wild Knowledge, are developing a digital guide to accompany the woodland trail which will be populated by pupils’ photographs, poems, sound recordings and research, giving visitors an even richer experience of this community owned woodland.

Teachers and pupils are clearly getting a huge amount out of this project. Principle teacher of Art and Design at Sgoil Lionacleit, Anne Reid, enthused about having worked in collaboration with the English department on illustrated Haiku. S2, now S3 pupils, who took part in the project last term, are now meeting after school to continue working on their contribution to the digital guides. The pupils I met at Carinish primary had loved using the mobile devices, and had particularly enjoyed writing mesostic poems with Alec Finlay.

For more information on the project see today’s TESS article
or go to the Walking Within Langass Wood presentation at the Scottish Learning Festival on 23 September at 1pm.