Glow Scotland

June 29th, 2010

The Daily What

pcurrie

Comments: 4 Comments » Tags: Tags: Glow, Glowscotland, Literacy, Literacy and English, news, Schools, Scotland, the daily what, the herald
 : Categories Curriculum for Excellence, Development, Literacy, Uncategorized

‘The Daily What’- the all new Glow schools’ news service- will be launched in August in association with our partners for the service, The Herald group and Tinopolis Interactive. In the meantime, we really need user feedback on initial designs for the news service. We are always keen to find out what Glow users think and we will try to recommend changes accordingly.

There is a working prototype (with limited functionality at this point) that will give you a good idea of page layout, content and navigation elements. Please remember that very few links will work at this stage, but you should get a good idea of how the service will look when it is launched.

The prototype can be accessed here: http://www.dailywhat.org.uk/prototype/index.html

We have created a National Glow group for the service, with a particular focus for the moment on collecting feedback. If you have time, we would very much appreciate feedback from Glow users. There are several forum posts which ask specific questions and invite voting from users.

These forum posts can be accessed individually from the main Noticeboard of the Glow group, or by going to the ‘Tell us what you think’ page. There is also an email link, if you would prefer to email your thoughts, and a document store, if you would prefer to create a document of feedback and upload it to Glow. The Glow group also contains images of the prototype page designs.

Whichever option you decide to use, we really do appreciate Glow users taking the time to share their views. Remember, if we find out what you think now, we can make changes before the August launch.

Click here to go straight to the Glow group

May 20th, 2010

Julia Donaldson live author event.

Katie Barrowman

Comments: Comments Off Tags: Tags: authors, Glow Meet, Julia Donaldson, Literacy, Literature, Scottish Book Trust
 : Categories Events, Glow Meet

On 26th May, 2010, at 11.00am, the Scottish Book Trust will have their second event in the Authors Live programme in partnership with BBC Scotland Learning: an audience with the UK’s foremost picture book author Julia Donaldson. Julia will be leading a hugely enjoyable 35-minute session of stories and songs. This event is suitable for nursery-P4 pupils.

You can sign up to watch on the BBC Website by clicking this link, or you can also watch the live stream through Glow by clicking here to go to the Authors Live Glow Group.

So make sure you don’t miss this fantastic opportunity to see the author of The Gruffalo, Stick Man, and countless other children’s favourites live this coming Wednesday!

April 19th, 2010

J M Barrie National Glow Group

Katie Barrowman

Comments: Comments Off Tags: Tags: Glow Groups, J M Barrie, Kirriemuir, Literacy, Literature, Peter Pan
 : Categories Events, Glow Groups

Guest Blog from Robert Hill, Dundee:

May 9th 2010 is the anniversary of the birth of J M Barrie born 150 years ago in Kirriemuir, Angus. The anniversary is being celebrated in style across the world including Kirriemuir itself where the Kirriemuir Heritage Trust is commemorating their famous son with a festival, Barrie 2010: A Celebration Of Imagination which will run for two weeks from 7th -23rd May.

Great Ormond Street Hospital, to which Barrie bequeathed all the royalties from performances of Peter Pan, is running a campaign to create a Guinness Book Record for the greatest number of Peter Pans on one day (Friday 30th April).

Barrie’s connections are not limited to Kirriemuir of course and he is linked with Dundee, Motherwell, Glasgow Academy, Dumfries and London.

Glow’s contribution to the commemoration is a national Glow Group, J M Barrie Celebration, where teachers and pupils can come together to make the most of this anniversary. Here you will find details of the Great Ormond Street Hospital challenge, a competition to get you started, photographs of Barrie’s life and times, places to store writing about him and a place for discussion. Other activities can be added as the need arises.

This group is able to provide the context for literacy work within CfE, local environment topics (plenty within Kirriemuir), environmental studies including History and also the Geography associated with the places J M Barrie is linked to. It also provides scope for collaborative work in many different ways.

Just click on this link to get to the Glow Group. You will need to request access so please say which school you are at and give us your email address. During the day, it should not be long before you are granted access to the Glow Group.

We hope that you will take this opportunity to celebrate one of world’s most distinguished children’s authors with your pupils.

February 15th, 2010

Budding Comics Creators – Join the Metaphrog Glow Meet!

Katie Barrowman

Comments: 2 Comments » Tags: Tags: comics, Events, Expressive Arts, Glow Meet, graphic novels, Literacy, National glow groups
 : Categories Events, Expressive Arts, Glow Meet, Literacy

Metaphrog are comics creators Sandra Marrs and John Chalmers, best known for making the Louis series of comics.

For the first time, they are bringing their popular comics workshop to Glow!

Any classes from P5 – S4 are invited to join Metaphrog over Glow Meet at 1pm on Wednesday the 3rd of March. You’ll learn lots about creating characters and comics, and have the chance to create your own characters. They will also set you a comic-creating challenge, and you can come back for the follow-up Glow Meet later in the year and show us how you got on.

To join the Glow Meet, you’ll need a room with a computer with internet access, a projector and screen or interactive whiteboard, and speakers. Pupils will also need access to paper and drawing materials.

The Glow Meet and the sign-up sheet can be found in the Graphic Novels National Glow Group.

January 5th, 2010

Catherine Forde comes to Glow!

Katie Barrowman

Comments: Comments Off Tags: Tags: books, Events, Glow Meet, Literacy, Scottish Book Trust
 : Categories Events, Glow Meet

This year’s Scottish Book Trust Writer in Residence is the award-winning teen fiction writer Catherine Forde.

Catherine will be available to answer all your questions about creative writing on Glow on the Third of February – time to be confirmed –

Click here to sign up to take part!

The event is suitable for secondary school pupils

Catherine Forde has been writing novels with teenagers as the central characters for over a decade. Most of her novels are contemporary and Glaswegian. In a previous life she taught English in secondary schools and colleges and edited dictionaries. Catherine likes to explore the relationship between teenagers and the adults in their lives, and her writing is colloquial and dialogue-driven. Recurring themes in her novels are the influence and impact of music on the individual, fitting in and fractured relationships.

Between now and March Catherine Forde will have a new writing task for learners on the first Monday of every month, and teacher’s notes on the task are also available. Watch Cathy’s brilliant video podcasts where she explains each task, and use the accompanying written notes. There are already 3 tasks online – check them out at the Scottish Book Trust’s site:

Click for pupils’ pages

Click for teachers’ pages

December 3rd, 2009

Alan Bissett Author Event – One week to go!

ronnierankin

Comments: Comments Off Tags: Tags: Alan Bissett, books, Glow Meet, Literacy
 : Categories Events, Falkirk, Glow Meet

Just a reminder that the Glow Meet with Alan Bissett takes place next week.

It’s on Thursday 10th December at 2pm and will be in the Glowing Thursdays meeting room.

A new page has been created in the Literacy and English National Group to register your interest and to post any questions you may have for Alan.

On the page there are also details on how to test the Glow Meet before next Thursday.

It’s bound to be a very lively event so get involved on Glow using the link below!

Alan Bissett Glow Page

September 3rd, 2009

Michelle Paver impresses the audience at the Edinburgh Book Festival – and in Glow!

Katie Barrowman

Comments: 1 Comment Tags: Tags: Edinburgh International book Festival, English, Glow, Glow Meet, Literacy, National glow groups, Partnerships, reading
 : Categories Events, Glow Meet, Literacy

Guest Post from Laura Tansley at Learning and Teaching Scotland

Schools across Scotland tuned in on Monday to hear Michelle Paver talk of her experiences and adventures as she researched her series of Stone Age adventure novels, ‘The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness’. She spoke of happening across bears in California and singing ‘Danny Boy’ to distract them, getting close enough to Wolves in Finland to lick muzzles, skinning rabbits and eating Reindeer, all in a quest to discover what life was like for a hunter-gatherer. Michelle read from ‘Ghost Hunter’, the latest instalment of the ‘Ancient Darkness’ series which was tantalising for those who have yet to discover her writing. Through the Glow Meet, pupils were then encouraged to ask Michelle questions – we had so many unfortunately we couldn’t ask them all but we hope to get them all answered by Michelle at a later date. For the schools that missed it, the recording of the talk will be available soon at the Glow Group for the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

August 24th, 2009

Royal Mail Children’s Book Awards – calling all young judges!

Katie Barrowman

Comments: Comments Off Tags: Tags: Glow, Glow Groups, Literacy, National glow groups, National Groups, Royal Mail Book Awards, Scottish Book Trust
 : Categories Events, Glow Groups, Literacy

Once again this year, young people from around Scotland have been invited to vote for their favourite shortlisted title in the Royal Mail Scottish Children’s Book Awards. Glow has teamed up with the Scottish Book Trust to bring you a national Glow Group where you can discuss your thoughts on the books with other young judges in schools across Scotland.

Teachers and librarians can click this link to request access to the Glow Group. Once you’re in, you can contact the Glow team via the group, and they will add your class/reading group as members too.

This is an exciting opportunity for readers to have their opinions heard. The shortlisted books come in three age categories – 0-7, 8-11 and 12-16 – so there’s something for readers of all ages to get their teeth into. Schools will need to register with the Scottish Book Trust in the first instance – click here for more details - and voting closes on the 13th of November, so there’s still plenty of time to get involved.

August 17th, 2009

Graphic Novels CPD Event – Reminder

Katie Barrowman

Comments: Comments Off Tags: Tags: CPD, Edinburgh International book Festival, Glow Meet, graphic novels, Literacy, Mel Gibson
 : Categories Events, Glow Meet

This is just a quick reminder that Dr Mel Gibson will be speaking from the Edinburgh International Book Festival this Thursday from 17:00, and you can join her via Glow Meet – click on this link to go to the group.

Dr Gibson recently wrote the Learning and Teaching Scotland resource Graphic Novels in the Classroom, and those who join the meet can expect an inspiring hour, finding out what comics and graphic novels can do for young people.

If you’ve never use Glow Meet but are interested in getting involved, why not have a trial run beforehand? There will be a member of the Glow Team in the meeting room at the following times:

Tuesday 18th August:
10:00 – 11:00
13:00 – 14:00

Wednesday 19th August:
15:00 – 17:00

Drop in during any of those times to make sure you have access to Glow Meet. This helpsheet contains a few tips for getting started, and you’ll find a contact email within the group if you’re having difficulty accessing the Glow Meet.

We hope to see lots of you on Thursday for what will be a really interesting opportunity.

August 10th, 2009

Graphic Novels with Dr. Mel Gibson – CPD Event

Katie Barrowman

Comments: Comments Off Tags: Tags: CPD, Edinburgh International book Festival, Glow Meet, graphic novels, Literacy, Mel Gibson
 : Categories Events, Glow Meet

For all those interested in using Graphic Novels with their classes, there’s the chance to join an exciting CPD event via Glow Meet!

Dedicated academic Dr Mel Gibson recently wrote the Learning and Teaching Scotland resource Graphic Novels in the Classroom. Join this enthusiastic author for an inspiring hour of what comics and graphic novels can do for young people.

She is appearing at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on Thursday the 20th of August at 17:00, with her talk entitled Visual Literacy, Learning & Graphic Novels. If you can’t make it along to the festival, you can hear Dr.Gibson’s talk live on Glow Meet, and there will be the chance to ask questions.

Go to the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Glow Group for all the details on how to join in, and if you want to whet your appetite, check out the brilliant graphic novel resource, created by Dr. Gibson for LTS.