Glow Scotland

September 21st, 2011

SLF Extra – Using iPads in Music education

carolegillespie

Comments: Comments Off Tags: Tags: music, SLF
 : Categories Curriculum for Excellence, Expressive Arts, North Lanarkshire, Technologies

John McLaughlin from Taylor High School, North Lanarkshire opened the Scottish Learning Festival this morning with an inspirational seminar on the use of iPads in the secondary music classroom.

With the emphasis on pupil engagement and creativity, John had his “virtual S1 pupils” (4 delegates) playing Deep Purple’s Smoke on the Water within 5 minutes of picking up their iPads, much to the annoyance of the seminar next door!

It was a stunning demonstration of the enormous potential of the iPad in the music classroom, encouraging pupils’ creativity and making music appreciation, composition and performance more accessible to all.

The impact of the loaned iPads from Education Scotland has been marked in John’s class, with pupils who “haven’t got a scooby” making music, composing ringtones and participating in interdisciplinary learning by selling their ringtones in an Enterprise activity.

Using Apps such as GarageBand and AmpliTube, pupils from S1 to S6 can multitask on the iPad, recording their own podcast, researching its content on the web, and then use the text application to write their script.

For music composition, pupils can plug real instruments in to the iPad. Then, as John says, “the best thing is pupils can share their compositions and ideas with their friends using Bluetooth and iTunes.”

For early years and pupils with Additional Support Needs two applications were highlighted – Beatwave and Soundrop.  John gave the seminar a demonstration of the amazing potential of these Apps for young learners and those with physical or learning difficulties.

This was a ringing endorsement of using the iPad in the music classroom from a real, hands-on music practitioner and the audience were reluctant to leave, Mr McLaughlin definitely left the crowd wanting more.

Watch the video below for more information on the seminar:

SLF11-ipads to teach Music from GlowTV on Vimeo.

January 15th, 2010

Celebrate Burns with Glow

Jennifer McDougall

Comments: Comments Off Tags: Tags: Burns, dancing, Glow Meet, music, poetry
 : Categories Curriculum for Excellence, Events, Expressive Arts, Glow Meet, Local authorities, Pupils

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!

July 1st, 2009

Scotland’s Definitely Got Talent!

Jennifer McDougall

Comments: Comments Off Tags: Tags: comedy, music, singing
 : Categories Curriculum for Excellence, East Dunbartonshire, Events, Glow Meet, Local authorities, National Groups

As the school term neared a close across Scotland, Glowing Thursday held a very special event to entertain and involve schools from across the country.

Scotland’s Got Talent saw an inspiring afternoon of children from primaries and secondaries dancing, singing, doing comedy acts, playing musical instruments and even doing the Highland Fling!! Fourteen acts including schools in the Western Isles, East Lothian and North Lanarkshire all took part via Glow Meet to entertain more than 28 other classes throughout Scotland.

For some schools this was the first time that they had ever taken part in a Glow Meet and it was well receved by all. One teacher said “I thought the talent showcase was a great success” and another thought ‘It was good to see different schools’ settings for their acts and to see what works and what didn’t.’

All participants will receive a certificate and a small thank you gift for all their hard work and for keeping Scotland entertained at the end of a very long term!

A new schedule for next session’s Glowing Thursdays will be available at the beginning of August and will include ‘Scotland’s Christmas Talent’, so if you missed out this time make sure you join in with the next one. Find out more at http://www.glowhelp.me/thursdays