Global Citizenship

August 18th, 2009

Climate Change and Young People

nickmorgan

Comments: none Tags:  : Categories citizenship, europe, sustainable development

A BBC web story “Global youth pool climate ideas” reports on an international summer camp in Denmark which enabled hundreds of European teenagers to work together on environmental action. The best ideas generated at the ‘Bright Green Youth’ event will be presented to the world conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen this December.

WWF Scotland has also published the report and outcomes from its 2008 Childrens’ Climate Change project, which brought together young Scots to debate this issue.

August 17th, 2009

International Education and blogging - more

nickmorgan

Comments: none Tags:  : Categories ICT, citizenship

Here’s another example of Scottish teachers blogging about educational activity undertaken in their summer vacations. Two Edinburgh primary schools are involved in work with Burmese refugees and migrants living in Thailand, and teachers have used the DfID Global Schools Partnership programme to support their work with their partner schools on the Thai/Burma border.

Forthview Primary established the first link, and every year one or two teachers exchanged and worked in each others schools to develop learning themes together. Since 2007 Pirniehall Primary, Forthview’s neighbouring school, have had a link with another school for Burmese children at Mae Sot in Thailand. The link between these Scottish and refugee schools has created international art exhibitions in which children wrote and etched about an aspect of their life, with their work exhibited in Edinburgh, Chiang Mai and Mae Sot.

The Forthview teachers blog and the Pirniehall teachers blog provide much more detail about their summer 2009 visits and about life in these refugee communities.

August 7th, 2009

International Education and Blogging

nickmorgan

Comments: none Tags:  : Categories CPD, ICT, africa, international

This summer there has been some useful, informative and even entertaining blogging done by Scots enjoying an International and Educational experience. Here are two examples:

A teacher from Dean Park primary school in Edinburgh created frequent reports from a SCIPD group study visit to Uganda, organised by Link Community Development in partnership with LTS. Her ‘Miss A in Uganda’ blog helped keep pupils, staff, friends and observers informed about developments.

And an ex-pupil of Currie High School has just cycled across Canada, raising funds for the Mary’s Meals charity which runs school-feeding projects in countries such as Malawi. A BBC news story reports on the experience too.

August 4th, 2009

Teaching abroad

nickmorgan

Comments: none Tags:  : Categories CPD, international, united states

An article entitled ‘From Renfrew to Riyadh’ in last week’s ‘Times Educational Supplement’ Scottish edition focuses on the benefits of teaching overseas, using the examples of Scots working in International Schools in the Netherlands, Italy and Saudi Arabia.

Two exhibitors at this year’s Scottish Learning Festival offer other opportunities for Scots excited by the prospect of a period teaching in another country. Voluntary Service Overseas offers volunteer placements of between 12-24 months for experienced teachers and managers, usually in Asia, Africa and South America. And the VIF Program recruits teachers for schools in a number of US States on paid contracts. SLF 2009 provides an opportunity to speak to both organisations and find out more.

August 3rd, 2009

Sustainable Development Education in Scotland

nickmorgan

Comments: none Tags:  : Categories CPD, sustainable development

The Eco-Schools programme in Scotland now has 800 schools which have achieved their ‘Green Flag’ as recognition of their commitment to the environment. Port Charlotte Primary School in Islay is the latest to demonstrate their excellent work in this way.

Learning and Teaching Scotland is committed to supporting Sustainable Development Education for Scottish teachers. This October we will run a residential weekend ‘retreat’ at Glenmore Lodge in the Highlands, and participating teachers will spend time exploring areas and issues relevant to SDE and tackling how these can be presented to pupils through curricular teaching and interdisciplinary work. Initial details are on our website.

LTS is also working to organise a group study visit on SDE for secondary teachers, under our SCIPD international study visits programme, which is likely to be to Sweden. Further details will be posted in this blog when the arrangements are complete.