Global Citizenship

April 26th, 2012

Scottish Biodiversity Week 19th - 27th May 2012

imenzies

Comments: none Tags: Tags: action, events
 : Categories biodiversity, curriculum areas, expressive arts, health and wellbeing, sciences, scottish culture, sustainable development

Scotland’s precious wildlife and landscapes are vitally important and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) want to offer you the chance to get out and about and experience them!

SNH have teamed up with a range of other people to bring you a wide variety of organised and fun events during Scottish Biodiversity Week.

Every year there is an astonishing range of events on offer. Here are just a few examples of the kinds of things that you can do:

• Countryside ranger led pond dipping events for little children;
• Guided walks on Scottish Natural Heritage National Nature Reserves;
• Story telling events;
• Seashore safaris;
• Fossil finding tours
• Expert talks on nature;
• Nature photography workshops.

Visit SNH’s Events Diary to find out what’s on - http://www.snh.gov.uk/protecting-scotlands-nature/safeguarding-biodiversity/events/

March 30th, 2012

cultural identity and global citizenship

nickmorgan

Comments: none Tags:  : Categories ICT, creativity, expressive arts, scottish culture, social studies

A key starting point for global citizenship education is a richer understanding of your own culture. Here in Scotland there are great new resources, challenges and projects which will facilitate learning about this country and what it means to be a Scot.

The ‘Studying Scotland’ online resource produced by Education Scotland is intended to support teachers in their work with students learning about aspects of Scottish culture, both historic and contemporary. There is already a wealth of material on the history, arts and cultural life of Scotland. The site will be updated with additional resources over the coming months, to give extra coverage of aspects such as Scotland’s place in the world and contribution to international developments. Museums and cultural organisations will be important participants in this shared endeavour to promote knowledge of Scottish life.

Education Scotland has launched a new design challenge through its ‘Marks on the Landscape’ website, as a means of engaging with creative young people. The challenge is aimed at CfE second to fourth levels and can be linked with a range of curriculum areas including art and design, science, and technologies, and themes such as sustainability. It invites learners to create a design for a double-sided billboard to signal the entry and exit points to Scotland - for example alongside the motorway as drivers enter the country. The design should offer different perspectives for people who are arriving and people who are leaving, and might also reflect on why people need to leave their home country or why they would come to Scotland today. The site has support material and further instructions for the billboard challenge, and entries should be submitted by 21st June.

Finally, the ‘Great Tapestry of Scotland’ project will involve the creation of a history of Scotland in tapestry-form, produced by hundreds of volunteer stitchers through a huge community arts initiative. A Scottish Parliament news story reports on the project launch. The final product will include key scenes from the span of Scottish history and demonstrate the creativity of Scots living today.

December 9th, 2011

SEweb - Scotland’s Environment Website

imenzies

Comments: none Tags: Tags: climate and energy, community, events, nature, research, resources, water, waterways
 : Categories ICT, biodiversity, community, outdoor learning, sciences, scottish culture, social studies, sustainable development, technologies

For the first time, everything you want to know about Scotland’s environment will now be available at the touch of a button on a new website provided by Scotland’s key environment and health agencies.

Scotland’s Environment Web – named SEweb – aims to be the gateway to everything you want to know about Scotland’s environment. This three year project, supported by funding from the European Union, will put Scotland at the global forefront of sharing environmental information, prioritising problems and involving citizens in assessing and improving their own environment.

Features of SEweb will include:

Visit the website at: http://www.environment.scotland.gov.uk/default.aspx

November 18th, 2011

Crofting Connections

imenzies

Comments: none Tags: Tags: community, food, nature, news, research
 : Categories biodiversity, community, creativity, curriculum areas, expressive arts, health and wellbeing, homecoming, languages, mathematics, outdoor learning, primary schools, religious and moral education, renewables and climate change, sciences, scottish culture, secondary schools, sharing practice, social studies, sustainable development, technologies

Crofting Connections is a 3-year long educational project which started in August 2009. It aims to enable over 1,200 young people aged 5 to 16 living in remote rural communities throughout the Highlands & Islands to learn about crofting past, present and future.

It is funded by HLF, SNH, LEADER, HIE and the Craignish Trust.

Its key outcomes for young people are for an increased:

• desire to live and work in their crofting communities.
• ability to keep crofting alive in the 21st century for the benefit of rural communities and the environment.
• development of Curriculum for Excellence‟ four capacities – successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.
• understanding of the need for locally produced, environmentally-friendly and healthy food based on low carbon principles.

The lead partners in the project are Soil Association Scotland and the Scottish Crofting Federation. To read more about this exciting project an about the impact it has had on learning teaching then download the Interim Report (you will need a Glow password to access this link).

November 9th, 2011

Get debating for St Andrew’s Day

mfarrell

Comments: none Tags:  : Categories citizenship, community, international, modern languages, scottish culture, sustainable development

On Monday 28^th November, the annual St Andrew’s Day debating championship will be held in the Scottish Parliament with students and senior pupils from universities and schools across Scotland competing in debating heats covering a range of issues important in today’s society. The Final will take place in the Debating Chamber chaired by the Presiding Officer with the opportunity to win the specially engraved Scottish Parliament Quaich. This year, for the first time, all schools across the country will be able to follow the progress of the competition on Glow throughout the day and then watch the final, streamed live on Glow TV. This is an exciting opportunity for pupils to get involved in a high quality debate and to learn more about debating.

Sign up here to follow the debate on Glow TV.

For more information on developing your own debates in school go to http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/debatinginschools/index.asp

November 8th, 2011

Scottish Borders - Global Citizenship Twilight

imenzies

Comments: none Tags: Tags: CPD, events, school improvement
 : Categories CPD, citizenship, early years, games and sport, international, primary schools, scottish culture, secondary schools, sharing practice, sustainable development

Global Citizenship and Eco-School Network

Learning community twilight session

This twilight CPD event for practitioners and local authority staff is the latest in a series of sessions to develop and strengthen professional learning communities and practitioner networks within the Scottish Borders.

Participants will have an opportunity for peer-to-peer sharing and reflection and will explore effective strategies for developing successful whole school approaches to global citizenship including international education, sustainable development education, education for citizenship and games legacy.

Those attending will also have the opportunity to learn about the opportunities for funding available to school learning communities to support mentoring, sharing and collaborative activities relating to global citizenship. Participants will also learn about the latest resources, free CPD events and exciting plans for 2012 (including Olympic Games and the Rio + 20 International Conference on Sustainability).

If you are any way involved or concerned with global citizenship and are looking for ideas and support then this is the event for you.

Who should attend?

Early years/primary/secondary school practitioners who are interested in/or have a remit for global citizenship, sustainable development education, Eco-Schools or other similar programmes. Also, local authority personnel with a responsibility for sustainability, waste, participation, energy and other related remits. Attendance at previous sessions isn’t a requirement.

Date and venue

Thursday 24^th November 2011

Committee Room 1, Council HQ

Newton St Boswells

16.30 – 18.30

Cost: Free

Facilitator

Ian Menzies, Development Officer, Developing Global Citizens Team, Education Scotland

To book

Contact Caroline Scott on Email: [email protected] or Tel 01835 825108

November 8th, 2011

Pupils urged to get creative for conservation

imenzies

Comments: none Tags: Tags: nature
 : Categories biodiversity, outdoor learning, scottish culture, sustainable development

http://www.nts.org.uk/designcompetition

Conservation charity the National Trust for Scotland is asking secondary schools pupils to design an interactive, environmentally-themed game to take out on the road next summer.

The Trust launched its competition at Ben Lomond near Drymen, Scotland’s most southerly Munro. Ben Lomond is one of the most popular mountains in Scotland, with around 30,000 walkers of all ages visiting it each year. Helping Trust staff at the launch were pupils from Drymen Primary, who were photographed doing their best to try and figure out some initial ideas.

The Ben Lomond Design Competition challenges teams of pupils to invent a portable, interactive game which is easy to set up and explain, is fun for all ages and which highlights how we need to conserve our environment.

The Trust hopes that the new family activity will raise awareness of its work to care for Scotland’s countryside and wildlife.

There are a range of prizes on offer, including Amazon vouchers for school equipment, iTunes vouchers and of course, the winning entry will be used week-in week-out by the Ben Lomond team on their travels.

For full information and an entry pack visit: http://www.nts.org.uk/designcompetition

October 18th, 2011

Forest Pitch - Meet the artist in a Glowing Thursday!

mfarrell

Comments: none Tags:  : Categories biodiversity, citizenship, commonwealth, community, creativity, curriculum areas, expressive arts, games and sport, health and wellbeing, international, primary schools, sciences, scottish culture, social studies, sustainable development

Glowing Thursday 10th November 2011

Forest Pitch – football strip design competition!

Meet the artist!

Join us on 10th November at 11am on Glow TV!

An opportunity to meet Scottish artist Craig Coulthard, creator of the highly innovative art project Forest Pitch. Funded by Creative Scotland and part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, Forest Pitch will culminate in two football matches between amateur players who have recently taken up British citizenship. At the Scottish Learning Festival in September this year Craig launched a football strip design competition for primary age children to come up with exciting and innovative designs for the football strips that the players will wear.

As an arts project, Forest Pitch encourages debate about national identity, citizenship, the natural world, sustainability and participation in sport.

If you have already signed up for the competition or are thinking about doing so, then join us for this exciting Glowing Thursday to find out more and get some artist’s tips and advice.

Find out more about the competition, sign up and download the design brief and support materials here

And don’t forget - taking part in this competition is a great way of demonstrating a commitment to the Olympic and Paralympic values and joining the London 2012 Get Set Network. Do this before 16th December and qualify for FREE tickets for the Olympics! Find out more >>

September 28th, 2011

New open day programme 2011/12

imenzies

Comments: none Tags: Tags: CPD, events, school improvement
 : Categories CPD, citizenship, community, creativity, curriculum areas, early years, games and sport, international, primary schools, scottish culture, secondary schools, sharing practice, sustainable development

New global citizenship open day study visits!

We are pleased to announce a new series of the popular, inspiring and practical school open days from Education Scotland’s Developing Global Citizens team.

Sign up by contacting [email protected] or call 0141 252 5000

There is increasing recognition that the rich contexts and learning approaches associated with global citizenship are a powerful means of engaging with Curriculum for Excellence. In this initiative, selected schools are offering an open door to senior leaders and classroom practitioners to share how they have led a whole school approach to global citizenship.

The schools selected for the open school programme have developed approaches that have successfully woven elements such as sustainable development education, education for citizenship, international education and games legacy into a wider coordinated whole-school approach to developing global citizens. The programme includes a number of award winning schools and schools whose achievements have been widely recognised.

What others have said about the study visits:

‘The best CPD I have ever had’

‘This was an inspirational CPD event and I found it all very useful and enjoyable, particularly the input from the HT/PT and children – fantastic’

‘My mind is going into overdrive – I plan to take everything you have given and use it!’

Further events will be added to the programme in the coming weeks so watch this blog entry for updates.

Places for these events are limited so it is advisable to book early to avoid disappointment.

Sign up by contacting [email protected] or call 0141 252 5000

Find out more about using global citizenship to develop a whole school approach to Curriculum for Excellence

Download the new global citizenship calendar for 2011-12

September 20th, 2011

Forest Pitch football strip design competition

mfarrell

Comments: none Tags:  : Categories Uncategorized, biodiversity, citizenship, community, creativity, games and sport, health and wellbeing, international, scottish culture, social studies, sustainable development

Design a football strip for Forest Pitch!

Education Scotland and Forest Pitch are working in partnership to offer all primary age children in Scotland an opportunity to design the football strips for an exciting project connected with London 2012.

Forest Pitch is the only Scottish project in Artists Taking The Lead, a major part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, and is also part of the London 2012 Festival, the culmination of the Cultural Olympiad. The Cultural Olympiad uses art and culture to welcome the world, to inspire young people and to create a lasting legacy.

Scottish artist Craig Coulthard, supported by funding from Creative Scotland will be creating a full size football pitch hidden deep within woodland in the Scottish Borders. In July 2012, two games will take place on this pitch, one between men and one between women. The players will all be amateurs, resident in Scotland, over the age of 18. In addition they will all be people who have become British citizens since the year 2000. After these games, the pitch will be left to grow back, and become a living relic of the events that took place in the woods.

The project explores a range of themes: national identity and belonging, what it means to be a citizen, how personal and shared memories and myths are created, the power of sport, diversity in nature and society, and sustainability.

Forest Pitch is looking for your creative designs for the football strips which the players will wear. As there are 4 teams (2 men’s and 2 women’s) Craig is looking for 4 winners.

The competition is for primary-age pupils and is designed to enable children to express themselves openly and freely and to encourage critical thinking and creativity. They will be able to express their own ideas, thoughts and feelings by exploring the themes of Forest Pitch and then creating a football strip design.

To find out more and enter the competition click here.

For further information contact [email protected]

… and don’t forget to register with Get Set and use Forest Pitch as part of your application to the Get Set Network. This will provide even more opportunities and resources for learning linked to London 2012 - and free tickets through the ticketshare scheme. Over 1100 Scottish schools are registered for Get Set and over 170 are now on the network.