Archive for June, 2009
- June 30th, 2009
Glowing at the Scottish Learning Festival
- Katie Barrowman
- Comments: Comments Off Tags: Tags: glowing lounge, Scottish Learning Festival, SLF, slf09
: Categories Curriculum for Excellence, Events
Session 2008-9 has drawn to a close, so what better time to look forward to next year? Holidays and relaxation may be the priorities for the next few weeks, but why not spare a few minutes to register for The Scottish Learning Festival? Seminars are filling fast, but there’s still time to pick from the extensive and impressive programme of events, including more than thirty with a Glow element. And, of course, the return of the Glowing Lounge is bound to prove popular, so if you want to get involved, make sure you register.
Watch this blog for previews of some of the fantastic Glowing seminars, more details of the Glowing Lounge programme, and information about SLF Extra, the Glow group to complement the festival, and where those who can’t attend in the flesh can become virtual delegates and share in some of the amazing practice being showcased.
More- June 30th, 2009
Glow Outdoor Learning Partnerships
- mbrown
- Comments: Comments Off Tags: Tags: CNPA, Outdoor Learning, Partnerships, SNH
: Categories Uncategorized
Mark Baker Outdoor Learning Development Officer for LTS, and I provided Glow training for a wide range of Outdoor Learning Partners last Thursday in the Optima. This training came about because of a demand from the Outdoor Learning community to get involved with Glow and Outdoor Learning in schools. It follows on from requests we took for Glow training at the Outdoor Learning Conference 2009 in Crieff in April. Thanks to all the attendees at this training for being such enthusiastic participants:
| Juliette | Robertson | Creative STAR Learning Company | |
| Penny | Martin | Freelance environmental education consultant | |
| Angus | Miller | Scottish Earth Science Education Forum (SESEF) | |
| Dave | Fowler | Blairvadach Outdoor Education Centre | |
| Bonnie | Maggio | Forestry Commission Scotland | |
| Sharon | Cunningham | Scottish Natural Heritage | |
| Karen | Boyd | Forestry Commission Scotland | |
| Brian | Spoor | Scottish Natural Heritage | |
| Antonia | Dunwoody | FEI Development Officer | |
| Ali | Horning | Forestry Commission Scotland | |
| Dr Joyce | Gilbert | RSPB Scotland |
The attendees listened to presentations about Glow and took part in creating their own Glow groups. Later in the day they also collaborated in making changes to the National Parks and Outdoor Learning National Glow group. The first presentation answered some basic questions: what is Glow, where is it nationally and what can it do for me? Participants took part in useful discussions about how to use Glow for outdoor learning and asked tough questions about the value of more learning on the web.
After lunch the discussion was focused on the National Site, Outdoor Learning Glow groups and shared administration in the National site. It was very useful for me to have participants feedback on the National Parks and Outdoor Learning Glow group and it’s sub Glow group structure. The new National glow group title is Outdoor Learning . It now has some new pages and some new sub Glow groups for example with National Parks pages and a National Parks sub Glow group. I was able to make improvements based on useful comments given by the attendees during the training. I look forward to the participation of our OLPs as guest users in this National Glow group and Glow based outdoor learning projects.
We have seen requests for Glow training and guest memberships grow throughout 2008 and 2009. Following this successful training we will organise a Building Outdoor Learning Community event for January 2010. Before that, we can also look forward to two Outdoor Learning events with Scottish Natural Heritage, both will be live in Glow: Outdoor Learning for Teachers Wed 14th Oct 2009 and Sharing Good Practice in OL Tues 10th Nov. For more details see news in the OLNGg.
More- June 30th, 2009
How are others using Glow?
- Lorna Arbuckle
- Comments: Comments Off Tags: : Categories Curriculum for Excellence, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, Events, Glow Chat, Glow Groups, Glow Meet, National Groups, Outdoor Learning, Pupils, Shetland Islands, West Lothian
Did you know that within the Sharing Practice page of the GlowScotland website, schools from across Scotland share their experiences of using Glow?
Log on and find out how pupils from across Scotland watched leading scientists perform a bird autopsy beamed live into their classrooms from the Scottish Seabird Centre; or how Burravoe Primary School in Shetland used Glow to keep in touch with pupils when bad weather closed the school.
Read about how schools in East Dunbartonshire are using Glow in a project to ease the transition to secondary school, and how James Young school took a phased approach to the roll out of Glow to benefit learning and teaching.
In addition, practitioners from across Scotland, working with children at different ages and stages, share their experiences of using Glow.
Why not log on and see if you can benefit from any of these ideas and stories ?
More- June 22nd, 2009
B!TE - Big Ideas:Technical Education on Glow
- Katie Barrowman
- Comments: 1 Comment Tags: : Categories Uncategorized
B!TE - The Big Ideas:Technical Education Conference - is happening on Wednesday the 24th of June at the Carnegie Conference Centre in Dunfermline.
If you can’t make it on the day, you’re invited to join in through Glow. You will be able to watch a live stream of the keynote speeches and get a flavour of the showcases, as well as taking part in discussions based around the key messages of the event.
As a taster, we have uploaded clips made by several of the key participants in the run up to the conference. Go to the ‘B!TE Build Up’ tab to view these.
Programme starts at 10am, so join us if you can!
More- June 22nd, 2009
Scottish CILT Conference a Glowing success!
- Tina Stevens
- Comments: Comments Off Tags: : Categories Curriculum for Excellence, Events, Glow Groups, Glow Meet, National Groups
Scottish CILT hosted the first ever national virtual event for languages teachers on Monday, 15th June. The meeting took place from 4pm until 5.45pm in the Scottish CILT group on Glow, Scotland’s national schools intranet, via Glow Meet, the built –in videoconferencing facility on Glow.
Speakers had been identified from primary and secondary schools. They showed presentations on approaches to interdisciplinary work that they had been involved with in their schools and participating teachers commented and asked questions either through the chat facility or “on air.”
17 participants tuned in to the event; there was no cost and people could join from either their home or school computer. The event was well received, and many participants indicated that they would be very interested in future similar events.
“ I thought that the conference was fantastic. It was normally the kind of thing you would have to attend an inservice event to be part of, usually entailing giving up a Saturday! “
“I thought the content was excellent. It was really uplifting to see all that good practice and certainly it has inspired me! I really liked the fact that you could interact with the presenters and ask questions, as often there isn’t time for this when attending an inservice event. I was also impressed by how easy it was to use the technology once we got started and I think that using Glow to share good practice and disseminate ideas should help us to make the changes demanded by CfE.”
“I would really like the chance to take part in more of these type of conferences as I thought it was a very positive way to enhance my CPD folder.”
“I enjoyed the CPD session, there is no question that this will soon be the way to run CPD events. Congratulations on your vision!”
The event was recorded and will be made available on the Scottish CILT Glow group.
As a means of reaching a national audience, providing cost – free CPD, and providing teachers with a means to engage with us via the glow group, there is nothing to compare with the convenience and easy manageability of Glow Meet.
We intend to build on this success and run regular, similar events in the future. We will most likely incorporate a monthly session along similar lines into our existing events calendar. If you have any suggestions for themes to develop further teacher CPD in this format, please don’t hesitate to get in touch: [email protected]. Looking forward to seeing you on Glow soon!
More- June 15th, 2009
Who is responsible?
- Andrew Brown
- Comments: Comments Off Tags: Tags: responsible citizens, unsuitable content
: Categories Curriculum for Excellence
Did you know that at the bottom of almost every page in Glow there is a ‘report unsuitable content’ button? Did you also know that anyone can use it?
You may be visiting a group that you are a member of and see something that you regard as inappropriate. Chances are, you’ll do one of two things – you’ll either do nothing about it except think ‘isn’t that terrible – someone ought to do something about it’, or you’ll try and find out who you should contact to point out the problem.
In a community, we can all exercise some level of responsibility. It’s not just an administrator that can take action.
It couldn’t be easier to do the right thing.
If you find something inappropriate, click the link at the bottom of the screen. The Glow Helpdesk is notified, and they’ll follow up the issue for you.
Becoming a responsible citizen requires knowing how and when to do the right thing. This is just as important in digital environments, as in our physical environment.
If you’re a teacher, are you talking about how to be responsible online with your students?
More- June 15th, 2009
Glowing Thursdays
- Jennifer McDougall
- Comments: Comments Off Tags: : Categories Curriculum for Excellence, Events, Glow Meet, Local authorities, National Groups, Pupils, Uncategorized
Why not extend your knowledge (and that of your fellow colleagues!), share ideas and become part of Glowing Thursdays?
Every week in the Glowing Potential National Glow Group a live virtual event will be held bringing together like minded practitioners from across Scotland to collaborate and share ideas.
Events vary and will include web conference masterclass sessions with experts, Curriculum for Excellence spotlights, discussions with practitioners about successful Glow stories and much much more.
These sessions usually take the form of a Glow Meet or Glow Chat but if you are unable to access these during the live event you can always leave a question on the discussion board available before and after each event.
Find out more about what is going on this Thursday and in the following weeks by going to the Glowing Thursdays page:
We hope that you can join us and also encourage colleagues to join in as well.
If you have any suggestions for next session please do not hesitate to contact Jennifer McDougall on [email protected]
STOP PRESS: Special Event – Thursday 25th June 1.30 – 3pm, Scotland’s Got Talent. Schools throughout the country will be able to take part in this end of term special Glowing Thursday. Individual pupils/classes/teachers can perform and entertain (and be entertained!) through Glow Meet and share their talents with the rest of Scotland! Please encourage schools and teachers that you know to join in. More information is available in the Glowing Thursdays page
- June 12th, 2009
Bob’s Google map Glow Project
- mbrown
- Comments: Comments Off Tags: : Categories Curriculum for Excellence, Dundee City, Glow Groups, Uncategorized, google maps
Bob Hill’s Glow project is all about collaboration in Glow. It is a great project because Bob aims to involve teachers from all over Scotland in a practical project about our favourite subject, the weather.
Bob works out of Dundee and is in ICT Support for DCC Educational Services. He is promoting the use of Google maps to share information about the weather in Scotland. By asking teachers and pupils to capture local information about the weather and put it in a shared google map which can be found in a National Glow group Weather with Google Maps Glow group.
If you are a teacher Primary or Secondary and not least ateacher of Geography you should get involved. If I was teaching about the Weather, Enquiry Skills (eg S1) or Google maps after the summer holidays, I would seriously consider getting my class to contribute to Bob’s glow group and share my local information with schools across the country. It would be great to view more local weather in Bob’s Google map. full instructions on how to do this are in the Glow group.You can ask him about his Glow group in the Discussions page of Weather and Google Maps or @robthill in Twitter.
You can find Bob’s Glow group in the National Site in the Collaborative Projects National Glow group.
Bob, good luck with a great Glow idea.
More- June 12th, 2009
Glowing experiences for UWS and Strathclyde University
- satbance
- Comments: Comments Off Tags: : Categories Uncategorized
PGDE students studying at the University of the West of Scotland had a taster session of Glow last week when staff arranged a series of Glow workshops that students could partake in. Approximately 80 students signed up to the workshops and were able to navigate through the Glow portal and create their own Glow groups. The students were very enthusiastic and keen to know how to get real Glow log-ins so that they could use Glow to support ACfE within their teaching. UWS should be up and running with Glow very soon, and pupils will hopefully be able to use Glow regularly to enhance their teaching as part of the course itself.
Earlier this week, Strathclyde University staff had their Mentor training, and were very open to the many new and innovative oportunities that Glow can provide. These are exciting times for teacher training institutes, with a number of them already on board with Glow. Plenty of thought and discussion needs to be had in regards to how to best use Glow for both staff at the Universities, and for student teachers. However, as long as students and staff remain enthusiastic, and continue to see the impact that Glow is having on the education of children, Glow will surely be a valuable tool that will become a common feature of the teacher training courses.
More- June 12th, 2009
Pupils get animating with Oscar Stringer via Glow Meet
- satbance
- Comments: 1 Comment Tags: : Categories Uncategorized
During May and June over 25 classes across Scotland took part in two on-line animation workshops run by International educational animator, Oscar Stringer. This was a unique opportunity for numerous schools to take part in the workshops, learning various animation techniques, and getting excellent tips on how to animate from an expert. There were 2 classes, one for absolute beginners, and one for those who had some experience using animation in the classroom. The lessons were seen live via Glow Meet (Glow’s video-conferencing tool) and were interactive, with children asking Oscar many questions throughout the sessions.
The sessions once again highlighted the unique potential of Glow (and Glow Meet in particular), to provide engaging, practical lessons from a real expert, with children also having time to have hands-on expereince as well. The Shared whiteboard within Glow Meet enabled key documents to be uploaded and shown to everyone, e.g. a storyboard (see image top right), with the ability for anyone to edit the document with all changes being seen by everone else as they are done.
The text function within Glow Meet enabled pupils to interact by asking questions that could be answered throughout the session, without interrupting the flow of the workshop itself (see image to right)
The ability for Glow Meet to stream live video meant that pupils and staff could follow the action closely, which was especially important when Oscar was showing how to create good models. He was able to show close up, key features of a model and also how to move the model (see image below). 
With all of these functions available within Glow Meet, it meant that the session was interactive and easy to follow for both pupils and teachers.
You can see some of the fantastic animation films produced by pupils by going to the Primary Homecoming on-line classroom group.
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