CPD Team

This is a guest post from Jane Stirling of LTScotland Early Years team

The Minister discussed the range of support materials already produced to support the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence as well as some forthcoming materials to be launched soon. He mentioned the fact that the new Building the Curriculum 4 document – ‘Skills for learning, life and work’ will be published soon and that the minister for children and early years, Adam Ingram would also be launching a wonderful new resource for the Early Level entitled, “Curriculum for Excellence, Supporting the Early Level”  tomorrow in Fox Covet Nursery in Edinburgh. All early years and primary settings will be receiving a copy this week. The Minister also stated the importance of early intervention for children as set out in the Early Years Framework and Getting it Right for Every Child. He explained that this is an exciting time shared by practitioners and learners as Curriculum for Excellence takes shape.

This is a guest post from Jane Stirling of LTScotland Early Years team

Colin MacLean, Director of Schools welcomed delegates to the event and set the scene for the day. He stated the importance of Curriculum for Excellence being a universal ambition for every learner wherever they are learning.  He emphasised the need for rigour and high standards and that we strive to promote depth, challenge and breadth across learning from 3-18.  Colin emphasised the importance of working together and the need to take action nationally, locally and in our early years and primary settings that will lead to positive changes for all learners.

This is a guest post from Jane Stirling of LTScotland Early Years team

We are using this space to record feedback from conferences on Curriculum for Excellence – Moving forward together! These conferences are for primary headteachers and headteachers and managers of pre-school establishments.

We would also like to encourage all delegates to visit the Glow Group specially created for these events. Please visit the link to discuss, debate and share practice about Curriculum for Excellence.

Please feel free to leave comments about the day or any further questions below.

Event 1 -Drumossie Hotel, Inverness on Tuesday 29 September 2009.

• Colin MacLean’s introduction
• This is Session 1 (a Prezi summary) with photographs and key points from the discussions
• Session 2 on Transitions
• Minister for Schools and Skills – Keith Brown’s presentation summary
• Session 3 - Final discussion summaries and a panel Discussion with Colin MacLean (Scottish Government), Michael Kellett (Scottish Government), Bryan Livingstone (Care Commission), Fiona Carlisle (HMIE), Helen Connor (EIS)

Event 2 – The Corn Exchange, Edinburgh on Wednesday 30 September 2009.

• Session 1 – Implementing Curriculum for Excellence
• The Minister for Children and Early Years – Adam Ingram
• Session 2 – Transitions and Building Partnerships
• Session 3- Moving Forward Together and Panel Discussion

Event 3 – The Park Hotel, Kilmarnock 6 October 2009

• Session 1 – Implementing Curriculum for Excellence
• Session 2 and 3 – Transitions and Building Partnerships, Moving Forward Together and Panel Discussion
• Minister for Children and Early Years – Adam Ingram

Event 4 – Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow 9 October 2009

• Session 1 – Implementing the Curriculum for Excellence
• Session 2 – Transitions and Building Partnerships
• Session3 – Moving Forward Together

Event 5 – AECC, Aberdeen, 27th October 2009

• Session 1 – Implementing the Curriculum for Excellence - Prezi Summary
• Ministerial Speech – Martin Brown, MSP - Blog Post
• Session 2 – Transitions and Building Partnerships - Prezi Summary
• Session 3 – Moving Forward Together - Prezi Summary

CPDAnswers says, not sure about the specifics of the Tapestry Learning Communities but in general TLCs exist to share and create new practice. This would seem ideal for adressing CfE.

The strength of a TLC is the commitment members make to the community, the clarity of purpose of the community, knowing where knowledge and skills resides within the community ie who can do what.  A well functioning TLC builds trust, ensures the work serves all members and develops expertise at all levels.

This thus builds confidence and capacity to journey into the relatively unchartered territory that is CfE.

If parliamentary business allows, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Fiona Hyslop will be paying a visit to the CPD Lounge at the Scottish Learning Festival. She hopes to pop in just after 2pm on Wednesday 22nd September. The main purpose for her visit is to talk to CPD leaders and get a sneak preview of CPDLead, the online community for CPD leaders on Glow. The CPD Team look forward to welcoming Fiona and if you are a CPD leader at SLF, why not pop in too?

If you can’t make it, the visit will be recorded live at SLFExtra’s virtual CPD Lounge on Glow.

Final preparations are underway for the opening of the CPD Lounge at the Scottish Learning Festival. The postcards are being printed (see above) , the rota for the Magnificent 7s is ready and going onto CPDFind tomorrow.

Work is proceeding on CPDLead in preparation for its grand opening, the CPD Breakfast is ordered and the CPD Team are preparing their seminars for the main event, Sheila Smith, Margaret Orr and Con Morris.

All that’s missing is you! If you are a CPD leader going to the Scottish Learning Festival, please pop into the CPD Lounge!

Educational leaders from all over Scotland are taking part in a leadership conference organised by SELMAS. The 1st session had inputs from Judith McClure, Graham Thomson, Fiona Hyslop, Margaret Alcorn, David Cameron, Christine Forde, Neal McGowan, Alex Wood and Jenny Campbell.

Here is a summary of the morning session discussion

I was fortunate to spend today with a group of colleagues from all over Scotland as part of the ADES Curriculum for Excellence Partnership. A number of topics were discussed and today’s chairperson, Don Ledingham, used a number of techniques to bring the debate to life. The links below tell the story of the day.

The Engine Room

The Thinking Hats

The Skunkworks

The votes are in!

Please use the comments button to let us know your opinion.

Earlier this year, the National CPD Team suggested two associate projects to help build professional communities on Glow. Matthew Boyle has kindly agreed to work on a reflective practitioners’ community on Glow. Matthew is the CPD manager for Argyll and Bute and is a long-time member of the national CPD network and is well-respected for his breadth of knowledge in this area.

The cudgel for the second project, breathing life into CPDCentral (the main CPD community on Glow), has been taken up by Neil Winton. Neil is a principal teacher at Perth Academy and is a weel-kent figure on the web.

Neil and Matthew hope to post their initial thoughts on their respective challenges soon.