Citizenship Bulletin - Sept 2007
Contents
Learning and Teaching Scotland
Participation and Learning
A new resource, 'Participation and Learning', has been published, and is being distributed to all schools in Scotland. The booklet and accompanying DVD will be formally launched at the Scottish Learning Festival in September 2007. Developed in partnership by Save the Children and Learning and Teaching Scotland, it aims to enable teachers and others in the school community to discuss issues around young people’s participation in their learning. The chapters of the resource (Building Community and Relationships, Building Partnership in Learning, Listening, Consulting, Feedback, Making a Difference and Inspiring Change) develop key themes which illustrate structural and cultural aspects of student participation. Schools are shown on their journey to develop participation, from the deeply cultural to the very practical. Each chapter is supported by a set of discussion points and there is a comprehensive section detailing further resources.
Citizenship at the Scottish Learning Festival, 19-20 September 2007
There are a number of citizenship-related seminars at the Scottish Learning Festival this year including seminars on school values, the global dimension, participation and pupil voice, and debating skills. We also plan to launch the new Participation and Learning Resource (detailed above) and The Global Dimension in the Curriculum pack. You can register online and this year there is a PDF available which brings together all education for citizenship related events.
PDF file: Education for Citizenship programme (435 KB)
New online resources to support teachers with debating skills in the classroom
Debate captures the spirit of Curriculum for Excellence and can play a significant part in a schools' education for citizenship and Determined to Suceed activities. It is a unique way of promoting critical thinking skills, communication, research and enquiry skills. The English Speaking Union in partnership with Learning and Teaching Scotland have developed a comprehensive range of resources to support teachers in the classroom. There is a wealth of material to support the setting up of debating societies and competitive debating but there is also material for the classroom for all teachers. Discussion and discourse is an important teaching and learning tool across the curriculum and can be used in all subjects. Debating in Schools is now online in the Cross Curricular area of the LTS website.
Conferences
Towards Excellence - Citizenship and Participation Conferences
A full conference report, including presentations at the Participation and Learning conferences held in June in Glasgow and Aviemore will be available soon on the Education for Citizenship website. The report will also feature a collation of delegate evaluations.
CPD
Education Service seminars and Parliament visits
The Parliament's Education Service runs a programme of seminars for teachers in Scotland. The seminars provide opportunities to explore themes relevant to various curriculum areas including Citizenship and Modern Studies. The next event, for primary teachers, takes place on 19 September. Phone 0131 348 5401 for further information. The service also offers a popular visits programme for school groups. Education visits for January-March 2008 can be booked from Monday 3 September.
Scottish Parliament: Education - Visits and Seminars
The EU and All That: Citizenship Conference
A range of conferences to launch a series of new teaching resources published by the European Parliament in Scotland. Further details of dates, venues and registration procedures are available in the PDF below.
PDF file: The EU and All That: Citizenship Conference (102 KB)
Resources
New publications from the Scottish Government
Practice for positive relationships is a series of good practice guides showing how teachers, school communities and education authorites are working to promote positive behaviour in Scotland's schools. The first two are now available online and paper copies should be in schools.
Practice for positive relationships 1: positive about pupil participation looks at how schools are engaging pupils in their own learning and in school life. It gives advice on how to handle formal meetings between pupils and school or other agency staff and considers the value of pupil councils and peer support programmes.
Practice for positive relationships 2: reaching out to families looks at how schools are reaching out to parents. It describes the 'parent compass' used by many schools and sets out discussion points for reflection on relationship with parents and gives some general principles for a solution-orientated approach. It also gives advice about how to communicate effectively and how to manage complaints and considers the wide variety of families teachers will encounter and their different needs.
The new Parent Council Welcome Pack is also available online. The leaflets in the pack contain information and ideas to make your Parent Council effective. There is also support on the Parentzone website including access to the Parents as Partners Toolkit.
Holocaust Educational Trust
The Holocaust Educational Trust aims to educate young people in schools, universities and in the community about the Holocaust and the important lessons to be learned for today. The Trust works to raise awareness and understanding of the Holocaust, providing teacher training, an outreach programme for schools, teaching aids and resource materials.
Their Lessons from Auschwitz Project, for teachers and sixth year pupils, is run over three non-consecutive days with the focus being a one-day visit to the former extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Participants complete a follow-up project aimed at sharing their experiences of the visit, disseminating the lessons they have learned to their schools and communities.
PDF file: Lessons from Auschwitz (440 KB)
Competitions
Radiowaves Voice It! Project
Radiowaves, the schools podcasting network, and the Ministry of Justice are giving young people the chance to have their say on a national stage as part of an innovative new project called 'Voice It!' It enables young reporters to investigate national and local issues that concern them and make podcasts around these issues, publishing them to a national audience on the Radiowaves website. The reporters who produce the most interesting or original campaigns, reports or investigations weill be invited to the Houses of Parliament to share their stories and question MPs and ministers in person.
Primary and secondary schools can register at the Radiowaves website.
The European Union and Non-Discrimination: Together Against Discrimination
Organised by the European Commission, this is a poster competition for 12-18 year olds. Young people, working in teams of at least four, are invited to create a poster illustrating the idea of non-discrimination throughout the European Union. Following national pre-selection and an award ceremony in each Member State on 20 November, the International Day of the Rights of the Child, the three winning teams of each age group will be invited to meet Mr Franco Frattini, the Vice-President of the European Commission, in Brussels and take part in a European award ceremony.
Schools must register by 29 October and entries are to be submitted by 31 October.
The comprehensive Europa Youth website includes background and teaching notes.
The Scottish European Educational Trust - Euroquiz
Information about registering for this year's Euroquiz will be with Local Authorities by mid-September. The quiz has been running for 14 years and is for P6 pupils. Last year 16 Local Authorities took part with local heats followed by a grand final in Edinburgh in June.
Contact Barbara McLeod, National Organiser for more information at seet@euromove.org.uk
Their Past Your Future
The Imperial War Museum, supported by the Big Lottery Fund, is offering UK secondary schools the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime all-expenses-paid visit to Thailand and Australia, and a learning experience they will never forget. The visit will explore historical themes but precise content will be shaped by the teams and the needs of the winning school. Entries are encouraged from teachers from any subject area. Age range of pupils for this trip is 16-18. A simple application form is available online and entries should be completed and returned by September 28 2007.
Their Past Your Future: Schools Competition 2007
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