Highland Modern Languages Subject Support

SETT 06, day 2
9.30 New Digital Content for Glow/SSDN
This is just a selection – lots more things will be introduced gradually over year.

1. royalty free graphics bank. Can be edited and used in any way, searchable by keywords.  Drawing and photos, not just for art, but subject specific too. Nov 06, lts/???
2. phrasebox – see yesterday’s notes, investigation tool, does not give right answer, but gets pupils to be reflective.  In pilot, www.phrase
3. Information literacy – appropriate info for learners, teachers and parents. E.g. for teachers précised versions of academic study reports.  mid oct lts/informationliteracy
4. study skills – 3 stages between 5 and 18. like above at 3 levels: learners, teachers and parents.  Ready very soon!  Lts/studyskills
5. online rock & pop music tuition – good for pupils who can’t get tuition in schools.  Oct 06
6. mediated news service – kids’ version of daily news for 9-14 year olds, written in Scottish context, also in Gaelic, tagged for curric.  Also RSS feed with podcasts too.  Early 2007 ready
7. Digital rights licence.  Negociations with providers, based on photocopy licence, giving us the right to put into digital format anything we are allowed to photocopy.  Now legal to scan, use, share around Scotland.   ?????WHAT ABOUT VIDEO CLIPS FROM TV PROGS?????? Questionnaire to follow in next few weeks regarding what teachers want to be accessible  - MUST point this out.
8. OS GIS data – already have access to GIS data for local authority area.  But all OS data (except NI) will be available on line, free, but restricted to schools through Glow gateway

Learning Zone A, 10.30-11am:  International Virtual Buddies for the Early years
I went to this in the hope that it might be applicable to finding ‘virtual language buddies’ with link schools on the Continent.

Some good ideas for early years education – writing postcards with what is important to each child.  Buddies in link school identified, then using webcam, classes and buddies skyped with each other.

Software about going to Post Office was relevant to the first task and the age of the learners.  Not sure what kind of equivalent software or focus would be relevant to ML teaching or secondary teaching in general.  But the basic principle of virtual buddies would come alive a lot more than just the usual penpal letters or even emails.

My thoughts:  This might be a good way of preparing pupils for exchange visits to Denmark and France – perhaps Switzerland and Germany in the future?  The difficulties might be whether we are allowed to access Skype, and probably less surmountably, whether French school would have access to this type of technology. Bumped into Terry Kerr here, CPD officer for Highland!
11.30am – Clyde Auditorium. Keynote address – Turning good teachers into great leaders  Terry Dozier

• Promote concept of teachers as leaders of change
• Cultivating an untapped resource for change and improvement in schools – teachers often first to be criticised, but last to be asked about change.  Therefore highly motivated leaders required in schools and in education in general.
• Good teacher leadership also keeps good teachers in schools.  Veteran teachers leave due to low salaries and little prospects for advancement
• New teachers want collaboration, team work, new probationers in Scotland very enthusiastic.  This must be maintained – how can we provide them with leadership opportunities?  (cf Chartered teacher debate on yesterday’s blog)
• HTs need to identify expertise and assign tasks to teachers, giving them leadership.
• What is a Teacher Leader? – part of definition in CT programme.  USA definition: “teacher leaders encourage colleagues to change, to do things they wouldn’t ordinarily consider without the influence of the leader”.  Firstly they must be an excellent teacher, without this they have no credibility.  But must go beyond classroom capabilities, someone who can use their credibility to influence others. However, different skill set required for communicating with colleagues than with children. Teachers need opportunities to create networks and get experience of how to be leaders
• Why ?  They can model effective practice; mentor new and struggling teachers, lead cpd activities (more credible when ideas come from a current practioner), raise level of collaboration in schools (and between schools?)
• Most teacher leaders have confidence in themselves as good leaders – USA survey
• As teachers we already have the skills to organise, stand up and lead pupils, see the wider picture of where we want our pupils to be, and also the ability to chop this into manageable chunks, we expose ourselves to criticism, etc… We already are leaders, we maybe just lack the confidence.

 
What is teacher leadership? Kids need to learn leadership skills, role modelling, as profs teacher should

Challenges:  lots of cynicism, feelings of inadequacy, fear of change

Promote this: lead by example
 
 
Leven, 1.45pm

Gaelic Education – the future? – Donald MacIver (N Lanark Council)
My interest here is not only because I am a linguist and because my two sons are in Gaelic medium education, but also with an eye on the fact that the Gaelic unit in Bonar is growing and my fear that we may start losing some of the pupils from our catchment area.
·        Problem of faculty heads not having a knowledge of Gaelic raised.  How do they support?  How do they quality control?

·        How does a non-speaker teacher get into Gaelic medium education? Start with GLPS.  Then full tine immersion through Sabhal mòr òstaig.  There may also be support on offer from LEA.

·        We have not been able to create or recreate a Gaelic Community in Scotland.  How can we encourage families to speak at home, thus encouraging our Gaelic speaking children to continue using the language? Summer schools run by Lews Castle College… NB that it’s often mostly incomers to Gaelic communities that are pro Gaelic medium.  Why is this?  One response – a little disappointing – that the model we currently have ‘doesn’t meet the needs of local peopl’.  Perhaps some truth, but surely we should be encouraging incomers to fit in, not disaffect them???

·        Bord na Gaidhlig : “no point in starting GM if kids are not able to continue into secondary”.

·        Fear that now there is a Gaelic school in Glasgow and various Gaelic units/streams, that NO Gaelic is being given to English medium pupils.  This fear is extended to everywhere else…
My own thoughts: Lots of good points raised, lots of questions, lots of problems highlighted but no solutions or offers of commitment from Bord or SEED…!