TECHNOLOGY
Scotland is
Glow is designed to enable them to communicate in a
safe, online environment, and to share information and
renowned for
collaborate across the network.
Picking up an award for its innovative approach to
21st century learning at the Global Learning Impact
developing
Awards this year, Glow has cemented Scotland’s
position as a true global leader in education.
innovative
Also part of this initiative, the Glow Showcase has
now been launched for teachers and educators. The
approaches to teaching and
showcase is an online catalogue of resources developed
by a range of educational suppliers, available for use
learning, particularly using
in schools.
Teachers can search by curriculum area, subject
area, level of education, and supplier name. Although
technology. Ray Barker
not a fully-functioning e-commerce site yet, Glow will
direct teachers to the supplier’s own online purchasing
reviews some of the
site.
While convenient, an e-commerce site runs the
latest ICT developments
risk of leading purchasers to primarily focus on price
comparison, and forgo quality. Most teachers agree best
value does not always equal the cheapest product, as
in Scotland over the last
resources will need to stand the test of time and constant
use in the classroom.
twelve months
BESA always recommends that best value takes
into consideration all factors – quality, best fit, safety
NTERNATIONALLY, THE use of
I
technology in education is continually
growing, as more and more schools begin
to use these resources to enrich lessons. As Technology
and value for money.
Let the games begin
Beyond Glow and the NAR, Scotland has also been
exploring other uses of technology. One of the most
the sector’s trade association, the British hyped topics over the last 12 months has been games-
Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) based learning.
conducts research into the use of ICT in UK
schools, in order to better understand the uptake and
role of technology.
In 2000, it was found that 41 per cent of secondary
school teachers were confident and competent using
in action
While many countries, including the US, continue
to debate the value of gaming in education, Scotland
has undertaken a leading approach to developing ideas
for using gaming consoles in schools.
Since the initial trial with Nintendo DS consoles in
ICT in the curriculum. Eight years on, in 2008, the 2006, the Scottish government-supported consortium
figure had risen to 60 per cent. is now helping schools across the country to explore
With its unique education system, the Scottish the use of a range of games-related resources, both
government has tended to implement centralised models schools. Scheduled to be completed in August 2010, the While many other countries around the world use handheld, online and using peripherals like dance mats
for the delivery and use of ICT in schools across the new National Assessment Resource (NAR) will ensure forms of online assessment, the Scottish government or instruments.
country. The Glow network, and the new assessment that schools take a standardised approach to measuring, has been proactive about ensuring connectivity and So, what’s in store for the next 12 months? Given
resource, are two prime examples of how Scotland assessing and reporting on student performance. uniformity across its schools. the openness to innovation and new technologies in
has used technology to adapt to its own particular Using the new assessment system, it is hoped that Using one system, it should be easier to measure Scotland, it would be difficult to hazard a guess – but
educational needs, given the spread of learners across teachers and schools will be able to store assessment performance across local authorities, and across the it is sure to be world-leading and exciting for the
less-densely populated and isolated locations. resources, create new resources themselves, and follow country, while teachers and pupils who move schools in sector. SecEd
the system in place for assessment of Curriculum for the future will not need to learn a new system.
Assessing performance
Excellence. • Ray Barker is director of the British Educational
While online assessment has been available to schools When announcing the project, Scotland’s minister
Glowing bright
Suppliers Association
for several years, it has only recently been announced for schools and skills, Keith Brown, said it would make In the last year, all 32 local authorities in Scotland have
that the Scottish government is going to develop a “vital contribution to the biggest reform of Scotland’s begun rolling out Glow to schools, teachers, students
Further information
a single online assessment system for all Scottish education system in a generation”. and parents. The world’s first intranet for education, BESA: www.besa.org.uk
Notes and jottings Union address: NASUWT
Language, money and golf A bright new dawn?
SO, THE Scottish government has stumped up a graduate endowment fee – also known as a tax on
further £800,000 for Gaelic education, which brings learning – the poorer your home background, the
NASUWT’s Jane Peckham looks at the changes to
this year’s total spend on the Gaelic Schools Capital worse off you are likely to be.
Fund (launched last year) to £2.15 million. Bravo. It’s encouraging, however – Westminster, please
It’s a terrible thing when a centuries-old language take note – to hear Aileen Campbell MSP, and
the Scottish qualifications system, and asks how it
– and the culture that goes with it – is allowed to die, Education Committee member, using the long overdue
or worse, is killed. words: “(We have) restored the principle of free
will affect teachers
Gaelic of course, like Polish and Georgian education.” She meant increased hardship funding,
under Russian rule, was discouraged, if not actually grants for part-time and post-graduate students, and EARLIER THIS year, the Scottish government the number of teachers on temporary contracts, in
suppressed in the Highlands, from the 18th century other changes. Yes, yes, yes. Let’s hear a lot unveiled further details of its long promised shake- addition to the well-publicised lack of jobs for NQTs.
– after the Act of Union. It can still be saved. more of this. Education, like air, water, up of the qualifications system. Any further financial cutbacks imposed to fund the
Witness the way Welsh was proactively food and housing, should be a right not Following in the wake of the development of revised qualifications framework will stretch an
pulled back from the brink and now, a privilege, although that is not to say Curriculum for Excellence, this represents nothing already overburdened workforce to breaking point.
a couple of generations on, is the that young people should be auto- less than the refashioning of the educational The increase in the number of teachers who have
dominant language in many parts of processed into higher education landscape in Scotland. been unable to obtain permanent contracts – even
Wales. But there are worries about when they might be much better Although implementation has been pushed back after working at the same school for several years – is
the low numbers of Gaelic speakers suited to, say, apprenticeships. by a year, these changes will no doubt provide due to a legal loop hole which allows authorities to
in Scotland. They are not increasing the backdrop to the challenges and opportunities break continuous service to ensure that members are
fast enough to guarantee the future Given all the doom and gloom presented by the new academic year. not eligible for permanency. Transfer to permanent
of an endangered tongue. “There is about obesity and unhealthy eating The Scottish government seems determined status is devolved to local level, and each authority
not the luxury of time. We must take and living, it’s good to hear of a really to implement a “hands off” policy where the will have or is currently negotiating a policy to allow
action and take it now”, said Michael enlightened project to get children introduction of Curriculum for Excellence is temporary staff to apply for a permanent contract.
Russell, Gaelic minister, when the new active. Golf is, effectively, Scotland’s concerned. While we believe that teachers should There have been worrying signs that some local
money was announced earlier this month. national sport. This summer, nearly have room to use their own professional judgement authorities are moving to reduce teacher numbers,
Meanwhile, perhaps we should all – 40,000 P5 children have had a go at in the classroom, the lack of guidance issued so far and there were reports during the last academic year
wherever we live – be listening regularly it for the first time through Clubgolf is leaving them in limbo, with little structure within that some NQTs are finding it harder to secure posts.
to the Gaelic Language channel: BBC – a government-funded scheme that which to meet ministerial expectations. It is perverse to cut teacher numbers when the
Alba. It celebrates its first birthday next works at 289 venues across Scotland. Each local authority is to have its own Scottish government has committed to reducing class
month. Ever wondered why Dutch and Now I couldn’t care less about implementation officer, and undoubtedly each of sizes. It has always been our view that to succeed in
Scandinavian people almost always winners or losers (I just lack the gene these individuals will have their own interpretation reducing class sizes requires a change to legislation,
speak such impeccable English? It’s for all that sort of thing), but I like the of what precisely is needed. There is the danger additional funding and a realistic timescale to allow
because they are widely exposed to healthy walking – about six miles if that we could return to the unremitting cycle of local authorities to comply.
English and American TV and radio from you do 18 holes on foot – and fresh air reinventing the wheel. The situation has stalled because although
babyhood. Young Scots (and others) could which lie at the heart of golf. If only I’d Better direction, greater resourcing and an over- there is an ideological class size minimum set out
pick up a lot of Gaelic in the same way. been cheerfully introduced to it at school age arching policy of support for all involved in this within the SNP manifesto, and notionally agreed
instead of forced to do all that dreadful hockey momentous change in Scottish education are needed. with authorities who signed up to the concordat,
Elsewhere, it’s hardly surprising that schools are and netball. Maybe I would have taken to sport If we do not get this right, the introduction of the these class size maximums are not enforceable and
beginning to find it hard to persuade able pupils much earlier and been leaner and fitter than I was. new national qualifications structure in 2013 will certainly not affordable within the present climate.
to apply for university and other forms of higher Let’s hope many of those golfing novices go on only compound the problem. Teachers’ capacity is It is a cliché that change is the only constant in
education given the scary statistics about student debt. healthily playing through their secondary years and finite, and there is already growing evidence that education, but with the deadline approaching for
Yes, they can still take cheap(ish) student loans but, beyond. Alex Salmond thinks that some of them will their working hours and workload are increasing. perhaps the biggest shake-up ever seen in Scottish
according to a recent survey by the National Union of return to future championships as “key contenders There has also been scant detail of how the education, these issues must be urgently addressed.
Students in Scotland, which questioned 6,217 people for the claret jug”. changes to the system will be paid for. Otherwise the bright new dawn envisaged by politicians
in 18 higher and 21 further education institutions, Well, each to his own. I am more concerned that Introducing such widespread change to the may turn out to be something of a dark crisis.
over half of students in Scotland also borrow from they should stay active and fit. qualifications structure will incur considerable costs
very expensive (even extortionate) commercial and we will be seeking assurances that it will not be • Jane Peckham is Scotland organiser for the National
lenders such as banks or credit card companies. And • Susan Elkin is a freelance education journalist and teachers who end up footing the bill. Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women
obviously, despite the recent abolition of the £2,000 former teacher. We are already seeing a worrying growth in Teachers.
6 SecEd • August 27 2009
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