Curriculum for Excellence: Social Media and the Digital Curriculum Visit: www.mrmcgowan.blogspot.com

My subject is Business Education and naturally like many other teachers I am still not entirely sure were we are heading with CfE. The one major issue that seems to be obvious is that the way we teach students has to change. This surely cannot be a bad thing?

My subject is Business Education and naturally like many other teachers I am still not entirely sure were we are heading with CfE.

The one major issue that seems to be obvious is that the way we teach students has to change.

This surely cannot be a bad thing?

Forerunners of CfE Thinking back to my time in previous schools it does seem apparent now that we were heading towards a new system of teaching: Critical Skills Active Learning AiFL Cooperative Learning Rich Tasks

Thinking back to my time in previous schools it does seem apparent now that we were heading towards a new system of teaching:

Critical Skills

Active Learning

AiFL

Cooperative Learning

Rich Tasks

Project Based Work In 2007 myself and our probationer, Mr Alexander, decided to add new content to the S1 course. I am a great believer in killing two birds with one stone or in other words ‘ adding value ’ where appropriate PowerPoint was the first unit that I thought we could teach new skills but with something extra added to it

In 2007 myself and our probationer, Mr Alexander, decided to add new content to the S1 course.

I am a great believer in killing two birds with one stone or in other words ‘ adding value ’ where appropriate

PowerPoint was the first unit that I thought we could teach new skills but with something extra added to it

I wanted to touch on different themes and one was Citizenship and the whole idea of opening students eyes to the world We created a research task on African nations called S1 African Adventure… instructions were kept very simple and open ended where possible Students were assigned into small groups with roles and then were given a template and shown some advanced PowerPoint skills

I wanted to touch on different themes and one was Citizenship and the whole idea of opening students eyes to the world

We created a research task on African nations called S1 African Adventure… instructions were kept very simple and open ended where possible

They then were given time to find and solve problems on their own with teacher help being the last resort! Students had to develop problem solving skills, team working skills and communication skills We then had class finals and then a Year Winner! It was very successful! We then created an S1 unit which was a review of all skills learned in S1!

They then were given time to find and solve problems on their own with teacher help being the last resort!

Students had to develop problem solving skills, team working skills and communication skills

We then had class finals and then a Year Winner!

It was very successful! We then created an S1

unit which was a review of all skills learned in S1!

Blogging At a previous school I had the idea of using blogs as a website for uploading content and resources The major benefit was that people who didn’t like computers could use it “ If you can cut and paste you can blog” was my motto I then created my own blog: www.mrmcgowan.blogspot.com

At a previous school I had the idea of using blogs as a website for uploading content and resources

The major benefit was that people who didn’t like computers could use it

“ If you can cut and paste you can blog” was my motto

I then created my own blog: www.mrmcgowan.blogspot.com

My blog

My blog has been used by students not only from my own school, but from other schools in Scotland and other educators and students from across the world! My students love it when they see a new hit on the map or if I have been emailed by someone asking for a resource

My blog has been used by students not only from my own school, but from other schools in Scotland and other educators and students from across the world!

My students love it when they see a new hit on the map or if I have been emailed by someone asking for a resource

Class Blogs The next step was to create Class Blogs to display pupil work I now get pupils to register with slideshare (for powerpoint ), google.docs , docstoc , scribd (for pdfs and word docs ) and some have joined wildvoice (for podcasts ) They can create their own work and then upload it and email me the link so I can display pupil work!

The next step was to create Class Blogs to display pupil work

I now get pupils to register with slideshare (for powerpoint ), google.docs , docstoc , scribd (for pdfs and word docs ) and some have joined wildvoice (for podcasts )

They can create their own work and then upload it and email me the link so I can display pupil work!

An evangelist for blogging? My love of blogs has spread to other people in my school and even some who used to work at HGS. You will find links to their pages on my own blog. GLOW may take on some of this networking, but I like to think we can do both BTW I am a fan of blogger over edublogs. Blogger is so much more user friendly… but that’s just my opinion!

My love of blogs has spread to other people in my school and even some who used to work at HGS.

You will find links to their pages on my own blog.

I touch the future. I teach. Christa McAullife

Global Links! Using blogs is a great way to connect to the world and recently I created a blog for our school Hamilton Grammar to connect and interact with a school in Markham, Ontario, Canada, Pierre Elliott Trudeau High. It is in its infancy just now, but watch it grow! www.worldvision2020.blogspot.com

Using blogs is a great way to connect to the world and recently I created a blog for our school Hamilton Grammar to connect and interact with a school in Markham, Ontario, Canada, Pierre Elliott Trudeau High.

It is in its infancy just now, but watch it grow!

www.worldvision2020.blogspot.com

World View Blog

Podcasting Using the free, open source software called Audacity I had pupils at Saint Roch’s making their own small radio shows Bringing that into HGS we now have an S1 unit on Podcasting, embedding it into the curriculum so that every S1 pupil gets to learn the basics These skills can then be used in all subjects

Using the free, open source software called Audacity I had pupils at Saint Roch’s making their own small radio shows

Bringing that into HGS we now have an S1 unit on Podcasting, embedding it into the curriculum so that every S1 pupil gets to learn the basics

These skills can then be used in all subjects

Screencasting This requires specialist software for recording the PC screen It is great for making video tutorials and I have created quite a few on TeacherTube for Administration in particular The next step is to have pupils create their own and we are currently looking at the software needed for it

This requires specialist software for recording the PC screen

It is great for making video tutorials and I have created quite a few on TeacherTube for Administration in particular

The next step is to have pupils create their own and we are currently looking at the software needed for it

Message Boards A Computing colleague of mine, Mr McAlpine recently started using www.ProBoards.com to get pupils to discuss classwork and homework. It has been a huge success and now I have just started my own at www.mrmcgowan.proboards.com

A Computing colleague of mine, Mr McAlpine recently started using www.ProBoards.com to get pupils to discuss classwork and homework.

It has been a huge success and now I have just started my own at www.mrmcgowan.proboards.com

Video With my own money (yes you read that right) I went a bought a FLIP video camera (it has a USB connection that goes straight into the PC) I began recording video tutorials/demonstrations by fellow teachers and uploaded it onto www.teachertube.com FLIP Camera. A must have!

With my own money (yes you read that right) I went a bought a FLIP video camera (it has a USB connection that goes straight into the PC)

I began recording video tutorials/demonstrations by fellow teachers and uploaded it onto www.teachertube.com

The best ones were a Mr Bowen undergoing a Mastermind quiz on Bismarck and a series of Chemical Reactions being demonstrated by Miss McAree in the science lab Alva Academy have also some brilliant tutorials on Teacher Tube KEYWORDS: HGS DIGITAL

The best ones were a Mr Bowen undergoing a Mastermind quiz on Bismarck and a series of Chemical Reactions being demonstrated by Miss McAree in the science lab

Alva Academy have also some brilliant tutorials on Teacher Tube

TV and Greenscreen We won an innovation bid to create our very own TV station within HGS. Our pupil-led station is called Weh TV (Weh is a local Hamilton word for good!) We have filmed a pilot but we’re still finalising our order I even went down to Dunoon Grammar to visit Mr Gallanagh who is an expert in pupil TV stations having created the UK’s first school station at Our Lady’s and St Pats

We won an innovation bid to create our very own TV station within HGS.

Our pupil-led station is called Weh TV (Weh is a local Hamilton word for good!)

We have filmed a pilot but we’re still finalising our order

I even went down to Dunoon Grammar to visit Mr Gallanagh who is an expert in pupil TV stations having created the UK’s first school station at Our Lady’s and St Pats

Our school TV station logo created by a Young Enterprise Achiever, Danny Gray

Our school TV station logo created by a Young Enterprise Achiever, Danny Gray

If you are a cynic… and you think this all sounds like a waste of time, then can I just say not only are students enjoying doing things a bit differently (and the variety is also an important factor I feel) but HMIe inspectors liked what we were doing.

If you are a cynic…

and you think this all sounds like a waste of time, then can I just say not only are students enjoying doing things a bit differently (and the variety is also an important factor I feel) but HMIe inspectors liked what we were doing.

Implementing CfE We are only at the planning stage but what I would do is take the units/outcomes we need to teach and then tie it in with transferable skills and active learning Add in as much value as you can The S1 PowerPoint unit not only taught the ICT skills but it threw in a whole load of additional skills needed in the workplace. And it even had a theme of Citizenship too! This may echo Rich Tasks but what I would say is that it is perhaps a mini-Rich task in that it involves less planning and there are no timetabling issues!

We are only at the planning stage but what I would do is take the units/outcomes we need to teach and then tie it in with transferable skills and active learning

Add in as much value as you can

The S1 PowerPoint unit not only taught the ICT skills but it threw in a whole load of additional skills needed in the workplace. And it even had a theme of Citizenship too!

This may echo Rich Tasks but what I would say is that it is perhaps a mini-Rich task in that it involves less planning and there are no timetabling issues!

What skills does President Obama need? Communicator Team worker Problem solver Presenter

I think what is needed for each outcome or outcomes is a ‘hook’ or a theme to hang it all together. Putting it into context, so to speak. The good news is that there will be hundreds of projects/tasks/challenges – call them what you will – going on as we speak But why don’t we start sharing them online?

I think what is needed for each outcome or outcomes is a ‘hook’ or a theme to hang it all together. Putting it into context, so to speak.

The good news is that there will be hundreds of projects/tasks/challenges – call them what you will – going on as we speak

But why don’t we

start sharing them online?

In a … I believe that all of these new fangled technologies are actually just ways of supporting students and hopefully to get them to learn in new ways that they find fun and engaging If we can get them to learn and retain knowledge without them perhaps even realising it, then that is a bonus! This is just my own personal opinion so if you don’t agree then tell me what you do… please!

I believe that all of these new fangled technologies are actually just ways of supporting students and hopefully to get them to learn in new ways that they find fun and engaging

If we can get them to learn and retain knowledge without them perhaps even realising it, then that is a bonus!

This is just my own personal opinion so if you don’t agree then tell me what you do… please!

How to guides I have created guides on how to use Blogger and Audacity which you can download from: How to use Blogger http://tre.ngfl.gov.uk/uploads/materials/24132/HowToUseBlogger.pdf How to use Audacity http://www.scribd.com/doc/8463893/How-to-Use-Audacity-Guide

I have created guides on how to use Blogger and Audacity which you can download from:

How to use Blogger

http://tre.ngfl.gov.uk/uploads/materials/24132/HowToUseBlogger.pdf

How to use Audacity

http://www.scribd.com/doc/8463893/How-to-Use-Audacity-Guide

Contact Details If you would like to share your ideas/opinions then please get in touch! My blog: www.mrmcgowan.blogspot.com Email: [email_address]

If you would like to share your ideas/opinions then please get in touch!

My blog:

www.mrmcgowan.blogspot.com

Email:

[email_address]