Highland teachers embrace Curriculum for Excellence training

Around seventy five Highland teachers are to attend a one-day conference “Embedding Global Citizenship within Curriculum for Excellence - A’Toirt a-steach Saorainneachd an t-Saoghail don Curraicealam airson Sàr-Mhathais” on Monday (24 May 2010).

Organised by The Highland Council’s Highland International Education Group, the conference is being supported by Learning and Teaching Scotland.

Conference organiser Susan Belford, Highland Council’s Quality Improvement Officer for International Education with the Education, Culture and Sport Service said: “With a choice of 10 workshops mainly led by Highland teachers this day of continuous professional development training is an excellent example of peer education and will provide teaching staff within Highland with very practical ideas of how they can embed the international dimension within the curriculum”.

Professor Kay Livingston, Director of International Education, Research and Innovation, Learning and Teaching Scotland will be the Keynote speaker at the conference.

Workshops will consider: Connecting Classrooms; E-Twinning; Participation in international study visits; Global Teachers Network; Sustainable development; Fairtrade schools; and Global scientists among other topics.

The Connecting Classrooms workshop will look at how projects linking schools in two African countries (Malawi and Rwanda) can enhance the educational experiences of pupils in the Highlands. The emphasis will be on the work by pupils at Muirtown Primary School, Nairn Academy and Scoraig (5-14) School.

Louisa-Jane MacInnes, languages teacher at Plockton High School will provide input to the Fairtrade workshop with some inspirational examples of how Fairtrade can be taught across the school.

There will also be displays of work by Highland schools on show for the conference delegates to view.

Councillor Bill Fernie, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Committee commended the organisation of the conference: “It is good to see our teaching staff embracing continuous professional development of their teaching skills in such an innovative way. Embedding Global Citizenship is a hugely important element within Curriculum for Excellence and will undoubtedly benefit not only the expertise of our teachers but our pupils who will be the real beneficiaries.”