Tag Archives: #earlyyears

SLF 2016 – Got something to share about early learning and childcare?⤴

from @ Education Scotland's Learning Blog

slf 2016 (2)

SLF 2016 takes place on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 September in Glasgow. As you know already, SLF provides high quality continuing professional learning for educational professionals across all sectors of education. SLF provides a unique platform to engage with a diverse range of experts, colleagues and suppliers and offers both national and international perspectives on high quality educational experiences for children.

You may have seen already the announcement by Education Scotland for seminar proposals for the 2016 conference programme. Do you think you’ve got something exciting to share? Would you like to be one of the 100+ seminars that will be offered over the 2 days?

Glow

It is important that early learning and childcare (ELC) is adequately represented at SLF 2016. The community of ELC practitioners across Scotland has always had a strong identity. Glow Early Learn, our national professional learning community, continues to grow at pace. Have you joined yet? If not, what are you waiting for? If you have a Glow username and password, simply login to Glow and type ‘http://bit.ly/earlylearn’ into the address bar. You will be taken into the Early Learn Community. Just ‘join this community’ and off you go. If you don’t yet have a username and password for Glow, you can request one here.

Dancers at Peek-a-boo
Dancers at Peek-a-boo

Although Glow is superb for building that virtual community, we know the benefits of coming together in the same space to debate and discuss issues relevant to the ELC sector. SLF 2016 provides a unique opportunity to do this.

We need you! Is there a project you have been working on that could be showcased? Or perhaps you are aware of establishments that demonstrate good practice?

The theme for SLF 2016 is Promoting excellence and equity for all through:
• school leadership and school improvement
• assessing children’s progress and parental engagement
• teacher professionalism.

Full details of the theme are available on the SLF website.

If you would like to submit a proposal for consideration please do so before Friday 19 February. Proposals received after this date will not be considered for inclusion in the conference programme. All proposals must be submitted online.

playday_130807_0663

Last year we received in excess of 300 proposals which allowed Education Scotland to deliver a relevant and balanced conference programme covering all key areas of education. We had a good representation from the ELC sector but we need even more!

The 2016 conference programme and registration will be launched in May and will feature the sessions that have been submitted and selected for inclusion.

If you would like any further information about SLF 2016 please contact the SLF team by emailing SLF@educationscotland.gsi.gov.uk

Gender equality in Early Learning and Childcare settings⤴

from @ Education Scotland's Learning Blog

Water experiment

Our colleagues at Health Scotland have approached us to ask for our assistance with a piece of research that is currently underway to look at gender stereotypes in ELCC settings. Health Improvement Senior, Barbara Adzajlic, said,

“Gender stereotypes are all around us and impact heavily on our children from the moment they are born. From the colours they wear to the toys they play with, the books they read, and the behaviours that are expected of them, girls and boys are influenced by family members, the media and society at large. The impacts of this include performance at school, career choices, expectations within relationships, emotional literacy and mental health.”

Making rockets!

Making rockets!

A group of organisations is exploring approaches to tackling gender stereotyping and gender equality in early learning and childcare settings. The group includes NHS Health Improvement, respect Me, LGBT Youth Scotland, Men in Childcare, Fathers Network Scotland, Zero Tolerance and Baltic Street Adventure Play.

The first step is to run a short survey of projects and organisations in Scotland and the UK which may be doing work to tackle gender stereotyping and gender equality in ELCC. This will allow reseachers to gather information on those resources or programmes already in existence, to learn lessons from existing approaches.

The researchers are looking for input from ELCC practitioners, so get involved if you can. They are also keen to hear from parents and carers about their experiences and views on the issue, so please do encourage parents to get invovled too.

Please follow the link below and complete the survey moneky questionnaire:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/gender_and_early_years

Please note that the survey closes on Friday, 30th October 2015.

Should you have any questions about the research, please call Barbara Adzajlic or Susie Heywood on 0141 232 0174/0171.

GfL Photo 2

Family Learning at UNESCO International Literacy Day 2015⤴

from @ Education Scotland's Learning Blog

Making rockets!

Making rockets!

UNESCO International Literacy Day 8th September 2015

UNESCO International Literacy Day has been celebrated for over a decade. This year the theme is Literacy and Sustainable Societies. There will be a large range of partners coming together to share the diverse range of approaches used in Scotland to cultivating literacy skills and to explore science as a context for developing literacy skills for all. Family learning will be featured as an approach to engaging families with children from an early age to develop literacy skills through inspiring and fun experiments!

Following the success of last year’s network of networks’ celebration of UNESCO International Literacy Day in the Emirates Arena we invite you to join us on Tuesday September 8th at Glasgow Science Centre from 10.00am until 3.30pm.

This year’s theme is Literacy and Sustainable Societies. See the UNESCO info graphic about Literacy and Sustainable Development

Our keynote speakers are Dr Alasdair Allan Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s Languages, and Heather Reid OBE CPhys, FinstP (Heather the Weather).

Participants will have the opportunity to attend a morning and an afternoon seminar as well as to explore the science centre. Further details will follow.

Places are limited so register here now.

The workshop, delivered in partnership with Dundee Adult Learning Team, will highlight everyday activities that families can do with materials found around the home that will support a love for sciences and increase literacy and numeracy skills.

Join us at International Literacy Day 2015 in the Glasgow Science Centre for the workshop “Babble and Dabble”!