We have reached our first milestone of over 50 VCTs en route to our end of year target of approaching 100.
At moment they are bound for http://www.microsoft.com/education/pileurope.mspx, and will appear as "Scottish Qualification Authority VCT Bank" .They currently live at www.sqa.org.uk/vct and when we know how all of these resources will go into GLOW.
Related to previous posts we have achieved a lot with Microsoft Partners in Learning Funding.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Cisco Public Services Summit
John Connell has posted on Cisco Global Summit. I was fortunate enough to be a guest at this event in 2005. I suppose related to my previous post - We owe a massive debt to the Microsoft, Oracle’s and Cisco’s of this world. You could worry about their motivation which is undoubtedly rapacious capitalism and I know that this is the concern of those who have thrown the odd spanner in the works as we built the partnerships through DIVA but all these organisations are involved in bringing together global communities of those who work in the public and private sectors and delivering real tangible learning assets to those who matter most – the learners and our communities. Wonder what the critics would say if we developed without reference to some of the vendors in our vocational qualifications .
It’s good to see that increasingly key notes and talks are available from these gatherings and from sources like Ted (a not for profit organisation) which distributes electrifying presentations direct from those who are dreaming and shaping the future.
We need more dreamers and shapers of the future. Especially next year as this may be a tougher year for all of us in the public and private sectors globally.
SQA’s international brand extended into 25 countries this year, we delivered a wide range of projects from the simple export of qualifications (it’s never simple) to consultancy around designing vocational systems at national level. In addition we hosted internal visits from 30 other countries. The feedback on these internal visits went round SQA today – it is staggeringly good.
Good to see too that we have innovators of our own. You’ll find SQA products and support materials in Wiki Media and using where appropriate all things Web 2 and Bobby is just about to start doing this end to end for a qualification development. GLOW can’t come fast enough for qualifications development but great to see it coming – brings me back to John Connell again,
The Glow Father ;-)
SQA Elfs
It's panto season and the office night out season and in between times the vocational world rumbles on. I have been very fortunate to work in and with Secondary Schools, Adult Education, Further Education and Higher Education and know the mechanisms that are available to move on learning, understanding and vocational skills in Scotland and UK. It is about time that all of these sectors acknowledged that these are not discrete activities.
At the moment through the Leitch Review in England and Skills for Scotland, A Lifelong Skills Strategy the delivery bodies are being re-aligned a bit and the funding mechanisms are being refocused across the UK but essentially at the heart of our vocational qualifications are the National Occupational Standards from 25 Sector Skills Councils (SSCs). Each SSC is an employer-led, independent organisation that covers a specific sector across the UK. Their four key goals are:
But as you mingle at this time of the year it’s amazing that many who should be better informed still think awards in the vocational portfolio are not structured around UK standards and informed by global changes in industry and developed with the relevant professional bodies.
Actually only kidding - they are made by elves ;-) Enjoy
At the moment through the Leitch Review in England and Skills for Scotland, A Lifelong Skills Strategy the delivery bodies are being re-aligned a bit and the funding mechanisms are being refocused across the UK but essentially at the heart of our vocational qualifications are the National Occupational Standards from 25 Sector Skills Councils (SSCs). Each SSC is an employer-led, independent organisation that covers a specific sector across the UK. Their four key goals are:
- to reduce skills gaps and shortages
- improve productivity, business and public service performance
- increase opportunities to boost the skills and productivity of everyone in the sector's workforce
- improve learning supply including apprenticeships, higher education and National Occupational Standards (NOS)
But as you mingle at this time of the year it’s amazing that many who should be better informed still think awards in the vocational portfolio are not structured around UK standards and informed by global changes in industry and developed with the relevant professional bodies.
Actually only kidding - they are made by elves ;-) Enjoy
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Sports Store Game Shortisted for BETT Award
Over 250 Scottish Secondary Schools
15,000 Pupils
70,000 live games currently
50/50 mix of girls and boys playing
Most game playing and learning happening out with normal school hours.
Great to see we made it on to the short list and testament to all the Scottish Teachers and pupils who helped design this game.
We've brought games and the formal curriculum together.
Now we need to find someone to take forward all the lessons we have learned through this project.
The BETT Awards, which play a key role in identifying and rewarding innovative ICT products and services for use in education, received a very high standard of entries this year. The winner in each category will be announced at the BETT Awards ceremony on Wednesday 9 January 2008.
15,000 Pupils
70,000 live games currently
50/50 mix of girls and boys playing
Most game playing and learning happening out with normal school hours.
Great to see we made it on to the short list and testament to all the Scottish Teachers and pupils who helped design this game.
We've brought games and the formal curriculum together.
Now we need to find someone to take forward all the lessons we have learned through this project.
The BETT Awards, which play a key role in identifying and rewarding innovative ICT products and services for use in education, received a very high standard of entries this year. The winner in each category will be announced at the BETT Awards ceremony on Wednesday 9 January 2008.
 clipped from www.besa.org.uk
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Thursday, November 22, 2007
Scottish History
"The announcement that SQA is at long last prepared to introduce a compulsory Scottish element to the Higher history examination is welcome, if overdue..."
Will open up a fresh set of challenges. As a one time History and English Teacher who taught Scottish History and Scottish Literature I was aware that many of my colleagues did not include these options -but will compulsion make the teaching and learning of Scottish History better ?
I hope so ..
and why was this learning not happening anyway and from early on in the system ?
The Romans and The Dinosaurs - as I remember from my primary education in the last century and maybe 1066 and the Gunpowder Plot with no mention of James the Sixth being Scottish.
We were told at one point that the Scottish People wore kilts because they were poor which is part of an answer but it was left unqualified and as an answer it never squared with the world I knew where a kilt was a very very prized possession in more ways than money.
You'd think I was a nationalist rather than an internationalist
Will open up a fresh set of challenges. As a one time History and English Teacher who taught Scottish History and Scottish Literature I was aware that many of my colleagues did not include these options -but will compulsion make the teaching and learning of Scottish History better ?
I hope so ..
and why was this learning not happening anyway and from early on in the system ?
The Romans and The Dinosaurs - as I remember from my primary education in the last century and maybe 1066 and the Gunpowder Plot with no mention of James the Sixth being Scottish.
We were told at one point that the Scottish People wore kilts because they were poor which is part of an answer but it was left unqualified and as an answer it never squared with the world I knew where a kilt was a very very prized possession in more ways than money.
You'd think I was a nationalist rather than an internationalist
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Partners in Learning and Internet Safety
Good to see some coverage of Microsoft Schools for the Future Conference in Helsinki in today's Herald Walter's piece links well to work we have done around internet safety and great too to see that we brought Emma Griffiths and East Lothian's excellent Extreme Learning on to a global stage. I know too that there has been lots of excellent work happening with parents and learners with Ollie Bray leading the charge. Would be good to see a piece that joined all the good work up.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Computing Crisis
Westminster E- Forum Keynote Seminar
Is there a UK IT Skills Gap – Some headlines
I summarise not all but some of what was said today at the Westminster E-Forum
The main panic in the system is the declining numbers of school pupils and students picking computing as a subject to study at A Level or University. There are been dip in Scotland too and the future of computing in schools was the subject of a recent successful conference in Scotland. Well summarised here
Shots fired at computing being boring in schools and also professional pathways and working conditions in the IT industry that turn off graduates and especially women.
The main industry challenge identified were in up-skilling those in work especially managers to get organisations making more productive use of IT and for the us collectively make a careers in IT more attractive.
This gives flavour of day – summary of all presentations will be published at later date through Westminster Forums Website.
Bobby Elliott Qualifications Manager for Computing was down with me - we didn't learn a lot that we are not already discussing with industry in Scotland. He has been down for a few days with CEOP and CompTia and blogs about this here.
Tim Boswell MP and Karen Price E-Skills UK
In UK only 2% of potential pensioners are applying on-line for their pension
Car mechanics need basic IT Skills to service cars
Post Office recently computerized postal walks and rolling out IT system - postal workers are challenged by basic devices deployed.
New terminal at Heathrow will only work if 80% of travelers check in on-line
Small Business’ may have website but don’t have IT productivity skills to drive on business.
Workplaces are not yet technologically enabled and most senior managers are not able to drive the changes that are needed as they lack the technological knowledge even to procure system changes that are required.
Its about schools a bit but 70% of workforce for next twenty years is really the issue.
The workforce of the future is with us now.
Those in work need upskilled.5- 15 year olds either formally or informally have got it.
Anne De Roek Council of Professors and Head of Computing
2001-2006 has seen a 46% decline in those entering IT degrees yet 72% of all job vacancies currently are for IT related vacancies.
Peter Butler Head of Learning BT
BT transforming from engineering to software services company.
Increasingly offshoring work to get right skills and cost base.
In UK 4 million owner managers in SME sector who need better understanding of how IT can help their business.
21 million use IT daily, 9/10 vacancies require basic IT Skills yet hardly anyone as entrants or in existing workforce have had any formal training in using a computer.
Jacqeline Crowley Cappgemini
China will overtake UK in IT in next five years.
76% of UK companies are currently delaying IT projects as the IT Skills are not available
At least 50% of workforce cannot perform basic tasks on computer
But we need more than basics we need high level skills in Java , C++ etc
The USA have relaxed immigration laws to import these skill sets from the developing world. Next wave needs high-level project management skills combined with understanding of the application of IT to business processes – we can do it this – but development and basic programming is moving offshore.
Emily Taylor – Nominet
Offshoring is fact of life and is driving down costs and services up for UK customers and and for rest of developed world while provding jobs in new economies.. But we need to train young people not just to be consumers but creators in this new world.
IT knowledge among general and senior managers is very low and the real challenge to our productivity.
Philip Virgo EURIM Secretary General
30 years ago did huge study which showed best indicator of success in new computing industry was the ability to parse sentences and do basic mathematical functions. He is not convinced this has really changed – technology changes all the time but core competences for successful career in IT industry don’t change.
We should be looking at how we use social networks in range of subjects to get our young people used to working across cultural and linguistic barriers. Global supply chains need this and this is where work will be in future in all industries. Skill is not so much in the IT which will continually change as in how we choose to use it.
Latif Horst Cisco Public Sector Manager
80% of pupils play games and use web2 applications 78% of teachers don’t
Information is changing so rapidly that already three year degree graduates are finding first year and half obsolete on graduation. By 2010 unique technical information will be doubling every 72 hours and systems and software will change hourly.
Is there a UK IT Skills Gap – Some headlines
I summarise not all but some of what was said today at the Westminster E-Forum
The main panic in the system is the declining numbers of school pupils and students picking computing as a subject to study at A Level or University. There are been dip in Scotland too and the future of computing in schools was the subject of a recent successful conference in Scotland. Well summarised here
Shots fired at computing being boring in schools and also professional pathways and working conditions in the IT industry that turn off graduates and especially women.
The main industry challenge identified were in up-skilling those in work especially managers to get organisations making more productive use of IT and for the us collectively make a careers in IT more attractive.
This gives flavour of day – summary of all presentations will be published at later date through Westminster Forums Website.
Bobby Elliott Qualifications Manager for Computing was down with me - we didn't learn a lot that we are not already discussing with industry in Scotland. He has been down for a few days with CEOP and CompTia and blogs about this here.
Tim Boswell MP and Karen Price E-Skills UK
In UK only 2% of potential pensioners are applying on-line for their pension
Car mechanics need basic IT Skills to service cars
Post Office recently computerized postal walks and rolling out IT system - postal workers are challenged by basic devices deployed.
New terminal at Heathrow will only work if 80% of travelers check in on-line
Small Business’ may have website but don’t have IT productivity skills to drive on business.
Workplaces are not yet technologically enabled and most senior managers are not able to drive the changes that are needed as they lack the technological knowledge even to procure system changes that are required.
Its about schools a bit but 70% of workforce for next twenty years is really the issue.
The workforce of the future is with us now.
Those in work need upskilled.5- 15 year olds either formally or informally have got it.
Anne De Roek Council of Professors and Head of Computing
2001-2006 has seen a 46% decline in those entering IT degrees yet 72% of all job vacancies currently are for IT related vacancies.
Peter Butler Head of Learning BT
BT transforming from engineering to software services company.
Increasingly offshoring work to get right skills and cost base.
In UK 4 million owner managers in SME sector who need better understanding of how IT can help their business.
21 million use IT daily, 9/10 vacancies require basic IT Skills yet hardly anyone as entrants or in existing workforce have had any formal training in using a computer.
Jacqeline Crowley Cappgemini
China will overtake UK in IT in next five years.
76% of UK companies are currently delaying IT projects as the IT Skills are not available
At least 50% of workforce cannot perform basic tasks on computer
But we need more than basics we need high level skills in Java , C++ etc
The USA have relaxed immigration laws to import these skill sets from the developing world. Next wave needs high-level project management skills combined with understanding of the application of IT to business processes – we can do it this – but development and basic programming is moving offshore.
Emily Taylor – Nominet
Offshoring is fact of life and is driving down costs and services up for UK customers and and for rest of developed world while provding jobs in new economies.. But we need to train young people not just to be consumers but creators in this new world.
IT knowledge among general and senior managers is very low and the real challenge to our productivity.
Philip Virgo EURIM Secretary General
30 years ago did huge study which showed best indicator of success in new computing industry was the ability to parse sentences and do basic mathematical functions. He is not convinced this has really changed – technology changes all the time but core competences for successful career in IT industry don’t change.
We should be looking at how we use social networks in range of subjects to get our young people used to working across cultural and linguistic barriers. Global supply chains need this and this is where work will be in future in all industries. Skill is not so much in the IT which will continually change as in how we choose to use it.
Latif Horst Cisco Public Sector Manager
80% of pupils play games and use web2 applications 78% of teachers don’t
Information is changing so rapidly that already three year degree graduates are finding first year and half obsolete on graduation. By 2010 unique technical information will be doubling every 72 hours and systems and software will change hourly.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Big Portfolio Changes from Outside but we're winning
October has arrived and we are in the midst of finalising development plans for next year. HN Modernisation almost completed, new National Certificate Groups Awards under way, some more Skills for Work on horizon. Curriculum for Excellence and what happens to some Int1 and Int2 Courses still in the big policy mixing pot. Scottish Vocational Awards under spotlight through the Scottish Skills Strategy. Professional Development Awards and National Progression Awards providing smaller chunks of certificated learning are in demand across a number of sectors.
The Qualification teams are all involved in significant developments in our sector portfolios and as the thirst particularly in the post school sector continues for the Quality Assurance that SQA can bring to life long learning it looks like we will be busier than ever in the next financial year.
- Good to get
- Great news too that Strathclyde Police have adopted the Internet Safety Unit as part of Police training programme.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Curriculum for Excellence
Attended an intriguing and challenging presentation from Brian Boyd on Tuesday night around some of the challenges emerging in considering the place of assessment in a curriculum for excellence.
Lots of the areas suggested as areas we could move towards are tools that we already employ in different sectors. I wish there was a greater awareness of the different kinds of assessment done in Colleges , workbased and adult learning. Brian was talking to the converted. The mind forged manicles that can exist in schools sector could be considered theirs to keep or cast off as they choose.
I hope we can in consultation find a way that frees up learning and assessment for the learners. There is some great initial research on comparative systems across the world on the sqa academy. Curriculum reform and how we assess learning is a very active global debate.
Lots of food for thought.
Lots of the areas suggested as areas we could move towards are tools that we already employ in different sectors. I wish there was a greater awareness of the different kinds of assessment done in Colleges , workbased and adult learning. Brian was talking to the converted. The mind forged manicles that can exist in schools sector could be considered theirs to keep or cast off as they choose.
I hope we can in consultation find a way that frees up learning and assessment for the learners. There is some great initial research on comparative systems across the world on the sqa academy. Curriculum reform and how we assess learning is a very active global debate.
Lots of food for thought.
 clipped from www.sqaacademy.com
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Tuesday, October 02, 2007
A busy four day week involved a presentation to the new Scottish Industry Alliance for Jobs being led by Learn Direct Scotland . It links well to all the vendor work we have done in last three years.
A day in London at QCA to find out about the new Qualifications and Credit Framework this is being rolled out in England , Wales and Northern Ireland. I am so glad we have the SCQF. Though I sometimes wonder if we realise how well off we are.
A day in Edinburgh for our monthly senior management team meeting and a Friday packed with meetings but culminating in a the SQA Star Awards - always humbling to see the talent that Scotland produces. Then into the car to catch up with the rest of the family at the Seamill Hydro - and the sun shone til late Sunday.
In between times I have been popping in and out of Second Life to see the presentations arriving from the Scottish Learning Festival. I even bumped into Ewan McIntosh's mum in the wee sma hours - having a look around. I guess second life is just as small as the first one.
A day in London at QCA to find out about the new Qualifications and Credit Framework this is being rolled out in England , Wales and Northern Ireland. I am so glad we have the SCQF. Though I sometimes wonder if we realise how well off we are.
A day in Edinburgh for our monthly senior management team meeting and a Friday packed with meetings but culminating in a the SQA Star Awards - always humbling to see the talent that Scotland produces. Then into the car to catch up with the rest of the family at the Seamill Hydro - and the sun shone til late Sunday.
In between times I have been popping in and out of Second Life to see the presentations arriving from the Scottish Learning Festival. I even bumped into Ewan McIntosh's mum in the wee sma hours - having a look around. I guess second life is just as small as the first one.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Two weeks back from a glorious holiday in Sardinia - well done Ryanair for getting families of mortals to places like this ( I know global warming - the kids can get me at later date when we are living on multi occupancy houseboat near the summit of Ben Lomond).
I have since been battling with the inbox while attending and speaking at range of events - Scottish Training Federation at Crieff ( members deliver 80% of all Scottish Vocational Qualifications in Scotland) , presenting to a delegation from the Egyptian Government working with SQA on their vocational awarding system, launching formally the Sportstore game - 13,000 learners in Scotland, playing 80,000 games and counting and finally this week speaking at the Scottish Learning Festival and later attending Teachmeet07 at the Science Centre. Wow - what we can do in the classroom now . Due to demands back at base (annual planning cycle and Scottish Skills Strategy ) I did not get to spend as long as I would have liked at SLF good to catch up with few folks including Stephen Heppell ( his sister Pat taught in number of Scottish FE Colleges) and good to see that students on the HN Video Production Course from Jewel and Esk were providing some of the technical support.
Really nice to meet some of the Edubloggers at Teachmeet07. I met an old colleague Gerry Dougan from SFEU and we bemoaned the fact that many of the potential FE Bloggers - who are doing interesting things are all working away inside their College's virtual learning environments. We need to think of a way to get this community hooked in to the blogosphere - serendipity , as an the opportunity to sponsor ScotEdublogs for a year came from one of the presentations at Teachmeet - I hope that SQA can do this jointly with LTS and we can use this as a lever to get those in Colleges and beyond in the training sector involved.
Spent tonight having a look at SLF in 2nd Life - not many folks around but good to see presentations podcasts and videos arriving.
I have since been battling with the inbox while attending and speaking at range of events - Scottish Training Federation at Crieff ( members deliver 80% of all Scottish Vocational Qualifications in Scotland) , presenting to a delegation from the Egyptian Government working with SQA on their vocational awarding system, launching formally the Sportstore game - 13,000 learners in Scotland, playing 80,000 games and counting and finally this week speaking at the Scottish Learning Festival and later attending Teachmeet07 at the Science Centre. Wow - what we can do in the classroom now . Due to demands back at base (annual planning cycle and Scottish Skills Strategy ) I did not get to spend as long as I would have liked at SLF good to catch up with few folks including Stephen Heppell ( his sister Pat taught in number of Scottish FE Colleges) and good to see that students on the HN Video Production Course from Jewel and Esk were providing some of the technical support.
Really nice to meet some of the Edubloggers at Teachmeet07. I met an old colleague Gerry Dougan from SFEU and we bemoaned the fact that many of the potential FE Bloggers - who are doing interesting things are all working away inside their College's virtual learning environments. We need to think of a way to get this community hooked in to the blogosphere - serendipity , as an the opportunity to sponsor ScotEdublogs for a year came from one of the presentations at Teachmeet - I hope that SQA can do this jointly with LTS and we can use this as a lever to get those in Colleges and beyond in the training sector involved.
Spent tonight having a look at SLF in 2nd Life - not many folks around but good to see presentations podcasts and videos arriving.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
The week ended well with a meeting with the Scottish Social Services Council and the promise of some additional resources to help with the Care and Social Care agenda. The Care Scotland team will really welcome this. I then had to scramble to get some letters out to centres in relation to more Diva developments with Adobe and to some new work with Learndirect Scotland.
In between times we spent a day on team planning for 2008/09 . We are working towards having our qualifications development part of this done by the 21st of September to pass on to our executive team .
We figured out all the things we still need to do for ESOL and debated a commercial publishing opportunity. Had a quick meeting with Glen Senior who flew in from New Zealand around the retail game and managed to drive up and back to Dunkeld on Tuesday evening in a monsoon to welcome a group of new External Verifiers. Had a chance too to get some of my staff involved in the next part of HOSCA our process review project , got involved in SQA's web development strategy, spent an hour looking and talking through commercial targets for the qualifications we deliver outwith Scotland and spent a morning with all the agencies that meet the Scottish Skills Development Agency looking at a number of Sector Skils Development Strategies. - Mainly Social Care and Financial Services this month.
One scary moment when we noticed that some inappropriate posts had appeared on the Internet Safety Wiki - We have shut it down for a day or two so the technical team can sort out the security policies.
Spotted this story about the German National Railway ensuring football fans travelling to a game had beer on tap on the train to and from their match. I bet the train ran on time and was confortable too. A great piece that challenges thinking and our own brand of Scottish/British conservatism and the cultural differences that co-exist across Europe. Made me smile.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
A different weekend.
How to confuse your partner - catch a Ryanair Flight from Prestwick to Weeze in Germany and jump in a taxi to Arcen in the Netherlands (16 euros) - a quiet village inside the national park. It has a nice square with restaurants , fantastic castle gardens, sits on a river you can travel across on wee ferries and has a spa with thermal baths when you get tired of cycling from village to village eating cake.
We stayed here and it was excellent
Hardest part is telling your pals in Scotland you went to Weeze and Arcen for the Weekend.
And a sure sign we are aging - ten years ago it would have been a 24hr rave in Amsterdam. Thanks to Ironmanix and flickr for photo
Sunday, August 12, 2007
In the mid 1980's I was teaching English and Communication and using a lot of video and other technologies - remember hypercard anyone ?. In the nineties the web arrived and I tried to get anyone who would listen to get their course on line and get their students to start helping making it better. Some folks thought this was a good idea and I got to evangelise across the sector for a few years.
By now I thought every teacher in the globe would have their stuff up on line and would be working in some collaborative way with their learners and their peers and the learning paradigm would have changed. The power in the system would have moved to the learners and those who guide them. Instead we still have quite a few closed communities and lots of pupils and teachers who are not engaging with this revolution as much as they could be. Burger King can Simpsonise Me but we haven't found the magic formula to engage teachers and learners with this stuff yet.
At least it is great to see that it has started in East Lothian This should be compulsory reading for anyone working in education public policy and our public bodies. If you get the chance , catch Ewan's session at the Scottish Learning Festival.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
SFEU are working on their subject networks for Further Education Staff. Still hard to get all the right people to join the right on-line community and to get them to contribute - I guess this issue will either never go away or we will finally find a platform that everyone likes and joins. I guess you still can't beat a simple email address book with all your key contacts in it. At least the size of Scotland still makes this an easy exercise ;-) I hope GLOW delivers this for School Teachers and for all our qualification development staff who work with schools. We get our first look under the lid next Friday.
Bobby is having another go with a new platform for computing teachers and I see Ewan and Nick from LT Scotland have found Face book to promote the Scottish Learning Festival. I can already see a few familiar faces .
Interesting discussion with SFEU on Second Life - We will be there soon maybe with the Internet Safety Unit for big people and on another tack over 10,000 school pupils are playing our experimental sports store game its is now in more than 50% of all Scottish Secondary Schools. Should make for a good session at Scottish Learning Festival
And our British Sign Language Avatars assessing PC Passport in the deaf community are going down well and looking great. Interesting challenge in that there are not signs in BSL for many new technologies. There is definitely interesting cultural and linguistic study in this observation.
Monday, July 23, 2007
It should be a quieter time of the year as many of our customers in the College and School sector are on holiday. Yet, between finalising an e-portfolio system with learndirect Scotland , securing funding for some ESOL work from Executive , planning meetings with Social Services Sector Skills Council and attending a Parliamentary Reception while juggling some judging for learndirect and some marking of bids for JISC there has not been a dull moment.
It was nice to get out with some of the team for a glass of wine on Friday.
It was nice to get out with some of the team for a glass of wine on Friday.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Spent a windy week in Newquay - I love surfing - but the rain and the cold proved too much for me - but not my four year old who was in the sea every day. Not quite a week. As we had to get back to Glasgow for the dancing display - my first as a dresser. Reminded me a bit of Little Miss Sunshine. Still trying to get glitter spray off my shoes . The fairies were having a great time.
Two of Forty Fairies
You don't get the eye stinging hairspray, shrieks of excitement or glitter filled dressing room - a new experience for all
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Back to work with a great meeting of the Partners in Learning Steering Group. Success on all fronts the developments around the local authority challenge funds , individual teacher challenge funds and the game are all progressing at a rate of knots. Vanessa and Jaqueline are really managing this massive project well in addition to all they contribute to the team. Nice to see HMIE, GTC , Learning and Teaching Scotland , Microsoft and SQA among others all working to make these developments work for teachers and learners.
Spent the rest of week doing the tail chasing that is always needed when you get back from leave. Delighted to meet the new Sector Panel for Financial Services, spent some time with e-assessment project board reviewing developments across SQA, some time with Scottish Executive working on delivery of Scottish ESOL strategy and then finally at end of week a 5 hour drive to and from Llandudno to present the first canidates with their ICTL Certificates and Diplomas. North Wales was worth the journey if only for a few hours - sunshine and showers here too.
Spent the rest of week doing the tail chasing that is always needed when you get back from leave. Delighted to meet the new Sector Panel for Financial Services, spent some time with e-assessment project board reviewing developments across SQA, some time with Scottish Executive working on delivery of Scottish ESOL strategy and then finally at end of week a 5 hour drive to and from Llandudno to present the first canidates with their ICTL Certificates and Diplomas. North Wales was worth the journey if only for a few hours - sunshine and showers here too.
A week of working around and with Scottish Sector Skills Development Agency. It really is good to see all the sector skills councils beginning to work towards sector skills strategies and sector qualifications strategies. Would be good if they understood Scottish Qualifications Landscape a bit more - I suppose that is our job.
Ended week with a showcase event that reflected all that is good about the team. We have huge range of developments rolling out and underway in computing area. The team took on the task of coordinating an event at Hampden Park. A major undertaking which hit the mark in that it was heavily oversubscribed.
Also provided nice platform for Mike Jannetta to bow out. He has more that earned his new post at Glasgow Metropolitan College . We will miss his get up and go.
Ended week with a showcase event that reflected all that is good about the team. We have huge range of developments rolling out and underway in computing area. The team took on the task of coordinating an event at Hampden Park. A major undertaking which hit the mark in that it was heavily oversubscribed.
Also provided nice platform for Mike Jannetta to bow out. He has more that earned his new post at Glasgow Metropolitan College . We will miss his get up and go.
Friday, July 06, 2007
#WriteTimes and SQA
Demon has been updating my home page server and this looks like keeping these postings off -line for a week or two.
Spent a week in meetings and in recruiting staff. The organisation is going through that positive flex that any organisation goes through when a new chief executive arrives. We are both planning for next year and reviewing our current processes.
We recruited a new project manager to lead on English as a Second Language developments. A critical area for the Scottish economy currently.We have probably for the first time since the 1940's a large community of migrants who need to develop language skills quickly to work within the Scottish economy.
It was great to meet so many employers and training providers at the SQA Customer Conference on Thursday. It rolled well into SQA's celebration of 10 years with an event for current staff with 10 years service and for some of the staff who worked for SCOTVEC and the Scottish Examinations Board our predecessor bodies .
The organisation launched "Write Times" a celebration of all the great creative writing produced by candidates. The writers were present at the launch some really great and moving stuff in this modest publication.
Spent a week in meetings and in recruiting staff. The organisation is going through that positive flex that any organisation goes through when a new chief executive arrives. We are both planning for next year and reviewing our current processes.
We recruited a new project manager to lead on English as a Second Language developments. A critical area for the Scottish economy currently.We have probably for the first time since the 1940's a large community of migrants who need to develop language skills quickly to work within the Scottish economy.
It was great to meet so many employers and training providers at the SQA Customer Conference on Thursday. It rolled well into SQA's celebration of 10 years with an event for current staff with 10 years service and for some of the staff who worked for SCOTVEC and the Scottish Examinations Board our predecessor bodies .
The organisation launched "Write Times" a celebration of all the great creative writing produced by candidates. The writers were present at the launch some really great and moving stuff in this modest publication.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Wkibooks and Interent Safety
We are already doing a lot around Wiki development to support learners through a number of specfic projects - looking at the tool as a way to collect assessment evidence and support learners. We are also using Wikis to support qualifications development.
A wee while ago we put the Internet Safety Qualification on a Wiki and asked schools and colleges in Scotland to update the award or make comments on it live on a Wiki. After much piloting the qualification finally launches on Wednesday and it is well supported with online resources from a host of agencies. I look forward to seeing it rolling out to Scotland and beyond. This model of development may be the shape of things to come.
It was great too to learn last week that the book supporting the Applications of ICT in Libraries ( The ICTL Diploma) has been recognised as a featured book. Quietly we are doing our bit for global learning and I am going down to Wales in July to present some of the first certificates to candidates. Grateful to the team and specifically Ted Hastings for leading on this.
"Books on featured on Wikibooks are of exceptionally high quality and which may serve as a
good example for other authors to follow may be labeled as a featured bookand advertised prominently. Featured books are listed at Wikibooks:Featured books , they may be listed on the main page, and they may appear in other places as well. Books can be nominated to be featured by making a proper nomination at Wikibooks:Featured books/Nominations , and the community will accept the nomination with a vote.Books on Wikibooks which are exceptionally high quality and which may serve as a good example for other authors to follow
may be labeled as a featured book and advertised prominently. Featured
books are listed at Wikibooks:Featured books , they may be listed on the main page,
and they may appear in other places as well. Books can be nominated to be
featured by making a proper nomination at Wikibooks:Featured books/Nominations , and the community will accept the nomination with a vote."
It was great too to learn last week that the book supporting the Applications of ICT in Libraries ( The ICTL Diploma) has been recognised as a featured book. Quietly we are doing our bit for global learning and I am going down to Wales in July to present some of the first certificates to candidates. Grateful to the team and specifically Ted Hastings for leading on this.
"Books on featured on Wikibooks are of exceptionally high quality and which may serve as a
good example for other authors to follow may be labeled as a featured bookand advertised prominently. Featured books are listed at Wikibooks:Featured books , they may be listed on the main page, and they may appear in other places as well. Books can be nominated to be featured by making a proper nomination at Wikibooks:Featured books/Nominations , and the community will accept the nomination with a vote.Books on Wikibooks which are exceptionally high quality and which may serve as a good example for other authors to follow
may be labeled as a featured book and advertised prominently. Featured
books are listed at Wikibooks:Featured books , they may be listed on the main page,
and they may appear in other places as well. Books can be nominated to be
featured by making a proper nomination at Wikibooks:Featured books/Nominations , and the community will accept the nomination with a vote."
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Sport Shop Game and Gamification of Learning
The number of schools and teachers registering to play the sports store game is exceeding all expectations. We should have guessed this would be the case given the popularity of the pilot.
The team are working hard to make sure all schools and teachers are registered and that we know which subjects the game is being used to support. This is required to help us review impact of game at the end of next year. It also helps us dissuade pupils from picking inappropriate names when playing the game. Some things never change , we have moved on from aliases like Hugh Jarse but highlights some of the challenges involved.
Still trying to work out a funding package to get Colleges officially involved.
The team are working hard to make sure all schools and teachers are registered and that we know which subjects the game is being used to support. This is required to help us review impact of game at the end of next year. It also helps us dissuade pupils from picking inappropriate names when playing the game. Some things never change , we have moved on from aliases like Hugh Jarse but highlights some of the challenges involved.
Still trying to work out a funding package to get Colleges officially involved.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
More awards tonight for Student College Journalists at Glasgow City Chambers. Great to hear how much our work in this area has been appreciated - the links between qualifications and the NUJ and the rest of the industry is testament to our great team working in this area and to all the work that Colleges have put in to modernising the qualifications in this area and in working with SQA to build strong industry relations across the sector.
Nice too to meet up with many old and not so old colleagues from Cardonald College and to see the students still doing so well .
Nice to meet another appreciative ex student who is now teaching at Cardonald. Reminds me how much I miss students .
This is just one of many success stories in this area - more work on British Sign Language and ESOL Qualifications at HN will start in earnest in next few weeks when we have recruited our lead consultants . These developments are much needed if we are to have more ESOL and BSL signers and tutors in Scotland
Nice too to meet up with many old and not so old colleagues from Cardonald College and to see the students still doing so well .
Nice to meet another appreciative ex student who is now teaching at Cardonald. Reminds me how much I miss students .
This is just one of many success stories in this area - more work on British Sign Language and ESOL Qualifications at HN will start in earnest in next few weeks when we have recruited our lead consultants . These developments are much needed if we are to have more ESOL and BSL signers and tutors in Scotland
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Started week talking to centres engaged with Partners in Learning good to see enthusiasm at all levels for the communities of practice, innovative teacher programme and the game we are rolling out across Scotland. I hope the sports store game really starts changing perceptions around how we think about assessment. It is great that we have built a partnership with the Small Business Company in New Zealand and the Scottish Premier League to deliver a product in to Scottish Schools. Microsoft have been more than a financial backer in all of this Bob McGonigall of Microsoft has been a star in supporting these projects has have the team in SQA.
There are some great tales to tell but not ones for this blog.
Planning evaluation of DIVA Project . We now have 12 global companies contributing in different ways to Scottish Education. It's been a long and hard journey from convincing policy makers that this was a positive direction to take Scottish Education in to speaking to corporates on other side of world and finally to building local partnerships with Colleges and schools to develop and deliver the programmes. The external evaluation will do the tough bit of seeing if all this effort added tangible benefits to centres and learners. Earlier post links to project web site.
There are some great tales to tell but not ones for this blog.
Planning evaluation of DIVA Project . We now have 12 global companies contributing in different ways to Scottish Education. It's been a long and hard journey from convincing policy makers that this was a positive direction to take Scottish Education in to speaking to corporates on other side of world and finally to building local partnerships with Colleges and schools to develop and deliver the programmes. The external evaluation will do the tough bit of seeing if all this effort added tangible benefits to centres and learners. Earlier post links to project web site.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Started week by reading then judging entries for the Herald Scottish Student Journalism Awards. The SQA sponsor these and my team look after Journalism area .The judging took place at Mitchell Library in Glasgow. I have fond memories of sixth year studies in the Reading Room - I can remember some work taking place. Good to see clientele have not changed that much. They were all ages and all looked to be mixing fun and study in appropriate amounts. It is great testament to Glasgow that we have the largest public reference library in Europe. In my dotage I will spend some time in the Glasgow Room and pin down all my antecedent Glaswegians.
Did a presentation today on Leitch Review of Skills and the UK Vocational Reform Programme - lots of food for thought. Important that we don't lose what we already have in Scotland in all of this. Many of the solutions in Leitch and the UK Vocational Reform programme are addressed at problems which are not quite as apparent in Scottish System - large numbers of awarding bodies and lots of qualifications of indeterminate level . But important too that we adopt the best bits of these reforms which will be hugely significant for vocational learning in the future.
It is great to know that all of the Skills for Work courses have been developed in close conjunction with the relevant Sector Skills Councils already.
Ended day with an interesting offer to develop a European ICT qualification and tomorrow working on Scottish ESOL strategy with range of key stakeholders.
Did a presentation today on Leitch Review of Skills and the UK Vocational Reform Programme - lots of food for thought. Important that we don't lose what we already have in Scotland in all of this. Many of the solutions in Leitch and the UK Vocational Reform programme are addressed at problems which are not quite as apparent in Scottish System - large numbers of awarding bodies and lots of qualifications of indeterminate level . But important too that we adopt the best bits of these reforms which will be hugely significant for vocational learning in the future.
It is great to know that all of the Skills for Work courses have been developed in close conjunction with the relevant Sector Skills Councils already.
Ended day with an interesting offer to develop a European ICT qualification and tomorrow working on Scottish ESOL strategy with range of key stakeholders.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Computing , Publishing and Scottish Social Services Council
I guess it is probably that time of the year. Lots of developments are now reaching their final stages . The computing team are putting the final touches to the mammoth task of renewing both the Higher National and the National Certificate portfolio . It really is an impressive list of new units - and all unveiled at Hampden in June . It is all on the SQA Computing Blog all linked to relevant Sector Skills Councils - vendor awards and the latest technologies.
Then into meetings with Leckie and Leckie who support developments with publications and finally at end of day really positive meeting with the Scottish Social Services Council we are working with them to regulate their sector with a professional development award that will be a practice learning qualfication for all the staff working in this sector.
Looking forward to finally seeing the sun and my family over the weekend.
Then into meetings with Leckie and Leckie who support developments with publications and finally at end of day really positive meeting with the Scottish Social Services Council we are working with them to regulate their sector with a professional development award that will be a practice learning qualfication for all the staff working in this sector.
Looking forward to finally seeing the sun and my family over the weekend.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Today was a good day beginning to see things really coming together. Moodle is up and running and powering what will be the consultation and shaping engine around SQA input to curriculum for excellence and Core Skills for the future. The rest of the site SQA Academy is being used to develop staff skills in assessment.
Assessment can be used as a dirty word until people actually realise how flexible and learner centred it can be. Interesting that school sector both seem to detest and cling on to exams and traditional forms of assessment while vocational sector are happy with portfolios and now e-portfolios. I wonder when the penny will drop and someone will realise that the SQA actually offers a very wide range of assessment strategies and can bring a depth of experience to all of this. It would be good to have more learner voices in all of this.
Please join the debate on Curriculum for Excellence and Core Skills for the Future
enrolment keys are "Excellence" and "Framework" respectively"
I had a meeting with Jane Richardson of Oracle who reported how well the Oracle Academy is rolling out in Scottish Schools and Colleges and how useful the link is between Higher Information Systems and the Oracle Programme - candidates getting dual certification and teachers being flown this year to Brussels for training. Last two cohorts went all the way to California for a week. Hey, the early adopters are the ones with the sun tans.
Marks high water mark on DIVA project we have successes to report like this with all the major vendors. School and College pupils have access to SQA Certification and Vendor Certification if they and the centres want this.
Also spotted a reassuring a reassuring school blog which I hope proves the new national certificate and National Progression awards are hitting the mark for school/college progression .
It feels like three years have passed in a blink of an eye on one level and then I look at my diary and see three years of very solid work quite scary really. The qualifications teams and all the staff from schools and colleges have done a power of work.
Is it a mirage - first time I have had chance to blog in three years too.
Assessment can be used as a dirty word until people actually realise how flexible and learner centred it can be. Interesting that school sector both seem to detest and cling on to exams and traditional forms of assessment while vocational sector are happy with portfolios and now e-portfolios. I wonder when the penny will drop and someone will realise that the SQA actually offers a very wide range of assessment strategies and can bring a depth of experience to all of this. It would be good to have more learner voices in all of this.
Please join the debate on Curriculum for Excellence and Core Skills for the Future
enrolment keys are "Excellence" and "Framework" respectively"
I had a meeting with Jane Richardson of Oracle who reported how well the Oracle Academy is rolling out in Scottish Schools and Colleges and how useful the link is between Higher Information Systems and the Oracle Programme - candidates getting dual certification and teachers being flown this year to Brussels for training. Last two cohorts went all the way to California for a week. Hey, the early adopters are the ones with the sun tans.
Marks high water mark on DIVA project we have successes to report like this with all the major vendors. School and College pupils have access to SQA Certification and Vendor Certification if they and the centres want this.
Also spotted a reassuring a reassuring school blog which I hope proves the new national certificate and National Progression awards are hitting the mark for school/college progression .
It feels like three years have passed in a blink of an eye on one level and then I look at my diary and see three years of very solid work quite scary really. The qualifications teams and all the staff from schools and colleges have done a power of work.
Is it a mirage - first time I have had chance to blog in three years too.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Who contributes and who lurks
Posting in stereo today -
I did this as I discovered that the links in my last post were not working. Especially the important one to Jorum.
I attending the Jorum steering group in York yesterday. It is great to hear that Colleges and Universities across the UK are signing up to the national repository. But we still have a way to go to get them all depositing and downloading the learning resources.
A sobering article was tabled from Thursday's Guardian highlighting that the 1% rule on contributing in online commmnities . Which is low is not holding up in research on web2
User participation often more or less follows a 90-9-1 rule:
* 90% of users are lurkers (i.e., read or observe, but don't contribute).
* 9% of users contribute from time to time, but other priorities dominate their time.
* 1% of users participate a lot and account for most contributions:
In fact it looks like YouTube and other Web2 services have contributor rates as low as 0.065%
This is something that may challenge us on the road ahead - it may just be telling us more about people rather than technology.
Worth a look at - I could not find Guardian story but found source here.
I did this as I discovered that the links in my last post were not working. Especially the important one to Jorum.
I attending the Jorum steering group in York yesterday. It is great to hear that Colleges and Universities across the UK are signing up to the national repository. But we still have a way to go to get them all depositing and downloading the learning resources.
A sobering article was tabled from Thursday's Guardian highlighting that the 1% rule on contributing in online commmnities . Which is low is not holding up in research on web2
User participation often more or less follows a 90-9-1 rule:
* 90% of users are lurkers (i.e., read or observe, but don't contribute).
* 9% of users contribute from time to time, but other priorities dominate their time.
* 1% of users participate a lot and account for most contributions:
In fact it looks like YouTube and other Web2 services have contributor rates as low as 0.065%
This is something that may challenge us on the road ahead - it may just be telling us more about people rather than technology.
Worth a look at - I could not find Guardian story but found source here.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
JISC and JORUM
I attended a scenario planning meeting for JORUM today at the HE Academy in York. I am still involved in JISC but no longer on
JIIE where I spent the last five years plotting the information environment for FE and HE in the UK. Today was interesting we now have in JORUM a learning repository for all of UK HE and FE - the challenge is that we are now in year 5 of a 5 year plan and Web2 has firmly arrived. We need to change our thinking and models if the resource is to stay in step with learner behaviour . It will be interesting to see what comes out of today's discussions in York.
The challenge for organisations like JISC is in the lead time to procure and establish a service like JORUM versus the rate that technology changes and disrupts the process.
Also back on the blog - and playing with Mozilla
JIIE where I spent the last five years plotting the information environment for FE and HE in the UK. Today was interesting we now have in JORUM a learning repository for all of UK HE and FE - the challenge is that we are now in year 5 of a 5 year plan and Web2 has firmly arrived. We need to change our thinking and models if the resource is to stay in step with learner behaviour . It will be interesting to see what comes out of today's discussions in York.
The challenge for organisations like JISC is in the lead time to procure and establish a service like JORUM versus the rate that technology changes and disrupts the process.
Also back on the blog - and playing with Mozilla
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