Welcome

1. Icebreaker

Marie Macleod agus Fay MacDiarmid, Bòrd na Gàidhlig

A-null ‘s a-nall 

Simple songs and rhymes which can be used in sessions with children aged 0-3 and their parents. Research has shown that learning songs and rhymes is very important in learning and language usage, and reinforces the teaching.

2. Go!Gaelic

Jackie Mullen

Jackie Mullen, from Stòrlann’s Go!Gaelic Outreach Team, will be delivering a workshop on the use of the Go! Gaelic resource with Gaelic learners from Early to Second Level.

There will be an opportunity to look at planning progressions for Gaelic Learners learning Gaelic as L2 and L3.  Jackie, a learner herself, delivers GLL training (Gaelic Language Learning) to teachers from the central belt. GLL (formerly GLPS) is a distinct programme providing training, support and resources to equip teachers with the necessary Gaelic language skills and teaching methodology to deliver Gaelic as L2 or L3 from Early to Second Level in the primary school.

3. Who is that?

Dougie Beck

Using puppets to bring language alive with young children and parents. Seeing how to bring books to life using puppets and how to strengthen our own knowledge and skills. Different examples of how to create simple puppets with children.

4. Let’s go out

Alastair Davidson

A chance to go out round the venue and see what we can do along with young children and parents outside in the environment – perhaps even look for little beasties. Creating simple resources to use with children for playing outside.

5. Language and usage

Alice Sharpe, Experiential Play

Creating a full Gaelic environment, based on research in early years and language immersion.

Lots of information and things to strengthen language with children and parents.

Working with children of different ages.

6. Messy Play

Messy-Ness

A workshop on play using different materials such as jelly, froth, mud, sand, flour, water, toys – loads of fun!

7. Shelter

Alastair Davidson

Creating places outside for children to play and learn – building dens, shelters and some “Bushcraft” skills.

Early Years  delegates also have the option of attending any of the Early Years workshops which run concurrently (Sessions 1, 2, 3 and 4).

Thanks to the Early Years Team at Bòrd na Gàidhlig for assistance with arranging EY workshops.

1. Reflective Reading (Early Years and Primary)

Anne Glennie & Jayne Macaskill

Created specifically for Scotland, Reflective Reading is a methodology that can be used from Primary 1 to Primary 7 and beyond.

This exciting approach will:

• improve comprehension, reading attainment and motivation in reading for all
• put the magic back into reading through fun, engaging ideas and activities for the teaching of reading
• create life-long readers with good reading habits, who enjoy and appreciate text in all its forms

Designed to be the ‘next steps’ for reading in Scotland, Reflective Reading responds to the aims and purposes of Curriculum for Excellence, including the Experiences and Outcomes and the 7 Principles. Child Friendly Reading Assessments will also generate and encourage a learning dialogue about reading to support Assessment is for Learning.

In addition, a new taxonomy for reading has been created to ensure that higher order thinking skills are embedded within the teaching of reading. Teachers and children will enjoy using the Comprehension Compass, creating Task Maps and completing Textplorers activities.

2. PE Activities for primary school

Megan MacKenzie

In this workshop, you will learn about PE activities and games for all primary stages.

We will look at the available PE resources and discuss how to organise a series of lessons and create a yearly PE plan.

3. Teaching art in the primary school

Maggie Smith

A hands-on experience with materials and technique that can be applied to seams, projects and learning across the curriculum.

4. Drama in the primary school

Dougie Beck

Highlighting, reinforcing, assessing and presenting drama throughout the curriculum.

Drama can be used daily throughout the curriculum, contributing greatly to children’s learning and achievement at every level in primary school:

• encouraging pupils to co-operate effectively
• developing a breadth of understanding and encouraging deep, creative thinking
• giving both teachers and pupils an opportunity to assess progress and to display success and learning

NB: this workshop will not be about drama for performance, although much of it can be used in presentational situations.

5. Numeracy

Shona MacDonald

Using the Highland Numeracy progression to show how numeracy skills may be developed and the practical resources that can be used to do this.

6. Suas leis a’ Ghàidhlig

Sandra Cunniffe & Elizabeth Ann Croall

Ways of encouraging and strengthening Gaelic every day in primary school.

7. RAFA

Fiona MacInnes & Joan MacDonald

RAFA (Raising Attainment for All) forms part of the CYPIC (Children and Young People’s Improvement Collaborative), a major national improvement approach,  and is a highly structured, yet effectively simple improvement methodology, based on the PDSA – Plan – Do – Study – Act cycle.

The aim is to ‘start small’, with individuals or small groups to test change, then to ‘scale-up’ to whole class or whole school involvement.

‘Driver diagrams’ are used to plan, involving a SMART target (who, what, by how much and by when), primary drivers and secondary drivers.

‘Run charts’ are used to record progress and, crucially, to make changes when scores slow or decline.

This way, the approach is flexible and progress is often rapid.

8. Moderation

Christine MacLeod

Moderation is key to understanding, sharing and applying standards consistently across the curriculum and at all stages.

This shared understanding relates to the skills and knowledge required for an identified ‘bundle’ of outcomes, agreed, for staff and learners, through high quality learning intentions and success criteria.

Additionally, good quality moderation also develops a shared understanding of higher order tasks and questions and holistic assessments.

Through participation in and receipt of feedback from high quality moderation, the quality of learning and teaching improves and standards and data become more robust.

9. Grammar

Gillebride MacMillan

Gillebride from Glasgow University will be explaining some of the most basic grammar points which pupils most often get wrong. This will be delivered in Gaelic and there will also be opportunity to raise grammar points and discuss them.

10. Spelling with Lasadh

Mairi MacDonald & Gwen Culbertson

Join Gwen and Màiri for a spelling session – opportunities to explore new resources and to work together creating additional literacy resources for every primary school level.

11. Literacy

Alison Buchannan and Claire MacDonald

This session will focus on the situation in Glasgow and how Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu are raising attainment for all through literacy. There will be an opportunity to discuss:

• situations in different schools and the barriers to learning that exist
• partnership working
• useful resources

1. Supporting ASN students in the classroom

Dr Fiona Lyon & Catriona Campbell

This practical workshop will  look at the online ASN Handbook as well as creating Gaelic word lists on a software programme. Literacy support resources in Gaelic will be reviewed and an update on the reading assessment project given. It will also look at practical matters for attendees to consider in supporting pupils with dyslexia – and therefore supporting all pupils!

2. Comic Life

Chris Mitchell

Comic Life 3 is the app with everything you need to make a stunning comic from your own images. Packed with fonts, templates, panels, balloons, captions, and lettering art, Comic Life is a fun, powerful and easy-to-use app with endless possibilities.

In this workshop, Chris will show you how to use the app and some other media to create resources  for pupils.

3. Benchmarks for Literacy and Gàidhlig (Primary and S1-S3)

Education Scotland

During this session, practitioners will have an opportunity to engage with the Benchmarks for Literacy and Gàidhlig, particularly for listening and talking. The session aims to deepen practitioners’ understanding of the national standards the Benchmarks provide across the broad general education.

Key themes for presentation and discussion will include:

• Using the Benchmarks to support professional judgements of achievement of a level;
• Progression in listening and talking across levels set out within the Benchmarks;
• The range of evidence used to inform professional judgements;
• Effective moderation of planned learning, teaching and assessment.

The session will have a particular focus on listening and talking. Practitioners are asked to bring assessment evidence for listening and talking across levels to An t-Alltan. These will be used to develop a shared understanding of standards. Practitioners should ensure they have the relevant permissions in place to share examples of children’s work.

Practitioners will find it useful to refer to prompt questions that have developed to support moderation of literacy and English and numeracy and English.

4. E-Sgoil: A digital solution for Gaelic Medium Education

Education Scotland and e-Sgoil

E-Sgoil offers a digital learning solution for the GME curriculum.  In this session, practitioners will gain an insight into what it is like to be a teacher, facilitator and a learner in e-Sgoil.  The session aims to support practitioners of the 3-15 broad general education to

• become familiar with  the digital technology that is used by e-Sgoil
• focus on effective pedagogy to support learning through technology
• plan the primary curriculum to support transitions to learning which is partially delivered through digital technologies
• plan a secondary curriculum with inputs from e-Sgoil.

5. Achieving Excellence and Equity in Gaelic Education

Education Scotland

This session will assist practitioners in their use of self-evaluation to achieve excellence and equity in 3-18 Gaelic Education.

There will be a focus on the themes identified in the inspectorate’s report, Quality and Improvement in Scottish Education, 2012-2016. The session will comprise presentation and discussion to include:

• effective leadership of 3-18 Gaelic in schools and nurseries;
• using a well-structured and designed curriculum to raise attainment;
• immersion, interaction and high-quality pedagogy through play;
• using assessment to inform progress and attainment;
• creating schools and nurseries which have a mutual understanding and inclusive ethos for Gaelic.

1. SQA

Calum MacKay & Marilyn Waters

In September 2016, the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills announced the gradual removal of units and unit assessments from National 5 to Advanced Higher course. He also stated that units and unit assessments would be replaced with a strengthened final exam and coursework, as appropriate per subject.

The aim of this session is to provide teachers, lecturers and assessors with:

• an overview of the revised course assessment for National 5 Gàidhlig from session 2017/18
• information on what has changed and what is unchanged
• detailed information on the question paper and coursework components
• an opportunity to ask questions

2. Differentiation in Ceumannan and useful Language Apps

Emma Burrows and Finlay Cunningham

This workshop will be in two parts.  In the first session we will look at examples of differentiation in Ceumannan.

In the second part we will have a look at some useful apps for learning and teaching languages, including Memrise, Apple Clips, Ankiapp and a new Ceumannan app

3. Looking at Literature Resources: Fluent Speakers

Catriona Currie

This workshop will be looking at the literature resources being used in secondary school.

A selection of resources, which are suitable from lower to upper secondary, will be considered. A range of resources will be looked at.

It is expected that participants will have the opportunity to discuss the resources we are using in our schools as well as the different ways in which they are used.

4. National Gaelic Debate

Angus MacDonald & Finlay Cunningham

A workshop, which will guide teachers on how to prepare with pupils in advance of the Deasbad Nàiseanta.

There will be guidance from the perspective of a teacher and of a judge.

5. Literature for learners at Higher stage

Margaret MacIver

Looking at and considering literature, which would be suitable for learners at Higher stage. Looking at points such as language, the method of delivery and specific topics. Teachers’ own opinions will make an important contribution to this workshop.