Welcome

Learning together 

Marianne Nairn  & Gillian Forbes

CALA/ Peeple

Learning Together – Helping children and parents to play and learn together.

Introduction to Gàidhlig nan Òg

Jackie Mullen

Jackie Mullen, co-ordinator of Stòrlann’s new resource Gàidhlig nan Òg, will be delivering a workshop on its content and potential use in both early years and home settings.

There will be an opportunity to look at the website layout and explore some of the themes within it e.g. The Body & Face, Numbers and Daily Routines.

Cluich a ’muigh

Bòrd na Gàidhlig Early Years Workers

Ideas and resources for simple activities for use outside with parents and young children. 

Bookbug Explorer Training

Joanna Nicholson

This training session offers practitioners an understanding of how to gift the Explorer Bag effectively, including how to excite children about books, stories and reading.

The Bookbug Explorer Bag is gifted to every three-year-old in Scotland in their ante-preschool year. The free Explorer Bag is packed with books, music, drawing materials and other resources to encourage parent and child interaction. Research shows us that the bags are most effective when parents and children are involved in the gifting process.

Course Aims and Objectives

• Give practitioners an understanding of how to gift the Explorer Bag effectively, including how to excite children about books, stories and reading
• Improve understanding of how to engage parents in Bookbug bag gifting and why this is important
• Give ideas of practical activities that will build excitement before gifting the bags
• Highlight key messages about book sharing to pass on parents
• Show how the Explorer bag links to GIRFEC and Curriculum for Excellence

Let’s sing together

Lisa MacDonald

Song is a powerful way to engage young children in language learning opportunities. With care, and with an understanding of the particular needs of the target audience, the learning potential can be maximised.

Supporting Children with Language Disorders in Gaelic Medium Education (GME) 

Morna Butcher, SLT;
Dr Vicky Chondrogianni,Associate professor in Bilingualism,
University of Edinburgh;
Dr Maria Garraffa, Assistant  Professor in Psychology of Language, Heriot-Watt University 

This workshop will allow you to consider ways of identifying and supporting children with language disorders in Gaelic Medium Education (GME).  You will hear about how bilingual children are assessed for language disorders and about the development of new resources for children in GME.    You will be given an opportunity to try out the resources and contribute to discussion about them. This will be a bilingual workshop.

Skeletons for writing

Sue Palmer & Christine MacLeod

Come and find out about ‘skeletons’ – simple, visual planning devices linked to non-fiction text types, that

• develop children’s appreciation of the way different non-fiction texts are organised, and how these affect the way you write (including paragraphing)
• link the teaching of non-fiction reading and writing to children’s work across the curriculum
• link the acquisition of literacy skills to “thinking skills”
• provide a focus for directed speaking and listening.

Using support materials

Peggy Ann Campbell & Chris Anne MacKenzie

The ‘Fuaimean Feumail’ and ‘Fuaimean Còmhla’ pages were compiled to support children with reading difficulties. The idea for the resources came from seeing materials which were being used by children in the English class, and how they were making progress with sounds and reading as a result. There will be discussion on how they should be used and we will also look at other material which can be used with children who need support.

STEAM 

Christine Macleod & Sineag MacIntyre

Cross curricular planning –  Resources, Benchmarks, Assessment

Introducing science concepts through storytelling

Developing vocabulary – strategies to develop oral language and Higher Order Thinking Skills

Technologies

Coding for Art and Maths

Engineering

Easy classroom challenges

Expressive Arts

Using technology to develop the Arts

Cross curricular links

Education Scotland
Promoting equity and excellence at the early level in Gaelic Medium Education (GME) Education Scotland

Joan Esson HMI, Dr Marion Burns HMI

The expansion of the free 1140 hours for early learning and child care (ELC) is an ambitious programme. It has great potential to improve children’s fluency and raise attainment in GME. From scrutiny evidence, HM Inspectors highlight the importance of total immersion in designing a broad and progressive range of well-planned learning experiences as part of the ‘early level’ of Curriculum for Excellence. Joan Esson, HMI will  promote the use of the “Advice on Gaelic Education” in implementing the free 1140 hours. Dr Marion Burns, HMI will explore teachers’ and practitioners’ role in planning and delivering the early level curriculum, responding to children’s interests and enacting play as a pedagogy. These are areas that practitioners highlighted to HM Inspectors in evaluating pilots of the 1140 hours as presenting challenges. The seminar will consider effective transitioning from nursery, with the P1 curriculum building on prior learning. There will also be opportunities for dialogue and collaboration among attendees.   

FilmG: Editing skills

Ross Christie

Would your pupils like to participate in a FilmG competition, or in the new initiatives Disasta no Blasta or Sgilean Spòrs? Come and learn how to do some filming and editing using apps which are available for free. 

Using books to develop language fluency in the Early Years

Christina MacGregor

With the help of pupils, we will look at books and how to use them to develop literacy skills.  We will share our reading journey with involvement in the First Minister’s Reading Challenge. We will look at ways to work with agencies such as Scottish Book Trust and Gaelic Books Council and we will have some practical input on how to use simple apps on iPads to develop confidence in oral language skills in pupils.  Resources used and ideas from our classroom setting will be available for delegates.

Short reads 

Dougie Beck

Developing and creating short reading resources across the Curriculum.

Ensuring Well-being, Inclusion and Equality

Sarah Ferguson

Different strategies and interventions at a whole school level to promote and support all learners with Well-being, Inclusion and Equality.

Ceòl

Jackie Mullen and Dolina Munro

In this workshop, you will have the opportunity to use both tuned and un-tuned percussion to accompany some simple Gaelic songs in the primary classroom. There will also be some ukuleles available. You are welcome to bring along an instrument to this workshop but there will be plenty available for those who don’t. No musical experience is necessary and all levels are welcome.

Emotion Works

Claire Murray and Vicki Renton

Emotion Works is an educational programme for emotional learning and literacy developed and piloted in Scotland over a 10 year period in-line with Curriculum for Excellence, GIRFEC and other Scottish Policy initiatives including the Attainment Challenge.

Emotion Works provide resources and training for teachers and other educational practitioners in schools, nurseries, and additional support services that helps children develop emotional language, understanding and competence across all ages and stages.

This workshop will provide an overview of the programme and a demonstration of how it can be delivered across the Primary School – (including nursery, depending on the audience). The workshop can be viewed as an Introductory Training for those who already have Emotion Works in their schools, or anyone wishing to buy into the programme on the day.  

In addition, this workshop seeks to gather feedback from attendees on the usefulness of creating a Gaelic version of the Emotion Works resources, and to explore possibilities for building partnerships within the Gaelic community.

Leadership

Lena Walker

Educational leadership is first and foremost about leadership of learning. This is what sets educational leadership apart from leadership in other contexts. The key purpose of leadership in schools is to build a culture of learning, for all staff and pupils, with the principal objective of making teaching and learning better (no matter how good it is already).

This workshop will consider:

• what leadership means within an educational context
• how the actions of the leadership team can make a difference to pupil learning
• in leading the organisation, whenever there is a decision to be made, how this will this support improvements in teaching and learning
• what distributed leadership looks like within a school
• teacher leadership and collaborative professionalism

Education Scotland
Moderation – Achievement of a level

Maeve Mackinnon

Achievement of a level is based on teacher professional judgement, well informed by a wide range of evidence and should be reliable and robust. This can only be achieved through the effective moderation of planning learning, teaching and assessment. This practical session will focus on literacy and Gàidhlig and Gaelic (Learners), across the four skills of listening and talking, reading and writing.

 Key themes for presentation and discussion will include:

• Using the National Benchmarks to support professional judgements of achievement of a level;
• The review of a range of evidence to determine if the expected standard has been achieved, this will include the use of POLAAR, national standardised assessments (MCNG) and holistic assessments;
• Achievement of breadth of learning across knowledge, understanding and skills as set out in the experiences and outcomes for the level;
• Learners responding consistently well to the level of challenge set out in the experiences and outcomes for the level and is beginning to move forward to the next level;
•       Learners demonstrating application of what they have learned in new and unfamiliar situations.

Practitioners are asked to bring to An t-Alltan assessment evidence of achievement of a level across the four language skills. This will be used to develop a shared understanding of standards for achievement of a level. Practitioners should ensure they have the relevant permissions in place to share examples of children’s work.

‘Giglets Gàidhlig’ – A national literacy solution for GME Schools in partnership with Bòrd na Gàidhlig

Seona MacRuary

The Giglets Gàidhlig literacy resource is available to GME Schools, funded by Bòrd na Gàidhlig. The resource is supported by all Scottish local authorities and Stòrlann, and is already being used in the majority of GME schools. This workshop is suitable for primary and secondary GME teachers, and acts both as a beginner as well as a refresher session for GME teachers. The workshop will cover the growing library of Gaelic texts, many with voiceovers, animations and illustrations, and hundreds of Gaelic resources.

Subject to internet availability on the day, the workshop will allow teachers to log into the live resource, and thus if possible please bring your laptops / chromebooks / tablets / mobile devices along; in any case, you can still benefit from the session even without a computer. Ideally please email seona@giglets.com or karsten@giglets.com in advance to have your login to the resource set up.

Enhancing Transitions through the use of e-Sgoil/ICT

Angus MacLennan (HT e-Sgoil) and Donald A Macleod (PT e-Sgoil)

Transitions focus on the need for children and young people to be well supported as they move into school, through school and beyond school. Positive transition arrangements ensure children and young people’s well being and help to raise attainment.

This interactive workshop will give participants the opportunity to reflect on current practice with regard to transitions, plan for improvement and consider the potential use of e-Sgoil or other ICT enhancements for transitions.

Participants will be discussing concrete examples of positive transitions and exploring how they can apply these in their own settings.

SQA – Advanced Higher Gàidhlig

Marilyn Waters & Alasdair Bauld

During this workshop we will look at the recent changes to the Advanced Higher Gàidhlig arrangements following the removal of mandatory unit assessment.  This will include a hands-on understanding standards session where we will apply the published marking instructions to some real candidate scripts for the new Translating paper. The session will be led by Alasdair Bauld, Qualifications Development Specialist (Gàidhlig) and Marilyn Waters, Qualifications Manager at SQA.

Assignment and talking – Fluent speakers

Catriona MacPhee

This session will deal with both talking and the assignment for Gàidhlig students in the exams. We will look at different ways to improve students’ talking skills during the year and also at the teacher’s  questions and conversation in the exam. We will also look at the recommendations for what students should create in the Assignment – Writing as part of their exam.

Our Health and Well-being

Fiona MacInnes

This session will look at the teaching of Health and Wellbeing, and especially how teachers deal with mental and physical health in S1-S3. It will also look at how we ourselves as busy, trachled teachers deal with our own health and wellbeing.

FilmG: Preparing for the visit of a FilmG tutor to your school

Eilidh Rankin & Dòmhnall Eòghainn MacFhionghain

Although secondary classes get help with camera work, acting, and editing, we know it is sometimes difficult for the class to agree on a story and prepare a script.  Dòmhnall Eòghainn MacFhionghain is a FilmG tutor who visits different schools across the country, but he is also a writer and a director. This is an opportunity to get advice from him and question him before you begin the difficult work in class.

Delivering the NPA in Contemporary Gaelic Songwriting and Production

Jennifer McHarrie, SQA

SQA’s National Progression Awards (NPAs) assess a defined set of skills and knowledge in specialist vocational areas. This NPA develops knowledge and understanding of music, songwriting, performance and presentation. It also develops knowledge of contemporary Gaelic culture and sound technology, together with practical, technical and transferable skills. This workshop will provide an overview of the NPA and examples of how this Award can be delivered in Senior Phase.

Assignment and talking – Learners

John MacInnes

National 5 Gaelic learners course : Information and advice for the Course Speaking and Course Assignment : Writing  elements

Speech, Language and Communication at Secondary Level

Morna Butcher, SLT

An opportunity to think about the development of Speech, Language and Communication (SLC) Skills into Secondary Level and consider Speech, Language and Communication Needs amongst this age group (SLCN). There will be discussion of ways of supporting SLC for all children in your classrooms and within the context of Gaelic Medium Education. 

Education Scotland – Gaelic Medium (GME) curriculum: An important priority for improvement 

Joan Esson, HMI, Dr Mary Andrew, Linda Park

This session focuses on empowering stakeholders to improve the Gaelic Medium (GME) curriculum, particularly at the secondary stages to provide better progression from primary. Joan Esson, HMI will share effective practice from scrutiny. This will include how one of the ambitions of the “Advice on Gaelic Education”, to deliver a proportion of the curriculum through Gaelic may be achieved. Immersion is a key driver in the GME 3-18 curriculum. 

Dr Mary Andrew, Edinburgh University will discuss her new research findings on what constitutes highly-effective immersion, and the professional learning from which teachers of GME would benefit in taking this forward. 

Linda Park is headteacher of North Lanarkshire Council’s designated secondary provision for GME – Greenfaulds High School. In 2018, HM Inspectors, when inspecting Greenfaulds High School, identified as a strength, “The enthusiasm for Gaelic shown by the headteacher, staff in Gaelic Medium Education and young people. Staff show a high standard of professionalism in providing a range of opportunities for young people to learn through the medium of Gaelic, particularly in S1-S3”. Linda will unpack the school’s use of Curriculum for Excellence to be successfully providing young people in GME with a range of pathways. There will also be opportunities for dialogue and collaboration among attendees.