Northern Lights is an expressive arts project involving schools in three local authorities in Scotland and partner schools in Norway and Russia.

In this cookbook Irene Pandolfi of North Lanarkshire Council and Ron Cowie of Stirling Council explain the background to the project and show examples of pupils’ work shared through the Northern Lights Glow Group.

In the Ingredients section you can find information about creating Glow guest accounts if you’re interested in setting up similar links with schools abroad.

Context

Irene and Ron were amongst a number of delegates who in 2009 participated in a study visit to Norway, organised through the Scottish Continuing International Professional Development (SCIPD) programme. The focus of their interest was a national initiative, the Cultural Rucksack, which gives all pupils in Norway access to professional arts and cultural activities in addition to the basic expressive arts curriculum.

As a result of the SCIPD visit, and the relationships established with Norwegian schools, Irene and Ron created the Northern Lights project. The projects links schools in North Lanarkshire, Perth and Kinross, and Stirling with partner schools in Norway and Russia.

The aims of the project are to develop pupils’ skills in expressive arts, in literacy and in peer assessment, and to encourage pupils to learn about and appreciate other cultures.

In order to encourage collaboration between all the partner schools, the Northern Lights Glow Group was established. Guest accounts were created for pupils and staff in the Norwegian and Russian schools to give them access to Glow.

Irene Pandolfi and Ron Cowie talk about the Northern Lights project
Northern Lights: an international project

Organisation of the Northern Lights projectNorthern Lights: an international project

The Northern Lights Glow Group provides a welcome area, news updates about the project, and links to useful tools such as online translation facilities. A ‘Help for teachers’ page provides background information about the project, its aims, suggestions for learning and teaching activities, and guides to using Glow features, such as the discussion boards.

The group then contains a number of sub-groups, each named after heavenly bodies, such as Comets and Shooting Stars. Each of these sub-groups links a smaller number of partner schools across the local authorities and countries.

Christmas – Norwegian style. Click to enlarge.

In each of these sub-groups, staff and pupils have found a whole host of ways to communicate, discuss their culture, exhibit their work, and give feedback to one another. Pupils have used discussion boards extensively – to write simple introductions, messages and greetings, to give feedback and to write poetry. In the Documents area pupils have uploaded presentations, describing, for example, how they celebrate Christmas. This has led to interesting comparisons about the similarities and differences in traditions between the countries.

Art from nature. Click to enlarge.

Pupils undertook an ‘art from nature’ activity, creating images using materials from the environment. Photographs of the images have been uploaded into the Documents area and shared with the partner schools. Other schools have created video clips, such as short dramas, and audio broadcasts, all also uploaded to the group and shared with an audience across three countries. Pupils have been very motivated by having their work seen and reviewed by a far wider audience than it might typically receive.

Some schools have also used Glow Meet to communicate with their partner schools, adding a whole new dimension to the opportunities to practise literacy skills, share work with an audience and learn about different cultures. Glow Meet is an area that many of the schools are keen to pursue further as the project develops.

Irene and Ron describe the project as having been ‘free-flowing’ and ‘growing arms and legs’ this year. Each school has taken the original idea, developed their own areas of interest and been creative – which indeed was the central aim of the project!

Ingredients

The Northern Lights Glow Group was created on the National Site in Glow. This was to ensure that all staff and pupils in the Scottish schools would be able to see the Group listed on their ‘My Glow Groups’ page. (This would not be the case if, for the example, the Group had been created on the North Lanarkshire site, in which case only the NLC schools would see it on their ‘My Glow Groups’ page.)

If you are interested in running a project which involves schools across a number of authorities, then a suitable Glow Group can be created on the National Site for you. Contact the Glow Admin team (glowadmin@ltscotland.org.uk).

In order to give access to Glow to the pupils in schools in Norway and Russia, guest accounts were created. Such accounts can be created by the Accounts and Services Manager (ASM) for your school or local authority. If you are interested in using Glow to communicate with a school abroad, check with your school’s ASM to see if there is a policy about guest accounts already in place. If not, talk to your authority’s Glow Key Contact who will be able to give you further advice. A list of the Key Contacts is available on the GlowScotland website.

Three documents about guest accounts have been created by Learning and Teaching Scotland and are attached here. Schools and local authorities may wish to use these for reference and adapt them as appropriate: Glow Guest User Account conditions of issue, Glow guest user AUP, Guest Account Application Form.

Recipe

The ‘How-to’ clips below show how to replicate some of the features used in the Northern Lights Glow Group and its sub-groups.

* How to add, rename or remove pagesNorthern Lights: an international project

* How to post messages on a discussion boardNorthern Lights: an international project

* How to change the display of the Discussions web partNorthern Lights: an international project

* How to use Text Editor to display a set of world clocksNorthern Lights: an international project

Impact

Feedback from Norway. Click to enlarge.

Feedback from the schools involved in the project has been very positive, with all keen to continue it into the new session (2010/11). The key benefits have been inclusion: large numbers of pupils in three local authorities and two other countries have been able to access and contribute to the same project; pupils from the traveller community have participated and pupils who may be otherwise been disengaged from learning have also been enthusiastically involved. 

The project has developed Scottish pupils’ expressive arts and literacy skills and motivated a desire to learn about their own culture and to share it with others. Norwegian and Russian pupils have benefited tremendously through engagement in the project, developing their English language skills, and the opportunity has been much valued by schools and parents.

The impact of the Northern Lights projectNorthern Lights: an international project

Future plans for the Northern Lights project
Northern Lights: an international project

Click to enlarge image

Overview

During the school session 2009 – 2010, Kirsty Harker was seconded from St Dominic’s primary school in Crieff as a Literacy Support Teacher for Perth and Kinross council. Following an introduction to Glow, Kirsty was tasked with creating and developing a Literacy Support Glow Group which would act to aid practitioners across the authority in their shared responsibility for literacy across learning. In this cookbook, Kirsty talks us through the Glow Group that she has developed.

Video Clips 

Ingredients

What Kirsty has used to develop her Glow Group: 

1. A Glow Group
2. Additional page tabs
3. Multiple Document web parts
4. Picture Library web parts

Benefits

Kirsty’s Literacy Support Glow Group provides a number of benefits to staff in Perth and Kinross:

• A single point of contact where staff in P&K know they can find up to date information on literacy developments locally and nationally
• Detailed information, presentations, resources, sample lesson plans and examples of practice on particular topics relating to literacy across the curriculum
• A place where staff can collaborate to develop resources
• A place to showcase and celebrate practice
• Access to presentations, reports and group discussions archived from CPD events
• A resource that is current and dynamic

In the video clip below, Kirsty sums up her views on the benefits of the group.

Click to enlarge image

Overview

In June of 2010 when this cookbook was recorded, Hazel Lowe, affectionately nicknamed Mrs Maths by her pupils, was seconded to Perth and Kinross council as a Numeracy Support Teacher. Following an introduction to Glow, Hazel set about discovering how she could best utilise the Glow tools and functionality in her support role. In this cookbook, Hazel gives us a flavour of the comprehensive Glow Group that she has developed which is aimed at providing stimulus and support for numeracy across the curriculum in Perth and Kinross.

Video Clips

Ingredients

What Hazel has used to develop her Glow Group: 

1. A Glow Group
2. Additional page tabs
3. Multiple Document web parts
4. Picture Library web parts

Benefits

Hazel’s Numeracy and Mathematics Support Glow Group provides a number of benefits to staff in Perth and Kinross:

• A single point of contact where staff in P&K know they can find up to date information on numeracy and mathematics
• Detailed information, presentations, resources, sample lesson plans and examples of practice on particular topics relating to numeracy across the curriculum
• A place where staff can collaborate to develop resources
• A place to showcase and celebrate practice
• Access to presentations, reports and group discussions archived from CPD events

In the video clip below, Hazel sums up her views on the benefits of the group.

Overview
Mark McShane, Learning and Teaching Improvement Officer, ICT for Perth and Kinross Education & Children’s Services, has developed a school project in partnership with RSPB. To enable schools to fully engage in the initiative, Mark has led the project through awareness raising sessions with educationalists, practical support in schools and staff development opportunities for teachers. He has communicated with schools through Glow and plans to share their ‘Good Practice’ with other schools and interested parties through the Glow site.
Context
East Scotland Sea Eagles Project is a project returning white tailed sea eagles to East Scotland. The project is a partnership between RSPB Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), and Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS), who host the release site.
The reintroduction of white-tailed Eagles (Sea Eagles) to East Scotland is still happening, and this a unique opportunity for schools to get involved with a local conservation project and make a real contribution.
The purpose of this programme, in particular, is to develop good practice in,
*Cooperative and collaborative learning
*Interdisciplinary work
*Involvement with partnership organisations and the wider community
*Communication/sharing between schools (Primary/Secondary)

The four capacities have all been addressed and the attributes and capabilities identified for those activities provided.
Second and Third level experiences and outcomes across all curriculum areas are identified: all activities involve aspects of literacy numeracy and health and well-being. In particular, the hope is to make connections with cross-curricular outcomes such as citizenship, enterprise and sustainable development.
To find out more about the storyline concept go to www.storyline-scotland.com
This storyline is based on providing the class with a challenge. The challenge comes via a letter from the East Scotland Sea Eagle Officer, Claire Smith, with a copy of the RSPB booklet White-Tailed Eagles:The Return of the Native, addressed to a member of the class. She needs some imaginative young people to help her promote her WT Eagles to their local community, to ensure their protection and knowledge of their whereabouts. The class is asked to become volunteer Sea Eagle Rangers and take on the necessary training, before designing an event for the local community promoting the birds in their area. A series of letters (and Visits) from Claire (and other RSPB staff) provides further ideas/information and motivation for the class to continue.
Portmoak Primary School in Kinnesswood has taken part in the project this year. They have followed elements of the story line approach and worked closely with all partners in the project.  Mark has provided invaluable suppport for the class teacher and supported her and the children in producing a DVD on protecting the White-Tailed Eagle which will be posted onto the Perth and Kinross Local Authority Glow group so that others can view it.

*Watch a tour of the Glow Group and the Storyline work for the project
East Scotland Sea Eagle Project

Curricular Impact
*I can use primary and secondary sources selectively to research events in the past. SOC 2-01a
*I can investigate a Scottish historical theme to discover how past events or the actions of individuals or groups have shaped Scottish society. SOC 2-03a
*I can compare and contrast a society in the past with my own and contribute to a discussion of the similarities and differences. SOC 2-04a
*I can discuss why people and events from a particular time in the past were important, placing them within a historical sequence. SOC 2-06a
*I can identify the possible consequences of an environmental issue and make informed suggestions about ways to manage the impact. SOC 3-08a
*When listening and talking with others for different purposes, I can:
• share information, experiences and opinions
• explain processes and ideas
• identify issues raised and summarise main points or findings
• clarify points by asking questions or by asking others to say more. LIT 2-09a
*I am developing confidence when engaging with others within and beyond my place of learning. I can communicate in a clear, expressive way and I am learning to select and organise resources independently. LIT 2-10a / LIT 3-10a

Ingredients
*Glow Username and Password
*Video camera, microphone and editing software

Recipe
Watch the videos below to see how to recreate elements of the Glow Group

*Creating a new Glow Group
East Scotland Sea Eagle Project
*Adding A Glow Group to your Favourites
East Scotland Sea Eagle Project
*Adding members to your Glow Group
East Scotland Sea Eagle Project
*How to upload documents to the Glow Group
East Scotland Sea Eagle Project
*Adding a Glow Discussion Forum
East Scotland Sea Eagle Project
*How to add, edit and remove pages
East Scotland Sea Eagle Project
*Creating a Calendar
East Scotland Sea Eagle Project

Impact
The project has had a very successful start with all agencies working in partnership with staff at Portmoak Primary School who agreed to pilot the materials. The learners at the school had a purposeful and successful experience through the project, with them gaining knowledge about the reintroduction of the Sea Eagle to the East of Scotland and the role they can play as responsible citizens.  Skills in questioning, interviewing, reporting and creating an informative DVD for a targeted audience were greatly enhanced. This project provides the opportunity to develop many of the experiences and outcomes within the Curriculum for Excellence at the second and Third levels and has proven to be very well received by the teacher and supported fully by all partners.

*Watch the learners talk about their experiences
*What did the project involve?
East Scotland Sea Eagle Project
East Scotland Sea Eagle Project

*What did you like about the topic?
East Scotland Sea Eagle Project

 
This project was supported by the following;

Overview

Glow groups can be created in a range of different contexts to support collaborative working between a number of different schools. At a national level a variety of online events have been developed to allow practitioners and teachers from across Scotland to work together using Glow tools in a variety of different subjects, topics and stages.

This Cookbook will explore the creation and population of a Glow group to encourage collaborative working across a number of schools. It will highlight some of the considerations when setting up this kind of opportunity. The examples to show how this can be done are from a national science event where pupils joined forces to explore scientific concepts both face to face in the classroom as well as virtually using Glow to create their own foam fire extinguishers.

Context

Organising a collaborative event across schools in a local authority can provide a number of benefits.

Staff will have the opportunity to:

• Access a central store of support materials.
• Use the Glow tools to engage pupils in interactive activity.
• Access discussion boards with the pre-set questions designed to stimulate pupils’ investigative skills throughout the activity.
• Access evidence of learning through a Glow discussion board.
• Share findings and experiences during the activity with other schools across the local authority via Glow Meet.
• Gain access to practitioner expertise using Glow Meet.
• The Glow group created for the event can provide ongoing access to CPD for other staff not directly involved in the activity.

Pupils will have an opportunity to:

• Take part in active learning opportunities.
• Use Glow tools to develop peer support.
• Take part in collaborative learning using the Glow tools.
• Gain an extended audience for their work.

This Cookbook exemplifies a Glow National online event, Science Challenge, which took place on the 1^st of June 2009. This Glow opportunity was made available to schools from across Scotland, allowing teachers and pupils to join forces and explore scientific concepts both face to face and virtually.

From 9am until 3pm, pupils from Perth High School, Marr College and Calderglen High School explored a range of chemical reactions with the aim to produce foam. The design process and experiment then began as pupils from S2 – S3 strived to create a fire extinguisher which could put out a fire in the shortest time. One of the challenges they faced was to find a way to keep the chemicals apart to ensure the fire extinguisher doesn’t go off until they need to put out a fire. Other schools from across Scotland participated in the event by joining the Glow Meet to view the challenge as it took place and ask questions throughout the day.

The participating schools explored the possibilities of creating their own fire extinguishers through hands on experiments and had the opportunity to share their experience outwith their own classrooms as they collectively updated their findings in Glow Discussion Boards in a Science Challenges Glow Group. Pete Johnson from Kitchen Chemistry who is also a teacher at Stewart’s Melville College worked with all three schools to guide them through their scientific discoveries using the audio, video and white board in Glow Meet.

Pupils from each school shared their top tips on producing foam and their scientific findings as and when they made each discovery. After a discussion about fire safety from the local fire service they finished the day by demonstrating their completed fire extinguishers in action as they put out fires live via Glow Meet.

Curriculum for Excellence

Chemical changes – second, third level

I have collaborated in activities which safely demonstrate simple chemical reactions using everyday chemicals. I can show an appreciation of a chemical reaction as being a change in which different materials are made. SCN 2-19a

Through experimentation, I can identify indicators of chemical reactions having occurred. I can describe ways of controlling the rate of reactions and can relate my findings to the world around me. SCN 3-19a

Ingredients

Ingredients required to create a similar Glow group to encourage collaboration across schools in a local authority.

• Local authority SCA account
• Individual Glow logins for teachers and pupils involved
• Membership of Glow Group set for Glow users involved
• Glow Meet enabled as a service
• Access to computers that can run Glow Meet
• Projector, screen for each school/class involved
• Webcams
• Microphones
• Speakers
• Ideally have 2 or more computers set up for the event, one to use to display Glow Meet and the other/s for pupils to input their findings in to a discussion board.

Ingredients required to create the Science Challenges Glow group

• Text editor web parts x 2
• News web part
• What’s On web part
• Glow Meet web part
• Web links web part
• Additional pages
• Additional discussion boards

Product

If you have a Glow login, you can visit the Science Challenge Glow group by following this link: https://portal.glowscotland.org.uk/establishments/nationalsite/Science/Science%20Challenges/default.aspx