Keith Varty teaches Biology at St Margaret’s Academy in Livingston, West Lothian. He is just approaching the end of his first year of teaching. Despite having had to find his feet as a new teacher, he has taken on the responsibility for creating a Glow Group to support pupils studying Intermediate 2 Biology.

In this series of cookbooks, we will look in detail at the content of the Intermediate 2 Biology Glow Group. In each part, there will be a general introductory overview of the Group. Each cookbook will then focus in on a different element, finding out how this has been used to support pupils studying Int2 Biology then learning how this could be replicated. The cookbook will be split into three parts:

Part 1 – Multiple Document stores
Part 2 – Weblinks and Page Viewer
Part 3 – Using Videos as a memory aid

If you have already read Part 1 or Part 2 of the series, you may wish to move on to the cookbook focus section of this one, as the initial context section is the same as in previous parts (for the benefit of those who have not yet read parts 1 or 2)

Context

Keith was introduced to Glow at the start of the session and was immediately taken with the potential it offered. Keen to embrace this as a way of supporting pupils, he decided to set up a Glow Group that would be accessible to all pupils studying Int2 Biology in the school, not only those in his own class.

Keith has worked extremely hard to make the Glow Group what it currently is – engaging, informative and useful.

There are seven pages in the Group, with a range of web parts on each.

Noticeboard Page:

The News web part is used to keep pupils informed about new resources being added to the Glow Group and give information on events relevant to Int 2 biology, such revision class details.

There is a What’s On web part on the page, which has been renamed as Deadlines
This has been used to advise each of the classes of the dates of upcoming ‘NAB’ assessments, prelim dates and revision sessions. This has helped pupils to plan their studies more effectively by having advanced warning of the dates and being able to organise their studying accordingly.

Keith talks us through the Noticeboard page in the following video:

Keith Varty: Noticeboard Page (2:31)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 3 – Using Videos as a memory aid

Cookbook Focus: Using Videos as a memory aid

Keith has been keen to engage pupils by using a range of different types of learning resource within the Glow Group.

One way he has done this is to embed videos from YouTube into the text editor web part.

The page in the Glow Group where the videos are embedded currently has six videos to view. These have been chosen as they show people carrying out experiments that the pupils themselves have done in class. The videos are therefore a great way of reminding pupils of this. They also allow pupils who were absent when the experiments were done in class, to still see them being carried out.

Next session, Keith plans to video the pupils when they carry out the experiments, then add these to the Glow Group. He talks about this is the following video clip:

Keith Varty: Videos page (1:01)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 3 – Using Videos as a memory aid

Ingredients

Keith initially had to create a Glow Group at school level and make all staff teaching Biology and all pupils studying it, members of the Group. The pupils have contributor permissions to the Group to enable them to take part in Discussions, upload documents and respond to surveys.

Keith added and renamed the pages of the Glow Group to suit his purpose and make the Group easy for pupils to navigate around.

In order to embed the videos, Keith had to add a Text Editor web part for each video clip, then paste the video’s embed code from YouTube into the web part.

In part 1 of this cookbook series, there are videos explaining how to create a Glow Group, add members, and add and rename pages. There is also a video explaining how to create multiple document stores within a Glow Group. In part 2, you can find out how to add web links with the notes field displayed and also how to use the Page Viewer web part.

The following video explains how to embed a YouTube video into the Text Editor web part in a Glow Group :

How to embed a YouTube video into the Text Editor web part (3:47)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 3 – Using Videos as a memory aid

Other features of the Intermediate 2 Biology Glow Group

As well as the pages already mentioned, there are a further five pages in the Group. Three of these have been explored in more detail in Part 1 of this cookbook series, and two are the focus of Part 2. However, you can see Keith discuss the content of these five pages in the following videos, to give you a complete picture of the entire Glow Group:

Keith Varty: Homework Help Page (1:29)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 3 – Using Videos as a memory aid
Keith Varty: Current Class Topic Page (0:38)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 3 – Using Videos as a memory aid
Keith Varty: Archive Page for previous topics (1:47)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 3 – Using Videos as a memory aid
Keith Varty: Exam Help Page (1:42)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 3 – Using Videos as a memory aid
Keith Varty: Web links page (0:43)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 3 – Using Videos as a memory aid

Impact

The Intermediate 2 Biology Glow Group has brought many benefits to the pupils in St Margaret’s Academy.

For the pupils, they now have a ‘one-stop-shop’ for all of their Biology resources, notes, homework exercises and exam revision materials. This gives them access both at home and at school to everything they might need when going over classwork, doing homework or studying for assessments.

They have a Discussion Board within the Group which gives them a place for asking questions and getting support, both from their own teacher, other teachers in the Department, or from other pupils, so widening their range of help sources.

Keith Varty teaches Biology at St Margaret’s Academy in Livingston, West Lothian. He is just approaching the end of his first year of teaching. Despite having had to find his feet as a new teacher, he has taken on the responsibility for creating a Glow Group to support pupils studying Intermediate 2 Biology.

In this series of cookbooks, we will look in detail at the content of the Intermediate 2 Biology Glow Group. In each part, there will be a general introductory overview of the Group. Each cookbook will then focus in on a different element, finding out how this has been used to support pupils studying Int2 Biology then learning how this could be replicated. The cookbook will be split into three parts:

Part 1 – Multiple Document stores
Part 2 – Weblinks and Page Viewer
Part 3 – Using Videos as a memory aid

If you have already read Part 1 of the series, you may wish to move on to the cookbook focus section of this one, as the initial context section is the same as in Part 1 (for the benefit of those who have not yet read part 1)

Context

Keith was introduced to Glow at the start of the session and was immediately taken with the potential it offered. Keen to embrace this as a way of supporting pupils, he decided to set up a Glow Group that would be accessible to all pupils studying Int2 Biology in the school, not only those in his own class.

Keith has worked extremely hard to make the Glow Group what it currently is – engaging, informative and useful.

There are seven pages in the Group, with a range of web parts on each.

Noticeboard Page:

The News web part is used to keep pupils informed about new resources being added to the Glow Group and give information on events relevant to Int 2 biology, such revision class details.

There is a What’s On web part on the page, which has been renamed as Deadlines
This has been used to advise each of the classes of the dates of upcoming ‘NAB’ assessments, prelim dates and revision sessions. This has helped pupils to plan their studies more effectively by having advanced warning of the dates and being able to organise their studying accordingly.

Keith talks us through the Noticeboard page in the following video:

Keith Varty: Noticeboard Page (2:31)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 2 – Weblinks and Page Viewer

Cookbook Focus: Web Links and Page Viewer

Web Links Web Part
There is a separate page in the Intermediate 2 Biology Glow Group just for web links.

Here, the web links web part has been used to provide pupils with a range of useful website specifically designed to support their level of learning.

Keith has modified the basic web links web part though.

Rather than simply having links to websites, he has modified the web part to have the Notes field displayed. This allows him to type in additional information about the content of the website being linked to, so helping pupils when they are looking for information, resources or activities for a particular part of the course.

Keith talks about the Web Links page in the following video clip:

Keith Varty: Web links page (0:43)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 2 – Weblinks and Page Viewer

Page Viewer Web Part
The Page Viewer web part has been used on the Exam Help Page to give pupils direct access to a website specifically created for Intermediate 2 Biology (http://www.oronsay.org/Int2.htm)

The website hosts a fantastic range of interactive resources and activities, to stimulate pupils and help develop their understanding of the concepts covered in the course. Amongst others, the activities include interactive crosswords, cloze passages and matching games.

By using the page viewer, Keith is able to keep all of the content within the Glow Group. Pupils can interact with the resources on the website being viewed without having to navigate away from Glow. He is also able to tap into resources published elsewhere, saving him having to create them himself and opening up the range of resources and activities available to pupils.

Keith explains the use of the Page Viewer web part as he talks us through the Exam Help Page:

Keith Varty: Exam Help Page (1:42)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 2 – Weblinks and Page Viewer

Ingredients

Keith initially had to create a Glow Group at school level and make all staff teaching Biology and all pupils studying it, members of the Group. The pupils have contributor permissions to the Group to enable them to take part in Discussions, upload documents and respond to surveys.

Keith added and renamed the pages of the Glow Group to suit his purpose and make the Group easy for pupils to navigate around.

On the Weblinks page, Keith added the web links web part, then modified it to show the notes field which allowed him to include specific information about the website being linked to, adding comments such as “Useful for revising Living Cells”.

Keith added the Page Viewer webpart and linked it to a specific Int2 Biology website. He also edited the appearance of the web part, removing its border and changing its height to have a full page view of the website.

In part 1 of this cookbook series, there are videos explaining how to create a Glow Group, add members, and add and rename pages. There is also a video explaining how to create multiple document stores within a Glow Group.

The following videos explain how to replicate the elements of the Glow Group highlighted in this cookbook:

How to add web links and display the notes field (4:50)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 2 – Weblinks and Page Viewer
How to add and use the Page Viewer web part (5:19)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 2 – Weblinks and Page Viewer

Other features of the Intermediate 2 Biology Glow Group

As well as the pages already mentioned, there are a further four pages in the Group. Three of these have been explored in more detail in Part 1 of this cookbook series. Part 3 looks at the use of Videos as a learning and revision tool for pupils. However, you can see Keith discuss the content of these four pages in the following videos, to give you a complete picture of the entire Glow Group:

Keith Varty: Homework Help Page (1:29)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 2 – Weblinks and Page Viewer
Keith Varty: Current Class Topic Page (0:38)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 2 – Weblinks and Page Viewer
Keith Varty: Archive Page for previous topics (1:47)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 2 – Weblinks and Page Viewer
Keith Varty: Videos page (1:01)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 2 – Weblinks and Page Viewer

Impact

The Intermediate 2 Biology Glow Group has brought many benefits to the pupils in St Margaret’s Academy.

For the pupils, they now have a ‘one-stop-shop’ for all of their Biology resources, notes, homework exercises and exam revision materials. This gives them access both at home and at school to everything they might need when going over classwork, doing homework or studying for assessments.

They have a Discussion Board within the Group which gives them a place for asking questions and getting support, both from their own teacher, other teachers in the Department, or from other pupils, so widening their range of help sources.

For Keith and the other Biology teachers in St Margaret’s, they now have all of their resources stored and accessible online.

Keith Varty teaches Biology at St Margaret’s Academy in Livingston, West Lothian. He is just approaching the end of his first year of  teaching. Despite having had to find his feet as a new teacher, he has taken on the responsibility for creating a Glow Group to support pupils studying Intermediate 2 Biology.

In this series of cookbooks, we will look in detail at the content of the Intermediate 2 Biology Glow Group. In each part, there will be a general introductory overview of the Group. Each cookbook will then focus in on a different element, finding out how this has been used to support pupils studying Int2 Biology then learning how this could be replicated.  The cookbook will be split into three parts:

Part 1 – Multiple Document stores
Part 2 – Weblinks and Page Viewer
Part 3 – Using Videos asa memory aid

 Context

 Keith was introduced to Glow at the start of the session and was immediately taken with the potential it offered. Keen to embrace this as a way of supporting pupils, he decided to set up a Glow Group that would be accessible to all pupils studying Int2 Biology in the school, not only those in his own class.

 Keith has worked extremely hard to make the Glow Group what it currently is – engaging, informative and useful.

 There are seven pages in the Group, with a range of web parts on each.

 Noticeboard Page:

The News web part is used to keep pupils informed about new resources being added to the Glow Group and give information on events relevant to Int 2 biology, such revision class details.

There is a What’s On web part on the page, which has been renamed as Deadlines This has been used to advise each of the classes of the dates of upcoming ‘NAB’ assessments, prelim dates and revision sessions. This has helped pupils to plan their studies more effectively by having advanced warning of the dates and being able to organise their studying accordingly.

Keith talks us through the Noticeboard page in the following video:

 Keith Varty: Noticeboard Page (2:31)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 1 – Multiple Document Stores

Cookbook Focus on:  Documents

Throughout the pages of the Glow Group, there are many Document Stores used. There are separate Document libraries on the Homework Help, Current Class Topic, Archive and Exam Help pages.

On the Homework Help page, the Document store has three folders – one for essay questions and one for each of S3 and S4’s current topic homework.

Keith scans the homework exercises normally issued to pupils in paper format, and uploads these to the folder in the Document Store.  This helps reduce the need for photocopying and means that pupils always have access to a copy of the homework (and so don’t have the excuse of having lost it!)

On the Current Class Topic page there are two Document stores, one for S3 notes and presentations and one for S4. Again, Keith scans the document normally issued in paper format and uploads these. Pupils have less need to copy notes as the resources are made available to them, and they can therefore concentrate their time in class discussing and really understanding the work being covered. Having the resources here also means that pupils who are absent still have access to them, and all pupils benefit from the opportunity to revisit them when doing homework or revising.

The Archive page is a fabulous area for pupils as here Keith has uploaded all resources used in previous topics – notes, presentations, homework exercises and revision materials. This gives pupils a fantastic library of information which they can access at any time from anywhere. These resources sit within the three separate Document store that are on the page.

Finally, on the Exam Help page, there is a Document store holding exam past papers and marking schemes.

 Keith talks us through these four pages in the following videos, explaining the content and purpose of each and the benefits they have for the pupils.

 Keith Varty: Homework Help Page (1:29)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 1 – Multiple Document Stores
Keith Varty: Current Class Topic Page (0:38)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 1 – Multiple Document Stores
Keith Varty: Archive Page for previous topics (1:47)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 1 – Multiple Document Stores
Keith Varty: Exam Help Page (1:42)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 1 – Multiple Document Stores

Ingredients

Keith initially had to create a Glow Group at school level and make all staff teaching Biology and all pupils studying it, members of the Group. The pupils have contributor permissions to the Group to enable them to take part in Discussions, upload documents and respond to surveys.

Keith added and renamed the pages of the Glow Group to suit his purpose and make the Group easy for pupils to navigate around.

In order to have multiple document stores within the Glow, Keith had to use the Advanced Settings link and create brand new Document store web parts from scratch. If he had not done this and had just added the Documents web part to the page from the web part gallery in the usual way, he would have simply got a duplicate of the original Document store, complete with any folders and documents that had been added to it, rather than having new, empty ones which could be used for different purposes.

The following videos explain how to replicate these elements:

 How to create a Glow Group (2:55)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 1 – Multiple Document Stores
 How to add members to a Glow Group (5:28)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 1 – Multiple Document Stores
 How to add and edit pages in a Glow Group (3:08)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 1 – Multiple Document Stores
 How to create a new, empty Document Store (5:36)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 1 – Multiple Document Stores
 

Other features of the Intermediate 2 Biology Glow Group

As well as the pages already mentioned, there are a further two pages in the Group – Weblinks and Videos.  These will be explored in more detail in parts 2 and 3 of this cookbook. However, you can see Keith discuss the content of the pages in the following videos, to give you a complete picture of the entire Glow Group:

Keith Varty: Web links page (0:43)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 1 – Multiple Document Stores
Keith Varty: Videos page (1:01)
Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 1 – Multiple Document Stores

Impact

The Intermediate 2 Biology Glow Group has brought many benefits to the pupils in St Margaret’s Academy.

For the pupils, they now have a ‘one-stop-shop’ for all of their Biology resources, notes, homework exercises and exam revision materials.  This gives them access both at home and at school to everything they might need when going over classwork, doing homework or studying for assessments.

They have a Discussion Board within the Group which gives them a place for asking questions and getting support, both from their own teacher, other teachers in the Department, or from other pupils, so widening their range of help sources.

 Find out more in:

Supporting Int 2 Biology:Part 2-Weblinks and Page Viewer

Supporting Int 2 Biology: Part 3- using videos sa a memory aid

Robert Anderson is a Technology teacher at Penicuik High School in Midlothian. Many of the learning and teaching materials that Robert uses with his classes are digital resources, such as Powerpoint slides and pdf versions of reference guides. Currently these materials are stored on the school network, but Robert is uploading many of them to Glow Learn. The advantages that he sees are that pupils then have access to the resources beyond the school day, encouraging pupils to learn at a time and pace that suits them. Additionally, Glow Learn allows Robert to set assignments that pupils complete and return online, to set assessments which are marked automatically, and to combine the tracking benefits of Glow Learn with collaborative Glow tools such as discussion boards.

In the video clip below, Robert shows how he organises resources in Glow Learn. He has chosen to upload his resources to the school shared area in Glow Learn, which means that the resources can be seen and used by any member of staff across his school. Using the school shared area from the outset (rather than uploading to the ‘My Resources’ area) offers many benefits: encouraging inter-disciplinary working, the sharing of good practice, and reducing the need to ’recreate the wheel’. Robert explains how, in order to keep resources organised systematically, the school shared area is structured according to department, subject and level.

* Robert Anderson gives a tour of his Glow Learn resources and coursesStoring, tagging and sharing resources in Glow Learn

click image to enlarge

Robert also emphasises the benefits of linking (’tagging’) resources to specific curricular objectives. Tagging gives an indication of the content of the material and the level it is intended for and is particularly valuable if resources are being shared within a school or authority or nationally. Other staff looking for content to support their teaching can then use Glow Learn’s search facility to find resources, not only by entering a keyword (as in Google), but by selecting a specific curricular objective. As the store of tagged resources in shared areas in Glow Learn develops, this will become a very powerful method of searching for content.

click image to enlarge

Note that since Robert’s video and the how-to clips below were recorded, Curriculum for Excellence has been added to the Glow Learn list of frameworks. It’s now possible to tag resources to  CfE outcomes and therefore possible to search through all the shared areas in Glow Learn for content relevant to specific outcomes. Click the image to the left to see an example of the display of CfE outcomes in Glow Learn.

Recipe

If you’re interested in starting to use Glow Learn, the clips below will help you to get started. Further information is also available through ‘Learning about Glow’ area of the GlowScotland website.

 * uploading a resource to Glow LearnStoring, tagging and sharing resources in Glow Learn

* creating a Glow Learn courseStoring, tagging and sharing resources in Glow Learn

* enrolling pupils on a Glow Learn course
Storing, tagging and sharing resources in Glow Learn

* setting viewing and assessment optionsStoring, tagging and sharing resources in Glow Learn

Click to enlarge image

Judith Weston is a teacher of English at Earlston High School in the Scottish Borders. In this cookbook Judith shows us how she makes use of Glow tools to support the principles and practice of Assessment is for Learning.

Context

Aimed at enriching the learning experience of her pupils, Judith has developed Glow Groups to support the teaching of Intermediate 2 and Standard Grade English (links to those cookbooks below). In this cookbook we focus on how Judith makes use of the Survey tool and Glow Learn to gather evidence of learning, provide feedback and advice on next steps and ensuring that pupils are fully involved in their learning.

Ingredients

What Judith uses to support the teaching principles and practice of AifL: 

1. A Glow Group
2. Survey tool
3. Glow Learn

Recipe

In the first video below, Judith talks us through how she uses the survey tool and aspects of Glow Learn to gather evidence of learning, provide feedback and advice on next steps and ensuring that pupils are fully involved in their learning. The second video outlines how to create a Survey and add it to your Glow Group.

Judith uses Glow Learn to assign (send out) homework exercises to her pupils.  The particular assignments that Judith makes to her pupils can be automatically marked by Glow Learn and reviewed by Judith for comment. For video support on using Glow Learn, follow the link below:

Glow Learn cookbook videos

For downloadable versions of Glow Learn helpsheets and training guide, follow the link below (Glow login required):

Glow Learn guide and helpsheets

Impact

The process of reviewing the Glow Learn assignments allows Judith to provide timely, targeted feedback to individual pupils on the quality of their work and what they can do to make it better. Well designed questions used in the Glow Survey helps Judith establish pupil strengths and weaknesses and informs her planning for future lessons. The Survey questions also give the pupils a ‘voice’ enabling them to take ownership for their own learning.

Follow the links below to hear how Judith uses Glow to support the teaching of Intermediate 2 and Standard Grade English:

Click to enlarge image

Judith Weston is a teacher of English at Earlston High School in the Scottish Borders. Judith is an advocate of the use of technology aimed at enhancing the learning and teaching process and has previously made use of Wikispaces in her teaching.

In this cookbook Judith will talk us through how she uses Glow to support the learning and teaching of her S5 Intermediate 2 English class.

Context

Through the appropriate use of technology in class, Judith has aimed to enhance the experience of her pupils. With the introduction of Glow to Earlston High School, Judith was keen to investigate how best to use the tools and functionality and set about developing a Glow Group to act as a revision and independent learning tool to further enrich the learning experiences of her pupils.

In this cookbook, we will:

• Hear Judith outline how she uses Glow to support the teaching of her Intermediate 2 English class.
• Find out how to make use of Glow web parts to engage pupils and support learning.

Ingredients

What Judith uses to support the teaching of her class: 

1. A Glow Group
2. An XML web part to display a Voki
3. Discussion web part
4. Documents web part
5. Text Editor web part
6. Survey web part

Recipe

In the first two videos below, Judith talks us through how she uses Glow to support her class teaching. The other video clips will take you through how to replicate some of the activities that Judith demonstrates in the group: 

Impact

Judith is very positive about the ability of Glow to support her teaching. In particular:

• Pupils providing one another peer support and evaluation facilitated through Discussion Boards and the uploading of work to the Documents store for review
• The use of a Voki to engage with the pupils informing them of lesson learning intentions and providing general messages about what is new to the Glow Group
• The Discussions web part providing opportunities to explore topics more deeply
• The provision of anytime, anywhere access to targeted revision resources
• The Survey web part used as a formative assessment tool informing future lesson planning
• The Survey web part facilitating the pupil voice in next steps of learning
• Contributing to the Eco school culture by cutting down on the need for photocopying resources

In making use of a variety of Glow tools, Judith has developed a Glow Group that is engaging and relevant for her pupils. The group provides an easy access point to a variety of information sources, stimulus to deeper learning, opportunities for collaboration, peer evaluation and assessment. In the video clip below, Judith sums up her views on the impact that Glow is having on her class.

Follow the link below to hear how Judith uses Glow to support the teaching of Standard Grade English:

Overview

John Cudlipp is Principal Teacher of Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies (RMPS) at Broughton High School in Edinburgh. John is an advocate of the use of technology aimed at enhancing the learning and teaching process.

In this cookbook John will talk us through how he uses Glow to support the learning and teaching of Higher Philosophy.

Context

Through the appropriate use of technology in class, John has aimed to enhance the experience of his pupils during their time in the RMPS department. With the introduction of Glow to Broughton, John was keen to investigate how best to use the tools and functionality to further enrich the learning experiences of his pupils. John set up and developed a Glow Group to act as a medium for teaching and learning with ICT and also for sharing materials with other staff.

In this cookbook, we will:

• Hear John outline how he uses Glow to support the teaching of his Higher Philosophy class.
• Find out how to make use of Glow web parts to engage pupils and help reinforce course concepts.

Ingredients

What John uses to support the teaching of his class: 

1. A Glow Group
2. An XML web part to display a Voki and educational games
3. Discussion web part
4. Documents web part

Recipe

In the first two videos below, John talks us through how he uses Glow to support his class teaching. The other video clips will take you through how to replicate some of the activities that John demonstrates in the group:

Impact

From his commentary, it is clear that John is very positive about the ability of Glow to support his teaching. In particular:

• Pupils providing one another peer support and evaluation facilitated through Discussion Boards and the uploading of work to the Documents store for review
• The ability to embed educational games which are used to help reinforce key course concepts
• The Discussions web parts providing opportunities to explore topics more deeply
• The provision of anytime, anywhere access to revision resources and essay writing guidelines and templates

In making use of a variety of Glow tools, John has developed a Glow Group that is engaging and relevant for his pupils. The group provides an easy access point for a variety of information sources, stimulus to deeper learning, opportunities for collaboration, peer evaluation and assessment.

Overview

Sarah Coombes is a Design Technology class teacher in Firhill High School, Edinburgh. She has recently started to look at ways that Glow can be used to support teaching and learning in the classroom.

In this cookbook we will look at how Sarah and her colleague have used a Glow Group to support teaching and learning in S3/4 for Intermediate 2 Graphic Communication. This cookbook will exemplar this good practice and show how to re-create it.

Context

Sarah has looked at ways that she can make learning more interesting and engaging for the learner and looked at how Glow could support pupils to learn the theory requirements for Graphic Communication Intermediate 2.

 Watch Sarah as she describes her Glow Group and how she uses it to support learning.

Using Glow to Support S3/4 in Graphic Communications

CFE Outcomes and Experiences met through this process are,

I can use ICT effectively in different learning contexts across the curriculum to access, select and present relevant information in a range of tasks. TCH 4-03b

I can work with others to plan and use a learning group for sharing experiences, ideas and information within a secure online environment. TCH 4-08a

By examining and discussing the features of everyday products used within the home, I am gaining an awareness of the factors influencing design and can evaluate how these products meet the needs of the user. TCH 4-11c

Having sketched or drawn a series of everyday objects pictorially and orthographically, I have become proficient in third angle projection and can apply this knowledge when producing 2D or 3D images when using software. TCH 4-15a

When developing or enhancing representations of ideas or items, manually or electronically, I can apply my knowledge of colour theory, justifying the choices I make. TCH 4-15b

Ingredients

What did Sarah need to use to support this Glow Group.

1. A Glow Group
2. Access to Glow Group for all pupils in S3/4 Intermediate 2 class

 It was necessary to ensure users had Contributor rights within the Glow Group to enable them join Glow Chat and download and upload documents.

The videos below show how elements of the Graphic Communication Glow Group can be recreated.

How to add web links with notes

Using Glow to Support S3/4 in Graphic Communications

Impact
There have been a number of impacts from this project. The class teacher is now much more familiar with the components of Glow and now hopes to develop her use to support teaching and learning. She also feels that the learners have now had a good experience with Glow and are capable of logging on navigating their way through the web parts confidently so she would like to enhance their experiences.
Sarah feels that the learners are having an opportunity to learn in a style with which they feel comfortable and are skilled in. She hopes to continue to use Glow to support the learners in her classes.
Watch Sarah talk about the impact of Glow on Graphic Communication learners in S3/4.
Using Glow to Support S3/4 in Graphic Communications

Overview

Andrew Hutchison is a Geography class teacher in Mearns Castle High School, East Renfrewshire. He has recently started to look at ways that Glow can be used to support teaching and learning in his classroom.
In this cookbook we will look at how Andy used Glow Forums to support teaching and learning in his S3 Geography class. The cookbook will act as an exemplar of this good practice and shows how to re-create it.

Context

The S3 class are studying Geography at Mearns castle and Andy uses the Glow Discussion web part to evaluate the topics the children had been studying. With the introduction of Glow Forums he has decided to use this web part as it supports the overarching experiences in literacy as well as AifL strategies.

The learners are currently studying geology and land use conflict in Scotland. They recently took part in a field trip to Loch Lomond were they looked at the geology of the land and the Highland boundary fault. They have also been looking at land uses and conflicts between farmers and tourists in this area.

On return from the trip Andy posted five discussions for the pupils on the trip and used Glow Forums as a way of evaluating and assessing the knowledge they had gained from the trip.

He posted the questions as discussions shown.

*Discussion 1

*Discuss through the forum what the geology is like in the area around Balmaha.

*Can you remember the names of any rock types?

*How were these rocks formed?

*Discussion 2

*This is a field sketch of the top of Conic Hill

*Why did the ranger take us up this hill?

*Discussion 3

*Imagine that you are a farmer.

*Use the Glow Forum to complain about tourism within the National Park.

*What things might you post on a farmers’ forum?

*Discussion 4

*Imagine you are now park rangers reading the farmers’ forum.

*Post solutions to some of the farmers’ complaints in order to reduce conflict.

*Discussion 5

*Why are byelaws within the National Park important?

*Half the class will give an example of a byelaw in force in the National Park. The other half will say why that byelaw is important.

The learners then had the opportunity to participate in the forum. They had to think of reasoned arguments from both sides. This discussion could have taken place outwith Glow as part of a classroom discussion however Andy recognises that not all learners participate in this form of discussion and that those who are reluctant to verbally respond are usually among the first to post a written response. There is also the opportunity for peer assessment, supporting the AifL strategies Andy uses with this class, where class members comment and support each other in their Forum posts as well as add information they have missed. By ‘doing’ the learning Andy has found that the children are retaining the knowledge much more.

The second stage of this lesson was to put the learners into groups of four where they had a responsibility/role, park ranger, local councillor, farmer, and tourist. They were given scenarios and through using the Glow Forum created a role palsy scenario where each had to give their reasons for and against the National Park. By using Glow Forum the learners were able to add their comments and also the scenarios were available for the teacher to check as evidence at a later date. They also provide a basis for discussion and revision for the learners.

Another way the Forums were used that week was by giving learners a role within the class to develop a conflict scenario. The scenario posted required the learners within their role, Environmentalist, hill walker, local resident etc, to give their view regarding land use within the National Park. They used the buttons post reply or quote to comment on each others’ posts and argue against their comments or suggest possible solutions. This encouraged the learners to go back and read each others’ answers, which in turn reinforced knowledge. It also afforded the opportunity for quieter learners to voice an opinion.
Learners were activiely involved in the task for a large part of the period and although they are working as a class on a topic they were working independently as logged on individually, all class members were effective contributors to the task. Quieter group members were involved throughout and this suited the learning style and social style for many users.

CFE Outcomes and Experiences met through this process are,

I can explain how the interaction of physical systems shaped and continue to shape the Earth’s surface by assessing their impact on contrasting landscape types. SOC 4-07a

I can discuss the sustainability of key natural resources and analyse the possible implications for human activity. SOC 4-08a

I can develop my understanding of the interaction between humans and the environment by describing and assessing the impact of human activity on an area. SOC 4-10a

Through discussion, I have identified aspects of a social issue to investigate and by gathering information I can assess its impact and the attitudes of the people affected. SOC 4-14b

I can evaluate the impact which decision making bodies have on the lives of people in Scotland or elsewhere. SOC 4-18a

Overarching experiences in Literacy

I develop and extend my literacy skills when I have opportunities to:

• communicate, collaborate and build relationships

• reflect on and explain my literacy and thinking skills, using feedback to help me improve and sensitively provide useful feedback for others

• engage with and create a wide range of texts in different media, taking advantage of the opportunities offered by ICT

When I engage with others I can make a relevant contribution, ensure that everyone has an opportunity to contribute and encourage them to take account of others’ points of view or alternative solutions. I can respond in ways appropriate to my role, exploring and expanding on contributions to reflect on, clarify or adapt thinking. LIT 4-02a

When listening and talking with others for different purposes, I can:

• communicate detailed information, ideas or opinions

• explain processes, concepts or ideas with some relevant supporting detail

• sum up ideas, issues, findings or conclusions. LIT 4-09a

By considering the type of text I am creating, I can independently select ideas and relevant information for different purposes, and organise essential information or ideas and any supporting detail in a logical order. I can use suitable vocabulary to communicate effectively with my audience. LIT 4-26a

I can persuade, argue, evaluate, explore issues or express and justify opinions within a convincing line of thought, using relevant supporting detail and/or evidence. LIT 4-29a

Ingredients

What did Andy need to do use Glow to support this learning and teaching.

1. A Glow Group

2. A Glow Forum web part

It was necessary to ensure users had Contributor rights within the Glow Group to enable them to contribute to the Glow Forums.

In the next section, we’ll take a look at the Geography Glow Group and learn how to recreate elements within it.

Recipe

The videos that then follow show how these elements can be recreated. Details are:

What does the Geography Glow Forum look like?
Using Glow Forums to Support Learning

Video Clips
Creating a Glow Forum
Using Glow Forums to Support Learning

Posting a reply on a Glow Forum
Using Glow Forums to Support Learning

Introduction to moderation
Using Glow Forums to Support Learning

Adding an Avatar
Using Glow Forums to Support Learning

Andrew Hutchison comments on impact of Glow Forums
Using Glow Forums to Support Learning

Impact

There have been a number of impacts from this project. The class teacher is now much more familiar with the components of Glow Forums and now hopes to develop his use to support teaching and learning. He also feels that the learners have now had a good experience with Glow and are capable of using the web part confidently to contribute to a class discussion.
Learners commented,
‘Very easy to use’
‘easy to find everything’
‘better than talking in front of the class’
‘you feel more interactive with the class because you can comment on answers and see everyone else’s answer’

Overview
All Local Authorities are required to have in place, measures to ensure continuity of learning for pupils. They are required to provide learning and teaching opportunities should a pupil or pupils be unable to attend school. This may be required for an individual pupil who is absent due to long-term illness, or for all pupils in the event of a school closure due to adverse weather, failure of the school heating system, or some other reason.
West Lothian has been looking at Glow as one way of addressing this.

Context
West Lothian has been keen to explore a range of ways in which Glow can be used to support pupils. Whilst this has been initiated by the need for continuity planning in the event of non-school attendance, there is also a desire to support pupils more generally.
Laura Compton, the Glow Key Contact for West Lothian, met with a small group of classroom practitioners and a member of the National Glow Team, to discuss the variety of ways in which they might use Glow for this. Within their discussions, the group was very conscious of the need to minimise the amount of work that this might involve for teachers.
Since all schools in West Lothian had previously had support in their implementation of Glow, many teachers were already creating Glow Groups to use with their own classes. The group therefore decided to capitalise on this in order to provide support across the Authority.
Rather than new Local Authority Glow Groups being created for each subject area, West Lothian decided to utilise existing school groups, with their initial focus being to provide support for pupils approaching SQA examinations.
All of West Lothian’s 11 Secondary schools were asked to nominate teachers who were already using Glow with their classes, and who already had learning and teaching resources held within a Glow Group. The teachers were asked if they would be willing to open up these Glow Groups to pupils from across the Authority, to enable them to have access to materials from not only their own school, but from others too. This meant that if, for example, a pupil studying Higher English did not have access to a Higher English Glow Group within their own school, they would be able to access one in another school.
It was then decided that a Glow Group would be created at Local Authority level, with all pupils and teachers from all school having contributor rights. Within the Group is a page for each subject, with links on the page to the existing school based Glow Groups. Pupils have reader access to the Groups that are not in their own school.
Also on each page is a Document store with learning and teaching resources, and a Web Links web part with links to useful subject-specific sites. Pupils will be able to receive remote tuition or advice from a teacher in any school across the Authority using the communication web parts, since each page also contains a Glow Chat, a Glow Meet and a Discussion Board.
Not all subject areas or levels will be covered initially, but it is hoped that the range available will increase as more teachers become involved. Also, provision will be extended to lower Secondary and to Primary pupils too.
In this cookbook we will look at
• The West Lothian Pupil Study Support Glow Group
• How to set up a similar Glow Group

Ingredients
What did West Lothian need to set this up?
• A Glow Group, accessible by all staff and pupils in the Local Authority
• Membership for all pupils to Glow Groups in schools other than their own
• The support of teachers

Recipe

In this section, we will look at the current structure of the West Lothian Pupil Study Support Glow Group and then find out how to set up a similar type of Group.

Video Clips:

What does the West Lothian Pupil Study Support Glow Group look like? (4:02)
Continuity of Learning and Emergency Closure Planning

How to create new List web parts (5:39)
Continuity of Learning and Emergency Closure Planning

Local Authority Thoughts
Listen to Laura Compton, Glow Key Contact for West Lothian, talk about the Authorities reasons for using Glow as part of their business continuity planning:

Interview with Laura Compton (2:00)
Continuity of Learning and Emergency Closure Planning

Next Steps
At the point of writing this, the Glow Group is still in the process of being populated and has not yet been opened up to pupils.
West Lothian is also considering the potential of Glow Learn to provide similar Authority-wide support for pupils. This will require further support for staff though to enable this to happen.