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CURRICULUM FOR EXCELLENCE

At Learning Unlimited we believe the Curriculum for Excellence is an invitation to schools to do things differently and a powerful opportunity that should be grasped with enthusiasm. The following courses are designed to help schools take advantage of the flexibility now on offer.

Suitable for the whole staff in a primary school, this course will explore teachers’ hopes and fears about a Curriculum for Excellence.
It will make explicit:

• the values, purposes and principles of a Curriculum for Excellence
• the good practice already in place to help children become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors
• the opportunities to do things differently and re-energise both teacher and learner

‘The course helped me realise that although ACE means changes in the long run the effects will be outstanding, with a focus on the whole child.’

Aimed at all levels of staff in a secondary school this course will explore teachers’ hopes and fears about the Curriculum for Excellence.
It will explore:

• the values, purposes and principles of a Curriculum for Excellence
• practical ways to help children become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors including cross-curricular opportunities
• opportunities and contexts for interdepartmental working in secondaries

‘I feel inspired and am looking forward to the new challenge of ACE’

‘Right now I feel excited about the Curriculum for Excellence and what it will help achieve for our children.’

‘I feel today allowed me to become a lot more knowledgeable about the Curriculum for Excellence: I found the methods of learning enjoyable.’

This course looks at the power of role models in helping young people understand what makes confident individuals, successful learners, responsible citizens and effective contributors.
Participants will learn:

• how to introduce these models to young people through an interactive game
• how the people featured - some famous, others not - exemplify the qualities and characteristics of the four capacities
• how many of them have overcome major disadvantages to achieve against the odds.
• how to help young people make the connection and influence their own lives

A truly inspirational course which has now been run by authorities across Scotland. Course evaluations have been superb. Supported by high quality materials- both written and on DVD- this two day course provides a practical example of a Curriculum for Excellence. It gives primary teachers permission, trust and confidence to reintegrate the curriculum and bring the fun back into teaching and learning.
Participants will learn to:

• deliver specific strands of 5-14 Language, PSD, Art and Technology in an integrated way within an exciting context
• transfer the methodology to an Environmental Studies context

‘Most motivating course I have ever attended. It made me realise what a great job it is to be a teacher.’

‘A most fabulous, inspirational course. Highly effective in showing how a Curriculum for Excellence can be integrated into my classroom practice.’

‘The most important thing I learned today was how to ensure coherence and progression are embedded in this creative and exciting approach to learning and teaching.’

‘The course filled me with hope that a Curriculum for Excellence will be the way forward in boosting enjoyment and learning in Scotland.’

‘I feel that this is the approach needed to stimulate learners of the 21st century and allow them to be active and take responsibility for their own learning.’

‘A most fabulous, inspirational course. Highly effective in showing how a Curriculum for Excellence can be integrated into my classroom practice.’

‘Excited at the prospect of the children’s and teacher’s personality and creativity being allowed back into the classroom – children love this approach.’

By popular demand, three new topics are currently being developed. They are:
Fairyland – suitable for the Pre 5 – Primary 1 stage
The Unsinkable Ship – suitable for P4-5
VIB ( Very Important Bear) – suitable for P6-7

These exciting new materials are currently being piloted in partnership with Renfrewshire Council. The materials will be supported by a one day training course.

This course, aimed at early years staff and those responsible for management in primary schools and early years establishments will:

• raise awareness of the nature of creativity and how we become creative
• explore a range of techniques to help us to recognise and foster creativity in children
• give participants a range of practical strategies they can use to help foster creativity in their establishments and schools
• provide the opportunity to review your policy on creativity and enterprise

Suitable for the whole school this course looks at how to put teaching for creativity at the centre of class life and so fulfil National Priority 5. It will also help teachers to devise or update a whole school policy on creativity and enterprise.
Participants will learn to:

• reach a new insight into creativity and enterprise and its importance
• use new tools to teach for creativity and to embed enterprise across the curriculum
• use a bank of creative brain breaks to support learning and teaching

‘What I enjoyed was interacting with my colleagues on the ideas in the Curriculum for Excellence; I feel hopeful and inspired.’

This course will present ways of helping children become more effective contributors and more confident individuals. It has relevance to drama, play and creativity and will give teachers ideas for ‘circle time’ and building a learning community with their class. It will show ways of integrating drama, other art forms and give ideas about choice, spontaneity and most importantly, fun activities.

Session 1
Participants will learn:

• a variety of games and activities to encourage the children’s imagination, creativity, confidence, group participation, communication, motivation, responsibility, individual decision making and trust the benefits of each game and activity
• how to develop simple improvisations and combine these activities with other art forms and subjects to motivate learning.

Session 2
This is a continuation of Session 1 and cannot be taken without first completing Session 1. Although this course explores more games and improvisations, the main focus is on how to combine these exercises with other art forms and subjects in order to stimulate learning in new areas in an exciting and creative way.

We all inadvertently reveal our true feelings through non-verbal communication. This course gives practical techniques for enhancing your presence through control and effective use of your body language, eye contact and vocal quality in the classroom. Using experiential activities and improvisational games, this course will explore:

• your own non-verbal communication and that of others
• how changing your physical behaviour can change your status
• feeling and looking more confident and assertive
• using body language, vocal quality and eye contact effectively
• adding interest to your voice using different emotions

‘Right now I feel confident to stand in front of a class.’

‘I understand how my posture and body language affect the class.’

‘I learned techniques to get the attention of a noisy class without having to raise my voice.’

‘I am surprised at the number of different voices that can be used in a lesson.’

This course introduces the principles and practice of co-operative learning. When co-operative learning techniques are used within the classroom, pupils become more fully engaged in and responsible for their learning. The methodology provides the means to develop positive patterns of behaviour and encourages a supportive ethos to develop between members of the class. In particular, this is an ideal context for focussing on the delivery of the Curriculum for Excellence and developing assessment for learning methodology. Further development in co-operative learning is available for those who have participated in the introductory course.
Participants will:

• learn the rationale behind co-operative learning and overview research
• know how to create learning teams
• develop techniques for improving behavioural and social skills
• learn a number of techniques to maximise co-operative learning

‘This is exactly what we need to help us further with our HMIe plan.’

‘The most important thing I learned today was to take a step back and let the children be responsible for their own learning.’

‘I am determined to ensure that my children are not stuck in their seats doing meaningless worksheets but to actively engage their minds and ensure they lead some of their own learning.’

‘All excellent ideas and handouts first class – very well organised.’

This half day course shows how to embed Enterprise Education into a Curriculum for Excellence and take the Determined to Succeed strategy into every classroom.
The course aims to

• provide the opportunity for teachers to reflect on the skills and attitudes of the enterprise
• connect these skills and attitudes with the 4 purposes of the curriculum 3 - 18
• explore ways in which enterprise can be embedded into classroom practice.

‘Good handouts, good ties to research, excellent presentation - valuable experience and time well spent.’

‘I’m buzzing with ideas - it has ignited the spark!’

‘This has helped to take away the uncertainty for ACE - it’s an opportunity to be creative!’

‘I now see how to incorporate enterprising activities into lessons across the department.’

‘I have established the link with my practice between formative assessment and enterprise.’

‘I feel enthusiastic and charged up and ready to inspire all departments to think ‘out the box’.’

‘A very enjoyable and thought provoking day.’