Young people from Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland and Northern Valley, New Jersey shared a week-long exchange with visits to a variety of cultural places of interest. They also had great fun at Xscape in Glasgow on the snow and kayaking at Loch Ken. The weather was great, although a tumble into the loch felt more than a little refreshing!
We’ve had the most fantastic time this past week with young people and staff from New Jersey, USA on an exchange visit with students from Dalbeattie and Castle Douglas, Dumfries & Galloway. The weather all week has been great, allowing us to enjoy visits to Hadrian’s Wall, Edinburgh, Glasgow and today at Ellisland Farm (where Robert Burns famously wrote Auld Lang Syne and Tam O’Shanter). 
This afternoon we enjoyed fun (and ice-cream!) at Cream O’ Galloway, near Gatehouse. Chaperones of the group also visited Drumlanrig Castle on Tuesday when the students were kayaking at Loch Ken. Tonight the farewell meal and disco takes place at the Douglas Arms Hotel, Castle Douglas with everyone this evening already anticipating and looking forward to the reciprocal visit to Northern Valley, New Jersey in April 2014. 
The young people of Demarest, Old Tappan, Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie have been a credit to their families and schools. For many, this week will have seen the start of lifelong friendships.
Over 3000 delegates signed up for the UK’s largest ever music education conference. Sponsored by Rhinegold publishing, and with the endorsement of Boris Johnson (Mayor of London) the event took place in the Barbican Centre, London on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st March. I was pleased to be invited by the editor of Music Teacher magazine, Chris Walters to present at the Music Technology session on our video conference teaching programmes. Polycom UK gave great support to my presentation, enabling me with ease to have a live link with John Wallace (Principal at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire) in Glasgow; with Grant Golding (brass tutor) demonstrating a live lesson to a pupil in a Dumfries & Galloway school; and with Christianne Orto (Dean of Distance Learning) in the Manhattan School of Music, New York. Many thanks to all participants who assisted in demonstrating the amazing potential of video conferencing for learning and teaching.
Almost a 1000 kids in Dumfries & Galloway schools were totally captivated, thrilled and amazed to hear Chris Lubbe share stories from his life in South Africa. I had the pleasure of hosting Chris from Sunday 3rd through to Thursday 7th March when we visited 13 schools across the region (10 in person, 3 by video-link). To hear Chris tell stories about how he became a member of the illegal ANC party in a struggle with Nelson Mandela to free the country of the shocking apartheid system of inequality and brutality was truly amazing and inspiring for all, young and old, who listened to him.
Chris received a very warm welcome in schools and also spoke one evening in a hotel at an open meeting, and on another occasion with some friends at my house. Through all his stories of the harsh laws and unfairness of apartheid, Chris’s message to young people in schools was uplifting, encouraging all to forgive each other, to be kind to each other and to show love and concern for everyone we meet in life. Chris was so well received everywhere he went that there is now a great demand for him to return to Dumfries & Galloway soon!
Today was a beautiful day to drive from Dumfries up to Penpont and observe the 18th of 18 video conference lessons Heather Reid has delivered live and interactive from the Glasgow Science Centre in recent weeks. 10 schools have been involved in this project in partnership with the Glasgow Science Centre and already I’ve been discussing with Heather further plans for developing learning and teaching through video-links. The teachers and pupils have made a great success of this opportunity with Heather. It’s now important to take time to review progress and fully evaluate how we can develop pedagogy in this new area of distance learning. One thing we can say though. It works!!
John Maxwell Geddes is one of Scotland’s leading composers. In addition to composing, he has lectured at many universities throughout Europe, the United States, and Russia, and has held various conducting posts, including that of principal guest conductor of the Dumfries and Galloway Regional Orchestra. John studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music, and following his graduation, worked as a school teacher until winning a scholarship that enabled him to study in Copenhagen with Niels Viggo Bentszon.
John has had a long association with Dumfries & Galloway and we’re delighted to have such a distinguished composer working with us on composing projects for young people in 4 primary schools in the region. The weather this week has been cold and clear and after a busy day, John and I took a trip in the sunshine down to Kippford on the Solway coast.
On Thursday and Friday of this past week schools were delighted to have a visit from Professor Stephen Heppell. We’re very grateful for his support as we look to enhance learning through the use of mini iPads in certain schools. Pupil-led proposals from 18 schools were received for the use of mini iPads in learning and are now being considered by Stephen. During Thursday and Friday, he met with pupils in 5 schools, 4 in person and one over video conference. The outcomes of his deliberations are being eagerly anticipated!
This week, young people in Drummore Primary took part in water-based science experiments led by Heather Reid from the Glasgow Science Centre. Drummore School is one of ten Dumfries & Galloway schools involved in video conference science lessons delivered by Heather live from the Science Centre in Glasgow. Feedback from teachers and pupils has been really positive, with all participants totally engaged in the practical nature of learning in science. Drummore is Scotland’s most south-westerly school, located only a few miles from the beautiful Mull of Galloway.
Young people in Drummore are used to lessons via video-link. Since 2005, pupils in Drummore have received instrumental music lessons via video conference. In 2007, many pupils enjoyed live video sessions from London with Rod Franks (Principal Trumpet with the London Symphony Orchestra). In 2009, Professor Stephen Heppell paid them a visit to see how video conference lessons were progressing. Tomorrow, Professor Heppell is visiting Dumfries & Galloway again and we look forward to hearing his views on how learning & teaching using technology can be further developed.
We’re now into Heather Reid’s 4th day of science lessons to Dumfries & Galloway schools live via interactive video conference from the Glasgow Science Centre. Young people from 10 primary schools across the 100 mile+ wide region have enjoyed a fantastic opportunity to learn about climate change, renewable energies and weather related issues with Heather presenting direct into classrooms live from the Glasgow Science Centre. Today it was the turn of young people from Lincluden in Dumfries. With the support of their teacher Miss Agnew, the P5 class engaged in discussion with Heather and each other in groups as they considered the causes and consequences of carbon emissions.
Today, Heather Reid (in the Glasgow Science Centre) led 3 one hour video conference sessions to 3 schools in Dumfries & Galloway. The pupils in Dalry School enjoyed their second virtual lesson today, this time taking on the challenge of a practical experiment in class. The pupils made red cabbage indicator and used it to test a variety of liquids which they had earlier predicted to be either acid, alkaline or neutral. One of the purposes in today’s practical video conference session was for pupils to better understand the effects humans are having on the Earth by considering how acidic our oceans have become.
