Alan Cameron's Edublog Learning in the 3rd Millennium 

After a few months of preparation, planning and CPD for staff, we’ve finally got our science lessons via video conference underway! Heather Reid, meteorologist and former BBC weather presenter, delivered 3 one hour sessions yesterday and then again today to 6 different primary schools across Dumfries & Galloway direct from the Glasgow Science Centre. The teachers and kids loved the interactive engagement with Heather over the video-link and are already looking forward to their next lesson. Dumfries & Galloway Education Services are delighted to be working in partnership with the Glasgow Science Centre in this innovative programme delivering Curriculum for Excellence at Level 2 Science through looking at topics of weather, climate change and renewable energies. 10 schools are involved in this across an area of over 100 miles from Drummore to Moffat. Pictured below are pupils in Dalry School yesterday in their lesson with Heather.

Staff from 10 of our Dumfries & Galloway primary schools returned from their Christmas and New Year break to attend an excellent CPD event presented by former BBC weather presenter, Heather Reid. Heather (The Weather) led staff in stimulating, practical morning and afternoon sessions looking at weather related CfE Level 2 experiences and outcomes in science, numeracy, social subjects and a host of other possibilities for learning and teaching.

The morning session looked at the impact of weather on our world, and considered, for example, the difference between weather and climate. Heather’s presentation included many dramatic images of weather related events. Staff were highly engaged in water based experiments prepared by Heather and were amazed to see the results of their alchemy! Today’s CPD event was planned in preparation of each school receiving 2 video conference presentations from Heather in the coming weeks live direct and interactive from the Glasgow Science Centre.

Every Thursday one of our tutors, Grant Golding, delivers brass lessons (trumpet, trombone) to young people in primary schools across Dumfries & Galloway. Grant has been working as a virtual tutor with Dumfries & Galloway for 7 years. We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in delivering live interactive lessons in HD quality to students in remote rural schools on a weekly basis.

Since November 2005, instrumental music lessons have been delivered to young people across Dumfries & Galloway via live video conferencing. Brian Renwick (woodwind tutor) is seen hear giving a flute lesson to a pupil. In addition to visiting certain schools, Brian also delivers lessons live from Lochside Education Centre in Dumfries to pupils in schools across the region.

Last Thursday, at the ADES (Association of Directors of Education) conference at the Westerwood Hotel, Cumbernauld I was very honoured to be in the company of Gordon Brown to hear him speaking on global education issues. The UK’s former prime minister has taken on the role of Special Envoy for Global Education for the United Nations.

He was very challenging (in a non-political way) to everyone in the room as to how each of us might support his mission of bringing education to all children in the world. He spoke very passionately of the value of education to children across the world and of his hopes and plans to improve matters in a radical way. His challenge to us was for us to support and encourage  Scottish schools to lead the way in linking and partnering schools in Africa and India in the next few years, particularly as internet connectivity continues to improve in these places.

I’m hoping our schools in Dumfries & Galloway can continue to build links with schools in areas of need in the world, possibly through our growing video conference infrastructure in all secondary and many primary schools.

I could listen to this again and again. A great mix of orchestra, piano, light and shade, aspiration, inspiration, perspiration….or is it just me? I think it’s brilliant. In 1988 I was just getting underway with composing with digital technology for the first time. I’m told by the guy who had the first Korg M1 in the UK (Ian Watson) that I got the second one  –  what a keyboard, with 8 track digital sequencer, did my first piece for the BBC using it in 1989.
This piece by David Foster really inspired me and still gives goose pimples when I hear it. Here it is  –  the official olympic theme from the Winter Games in Calgary 1988 played by Håvard Gimse and Kringkastingsorkestret. Enjoy.

I met Heather (the Weather) Reid at the Glasgow Science Centre today to discuss plans for delivery of climate change lessons for upper primary kids (age 8-11) in Dumfries & Galloway schools. We’re planning for Heather to lead sessions from the Science Centre directly into certain primary school classrooms via a bespoke Video Conferencing programme of delivery. It’s proposed that Heather will lead a CPD session (in Dumfries) for teachers involved in the programme early in January. The lessons for kids will be led by Heather via video-link directly into classrooms. Two interactive presentations (an hour each) will be delivered to each school involved between January and March 2013. Lessons will address Curriculum for Excellence Science Experiences & Outcomes at Level 2. Climate change issues, renewable energy sources and our oceans will be addressed in the class presentations.

Our plans with this are certainly new and innovative. However, I’m very hopeful and expectant that teachers will appreciate and value the support Heather can give to further developing learning in science in our schools.

Heather fronted BBC Scotland’s weather reporting from 1994 – 2009. She was chairman of the Institute of Physics in Scotland from 1999 until 2001, is a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society and has an honorary lectureship in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Glasgow.

20 years ago, when I was but a lad, I had a recording studio with a 1 Meg Macintosh (see picture!) in Newton Mearns, Glasgow. I’ve now set up a new music recording studio in a farmhouse in the Dumfries & Galloway countryside. I was inspired by the London Olympic Games (and Mr Bean) to compose an Olympic tune in memory of Eric Liddell, the great Scottish athlete, in the style of one of my musical heroes, Vangelis, so here it is.

Eric  © Upbeat Music 2012

Sally Magnusson and Norman Stone gave a presentation promoting their new kids book ‘Horace and the Haggis Hunter’ at the Wigtown Book Festival on Saturday. I took my daughter Eilidh (10) along to the show in the Children’s Marquee. Great fun with an appearance made at the appropriate moment by Horace. Sally and Norman came back to our house after the event   –  it was great to spend some time with them. Eilidh was particularly pleased to have her book receive a very special drawing autograph by Norman.

On Friday, the 6th year of the Lockerbie Jazz Festival kicked off in style with a live video conference to Primary 6 kids (aged 10) in Lockerbie Academy. The children took part in a live interactive video conference link with musicians from the Manhattan School of Music, New York. The presentation, entitled ‘Journey through Jazz’ introduced the kids to jazz styles in a fun, stimulating, engaging and fun session. Cutting edge technology, brilliant musicianship, great learning environment  –  cool way to kick off the Lockerbie Jazz Festival!