The High Road to Scotland

Posted on | October 30, 2009 | 4 Comments

Samuel Johnson once said, “The noblest prospect which a Scotchman ever sees is the high road that leads him to England.” Many of us who were at the recent Handheld Learning 2009 conference in London will beg to differ. As far as pushing the boat out technologically is concerned, the opposite is probably true.

It became increasingly obvious, in the Spotlight Scotland session, that the Scots enjoy a set-up which cannot but help make the rest of us slightly green with envy.

So writes Terry Freedman on Merlin John’s great website. Terry quotes Sue Finnegan, assistant manager of the Sheffield East CLC:

I’m impressed by the common vision for education in Scotland which shows in every speaker whether technical, curriculum or more senior. Regarding LTS, it appears that ICT in general is used as a tool to underpin and support all other initiatives – as it should be.

I have never made to the Handheld Learning Conference, but it must indeed be an impressive sight to witness the annual invasion from the north. From games-based learning to Glow to CANVAS to a whole host of other innovative teaching through technology happening across the country, much of it on the back of the burgeoning Curriculum for Excellence (which some, naively, dismiss as a ‘content-free curriculum’), there is much to be pleased with here in Scotland.

However, we are Scottish, so, of course, we will keep our feet on the ground and not allow ourselves to get too pleased with ourselves. But fun will continue to be had, oh yes! Onwards and upwards!

Technorati Tags: terry freedman, merlin john, hhl09, scottish education, glow, consolarium, canvas, curriculum for excellence

Category: content, creativity, curriculum, design, education, fun, glow, ict, innovation, pedagogy, scotland, teaching, technology

Comments

4 Responses to “The High Road to Scotland”

Anna Rossvoll
October 30th, 2009 @ 11:29 am

Feet firmly on the ground, John, but loving it!
John Connell
October 30th, 2009 @ 12:02 pm

Just the way it should be, Anna!
Terry Freedman
October 30th, 2009 @ 12:13 pm

Hey, you two: I think you can afford to let yourselves glow for a bit (but not TOO much)!!
John Connell
October 30th, 2009 @ 1:08 pm

Thanks for a good and generous article, Terry.

Our plaudits have to be for those still very much involved in changing classroom practice in Scotland; those, like me, who can only watch and comment from the sidelines these days, are just happy to see great people such as Anna, Ollie, Derek, Andrew and a host of other wonderful characters, too numerous to mention, doing what they are doing!