3.          Including a Global Dimesnsion – 1st July

The curriculum is changing and so is the world. It is essential that everyone involved in education is able to include the Global Dimension–

Bristol and South Glos Global Education Network (GLEN) invites you to a workshop to analyse the ways schools, organisations and the local authorities can do it better in Bristol and South Glos
2 workshops will be run from 1pm-4.30pm on Tuesday 1st July at UWE
Frenchay Campus, Education Building, S Block

Places are restricted to one representative per organisation
Please contact Tim at African Initiatives to book before June 20th
0117 941 5973 or
tim@african-initiatives.org.uk

4.          Local Refugee Week Events – 15th-21st June

15. Refugee week Sing and Slam competition 15-21 June –

5-21 June 2008 is National Refugee Week. In Bristol, there is an
exciting programme of events raising awareness of refugees in our
community, celebrating their contribution and the UK's tradition of
providing sanctuary to those whose lives are in danger. All events are
listed on www.bristolrefugeeweek.co.uk

Refugee Action's Refugee Awareness Project can support you to celebrate
Refugee Week in your school with lesson plans, assembly ideas, loan of
materials and booklets, badges, pens, posters and postcards. This year
schools are now able to download materials from the Refugee Week website by clicking on ‘info centre’ at www.refugeeweek.org.uk. 
You can also order from me by calling 0117 941 5973 or
ClaireS@refugee-action.org.uk

Last year the following schools used Refugee Action materials or invited us to
work with them on a Refugee Week activity:
Hengrove Community Arts College, Marlwood Secondary School, Speedwell
Technology College , Bannerman Road Primary School, Monks Park Secondary
School, Fairfield Secondary School. Anecdotal feedback from these
schools was that their events were a great success and pupils enjoyed
the interactive activities particularly.

This year there is a unique opportunity for young people to get
involved though the Sing 'n' Slam Refugee Week Competition in
collaboration with REMIX. We're looking for young people to write
songs, raps or poems around refugee awareness. The competition will be
judged in three age categories 8-11, 12-15 and 16 -18. You can enter
the competition as a soloist, duet or in any sized group.

Claire Stern, Refugee Action. Tel: 0117 941 5973. Tel::07810 637 260
Email: ClaireS@refugee-action.org.uk. Web: http://www.refugee-action.org.uk/

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4.          Funds and free materials for Citizenship – Citizenship Foundation Giving Nation Challenge 2008

Thanks to all the citizenship focused teachers for inviting the Citizenship Foundation into schools. They've just registered their 200th school for the Giving Nation Challenge 2008!
Their team has visited over 170 schools in the past five weeks.

• They are visiting 130 schools through to June and taking further bookings now.
• They are accepting grant applications for schools to run the GN Challenge 2008/09.

The Giving Nation Challenge offers schools up to £450 FREE cash and FREE high quality curriculum materials. Up to nine classes can enter. Each class gets £50.
To book your appointment Call: 0207 566 4141
Email: gninfo@citizenshipfoundation.org.uk or contact Richard John on 020 7566 4152.
Website: http://www.g-nation.co.uk/challenge

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5.          School link with India? – Opportunity from the British Council

There is an opportunity from the British Council for schools in your area to link and work internationally with schools in Asia in support of a local theme or initiative in education.
Through a UKIERI school link with India (or a funded cluster link elsewhere in Asia) schools can address the global dimension and deliver 'compelling learning experiences'.
Through either an existing or newly formed cluster group in the UK, schools can get to know each other and explore collaborative working – addressing community cohesion, diversity issues, communication skills, amongst other themes - whilst offering shared learning about their locality and community.
Both strands are an integral part of the programme, which includes funding and visits for teachers as well as CPD opportunities.
Please do let us know if you'd like more details or have any particular interest to raise; or please forward this mail to colleagues who might like to promote this offer to local schools.
This initiative will enable participating schools to qualify for the DCSF International School Award (intermediate), which is featured on the 2007-8 school SEF. 
What happens next?
We then provide you with flyers that you can forward to your schools, OR we can work directly with you as a coordinator for a cluster project in your authority (NB being a local authority coordinator relates ONLY to secondaries).
Hope to hear from you. Please let me know if you'd like to work with another authority on this (a joint cluster) and I will try to put people in touch.
Liz Hitchcock, 020 7389 4817, Liz.Hitchcock@britishcouncil.org, www.globalgateway.org

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6.          Grounds4Change – living classrooms

Grounds4Change is a not-for-profit community environment action organisation involved in a variety of environmental and educational initiatives across Bristol.
Grounds4change are working with pupils at schools across Bristol to develop ‘living classrooms’.  These are outdoor area of the school that are designed for learning experiences. A package of educational activities is offered that engage pupils and teachers in the growing cycle of herbs, vegetables, fruit and plants.  Schools can work with us to define your own living classroom package to address your own school environment and schemes of work.  Choose from the following:

• Landscaping to provide a good quality learning environment
• Pupil consultation
• Supervised plating and gardening experience
• Supplementary workshops (curriculum focused) in the Living Classroom or the traditional classroom
• Follow-up lesson plans for related learning
• Teacher training

Funding support is available
To build a Living Classroom with Grounds4Change contact Becky Johnson, 0117 969 3815, becky@grounds4change.co.uk, www.grounds4change.co.uk

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8.          Liz Astle is back.... Environmental Workshops

Environmental Opportunities for schools - The Corner Garden in Easton offers environmental workshops for schools KS1-4, linked in with the curriculum, Every Child Matters, Healthy Schools and Eco Schools. Activities can include - learning about wildlife and diversity - bug hotels; science in the garden; green woodworking; forest school and 'from the ground onto our plate'.

Contact Beth Astle for more information and to book your workshop now. 07875136040, bethastle@yahoo.co.uk

9.          Olympics And China Resources

Katie Keenan, from the One World Centre, Isle of Man, asked about resources relating to the Olympics and China, and we've had a few responses:

From Celia Mather (DEC(SY) Exec member and outgoing DEA Trustee):

- PlayFair 2008 (http://www.playfair2008.org/) is the ongoing campaign for the rights of workers in the global sporting goods industry, saying that the Olympic principles of 'fair play' should also apply to the workers who produce the team kits; for example, it puts pressure on the IOC, which was very unresponsive in Athens in 2004, and National Olympics Committees, some of whom have agreed to source only from ethical suppliers. Resources include: 'No Medal for the Olympics on Labour Rights' http://www.playfair2008.org/docs/playfair_2008-report.pdf

- The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), which is part of the PlayFair 2008 alliance, has reports of what happened in the PlayFair 2004 campaign around Europe/Scandinavia in the run-up to Athens, and the responses by teams, sportswear companies etc. And here is a summary of their plans for 2008 http://www.cleanclothes.org/news/newsletter24-06.htm. Labour Behind the Label is the UK member of the CCC coalition http://www.labourbehindthelabel.org/

- CCC also has reports and links on labour rights in China; for example, a recent urgent appeal concerning violence against a migrants rights centre http://www.cleanclothes.org/urgent/07-12-13.htm and the report of a strike at a factory producing toys for Disney http://www.cleanclothes.org/companies/disney07-09-19.htm, both from Shenzhen, one of the big industrial areas producing consumer goods for the world market.

- 'China Blue' is a US-made DVD, filmed clandestinely in a jeans factory in China, 2005. http://www.teddybearfilms.com/chinablue/ See also http://www.cleanclothes.org/campaign/dvd_china_blue.htm

- 'Women Migrant Workers Under the Chinese Social Apartheid', a report published by the Committee for Asian Women: http://www.cawinfo.org/pdf/final_10.pdf

- For deeper analysis on labour rights in China see China Labour Bulletin: http://www.china-labour.org.hk/en/

Sue Errington tells us that Devon Development Education are just putting the finishing touches to a 'Resource Kit: China and the Beijing Olympics', aimed at Key Stage 2 and are awaiting the arrival of a specially ordered resource kit from China, to go with the printed resource. They will have 100 kits for sale and can order more if required. This work has not been funded as a project by a grant, but arose from the interest of the team at DDE.

The kit aims to enable primary schools to explore issues around the Olympic and Paralympic Games and China in the 21st century. It uses Olympic ideals and symbols to explore China today and includes a cross-curricula resource pack, a photo pack (12 photos), Chinese flags, a map of China, chopsticks and other artefacts made in China by a company that ensures workers are treated fairly. The written resources have been developed by a team of local and Chinese educators. The kit costs £50 and can be ordered from: dde@globalcentredevon.wanadoo.co.uk.

Pete Speller drew attention to an organisation he represents called Students for a Free Tibet UK - a network of campus-based campaign groups set up and run by students. Their main campaign at the moment is the Olympics and they have a lot of information on the Olympics and China's human rights abuses in Tibet, as well as other places. For further information visit: http://www.sftuk.org; http://www.freetibet.blog.co.uk and http://www.studentsforafreetibet.org or email Peter at pete@sftuk.org.

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10.          Developing a Culturally Inclusive Curriculum– Newam EMAT Training Materials and Lesson Plans

This training pack for primary teachers has been designed to help teachers explore concepts of multiculturalism and inclusion, to build their confidence in creatively adapting the curriculum and to support them in addressing the sensitive issues, such as racism, that arise in the classroom.The subject related booklets provide examples of schemes of work and lesson plans that can be used as starting points for teachers wishing to adapt the curriculum to ensure that it builds on children's cultural experience as well as introducing them to new material.
There is CD with an electronic copy of the pack and teaching resources, and a DVD with 3 short films of the units on Benjamin Zephaniah, Toys and Parent Bilingual Storytelling.

Distribution of this resource is being handled by Mantra Lingua 020 8445 5123 or email at info@mantralingua.com.

11.          Young Diasporas: Longing and belonging – Resource From World Educational Development Group (WEDG)

This resource is built around the life stories of young people who live in Kent, but have roots in and connections with other parts of the world. They have dreams, aspirations and difficulties – like everyone else. They long for a normal life; they want to belong. There are stories of kindness and solidarity. There are also stories of tension, racism, bullying and violence that make the heart sink. What lifts it right back up is the refusal to let courage, spirit and optimism be dented.

Supplemented by a CD-ROM, hyperlinks to online resources and extensive teaching notes, this collection is for teachers of Citizenship, English, Geography and PSHE at Key Stages 2 and 3.

For sample stories and ordering, contact WEDG (web: http://www.wedg.org.uk/
email: info@wedg.org.uk, tel: 01227 766552). Price £10 plus £2.50 postage.

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12.          TrueTube – Free Online Resource

TrueTube is a free online resource for schools providing a platform for debate on social, ethical and political issues.

It provides a safe, pre-moderated platform for young people to use the internet. Short video clips encourage them to think, discuss and engage with moral and ethical issues that matter, inspiring them to become involved in changing the world for the better.

The issues explored are organised into 'debates' under the following headings: Music, HIV/Aids, Race and culture, Faith, Body and image, Community, Love and sex, Environment, Crime and punishment. Truetube kick-starts each new topic for debate by providing a wealth of short films, information and statistics which offer a range of polarised views on the same issue and are deliberately chosen to start a debate, inspire involvement and promote further research. Users can post comments in response to what they have viewed. There is also an editing suite on the site, enabling users to upload and edit their own films.

For teachers, the site also has a range of materials that are currently being piloted. These are based on the films and linked to (QCA) curriculum documents and exam specifications in English (Media), Citizenship/PSHE, RE and Geography.

Take a look by visiting: www.truetube.co.uk

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13.          Climate Change Photopack For Secondary Schools – CAFOD

CAFOD are sending secondary schools new packs for Geography & RE, including stories from CAFOD's partners. The text and photos from the pack are online now, see: http://www.cafod.org.uk/secondary/all-resource-packs-/environment/climate-change-pack?dm_i=235974096

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14.          Heroes - Christian Aid's New Mpower Resource

Who are the real heroes in life? This latest youth leader resource from Christian Aid's mpower series highlights some of them - real people who go the extra mile to make a difference in their world. People like Marlon, an ex-gang member who is helping to promote peace in Guatemala, one of the most violent countries in Latin America. You can order or download the resource, plus accompanying materials, at: http://learn.christianaid.org.uk/YouthLeaderResources/mpowerheroes.aspx

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15.         Citizenship Foundation Responds To Review Of Primary Curriculum

The Citizenship Foundation was pleased to be invited to contribute to the Citizenship Review being undertaken by Lord Goldsmith due to report to the Prime Minister in March.
In their joint paper 'Citizenship Education in the Primary Curriculum', leading Citizenship Foundation educationalists Marguerite Heath, Project Manager Go-Givers; Don Rowe, Director Curriculum Resources, and Tony Breslin, Chief Executive assert that Citizenship should be granted the same Foundation Subject status in the primary school that it enjoys in the secondary phase.
The authors contend that as long as Citizenship remains non-statutory in the primary phase, it will remain a second-class member of the curriculum, under-resourced and less well placed to achieve the ambitious social aims expected of it. The authors' view is that it is important that our education system realises these aims for the wider benefit of our society and our democracy.
For more information and to have your say visit:
http://www.citizenshipfoundation.org.uk/main/news.php?n577

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16.          Young People Leading Change

A Summary of RECENT DCSF Publication

This DCSF publication follows up the government’s launch in July 2007 of Aiming high for young people: a ten year strategy for positive activities.  It sets out the vision that by 2018 more young people, particularly the most disadvantaged, will be leading action to address the problems faced by other young people and be recognised and welcomed as leaders of change for the benefit of wider society.  The main elements of this are that many more young people will be:

• mentoring and supporting their peers as well as helping vulnerable adults in their communities;
• leading projects which bring together communities divided by cultural difference and prejudice, and using their leadership skills to help them find common ground;
• leading independent campaigns and engaged in fundraising;
• empowered by and working with government to influence policy on a national and international stage;
• helping to tackle disadvantage by leading regeneration projects and home-grown social enterprises;
• empowered by their local council to take a leading role in shaping the local offer of activities and services for teenagers and leading these activities themselves.

 

Source: Document Summary Service 2008.  University of Bristol Graduate School of Education, 35, Berkeley Square, Bristol, BS8 1JA.: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/education/enterprise/docsum

For more information contact Tim.

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17.          Envolve Job Vacancy

Envolve Schools Officer

Envolve now seeks an Eco-Schools Officer to promote and support Eco-Schools in Bath & North East Somerset. The project is currently funded for one year and has specific targets around helping schools to become more sustainable, with a particular focus on energy reduction. The post requires someone with solid professional experience of working in education, who can communicate effectively with school managers, teachers and pupils. Familiarity with the Eco-Schools programme would be an advantage. We are looking for someone with good understanding of sustainability issues and the enthusiam and training / teaching skills to enable schools to make these a practical reality.

17.5 hrs/wk (half time), initially for one year (ideally August 2008 - July 2009)

Salary £18,902 pro rata (review pending)

Application closing date: 5pm, Friday 27th June 2008.Interview date:Wednesday 9th July 2008

For application pack contact Envolve (web: http://www.envolve.org.uk/
email: claire.shakespeare@envolve.org.uk,

ENDS

Thanks for reading. Teachers’ Forum is your forum so do send any comments or suggestions to Tim Anfield. T: 0117 916 6452 E: tim@african-initiatives.org.uk

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African Initiatives is a social justice organisation working with communities and their organisations in Africa by providing resources,
advice, training and advocacy. We advocate the right of all people to a life
of dignity and to fully participate in the social, political and economic
decisions that affect their lives.
In the UK we are committed to development education and advocacy.
Bringing an understanding of the interconnectedness of this world.
Visit www.african-initiatives.org.uk

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