SBEA Conference 2008

Just back from Perth and was funny to bump into quite a few familiar faces.

The Key Note speaker was Colin Temple, MD of Schuh and his presentation was interesting as it gave us an insight into the timeline of Schuh's ups and downs and reasons/explanations for them. He was also an advocate of reducing his firm's carbon footprint, so perhaps he may be a useful contact for our Eco Group. I made sure I got his card!!!

I also attended the Higher/Int 2 Business Management Command Words seminar, and again there were some useful ideas which I intend to put into practice with my class next week. I attended a similar Higher Admin programme run by Pamela Brown and Karen McLeod of South Lanarkshire which was pretty helpful. It gave general examples of how to answer questions with the different command words eg COMPARE Madonna and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. The kids loved it when I tried it. I held off doing one for Higher BM since I know there are slight differences between the subject's command words even though they are under the umbrella of Business Education.

Mr Paul Gallanagh, PT of Dunoon Grammar - and an old school friend of mine - displayed some aspects of aCfE in action with an innovative use of greenscreen technology (ChromaKey as it is called) with History pupils creating a show investigating the Wars of Scottish Independence. The kids wrote, presented, edited and produced the show on their own. Paul was an award winning project leader at Our Lady and Saint Patrick's in Dumbarton and created the UK's first school TV station - OLSP TV. I am currently working away in the shadows on a few ideas of my own which will be revealed in the near future. In the meantime, just keep your eyes on TeacherTube. (BTW congratulations to Alva Academy who have created quite a few vids on TeacherTube). Pity my own wee vids never made it to Reporting Scotland, but then again give me time people of Hamilton....

Financial Education was the last port of call in a busy day (the lunch was pretty good at the Dewar Centre!!!) and Jim Lally talked us through some ideas to help us nip our Headie's head until they get Business Education (and not Maths, Home Eccies or PSE) back at the forefront of financial ed.

Lastly, with everything that is going on in aCfE, it really has made me wonder whether some of the sterling work that our own Faculty has done over the last couple of years could indeed be adapted for aCfE. Though personally I have some good ideas of my own which I am keeping to myself just now. But all I am saying is that I believe there should be more of the National Priorities and Transferable Skills embedded into the S1-S3 course which we will ultimately end up having to write.

But it HAS, it MUST contain some elements of Business Education and not just be a vehicle for ICT or else the Faculty system will have failed teachers, parents and most of all our pupils.

So let's have a S1-S3 curriculum that can educate, inform and entertain BUT it has to also be relevant. I am afraid to say it could spell the end of the weemee culture we have in our school!!!