Higher Order Skills
Increasingly it is becoming clear that 'deep learning' has to be the central focus of Curriculum for Excellence. Knowledge remains essential. But we must go further. Learners have to develop understanding and the capacity to turn knowledge to useful effect. To do this, they have to have skills and, in particular, higher order cognitive skills like analysis, synthesis and creativity.
This conference on Higher Order Skills is concerned with these advanced skills. It will consider how teachers can use Building the Curriculum 4 and there will be a particular focus on the report of the Higher Order Skills Excellence Group. For a short article by Keir Bloomer on Higher Order Skills follow this link to the Scottish Government website Knowledge alone is not enough.
The target audience is local authority officers, senior managers in primary and secondary schools, principal teachers and faculty heads, teachers in primary and secondary schools and college lecturers. The conference will also be of interest to all agencies which work with schools.
Programme
09.15 – 10.00 Coffee and registration
10.00 – 10.05 Introduction - David Cameron
10.05 – 10.40 Group Activity
Led by Keir Bloomer and Chris McIlroy
10.40 – 11.25 Keir Bloomer
Keir will discuss the nature of advanced skills and why they are important in the education of every young person. He will consider how to identify skills using the Experiences and Outcomes and plan for their development.
11.25 – 11.55 Coffee
11.55 – 12.40 Chris McIlroy
Chris will talk about planning for skills development, learning and teaching approaches, assessment and recording progress in skills.
12.40 – 13.30 Lunch
13.30 – 14.15 Workshops - Session A
14.20 – 15.05 Workshops – Session B
15.10 – 15.30 Panel Session
15.30 – 15.35 Closing remarks – David Cameron
The final remarks will draw together lessons from the day and look at how we can move forward successfully.
Date : 3 October 2011
Time : 10.00 - 15.30
Price : £115.00 - *Price excluding VAT
Venue : Stirling Management Centre
Address : University of Stirling
City : Stirling
Post Code : FK9 4LA
Chris McIlroy
Chris has over 40 years' experience of primary education and curriculum development. Until recently he had Chief Inspector responsibilities for the professional training programme for HMI, for equalities and for the coordination of HMIE advice on Curriculum for Excellence. Prior to that, he was responsible as Chief Inspector for the inspection of primary schools and pre-school centres. He joined HMI in 1991 and held posts as lead inspector for primary and pre-school education, and as district inspector for Renfrewshire and South Ayrshire.
Before joining HMI in Scotland, Chris was headteacher of Yoker Primary School in Glasgow for almost 12 years and taught in primary schools in Scotland and England. He was a member or convenor of a variety of working groups on curriculum and management. He worked for two years as a Senior Curriculum Officer with the Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum, serving on national working parties on curriculum, assessment, reporting and staff development.
Keir Bloomer
Keir is an independent education consultant. He is also Chair of the Tapestry Partnership, Vice-convenor of Children in Scotland and Chair-designate of the Court of Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.
From the time of the reorganisation of Scottish local government in 1996 until November 2000, he was Executive Director of Education and Community Services with Clackmannanshire Council and was President of the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland for the year 1999/2000. Subsequently he became Chief Executive of the Council, a post from which he retired in May 2007.
He was a member of the review group which wrote "A Curriculum for Excellence", Scotland's national curriculum policy statement, having previously been one of the advisers to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee of the Scottish Parliament in connection with its inquiry into the purposes of education. He co-authored the curriculum for excellence guides to developing professional practice. Most recently he has chaired the government's Excellence Group on higher order skills.
Why Skills Matter - Keir Bloomer, Education Consultant
Keir discusses the nature of advanced skills and why they are important in the education of every young person. He considers how to identify skills using the Experiences and Outcomes and plan for their development.