Don Ledingham’s Learning Log

Robert Virtue, Principal Teacher of Craft, Design and Technology at Musselburgh Grammar School, speaks up for Scottish education when he describes some of the work completed by 14 year olds at the school.  He shows us an example of integrated project work where rather than following one unit of study [...]

Adam Sutcliffe from the Huntly Schools becomes the first person to submit a Speak up for Scottish Education interview on their fantastic “Giving Poverty the Boot” programme.

Kirsty Robertson, Staff Development Officer for East Lothian Council Education Service, Speaks up for Scottish Education as she describes the innovative First Steps into Leadership programme which she and colleagues have developed over the last two years.

Link: Speak up for Scottish Education
I’d be delighted to accept positive examples of your practice  (in fact it doesn’t even have to be about your practice - it could be a colleague, your child’s teacher, or someone you know is doing brilliant things) .  All you have to do is set [...]

I’ve been called most things in my career but a new one came my way last week when I was described as an “inconvenient thinker”. 
Not sure if was meant to be an insult or a compliment?
On reflection I’m probably quite chuffed that someone took the trouble to come up with such an inventive epithet……………………..I think.
It reminded [...]

Our ideas for Community Ownership of Schools received some unexpected publicity today in the Scotsman.
It’s interesting that this came out today at a time when I was about to post some of my recent research into the UK’s Government’s support for the Co-operative Trust Model .  Ed Balls, the Cabinet Officer with responsibility for education [...]

The 2007 OECD Report on Quality and Equity in Scottish Education recorded that the effect of low socio-economic status is more marked in Scotland than in most other member countries. 
The challenge to reduce the negative impact of background is one which exercises the minds of many in Scottish Education today.
And so it was with great interest [...]

This is a draft of my next article for the Times Educational Supplement Scotland.  It’s based on a previous post with a good dollop of ideas borrowed from my good friend John Connell.
 
I reckon one of the greatest challenges facing Scottish education is the way in which people use the third person plural in a negative sense.
Listen to [...]

Just noticed that Peter Morris’ comment was the 4000th I’ve received since August 2005.  When you think I’ve only written 866 posts that equates to 4.6 comments to every post - which is a very healthy average. 
I find it incredibly useful to receive comments - even if they appear negative - as they help to shape [...]

The BBC’s Politics Show Scotland carried a piece on our evolving ideas for Community Ownership of Schools.  It was headlined as being about Trust Schools and showed two very interesting reflections on Jordanhill School in Glasgow and Ashington Learning Partnership in England.
You can see the programme on BBC iplayer for the next seven days.  You need to [...]