S2 will be off timetable for the day, and set a number of challenges to get them working together.  Sessions include literacy treasure hunt, numeracy outdoor challenge, a design challenge and a physical assault course.

Pupils will be given instructions for the day through our VLC media player – software that allows us to man information on one computer and show on every dataprojector in the school.  Crazy talk software will be used to give pupils team building tasks and instructions to 9 classrooms simultaniously.

Classes will then compete in the four areas mentioned above to earn points for their respective houses.  Clues are going up around the school this week; equipment is being gathered for the numeracy challenges (think Die Hard with a vengeance where Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson have to diffuse a bomb by placing 4 gallons of water on a set of scales…); the TA have been invited in to work with our PE staff and pasta has been purchased for the design challenge!

The hard work of preparing has begun in earnest. Watch this space…

Content also delivered at Intermediate 1 has not been included below.  Everything that was included in the Int 1 NAB is also included this time.  You MUST also read the post for Intermediate 1 PCI! 

In addition you must know how to… 

1 Use the internet to search for and extract information for a given purpose:   

insert hyperlink to URL in a word processing document 

2 Use ICT to present and communicate information: 

Candidates must be able to carry out the following when creating or completing word processing documents: customise bullets and numbering | insert headers and footers with name, date, time and filename | shade text | border text | indent paragraphs | insert page breaks | customise automatic page numbering Tables – merge cells | rotate text within cells | insert borders around table and cells | insert shading within cells | use autosum feature, average and sum formulae | sort lists — single level sort use an e-diary | schedule meeting | schedule recurrent meetings |  navigate the calendar, eg finding appointments, dates or notes 

3 Use presentation software to present and communicate information: 

Create presentations and amend existing presentations:insert text using two fonts | find and replace text | change line spacing and font size | align, distribute and group objects | change slide content layout | apply slide transitions | import data or chart from spreadsheetchange slide order | use slide master to: apply and change background | apply and change colour scheme | apply and change design templates | define and redefine fonts and styles | insert footer objects | insert action buttons (next slide, previous slide, first slide, last slide) hyperlinked to other slides within the presentation | customise bullets and numbers

Forte, who sold a CD of local bands, will now go on to represent Forth Valley at the Scottish Finals on 17 June.

Points from IT faculty discussion: 

• Work more closely with associated primaries (pupils and staff).  Already have Citizenship/Sports Days however would like to look at more projects across whole school.  Resources (staffing) an issue but could look at study leave time.  
• Current S1/S2 courses currently aligned to SG/Int/H courses – need to move away from this.
• All faculty staff in favour of group/rich task approach.
• Agree that S1/S2 timetable does have contact with too many teachers – need to reduce. [One national report suggested as few as 11 - we felt this was too radical]
• Need to get back to basics with S1.
• What do we want pupils to achieve/gain from our subject if they do not take it in senior school?
• Need for more cross curricular events so that pupils can better understand what and why they are learning.  
• Teach pupils how to learn, active learning, learning to learn, critical skills – staff require training in these areas no longer only subject specific staff development.
• Agreed with many of the points from Learning and Teaching Scotland Report on secondary thinking groups

 Proposal: 

• Friday pm cross curricular for all pupils – could include Eco club, Enterprise groups, School Radio – not just sport.
• S1 Induction Day in August – each pupil setup on school network, folders for all areas, Glow log in etc.  Could also include a team building task.  Not just IT staff involved.  Need for staff to build relationships with S1 pupils.  
• S2/S3 Semester approach – Induction Days at start of each semester – first semester starts in August.  Option choice – 3 semesters per session; 3 elective areas per session – work as mixed S2/S3 groups (draft timetable attached).
• Electives would be a mixture of introduction to courses, intermediate courses, advanced courses, cross-curricular courses, rich task courses.

 S2/3 Proposed schematic 

• Pupils choose new electives every 12 weeks (3 semesters)
• Aligned with the principles of curriculum design -
• Challenge and enjoyment (12 week courses that allow mixed year teaching, beginner courses do not rely on NQ course content);
• Breadth (18 courses allow pupils to cover many curricular areas, inevitably choices will come from all 8 curricular areas);
• Progression (beginner, intermediate and advanced courses available);
• Depth (model allows for pupils to choose progression and depth in the subject areas that interest them);
• Personalisation and choice (pupils choose their electives every 12 weeks – not pupil support);  
• Coherence and relevance (courses need to be written to be alligned with the 4 capacaties)
• Maths, English and PE considered the only core subjects
• Electives include single subjects (at different levels), cross curricular topics, rich tasks
• Friday afternoon – sport and non-sports activities

With that in mind I thought I would remind you all of MySQA – the SQA text service that allows you to receive your exam results by email and text.  Leave a comment to let me know how you get on.

Click here to sign up.  (You will need your SQA candidate number)

Websites like the BBC have started to use it as another way to display breaking news.  What role, if any, does twitter have in education?  Could it be used as homework reminders, or to discuss short questions with your teacher?  Lets experiment:  comment if you use twitter and let me know how it could help you study!

http://twitter.com/Alan_Hamilton

Question Paper

The paper examines knowledge and understanding, problem solving, critical thinking and decision making. The paper requires you to apply their knowledge and understanding to the current situation of a particular business

The paper will consist of two sections, One and Two.

Section One will consist of extended response interpretation items related to a case study of a business while Section Two will be extended response questions.

The paper will have a total of 100 marks.

Questions in both sections may focus on particular areas of Course content but there will also be questions which provide an opportunity to integrate topics across all areas of the Course content.

These integrative questions may cover topics from two or more of the three Units which comprise the Course.

Section One (total marks available 50)This section of the paper will assess knowledge and understanding, problem solving, critical thinking and decision making.

It will consist of a case study of a business organisation with a number of extended response questions totalling 50 marks. You will be expected to attempt all questions. The questions will require you to interpret the information in the case study and to explain, analyse and evaluate the situation faced by the company. The number of marks allocated to each question will vary depending on the nature of the response required. You may be required to assume a management position and make decisions necessary to solve problems. You have to make specific reference to the case study. You will have to recall information from both the Higher and Advanced Higher courses. Your Business Investigation research techniques will come in handy here.

The case study will be about 1250 words long and will explain the current situation of a Scottish based organisation. It will be based on information from company annual reports but may also include information from the newspaper or magazine articles and from company websites or other internet sources. The case study will be supplemented by a small number of exhibits containing additional information such as extracts from company accounts, details of the internal and external environment faced by the company and quotes from leading managers in the company.

You may be asked to:

· 

analyse the information given and identify the problems

· 

evaluate the significance of the context in which the case study is located

· 

examine critically the issues faced by managers and any constraints on them

· 

devise solutions and make recommendations for managerial action

· 

justify their recommendations.

Section Two (total marks 50)This section of the paper will assess knowledge and understanding and critical thinking.

· 

It will consist of four questions drawn from any part of the Course content.

· 

You should attempt any TWO questions.

· 

Each question will require extended answers and will be worth 25 marks.

· 

Questions maybe divided into two or more parts.

In the Section Two you are expected to make use of wider knowledge and understanding in their answers. The case study may provide a stimulus for questions and you may use examples from it in their responses. Section Two questions will widen the coverage of the assessment to reflect more fully the Course content. You are expected to refer to examples of other organisations and to refer to business issues which are not covered directly in the case study.

Read the case study and questions carefully. Take your time, chose your section 2 questions wisely, and GOOD LUCK!