February 2011

The know zone

  • Crashing the system
    The difficulties that can ensue when a member of staff will not accept the authority of managers are highlighted in a startling case involving a school and an IT technician, says Richard Bird. More
  • Hotline
    The ASCL hotline is a completely confidential service available to answer members’ questions on issues that arise in school/college. More
  • Shedding pounds
    With the forthcoming pay freeze and funding constraints, there are challenging times ahead for school budgets. Ministers must base their decisions on more than just a diet of anecdotal evidence, says Sam Ellis. More
  • Lead vocals
    Quotes from Babe Ruth, Anthony J D'Angelo, Harold Wilson, Samuel Johnson, Albert Einstein. More
  • An eminent role?
    A former geography teacher and a head for nigh on 20 years, Lindsay Roy is MP for Glenrothes and Central Fife, a seat he originally won for Labour in a by-election in 2008. He’s a former president of Schools Leaders Scotland (previously Headteachers Association of Scotland) and an executive member of the International Confederation of Principals. More
  • Adding value
    The UK workforce took 180 million sick days in 2009, according to the latest CBI/Pfizer Absence and Workplace Health Survey. That’s the equivalent of 6.4 days per person. More
  • Teach the world
    Education charity Think Global helps schools to examine world poverty, climate change, sustainability and other matters of universal importance. More
  • No such thing as a free lunch?
    The pupil premium is intended to help disadvantaged children but is it the best strategy for raising a achievement and helping to level the funding playing field? School leaders share their views. More
  • Leaders' surgery
    The antidote to common leadership conundrums... More
  • Curriculum focus
    Anyone who expects 2011 to be any less packed with changes to the education system than 2010 is living under an illusion, says Brian Lightman. Where the curriculum is concerned an increasingly polarised debate could have dire consequences for young people. More
  • United we stand...
    EM Forster once urged us to 'only connect' – make connections between experience of life’s emotions and how those around you are suffering too. Rupert Tillyard has devised a quiz to test just how ‘connected’ you are. More
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Education charity Think Global helps schools to examine world poverty, climate change, sustainability and other matters of universal importance.

Teach the world

The Development Education Association has rebranded itself as Think Global – a name which “better reflects our work in the areas of global learning, sustainability and critical thinking,” says Chief Executive Hetan Shah.

The charity aims to educate people in the UK about poverty worldwide, climate change and a range of global issues and to promote understanding of how to create a more sustainable world. It works on numerous projects with schools.

Its members include many large development and environment non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as a network of development education centres and education NGOs around the UK.

What does it offer educators?

Think Global’s spin-off website, Global Dimension, (www.globaldimension.org.uk) provides a searchable guide of more than 1,000 books, films, posters and web resources which explore global, intercultural and environmental understanding. An e-newsletter, now published twice a term, informs teachers about the latest global education news and resources.

The main Think Global website site also includes a dedicated section on CPD with links to further training and development resources. Each year Think Global produces a wallplanner containing key global dates and activities. It is based around the school year and last year 110,000 were distributed to schools. The 2011-12 wallplanner should be available early in the summer term.

Research interests

In November 2009, the charity published Global Learning in Schools: A review of what works, a research paper examining what constitutes effective practice for global learning in schools, based on insights from existing literature, practitioners, academics and others involved in global learning in England. See www.think-global.org.uk/resources/item.asp?d=4308

In the spring there are plans to release research with both parents and teachers, examining the extent to which each group thinks global understanding can have an impact on outcomes for children such as engagement, future employability and responsible citizenship.

Events this year

Think Global is supporting climate week, 21-27 March. Thousands of events and activities all over the UK will showcase positive steps aimed at helping to combat climate change. The Climate Week Challenge (21 March) helps develop skills of innovation and teamwork and will involve thousands of teams in schools and workplaces. The challenge needs no preparation and you can do a one-day version or the one-hour Mini-Challenge. See www.climateweek.com/challenge

Other activities

Think Global and a group of charities have been drawing up guidelines to help fundraising work by schools to include an educational component. The guidelines, signed up to by 12 of the largest charities including Oxfam, the British Red Cross and Christian Aid, will be shared with schools in the form of a poster which will be available before the summer break.

Think Global is working closely with exam boards to help them to incorporate a global dimension into their qualifications and is also planning a new set of case studies to focus specifically on the relationship between global learning and key issues including engagement, attainment and behaviour.

Teach the world

LEADING READING