The Highland Council has launched a new online learning resource as the number of pupils self-isolating at home rises across the country.
Highland’s Online Primary School (HOPS) is designed to enhance the education of youngsters from P4 to P7 through a weekly timetable of daily lessons with engaging content.
The new tool, which can also be used by teachers to support learning in the classroom, is available on the authority’s already established Highland Schools Digital Hub.
Responding to the surge in the number of teachers unable to attend school because of the pandemic, HOPS can also be used to support primary curriculum delivery if the teacher is unavailable and the class is moved online.
Councillor John Finlayson, education chairman, said: “The extensive digital learning estate available across Highland for staff, pupils, parents and carers is an effective way to empower and develop digital opportunities across Highland schools.
“Our school estate is unique in Highland as we have 203 schools of different sizes across both rural and urban areas. Therefore, our digital learning estate must be flexible and resilient to meet the needs of each school’s local circumstances across the region.
“This is also important as Covid-19 continues to be present in our schools. As cases rise, the need for a dynamic and resilient digital learning estate is essential to support pupils and staff whether they are learning at home or in school.”
Created to compliment any work set by schools, HOPS will provide pupils with a full choice of curricular activities in line with Level 1 and Level 2 of the Curriculum for Excellence.
The council says the lessons are designed to encourage independent learning and can be used in a variety of contexts, alongside other resources available on the Highland Digital Schools Hub.
Other resources and tools for younger and older age groups are available on the Highland Schools Digital Hub, including Google Classroom, eSgoil, and SCHOLAR.
Gaelic learners also have access to a wide range of resources to support learning from S1 to Advanced Higher.
DigitalScotland 2022
25 Oct 2022
Why 2022 will be a significant year for digital learning
In 2022 the impact of technology in the classroom shows no sign of abating. The ‘pandemic years’ have proved critical in providing impetus for weaving and integrating powerful digital tools…
On the cyber horizon: predictions for 2022
As 2021 draws to a close, we see a world still challenged by Covid-19, necessitating new business models, new channels and a shift (perhaps for the long term) to remote…
Jude McCorry: “Focus on cyber strategy alone is not enough”
The number of cyber attacks has been on the rise since the start of the pandemic, with both international and domestic cyber criminals taking advantage of our increased reliance on…
Not a drop wasted: digital cask filling can save the whisky industry millions
Scotland’s food and drink sector is central to the country’s economy. Bringing in around £14 billion every year, it employs more than 115,000 people and accounts for one in five manufacturing…
The value of engineering in the curriculum
If you were to look back at the greatest discoveries in science and technology over the past 30 years, you would soon notice that engineering is a key catalyst for…
Glasgow Council leads the way in digital learning
In 2017, we at Glasgow City Council took the opportunity to overhaul our digital approach to education and redefine learning, keeping in mind the core aim of reducing the impact…
Why data is the new oil
In 2006, British mathematician Clive Humby coined the phrase, “Data is the new oil”. This analogy has been proven correct as data now powers entire industries and holds tremendous value…
Global Entrepreneurship Week offers chance to reset aspirations amid new innovation landscape
With the advent of Global Entrepreneurship Week, it is an opportunity for us to celebrate the innovators, the grassroots risk takers who drive the economy, and those who invest in…
