How primary pupils will use Glow
Lorna Black is a P2 pupil still finding her feet in a small Borders primary school, where she moved from the Isle of Lewis.
Lorna’s mother is a Gaelic speaker who worries that both her children will lose their Gaelic tongue. None of the teachers at Lorna’s new school speaks Gaelic.
Ms Spey, Lorna’s teacher, is involved in training staff to use Glow in her own authority.
Learning Gaelic - in a school with no Gaelic speakers
When Lorna’s mother finds an opportunity to talk to Ms Spey, she shares her concerns over Gaelic.
Lorna’s mum is surprised when the teacher explains that Glow provides Lorna with her own user name and address. And Glow will give Lorna access to the gàidhlig air-loidhne website.
Starting to use a Gaelic language website
On a school computer, Ms Spey shows Lorna’s mother where Gaelic teaching materials for Lorna’s age are stored on the website. Reassured, Lorna’s mum spends time each week working with Lorna on the gàidhlig air-loidhne website, using a school computer after school has finished.
Lorna’s mum soon realises that as a native Gaelic speaker she could be a valuable resource to others.
Sharing the Gaelic language with others
Ms Spey showed Lorna how to publish her own Gaelic writing on the An Sgoil Againn section of gàidhlig air-loidhne. Lorna also added pictures of her new school, and explained how she’d been able to continue studying her Gaelic because of Glow.
Other children in Lorna’s class begin to show an interest in Gaelic, and Lorna was asked to take part in an assembly on different languages and countries.
Lorna’s mum starts to teach Gaelic
Before long, Lorna’s mother has been asked to help run a weekly class in beginners’ Gaelic-speaking for a handful of children from Lorna’s school who wanted to learn. She also set up a Gaelic Speakers’ Glow group and there she made use of the discussion boards to encourage the pupils to look at and review other websites and to exchange messages with pupils from a school in Lewis.