Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales - Global Community Project - Skills Build

Global Community Project - Skills Build

1. Introduction

2. Planning and Organisation Activity

3. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Activity

4. Creativity and Innovation Activity

Introduction

This Skills Build provides three activities, each one concentrating on one of the Integral Skills – Planning and Organisation; Critical Thinking and Problem Solving ; and Creativity and Innovation . They will involve the Specific Skills, shown in the table, that you will need to demonstrate in the Global Community Project Assessment. Using your Personal Effectiveness skills, you will be able to reflect, gather feedback and evaluate how well you are doing.

Integral Skill Specific Skills

1.4 – Schedule activities and tasks.

Planning and Organisation

1.5 – Select and utilise appropriate  project management techniques and/or tools.

1.7 –   Monitor progress against project plan.

1.8 – Manage resources, timescales, and potential risks.

2.1 – Address complex problems using    meaningful questions.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

2.3 – Select appropriate information by critically  evaluating credibility and  recognising bias and assumptions.

2.4 – Analyse complex information and draw out  key points.

2.6 – Accurately use an academic method of    referencing.

2.7 – Construct responses that are evidence    based, persuasive and convincing.

2.8 – Propose and justify appropriate solutions.

Integral Skill Specific Skills

3.3 – Make connections between different  information in order to support outcomes.

Creativity and Innovation

3.4 – Use creative thinking to analyse information  and ideas.

3.8 – Develop innovative communications that are  appropriate to the audience.

4.2 – Manage and/or modify own behaviours and  performance.

4.3 – Demonstrate performance in completing  tasks/activities when working independently.

Personal Effectiveness

4.5 – Respond to feedback and, when appropriate,  give feedback to others.

4.6 – Reflect and evaluate own behaviours,  performance and outcomes when working  independently and/or collaboratively.

4.7 – Recognise areas for improvement when  working independently and/or collaboratively.

Planning and Organisation Practice Activity

Plan and produce a collaborative blog

Scenario

Wales faces several challenges now and in the future. To tackle these, we all need to work together to address the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act. One of their goals is to develop the cultural well-being of Wales, ensuring a vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language. This goal aims for a society that promotes and protects culture, heritage, and the Welsh language. This could include the arts, sport, and recreation.

A globally responsible Wales

A prosperous Wales

A Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language

A Wales of cohesive communities

A more equal Wales

A resilient Wales

A healthier Wales

In this activity, you will be working collaboratively, in a group of 3–6 members, to plan and produce a blog on promoting the cultural well-being of Wales . Blogs are used to explore new ideas or to showcase topics the author is passionate about. A blog will typically include both written and visual elements presented in an easy-to-read format.

Your blog must:

• be dynamic and engaging

• have a variety of content, from different collaborators

• include images and/or videos.

The aim is to provoke a response and encourage interaction. Follow the link below and take a look at some of the blogs.

BBC Media Action – Blog

To be successful at this task, you will need to demonstrate effective planning and organisation skills.

Testing Specific Skills

1.4 – Schedule activities and tasks.

1.5 – Select and utilise appropriate project management techniques and/or tools.

1.7 – Monitor progress against project plan.

1.8 – Manage resources, timescales and  potential risks.

Task 2

Task 3

Task 4

Task 4/5

Criteria

There are conditions to your blog that will make it more visually appealing.

a. Give your blog a name that is clear and simple.

b. Use subheadings to break up your content.

c. Use informative and engaging content.

d. Include images to illustrate your points.

Tasks

1. As a group, consider themes for the blog and decide what the topic will be.

2. Produce a project plan of how you are going to create the blog. This should include what activities/tasks are needed. What resources will you need? What are your timescales? Who is responsible for what tasks?

3. Select and utilise appropriate project management techniques and/or tools to help you manage your resources, the deadlines, and potential risks.

How about looking at some planning and digital tools that could prove useful?

4. Monitor your progress against the milestones and deadlines within your plan as you create your blog.

5. Manage your resources and timescales to create your blog. Share with other learners to gain feedback.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Practice Activity

Writing a persuasive article

Scenario

Congratulations! You’ve landed a job writing for your favourite online news site.

The United Nations have outlined 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand in hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and drive forward economic growth – alongside tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

The aim of this activity is not only to bring attention to one of the UN goals but to be persuasive and present an article that is thought-provoking too.

You have been tasked with writing an article based on Goal 11 ‘Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable’. Select a city outside of Wales for your article.

Your article must include:

• a meaningful headline

• a maximum of 1000 words

• at least four sources

• appropriate referencing.

Your article should discuss one of the topics that make up Goal 11 (for example, accessible and sustainable public transport, air quality, and waste management). You will need to research a wide range of secondary information, evaluate their credibility, and recognise any bias and assumption. You must ensure you synthesise your information and that your key points stand out. It is up to you to find out where this goal is being met, where it is not, and what solution could be used to meet the goal’s target.

Take a look at the following video for some tips on how to write a news story.

How to write a news story

This is an excellent opportunity to show off your journalistic talents. You will need to make use of a range of skills to successfully complete this task.

Testing Specific Skills

2.1 – Address complex problems using    meaningful questions.

2.3 – Select appropriate information by  critically evaluating credibility and recognising bias and assumptions.

2.4 – Analyse complex information and draw out key points.

2.6 – Accurately use an academic method of    referencing.

2.7 – Construct responses that are evidence    based, persuasive and convincing.

Task 1

Task 1

Task 2

Task 3

Task 3

2.8 – Propose and justify appropriate solutions. Task 3

Criteria

There are conditions for your article:

a. The headline must pose a meaningful question; one that the article will try to answer.

b. Your article will need to be a maximum of 1000 words long, written in full prose.

c. At least four sources should be used. These could be any type of source (video, news article, journal).

Tasks

1. Research – You will need to research potential sources to use in your article. Remember, this needs to be a persuasive article and you will need to use arguments that showcase the good and the bad – try not to be one sided.

• Think of a headline by posing a meaningful question.

• Select appropriate and credible sources of information.

How appropriate and reliable are the sources that you have selected during your research?

2. Analysis – Analyse the information and draw out the key points you wish to make in the article.

• Recognise any bias and assumptions.

Have you used any of the following: RURU, CRAPP, PESTLE, STEEPLE and PRESTLE?

3. Construct your article – Using the evidence, structure the article and produce a maximum of 1000 words.

• Use persuasive and convincing evidence-based arguments.

• Use an accurate referencing technique.

• Propose and justify a solution to the question posed in your headline.

Creativity and Innovation Practice Activity

Produce a digital representation of a UN goal Scenario

For this activity you are required to produce a digital collage of what one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals means to your group.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a plan of peace and prosperity for people and the planet, for today and for the future. They recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand in hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

A collage is a form of visual arts in which visual elements are combined to create a new image that conveys a message or idea. Using different media types, you can create something completely different from what you have started with.

This is an excellent opportunity to use your creativity and innovation. You will need to make use of a range of skills to successfully complete this task.

Testing Specific Skills

Creativity and Innovation

3.3 – Make connections between different   information in order to support outcomes.

3.4 – Use creative thinking to analyse  information and ideas.

3.8 – Develop innovative communications that  are appropriate to the audience.

Tasks

Task 1

Task 2

Task 3

1. Initial concept – Decide which UN goal you wish to present in a digital collage and research the goal to gain an understanding. How will you present your digital collage?

How about looking at how to produce your collage using Prezzi, Canva, Sway, etc?

Draw together and make connections between the information and ideas you have collected that could be used in the digital collage.

Is all your information and data connected to each other?

How does it all link together?

2. Analyse content – By applying creative thinking to analyse the information and ideas, decide what is to be included in the digital collage. The digital collage must create a new image that conveys a message or idea based on your chosen UN goal.

What techniques for creative thinking could support this, e.g. SCAMPER, six thinking hats, mindmapping, blue sky thinking?

3. Create digital collage – Decide on an appropriate and creative layout for your collage, developing innovative content and communication. Share your digital collage with other learners to gather feedback.