The end of term is fast approaching and I expect that you will be glad of the break. I started the calendar year with some ambitious objectives that were definitely going to take more than two-thirds of an academic year to achieve. However, with the help of the Advisory Team, we have made an impressive start and laid the foundations for increased development next year, which include show-casing the Focus Sports Analysis software and projects at the Scottish Learning Festival in September, increasing the network of Focus users in Centres, building a social network forum containing a directory of field-related expertise in Sports qualifications, promoting and supporting the Scotland's Colleges Sport initiative, working closely with SQA to stage Sport-related dual-purpose events and generally building a vibrant, dynamic networking group.

My thanks go to all members of the Advisory Group for their very constructive help and support over the past 6 months. I look forward to working with you all again in the coming academic session. Similarly, I am also looking forward to meeting those of you that I have not managed to meet with this year and working with all of you in the wider Sports Network. Look out for emails from me detailing events that will be held next session. You can also find out information from the Scotland's Colleges website or Practitioners Plus pages for Sport & Recreation, so if you are currently not signed up, to to http://www.sfeu.ac.uk/subjects

I hope you all have a good summer break and return refreshed and revitalised in August.

I cannot believe that we are now in June and my last communication was a month ago! I apologise to all of you who may have been logging in only to find no update. This is a very busy time of year for any lecturer, and personally, it has been additionally busy as I am currently collecting data for my MSc dissertation, which takes a full two days per week - I know you'll empathise when I say I really have been trying to stretch the 24 hours in each day into something resembling 36 hours, but it just doesn't work!! Anyway, enough said... you obviously want to know what I've been doing that's related to my post as Mentor: Sports & Rec.

There's been lots of 'behind the scenes' just getting on with organising things in relation to the action points that came up from the Advisory Group meeting on 30 April. I'm working on the design of a social network page for all FE Colleges delivering sports courses, one that will be communally owned and updated and hopefully give people access to the information and individuals who know the information needed. I'm also trying to orchestrate our event at the Scottish Festival of Learning at the SECC in September to showcase the use of Focus software and the types of projects that we've been involved with. We have also just confirmed a joint event with SQA on 28 August, to look at results of EV visits this academic year (SQA input) and how delivery may be enhanced (Scotland's Colleges input). I've also attended an e-assessment seminar and e-portfolio training in order to help support those Centres who wish to develop e-assessment resources and implement the use of e-portfolios with Skills for Work courses. Both of these initiatives I whole-heartedly support as I can see the massive potential for our students, despite the fact that the initiatives are in their infancy and still require development themselves.

Most recently, however, with my Scotland's Colleges hat on, I attended the College People's Week (CPW) Event on Friday 5 June. As my first, I was very impressed. The speakers were first class and the day informative and thought provoking. Obviously every individual takes away different things from such a day, but I thought it worth sharing what I got from the day. At the first session - presented by John Laird, HMI, I learnt that there will be much greater activity from this service and that practice that is 'excellent' will be identified not only from HMI visits but from Colleges identifying this and making HMIs aware of it. The resulting reports will be available through the new HMI website and individuals are encouraged to seek these out to inform their own practices and developments within their individual Centres. A presentation from Claire Donaghey (Subject Mentor - English, Communication and Media) reminded me of the value of extra-curricula activities and indicated the positive results that such activities had in terms of retention and attainment at her Centre. I've been muddling along with the whole ICT thing for sometime and I was therefore pleased that John Edmonson clearly and succinctly brought everything together in one easy to understand, one-page summary of what current day ICT is all about. I am now very clear about where everything sits in terms of platforms, systems and Web 2.0. In terms of content of the platforms, systems and web 2.0 applicaitons, I learnt about some new (to me) sites that I will access to find additional teaching resouces. John also put ICT in the context of achieving Curriculum for Excellence criteria, which was very useful. All this information was intersperesed with activities that promoted discussion amongst colleagues and reinforced thoughts and opinions as well as developed new ones and aided networking with those in the same curricula area. A great day, and I would urge you to look out for next year's event and fix that date in your diary.

On the point of dates - don't forget 28 August at SQA offices for the joint event and 23 September at the SECC for the Scottish Festival of Learning. More information on both will follow, just put them in your diary now!!

A busy week last week. Our proposed event was postponed in favour of an extended Advisory Group meeting, which proved to be a very productive and motivational session. It was great to have the time to spend discussing strategic issues and planning potential ways forward to co-inside with the new academic session. I was very pleased to be able to report massive steps forward in the recognition of our HN Health & Fitness courses by SkillsActive, that will enable all graduates to enter the REPs register at level 2. Following the results of Practitioners Plus survey sent out to everyone across the network, we discussed how best to re-vamp or replace it with a more user-friendly, up-dated version that would encourage ownership across the whole network. This included the best ways of raising awareness of a number of other issues across the network, such as implementing and extending good practice and opportunities to access funding to support delivery of units/courses/NGB awards.

If you have been following the blog, you will be aware that the Advisory Group has been developing resources using Elite Sports Analysis' Focus software, and it's very much the intention to organise an event to share that knowledge and experience across the Network. The Network is the ideal forum to support and extend the ideas and work that you may already be involved in as individuals and we are looking to re-scedule the postponed Network Event for the second week in August - a time when most Colleges organise staff CPD events. Hopefully this will be a favourable time for all to attend - keep a look out for emails to confirm the date. We are also lucky enough to have been selected to 'show-case' the work at the Scottish Festival of Learning on 23 September as it comes within the criteria of promoting 'Excellence' and Assessment for Learning. Although there is still some work to be done, this is an exciting opportunity and I hope to see as many of you as possible there. Again, keep a look out for emails giving further details.

In the meantime, as well as overseeing the above, I'll be visiting some of you to find out what you're doing and share the developments of the Advisory Group in more detail. If I haven't yet managed to make a date with you, feel free to contact me (jackie.clinch@scotlandscolleges.ac.uk). Don't forget that College People's week is fast approaching, you can always catch me there on Friday 5 June (www.sfeu.ac.uk/events for more details).

Catch up again soon!

Hello again. Well despite my intention to update the blog every week, life caught up and we're now two weeks on. Easter got in the way, not really because I was away on holiday (nothing so nice unfortunately!!), but children off from School and University, and the change in schedule for the whole family just meant that everything was different and some things, I have to admit, just fell off the end. So this is a long entry - that's the downside of not keeping up-to-date!!

However, I did get some Network stuff done over the break, and as always am looking at where this will lead us. Firstly, a new website has come on stream which you can access at www.sportborders.org.uk - its been put together mainly for those who are coaching in the Borders and contains lots of information about courses and events. The website was developed to co-inside with an Inauguaral Sports Borders Conference held on Sunday 29 March, which I would have attended if I hadn't already have been booked onto a different CPD workshop! The Conference was very successful and included members from our own FE Colleges (JEC) - both in the organisation and participation capacity. Speakers included those eminent in their particular field such as Dave Clark, Olympic Strength and Conditioning coach. Find out more by accessing the website (sorry can't get direct hyperlink for you, type in above address), which also gives details of courses for coaches/instructors and events for individuals. I've been trying to find whether other regions have a similar resource, but have so far drawn a blank - if you know of something similar, please let me know - thanks.

One of the other things I was involved in over the break, was a meeting of the SQA TRANSETT Steering Group. I volunteered to be a member representing Scotland's Colleges Subjects Network group. Basically, the Steering Group oversees projects being developed to provide resources for Scottish NQ provision across all curricula areas. One area of interst to come out of the April meeting was a demonstration of e-portfolios for Skills for Work courses and gaming projects at level 4/5. Although there were no developed resources for the Sport & Rec area, I could see massive potential here, and if appropriate funding became available, with the skills that I know are in the Network already, this would be a fantastic area to develop. I am well aware that there are pockets within the Network that are already developing or mooting these ideas, and I'm keen to harness these and take them forward, both for recognition of the innovative ideas that are already being explored and for the benefit of sharing such good practice amongst the network. If you are really interested in developing this and/or have been involved in such developments, get in touch, it would be great to share our thoughts.

Finally, I spent some time trying to ensure that I could raise awareness of the proposed Subject Network Event. Unfortunately, it came to light that for a number of reasons this was not going to be viable to put on. It was a little disappointing, however, timing - which is always such a crucial element - was not really conducive, and we have decided to postpone the Event 'til Autumn. However, I've had a number of really positive responses and as a result I'm going to make personal visits to a number of Sports Departments between now and the end of term. I'll be discussing all of the ways in which Scotland's Colleges can support the Network as a whole and will be receptive to ideas that will form our stategies for the next academic session. If I haven't already made an arrangement to visit you/your Department, get in touch and we'll make a date!

Bye for now. Be back next week with more news.

Hi Guys, I expect that it's been a busy week for you leading up to the Easter break. I've also been busy this week trying to raise awareness of the Network Event so that as many people as possible can benefit from the gathering, and just generally trying to be in contact with as many people as possible.

Two significant things happened this week as far as the Network are concerned: firstly, I heard that our proposal to showcase the Focus projects at the Scottish Festival of Learning has been accepted. This is a major Event in the Learning and Teaching Calendar held this year on 23 & 24 September at the SECC (http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/slf/). It's a major opportunity to show that we are are the forefront of blended learning using ICT and fulfilling the philosophy behind the Curriculum for Excellence, officially launched by Fiona Hyslop this week.

Secondly, on my quest to forge strong links with all stakeholders in the qualifications that our students obtain, I met with Mat Hulbert, Coach Development Manager, Tennis Scotland to see how we might collaborate in the future. Mat is very keen to hear from Colleges who may wish to host Tennis Coaching Qualifications, he's also keen to look at potential lecturer/employer exchanges and furthermore, they also use Focus software, which may allow for the development of some collaborative resource materials to benefit us all.

Unfortunately, I'm finding my one-day per week contract doesn't really go far enough in allowing the development opportunities that are currently available to us in the Sports Network - however, one day per week is certainly better than none, and we are making headway. As always, your comments and suggestions are most warmly welcomed. If you are managing to get an Easter break, I'll look forward to communicating with you again in a couple of weeks.

OK so this is the first blog entry that I've posted. I've been talking with lots of people and wondering whether this is the most effective method of communication, but hey, I'm going with this at the minute and looking at a number of other ways in which communication is possibly more effective.

I went with this just now because I think its important to share my activities with you, so that I am accountable to all, but also so that I can benefit from your feedback and direction.

Some of you may be aware that a number of Colleges are working on projects using specific software called 'Focus', aimed primarily at capturing and analysing elite sports performance. We're looking at alternative ways of using this for teaching and learning, and there are loads! Our Info Event on Thursay 30 April is basically about showing how the software can be used to our advantage in delivery and assessment of the whole variety of sports and fitness related subjects. Its taking a bit of time to learn how to manipulate the programme (the advisory group have met three times and had two additional training sessions since January to try to set this up), however, this was always going to be a long-term project, where the more complex resources will develop out of increased usage and familiarity with the software. However, we hope to have some 'hot-off-the-press' products to share at the event, and with one or two of the directors of the software company in attendance, all questions will be adequately answered!

I'm also looking at developing sustainable relationships between Colleges and Employers and whilst this has been a little slower off the mark, we have made some good headway in identifying what we need to establish in this area, and have a couple of really good models on which to springboard this initiative. This is also an important part of our Info Event on Thursday 30 April and is being covered by presentations from Paul Gallacher of SQA, Colin (Buchanan), Stephen McGregor (Angus College) and Sharon McGuire (Adam Smith College), followed by discussion with participants and forward planning for the Advisory Group/myself.

It's a busy time just now, and I'm trying to speak with anyone at all who contacts me, at the same time as trying to identify who may be able to help and progress the work of the Network.

Feel free to contact me with any comments or ideas.