The First Minister Interview

It's in the bag! Our P5 pupils interviewed the First Minister today. He kindly agreed to allow us to podcast the results of the interview. The whole interview will be on our web site and we will put a wee taster on here as well. The pupils were fantastic, the hardware worked and Jack was great too. Will keep you posted. Job done, now, where are Billy Connelly and Sir Sean's details...........

In the aftermath of our interview I have had a chance to reflect on just what it as all about and to get the pupil perspective on what they thought. As a piece of learning, for that was what it was, I think it was highly successful. I think so because it has broadened the pupils thinking of just what they can achieve. At the beginning of this session I would have scoffed at the suggestion that my P5 class could have framed questions to famous people, chased them down and secured the rights to interview and publish their results on an international platform.

Since the middle of February our school web site has had in excess of 48,000 individual hits. A wide variety of people in countries as diverse as Sweden, Italy, Austria, Poland, Taiwan, Russia, India, Romania, Thailand, Morocco, Canada, United States, Australia, Hong Kong and others have logged on and viewed the pupils work. What a powerful, stimulating and innovative tool.

When I gave this informaton to the pupils they were amazed and quite flattered that the work they and other classes have done has proven to be of interest to people all over the world. The pupils are now beginning to realise the power and reach of the web and how they can both use it for information gathering and publishing. Next session one of the items on our Development Plan is Global Citizenship. I think the pupils will be able to have direct input into realising our objectives in this area. I feel we are nearly there already!

We are also ready to start pupil blogging and are looking for another school, or schools, to speak too. Ideally a school in another country. So, if you are a teaching colleague who would like to have your pupils speak to ours leave your details on the comments at the end of this article and I will get back to you.

This begs the question in my mind as to how many people actually read my blog. The most comments I have had have been about the Make a Delinquent bit I did. Come on someone lets do an international collaborative piece of work that will excite and encourage all of our pupils.

Jack McConnell sent the pupils a really nice letter, he said

Dear Richard,

I am writing to thank you for allowing me to take part in a podcast with the Primary 5 pupils from East Linton Primary School. I enjoyed speaking to the pupils and answering their questions. The questions were very well put and just as probing as many asked at First Minister's Questions. The pupils were articulate and confident and are a credit to the school.

I look forward to receiving the edited version of the question time and would be grateful if you could pass my thanks to the pupils. Good luck with the school podcast project.

JACK MCCONNELL

First Minister

Thanks Jack, you made the pupils day!