Thinking.During times of uncertainty and adversity, it can be all too easy to make knee jerk reactions without sound thinking and sounding boards. We advise you build in time early on to reflect and listen before you react.
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Now
Currently, in the UK, we rapidly moved from widespread self-isolation of staff and students (for 14 days) and moving to national school closures. This is the basis of our current mindset and how our communities can best respond to and learn from school closures.
One way for educators to do this is to actively seek advice and help from others.
This might be from inside your setting or part of your PLN (personal learning network). The day to day exchange of ideas and solutions can be followed on our #HomeLearningUK on Twitter - and you can get in touch with us directly (see links on our home page).
Also try to engage students as well as parents- it is important for young people to have ownership of their own learning and a ‘voice’ in it.
Decisions with regards to home-learning will require a team effort - focusing on opportunities for learning which will have clear outcomes and maximum impact. Your tools and demographic will impact on this, but also realistic expectations of time restraints and dispositions to learning from your staff team and your community. Having a 360 degree take on what you need to put out there will make it bullet-proof more effective from the outset. This can include accessibility and accessible assistive technology, home issues, family commitments, edtech know-how and dispositions towards home learning - as well as government and health advice.
We suggest you consolidate what you know for the first few weeks then try something new once everyone is feeling more settled with the changes.
Many schools and organisations have produced Home Learning policies, plans Digital Strategies and various other models of the various approaches to thinking.
Next
Consider what would work for you first - and then learn, edit and modify from these examples.
Later
Work out how you engage your families in this. Is it your PTA facebook, governors or ‘key’ people who can support you in early years and Primary? For secondary+ how do you engage parents and carers to supervise? Bringing in families whilst you have students on site is easier in the run up - use your social media, speak with them and keep communication open.
Reflect on your staffing ability and levels - who is best to support now, and who next if they are unavailable. It is important to appreciate that they will also have a number of demands on them and thinking ahead will support success for the majority as things continue.
Currently, in the UK, we rapidly moved from widespread self-isolation of staff and students (for 14 days) and moving to national school closures. This is the basis of our current mindset and how our communities can best respond to and learn from school closures.
One way for educators to do this is to actively seek advice and help from others.
This might be from inside your setting or part of your PLN (personal learning network). The day to day exchange of ideas and solutions can be followed on our #HomeLearningUK on Twitter - and you can get in touch with us directly (see links on our home page).
Also try to engage students as well as parents- it is important for young people to have ownership of their own learning and a ‘voice’ in it.
Decisions with regards to home-learning will require a team effort - focusing on opportunities for learning which will have clear outcomes and maximum impact. Your tools and demographic will impact on this, but also realistic expectations of time restraints and dispositions to learning from your staff team and your community. Having a 360 degree take on what you need to put out there will make it bullet-proof more effective from the outset. This can include accessibility and accessible assistive technology, home issues, family commitments, edtech know-how and dispositions towards home learning - as well as government and health advice.
We suggest you consolidate what you know for the first few weeks then try something new once everyone is feeling more settled with the changes.
Many schools and organisations have produced Home Learning policies, plans Digital Strategies and various other models of the various approaches to thinking.
Next
Consider what would work for you first - and then learn, edit and modify from these examples.
Later
Work out how you engage your families in this. Is it your PTA facebook, governors or ‘key’ people who can support you in early years and Primary? For secondary+ how do you engage parents and carers to supervise? Bringing in families whilst you have students on site is easier in the run up - use your social media, speak with them and keep communication open.
Reflect on your staffing ability and levels - who is best to support now, and who next if they are unavailable. It is important to appreciate that they will also have a number of demands on them and thinking ahead will support success for the majority as things continue.
Useful information and resources.
- Coronavirus Handbook for Education is a curated national guide for public sectors, parents and employees: Education
- University Online Lecture on the shift to online collaboration and remote working culture
- From NAHT: Coronavirus guidance for school leaders
- EdTechUK & ISC Digital Developing-Digital-Leadership-Bulletin-CoronaVirus: bit.ly/CoVid19Bulletin
- Independent Thinking: Learning in Quarantine
- 'If your school has to close' - Learning in Quarantine Guide
- Google search for “critical incident plan” site:sch.uk
- Google search for “coronavirus plan” site:sch.uk