College Values and Remote Learning

Respect

The pandemic is showing us how connected human beings across this amazing planet really are. It has become a bit of a cliché but has never been truer: that we are all in this together. The current world situation has truly highlighted the importance of the Wantirna College value of Respect, Respect for self, Respect for others and Respect for the environment and it is through respect that we will get to the other side of this. At a local level, working and learning from home has highlighted that respect is the foundation for our school community and has allowed us to have a relatively smooth start to this term under unique and difficult circumstances.

It has been lovely to see the high levels of consideration for others shown by students and staff. There has been a strong recognition of the fact that many students and teachers are working under difficult conditions with conflicting demands and having to share limited spaces and resources with other family members. Along with this, the patience people are showing as individuals work through new technologies and ways of communicating learning and teaching is remarkable.

Working with teenagers is always fun as they love to experiment and test boundaries. This has provided some humorous moments for classes over the last week but has also provided some a couple of concerning moments as students come to understand etiquette in online learning spaces.

We have provided some practical tips for families that will assist students in understanding the simple ways in which they can be showing respect in the remote learning environment. These are great guidelines to ensure that online forums run smoothly and all participants are able to contribute without fear or favour.

Online Remote Learning Etiquette

Respect for self

Dress as you would for a free dress day at school. No pyjamas.
Set up a functional, distraction free learning space. Locate your space for learning at home in a shared area of the house which is easily accessible to parents. You should not be in your bedroom or behind a closed door.
Actively engage with the learning, try your best and submit your work by the due date and time.
If you are unsure, seek assistance from others and your teacher.

Respect for others

Make sure your microphone is on mute unless you are contributing to a class discussion, this way you won’t accidently interrupt others.
Safety online is paramount. Prior consent of all individuals must be obtained before you screenshot, screen capture or record live streams/videos or share images, videos or texts.
Bullying and harassment is not acceptable. This includes not muting/unmuting others microphones, removing others from sessions, participating in online chats that are not related to learning. Just because you might think it is funny does not make it a joke.
Ensure that the language and actions that you use during live learning sessions are always appropriate. There should be no offensive language or gestures.
To ensure we all remain focused, keep online chats linked to the learning.

Respect for the environment

Respect your online environment by keeping the focus on learning and free from things others might find offensive. Do not post inappropriate images, links, text, emojis, gifs or other content into online forums.
Use a blurred/plain background when in a live video session.
An effective learning environment is free from distractions and inappropriate material. Do not post images or links to material that others may find offensive.

Shane Kruger and Catherine Ford

Sub School Assistant Principals