Assistant Principal - Learning

 

The Remote Learning Experience

What’s positive about the remote learning experience?...what’s not positive about it?

How easy is it at the moment to lose our sense of perspective...and, can we really blame ourselves?

We’ve negotiated four weeks of the so called ‘new normal’ (which might just be my most despised phrase of the moment); school holidays and every weekend at home; no sport; no music concerts; no visits with friends; no hugs from Nan; no toilet paper; no yeast; no school...and compounding this, all we are hearing from our myopically negative media is a barrage of oppressive headlines; dire; destructive; pandemic death.

Yet, in the face of this adversity sometimes we just need a little nudge..a little reminder to step towards the good. 

Pens down, fingers off keyboards... let’s settle in for 22 positive things about learning in the time of Covid-19 as nominated by the staff of OCC:

Concentrated communication with students on an individual basis

A little extra time to get the small jobs done

I’ve learnt how to do new things! 

I can mow the oval whenever I like!

I’ve found new ways to connect with people

I’m an expert on ZOOM now!

I’ve realised how important it is to maintain that connection with people

I’ve been able to draw out students who ordinarily fly under the radar

It’s so much easier to gauge where students are in their learning

The opportunity to think about teaching and learning differently

I’ve been able to value the different way students learn

Being able to bridge the gap between real world and school and highlighting how they are connected

Seeing all the students putting their skills into action: cooking, out on the farm, driving a tractor, making videos

I’m a jet tik-tokker now!

Being able to explore different ways of communicating with parents, students and each other

Learning new technology, new ways of doing things that are really going to impact moving into the future

Seeing our students taking real responsibility for their learning

The bonding and kindness of the community in response to a terrible thing

I’ve had the chance to stop and think about what we are doing and why we are doing it

The sense of community

The sense of independence our students feel

Being able to be really specific in my feedback!

If the ‘new normal’ is a normal that reflects innovation, community, learning... then this is a normal I definitely want to be a part of! 

Eli Simpson

Assistant Principal (Learning)