Learning and Teaching 

The year 2020 will forever be remembered as one like no other. A year when, as educators, we were forced to think on our feet and rely on our hearts in order to determine the way forward. The year in which plans were crushed and, paradoxically, the year in which visions were realised.

A global pandemic was not something we had pencilled into the yearly planner and the development of a remote learning model had not been flagged as a possible new addition to the learning program at the College. This worldwide crisis took us by surprise, but it was unable to catch us off-guard.  As with all challenges that come our way, the Kilbreda community approached the need for change with collective determination and a sense of purpose. 

Our College has a solid reputation for providing wonderful and varied learning opportunities for girls that allow them to thrive and contribute to the growth of their faith and their sense of self, and develop a commitment to the values of the College. It is also a place where the community is built on Brigidine traditions, where all are welcomed and people feel a strong sense of connection and belonging. It was important that these factors were at the heart of our remote learning model. We recognised that remote learning could not replicate the learning community and the individualised care for students that occurs when we are physically together onsite, and so the challenge was to develop a remote model that would provide for continuity of learning and continuity of community during these uncertain times in which we found ourselves.

The timing of the Term 1 break was an opportunity to consider how the College would meet the challenge that was before us and best cater for the needs of the community. It provided us with time to rethink and re-imagine how education might look when operating remotely. Discussions were lively, collegial and long! After much deliberation and consideration, we concurred that as a College we were willing to unlock the traditional schooling structures and look at education through a new lens. 

Now was the time for innovation. We weren’t afraid to imagine ourselves teaching, learning and leading differently. We were driven by a united and focused goal, ‘to do what was best for our community’.These were challenging, but inspiring times.

The strength of the  College community has been built over many years on strong enduring relationships. We were conscious of adopting routines and structures that promoted genuine human encounter during remote learning. Our purpose: to ensure that our students and staff didn’t feel a sense of isolation and dislocation during the period of school closures. As a College we demonstrated that we were prepared to walk in solidarity with one another as we continued our shared journey and discovered new ways of socially connecting. At a time when we were unable to be together physically, we were determined to do all that we could to remain connected. 

Kilbreda Connect, the remote learning model of the College, embraced the opportunity to re-imagine learning and had at its core the consideration of student wellbeing and the provision for opportunities to continue learning in a sustainable manner. The model was based on research from around the world, taking into account experiences from schools that moved to online learning due to COVID-19 long before Australia, and other accounts of remote learning due to natural disasters or the provision of education in remote communities. 

Kilbreda Connect offered both synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities. The provision of synchronous learning was facilitated through live video classes, allowing students to continue to have connection with their teachers and their peers. The purpose- built timetable provided for short bursts of live classes in order to enjoy the best of what this technology could offer during remote learning. The adjusted timetable also took into consideration the toll that extended use of video conferencing could have on students and teachers. 

Asynchronous learning provided flexibility for individuals to plan their personal learning journey around their own needs and priorities. The teacher provided materials for reading, online videos specifically created or curated for the unit of work and the learning tasks to be completed. Students had flexibility within their timetables to complete learning tasks at times that suited them, encouraging students to take more responsibility for their own learning and develop skills such as resiliency and organisation.

The Kilbreda Connect model caused much discussion in groups on LinkedIn and Twitter, with educational commentators encouraged by our response to remote learning. Our model was shared in a number of forums as an exemplar and provided inspiration to other schools considering alternative models. It was wonderful to see Kilbreda Connect featured in Volume II of “The Continuous Learning Toolkit”, as one of only three Victorian schools, published by CIRCLE (Centre for Innovation, Research, Creativity and Leadership in Education), with Kilbreda College being referred to as a ‘game changer’ in education.

The College community has been very supportive of the College during remote learning, with parents finding the Kilbreda Connect model to be one that catered for both the wellbeing and academic needs of their daughters. The focus on wellbeing and academic needs of the students was considered a highlight in survey responses from parents. Through these uncertain times, Kilbreda College was determined to partner with families to provide strength and support to engage students in continued learning and personal development.

The families of Kilbreda have blessed the College with kind words, and messages of affirmation that brightened the days and lifted the spirits of tired educators. Staff were also inspired by the engagement of students and their ability to adapt and accept their changed circumstances with strength and kindliness. Our girls reached out to each other, to their teachers and to the wider community and exhibited hope and compassion.

Through these uncertain and ambiguous times we have been humbled by the staff of Kilbreda College and encouraged by the agility, bravery and determination that has been demonstrated by all members of the team. The staff have dared to reimagine a different way of being and doing, and they have done it with style and compassion. They demonstrated grace and understanding with each other and with themselves. Our teachers and school leaders have bravely breathed new life into the profession, whilst holding the wellbeing and educational best interests of the students at the centre of their vision. “It is during times of uncertainty and change that great opportunities come about to build the foundations for something even better” (Munby, 2019, p. 117).

By harnessing the lessons from our period of remote learning and the positive community response to our preparation, communication and implementation of Kilbreda Connect, we are well placed to take bold steps towards imagining how a Kilbreda education might look and feel in the near future. This is the time to “recommit ourselves to our moral purpose and seize success for the children and young people we serve” (Munby, 2019, p. 119). 

Jane Ward 

Assistant Principal: Learning and Teaching

REFERENCES

Munby, S., (2019) Imperfect Leadership – A book for leaders who know they don’t know it all