A Guide for Parents

Home A Guide for Parents

What is Remote Learning?

Remote Learning cannot completely replace or replicate the usual programmes. Teachers are well trained and equipped to deliver learning experiences so that students can meet expected standards and continue to access education. Students will be empowered as independent learners. With the remote support of their teachers, students will be setting their own learning goals engaging in self-paced lessons and learning activities.

As always, the success of our students is reliant on a partnership between home and school. A carefully considered set of expectations for parents, teachers, leaders and students is detailed in this guide.

While this time of uncertainty is a challenge, it offers an opportunity to embrace future-ready learning in the spirit of open-mindedness and adaptability. As technology is a College cornerstone, we have been using online learning as a platform for some time. Therefore, students and teachers are well prepared for this challenge.

The following Remote Learning protocols will enable you to support students as they continue to learn remotely.

It will require teachers and parents to think differently about how to support their children. This includes how to create structures and routines that allow their children to be successful, and how to monitor and support their child’s learning.

Guidelines on how to help your child to continue learning

Establish routines and expectations and set regular hours for their children’s school work.
Maintain normal bedtime routines for children (including secondary school students).
Establish a suitable space for your child to complete their remote learning. It should be a space where parents/guardians are present and monitoring their children’s learning, particularly in the younger years.
Check-in on your child’s learning each day and support them with planning to ensure that sufficient time is given to learning tasks.
Using daily planners and routines will support students to thrive in a remote learning environment.
Support your child with efforts to stay active. Engage them in household chores and find ways for them to remain physically active.
Beware of possible increases in anxiety for students and know that counsellors will be available to contact throughout this time for guidance.
Manage screen time for students throughout the duration of remote learning.
Support your child to uphold Kardinia’s digital citizenship expectations.
Help your children maintain contact with friends and see them in person when circumstances permit.
In the completion of learning engagements, parents and other adults should encourage student agency, as age appropriate.

Privacy

We consider privacy and data protection a serious matter. While there are no global agreements for data privacy and protection, we are committed to adhere to recommendations from state and national regulatory authorities.

Students under the age of 13 must not participate in unmoderated social media activities as part of their learning. As such, parents are responsible for ensuring that their child is accessing only KICOnline, OneNote, Seesaw or Microsoft Teams, through their school account.

During live-stream lessons and video-conferencing with peers and teachers, it is recommended that parents and/or guardians have discussions about dress, language and appropriate backgrounds (i.e. does not provide information on their child’s personal life and location).

Setting up a learning environment

Learning is best done in a comfortable space. There may be a place in your home for doing homework under normal circumstances, but this space may not be suitable for working in for an extended period of time.

A space for remote learning should be a public / family space. It should be a place that can be quiet at times and have a strong wireless internet signal, if possible. Bedrooms are often not the best place for effective learning. It should be a space where adults are present and monitoring the learning that is happening.

Please use this checklist to help you assess and develop an effective remote learning space in your home.

Communicating

Communicating with your child

We encourage you to start and finish each day with a simple check-in. These check-ins need to be a regular part of each day and start straight away. Not all students thrive in a remote learning environment; some struggle with too much independence or lack of structure and the check-ins help keep them on track.

In the morning, ask:

what are you learning today?
what are your learning targets or goals?
how will you be spending your time?
what resources do you require?
what support do you need?

In the afternoon, ask:

what did you learn today?
acknowledge one thing that was difficult. Either let it go or come up with a strategy to deal with the same problem if it comes up again
consider three things that went well today. Why were they good?
are you ok? Do you need to ask your teacher for something? Do you need help with something to make tomorrow more successful?

These specific questions matter because they allow your child to process the instructions they have received from their teachers and help them organise themselves and set priorities. Older students may not want to have these check-ins with parents (this is normal!), but they should anyway.

Communicating with the school

Make sure that you know how the school and your child’s teachers will be communicating with you and check that channel regularly.

Make sure you know how to contact teachers for learning support and who to contact for technical support if your school chooses to use digital devices as part of their remote learning plan.

This situation will be new for most schools and families. Schools will be trying to engage in a cycle of continuous improvement and refinement based on feedback so they may ask you and your child for your thoughts on how the system is working.

In the Senior School, teachers will be using KICOnline and/or OneNote Classbook to deliver self-paced lessons. Microsoft Teams will be used to deliver ‘Live Classes’.

In the Junior School, teachers will be using See Saw to deliver classes and Zoom to conduct ‘Live Classes’.

Communicating with teachers

Teachers may be communicating with your child during this period using video chat applications such as MS Teams or Zoom. They may also be emailing or communicating within KICOnline and OneNote Classbook.

In the Senior School, students are required to participate in a weekly ‘Live Class’ for each of their classes. The Live Class will go for up to 60 minutes and will start at the beginning of the normal scheduled double period. The class teacher will mark students as having attended or as being absent. Regular absences will be followed up by House Coordinators.

It is important for you and your child to remember that teachers will be communicating with dozens to more than 100 other families and that your communications should be meaningful and short. You may also need to remind your child to be patient when waiting for support or feedback.

Online Safety Kit for Parents