Teaching and Learning Report

By Director of Teaching and Learning, Mrs Julia Petrov

Remote Learning  

As we come to the end of the remote learning program, we would like to thank families for your support over the term. We would also like to recognise the outstanding work our teachers and support staff have done to ensure the continuity of learning over this difficult time. Often referred to as 21st century skills or soft skills across the curriculum – all students have had the opportunity to develop the transferable, general abilities that set our students up for life. Remote learning has allowed our boys to hone such vital soft skills as:

• Digital literacy – despite our students being constantly attached to screens, they don’t necessarily know how to adapt to technology effectively. Remote learning has provided valuable lessons in how to adapt to new platforms such as Microsoft Teams and how to independently troubleshoot technical issues.
• Responsible use of technology – similarly, while many boys are proficient gamers and social media users, learning remotely has required them to use technology responsibly and for a purpose other than recreational. As with the above skill, this has never been more relevant in ‘the real world’ than it is now.
• Remote collaboration – across the globe people have been working from home honing their online communication and collaboration skills. Our boys will be well placed to join workplaces where technology is used to cross borders and link teams across the world.

Although remote learning will never replicate the dynamic nature of a classroom, there are skills the boys have developed during this period that will be with them for life. They have needed to take more responsibility for their learning by managing time, avoiding distractions and organising their resources and themselves in an online environment. For some boys, remote learning will have offered the flexibility to carry on with their personal, work, or family-related commitments, while still managing school course work requirements. We hope that this experience has opened them to learning opportunities beyond school through online education.

For other boys, the experience of remote learning may not have been as positive. Some may have missed teacher supervision to direct and support them to stay on task, others may have procrastinated or become disengaged and will find themselves behind in their weekly tasks. We see this as an opportunity for students to reflect on their remote learning experience and consider what they would do next time to make their learning from home more successful. Our teachers will also closely review our program so we are well prepared, should the need arise, to resume our remote learning again.

We are looking forward to having everyone back at school.

Chris Nolan Awards

In response to the altered educational landscape we have experienced this year, we have adjusted the way we will award the Chris Nolan Awards. For Year 12 students, the Chris Nolan Distinction award will be based on their Year 7 – 12 data. For Years 7 – 11 students there will not be Semester based Chris Nolan awards, just one 2020 Chris Nolan award. These awards will be acknowledged at the Academic Assembly in 2021.

While we will not be having a Chris Nolan award assembly next term, the College will be awarding certificates of achievement based on the work habits and behaviours during the period of remote learning. These will be acknowledging students who have demonstrated exemplary participation in the remote learning program including 21st century skills. We will also be reporting on remote learning work habits and behaviours in the End of Semester Report.