Over the past few days there has been significant ramping to 'err on the side of caution' to slow the transmission of COVID-19 amongst our school communities. There are a range of unavoidable issues associated with this, especially if there are significant school closures across the states and the nation. We have already seen the closure of some of the larger private schools in Sydney, and all of our school competitions, art shows, performing arts and sport come to a grinding halt.
How do we maintain our students' learning? Are teachers expected to operate as a distance educators?
There are also the viable questions of parental supervision and work/income issues that go along with this scenario however, for the purpose of this blog, the focus will remain for the teachers' role in this pandemic.
Without doubt, educators have an obligation to continue work during school term time. Our biggest asset is the internet and our ability to reach our students via online communication platforms. This is certainly not new. There are many teachers, particularly in remote areas of this vast nation that rely on this mode of teaching as their primary pedagogy and have done for many, many years beginning with the radio - 'school of the air'. Interestingly it's a completely different way of teaching and learning - especially for the first-time experiencers!
There are significant pedagogical processes that need to be practised when delivering in this mode, and significant media platforms available that you, as a teacher, can access for free to reach your students. Many independent schools are already setting up their online platforms in preparation for a potential school closure. Government schools are on track as also, however are navigating the infrastructure to cater for the masses of students that may be schooled from home.
Are the students going to complete the work? Are there enforcement regulations in place to ensure that "every day counts"?
COVID-19 has certainly made it's mark on our world. Some believe that it was inevitable in biological control, and others have a more spiritual approach. Whichever the way you see it, we are navigating through a different way of teaching and learning:
"Mud map, no compass"?...
In the face of adversity, what an opportunity this presents our teachers to refine "flipped classrooms" and exercise some creativity it curriculum delivery and pedagogical approaches!
