How one school copes with distance learning

On January 11, schools were to reopen their doors following the Christmas break, but the exponential growth of Covid-19 over the Christmas period put paid to that expectation.

For many parents, the dreaded phrase of ‘home-schooling’ became a reality once again, and at the present time, schools across Westmeath are again providing distance learning opportunities for their pupils. One such school is Milltown NS, and we caught up with principal, John Gordon, to inquire about his school’s experiences of distance learning.

Question: How have you planned for this lockdown?

John: Last September, our whole school community was delighted to be back together in school. I will never forget that first day back, pupils skipped in the school gates. The new junior infants, who are usually quite shy on day one, ran into their new classroom. Everyone was just so delighted and relieved to be back and to experience some kind of normality. Despite the positivity of school reopening, I knew that as principal, I had to develop a strategic Distance Learning Plan, to ensure that we would be sufficiently ready, if we had another school closure. So along with my dedicated staff members, we began to develop our School Distance Learning Policy.

Q: What did the development of your School Distance Learning Policy entail?

A: Firstly, as a staff we all agreed that if another lockdown was called, we needed to have educational platforms in place that would specifically focus on the interpersonal nature of teaching and give pupils the best distance learning opportunities during a school closure. Therefore, I set about researching the most popular distance learning platforms available. After consulting teaching colleagues in Dublin, London and Frankfurt, the staff decided on using the Seesaw and Microsoft Teams platforms.

Seesaw was chosen for the junior end of the school due to its simple, effective interface. For example, at present, teachers can upload videos, songs, activities and give instant feedback to pupils. Similarly, parents can upload examples of their children’s work by video, photo or even voice recording.

Microsoft Teams was chosen for the senior classes, third to sixth. This powerful teaching tool has numerous educational benefits. For example, each day from 9.30am, our pupils sign in to Microsoft Teams; it is our virtual roll call. Then from 10am teachers go live with video sessions teaching three groups of seven pupils for 30 minutes per group.

While these 90-minute video sessions are intensive for the teacher, it is well worth the effort. Pupils get to engage with new topics, ask the teacher questions and most importantly of all, interact with their peers virtually. This social aspect of our daily video sessions is so important for the mental health and wellbeing of all our pupils.

As well as organising and establishing the aforementioned platforms, our staff edited our school Child Protection Policy, Acceptable Internet Use Policy and school Digital Learning Plan. Such policies needed to be reviewed and edited to reflect the realities of Distance Learning and to ensure everyone’s safety while online.

Q: What has the reaction been from parents?

A: The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. Feedback from parents states that the daily interaction from our teachers keeps their children motivated, engaged, enthused and organised. Our parents are genuinely appreciative of what we have put in place.

I must add that this parental appreciation is in stark contrast to what we hear some media commentators, who have been critical of teachers. Such commentators have forgotten that teachers are living through this pandemic too; have families, childcare issues, elderly parents and family members who are part of the frontline medical staff. Covid-19 has affected everybody throughout this country, and teachers are no different.

Q: What will the lasting legacy of this pandemic be?

A: Without doubt school closures have an effect on pupils. Distance Learning, no matter how well established by a school and no matter how much support is given from home by working parents, cannot replace the unique learning environment that our schools provide. My hope is that we will return to school by the end of February and begin to once again refocus our attention on developing the academic, mental health and social aspects of our pupils. On a more positive note, I believe that the Department of Education’s Digital Learning Plan for schools has been fast-tracked by 10 years. The pandemic has seen teachers eagerly and enthusiastically engage in continuous professional development and upskilling in many areas, especially IT.

Similarly, primary pupils have been exposed to online learning platforms that they will use in secondary school and beyond. Pupils typing, emailing, research and online safety skills have all been greatly developed throughout the past year and will stand to them into the future.

Q: What are your hopes for the future of schools?

A: I have a number of hopes. Firstly, that schools reopen soon, guided by the advice of the chief medical officer.

Secondly, I hope the Department of Education and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) take the opportunity to reflect on our curriculum and realise the value and importance of the creative arts and physical education in the lives of children, as these areas of the curriculum have been somewhat ignored and replaced by an over emphasis on statistics, results and league tables over the last 15 years.

Schools are about more than just standardised tests results and about preparing pupils for the workforce. Schools are about creating an environment where children feel secure, valued, respected and appreciated and most importantly, where they feel happy to learn, develop and reach their full potential.

Finally, while this has been an exceptionally challenging time for all school communities. I know that by working together and communicating well, we can strive to overcome these challenges and look towards a brighter future for all of society, especially for our school children.

Ní neart go cur le chéile.