Milestone+3+Evidence

**__Aim:__** Meeting the needs of family and whanau through e-learning opportunities during a time of crisis, the 22 Feb Canterbury Earthquake.
 * "Using Online Learning and Communication Technology to Making the Most of a Bad Situation"**

**Rational:** As educators it was very important to be able to reassure our family and whanau, provide timely accurate information and provide a consistent reliable access to learning opportunities. A significant number of our learning communities left the city or were no longer able to access their homes or schools. We believe simple online learning systems such as school websites and wikis would meet our needs.

As a cluster we used range online learning and communication opportunities to provide anytime, anywhere access to learning and information during the earthquake. ... school managed websites, classroom wikis, txting, online surveys such as survey monkey and school links would meet these needs.

**__Actions:__** The experience of our individual schools: **__Avonhead School__** In the event of the February 22nd earthquake, we were not in school for 3 weeks. Throughout this time, online communication was invaluable. Charles used our website as a place for parents and the community to stay informed with any changes and major updates. This was kept updated regularly throughout that time. As time passed, we received requests from parents for some work for their children to do at home. Charles communicated this to us via text message and emails and we as teams were able to give him the information needed. Wiki pages proved to be very useful in this instance, in which we were able to put these links up on the website for the different aged children. Some were team wikis and some classroom based ones. It was also a way to keep the children informed of what the teachers were up to and to share any stories. Online education sites like Mathletics and spelling city etc. Were also very useful at this time to keep the students in some sort of routine. **__External Link__**

**__Russley School__** The Russley School website used was to keep in contact with whanau and community during the period the school was closed due to the February 22 earthquake. Regular posts provided details of the closure and reopening process. Families and staff were directed to Ministry notifications and information from the Christchurch City Council. The online learning wiki and homework challenges were available on the website for students who wished to continue their learning.* An online survey was completed on return to school to evaluate the effectiveness of our response to the disaster and our communications over the time of closure. Almost all respondents were very happy with the communication on the website. One person even commented that families from other schools were accessing information from the Russley School website. Some respondents mentioned that they would like to have text communication during emergencies. We have now signed on to the ‘School Links' text and email notification system and have begun using this system to communicate with whanau. The effectiveness of this initiative will be assessed by a future survey. **__External Link__** [|Russley School Website] **__St Martins Primary School__** **__Communication:__** At St Martins we used a variety of technologies to meet the needs of all our learning community. Our school website, bulk txting, an online survey sites, student management system and enrol made keeping in contact with our family and whanau manageable. Our surrounding community was severely damaged and a large number of our community was dislocated from their homes. However, because of the technology we used we were able to locate and communicate with all our community within a week of our school closing. Feedback from community: Parents and family members surveyed have commented that: • the website was informative and reliable • updates were regular and helped to make them feel more secure • the communication from the school through txting and the online survey made it much easier to stay in contact with the school and provided two way information quick and easy • having information about friends and family was helpful as this helped to reduce stress for children • BOT members had a range of positive comments from community members about the success of our communication

**__Learning:__** St Martins School was closed for 4 weeks due to the 22 Feb earthquake. Teachers were able to provide students with ongoing access to their classroom learning programmes through our school website and wikis. **__Feedback / reflection__** An informal survey of teachers, students and parents resulted in the following findings • gave parents time to do the things they needed to do around putting their life back together • not missing learning opportunities especially in core learning areas • some groups of parents got their children together and shared the learning situations • students enjoyed the online learning objects • students got through the work quicly • teachers found it difficult to keep up with demands of parents and students • feedback to student about their learning was almost nonexistent because the system we had access too did not allow for this at present • parents would like to see this type of access to learning continue even when school restarts Ideas that came from this experience • explore types of Learning Management Systems • review school infrastructure and strategically plan to meet needs of school • review and plan for professional learning to meet demands **__Prior to Earthquake:__** **Aim:** To developing e-learning strategies that strengthen the collaborative sharing of, and anytime, anyplace access to student achievement information that involves students, teachers and family and whanau. **Rational:** Over the past two years as a school we have grown the practice of sharing student learning and achievement through student lead conferences. We have extensive feedback and reflection taken over the past two years that demonstrate that this method of sharing student learning: • is most preferred by family and whanau • that information is of a high quality and meaningful as students are involved • demonstrates students clear understanding of how they learn, progress, achievement and next steps in learning • students interviewed stated they enjoyed being part of the learning conferences and felt proud they could share their learning with family. • Staff, although found the professional change and learning taxing, felt the hard work benefited both students, family and teachers From this reflection we felt we could strengthen this process by developing e-learning journals that could be using during conferences, built into the daily learning programmes and that could be access by parents and students anytime or anyplace.

As a result our main focus for our ICT PD teacher inquiry is to develop a school wide approach to e-learning journals to support student learning, teachers teaching and parents access to quality information about their children.

To date we have: • developed a school wide template • looked at what would need to be within e-learning journal at each year group • strategies to enhance student learning and assessment for learning practice of teachers • designing and scheduling a self review process to evaluate success of new initiative. **__External Links__** [| St Martins School Website:] [|St Martins School Wikis] [|St Martins School Online Learning] **__Riccarton Primary School__** • ICT used to communicate with staff, parents and community during the earthquake - E-tap system used to notify parents/caregivers that school was closed • Updates provided on the school website regarding school closures • School Website linked to class wiki sites -access to learning tools ( for example - Study Ladder) • Goal setting Interviews - [|www.schoolinterviews.co.nz] site using for booking interviews and parents had access to this site at home or before/after school in classrooms - 75% of parents/caregivers booked online • Goal setting interviews - digital presentation aspect - students to share with parents/caregivers a digital presentation (wiki, pieces of me, one slide wonder, PhotoStory ). Feedback from parents/caregivers was very positive and raised that fact that we need to hold some parent ICT/Home School Partnership sessions where the students can take parents through the steps to use the new tools. • Staff meeting held - sharing of ideas for goal setting interviews - evaluation sheets from this summarised. **__Reflections__** Staff Meeting Tuesday 12 April - Summary of Reflections Aim: • to share and discuss the ICT tools that we have been implementing within our Literacy programme in Term 1 (Goals 2 and 3) • to further develop our ideas/skills around e-learning and student achievement (Goals 1, 2 and 3) Practical ideas that I could implement in my own class from the sharing session ... • Photostory as a recount about me for reluctant writers • Photostory - animate and record their stories (x2) • Using photos as a base to promote oral language skills (x2) • Using word to present their work - basic tools first • Extend experts by setting task that they can complete in own time e.g Club R3 happenings - upload and caption • [|www.learnz.org.nz] • Study ladder • Wicked site to support curriculum ideas • Pieces of Me - great for building vocab and key info about self or character • Free music downloads - eTime facilitator shared a folder from ICT practicums • Pieces of me looks hard - possibly get some senior students to guide younger students What I would like to know more about .... (ICT workshops in school to focus on these needs) • Imovie - scaffolds, how to use • Learnz virtual field trips and integrating these into classroom programme (x4) • Aoteroa adventures - Wicked website • Study Ladder - following and setting group tasks • Numeracy tools on the interactive whiteboard • Embedding students work on wiki

My next steps (Literacy and ICT integration) ... • Setting up Study Ladder for groups • Expert tasks • Learnz activities relevant to Literacy programme • Update wiki - adding PowerPoints • More oral stuff with ICT • Getting wiki up and running for this year (x3) • Pick-a-Path stories Reflections from Staff Meeting - held in Week 11 of Term 1. For goal setting 3 way conferences in Week 8 students had to present a digital component to their parent**s.**