Online Learning

At times when students cannot learn on site, Aotea College has plans in place to help students continue to learn from home in a way that aligns with our Curriculum and Student Achievement Policy. We expect students to remain in contact with teachers and engage with the learning programme at their level.

Periods of school-led learning from home can be challenging and Aotea College recognises the importance of:

• demonstrating care and supporting students’ wellbeing
• maintaining positive relationships and social connection
• considering students’ abilities to work independently when planning activities
• keeping things simple (including instructions and tools)
• balancing online activities with offline activities and encouraging down time.

Aotea College appreciates parents’ efforts to supervise their child to a level appropriate to their age while learning at home. This is particularly important when their child is participating in online sessions.

The online learning space is an extension of the school and classroom and all the relevant school policies apply. Aotea College keeps records about student access to digital devices at home and supports families to access the resources needed for their children to participate in online learning. We recognise that even though a student may have a device, their internet access may be limited.

The following guidelines apply to online learning:

• Staff delivering online teaching and learning are expected to maintain professional standards.
• When scheduling online sessions (e.g. Zoom, Google Meet), we give advance notice and keep to regular times, acknowledging that not all students may be able to participate all the time.
• We consider the privacy and security features of the tools we use and select the most appropriate tool for various types of online learning and communication.
• If recording online sessions, we make sure students are aware that the session is being recorded.
• In general, staff will respond to messages during normal school hours.

When students are participating in online learning, Aotea College appreciates parents’ support to:

• ensure others in the home are aware when the student is participating in an online session (e.g. Zoom, Google Meet) so that all actions and language in the background is appropriate for a school setting
• help their child, to the best of their ability, to use the technology effectively (e.g. submit work, mute microphones, share screens).

Aotea College seeks to balance online learning with activities that don’t require devices. The school may provide hard copies of learning materials as an alternative to online learning or to complement online learning.

Online interaction may not always be possible and staff may need to communicate with students and families in other ways, such as phone calls. When this is needed, staff will keep a record of the communication and who was contacted.