JUNIOR SCHOOL
MR JON ABBOTT HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL
STAYING CONNECTED IN A REMOTE LEARNING WORLD
KEEPING BOYS AND FAMILIES IN TOUCH , 21ST CENTURY STYLE
KEEPING JUNIOR SCHOOL BOYS CONNECTED AND ENTERTAINED DURING LOCKDOWNS : MR MCSCIENCE ( RIGHT ) PERFORMS AN EXPERIMENT IN ‘ COOPERATION ’ WITH THE HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL
With one week to go in Term 1 this year our School and the general community were thrown into a strange new world called ‘ lockdown .’ We were asked to move out of the world of face-to-face teaching and learning that had been the mode for almost two centuries , and to enter a new and daunting world of remote learning for our students . It is fair to say that the first few weeks of this style of learning were a challenge for everyone , but it was encouraging to see how quickly we were all able to respond to the new format .
Term 2 saw us return to remote learning and we all became accustomed to Zoom meetings , accessing learning materials via our learning management system , Canvas , and being somewhat apart from our friends and our families . Never before have our dogs been so well walked , have our bikes had so much use , or the walking paths of Melbourne been so popular .
For the boys , there was a novelty factor in being able to learn from home , and most of our Junior School boys embraced the idea . Some even found it enjoyable . The majority however , soon realised that they were missing one really important part of school life – being with their peers . We all began to experience a sense of becoming disconnected from a part of our lives that had previously been quite significant .
Many of the boys were missing being with their mates , and missing camps , sporting events and fixtures , musical performances and the myriad of other activities that all add to the rich experience of boys here in the Junior School at Scotch . Equally , our parents were missing their sense of connectedness with the School , catching up with other parents at the gate , coming along to special events and Junior School Parents ’ Association activities , and being part of many of the boys ’ special events .
The challenge for us all during these times of separation was to find ways to remain connected with our families , friends and to the various communities of which we are part . In the Junior School we recognised that the boys and their parents were missing the interactions with others that school naturally provides . The boys enjoyed their Zoom meetings , as they provided opportunity to see each other , but apart from those times many of them did feel disconnected .
In an effort to keep our community feeling more connected the School set up a new section on our website called ‘ Keeping Scotch Connected .’ In the Junior School we saw this as a great way to bring a bit of light into what had increasingly been a very dull period .
In second term we began a weekly challenge called Junior School Lego Masters , and each week a new
8 Great Scot Issue 160 – September 2020