Henry Kendall High School Principal, Andrew Backhouse, has asked parents and guardians to let students and teachers get on with the transition to online learning unfettered, after some disrupted virtual lessons.
According to Backhouse, online learning platforms, which include digital learning materials, video conferencing, chatrooms and virtual classrooms, have been rolled out over the past week to ensure that students remain supported in their education, but some parents and guardians had been inserting themselves into these platforms and disrupting the process.
“The online learning facilities will be used exclusively for educational purposes to support the learning of students.
“However, it is equally important that student and teacher privacy be respected by parents in an online environment as it would be in a physical classroom.
“Some parents have signed into classrooms as additional students, and this is not appropriate.
“It is important for parents to monitor online classrooms and learning, but please respect this as a teaching and learning environment in which it would not be appropriate to engage in the lesson or dialogue,” Backhouse said.
Backhouse said while it is important that parents and guardians actively encourage and support learning whilst students are off site, it was expected that rules of engagement protocols for conduct in online learning be observed.
These include: Behaviour or language that is not appropriate in a school or classroom setting is not appropriate on social media channels created for educational purposes; All interactions are specific to the educational topic relevant to that timeframe; Personal comments of any nature are not appropriate; Comments or material that are off topic or contravene acceptable community standards are not appropriate; The online platform will generally be monitored during regular school hours of 9am to 3pm weekdays; Failure to comply with the Rules of Engagement may result in disciplinary action being undertaken by the school.
Source:
Email, Mar 24
Andrew Backhouse, Henry Kendall High School