Rudyard Kipling has a poem titled “I Keep Six Honest Serving Men”, where he introduces six terms used universally by people (often unknowingly) to try to make sense of new chaos in their lives. These terms are: what, why, when, how, where, and who?
When Jacinda Ardern announced schools would be closing as part of the lockdown, I imagine all involved immediately turned to these questions.
The why, when, who, and where are easy to answer. However, all parties involved will have different ‘how’ questions about the technology aspect of distance learning, with different responses to the ‘what’ question in terms of the role they must play in this new learning environment.
From a teacher's perspective, you should ask how you can use technology to make this learning experience interesting for your students. For example, you could get them to participate in a real science project with real scientists by introducing an online citizen science project to your class (and maybe get their names on a scientific paper). Trial and error will be your friend (no one expects you to be an expert straight away) but this provides an excellent opportunity to explore technologies that may change how you teach going forward.
You must also ask what your role as a teacher is in this new learning environment. It might be easy to use technology for a lot of tasks but it’s important not to replace yourself with it. Having a visible presence motivates students to participate in a distance learning approach. This can be achieved with regular catch-ups through video conferencing tools to see how students are progressing, engaging in online discussions, and providing students with an outlet where they can ask questions (just make sure you’re there to reply).
From a parent’s perspective, you should ask how you can set good norms for the way your child or children use technology. Encouraging your child to be a responsible digital citizen is just as important as it is to be a responsible citizen. They need to learn how to respect, educate and protect themselves and others online, while also becoming inquisitive about the technology they use. Now is a good time to start setting these norms.
You must also ask what role you’ll play in this new learning environment. You take on the role of a tutor. This involves helping your child when needed, showing an interest in their work and offering them encouragement (remember to aid them with their work rather than doing it). Establish a routine and focus on small chunks of work. Take plenty of breaks in between that can be filled with other activities such as exercise or games. This can be daunting when considering you may have your own work to do, but every little bit helps.
From a student’s perspective, you should ask how you can use technology to continue to learn. While your teacher will tell you what tools to use, it's important to be curious about them. Practise using them, click on buttons to see what they do, and explore their possibilities. You could also participate in some online extracurricular activities. You could observe the birds in your garden, explore the secret life of the Serengeti, or even play a video game to help NASA. Just try to make connections between what you’re learning and how technology helps to achieve it.
You must also ask what your role is in this new learning environment. While you’ll still be playing the role of a student, some things will change. You’ll still be expected to attend your virtual classes on time, complete the work set for you, and participate in discussions. Just remember to do your best and don’t be afraid to ask questions. These can be to your teacher, parents, siblings or classmates. Likewise, you can help others when they need it (this can be as simple as asking how they are getting on with the new classroom).
All parties should remember this is a new experience for almost everyone involved. We’re all trying to make sense of the chaos.
Dr Cathal Doyle is a Lecturer in the School of Information Management at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
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