Virtual Learning Network

National Goal 4

Family and whanau to actively participate in their child’s learning

The focus

Cluster Goal 4

Family, whanau and the wider education community participate through online environments and the sharing and celebrating of eLearning

The rationale

It is important for us to explore and develop

• Models of practice that inform, engage and educate parents, whanau e.g.
  website, blogs, digital newsletters and displays
• Opportunities to actively participate or contribute to the developments in
  elearning
• Events where families can celebrate students’ eLearning achievements
  

What we did

• Blogs are used extensively by all the schools in the cluster as a method of sharing school and class events, involving parents in student learning experiences. See links on school websites.
  
• Parents at Roslyn School are participating in the Computers in Homes programme 
• This year Russell Street School decided to move from a hard copy (including uploaded .pdf) to an online news format.  Listen to James Rea (DP RSS) talk about the reasons for this decision and the results Visit Russell Street School's online news site  and read his school focus report - Russell Street School's online newsletter.
• Russell Street School's Room 9 produces a videoed current events show 'Street Talk' each fortnight.  Members of the school community and whanau can view this online 
• Halcombe school held a 'Celebration of Learning' at the school hall on 13 April.  Students shared their inquiry into 'What makes New Zealand unique' using a variety of ICTs and eLearning applications.
• Ashhurst School parents completed a questionnaire during Term 1 which serveyed their understandings about ICT and their eLearning vision for the school.
• Riverdale, Ashhurst and North Street Schools both plan to hold parent information evenings during this term
• eFolios (password required) are being used by some classes in some cluster schools.  A variety of platforms are being used: Edublogs, UltraNet, Google sites.  Halcombe School is exploring the implementation with one teacher researching eFolios and trialling them this year. (View planning.)
• Russell Street School 'Jump Start' programme is a 'getting ready for school' initiative for parents and 4 year old children.  It was conceived at the start of 2011 by RSS AP Julie Walkley as a way of:
  - involving pre-school families in online learning environments
  - providing opportunities for 4 year old children to learn some early literacy and numeracy skills
  - provide a link between home and school 

Family, whanau and the wider education community participate through online environments and the sharing and celebrating of eLearning

Ashhurst School

Halcombe School Celebration of Learning 13 April 2011

Russell Street School

Roslyn School

Street Talk