Written by Mr Brenton Hall, School Director
Remote Learning at AISB
Remote Learning has been the only way that schools have been able to deliver education to students during the time that students have not been allowed to physically be on school sites. At AISB we understand the benefits of Remote Learning, what structures need to be in place and what teacher qualities are crucial. Our Remote Program combines live sessions, teacher-made videos, set work tasks, and support.
From Nursery to Year 3 we use Seesaw to communicate tasks, exchange information and student pieces of work, and for the teacher to provide feedback to students.
Our Kindergarten and Nursery students have 2 to 3 online times per day that feature, song, dance, creative activity and movement.
Foundation to Year 3 students have 4 live Zoom sessions per day that cover the curriculum areas with an emphasis on Literacy and Numeracy. These lessons are complimented by teacher made videos. Specialist subjects; art, music, languages, Technology, PE are also
delivered online.
From Year 4 up to Year 12 we use Google Classroom with Google Meets used to deliver live sessions. Year 4 to Year 6 students have 3-4 live sessions per day, which includes all specialist subjects.
Our Secondary Students have every lesson online so that their school day mirrors a school day that they would have if they were physically at school. The lessons include tasks and activities that allow students to work off screen, but the teacher remains on screen to assist and answer questions throughout the lesson.
Our teachers all understand the importance of live sessions, and need to make these sessions as interesting and engaging as possible, to include all students in the lesson, and to show they are there to instruct and support.
Support for students
Planning Ahead: The links for lessons are sent out in a very easy to access format for parents and students beforehand. with an outline of each day. Each Friday a Class Newsletter is sent home that recaps the week.
Live Lessons: Live Mathematics and Literacy lessons from Foundation to Year 6 are conducted in groups so that the teacher works with and can assist a smaller number of students. Students can ask questions and have them answered as they work on tasks.
English as an Additional Language (EAL) Support for Students: We provide online EAL lessons (5 per week) and online Learning Support sessions. Our Learning Support Teacher and EAL teachers are very well qualified.
Supporting Students In Other Time Zones: We cater for students who are out of the Bangkok time zone by sending recorded lessons and holding regular parent discussions at a mutually agreeable time to discuss issues and the support needed.
Support from Teaching Assistants: Teacher Assistants remain logged on when lessons finish to provide further support. In Nursery, Kindergarten and Foundation, TAs conduct a weekly social group for small groups where children are guided to interact and share stories and things of interest to them. Secondary Teacher Assistants log onto designated lessons to support those students who have been assessed by the school as needing support.
Learning Resource Packs: At all levels, Resource Packs are sent home. Included are exercise books, student workbooks, subject texts, reading books, individual whiteboards and the art and craft materials that support the lesson activities. These resources are replenished weekly for Nursery and Kindergarten.
Support for Parents
It is very important that good parent-teacher communication is established and maintained especially in times of Remote Learning. At AISB, we aim to provide as much support to parents as possible through regular interactions with parents:
Introducing your classroom teacher: At the start of the term, all classroom teachers made contact with the parents of every child in their class to introduce themselves and provide a personal bio.
Understanding your child's experiences with remote learning: The teachers then followed up by having a phone call, email or in most cases a video call where the child was discussed and their previous Remote Learning experience. These communications were to assist the parents and teachers to get to know each other and to learn more about the child.
Fortnightly calls: Teachers follow up with a call to parents every fortnight to check on how students are, if there are any issues and comment on the child’s progress.
Online meeting with all class parents: A meeting of all parents in the class is held online where the teacher discusses the curriculum, assessment and online routines.
What you can do if your child is challenged by online learning?
Maintain regular contact with your class teacher regarding your child’s progress at home. You can request a private discussion with the teacher.
Consult with your child’s class teacher, regarding your observations of the child’s remote learning challenges. Teachers can recommend potential solutions or techniques that can be applied at home.
Have your child access the small group sessions provided by the class Teacher’s Assistant (TA) after the class online sessions to ask further questions and receive additional support.
Tips on managing on-line learning:
1. Keep up regular routines; wake-up and get dressed and eat breakfast.
2. Organise your workspace with all needed supplies.
3. Remove any distractions such as TV, mobile phone, pets, or toys.
4. Maintain a calendar of all school assignments.
5. Be diligent in completing assigned activities in a timely manner.
6. Request assistance from the teacher if you have any questions.
At the Australian International School Bangkok (AISB), the safety of our students, parents and staff remain our first priority and we strictly follow the guidance and directive from governing institutions including the Ministry of Education and the International Schools Association of Thailand (ISAT). Remote Learning will thankfully not last forever and we are very much looking forward to welcoming our students back to school soon.
