'Giving all kids a go' - Bridging the gap between the city and country in virtual learning

Students who are geographically remote or have other factors limiting their ability to attend face-to-face schooling will benefit from a new virtual online learning program developed by the Victorian Department of Education and Training and Monash University.

<https://www.monash.edu/news/articles/giving-all-kids-a-go-bridging-the-gap-between-the-city-and-country-in-virtual-learning>

Schools prioritise quality online safety education during the pandemic

Almost a third of all Australian schools are using quality online safety education providers endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner, the federal online safety regulator, as reports of cyberbullying continue to surge during the pandemic.

<https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/newsroom/schools-prioritise-quality-online-safety-education-during-pandemic>

Landmark framework sets foundation for effective online safety education in Australian schools

The eSafety Commissioner has today launched the first-ever national online safety education framework for Australian schools and teachers, helping educators equip young people with the necessary skills to navigate the online world safely.

<https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/newsroom/landmark-framework-sets-foundation-for-effective-online-safety-education-australian-schools>

Digital Practices During Remote Learning and Beyond

The Evidence Institute’s new report presents insightful findings from four diverse schools on the challenges and successes of navigating teaching and learning in a post-pandemic world.

<https://www.aisnsw.edu.au/newsroom?ArticleId=602ea014-4ec8-4244-b7c2-1e59c9eee791&_cldee=YnJpYW5ob3N0NzdAZ21haWwuY29t&recipientid=contact-c3356ded1145e0119109005056b82c7b-d3326f3a4c014c258afe6f4c564df152&esid=261d7cee-8f2c-ec11-a2f8-0050568d2360>

Join ACS' advisory panels: Do you want to help shape the face of ICT in Australia?

As the professional association for Australia’s information and communications technology (ICT) sector, ACS is passionate about the ICT profession being recognised as a driver of innovation and business.

<https://ia.acs.org.au/article/2021/join-acs-advisory-panels.html>

What can we learn from remote learning – parent reflections

As Australia's vaccination rates continue to increase, lockdown home schooling is coming to an end for many families. However, the changes to education that have resulted from home schooling provide an opportunity to reflect upon what has happened and what we might decide to retain into the future

<https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/what-can-we-learn-from-remote-learning--parent-reflections/278941>

Parents, studies show most kids have done just fine in remote schooling. Here’s how to survive the home stretch

With nearly half of Australia’s population in lockdown, a lot of children and young people are still not attending face-to-face school.

<https://www.studyinternational.com/news/remote-learning-in-2020/>

Child Safety for Students in all Environments

Child Protection Week gives us a timely reminder to ensure students are kept safe both online, offline and during remote learning, writes MARIA COSTA.

<https://www.aisnsw.edu.au/newsroom?ArticleId=6f03e59c-46c1-41c6-80b4-81ec1819da0b>

Student Engagement in Online Learning

Creating a positive environment for online learning can be enhanced using these practical and effective classroom management strategies, by DR ELIZABETH MAHER.

<https://www.aisnsw.edu.au/newsroom?ArticleId=3cbe4944-602a-4cbf-b6c3-38252915009b>

Study shows high levels of public trust and value for Australian teachers

Ahead of World Teachers Day, new research from Monash University has found the role of teachers continues to be recognised as important and influential in developing students' social and emotional development - which became even more important during COVID-19 remote learning.

<https://www.monash.edu/news/articles/study-shows-high-levels-of-public-trust-and-value-for-australian-teachers>

Learning resources for parents and carers

Now schools are open for the staged return of all students, they are expected to be back at school unless they are unable to for medical reasons (with approved documentation) or due to a temporary school closure.

<https://education.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/advice-for-families/learning-resources-for-parents-and-carers>

Transition to school during COVID-19: Information for early childhood education and care services

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) transition to school practices may need to be adapted this year as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19). This webpage provides information and resources for early childhood professionals to support children transition to primary school in 2022.

<https://education.nsw.gov.au/early-childhood-education/working-in-early-childhood-education/transition-to-school/covid-services>

Tackling the teacher shortage

A New South Wales Government plan to spend $13.5 million recruiting 500 specialist STEM teachers has been welcomed by the peak body for science and technology.

<https://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/tackling-the-teacher-shortage/>

Adapting, Adopting and Transforming: Enhancing teaching and learning through technology

World Teachers’ Day provides a good opportunity to reflect on the way in which teachers have rapidly upskilled and embraced new approaches to teaching and learning during the pandemic and ways in which to ensure that this can be embedded in future practice.

<https://www.bettshow.com/bett-articles/adapting-adopting-and-transforming-enhancing-teaching-and-learning-through-technology>

Unleashing the Potential of Young Women and Girls Everywhere

The World Bank is committed to seeing every girl prosper in her life. Our projects support the education of hundreds of millions of girls and young women across the world.

<https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/unleashing-potential-young-women-and-girls-everywhere>

The kids are not alright: Three ways EdTech can support student’s wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

Most of us may remember our first day at school, making friends and sharing experiences inside and outside of the classroom. In the same way, we might remember our graduation day and sharing with our friends the closing of a stage in our lives and the start of a new chapter full of dreams.

<https://blogs.worldbank.org/education/kids-are-not-alright-three-ways-edtech-can-support-students-wellbeing-during-covid-19>

Language learning for success in an interconnected world

In today’s global and connected world, proficiency in more than one language is a fundamental tool for communicating and interacting with others and a key asset for employability. Fifteen-year-old Leonard from Spain – one of several students who shared their thoughts on language learning with us – is aware of these benefits:

<https://oecdedutoday.com/language-learning-success-interconnected-world/>

Opportunities and dangers of digital technologies: the views of children and young people on their leisure time behaviour

The influence of digital everyday technologies on the lives of children and young people is an increasingly researched field. This applies to the resulting opportunities as well as to the associated risks and dangers. In this blog, Andreas Chmielowski discusses children’s views of the online benefits and risks, their varying degrees of skills and competence, and the e-safety strategies children use.

<https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/parenting4digitalfuture/2021/09/22/children-and-leisure/>

What to be mindful of: children’s mental health and the digital environment

An estimated 13% of the global adolescent population aged 12-19 years – or 166 million children – live with some mental disorder, according to UNICEF’s new flagship report State of the World’s Children 2021 – On My Mind: Promoting, protecting and caring for children’s mental health. As lives became digital by default, our attention was drawn to the possible impacts of children’s internet use on their wellbeing. For parenting.digital, Mariya Stoilova explores the role of the digital environment in supporting children’s vulnerability or resilience looking at the factors that make a difference between wellbeing and harm. 

<https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/parenting4digitalfuture/2021/10/06/childrens-mental-health/>

Is it time for agile pedagogical digital competences?

Pedagogical digital competence is the ability to consistently plan, conduct and apply teaching supported by digital technology. It is not a fixed set of attitudes, knowledge and skills – we learnt that fast (maybe even hard) in the previous school year. So, how can teachers build resilience against future crises? Digital education expert Lidija Kralj shares her views.

<https://www.schooleducationgateway.eu/en/pub/viewpoints/experts/agile-pedagogical-competence.htm>

When Girls Have Access to Technologies, A True Digital Revolution Will Be In Sight [IPS]

This year’s International Day of the Girl theme, Digital Generation, Our Generation, celebrates the potential of digital technologies while calling for the inclusion of all girls in accessing technology.

<http://www.ipsnews.net/2021/10/girls-access-technologies-true-digital-revolution-will-sight/>

Could do better: what students want from schools: An FT/World Bank competiton asked young people to share their sometimes startling views

Since 2019, the free FT for schools programme and the World Bank have run an annual blog writing competition for students aged 16-19, seeking their views on education. We publish edited extracts from the winning blogs and runners-up, plus fresh reflections.

<https://www.ft.com/content/bbc70b0c-bdc5-479e-a5b9-8f964a83cda6>

Apple unveils new resources for elementary schools

Apple is unveiling new resources for elementary school students and educators, including a new activity guide, Everyone Can Code Early Learners, that extends its coding curriculum resources from kindergarten to college.

<http://appleshopaholic.com/apple-unveils-new-resources-for-elementary-schools/>

Lego to remove gender bias from its toys after findings of child survey

Lego has announced it will work to remove gender stereotypes from its toys after a global survey the company commissioned found attitudes to play and future careers remain unequal and restrictive. ... The study found that parents still encouraged sons to do sports or Stem activities, while daughters were offered dance and dressing up (girls were five times more likely to be encouraged in these activities than boys) or baking (three times more likely to be encouraged).

<https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/oct/11/lego-to-remove-gender-bias-after-survey-shows-impact-on-children-stereotypes>