Teaching staff and admin teams have been beyond heroic in recent weeks. Not only have they continued to educate the children of frontline staff, but they have also delivered the biggest change in memory to Australia’s education system. Moving the entire curriculum online would be a massive job at the best of times, but to turn it all around in a matter of weeks in the middle of a global crisis is extraordinary. We want to acknowledge everyone working in the education system for their hard work and we want to continue supporting you. Read on for an overview of how we can help your school.
We want to help schools stay connected to their parent and caregiver communities during this global crisis. School Stream has launched a free School Crisis Communication tool for schools who do not have a communication app. Read more.
Support parents to support their kids’ learning
For the majority of parents, this will be the first time they have been directly involved in the delivery and supervision of their child’s education. Understandably, many are struggling to navigate new technology and explain or supervise school work while trying to manage their own work from home commitments. Although the lessons are designed to be completed independently, if students are of early primary school age then they will need close supervision. At the other end of the scale, if students are in secondary schooling, parents can be unsure of the school’s expectations.
How School Stream can help:
Keep parents in the loop
Send the relevant daily or weekly timetable for each year level to families as an alert or create a custom category where timetables and daily learning overviews can be stored. This goes directly to parents on their smartphones where schools can be sure they can’t miss it. This is a winner on several fronts. It guides parents through their children’s school work and, by giving them some structure, makes them feel more in control of the homeschooling requirements. And younger children love routine to give them a sense of safety and normalcy, both of which go a long way in these uncertain times. In the case of teenagers, parents may find it easier to keep their kids on-track and focussed knowing what work needs to be completed each day. The aim is to avoid shock announcements or tears along the lines of “But it’s 600 words and it’s due tomorrow and I haven’t even started! I’ll never get it done!”
Deliver home learning directly via School Stream
You may have read our post last week on how schools are using School Stream to deliver home learning via custom categories. More schools have since been in touch to tell us this has been an effective way to get homeschooling up and running quickly. Most schools have high levels of engagement via the app and with information going directly to a nominated smartphone, parents can access everything they need to support their kids using technology they are already familiar with.
Use the translation feature
We keep hearing from schools that the School Stream translation feature has really come into its own during this time. The app can translate all the content you publish to make sure it reaches the families/caregivers who speak a language other than English at home. There are over 100 languages available, so you can be confident that all families have access to the information they need to support learning at home during this period of upheaval.
We support free, unlimited messaging
We are committed to delivering unlimited messaging. It’s so crucial to keep schools and the community updated and connected at this worrying time. If you do need assistance or have questions, we’re here to help. Connect with us via Live Chat. Thanks again for your ongoing support and messages. Take care.
