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AIM: To inspire others and to learn from others.
THE BRIEF: Thinking about the spatial implications of home schooling:
- What's working?
- What could work better?
- What are your top tips for success?
plus
- If you're also working from home, how are you spatially managing concurrent activities?
TO BEGIN: Click the cross at the bottom right of your screen OR double click on the pinboard to enter text and images or links!

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New holiday activities loaded into the Victoria Together website

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This is all about experiencing Victoria online while we can't be out and about as much as we would like.

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Online movies, games, variety shows, comedy, fun for kids and more - experience the best Victoria has to offer online on Victoria Together.

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Loving watching the peregrine falcon couple nesting on the high rise of 367 Collins Street

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Soaring above it all

Peregrine Falcons are birds of prey known for their capability to fly at extremely high speeds (in excess of 320km per hour) earning them the title of the fastest animal on earth. Since 1991, a pair of Peregrine Falcons has been observed in a nest on the rooftop of 367 Collins Street. As home to the only known peregrine falcon nesting site within Melbourne's CBD, the building plays a surprisingly important role to the ongoing breeding success of these rare and fiercely territorial birds.

The Nest

From the foyer of the building, thousands of people per year enjoy watching CCTV footage of the birds as they lay and hatch their chicks from August. Mirvac are proud sponsors of the Victorian Peregrine Project and its conservation research to improve the management of one of Victoria's rarest birds.

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Peregrine Falcons are birds of prey known for their capability to fly at extremely high speeds (in excess of 320km per hour) earning them the title of the fastest animal on earth. Since 1991, a pair of Peregrine Falcons has been observed in a nest on the rooftop of 367 Collins Street.

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Short videos on wellbeing fomr ReachOut.com

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Energise, refocus and develop wellbeing in your students. Wellbeing Fives are five-minute activities to use in your classroom, homeroom or assembly structures.

This will provide you with:

Whole-class and individual activities

Activities to get your students thinking and moving

Ideas for energising and refocusing, building relationships, improving communication, developing problem-solving skills and enhancing wellbeing in our students.

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Energise, refocus and develop wellbeing in your students. Wellbeing Fives are five-minute activities to use in your classroom, homeroom or assembly structures. This will provide you with: Whole-class and individual activities Activities to get your students thinking and moving Ideas for energising and refocusing, building relationships, improving communication, developing problem-solving skills and enhancing wellbeing in our students.

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Lots of tools and advice online from the Victoria State Government. Here is some for the younger kids

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You can bring out the numeracy in playing peek-a-boo.

When a baby plays peek-a-boo, they seem to enjoy doing and then undoing, over and over again. This involves the ideas of: constancy (that an object always comes back); negation (doing then undoing); pattern repetition; concepts like together and apart as well as more or less; and position (for example, in and out, under and over, behind and in front, near and far, and so on).

Sing nursery rhymes with children that draw out numeracy.

Give a young child some containers and something appropriate to put in them, e.g., a toddler could use water in the bath or sand in the sand pit, and an older child might use or pasta or rice; Involve a young child in setting up many situations throughout the day where the basic idea is 'one for each person' (one-to-one correspondence). With practice and growing confidence, this could be extended to three for each person, or eventually, one shared between three people.

'Two' is an important mathematical idea. It is first learned at a time long before a child hears the name for the number. Children seem to like and understand pairs, and some are fascinated with doubling.

In the video below, we see Ruby and Jackson singing a nursery rhyme with their grandparent Helene.
Three fat sausages and similar nursery rhymes reinforce developing number sense in a fun and engaging way.

Cooking

Collect cooking and preparation tools

Talk about the recipe/ingredients using terms like more, less, how many, how much

Count the pieces of food for each person

Set the table, copy a model setting

Ask children to estimate or calculate while cooking

Prepare and share out food - "two for me and two for you". Ask, "How many for each of us?"

Julieann describes the potential for developing numeracy through cooking in the video below

The following video shows Ruby and Jackson cooking cupcakes with their parent, Julieann.

The video highlights the numeracy opportunities cooking offers. Can you identify other numeracy opportunities in the video and your own cooking experiences?

Are we there yet?

Mark important dates on a calendar

Discuss what time you should start getting ready

Time how long it takes to travel to different locations

Estimate how long it takes you to:

brush your teeth?

drive to the store?

get dressed

jump up and down 10 times?

Investigate how long it is to your children's birthdays (in months, weeks, days or hours)

List your daily schedule. What time do you get up? What time do you go to school?

Find our arrival time if it is, for example, 10 am now and it will take us 30 minutes

Children's literature is a perfect way to incorporate mathematics. Stories may include timelines, maps, problem-solving, geometry, chance and measurement:

Highlight everyday words "under", "over", "between", "around", "behind", "up", "down", "heavy", "light", "round", "circle", "yesterday", "tomorrow" in books you read;

Conduct a shape and number search when reading a book;

Highlight numbers in the story - count objects, the number of pages and look at the page numbers; and

Roll the dice to find out how many books (or chapters) you read with your child before bed

For suggestions for books that can be used to stimulate numeracy thinking and talk, see, for example, 16 picture books about math to inspire curious kids.

The Premier's Reading Challenge website has a book list which provides a broad range of books which are organised in year levels. Although they do not include specific numeracy related suggestions, they provide a great resource for selecting appropriate reading material for your child's age group.

When shopping, engage children in some of the following experiences:

Take a specific item from the shelf

Ask, "What shapes can you find?"

Guess the total number of items in your supermarket trolley

Estimate and weigh the fruit and vegetables

Compare a range of different prices to determine which is the most or least expensive

Use cash to provide your child with the experience of receiving and counting the change

Estimate how many bags you will need to carry your groceries

Notice shapes and use mathematics vocabulary (rectangular prisms instead of boxes)

When out and about, children:

Take turns closing their eyes and describing how to get from the front gate to the kitchen, from the kitchen to their bedroom

Dance to their favourite song/music

Play "I Spy" with a mathematics focus; e.g., something rectangular and red

Go on a numeracy walk to look for numbers or shapes, to count objects, compare sizes of objects and look for patterns in your environment. Ask your child to decide what you will look for

Measure everything! How far can you jump? How long is the desk? How tall are you? How tall is the dog?

Find and read large numbers in your local environment

Spot number plates; e.g., numbers in order, double digits, numbers that add to a given total

Family members have children:

Find shapes and patterns in your house, garden or neighbourhood

List and explore places you find patterns;
Sort the washing, identifying pairs, colors and owners then counting to find who had more washing

Count; e.g. the number of steps to the car, the number of forks on the table, the number of grapes on your plate. And, when you're ready, skip count by twos;

Collect coins in a jar: Sort them into groups

Provide a variety of plastic containers to encourage prediction: how many small containers will be needed to fill a larger one?

Gather various cans, boxes and round objects: Discuss how some have corners, some roll and some stack

Read information displays: e.g. traffic signs and signals, clocks and timers, maps, dials, graphs, meters, speedometer, and odometers.

Family members have children:

Build with blocks

Thread beads to make and explore patterns

Fold and cut out paper shapes

Colour in patterns, keeping colors apart, mixing colors

Play guess and check games (use different shaped jars) - how many beans, buttons, pegs in the container?

Work together on jigsaw puzzles and discuss your method: e.g., Collect the pieces with straight edges

Play card games; e.g., Snap, Go Fish, Find the Pair

Play games: e.g., Hop-Scotch, Snakes and Ladders, Connect 4, Noughts and Crosses, Checkers. Is there a strategy?

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You can bring out the numeracy in playing peek-a-boo. When a baby plays peek-a-boo, they seem to enjoy doing and then undoing, over and over again.

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still loving the explorations posted by Melbourne Museum for kids to explore

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The Listies totally serious 100% fact filled guide to the Melbourne Museum

The Listies take you on a LOLtastic tour of Melbourne Museum to see shark dentists, dinosaur salesmen and the insect Oscars!

Rich (the smart one) and Matt (the other one) welcome you as they venture forth to discover the secrets of the Learnadome (what Matt calls the Museum).

The Fact Detectives: Kinderling Kids Radio

The Fact Detectives brings Museums Victoria's research and collections to life as Anika and Dexter (the hosts) go on a mission to find out exciting facts from our experts who tell them the coolest things about their areas of expertise.

Find out interesting things like, are there really killer butterflies? Did monster kangaroos once roam the land? And what exactly is a fossil?

Have you ever wondered why things look bigger when you look at them with a magnifying glass? We will show you how to make your own.

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The Listies take you on a LOLtastic tour of Melbourne Museum to see shark dentists, dinosaur salesmen and the insect Oscars! Rich (the smart one) and Matt (the other one) welcome you as they venture forth to discover the secrets of the Learnadome (what Matt calls the Museum).

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AIM: To inspire others and to learn from others.
THE BRIEF: Thinking about the spatial implications of home schooling:
- What's working?
- What could work better?
- What are your top tips for success?
plus
- If you're also working from home, how are you spatially managing concurrent activities?
TO BEGIN: Click the cross at the bottom right of your screen OR double click on the pinboard to enter text and images or links!

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Mythologies of education in the time of Covid-19

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Mythologies of education in the time of Covid-19

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On this post on Architecture and Education blog, Professor Catherine Burke (UCambridge) identified the 10 mythologies of schooling. Covid-19 pandemic has shown the possibility of schooling in a way never experienced before, and the potential to rethink the way physical spaces of the schools are being governed.

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This is a guest post by Catherine Burke, Professor Emerita of the History of Education at the University of Cambridge. Professor Burke's research focuses on 2 0th and 21st century progressive education with a particular interest in material contexts. She has published widely on the history of relationships between architects and educators in 20th century school design and collaborates with architects designing schools today who are interested in drawing useful knowledge from past efforts to design schools to fit the child.

Artwork: 'Didactics' by Catherine Burke

As the Covid-19 public health crisis progresses, the serious disruption to schooling has resulted in a range of changes to the everyday that lead us to question some fundamental taken for granted characteristics of the modern school. This disruption has at least temporarily altered key relationships of schooling: relationships between pupils and their peers; between teachers and pupils; between schools and community. As schools have remained open for the children of key workers, the experience of relationships between bodies and space has altered. With fewer pupils in attendance, space has become available for imaginative and creative approaches to learning through doing, making, and constructing. Meanwhile, there has been a recognition that space might need to be found through temporary pop-up structures (at least in the summer months) and through the use of village halls, community centres and other public assets in the locality.

Space has been a constant consideration and spatial relationships underpinning the experience of education brought into sharp focus. The concept of school space has expanded through the real experience of teachers and pupils in schools and that of parents and their children at home. For a while it has been possible to imagine education being supported through and within a far greater variety of settings than is usual and the fundamental and basic requirement for care and nurture, whether in the school or in the home, has been shown to be pivotal. Soon the narrative of 'learning loss' and catch-up' began to be projected by a government keen to reassert control and eager to prevent the system unravelling. So as preparations have been made for a return to universal compulsory attendance, once again the concept of space and spatial relationships of learning and teaching have been utilised.

To give one example. Just a few days before Boris Johnson's announcement of a speedy project to build new schools, the Education secretary Gavin Williamson pronounced on the imperative that pupils, on returning to school post-pandemic, should be seated in rows. He even went as far as describing the tables as round or square*.

This has at least two effects. The critique of particularly shaped tables implies an attack on notions, if not realities, of collaborative or group learning and by further implication on the historic tradition of collective progressive pedagogies. Second, remarking on arrangements of furniture helps to stimulate an image in the public's mind of the traditional classroom, regardless of any public health merits such arrangements might have. The hegemony of the classroom is thus safely projected in any imagined future school. Coupled with this, calling for the renewal of school building stock as part of 'project speed' is likely to have been intended to dampen down any speculation that pupils, their teachers and the wider community might be engaged in the design process.

So I want to suggest that, despite the rhetoric around evidence-based policy making, there are powerful mythologies of schooling at play that have the effect of reducing our capacity to imagine change. For a few weeks, these mythologies have been disrupted and have offered a window of opportunity for their consideration. These act as closed boxes containing assumptions that are ubiquitous and seemingly unquestionable. As such they not only constrain the possibilities of teaching and learning but they limit the parameters of research. While the boxes are closed, opening them leads not to certain answers but to debate and the search for evidence to explore the many angles contained inside.

Ten Mythologies of schooling.

1. That children learn best in buildings set apart from the community called schools.

2. That there is a predicted scale on which to judge and measure children's development.

3. That learning takes place best in spaces called classrooms among peers of the same age.

4. That knowledge is best acquired through instruction.

5. That what is measurable matters most in education.

6. That children's mental health is always best secured by attending school.

7. That school time should roughly mirror work time

(i.e. Monday-Friday 9-5)

8. That there is a common pace in which to learn and that slowing down a bit threatens educational progress.

9. That models of progressive schooling in the past that emphasised curiosity, an arts-led curriculum and discovery learning are not appropriate for today.

10. That we all agree and know what education is and what it is for.

Mythologies are very powerful because they set up barriers that prevent questioning and protect assumptions. These myths are a good part of the reason that change happens so slowly if at all in our schools. Myths also act as mediums of reassurance to the general population that all is well. I'm struck in the present situation by the drip-feed of images of 'normality' being displayed by the media. We are not shown images of bullying, isolation rooms, boredom, etc. Of course schooling needs to change and change should be evidence-based but these myths limit the kind of evidence we need to do more than scratch the surface.

*These comments by Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary for England, were made to the Conservative party 1922 committee in late June 2020. A response from one teacher is linked below:
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/opinion/letters/education-secretary-gavin-williamson-needs-trust-teachers-do-their-jobs-yep-letters-2898595

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Mythologies of education in the time of Covid-19

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This is a guest post by Catherine Burke, Professor Emerita of the History of Education at the University of Cambridge. Professor Burke's research focuses on 20th and 21st century progressive education with a particular interest in material contexts. She has published widely on the history of relationships between architects and educators in 20th century school...

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Having whiteboards for parents and children to co-create their learning schedules

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As families navigate the strange new world of home learning, some parents have found solace and grounding in an unexpected place: the humble whiteboard.

Whiteboards are flying off shelves, with Officeworks CFO Michael Howard saying the products have seen increased demand as parents set up a learning space for their kids. Sometimes they're used for writing or doing sums. But mostly they are being used to plot out children's daily schedules.

Graphic recorder Debbie Wood with the whiteboard timetable she's set up with sons Toby, 13, and Artie, 9. Credit:Penny Stephens

On social media, parents are swapping photos of their own whiteboard creations, some timetables dressed up with illustrations and colourful markers, others going more utilitarian. Some involve very detailed plans, others are more loose.

When Debbie Wood's two sons - Toby, 13, and Artie, 9 - moved to home learning, setting up a whiteboard to plan their days was a no-brainer.

Wood's entire career is, basically, whiteboards. She's a professional graphic recorder, meaning her job is to sit in on big strategy meetings and capture a plan on a board in a visual way, like an advanced mind map.

She now has a whiteboard standing in their Coburg dining room, which is also now Toby and Artie's makeshift classroom, and together they plot out their schedule every morning after they "check in".

Wood says it's been a brilliant source of structure, while also keeping her sons accountable for their own time.

"It's going really well," she says. "It's good for the kids and it means I don't have to constantly be talking to them about their day. They can look at it and see what's next.

"And knowing they have that one-hour of screen reward at the end of the day means it's sitting there as motivation."

To avoid rewriting everything everyday, Wood has used a permanent Sharpie for the fixed parts including the boys' names and the times down the centre. And she's spruced it up with illustrations, such as cartoon versions of her sons.

"I've tried to make it visual so it's a bit more interesting for the fellas."

There are other methods being used too. Mum Janelle Boyton has set up a "kanban" whiteboard for her year 1 son, allowing him to organise his day with post-its. "[It] seems to keep him motivated to get through all his work," she says.

And Simone Lawrence is using a tick-box whiteboard method with her two primary school sons. "It provides a sense of control for the boys and a sense of achievement when we tick off tasks as we go," she says.

Meanwhile 11-year-old student Sarah-Jane has been busy decorating her whiteboard with hearts, smiley faces and inspirational quotes. She's been writing out her schedule nightly, and mum Kimberly Donegan says it's kept her daughter motivated: "It gives her day a start, a finish, a middle and a break, which is so important."

Claire Brown, director of Victoria University's education program, AVID Australia, says this period of home learning is a good opportunity to teach kids crucial organisational skills.

"Time management is the piece university students find hardest when they get there because they had such structured days at school and didn't have to create their own timetable," Brown says. "Whiteboards have a lot of potential but have to be executed well."

Brown describes some of the whiteboards she has seen as "scary" - the ones with every minute accounted for. "I would be extremely intimidated," she says. "It's OK for kids to be bored sometimes or to fall to their own resources."

"The best whiteboard examples I've seen have been where parent and child have co-created."

She recommends asking questions to help children plan out their day. And if a child wants to slot in two hours for video games, ask them how they will fit in their schoolwork.

"Let them come to the right conclusion."

Sign up to our Coronavirus Update newsletter

Get our Coronavirus Update newsletter for the day's crucial developments at a glance, the numbers you need to know and what our readers are saying. Sign up to The Sydney Morning Herald's newsletter here and The Age's here.

Sophie is Deputy Lifestyle Editor for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.

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The whiteboard is having a moment thanks to home schooling

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Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size As families navigate the strange new world of home learning, some parents have found solace and grounding in an unexpected place: the humble whiteboard. Whiteboards are flying off shelves, with Officeworks CFO Michael Howard saying the products have seen increased demand as parents set up a learning space for their kids.

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The Struggle to Teach from Afar - The NYT Daily Podcast

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The Struggle to Teach from Afar - The NYT Daily Podcast

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Even though classes in Australia have resumed to the on-site mode, many over the world are still seeing their teachers and students via the small computer screen. Ronda McIntyre shares her experience and the struggle to teach from afar.

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Listen to this episode from The Daily on Spotify. Ronda McIntyre's classroom is built around a big rug, where her students crowd together often for group instruction. But since March, when schools across the country shut down because of the coronavirus, she has had to try to create the same sense of community remotely.

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Are we teaching children what we want for them?

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Are we teaching children what we want for them?

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First, a quiz. In two words or less, what do you most want for your children? Now a second question: in two words or less, what do schools teach?

How much overlap is there between your two lists? While most parents hope for happiness, confidence, contentment and love for our children, many of our schools are still firmly entrenched in teaching only problem solving, conformity, work and achievement.

Happily, a growing number of public and private schools in Australia are catching up with recent changes in national and state policies that are encouraging schools to develop not just your child's mind but also their wellbeing and sense of civic and social responsibility.

What's driving this shift in our schools?

As globalisation has shifted the needs of employers and communities, the remit of schools is being questioned and extended to promote individual development and social cohesion, to strengthen economic prosperity and environmental sustainability and to prepare our children for active global citizenship.

School has also come to play an increasingly important role as a social institution to guide the formation of character and morals, as the impact of the church and the availability of extended family have been diluted. With children still spending, on average, 13,000 hours of their youth in the classroom, teachers have a great opportunity to help develop the whole child, not just their thinking ability.

The need for teaching our children the skills of wellbeing has also become increasingly important as the average age for the onset of depression has now fallen from 30 to 14. As the pressures of bullying, alcohol and drug abuse, body issues and family conflicts take an increasing toll on our children's mental health, it's estimated that one in four young Australians now experience symptoms of depression.

No wonder the National Scientific Council has advised, "If we really want to build a strong platform for healthy development and effective learning then we must pay as much attention to children's emotional wellbeing and social capacities as we do to their cognitive abilities and academic skills."

Surely this must become the future measure of every school.

Why happy schools are the answer

As our schools try to respond to the challenges of modern life, your children will need to broaden their academic performance, embrace pro-social behaviours and improve their resilience. A reliable body of neurobiological and psychological research shows that helping children to explore the beliefs and behaviours that help them to feel good and function well is positively correlated to improved academic performance, the heightening of empathy and altruism and the prevention of depression.

These results aren't achieved by painting on a smiling face, wishing away your problems with positive thinking or pretending they don't exist. Instead, scientists define happiness as the experience of positive emotions - such as joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe and love - combined with deeper feelings of meaning, accomplishment and purpose and the presence of positive relationships. It implies a positive mood in the present, satisfaction about the past and a positive outlook for the future.

Why does this matter? Positive emotions flood your brain with dopamine and serotonin, chemicals that not only make you feel good but dial up your learning centres and neural connections to help you to overcome obstacles, make the most of opportunities, build good relationships and conquer your most ambitious goals. Perhaps the most accurate term for this life-giving ingredient isn't "happiness", then, but what Aristotle called eudaimonia, which translates as "human flourishing".

For example, a meta analysis of 213 studies involving 270,034 students from kindergarten to high school showed that, on average, school students enrolled in a social and emotional learning program ranked 11 percentage points higher on achievement tests than school students who didn't participate. Programs like "The Roots of Empathy" improved students' emotional literacy leading to an increase in empathy and pro-sociability, as well as decreases in aggression, bullying and negative behaviour. And initiatives like the Penn Resiliency Program have been found to reliably prevent depression, anxiety and conduct problems in young people.

Are happy schools achievable?

Since the 1970s, non-profit programs to help teachers improve the self-esteem, character, social skills and resilience of our children have been popping up in Australian schools. Wellbeing initiatives like "Bounce Back", "You Can Do It" and "Reach" all have had positive impacts on the lives of kids, but all acknowledge they can achieve better results when embedded into a whole-of-school approach.

It was this challenge that Geelong Grammar School took on in 2008 when it decided to become the world's first positive-education school by teaching both accomplishment and wellbeing. Just as there are formulas and practices used to teach the skills of literacy and numeracy, it turns out that Dr Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology, has discovered the formula and practices that can be used to teach the skills of wellbeing.

Dr Seligman and his team spent more than a year at Geelong Grammar working with the staff, students and parents to teach, "embed" and "live" the mindsets and skills proven to promote resilience, gratitude, strengths, meaning, engagement, positive relationships and positive emotions. Results to date include higher morale, lower staff turnover, increase in admissions, applications and donations and continued improvement in academic results.

Most importantly, Geelong Grammar's incredible courage and generosity in sharing its positive-education journey with educators around the world has validated the idea that happy schools are possible. As a result, its whole-of-school positive-education philosophy and curriculum of proven well-being exercises is now starting to find its way into other schools across Australia.

What does a happy school look like?

St Peter's College in Adelaide, South Australia's oldest school, has set itself a modern-day challenge of going from good to great by embracing a wellbeing and positive-education framework as part of its philosophy.

"Our hope is to build a flourishing school, of which happiness would be a subset," explains headmaster Simon Murray. "When a child walks through the gates of our school we want them to feel safe to be themselves and to know that their peers and teachers value them for their own unique strengths of character. We want our students to be truly confident about themselves - and to be themselves - so that they can flourish and grow in the very best of ways.

"This doesn't mean that it'll be a smooth and easy path through their schooldays, but it does mean that they'll have the beliefs, skills and relationships that they need to successfully face the challenges and adversity that are a normal part of school life," explains Simon. "They'll be able to sail successfully through choppy waters."

He adds, "In order for our students to flourish, however, it's essential that we also invest in the wellbeing of our staff. Not just the teachers, but all of our staff. After all, these are the people who nurture and support each child who attends Saints."

To bring to life its goal of educating minds, building healthy bodies and nourishing spirits, Saints kicked off a program in 2011 that saw different positive psychology leaders from around the world visit the school each month. These experts opened up conversations about wellbeing that allowed staff, parents, students and the wider community to take their understanding of flourishing and wellbeing to new depths.

As the curiosity and engagement of adults and children grew, Saints provided more in-depth training in positive psychology for its senior leadership team. By the end of 2011, Saints leaders had embedded positive education at the centre of the school's new strategic plan that saw the principles and practices they learnt included in teacher training, academic courses, on the sports field, in the music room and through pastoral care during 2012.

Saints also partnered with the South Australian government to bring Dr Seligman to South Australia as a "Thinker in Residence" to provide guidance on creating a flourishing State. Dr Seligman collaborated with Saints as it developed an evidence-based approach to wellbeing and helped Saints train 100 staff in positive psychology and resilience principles.

It is anticipated that in 2013 they'll also offer training for parents, so that the conversations that are occurring between teacher and child can also be held between parent and child at home. Saints hopes this approach will ensure that the trinity of child, parents and school will provide students with the best support possible.

Affording happy schools

Saints is not alone. The Peninsula School in Victoria has adopted a whole-of-school positive-education approach to teaching and learning in the hope of producing well-educated, well-rounded, resilient individuals who are capable of flourishing.

Knox Grammar School in NSW is also using positive education as an idea and a practice underpinning the school to help students on the journey towards a purposeful and meaningful life. Kingswood College has run positive psychology training for teachers and parents and is infusing the principles into its cyber-citizenship policy and instituting mindfulness programs for all year 7 and 8 students. But is it only private schools who can afford wellbeing?

Associate Professor Lea Waters, Director of the Masters of School Leadership (MSL) at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education in the University of Melbourne, is proving these principles and practices can be successfully achieved in the public education system. During 2010 and 2011, 60 lead teachers, vice principals and principals from secondary and primary schools were exposed to the science and possibilities for positive education as a leadership opportunity within their schools. As at the end of 2011, 10 of the participants were integrating a whole-of-school approach for positive education and another 40 schools were teaching elements of the positive-education curriculum to specific year levels.

Examples of positive psychology interventions that have been instituted via the action-research assignment in the MSL include: a school-wide positive behaviour initiative in a rural high school (grades 7-12); a 10-lesson positive psychology curriculum designed to increase learning confidence in 10th graders; character strengths projects for children of all ages; the use of gratitude to boost teacher moral; and the use of growth mindsets and character strengths to facilitate a teacher-classroom observation program.

One teacher reports, "We're now using the language of positive psychology and strengths in dialogue with parents, students and staff to change the mindset from looking at what we're having trouble with to what we're doing well and how we can use that. In year level meetings we used to often ignore the students who were achieving or working above expectations, but now we have a section of the meeting designated to this and are sending home postcards for good achievements."

To date the outcomes of the research evaluations for students include significant increases in self esteem and life satisfaction, decreased behavioural issues (fewer detentions, fewer time-out room visits, fewer behavioural referrals to the principal), increased results in "attitude to school" and increased learning confidence.

The positive psychology interventions aimed at staff have produced outcomes such as higher moral shown through the "Staff Opinion Survey", staff feeling more valued as reported through qualitative interviews, less union action, greater team moral and greater use of strength-based language.

Getting started

"For positive outcomes to be wide reaching and sustained, students need to be exposed to positive education across multiple year levels of their schooling and within various sections of their school," explains Lea.

"It needs to be woven into the DNA of the wider school culture - across policies, pedagogy, curriculum and assessment - so that every aspect is supporting conditions that allow staff and students to thrive."

For example, Lea proposes that policies can be oriented in a more positive, growth based way. Behaviour-management policies can be evolved from shaming students to building empathy and compassion by requiring that they put themselves the shoes of others, such as the policy of Restorative Justice. In addition, The Peninsula School has changed its staff appraisal system to focus on developing and rewarding strengths rather than weaknesses.

"Positive education is not a spectator sport," explains Lea. "If you're going to teach it to your students you have to go through a process of growth and renewal yourself in order to embed it in your classroom."

This is why she advocates all staff be trained in positive-education techniques. Not only does it improve the levels of wellbeing for teachers and staff, which has been found to have a positive influence on the students, but it also advances classroom pedagogy so that creating a positive mood is understood as a means of enhancing learning and social relationships.

It also provides teachers with the necessary knowledge to incorporate the study of positive emotions, character strengths, gratitude, hope and resilience into the obvious English, health, personal development, religious studies and PE curricula. Further, it helps them to explore less obvious examples like using geography to discover what makes different cultures happy or maths to teach the statistics of wellbeing.

"Finally, only when the measures of school success include wellbeing, will educators really prepare themselves to support the changes towards 21st-century schools," adds Lea. "Parents should be asking for reports that cover academic performance, character development and levels of wellbeing. In addition, governments should be broadening measures used on the My School website to include indicators of wellbeing."

The role of the parent

If your child is in a school that's embracing wellbeing, be sure to take an interest in what it's teaching. Many schools like The Peninsula School hold parent-education nights that are open to the general public and a great opportunity to learn more so that you can help your child to flourish.

"The initial response from parents has been extremely gratifying with parents nodding their approval as the common sense underpinning the science of positive psychology is explained," reports Phil Doll, deputy principal at The Peninsula School.

"Pleasingly, parents are beginning to report that conversations about character strengths and expressions of gratitude are now becoming more commonplace at the dinner table and that they're enjoying hearing their children talk more about the good things that have happened during the day."

If your child isn't in a school that's exploring positive education, don't despair - there's still plenty you can do to balance the academic focus of their classroom. Some ideas to get you started:

Praise your child for effort rather than intelligence. Every word you speak shapes how your child thinks about themself and their abilities. When you praise intelligence - "You're so smart" - your child doesn't understand what they've done and how it can be repeated so they come to fear making mistakes and interpret their failures as "being dumb". When you praise effort - "You've worked really hard on that" - your child understands that making an effort can influence the result and they come to welcome challenge and interpret their failures as an opportunity for learning. This is called a "growth mindset" and Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck has a wonderful online program called "Brainiology" that you can use with your children. Her book Mindset has more parenting tips.

Help your children discover their strengths and put them to use at school. If your child's reading well, have them take the VIA Survey for Youth online ( www.viame.org) to discover their character strengths. If your child's younger, start looking out for the best aspects of their character and point these out when they're acted upon. For example, "You have a real strength of kindness. Thanks for sharing that with your brother."

Teach them to challenge their interpretation of the events. Show your child how to master challenges, overcome frustration and relish their achievements by divesting themselves of pessimistic approaches and adopt optimistic ones. Dr Seligman's book The Optimistic Child is based on the Penn Resiliency Program taught at Geelong Grammar and is a great guide on how to help your child build the skills of resilience.

Show them how to find the good things in their life by hunting for gratitude. At dinner or before bed ask them to share three things that went well that day so you can boost the positivity in their life.

Most importantly, keep lobbying your school and your educators to create a learning environment that allows your child to flourish.

What can your school do to be happier?

"Positive education is a significant change for any school, so it's important to plan accordingly," cautions Lea. Having assisted several schools on this journey she recommends that you:

Assess what you're already doing well. You'll be surprised by how many wellbeing initiatives you're already investing in and that are working.

Adopt a positive-education framework to guide your choices. Dr Seligman's PERMA model gives school leaders a way of ensuring that staff, teachers and students across all levels and areas of the school are provided with positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and achievement.

Think about change as a process. Identify your leaders and change agents across the school (these will be the people already supporting wellbeing) and leverage their interest to guide decisions and recruit supporters.

Plan your communications carefully. Consider how you'll engage and support staff, parents, students, community and policy makers to share in the evolution of the school so that a common language and ideology is developed.

Embed it into your school strategy. Target curriculum, co-curriculum, pastoral care, the broader teaching and learning environment, the playground, organisational structures, policies and processes so that every aspect of your school culture is supporting the conditions that allow staff, teachers and students to flourish.

Evaluate your results. Build in measures that enable you to assess the effectiveness of different initiatives and the overall impact of your efforts.

Connect with other educators and schools who are trying to flourish. Share your positive-education journey with others and benefit from their knowledge, resources and experiences.

Michelle McQuaid completed her Masters of Applied Positive Psychology with Martin Seligman and is an award-winning researcher, facilitator and designer who is passionate about bring out the best in people of all ages. W: www.michellemcquaid.com

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First, a quiz. In two words or less, what do you most want for your children? Now a second question: in two words or less, what do schools teach? How much overlap is there between your two lists?

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What is it about the cubby house that is so appealing to kids?
Mine love creating their own little world to hide away in and feel somehow secure in the magical space created. Harry Potter helps too!

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With Vivid Festival facing uncertainty, the Sydney Opera House provided us with a DIY guide to recreating Vivid magic from home.

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A DIY guide to recreating Vivid magic from home

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You may also like... Weekly digital program from the Sydney Opera House A weekly program of unmissable full-length performances, live recordings and never-before-seen footage from the Opera House archives. Find out more 5 Sydney Opera House near misses (in the movies) From killer sea creatures to crashing UFOs, the Sydney Opera House has been threatened in the most imaginative and unexpected ways.

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UNICEF x Marie Kondo on sparking joy in home learning environments

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UNICEF x Marie Kondo on sparking joy in home learning environments

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A video for kids with ideas to redesign, organise and tidy their home learning space for better quality study and, of course (it’s a Marie Kondo video!) to spark joy!

(But everything sparks joy, including that pen that’s out of ink 😭)

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The footpath has become a learning environment that extends our 'world' and that allows us to connect with others in a tangible way. And of course, we take turn with neighbours for 'distancing'.

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We have been thinking about learning at home but homes belong in neighbourhoods. Do we live in child friendly neighbourhoods and cities? This web-site contains a wealth of information on what makes a child-friendly neighbourhood.
https://www.citiesforplay.com/

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Create a space-away: An informal learning activity for children at home

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Create a space-away: An informal learning activity for children at home

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The current need for isolation at home is spatially challenging for children and adults alike - although it creates opportunities for creative learning beyond the more structured school context. Creating their own experiences and spaces enables authentic, enjoyable learning.

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Science experiments from the kitchen benchtop

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Science experiments from the kitchen benchtop

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Been trying to make home schooling for our 10 and 7 year old kids more engaging with some hands-on activities. They have been mesmerised by seeing these grow so quickly and turn towards the light source ( plus we get the benefit of fresh micro greens!)

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Award winning landscape architect, Mary Jeavons, is hosting a webinar series that may be of interest. For details:
Link here

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Spatial confinement during pandemic can make positive changes to students’ learning habits

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Spatial confinement during pandemic can make positive changes to students’ learning habits

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All school year, Montenique Woodard's seventh period, her last class of the day, has been her hardest. "I feel like I don't know what to do with them," she said of her middle school science class when Edutopia first talked to her back in the fall. One boy in particular, the "class clown," was a persistent challenge, and his behavior influenced his 23 peers, 15 of whom are boys.

But reconnecting months later during the coronavirus closures, Woodard shared some surprising news: the same boy was "thriving" during remote learning. "I think not having those everyday distractions in school has really allowed for kids like him to focus on the work and not necessarily all the social things going on because some kids can't separate that out," said Woodard, who teaches in Washington, D.C.

We've been hearing that a lot. Increasingly, teachers in our audience are reporting that a handful of their students-shy kids, hyperactive kids, highly creative kids-are suddenly doing better with remote learning than they were doing in the physical classroom. "It's been awesome to see some of my kids finally find their niche in education," said Holli Ross, a first-year high school teacher in northern California, echoing the sentiments of dozens of teachers we've heard from.

That's not to say it's the norm. Many students are struggling to adapt to remote learning: Digital access and connectivity remain a pervasive equity issue; stay-at-home orders have magnified existing problems in familial dynamics; and, universally, teachers and students grapple with how to replicate the engagement and discourse from an in-person classroom.

But it's not a tiny handful, either, and the unplanned break from the physical classroom may be bringing to light hidden reasons some kids struggle while others succeed. In the responses we gathered from our educators, we found recurring themes-like social situations and the inflexible bell schedule-that simply don't work well for all kids. For a few of the teachers, at least, it's inspired them to consider making permanent changes when they return to the classroom.

The Benefits of Self-Pacing

On average, the typical high school student starts school at 8:00 a.m. While school schedules differ by district, many students then face back-to-back classes with little reprieve. But during the pandemic, school schedules have suddenly become more fluid, allowing students more choice over when and how they do their school work.

"I think a few of mine are doing really well getting a taste of more independence," said Lauren Huddleston, a middle school English teacher in Memphis, Tennessee. "They're taking ownership a bit more because they're no longer under the micromanagement of the school day."
©Nora Fleming
This flexibility to make their own hours is also giving students a chance to exercise, take breaks, or even be bored, all of which research shows is beneficial. High school English teacher Ashlee Tripp speculated these kids were doing well because, "they enjoy the freedom to work at their own pace and decide how they want their day to look," and students seem to agree.

"The reason I enjoy online learning is because of the opportunity to structure my day efficiently," wrote a 10th grade student in English teacher Katie Burrows-Stone's class survey. "I am able to workout, relax, and complete the work in a timely manner, with no distractions."

Time to Rethink the Overextended Kid

During the school day, many students remain constantly on the go. Lunches are often filled with club meetings. After school, many participate in extracurriculars or sports-often to impress colleges-or work a part-time job. On average, high school students spend a minimum of seven and a half hours a week on homework at night.

After enrichment activities were canceled due to shelter-in-place orders, our teachers say they also saw a difference in some students' performance.

"For my students, there are some that are thriving. I think it is partly because so many things like sports and social activities are no longer happening and they have more time than they ever had to work on school work," said Kasey Short, a middle school English and social studies teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina, by way of explanation.

Research has found jam-packed schedules can be a significant challenge for a child to juggle: Students who are over-committed, especially if they feel obligated to take certain courses or participate in activities, are more likely to experience unhealthy anxiety levels.

"This has given me so much pause about what we are doing in education: Is our current model way too much? Why would anyone need to have seven classes? Why does the school day need to be so long?" said Rosie Reid, a high school English teacher and the 2019 California Teacher of the Year. "I can't say enough about how this closure has changed my entire approach to teaching because I see how it has been an amazing respite for so many students."

Lowering the Stakes

Other teachers point to the changing academic expectations during the pandemic as a causal link. Given the structure of home learning-and pervasive equity issues-many school systems have encouraged teachers to be more lenient with coursework and grading.

"I think a huge part of [some students' work improving] is that we've dramatically ratcheted down the total workload in order to make tasks accessible rather than overwhelming," said Mark Gardner, high school English teacher in Camas, Washington.

According to a Pew Research Center study, teens cite academic pressure as the top pressure they face, with 61 percent of teens reporting they feel the heat to achieve at a certain level academically. Teachers too, have also been under increasing scrutiny in the last decade-plus to prepare students to hit benchmarks on standardized testing, pressure that trickles down to students, who are twice as likely to report unhealthy levels of stress during the school year compared to the summer.

"One student told me he likes remote learning better because he no longer feels the extreme pressure of failing," said Cathleen Beachboard, a middle school English teacher in Fauquier County, Virginia, who says other students in her class have expressed similar sentiments. "He says that now that the pressure of state testing is off, he feels he can really learn."

Reducing the Chatter

Though we've seen many comments-from both students and teachers-about missing the in-person connections and relationships at school, for some students, school socialization may be fraught with anxiety, our teachers suggest.

"Students who have been victims of physical or verbal bullying while at school are likely to be relieved to be home in a safe space," said Elena Spathis, high school Spanish teacher in Hillsdale, New Jersey.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2017, at least 20 percent of students ages 12-18 reported being bullied at school. Students who are the most bullied have also been found to have lower academic performance than their non-bullied peers.

For other students, socialization at school may not be negative per se, just distracting or intimidating. Nearly a third of teens have reported feeling pressure to "look good" or "fit in socially" at school, which can influence their participation and focus in class. "The online environment may allow for voices to be heard without the added bit of social anxiety," said Blake Harvard, a psychology teacher in Madison, Alabama.

Getting Enough Z's

Lastly, teachers commented that the difference they've observed in some students' performance may be tied, simply, to sleep. Like many teachers-and workers across the country-most students are no longer waking up to a very early alarm clock.

"I have the time to sleep eight hours a night every night [now]," said Ingrid, a high school junior in California, when asked what she likes about remote learning.

While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 8-10 hours a night for teens ages 12-18 and 12 hours for children ages 6-12, a 2018 study of high school students across 30 states found more than 70 percent of students were not getting enough sleep during the school year.

Though the long-standing debate over school start times never seems to end, when the Seattle school district delayed school start times by an hour at one school in 2016-2017, researchers found students' sleep increased and grades improved.

"There are kids who have a hard time getting to class at 8:30, but they might do really well getting their work done at 10:30 at night or even 10:30 in the morning. They just need a couple extra hours," said Ross.
Youki Terada contributed research insights to this article.

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Why Are Some Kids Thriving During Remote Learning?

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All school year, Montenique Woodard's seventh period, her last class of the day, has been her hardest. "I feel like I don't know what to do with them," she said of her middle school science class when Edutopia first talked to her back in the fall.

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Here are some ideas for parents and care givers. https://medium.com/@drrobertdillon/your-home-as-a-learning-space-ccb27f5807b9

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The Age link

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A couple of weeks ago high school art teacher Karen Vincent noticed a coronavirus lockdown challenge on Facebook: recreate a famous artwork from home.

"I thought, that's something we need to be doing," she says. "We'll do Blue Poles."

So Vincent and her two children, Noah, 10, and Tobey, 7, who live in Cooma in the Snowy Mountains region of NSW, sorted through piles of Lego to get just the right colour mix. Then they whacked together their tribute to Jackson Pollock's 1952 abstract expressionist masterpiece.

Karen Vincent is recreating famous art at home. In this picture, Vincent and her son Tobey form Our Lady of Kazan, 17th Century. Credit:Karen Vincent

It took "maybe an hour". And when the image was retweeted by the National Gallery of Australia it became a viral hit.

Art teacher Karen Vincent's Blue Poles in Lego above Jackson Pollock's version. Credit:Karen Vincent

"I'm inspired by artists, and what they do - and I thought it would be fun, get the kids inspired, help them learn a bit more about art," Vincent says.

She's not stopping. There was Van Gogh's Sunflowers, inspired by a bunch on sale at Woolies. On Tuesday, Vincent attempted a Banksy, enlisting the kids' grandfather and the family dog.

"The dog didn't really appreciate being the star of that one. She doesn't look happy."

She's now part of a global phenomenon.

Tens of thousands of similar efforts - some intricately staged, others thrown together with ironic brio - have been shared under the hashtags #betweenartandquarantine #TussenKunstEnQuarantine #StayHomeChallenge and #GettyMuseumChallenge.

Banksy, 2018 - with John Vincent and Bonnie. Credit:Karen Vincent

Highlights include the Art Gallery of WA's backyard take on Frederick McCubbin's Down on His Luck, a stunning Boldini by Australian fashion historian Hilary Davidson, and a perfectly posed (and moving) masked recreation of the Last Supper by French medical interns.

You can find Mona Lisas (male and female), plenty of Frida Kahlos, even a Labrador Grande Odalisque.

The trend reportedly originated in Amsterdam, where 31 year-old Anneloes Officier and her room mates, bored by social distancing measures, recreated Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring with a garlic clove. The Rijksmuseum promoted their Instagram post on its own Facebook page. The Getty Museum in Los Angeles adopted the challenge and institutions around the world, and in Australia, followed suit.

Nick Mitzevich, director of the National Gallery of Australia, says the Vincent family's Lego Blue Poles is their single most popular social media post and has been shared with nearly 300,000 people.

"[It] is both a cheeky statement but also a great testament to the power of the painting," Mitzevich says.

"This quarantine challenge has ... been a real energy pill for us at the National Gallery. People haven't left their beloved galleries behind - they're bringing art into their homes."

Another of the NGA's favourites is by Canberran Kirsty Young, a "semi-retired" public servant who recreated Joan Miro's surrealist painting Paysage.

"I thought, I could do that," she says. "That looks like a Pringle chip down there, and that looks like an egg. I had some fabric left over from making facemasks for friends. So I whipped it up and put it online.

Kirsty Young's homage to Joan Miro's Paysage, 1927. Credit:Kirsty Young

"It's a bit of fun, a bit of a laugh. There's a ton of creative people out there looking for a bit of an outlet."

Next, she plans to tackle Kandinsky.

Nick Miller is Arts Editor of The Age.

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An egg, a Pringle, some Lego: Aussies attempt DIY art masterpieces

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Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size A couple of weeks ago high school art teacher Karen Vincent noticed a coronavirus lockdown challenge on Facebook: recreate a famous artwork from home. "I thought, that's something we need to be doing," she says. "We'll do Blue Poles."

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Create a learn-at-home-space - ideas for school students

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Create a learn-at-home-space - ideas for school students

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Back to school while staying at home is so weird for school students! So this resource offers students as young designers some ideas for making a conducive learning space for themselves.

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Working from home has its benefits, but without balance, it can be detrimental to your personal life. Sometimes, in efforts to be successful (and productive), you accidentally put your work-life balance on the back burner. I, for one, have encroached on family time, checking emails (in bed, in the kitchen, while brushing my teeth) - thiings I normally don't do when I'm working in the office. So how does one get it right? Here are some tips for keeping your work and personal life separate while working remotely.
1. Designate a work space.
2. Eliminate distractions (easier said than done)
3. Set daily work hours
4. Get dressed (doesn't have to be work clothes)
5. Take breaks (as a family, we have synchronized 5 min breaks)
6. Get organized (I have schedules for everything - perhaps a tad OCD my family would say)
7. Take time to unwind (a glass of wine, a good book, a movie...)
What's your tip for achieving a work-life balance at home?

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UNESCO 'Teach from home' - Information Hub

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UNESCO 'Teach from home' - Information Hub

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A temporary hub of information and tools to help teachers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Twitter #teachfromhome

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More than ever before, the world is searching for 'how do teachers do it.' Whether in a classroom or at home, we are grateful to everyone helping to keep students learning.

To teachers everywhere, thank you for all that you do.

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Giving teachers and families the tools and tips they need to help keep students learning.

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Term 2 started for a VCE Year 12 in my home

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Term 2 started for a VCE Year 12 in my home

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In Victoria, Australia, today, 15 April, marks the start of the second school term of 2020. Nothing has changed much for this kiddo in the next room who has been studying with his peers over Discord throughout the term break - maybe apart from the fact they can annoy their teachers with questions finally! Plus more set-out schedule and homework deadlines. We are very much lucky to be prepared for this, and also can’t help wondering how this new start could have been like for students with less digital access.

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Our glass sliding doors are now our scheduling walls where we plan  our Zoom meetings with teachers, FaceTime piano lessons, Skype Italian chats with Mari in Milan, online Outschool classes, yoga sessions and 'playdates' with friends. It's also a great 'reflection wall' where we capture what's worked well in the week and what can be done to improve the learning.

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Finding a space to work and study effectively at home can be challenging at the best of times – and especially now when social distancing requires us to relocate from familiar workplaces to generally less work-friendly home settings. So this post comes with encouragement and practical suggestions for setting up a congenial work-at-home space.

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Selection of resources & ideas for creating a congenial space for working and learning at home.

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What could possibly go wrong as we navigate this new normal?

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Nicholas Van Dam (MDHS) & Ben Deery (MGSE) at the University of Melbourne helped to develop the episode called Mindfully Me, which incorporates play-based mindfulness techniques 💙 - episode available on ABC

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This program is not currently available in ABC iview. You might like similar programs to this, shown below. Learn more in ABC iview Support.

It's time to take a deep breath and slow down on Play School. Join Zindzi and Matt as they make a Mindfulness Cubby, blow bubbles, do some painting and focus on the small things.

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This program is not currently available in ABC iview. You might like similar programs to this, shown below. Learn more in ABC iview Support. It's time to take a deep breath and slow down on Play School. Join Zindzi and Matt as they make a Mindfulness Cubby, blow bubbles, do some painting and focus on the small things.

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I have a study, with a desk, but when I want to be creative, read or think I love a big window and a horizon.

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Helping Year 12 students stay on track - Pursuit article

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Helping Year 12 students stay on track - Pursuit article

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Read this article from Pursuit, written by our colleagues in Melbourne Graduate School of Education, including our LEaRN's Dr Joanne Blannin.

Tips include:
- Establish a routine
- Focus on what you can control
- Manage expectations
- Take advantage of tech
- Don't forget to ask for help!

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Usually, this week would have seen many students returning to school. But here in Victoria, they're at home - after Premier Daniel Andrews announced that most students would be studying from home during their second term of the school year.

For those students in their final year of high school who are already preparing for the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) or Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) later in the year, this is a big challenge.

Adjusting to this 'new normal' is going to be a challenge for many students. Picture: Getty Images

The Premier says Year 12 students will complete VCE this year and receive an ATAR ( Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank) score, but it's likely to be "a longer year" with exams held in December.

Finishing secondary school is a rite of passage for many students that brings with it a series of rituals and celebrations. So, adjusting to this 'new normal' is going to provoke some big emotions for young people.

So, how can families support Year 12 students to be clear about their goals and a plan for achieving them? And what can students do themselves to get through a tough year?

We asked our experts for tips to help the class of 2020 continue on their way towards VCE or VCAL.

ESTABLISH A ROUTINE

Dr Sean Kang, a senior lecturer in the Science of Learning, says now more than ever is a time for Year 12 students to be clear about what their goals are and how to achieve them.

"With online learning now the norm for the foreseeable future, having a schedule will help overcome some of these challenges," says Dr Kang.

"A schedule will help keep your learning activities on track and minimise distractions. But it's important to incorporate regular breaks and opportunities for revisiting previously studied topics - spacing out your practice can help promote consolidation of learning."

A schedule can help keep your learning activities on track. Picture: Getty Images

Educational psychologist Dr Chelsea Hyde agrees, and adds that setting up a designated work zone can help students to work to a structured day where possible.

"For students studying online, a school timetable will still be in place, but you also need to ensure that your daily schedule includes a balance of academic, creative, physical and social activities," she says.

While many students will experience some level of challenge in their studies resulting from disruptions to schooling, VCE students are likely to be particularly anxious. For students with social-emotional differences, like autism, these disruptions can make a difficult year even harder.

Matthew Harrison is a lecturer and researcher in autism inclusion who is working to support neurodiverse VCE students in the transition to remote learning.

"Away from synchronous instruction, students benefit from building consistent study routines. Students should create a study plan with set hours for each subject, "he says.

"This includes regular sensory breaks away from screens or bright lights."

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL

Associate Professor Aaron Jarden from the Centre for Positive Psychology says that during periods of change, stress, grief or adversity, there are strategies and skills that can be developed and deployed to buffer negative impacts.

A key factor is the importance of focussing on "what is most important right now".

Keeping up with schoolwork and setting goals for the future will help with motivation. Picture: Getty Images

"That's not likely to be meeting particular learning outcomes, but rather looking after your physical, emotional mental health, and that of your family and friends," says Associate Professor Jarden.

One step, according to educational psychologist Dr Chelsea Hyde, is to focus on what you can do.

"A positive mindset is going to help students cope with changed circumstances," says Dr Hyde.

"VCE and the final year of school will look completely different but there are things you still have control over. Keeping up with schoolwork and setting goals for the future will help with motivation. Look ahead and don't give up."

When it comes to supporting neurodiverse students, Mr Harrison says "my first piece of advice is discussing with your teachers some of the challenges you or your child might experience in communicating through video conferencing tools."

"Ask teachers to explicitly state their expectations and instructions, avoid sarcasm, and allow students enough processing time."

Associate Professor Jarden says it's also important to identify your strengths.

"Think about what energises you, then plan to intentionally use them more. Think about what is meaningful for you in your life right now. Think about what is purposeful.

"This can help increase levels of hope, which also buffers against the bad and increases your resilience."

Year 12 students should work to be clear about what their goals are and how to achieve them. Picture: Getty Images

MANAGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS

Dr Hyde emphasises how important it is to keep perspective.

"You can take solace from knowing you aren't alone. Students both nationally and internationally are having to rapidly adapt to a radically different 2020 school year," she says.

"The bigger picture is that students worldwide are all in this together."

To help keep this perspective Associate Professor Jarden recommends trying to work on having realistic expectations.

"You aren't just 'studying from home' but trying to learn and study in a time of pandemic crisis," he says.

"Stop comparing yourself to others or judging yourself based on how you are coping. Effort still counts, but outcomes such as success should be minimised during this time.

"It's also important to be kind to yourself, and others. Kindness builds bonds and social connections, which are needed during times of crisis."

Dr Kang adds that there are practical steps you can take to help yourself.

"As you study, periodically pause and take a moment to reflect, summarise, or test yourself,' says Dr Kang.

Students both here and overseas are having to rapidly adapt to a radically different 2020 school year. Picture: Getty Images

According to Dr Kang, summarising not only improves the organisation of the information you are trying to learn, but it helps gauge comprehension of the material.

"Similarly, testing yourself - using flashcards, quizzes - not only enhances learning, it helps you figure out what you do and don't know. Good monitoring of your progress means you can adjustment your strategy or focus as you need to."

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TECH

Dr Joanne Blannin, senior lecturer and digital learning leader at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, says digital technologies can really help in this challenging time.

"Although technology can't replace human interactions, making considered choices about technology can help learning," she says.

And there are a number of really helpful tools available.

Trello, for one, can help you get organised by creating a board for your studies.

"Trello is a virtual whiteboard with features that take advantage of multimedia. Check your board each day and update it as you need," says Dr Blannin.

"You also might be asked to work in small groups on a project. Microsoft Teams is free software that you can download and offers discussions, file sharing and collaborative online writing."

Several online tools enable students to work in small groups on a project. Picture: Getty Images

Then there are apps that keep track of your study time.

"You can use Marina Timer and the Pomodoro Technique to keep yourself on track. Work in 25-minute chunks and reward yourself with five-minute breaks after each one."

Dr Blannin also suggests sharing your timer with your friends and so you can all work to the same time.

To be sure you get the most out of online learning, make a plan for taking notes.

"It's still so important to take notes and focus on making connections between ideas and concepts. Using some of the online mind-mapping software out there means you can co-create a map of notes with classmates," says Dr Blannin.

Leveraging technology can help you make sense of what you are learning, provide a structure for your learn-at-home school day and create a secure record of your learning.

But, with learning moving online, it's imperative to back up your work.

"With changes to exam times and ongoing discussions about how to measure your learning this year, be sure to keep all your work in a safe place," she says. "Check your cloud storage and this article here offers some good suggestions about how to get started."

Mr Harrison says although technology is helpful, there are extra considerations for neurodiverse students.

All school students should be able to count on teachers right now. Picture: Getty Images

"Ask teachers to use the highlight functions available through digital tools rather than give verbal directions such as 'to look at the top left' or physically pointing. For many (neurodiverse students) integrating verbal and non-verbal communication is difficult," he says.

ASK FOR HELP

All school students should be able to count on teachers right now, says Dr Kang, for guidance in terms of their learning goals as well as any criteria for determining successful learning.

But it's also important for students to know when to seek clarification and feedback along the way. So, over this period, it's vital that students have a clear line of communication to their teachers.

Associate Professor Jarden agrees.

"It's important to connect more regularly with those that support you. Asking for help is a skill that predicts who comes through a traumatic experience better."

And it's that connection that can also make a difference emotionally, says Dr Hyde.

"It's critical to maintain points of connection to avoid feelings of isolation and loneliness," she says.

There is no rule book for how you should feel right now. Picture: Getty Images

"Keeping in regular contact with your peers and teachers can help you feel grounded and provide a sense of normality," she says.

Parents and friends can also play a critical role in managing stress.

"Talk about your feelings with a trusted adult. Acknowledge negative emotions but avoid ruminating on situations outside your control as it will only create more anxiety, " says Dr Hyde.

"There is no rule book for how you should feel right now, but it's important to monitor your mood, share your emotions with others and seek professional support if you need it."

Banner: Getty Images

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Dr Chelsea HydeEducational Psychologist, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne

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Dr Joanne BlanninSenior Lecturer, Digital Learning Leader, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne

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Associate Professor Aaron JardenDirector , Masters of Applied Positive Psychology, Centre for Positive Psychology, Melbourne Graduate School Of Education, University of Melbourne

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Matthew HarrisonAutism Intervention and Digital Thinking, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne

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Dr Sean KangSenior Lecturer, Science of Learning, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne

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Usually, this week would have seen many students returning to school. But here in Victoria, they're at home - after Premier Daniel Andrews announced that most students would be studying from home during their second term of the school year.

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After going crazy with the constant background building noises from neighbours renovation I popped on headphones and tried this Study app which is a 45min curated soundscape of sounds from nature developed by the Sound Agency + Ecophon. It really helped! and I felt much calmer as a result😅

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Acoustic Bulletin the place for the latest news on indoor acoustic environment

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UPDATE 23/11 2017:
The app has now been updated and works on iOS11.

Noise can make it hard to concentrate, and for many students, there is no quiet place to work in their home. This simple free app developed by the Sound Agency and supported by Ecophon, delivers 45 minutes of scientifically designed productivity-boosting sound that can mask ambient noise, help focus, improve cognition and reduce fatigue.

Perfect for homework in less than ideal sound environments

It is not a substitute for ideal or near quiet study conditions. However, imagine a student at home in a semi-open plan living space, trying to do their homework while another sibling is watching television and a parent is cooking and trying to coach through the various homework and student project tasks. This can be a common scenario and while it is better for a student to be in a silent room, this isolation is often not practical or realistic, so homework is often done in less than ideal environments.

A soundscape engineered to help you concentrate

With this type of scenario in mind, the soundscape is custom designed to promote cognition combining natural sounds, especially birdsongs with a slow tempo and high frequency soothing musical sounds. The overall effect should be to elicit a body-relaxed, mind-alert state which is focused and ready to concentrate.

Launched this year at the Sound Education seminar in London and aimed at raising awareness with students and parents about the value of a positive soundscape, the app can be downloaded for Apple devices.

Get the Study app!

Go to App Store and get the free app.
More on how noise impacts students and teachers.

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Study App: Soundscape to help students concentrate - Acoustic Bulletin

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UPDATE 23/11 2017: The app has now been updated and works on iOS11. Noise can make it hard to concentrate, and for many students, there is no quiet place to work in their home.

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Marble runs created using finished toilet paper rolls have been a big hit at our house. Although we have no marbles, we've found all sorts of alternatives - including felt balls and walnuts from the tree out the back!

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Socialising at a distance with zoom drinks and the LEaRN team.

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Pitch a tent indoors, or use sheets, to create your camping base. With our 5-year old, we made a 'safari' tent then live-streamed animals from Werribee Zoo. Next up, an Easter trip to Paris!  We're hanging some fairy lights, making a cardboard Tour d'Eiffel, and we'll join some virtual tours.

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Desperate times call for creativity, and for cooped-up outdoor enthusiasts that means attempting to conjure up a sense of adventure at home.

Across the country, lovers of camping are pitching their tents in gardens or living rooms, complete with marshmallows for toasting and guitars to play around mock campfires. Emma Cuff of West Malling in Kent is among the small but growing group of indoor campers dusting off their tents. "We've got four camping trips booked this summer which may or may not go ahead, so for some fun we dug out an old tent from the loft." She posted the results on Inst agram with the hashtag #thevirtualcampsite - and won a tent from Cool Camping, one of several companies encouraging people to post their home creations on social media. This week Cool Camping is giving away a pair of hiking boots to the best effort. Outdoor gear retailer Cotswold Outdoor and review site TentLife are both hosting virtual camp outs this Easter (the former's virtual Easter camp is on Saturday 11 April, #campingathome; the latter is promoting #stayhomecamp all weekend). Go Outdoors plans to offer tips in its GO Indoors project. The upside? Rain can't ruin an indoor camping trip.

In other indoor antics, adventure travel company Much Better Adventures has put together a spoof self-guided itinerary on its site, which includes the "Camino de Kitchen-Living Room pilgrimage" and "wild camping in your Living Room National Park." So far one person has attempted to book the trip.

Meanwhile, outdoor swimmers have been trying to get that cold-water high in their gardens and bathrooms. Deya Ward posted photos of her wheelie bin dip on Instagram ("the quarry is small, so I recommend maybe dipping solo - but I highly recommend if you are also after the cold swim feeling"). Others are attempting the #virtualicemile, like Becca Harvey from Bristol who wrote of her wheelbarrow swim: "Laughter and community are the remedy to most problems and by god, as swimmers we've got that in spades."

If you would like to tell us about the inventive ways you are getting your outdoor fix at home, share them on Instagram with the hashtag #guardiantravelsnaps. Good luck - and remember: no real fires indoors!
This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our journalism is independent and is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative. By clicking on an affiliate link, you accept that third-party cookies will be set. More information. Topics

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We're taking the kids camping - in the living room

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Desperate times call for creativity, and for cooped-up outdoor enthusiasts that means attempting to conjure up a sense of adventure at home. Across the country, lovers of camping are pitching their tents in gardens or living rooms, complete with marshmallows for toasting and guitars to play around mock campfires.

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I'm prepping my (teenage) kids for my new role as Principal, Well-being Advisor and PE teacher. I am also not stopping being a full-time worker... In our house we have some rules (maybe they will come in handy for you)

1. The mic is always on.
2. A meeting is a meeting is a meeting. (This includes lessons. Treat them as serious)
3. Be nice.
4. Go outside (lots)
5. Be nice to mum (she is a pharmacist and heads off to high pressure every day).

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Collect all sorts of reusable/recyclable materials for hands-on construction activities - especially boxes and finished toilet paper rolls. Masking tape helps too. Pile them up and let the kids' creativity and problem-solving take off!

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Make the space your 'place'. Do things that make it feel lovely.
Here are my lower-mammals making evenings furry.

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If you are worried about the time spent on video games, you might find this Conversation article surprising. It contains a quick introduction to Self-Determination Theory

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Particularly coming into the holiday period, enthusiasm for learning is waning - from parents and kids! This week we focused on growing their passions - cooking and basketball. Meringues turned into a covert STEM exercise and an obsession with basketball turned into a research project on the 'top 5 players of all time'. Giving them some buy-in and letting them immerse themselves in their interests kept everyone engaged and happy. And resulted in some impressive afternoon tea as well!

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Struggling to concentrate in the chaos of home? 'A soft murmur' brings the sounds of rain, thunder, a coffee shop or birds to your working and learning spaces.

https://asoftmurmur.com/

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A learning wall to prioritise what needs to be done each day and then to put on stickers when it's done. It's also a place to pin up the amazing (finished and in-progress) work getting produced each week. We had pinboard samples sitting around the house, but I think you could make this out of flattened cardboard boxes that no doubt everyone's collecting from deliveries.

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"You have to constantly try to create a space. For a long long time, we didn’t eat at our table, because it was piled [...] with books, it was really disorganised. And I loved it when my husband came home and said, it looks like you had a great day. They [the children] couldn’t like always tell him. And so the mess, it showed him what we’d been doing."

- Casey, mother of five children, aged 2 to 15

The quote above is from a wonderful academic article by Peter Kraftl about how homeschooling families use their spaces.

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Some ideas for early learning

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Awesome hands-on play with an early learning math and LEGO sensory bin! Sensory bins are an awesome tool for early childhood education because they are so playful but you can encourage so many learning opportunities from early literacy, fine motor skills, to math and even science skills! Plus we love creative LEGO activities for kids.

EARLY LEARNING MATH AND LEGO: Play and Learn!

This is a very simple activity to set up! We love sensory bins because of all the wonderful benefits they offer young kids! Tactile play is very engaging for young kids and it is a great way to mix in early learning skills like we have done here with this LEGO math bin!
Simple Number Skills While Using Fine Motor Skills
The LEGO bricks, number magnets and chopsticks were all we needed to make up some fun math games. My son always enjoys our homemade math games and really enjoys the sensory bin math games!

EARLY LEARNING MATH ACTIVITIES TO TRY

All of these ideas are excellent for PRESCHOOL MATH ACTIVITIES

Sorting Colors: Provide small containers and have child use chopsticks to sort the colors. Make them into towers and measure with ruler (I did not count out each color before putting in bin).

Patterning: Make a pattern and have your child copy it. My son has learned patterning, so we took turns making a pattern to copy. Also check out our Dr. Seuss patterning LEGO activity!

Number Towers: Build towers from 1-20 and find the correct number. Build a mystery tower and have your child count and make the number!

Tallest Tower Race: Try to make the tallest tower. (for time or till it falls) Count who has the most bricks.

Building Challenge: What can you build in 2 minutes? How many bricks did it take?

Measure Towers: We are learning about rulers and how to measure this week.

Make a dice game: We rolled two dice for 20 turns and then counted who had the most. Of course the bricks can be made into towers and measured!

Number Recognition: Find the numbers and put in order! Can you do it backwards. What comes before?

Of Course it was fun to just dig into the sensory bin!
Check Out Our Early Learning Math and LEGO fun!

Sometimes a simple sensory bin can be very helpful for engaging a child while working on specific skills like these alphabet sensory bins. A sensory bin, goes beyond the initial activity and allows the child to explore and discover in new ways!

More than worksheets, sensory bins off a rich learning experience while including necessary skills. This lego sensory bin was so easy to make and share with my son. It can truly make learning an exciting experience. Take a look at your LEGO today and work on early learning math skills too!

MORE FUN EARLY LEARNING MATH IDEAS
Preschool Numbers and Colors Grid Game Preschool Math: Measuring Hands and Feet LEGO Math Ten Frame Activity Geometric Shapes Play Activity FINE MOTOR FRIDAYS BLOG HOP
Awesome ideas each week!

Puffy Paint Cake Decorating from Still Playing School

Easy Outdoor Writing Center from Lalymom

Creative Construction: Styrofoam and Pipe Cleaners from Craftulate

Simple Weaving Felt Page from Powerful Mothering

Fine Motor Name Game from House of Burke

Fine Motor Light Table Play from And Next Comes L

5 Fine Motor Inspired Counting Activities from School Time Snippets

My Publication and Favorite Items from Amazon

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Lego Sensory bin For Early Learning Math And Fine Motor Skills

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Awesome hands-on play with an early learning math and LEGO sensory bin! Sensory bins are an awesome tool for early childhood education because they are so playful but you can encourage so many learning opportunities from early literacy, fine motor skills, to math and even science skills!

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My kids studied everywhere except at their desks. I was amused to come across a 1968 research paper that found bed-study matched desk-study in test outcomes.

The Desk or the Bed?

Robert Gifford

Robert Sommer

First published: May 1968

https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2164-4918.1968.tb03262.x

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TED-Ed                       Lessons worth sharing

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TED-Ed                       Lessons worth sharing

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An inspiring resource for youth and adults to explore. Love it!

https://ed.ted.com/

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I love the Pomodoro Method  for tough tasks whether homework, cleaning or starting that big project. What is the Pomodoro Method? HINT: It involves a Tomato Timer

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Self-isolating means no family trips to the craft shop, so our 5 yr old is getting creative with existing resources.  Our toilet paper subscription has taken on new life!