Support for children and the wider community: Home learning programme

Children in all of our 11 Primary schools together with students in the secondary sector, have access to a programme which will support our children and their parents by providing them with a structured learning routine which enables children to continue to develop key skills. The activities delivered through the programme are designed to work within a home learning environment and are not aimed at replicating the classroom environment.

The principal goal behind the Department of Education's home learning provision is to provide our community's children with a familiar structure and sense of purpose.

During times of trauma, feelings of a lack of control can lead to anxiety and hopelessness. Through the use of positive psychology principles, children will be encouraged to spend time on positive experiences; engage actively with a series of tasks; continue to connect and develop their relationships with others; have a meaningful sense of community; and experience accomplishment.

BUSY

Teachers and staff at the Department of Education have been very busy getting these home learning programmes off the ground and ensuring a smooth and successful roll-out. This has not been an easy feat but it has been extremely rewarding to see the fruits of the hard work pay off as we enable the children in our community to connect with their peers and their teachers, and resume their learning journey, albeit in a very different format.

Teachers who are working from home continue to plan and put into effect the activities that children are undertaking, as well as interacting with children through the electronic platforms. Activities involve varied tasks, which include drawing/creating and taking photographs or short videos demonstrating a skill, alongside more traditional writing and recording. These live electronic interactions that occur daily between children and teachers allow teachers to clarify any queries children might have in relation to the activities and also reinforce a sense of connection and continuity which will contribute towards children's resilience. Children working from home are asked to check in with their teacher(s) at the beginning of each day. A series of suggested activities are shared with the children via the electronic platform. Children can then complete these at their own pace over the course of the day and share the outcomes of these (via photo / text / video / etc) with their teachers and receive feedback. They then check out at the end of the day.

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08-04-2020 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR