Published online August.19.2021Abstract unavailableAngela Page, Jennifer Charteris, Joanna Anderson and Christopher Boyl

Anderson, J.

Boyle, C.

Charteris, J.

Page, A.

Adelaide Research &amp; Scholarship

13/1/22, 5:24 pmSeven great ways to connect with students during snap lockdowns | EduResearch MattersPage 1 of 7https://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=10304#printEMAIL |  PRINTTweetCATEGORIESCOVID-19 and schools, learning needsTAGSAngela Page, Chris Boyle, COVID-19 and schools, COVID-19 and teaching,Jennifer Charteris, Joanna AndersonAugust.19.2021Share This ArticleSeven great ways toconnect with studentsduring snap lockdownsBy Angela Page, Jennifer Charteris, Joanna Anderson and ChrisBoyleThis research might be about students with added learning needs but couldeasily apply to all students.Share 3 Share Email! Print"13/1/22, 5:24 pmSeven great ways to connect with students during snap lockdowns | EduResearch MattersPage 2 of 7https://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=10304#printThe snap school lockdowns required to combat the Delta variant of Covid-19disproportionately affect different cohorts of students and teachers. When the @rst school lockdowns were implemented in NSW in 2020, a groupof researchers undertook a study to explore teachers’ perspectives of theimpact of the COVID-19 distance learning requirements on the education ofstudents with additional educational needs. We asked teachers about: theissues they experienced in the education of children with a disability duringCOVID 19; how they viewed their students’ connections with their peers; andany changes they made to the ways they teach because their studentsmissed school.We now know that earning preferences, the strength of existing socialnetworks, and access to digital technologies and WIFI can impact students’ability to successfully navigate distance learning. Teachers may grapple withmodes of delivery, pedagogical structures, and the need to establish effectivesystems of communication (Hood, 2020).School connectedness and COVID-19The COVID-19 pandemic may have served to exacerbate existing stressorsfaced by students with additional educational needs, those students withlearning, physical or sensory needs that make it harder to learn than mostchildren of the same age. Challenges at home for these students can includeanxiety around sudden con@nement, increased tension about theunpredictability of the future, and increased strain which some parents mayexperience to manage these students’ educational and social needs(Fontanesi et al. 2020).School connectedness can be de@ned as incorporating a relationship withsupportive adults, a sense of belonging, positive peer relationships,engagement with learning, and experiencing a safe and encouraging onlineclimate (Cumming, Marsh, & Higgins 2017; García-Moya et al. 2019; Pate etal. 2017).School connectedness can be seen as comprising four components: schoolbonding, school attachment, school engagement, and school climate. Thesecomponents can be linked to the @ndings from the small qualitative study,which indicated four themes’ teachers found challenging when teachingstudents at home during COVID-19. These were access to materials, capacityand willingness to use technology, motivation and changes in routines, andrisk of further isolation. This relationship is represented in Figure 1.13/1/22, 5:24 pmSeven great ways to connect with students during snap lockdowns | EduResearch MattersPage 3 of 7https://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=10304#printFigure 1. School connectedness paradigm and the relation to the fourcomponents of school connectedness during COVID19 for students withadditional learning needsAccess to learning materialsTeachers commented that access was an issue for student learning when theschools shifted to an online model. In addition to the principal delivering laptops to students who could not get toschool to access them, the teachers went over and above what was required,visiting a home to provide technical support.One family said, “we do not know how to use the internet thing”. So I had todrive out to their house. It was little bit stressful. They brought the computerout to the veranda so I set it up for them and that was great because I knewthey had an internet connection.Capacity and willingness to use technologyDistance education can be challenging for students with additionaleducational needs as they are disconnected from their school-based learning.For some students this was problematic as they either refused to participatein online learning or were precluded from access to technology due to theirhomelife. These students who are already at a disadvantage were seen to be13/1/22, 5:24 pmSeven great ways to connect with students during snap lockdowns | EduResearch MattersPage 4 of 7https://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=10304#printat risk of slipping even further behind.It is really concerning that kids could fall behind. We will Bnd out the fullbrunt of it for the kids who did not engage online at all when they are back.They are already behind the 8 ball. I think we will see a bigger divide. Wetried, despite our best efforts we had kids who did not engage at all. . . . Ireckon it would be 20% – deBnitely. They just did nothing – just played. Theparents said that they just would not do it . . ..I think we will see kids havegone backwards.Motivation and  changes in routinesStudents who did not engage with learning in the classroom were alsochallenging to motivate when undertaking distance education.The same students found learning at home challenging . . . They are verytraumatised people here and those kids we are Bnding hard to engage arethe ones with undiagnosed metal health and medical conditions. They arethe same kids who are diLcult to engage at home. We praise any effort –even logging on. I had in my google classroom question of the day. ‘What isthe most awesome thing about not going to school today – just anything toget them to answer – cos then I made that connection and then try and leadthem into a bit of work. It was the same kids. It was not a magic wand. It didnot Bx anybody. We gave it a go.There can be diXculties connecting with school and learning when routinesare changed. One of the teachers stated a concern in how studentsresponded to the change in the learning context.Some of my kids could not separate school and home and so I got them toput on their school uniform as if they were going to school still. Then theywould take it off at the end of the day and school was Bnished.Risks of further isolation and falling behindStudents who are disconnected from peers can become more sociallyisolated. In the scramble to keep up with the educational needs of students,we can easily overlook that students experience loneliness, worry andsadness (Brodeur et al. 2020).  The isolation experienced, as a result oflockdowns, can increase depression and anxiety (Guessoum et al., 2020).13/1/22, 5:24 pmSeven great ways to connect with students during snap lockdowns | EduResearch MattersPage 5 of 7https://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=10304#printTeachers expressed concern around the issue of social isolation for theirstudents. Some of this concern was related to the erosion of theconnectedness created by changes in routines that meant the students wereless likely to want to be engaged in learning.If you take Mandy, she can’t cope very well with any changes at school youknow? And she doesn’t have a lot of kids that I would [say she could]socialise with at school, and so at home, I reckon it would be worse becausewhen she gets stressed, she withdraws into her shell.Despite the challenges, teachers overall held positive perceptions about howthey supported students with additional educational needs at home. Therewas evidence of strong school leadership that was both supportive of staffand overtly visible for students and parents (e.g. regular Facebook postings).The teachers reported being committed to helping students who were at riskduring this time.Suggestions for connecting students with additional learning needs duringsnap lockdowns from our research: here are our top seven ways to stayconnected with not only students with additional needs but ALL students.1. Plan for and support peer connectedness. This may involve arranginginformal fun activities to foster social relationships and pairing studentsstrategically with a buddy.2. Have a range of options for learning. There can be a challenge with accessto online learning tools and materials, in particular for students withdisabilities. Access to physical resources can be especially important forstudents with additional educational needs.3. Strive to ensure that school routines are sustained at home (e.g. consistenttimetables and the wearing of school uniform).4. Keep in contact with parents where students are reluctant to communicatevia online media. Strive to ensure that communication is consistent andfrequent. Effective communication between school and home is a criticalelement in a successful response to remote schooling. Be mindful that insome circumstances overly frequent communication may overwhelm bothstudents and their families.5. Attempt alternative means to directly communicate with each student thatmight be speci@c to their needs (e.g. telephone calls).a. Strive to maintain relationships for the well-being of students and teachers.This connection can address mental health.  7. There may be additional provision of specialist services warranted. Thissupport may occur through supplementary planning meetings with parents13/1/22, 5:24 pmSeven great ways to connect with students during snap lockdowns | EduResearch MattersPage 6 of 7https://www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=10304#printTweetand key service providers. Consider alternative mechanisms to ensureconnection and collaboration with specialists. Students who are isolated athome are at risk of not being offered specialist services because of theseparation between school and home.Clockwise from top left: Dr Angela Page has workedas an educational psychologist in Australia and NewZealand. She currently lectures in Special andInclusive Education at the University of Newcastle inNSW. Associate Professor Jennifer Charteris is anexperienced researcher and teacher educator, with abackground in providing professional learning forprincipals, middle leaders, and teachers in leadership,assessment, and culturally responsive practice. Shehas schooling experience in Australia, New Zealand,and the UK. Dr Joanna Anderson is an experiencedteacher, school leader and academic. She isinterested in inclusive practice and leadership andworks to improve the educational experiences ofstudents with disabilities. Dr Chris Boyle is a Fellowof the British Psychological Society and a SeniorFellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is anAssociate Professor in Inclusive Education andPsychology at the University of Exeter.Share This ArticleRepublish this article for free, online or in print, under Creative Commons licence.! Republish this articleRelated PostsTen ways to improve online learning for studentsOnline learning has become a well-recognised part of thebroader landscape of higher education. It…Share 3 Share Email! 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Seven great ways to connect with students during snap lockdowns

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Seven great ways to connect with students during snap lockdowns

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Seven great ways to connect with students during snap lockdowns

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Adelaide Research & Scholarship