Nothing proves the relativity of time like working online. The weeks are flying by with new markers of time. Our routines are shifting and reshaped by family rituals and online invitations. What was once a rushed family breakfast, lunch box frenzy and commute; has now made way for a long breakfast and the negotiation of each member’s plans for the day…a group check-in and alignment of sorts, before we all head into various spaces to focus on the tasks ahead.
As the routines take shape and we refine our practices we are beginning to truly understand how each of us works best. The structures that support our time management, the way we prefer to set up notifications, reminders, and communications; the way we like to work creatively and collaboratively…the endless possibilities are something adults continue to grapple with, so it’s no wonder that we need support to ensure that we are able to trial and refine this as students.
We encourage families to take 20 mins each morning to log on with their child and ensure their child is confident in navigating the information in Google Classrooms, that they have accessed any WebX links for online meet-ups, and that your child has a written plan for what they intend to work on. This time also enables families to discuss progress made or any challenges faced that may need to be addressed by email or in writing questions ready for our homeroom conversations.
It is easier to craft questions when you have been able to discuss your ideas and what you feel unsure about. Articulating points of confusion sometimes enable us to answer our own questions, often enables us to hear errors in our thinking, and very often leads to better questions and feedback. The time taken in the morning often saves the time needed to follow-up questions and tensions later in the day…it’s time well spent!
Our New Inquiry
With all the uncertainty involved with our current situation, there has been an element of possibility and history in the making. Our inquiry has begun to take shape around exploring this moment of history in the making, as well as beginning to draw parallels from other crucial moments of change in history…points in time when the environment or society has been forced to adapt.
We are beginning to explore the role of interviews in research, and the value of the information interviews provide that can not be provided by other sources. As we begin to analyse the role of interviews, the style and techniques of interviews; as well as crafting questions that will envoke a story, it would be beneficial to be watching interviews as a family and discussing:
- what you learn about the interviewee
- the set-up or construction of the interview
- the questions and language used in the interview
- how effective the questions were in encouraging the interviewee to tell their story or appeal to the audience
In the first two weeks of this term, we took a close look at modality words (e.g. must, should, might, could, etc.) and emotive words that intend to persuade an audience. These words are worth highlighting when present in news articles, interviews, advertisements, or public service announcements. The more contextual examples we see of these words, the greater our understanding and awareness of them.
New Electives
In addition to our inquiries and established electives of photography, podcasting, drama, puppetry, and drama we have two new electives up and running. Poetry is now on offer for those budding writers to join forces and continue to collect, perform and write poems on the Google Classroom Poetry Slam! The PHPS Cookbook is also a new elective that is the result of our avid budding chefs madly trying new recipes at home during isolation. These electives are open to anyone who is interested in trying their creative hands at something new or further developing a passion…they are all optional and we encourage everyone to try something new this term. You may just find another joyful outlet to add to your ‘Well-being Tool Kit’!