Stage4_Implementation_text

Stage 4: Implementation Managing relationships and communications Maintain the communication processes established in the planning stage, and modify as required. The establishment of a cluster website is highly recommended at this stage as this can form the first point of contact for all interested parties. • The management committee should continue to meet regularly and provide leadership and feedback to all schools and stakeholders. • The promotion of the network as successfully meeting the needs of students and schools will be an important task. • Future development of the network should be driven by information gained from the evaluation process. • Feedback to staff and community must be regularly maintained. • Regular communications and feedback must be expected with other cluster management teams and national governance bodies etc Logistical coordination With all logistical systems in place from the previous stage, it is important that these are now followed to enable the following to occur in time for the following year: • courses to be offered through the VLN are finalised • course/programme information is posted on cluster / national websites as per required deadlines eg Nov 20 www.virtuallearning.school.nz • students advised; • staffing negotiated prior to commencement of the school year; • timetable along with key calendar and resources confirmed; • professional development, vc training, school and technical support for teachers and students available prior to new year commencing. • student enrolments collected and class sizes evaluated by teaching staff / cluster co-ordinators • enrolment data entered on national website www.virtuallearning.school.nz • a system is established for the collection, collation and distribution of formal and informal feedback from students, teachers and coordinators/mentors. • acknowledgement and response to successes and challenges in an effective and timely manner by cluster management/leadership. Successful ongoing student participation requires the support of the site mentor/supervisor, whose role will include: 1. Coordinating participation of students in any face to face meetings with their e-teacher, eg initial gathering - second week of the new school year, or other meetings between the students & their teacher repeated during the year. 2 Administrative person (site admin/office person) - who checks and follows up on absences etc - register of who is doing what job needs to be clear to all e-teachers - collects regular and reliable evaluation of student experience - provides encouragement and constructive feedback to teachers - prepares / distributes guidelines on: o absence o assignment due dates o reporting o contacts between students / between students and teachers / teachers and parents o student support 3. Course mentor - who supports the student with teaching advice at the school eg netiquette, mediation, deadlines, practical and fieldwork requirements, supervision of assessment etc? - who has an understanding of the rules & requirements, responsibilities & privileges that are needed for successful distance/flexible/independent learning? - who has access to course support materials available on the web / study guides course outlines etc - who provides training for students - lesson time support, initially for all lessons and then as required by students Develop / distribute behaviour protocols including: 􀂾 a guide to 'netiquette' and classroom routines / interactions 􀂾 procedures for contacting other students 􀂾 internet safety and protection 􀂾 guidelines for online discussion boards, and when dealing with distance teachers and support people. Information for students and parents should be: 􀂾 user friendly 􀂾 available prior to, and throughout the year’s programme. 􀂾 accessible, in a just-in-time format 􀂾 available in more than one place 􀂾 student centred / cross curricular and 􀂾 include school timetables, calendars, supervisors' timetables 􀂾 encourage learners to work with students from other schools who are in their class. 􀂾 indicate rights and responsibilities, requirements when working independently, etc. Staffing: Professional development, Teacher and learner support Confirmed staff appointments now need to be given time to develop course outlines, collaborate with other online staff and curriculum leaders, and to meet to discuss the practicalities of what they will do in lessons and between lessons. This will involve feedback, reporting, evaluation issues, experimentation to establish what makes a good lesson with the resources they have and will need. Build a community of learners as the basis of ongoing support - involve all stakeholders eg. Deans, parents, students, teachers etc. Establish practice of regular evaluation and reflection and implement systems for assisting communication between staff and between staff and students. Technical Technical coordination The following should be put in place and available for use: 􀂾 initial and ongoing staff and student training 􀂾 helpdesk eg. 0800 ICT Helpdesk 􀂾 user-friendly troubleshooting guide 􀂾 easy to use system of reporting technical difficulties: urgent and non-urgent 􀂾 schedule for regular maintenance and support 􀂾 means of communicating proactive technical advice. Learning resources - development - access and distribution Teaching and learning resources are developed for use or identified. A diverse range of materials is available to meet different learning styles. Teachers will continue to adapt resources & programmes to meet individual needs as they do for their classroom programmes – opportunities for sharing these resources across and between clusters would support teachers. Teachers understand policies – school / cluster, for borrowing/purchasing resources, photocopying, phoning, faxing, etc. Teachers have the access rights required to upload resources to virtual environments. Administration and support strategies Site mentors are allocated time to work and liase with students taking e-classes. The timetable and room(s) for regular contacts with students is set. Site mentors need to consider (as it applies to e-students): 􀂾 tracking sheets 􀂾 copying of students' work 􀂾 reports 􀂾 documentation 􀂾 absentee system 􀂾 storage of NZQA/NCEA data 􀂾 contacts of schools/teachers 􀂾 assessment schedules 􀂾 exam planning 􀂾 liaison (contact) with teacher as go-between for feedback overviews/support. Finance The following should be done: 􀂾 requirements for accounting milestones are agreed by participating schools. Appropriate procedures are established by the cluster coordinator. 􀂾 annual financial reports are produced and presented to all schools. 􀂾 reviews and audits are carried out according to standard accounting procedures. 􀂾 management committee is kept appraised of the financial situation throughout the year. Monitoring of an individual school online budget is the responsibility of the principal. Evaluation The milestone tasks are: 􀂾 At the teacher level a process of regular and effective reflection and evaluation of goals is occurring, e.g. teaching, learning, reflection, evaluation. 􀂾 Regular review of technical architecture and support systems. 􀂾 Regular accounting milestones established and adhered to. 􀂾 Regular reports to boards of trustees and to the management committee. 􀂾 At the student level, an effective process of evaluating online teaching and learning is needed. (e.g., is academic success as assured for online students as it is in the classroom?) Systems for collecting data should be established, including capturing of anecdotal feedback and comments. Key evaluation question at this stage is: “are the goals of the Learning Community Online being met?” Outcome Cluster operational It is important that there is a commitment to maintain the LCO for an agreed period of time, and that, once committed, the participating schools make a full commitment to support the agreed upon structures. To ensure this happens it is important that a sustainable model has been developed, and the regular milestone reports to principals and BOTs are used as the mechanism to monitor progress and identify areas for continual improvement.