Stage3_Planning_text

Stage 3: PLANNING


 * Original Txt:**

Managing relationships and communications** Establish a structure for the ongoing management of the LCO with representatives from all schools (i.e. a management committee). A nominated spokesperson from the committee should ensure consistent information is available. Targeted professional development and support for this group will be extremely important – and should include specific areas for them to discuss and utilise/model their own online skills. Use a variety of internal communication channels appropriate to the group (e.g. meetings, email, discussion boards, audio conferences, newsletters, etc.). Designate a key communications person within this driving group to manage external communications such as with the Ministry of Education, the VLN, media, other clusters/providers, business and commercial groups etc. Effective communication is characterised by regular and responsive use of technologies such as email, conferencing, fax and phone, website/newsletter/progress report even if this means upskilling key personnel. • Schools & teachers need to anticipate the need for flexibility in the coming timetable as cluster lessons will almost certainly cut across local lesson times. • Teachers need to be fully informed in the early stages to prepare the whole staff for the need to flexibly fit into an external structure • Other key groups (boards, parents) need to be kept fully informed and consulted regarding the possible impact and benefits to the school/ students community. Any new structures / protocols etc will not be fully implemented from the beginning – it is more likely to be phased in over a period of months/years and the position in the timeline needs to be clearly communicated. coordination** Shared protocols and a common timetable and calendar are essential for the LCO to work effectively. Planning for a common timetable and a person to construct it based on requests from schools and teachers is essential. (Note that the timetable needs to be common for the points of synchronous contact only. Time allocated for asynchronous study may vary from school to school). Co-ordination and liaison with National timetable will be required and supported. www.virtuallearning.school.nz Policies for staffing need to be developed collectively and with reference to national common practice/ PPTA recommendations. This covers aspects such as online time (synchronous and asynchronous), class sizes, budget provision for teacher and learner resources, and enrolment procedures. NB: 􀂾 optimum teaching time is not usually the first or last period of the day. 􀂾 online lesson time needs to be defined across the cluster (eg. 30 minute tutorials or 45 minute lessons). 􀂾 established practice for synchronous online lessons is that these begin on the hour throughout the day regardless of individual schools’ timetables. If there is a requirement for students and teachers to meet during the year (eg. for field trips or other practical work) then this must be signalled to all the involved schools well in advance – dates calendared and prioritised. needs** Enrolment opportunities in the ‘distance’ courses offered within a LCO should occur at the same time as normal course selection processes in each school. In considering student enrolment in distance courses be aware of: 􀂾 motivation (personal) incl. reasons for course selection 􀂾 learning style / reading and hearing abilities 􀂾 concentration level / maturity/ independence 􀂾 need for support / supervision 􀂾 organization skill / time management Sept – Oct Programmes offered by all providers on the VLN by Nov 20 Week 3 Term 1
 * Stage 3: Planning
 * Logistical
 * Identify student

Research and experience has shown the commitment of school and student to the programme to be a key factor in the student's success regardless of academic prowess. Likely enrolment numbers in desired subjects should be signalled to the cluster coordinators prior to discussions on staffing/timetabling becoming fixed. In determining enrolment numbers, consider: 􀂾 draft timetable/times of lessons / availability of staff skills /class size restrictions (national guidelines recommend 12 for experienced distance teachers, 8 for new staff) 􀂾 course/programme options from within and outside of the LCO (enrolments with other distance providers / clusters for the following year need to be initiated in term 4) 􀂾 how many distance subjects taken by individual students (national guidelines recommend - a max. of 2 per student, unless in exceptional circumstances. [Important that the role of senior students in a host school not be potentially undermined by fully independent programme] 􀂾 Fostering of local community involvement – protocols for access (esp if outside school hours), is there cost or supervision/support/training component required?) • Surplus capacity in classes should be identified and potentially offered to other networks via the VLN or by negotiation with other clusters. • School culture should recognise: o student online lessons require a higher priority than other school activities. o Students need to be encouraged to be active participants not 'listen only'. o Provision for student training should be considered at earliest opportunity. [Both timely technical and administrative training is required.] A student manual that outlines clearly the expectations on students, where they can get support, and how they can best prepare themselves for study in this manner eg. if a class is cancelled teachers should be encouraged to reschedule the missed class in that week. [readily accessible and up-todate] professional development** • Establish staff appointment procedures. • Identify the different staffing roles that will be needed for the successful implementation of an online learning programme, e.g., e-teachers, site mentors, technical support, cluster personnel. (See glossary for description of these roles). The roles should be seen as interdependent and forming part of a team. It is important that the extra commitment by staff involved be recognised. Once the roles are agreed, consider for each: 􀂾 developing a job description; - examples available. 􀂾 establishing conditions of employment and key tasks, e.g. planning, student/teacher interactions, other staff commitments; 􀂾 the training, support, and resources that will be needed/offered. Where/ who will they be accessed from, what form/time will they take etc 􀂾 preparing a detailed brief of the advantages and challenges that are likely to be involved for appointees to the new roles. Consult with others who have performed similar roles / appointed similar staff to inform this process; 􀂾 identifying staff and interviewing. 􀂾 Appoint staff to key positions in accordance with the agreed appointment procedures, including appointment of a cluster co-ordinator. This is a key consideration. This role is likely to include: o oversight of the technical and network requirements; o co-ordination and standardisation of documentation and other key communications; o liaison between all the key players within the cluster (e.g., principals, technical support, local school mentors, teachers) and outside networks, institutions, individuals and national network representatives/ MoE. o Provision of tutorials/workshops for teachers to use new networks, equipment, systems established by the co-ordinator / cluster management coordination** It is essential that a common technical baseline is established and maintained throughout the cluster. Technical baseline should cover: 􀂾 equipment within the school, network infrastructure, and the connection linking the schools, as well as linking them to the outside world eg Schoolzone. 􀂾 location and requirements for an online learning environment: o size of room needed to best meet the needs of a range of users o access to the school’s networks – computer and phone o access to ready support from school staff and resources o heating, lighting, noise reduction, furniture o security and access issues 􀂾 technical professionals and institutions that will be best able to provide initial and ongoing reliable, timely support to suit the needs of the schools. It is important that the appointment of technical advisor(s) (and/or technicians) reflect the needs of the schools, and the goals of the cluster. Contract negotiation for technical support and online costs should take into account initial and ongoing costs – maintenance and development of websites, networks, computer and vc equipment; service and support such as hosting, filtering, monitoring, internet use reporting etc. Resources** Decisions need to be made on purchasing or developing resources and on where shared resources will be stored (e.g. cluster website, extranet). It is important to understand copyright and intellectual property issues as these pertain to online teaching. Consider: 􀂾 writing a policy on resource provision: purchasing, borrowing, etc. 􀂾 the provision of standardisation or templates for the presentation of online resources/learning environment 􀂾 methods for tracking / searching of resource repositories eg. Metadata info 􀂾 the provision of support resources for teaching staff, especially learning tutorial type resources to do with increasing/enhancing teacher skill/capability in an online environment eg. using web environments, discussion boards etc and support strategies** 􀂾 Confirm job descriptions for all key administrative and support positions. 􀂾 Develop a collective policy on NZQA/NCEA data and how it will be processed: o timing o moderation provisions o recording of marks/submission to NZQA o formal feedback procedures to staff of student achievement e.g. NCEA results o reporting and evaluation. 􀂾 Develop an administrative pathway for smooth contact between student and teacher, based on a collective understanding between schools within the LCO. 􀂾 Consider the variety of ways that student learning may be supported within schools and the most appropriate people to provide that support. (Mentoring, facilitating, administration or organisational skills will be a higher priority than technical.) 􀂾 Consider how and when liaison between site mentors, principals, e-teachers and cluster co-ordinator, curriculum, NZQA nominees, Classroom Manager administrators, etc. will occur 􀂾 Determine mechanisms and consistent procedures for dealing with: 􀂃 teaching problems e.g. staff movement, struggling e-teacher, professional integrity issues, compliance issues 􀂃 student withdrawals/absence, enrolments 􀂾 Promote and provide professional development to develop reflective practice, online teaching and other skills. Cost to individual schools will vary depending on the model adopted by the cluster or provider e.g. Cantatech’s financial contribution model, OtagoNet’s reciprocal staffing model, tertiary programme course costs, STAR funding eligibility or other forms of sharing staffing and resources that may be determined. At this stage you need to: 􀂾 establish financial systems and accountability within the LCO 􀂾 discuss and establish individual school contributions 􀂾 get a firm commitment from sponsors and funding sources 􀂾 define contractual obligations with technical services and resource providers 􀂾 confirm final budgets and plans 􀂾 develop a cluster-wide policy determining individual school budgets to meet online class costs, such as photocopying, travel, teacher release, resource acquisition, plus ongoing connectivity costs for video/audio bridge, faxing, phone, post/courier, internet access. Remember, it is very easy to consider the extra costs involved as a disincentive for establishing the LCO. Throughout the process there needs to be a clear reference back to the agreed goals and principles, and an evaluation of the cost of doing this against the cost of not doing it / benefits achievable. [This may mean there will need to be a rationalisation of existing expenditure, for instance, money that has previously been spent to employ a number of part-time staff to provide supervision for senior subjects may now better be spent on meeting the costs of accessing expertise from the LCO]. Milestone tasks are: 􀂾 management committee and effective communication channels established 􀂾 cluster coordinator and other key roles appointed 􀂾 shared protocols and timetabling planned and any related issues resolved 􀂾 needs analysis for an online learning environment completed 􀂾 technical services and resource providers determined 􀂾 technical advisor(s) appointed 􀂾 job descriptions, conditions of employment and resources determined 􀂾 professional development programme developed/sourced and commenced 􀂾 enrolment procedures in place 􀂾 student and staff manuals created 􀂾 collective policies developed 􀂾 staff given time to develop/purchase course material and resources 􀂾 financial systems and accountability in place 􀂾 individual school contributions agreed 􀂾 commitment from sponsors and funding sources obtained 􀂾 planning process evaluated Commitment to implement plan Once the milestone report has been signed off, participating schools must agree to proceed with implementing the plan. This will involve a firm commitment to making things happen, and is the point at which a firm commitment can be made to staff and students for the implementation period.
 * Staffing and
 * Technical
 * Learning
 * Administration
 * Finance**
 * Evaluation**
 * Outcome**

**Relationships and Communications**
 * Focus**: Collaboration & Communication
 * Explanation**: Regular communication channels need to be established within the cluster, with other clusters and groups.


 * __Action's are listed below__**__:__

A governance structure for the cluster needs to be adopted by the Principals. This may be consist of all Principals or a representation of 3 - 4 Principals, along with the ePrincipal/Cluster Leader acting as an "Executive Group". This group will have the mandate to make decisions on behalf of the cluster and provide direction to the ePrincipal/Cluster Leader. The ePrincipal/Cluster Leader will report directly to this group.
 * GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE**

The Executive Group should have regular monthly meetings which provides an opportunity for the ePrincipal to report back to. The ePrincipal could report back against the goals of the cluster. These meetings can be held using online tools: video conferencing, audio conferencing, adobe connect.

A job description will determine the role of the ePrincipal/Cluster Leader. The role of this key person is extremely important in the successful running of the cluster and will be the driving force behind the cluster and it's future growth. Ideally this position should be a full-time position.
 * EPRINCIPAL/CLUSTER LEADER**

Ideally, a platform overarching the cluster will provide a vehicle for relationships to be developed and regular and clear communications to be distributed. There are a wide range of platforms available, some open source and some commercially produced systems. These are called Learning Management Systems (LMS) or Management Learning Systems (MLS). Some professional development support may be required for the users of the LMS/MLS.
 * PLATFORM FOR COMMUNICATION**

**Learner Needs**
 * Focus**: Meeting Learning Needs
 * Explanation**: The needs of the learners within the cluster need to be identified. The "learner" can be the students, staff, executive, principal, community.


 * __Action's are listed below__**__:__

It is important for a Needs Analysis is carried out by each school in August/September of previous year to establish the learning needs for access to subjects on the VLN. The Needs Analysis will also identify the possible teachers available to deliver a programme online the following year. The Needs Analysis will provide this information for the ePrincipal/Cluster Leader to prepare a Curriculum Selection/Options Selection in preparation of advertising courses on the VLN by October and identify which courses they will need to access from outside of the cluster.
 * NEEDS ANALYSIS**

Once the eteachers have been identified a support programme can be set up. Ideally the Principals will have agreed upon set days at the end of the year and possibly at the beginning of the year to be provided for support for e-teachers. Support for the e-students needs to be provided. This could be an "e-day" at the beginning of the year where all e-students and e-teachers come together in a face to face setting.
 * PROFESSIONAL LEARNING & SUPPORT FOR LEARNERS**

To ensure that learners are well supported in a blended approach, an online environment should be set up to support the classes.
 * ONLINE ENVIRONMENT**

Most schools hold an information evening for future subject choices at the end of the year with a Curriculum Handbook/Subject Choice Booklet advertising the available courses. The ePrincipal/Cluster Leader needs to ensure that information about the Virtual Learning Network (VLN) and the courses offered through the cluster are available. Attendance by the ePrincipal/Cluster Leader at these evenings would be valuable.
 * INFORMATION EVENINGS & OPTION CHOICES**

Courses offered from the cluster are advertised on the VLN. It is important to provide full information about the course, similar to what would be in a school curriculum handbook. This information is posted on the VLN, ensuring the selected time for the course is posted.
 * AVAILABLE COURSES**

Times for online courses advertised on the VLN are run on the hour or half hour. This time is set by the "Home School". The online course is for an hour video conference/adobe connect each week. Any possible clashes are identified. This process will be an ongoing one as student needs are addressed.
 * DRAFT TIMETABLE**

Currently it is the role of the ePrincipal/Cluster Leader to enrol students from the cluster into courses advertised on the VLN. The ePrincipal/Cluster Leader of each cluster will be responsible for accepting the enrolments in each course. Each cluster has their own procedures about accepting enrolments from outside of their own cluster.
 * ENROLLING STUDENTS**

Once the classes are posted on the VLN, a request for a "PIN NUMBER" for each course is made to Asnett. The ePrincipal/Cluster Leader will be required to complete the documentation required for this to be processed.
 * REQUESTING PIN NUMBERS**

**Logistical Coordination (Participation & Reciprocity)** Focus: Explanation:


 * __Action's are listed below__**__:__

ESTABLISH SCHOOL COMMITMENT

MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT

TIMETABLE

Develop shared timetables, calendars and protocols for sharing staff and students. Supporting Resources: KEY FOCUS: Establish protocols for participation
 * Logistical Coordination (Participation & Reciprocity)**

**Professional Development & Support (Expertise Building)** Focus: Explanation:


 * __Action's are listed below__**__:__

Supporting Resources:

**Pedagogy** Focus: Explanation:


 * __Action's are listed below__**__:__

Supporting Resources:

**Technical Coordination** Focus: Explanation:


 * __Action's are listed below__**__:__

Supporting Resources:

**Learning and Teaching Resources** Commitment to implement plan Once the milestone report has been signed off, participating schools must agree to proceed with implementing the plan. This will involve a firm commitment to making things happen, and is the point at which a firm commitment can be made to staff and students for the implementation period.

Focus: Explanation:


 * __Action's are listed below__**__:__

Supporting Resources:

**Innovation and Research** Focus: Explanation:


 * __Action's are listed below__**__:__

Supporting Resources:

**Administration & Support Strategies** Focus: Explanation:


 * __Action's are listed below__**__:__

Supporting Resources:

**Finance Funding** Focus: Explanation:


 * __Action's are listed below__**__:__

Supporting Resources:

**Evaluation and Strategic Planning** Focus: Explanation:


 * __Action's are listed below__**__:__

Supporting Resources:

**Outcome** Focus: Explanation:


 * __Action's are listed below__**__:__

• Schools & teachers need to anticipate the need for flexibility in the coming timetable as cluster lessons will almost certainly cut across local lesson times. • Teachers need to be fully informed in the early stages to prepare the whole staff for the need to flexibly fit into an external structure • Other key groups (boards, parents) need to be kept fully informed and consulted regarding the possible impact and benefits to the school/ students community. Any new structures / protocols etc will not be fully implemented from the beginning – it is more likely to be phased in over a period of months/years and the position in the timeline needs to be clearly communicated. Logistical coordination Shared protocols and a common timetable and calendar are essential for the LCO to work effectively. Planning for a common timetable and a person to construct it based on requests from schools and teachers is essential. (Note that the timetable needs to be common for the points of synchronous contact only. Time allocated for asynchronous study may vary from school to school). Co-ordination and liaison with National timetable will be required and supported. www.virtuallearning.school.nz Policies for staffing need to be developed collectively and with reference to national common practice/ PPTA recommendations. This covers aspects such as online time (synchronous and asynchronous), class sizes, budget provision for teacher and learner resources, and enrolment procedures. NB: