Welcome to 2021

Gershom Aitchison, host · [01:58]I think that's part of what we're waiting for, some direction from the government, and we anticipate three scenarios, the first being that all students and all faculty are back on campus, and as Edu Inc is an on-campus school, that is the, the most ideal scenario for us, and we are preparing for that so that we can have everybody back on campus. The second scenario is that we are all required to stay at home, because that's a responsible thing to do, or that the government has enforced restrictions to lower the COVID numbers, and we've also done that before last year, and we've had it, we've done it with great success. So scenario one, everyone on campus, scenario two, everybody schooling from home. And then the third scenario is that some of us are on campus and that some of us are at home. Who is on campus is determined by three criteria that the teachers and the leadership of the school have identified. This is Aitchison.

Jacqueline Aitchison, host · [02:55]We looked for a very quantifiable criteria to take all the subjectivity out of that decision. and those three criteria are very simply the academic performance of the child, the ability to meet deadlines of the child, and the online behaviors of the child. The online behaviors probably being one of the most important factors, because if those behaviors aren't what we need them to be, it completely undermines the schooling from home process.

Jacqueline Aitchison, host · [05:47]Well, maybe I should give you a little bit of background on that before we go into the, the actual detail of what they look like. Really in anticipation of COVID not being finished with us and that it was very likely that even if we do get to go back to school on the 18th of January, there will probably be periods where the children have to be at home on and off. The hybrid classroom has become a very pressing need for all the schools, and a good functional hybrid classroom. So towards the end of last year, we took some of the learning that Mr. Aitchison had taken from his, Harvard course, he's been doing a certificate in advanced educational leadership, and we took some of that Harvard training that he's done, and we did a design workshop with our staff, where they actually got to prototype the ideal hybrid classroom. And for us, the ideal hybrid classroom is one that replicates the actual classroom as closely as possible. In other words, the children are hearing each other interact, whether they're at home or in the classroom, and the teacher has full visual and audio of all of those scenarios, whether the children are at home on multiple different computers and the children sitting in front of them.

Gershom Aitchison, host · [06:56]During this process, we identified three key areas that we were working on. They came out of the empathy interviews with the students as well as the teachers and faculty. And the first one is that for a successful hybrid learning space or learning from home space, we need to identify technology for communication. The second thing is we need to identify technology for work, and that is different from technology for communication, because we can use technology to communicate and not do any work, or we can use technology to work and not do any communication on it. And then the third thing is the tech behavior, the desirable tech behavior that allows you to communicate and work effectively on technology in a remote space. So when discussing technology for communication, there are a couple of things that you need to be prepared for, and that is first and foremost, the students need a functional webcam. The students also need Headphones and a microphone, ideally over-ear headphones because they'll be wearing them for a long period of time, and no longer is it going to be acceptable for your microphone to be off during class or your camera to be off during class. Effective learning face-to-face learning happens when we can see and hear you at all times, it means that your peers and your teachers can read your body language and they can see what's going on. The second thing, tech for work, that is the working space that you need to work, and the first thing that is the most important is that you need a second screen. The reason we need two screens is that your one screen will be used for communication, and that is where your class will be online, that you can see everybody in that classroom so that you are participating in it, and the second screen is the screen that you'll use to do work. That is where you're typing a document or something like that. You also need to have space on your desktop with all your tech in place to have a book open where you can be making notes and also a textbook open that you can be reading from. It is not possible to be reading everything off the computer. It is also not totally healthy. It is also not totally healthy not to be using your handwriting to do physical notes, and this is what blended learning is all about, using technology and the hard copy versions of making notes and your textbook. So the space at home, two screens, one for work, one for communication, and a place where you can put a textbook out to read and also make notes as you need to.

Gershom Aitchison, host · [09:32]You also need to have a dedicated space. Based on what I've just said, you can see that the learning space or the workspace is not a transient space. It needs to be dedicated. It needs to be a place where you're not going to be disrupted and where it's not a thoroughfare at home or something like that. Some students may require a printer in that space and a scanner, depending on their personal needs, especially if they are, you know, in mathematics, they are busy writing, for example, and then they would like to send the handwritten note or make it digital so that the teachers can read it, they'll need a printer and a scanner to do that. The last thing that is really, really important, and I cannot emphasize that none of this can be possible if you do not have a stable fiber internet line at home. We often find that 3G or 4G wireless is not stable, and I highly recommend that you get a stable fiber internet connection. You need 10 megs per person in the household. If there's one person in the household, a 10 meg line is fine. If there are 10 people in the household, you need a 100 meg line. So if there are four people in the household, a 40 or 50 meg line will be sufficient. And I emphasize, without a stable internet connection, You cannot run the tech for communication, and you cannot run the tech for learning or for work. And Mrs. Aitchison, if you recall the email and podcast that we spoke about at the end of last year, and I extend my hand again for people who are unsure, please drop me an email, and I can help you with those specs and even connections. We are getting the technology at a really good price, and we have the licenses that make it cheaper for parents if they need it.

Jacqueline Aitchison, host · [11:20]Well, I think it comes back to what we spoke about. We've been at this for the better part of a year, and it's likely that we are going to have to deal with this going forward for an indefinite period of time. We don't know what's going to happen with the vaccines and what impact that's going to have on getting the kids to school. There are unacceptable behaviors that, again, last year really highlighted. behaviors such as the commentary of my camera isn't working, my webcam isn't working, my computer's updating or it's rebooting. As far as we're concerned, these are delay tactics. That just demonstrates a lack of preparation. Get up in the morning, switch your computer on. We've said this in a previous podcast, so that any updates, et cetera, are happening before you sit down and get it going for your day at school.

Gershom Aitchison, host · [12:09]Can I add in, my Wi-Fi connection has dropped. My computer's battery is dead. Because again, it points to a lack of preparation and a lack of dedicated workspace.

Jacqueline Aitchison, host · [12:20]We do expect that the equipment that the learners are using is up to spec by this point. We've had nearly a year to get this right, so let's make sure that it is right going into 2021. So essentially the type of behaviors we're talking about are the behaviors that Delay teaching and learning during a lesson, take away from teaching and learning during a lesson. they're coming from the children who are spending more headspace on trying to circumvent the lesson than actually just being part of it. It's disruptive, it's unacceptable, it is not acceptable in the classroom, and it is therefore unacceptable during schooling from home.

Gershom Aitchison, host · [12:56]I think the easiest way to put it is, in a normal classroom, would you be sitting watching a YouTube video? Would you be listening to music? Would you be surfing the web?

Jacqueline Aitchison, host · [13:05]Playing Minecraft. Or

Gershom Aitchison, host · [13:06]playing Minecraft, or Solitaire, or whatever game is taking your fancy at this point? The answer is absolutely no. So it is unacceptable behavior for students to be doing it in the digital learning space as well.

Jacqueline Aitchison, host · [13:18]And on that note, when we do go back to school, even if we are in groups or cohorts, along with the reinstituted uniform policy, we are reinstituting the no cell phone on campus policy. Despite what your children are telling you parents, WhatsApp groups are not necessary during lessons. Children may not bring their cell phones to campus at all. If parents would like their children to have their cell phone on campus, the parent will be required to submit an application for the cell phone. The only consideration is for learners who are older and who need to make transport arrangements such as Ubers after school. Those learners will be required to bring their cell phones in a Ziploc bag so that we can spray it down before it is handed in and signed in like it used to be.

Gershom Aitchison, host · [14:07]I think this comes to the heart of why we have the cell phone policy in the first place. We found in term three that even in the classroom, that WhatsApp, Hangouts, Instagram were very disruptive and distracting in the classroom. And we're no longer being used for a tool for communication in most classes and instances, and became one of those undesirable behaviors that we need to resolve.