As we begin to struggle back to some resemblance of normality and look towards fully opened schools in the autumn it is perhaps time to take a few minutes to consider what has just happened. For many people the pandemic was the first time that they have ever found themselves truly reliant on technology for such basic human needs such as food, company, work or education. And for some schools, online learning was a Godsend. It enabled staff to keep in touch with pupils, it provided parents support with hone-schooling and it gave many pupils a life line to trusted adults and the reassurance that they and their education were still importance.
We think that many of you will have done great things for your pupils during lock down and found creative ways to make the most of the technology you had available. We'd like to celebrate those things and share those fantastic ideas. Please no false modesty here - whether you kept your year 4's or you GCSE history class online and learning during the lockdown you did a great thing. Please let us know about it by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. so we can help others learn from your experience.
You might also want to find out how your pupils felt about online learning. Our friends at LGfL have created a short questionnaire that you might like to use with your pupils.
We aren't asking you to share this information with us. However, if you think that your results highlight an important lesson that others could benefit from hearing about, again please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Your contributions will be used anonymously.
And for a bit of a bigger picture about online learning in the time of coronavirus please read the Sutton Trust report. It highlights some really important points about technology, social mobility and the digital divide.
I