“It definitely changed my perspective on things, and I realised that when you have this much time on your hands, you can be really innovative about what you do and how effective you can be.”

As someone who began her schooling at Melbourne Girls Grammar in the Junior Years, Kiyara is keenly aware of what it takes to make the step up at each new stage of the Melbourne Girls Grammar program. Using this same positive attitude and adaptive nature, Kiyara transitioned easily to remote learning. 

“Remote learning was really positive for me, and transitioning was really easy because the teachers had explained everything to us beforehand. We were confident and prepared when we went into remote learning, and from the first day we knew exactly what to do,” said Kiyara. 

Middle Years students in Years 5-8 are still developing their ability to manage their own learning. Particularly in remote learning, our dedicated staff took the time to provide clear structure and guidance to guide our Grammarians to continue to work to the best of their ability. 

Kiyara agreed that structure was what kept her on track. “To keep motivated, I wanted to maintain a routine as if I was still traveling to school and back every day. I like to be organised and keep everything neat so I can work the best and be as productive as I can throughout the day.”

Some flexibility is important, as staying attentive all day without natural social breaks can be a struggle. That’s why the Middle Years program provided a balance of synchronous and asynchronous tasks, aiming for a blended learning approach. To help prioritise, teachers made it clear which tasks were part of their core learning, and which were enriching experiences to add to their understanding.

That way students knew what was important information to consolidate their learning, and where they might explore a topic in more detail to extend their knowledge if necessary. 

“Throughout remote learning, I found that the teachers explained everything that we were doing very clearly. They planned ahead so I could really know what we were going to do in a class!” said Kiyara. “I was expecting the whole experience to not be as intense as normal school, but it was really good. I got a lot out of it!”

Kiyara’s dedication to personal organisation and scheduling has really helped her succeed. She has utilised the crucial skills she’ll need to make a smooth transition into the Senior Years Program. She has enjoyed the challenge and believes that her new mindset has helped prepare her for Year 9 next year.​

"I really enjoy being independent; having the personal freedom to control my own learning. I know that we will do that a lot in Year 9 so it was a great opportunity for me to practise and gain an insight into what we're going to be doing later on.”

A Typical Day During Remote Learning for Kiyara

Digital Natives

Remote learning obviously increased the amount of time spent in front of a screen and the overall usage by students of technology to remain connected. One of the benefits of our Digital Citizenship Program is that our Years 5-8 students, clearly digital natives, had previously been inducted into the safe and effective use of technology and how to best manage their digital footprint. This meant that our Grammarians were able to engage effectively through learning online and manage their screen time appropriately.

The School’s Learning Management System, eVI, was the ideal tool for delivering curriculum as students were able to work ahead and find further resources to build their understanding. Kiyara’s remote learning routine allowed her the time to make choices about her independent learning time, as well as incorporate time for her own wellbeing, connection with her friends and exercise.

At the beginning of lessons, students were able to check in on what was required for the lesson with the teacher, usually by participating in a Zoom session. 

“I liked the amount of Zoom lessons we did, because it allowed us to be independent, but also gave us the opportunity to spend time with our classmates,” said Kiyara. What Kiyara believed was important was that Zoom lessons provided the opportunity to ask questions of her teacher, and share experiences.

In order to balance that experience, teachers also worked hard to ensure that students had time away from screens, coming up with creative ways to have a break from screens and work on wellbeing. 

“In our Personal Dimensions groups, we had regular discussions on how we were progressing. I think this was really good because we were able to reflect [personally] and give each other coping tips,” said Kiyara. “Also, in English we held a book recommendation circle on the last day of term, and then I made a goal to read more books throughout the holidays. [The School] gave us audio books to listen to as well.”