As the academic year has drawn to a close and we look ahead to next year, most teachers will be evaluating the successes of the year and looking to improve their approaches. This often takes the form of revised materials, handbooks, schemes of learning and assessment plans and for my learners, the online learning environment.

I use a Google Site as a portal into everything I provide for the learners in terms of online learning. This space is also accessed by parents so they can see what we’re up to. In the past I have used Moodle and then WordPress. For the past couple of years, these have been replaced as a Google Site as it’s flexible, I can easily adapt it and I can embed other content seamlessly. Much of the content on the site is currently under development but the structure is set and I’m really pleased with the appearance this year: made using Canva!

I’d welcome any comments on this site (all images are clickable).

The Discuss, Share and Engage page is one of the more significant spaces on the site. This is the portal into the other main technology tools we’ll be using on the course- with all of us contributing content.

On this page, two new additions are  particularly significant- for me, the learners and their parents. The ‘learning wall’ will replace the learners’ learning journals this year. At the end of each lesson, we will post about our learning accompanied by images or links if relevant. We will detail what went well, what didn’t and what we learnt when it didn’t go to plan. The questions and activities we respond to will change throughout the year but it will be constant. I’m a great believer in the power of reflection as an essential factor in developing and growing as a learner/person. The ‘celebrating success’ wall will be to give a ‘shout out’ when a learner has done something that’s especially awesome- learners can post but so can I. Both of these spaces will be vital to the development of our class community but it’ll be great for parents to check in and see what we’re up to as well.

Blogging will feature more highly in the coming academic year. It made an appearance in the one we’ve just left behind but hopefully this year we can realise its true powers: for developing learner voice, reflective power, literacy skills, analysis skills and allowing the learners more chances to explore what matters to them (hopefully contributing to their future careers and study).

Out of class learning will look very different this year but more of that later…For now, you can explore the summer challenge my learners are working on.

Do let me know your thoughts by commenting below!