In 2020 we created this page to provide additional supporting resources for schools and parents with students in self isolation or quarantine due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Classroom picture

Case studies and discussion — adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic in education

Read three PETAA Blog posts — one reflection from an individual teacher on remote learning; snapshots from a range of teachers around the world on remote teaching and learning experiences from home and abroad; and in feedback from PETAA teachers Six ways teaching remotely during the COVID-19 crisis has benefited teachers, students and families.

An ABC news story on how one Beijing international school got online in one week.

The World Economic Forum COVID Action Platform has published 3 ways the coronavirus pandemic could reshape education (and what changes may be here to stay).

PETAA Paper 212 — Digital technologies as tools for teaching with intent, by classroom teachers Louise Walker and Michael Cannavan shares experience of the purposeful use of technology (in scaffolding academic language with educationally marginalised students — it was written as a companion piece to the PETAA book Teaching with Intent).

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Authoritative advice from AITSL

This ‘Spotlight’ on What Works in Online/Distance Teaching and Learning, from the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership identifies best practice evidence to guide teachers on setting up online learning and provides advice teachers can give to parents during this process.

Departments of Education — resources and information

All States and Territories

The NSW Department of Education has started the website Learning from home, with information on school planning, teaching and learning resources, advice to parents and carers, delivery of learning, and teaching from home. Find similar State and Territory specific information and learning from home resources from the Education departments of ACT, QLD, VIC, TAS, SA, NT and WA.

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Creative ideas

Returning to productive learning through art

Te Rito Toi helps teachers work with children when they first return to school following major traumatic or life changing events. Te Rito Toi is based on understanding that the arts are uniquely placed to lead a return to productive learning when schools reopen. Find advice for teachers and principals, classroom support, units of work, selected picture books and further reading.

Children’s book author videos and storytimes

In TimeOut (temporarily re-badged as TimeIn!) the piece Virtual storytimes for kids: Authors and venues go online amid coronavirus, includes videos, readings and ‘Doodles’ from Mo Willems, Dan Gutman and Oliver Jeffers.

Storybox library

Story Box Library is working to support educators in continuing to provide a learning program to students in the cases of school closures and home isolation, including allowing teachers and school to sign up free for two months.

Streaming: TED and Audible

TED Conferences (Technology, Entertainment, Design), the American media organisation that posts talks online for free distribution under the slogan ‘ideas worth spreading’, in these trying times is offering ‘a resource for information, inspiration and hope’ with guidance on how to create your own TED-Ed lessons.

Stream an incredible collection of stories, including titles across six different languages from Audible.

Augmented Reality apps

Our very own AR experts, Lynde Tan, Angela Thomas and Alice Chik, recipients of the PETAA Research Grant in 2019, have provided a wonderful list of their top 8 Augmented reality apps — not just for exciting opportunities for experiencing the world, but to provide meaningful learning experiences for children’s language and literacy learning at home.

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Free resource collections

Scootle is a national repository that provides Australian schools with more than 20,000 digital resources aligned to the Australian Curriculum.

ABC Education has more than 4000 videos, games and resources mapped to the Australian Curriculum. ABC TV Education are finalising a Term 2 Schedule to extend the broadcast of dedicated education programming for school aged viewers nationwide each weekday from 10am–3pm on ABC ME (an additional three hours of programming each day).

The Australian Children's Television Foundation has films, books, apps and support material aligned to the Australian Curriculum.

Amazing Educational Resources webiste is building a list of Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions due to School Closings. Scroll through the list of resources and educational technology which is being updated every few hours.

Scholastic has released free daily courses for kids stuck home amid coronavirus school closures. The Learn From Home website with four categories: Pre-K and Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2, Grades 3–5, and Grades 6+. Each section is already equipped with one week of content for students with 15 additional days on the way. Each day of content is filled with exciting articles and stories, videos, and fun learning challenges. The students can even go on virtual field trips or meet best-selling authors. The website provides up to three hours’ worth of content each day and can be completed on any device.

Aussie Educator have always curated a vast range of educational resources including resources and general information about home schooling in Australia.

The Internet Archive have created a guide for parents and educators to using the Internet Archive as an educational tool, along with several collections revolving around popular subject areas.

You can also find a range of stand-alone open websites that PETAA has collaborated to create, plus links to educational platforms and video, resource repositories and searchable databases and digital tools and open content on our Website resources page .

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Educational publishers

From Books Create Australia (the joint book industry platform of authors, librarians, booksellers and publishers) find an overview of what Educational Publishers in Australia are offering teachers, parents and carers tackling the challenges of homeschooling and distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, with links, and their context explained, to educational resources. (As a caveat please note PETAA's position paper in regard to Approaches to early reading instruction and advice around the use of some commercial reading programs).

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Supporting parents and carers

Literacy

PETAA has literacy resources to share with parents that may be of special value just now — an online Parents’ guide to helping children with reading and writing at home and a downloadable PETAA Paper on Valuing parents in the reading process, both by literacy specialist and PETAA course convenor and author Kaye Lowe. This page also includes a short video and downloadable guide to five picture books in the CBCA 2020 shortlist in which Jennifer Asha, renowned literacy expert and experienced classroom teacher, shares tips and tricks for parents who are reading and learning with their children at home during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Wellbeing

Beyond Blue's COVID-19 Mental Health Support Service is being funded by the Australian Government to provide support during the coronavirus outbreak. Reach out, also has advice in regard to the impact COVID-19 on your school community’s wellbeing. Lifeline advice extends to managing your mental health while working from home.

Te Rito Toi (linked also above) helps teachers work with children when they first return to school following major traumatic or life changing events, to return to productive learning through art and wellbeing.

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