New research suggests that hands-on science mentor programs can be beneficial for high achieving senior secondary students in rural areas. In our latest reader submission, Louise Puslednik details the study findings.

Staff at Ringwood Secondary College in Victoria have learned a lot since students began learning from home. Here, we speak to principal Michael Phillips about the aspects of remote learning that have resulted in positive outcomes for staff collaboration and student engagement.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented some unique challenges for early years educators as they move to a remote learning approach. In today’s article, Dr Deborah Price discusses some practical ways for embracing the teaching and learning opportunities this new environment provides.

‘As the evidence for home-supported learning with school-aged students is being rapidly explored, lessons of what works in schools provide a starting point for "best bets" in translating evidence-based practices for learning at home.’ Susannah Schoeffel and Dr Tanya Vaughan take a closer look at some of these ‘best bet’ strategies.

While COVID-19 is grinding much of society to a halt, schooling has entered uncharted territory. During this time, it is important that teachers look after themselves. Our latest reader submission shares several evidence-backed strategies that can help support teachers’ wellbeing.

‘In this home-supported learning environment parents are being called upon to play a broader role in their children’s education. The role of the parent is not to replace the teacher in learning from home …’ Dr Tanya Vaughan and Susannah Schoeffel share evidence on how teachers can work with parents to support students in a rapidly changing education landscape.

Are today’s students ‘digital natives’? Have digital technologies transformed classroom practice? ACER Research Director Julian Fraillon looks to Australian and international data to explore some of the myths and realities related to digital literacy and how these should be considered in the new paradigm of working from home.

‘As the COVID-19 situation unfolds, schools are closing to protect their students and the broader public – but this doesn’t mean a stop to learning for students or teachers.’ Dr Anne-Marie Chase and Professor Pauline Taylor-Guy share three phases of research-based decisions education systems and schools should be making now in relation to technology-enabled learning.

In these uncertain times, how do teachers support students to make sense of the coronavirus pandemic and give them the tools to navigate the challenges we may be faced with? In today’s article, Professor Peter O’Connor from the University of Auckland suggests arts-based approaches to building resilience in students in times of disaster.

In his second article on cinema in school education, Marc Barrett aims to assist teachers with that most difficult of challenges, when it comes to hosting film clips in the classroom – that of clip selection.