The power of the unspoken word – a reflection

Nicole Walker Head of Year 9

The POWER of the unspoken word

– a reflection

Every journey has a place of origin; however, this journey has two catalysts. Like Smetana’s well-known composition Die Moldau, which conveys the story of the Vltava River as it travels from its source, two small springs, through various landscapes, to Prague (Schwarm 2019), my journey started with two ideas and developed into something exciting! The idea to focus on the Parent Portal of the POD (Place of Discovery) originated after participating in the ‘Supporting Student Digital Wellbeing’ webinar course and upon receiving my results from the Clifton StrengthsFinder online survey. The results revealed that one of my ‘top’ strengths was connectedness; the ability to see the big picture, to understand that decisions have bigpicture ramifications and the belief that ‘everything has meaning’ (Gallup 2019). The webinar sessions provided an acute awareness of the supportive, data-driven resources available to school communities by the eSafety Commissioner. The succinct details on infographics, including the DIY eSafety Checklist and Supporting Student Digital Wellbeing, are indicative of the information that could be available to parents. In my pastoral role, topics such as social media and strategies to encourage positive online behaviour are part of my many conversations with parents, and to connect them with such resources would be empowering and enhance trust. This belief is supported by Dr Justin Coulson, a leading Australian parenting expert, who believes that if environments are in high trust, relationships are cohesive and ‘stronger connections’ exist (Coulson 2016). Initial investigations found these resources were already available on the Parent Portal; however, the magnitude of information was overwhelming. This provided a springboard to an exciting journey which not only included my involvement in the reorganisation of the cyber safety resources on the Parent Portal, but gave me the opportunity SUNATA 51

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SUPPORTING STUDENT DIGITAL WELLBEING Boost your digital savviness with these rules to teach by… INVOLVE FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES Families and communities are allies in solving cyberbullying issues. 6 OUT OF 10 YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE PLAYED MULTIPLAYER GAMES Use games as an opportunity to connect and develop critical thinking skills. 1 IN 10 AUSTRALIANS HAVE EXPERIENCED IMAGE-BASED ABUSE It’s not the victim’s fault if someone shares or threatens to share their image without consent. ONLINE PARTICIPATION IS A RIGHT Understand the risks and explore the potential of new technologies.PEOPLE WITH A DISABILITY MAY BE MORE LIKELY TO BE CYBERBULLIED Never walk past discrimination when you hear it or see it on the playground or online. CREATE CHILD SAFE ONLINE ENVIRONMENTS Children who are vulnerable to harm offline may be at increased risk online. LEARN FROM NEGATIVE ONLINE EXPERIENCES Around 65% of young people surveyed reported positive outcomes from negative experiences. INFORMED SCHOOL COMMUNITIES ARE SAFER Provide regular online safety awareness updates to keep the whole school community informed.PARENTS PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT Clear boundaries and open communication help young people learn to deal with online issues. esafety.gov.au OCESC16.1701 DIY eSafety checklist Do you respect others and only post what you’d say to someone’s face? Do you use strong privacy settings and passwords, and update these regularly? Unite for a better internet Is your time between screens and other activities well balanced? Do you get consent before sharing an image or video of another person? Have you secured your digital lifestyle with the right software and settings? www.esafety.gov.au

to review the year level pages and to join the eSafety Committee. I truly experienced a ‘deep sense of connection’ (Cardno & Bassett 2015, p. 130).

As the Parent Portal was already under review, I was able to work collaboratively with the Head of Faculty – eLearning and Research to bring an extra perspective to the planning. We used the details provided to parents via their term letters to create new tiles, which now house both procedural information and term-specific details. Additional tiles will provide live details regarding policy, changes to daily routines and assessment planners. The tile size and configuration suits both the computer screen and the phone app, the preferred mode of parents. This awareness echoes Atticus Finch’s well-known words: ‘You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view …’ (Lee 1989, p. 33). It reflects the ‘Appreciation’ focus of the St Margaret’s Way as ‘we support our community to be the best we can be each day and boost our relationships with peers, students, staff and parents’.

This journey highlights the benefits of collective efficacy, the importance of emotional intelligence, and reflects the ‘growth mindset’ concept as I have experienced the ‘organisational support for collaboration and innovation’ (Dweck 2016, p. 3). It contains the elements of Positive Psychology, a construct that founder and psychologist Dr Martin Seligman believes will enable people and communities to flourish: Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Achievement (Seligman 2011, p. 24). It also illustrates a ‘virtuous learning circle’, as knowledge has been reciprocal and learning has occurred through change (Nowles 2004, p. 106). In today’s context, the phrase ‘being on the same page’ could perhaps be reworded to ‘being on the same screen’. As information given and received via electronic means is such a significant part of life, ensuring that accessible processes produce clarity and provide support enables connections to be established and strengthened. The invitation to journey with others indeed lays before us all. How will you respond?

References

Cardno, C & Bassett, M 2015, ‘Multiple perspectives of leadership development for middle-level pedagogical leaders in New Zealand secondary schools’, Journal of Educational Leadership, Policy and Practice, vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 30-38, viewed 4 October 2019, https://search.informit.com.au/ Summary;dn=265350587913623;res=IELHSS Coulson, J 2016, Trust and wellbeing, online video, viewed 4 October 2019 https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=-zXTlYj-Dnk DIY eSafety Checklist, Supporting Student Wellbeing. Webinar: Supporting Student Digital Wellbeing, handout, viewed 6 May 2019, https://www.esafety.gov.au Dweck, C 2016, What Having a “Growth Mindset” Actually Means, Managing Yourself: Harvard Business Review, viewed 6 May 2019, https://hbr.org/2016/01/what-having-agrowth-mindset-actually-means Gallup n.d., An Introduction to the Connectedness CliftonStrengths Theme, viewed 5 October 2019 https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/ en/252197/connectedness-theme.aspx Lee, H 1989, To Kill a Mockingbird, Mandarin Paperbacks, London. Nowles, MS 2004, Relearning to E-learn: Strategies for Electronic Learning and Knowledge, Melbourne University Press, Carlton. Schwarm, B 2019, The Moldau: Symphonic Poem by Smetana, viewed 5 October 2019 https://www.britannica.com/topic/ The-Moldau Seligman, MEP 2011, Flourish, Free Press, New York St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School 2017, St Margaret’s Way, viewed 5 July 2019 https:// www.stmargarets.qld.edu.au/discover-stmargaret-s/our-school/our-mission-visionand-values