This handbook has been developed to assist principals and staff in
small or remote secondary schools in New Zealand, by providing a framework
for establishing a Learning Community Online. The four phases described
in the handbook may be used as a guide for schools, and their communities,
that are considering how they might use a combination of information and
communication technologies (ICT) to increase student access to quality
teaching and learning programmes, particularly at senior school level.
It is important to note that that there is no simple solution to how this
might be done – each cluster of schools, and the region it represents,
is different, and each must work through the issues and concerns that
are unique to it. The phases described in this handbook are intended to
act as prompts for action, not as a recipe. Each phase has at its conclusion
a point of commitment that is designed to ensure that all parties involved
in the development of the cluster have the opportunity to affirm their
commitment to participate according to what has been planned to that stage.
The contents of this handbook draw upon the experiences of a number of
schools and individuals who have been through the process of establishing
and maintaining such learning communities. Their experiences have proved
invaluable in putting this handbook together, and will provide an excellent
basis for others considering doing the same.
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