Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Gifted and Talented Online WA

The Selective Academic Program Online, known as GT Online, is a WA Department of Education program offered to students in Years 7 to 10 who are enrolled at public schools in regional and rural WA. The program has been in existence since 1996. GT Online is one of the Department’s academic programs for gifted and talented students; the other programs are situated at schools in Bunbury, Albany and the Perth metropolitan area.

Supplementary programs, including GT Online, enable gifted students to interact with their peers at a higher academic level than can normally be provided in the regular classroom.  The GT Online curriculum is differentiated to cater for the needs of gifted students using three broad approaches: acceleration, extension and enrichment.

  • Accelerating learning by compacting the curriculum to exempt knowledge and skills that students have already demonstrated and remove unnecessary repetition. This provides time to advance into content from a higher year level as well as for extension and enrichment activities.
  • Accelerating learning by increasing the pace of learning, assisted by less repetition and small group sizes
  • Extending the curriculum to deepen students’ understanding of concepts and topics studied.
  • Enriching the curriculum to broaden learning experiences, sometimes beyond the curriculum and encourage expansion of knowledge and skills.

GT Online teachers are experienced in working with gifted and talented students. They work at schools delivering selective academic programs and are immersed in the culture of gifted and talented education.

The teachers have high expectations of students to complete all of the course requirements, including attendance at lessons and submission of work. They also expect students to participate actively in lessons and to complete work to the best of their ability.  High expectations help the students to recognise the value of their learning and to take pride in the work they complete.

Many of the online teachers have taught in rural and remote areas and some attended rural schools for their own education. They are experienced subject specialist teachers and many have been teaching online for a number of years.

GT Online teachers are experienced in working with gifted and talented students. They work at schools delivering selective academic programs and are immersed in the culture of gifted and talented education.

The teachers have high expectations of students to complete all of the course requirements, including attendance at lessons and submission of work. They also expect students to participate actively in lessons and to complete work to the best of their ability.  High expectations help the students to recognise the value of their learning and to take pride in the work they complete.

Many of the online teachers have taught in rural and remote areas and some attended rural schools for their own education. They are experienced subject specialist teachers and many have been teaching online for a number of years.

To gain entry to the GT Online Program students must be successful in the selective entry tests administered by the Gifted and Talented Selection Unit within the Department of Education.  The program is available for students from Year 7 to 10 in government schools in regional and remote Western Australia.  In 2023, there are currently 75 students enrolled from 28 different locations across WA.

All regional WA public schools are able to provide access to the GT Online Program.

Students commit four periods (3 -4 hours per week) of school time to each subject.  This allows for two periods online class time and two periods for independent work.  Students do not attend the mainstream classes in the subject area they are studying with GT Online and every attempt is made to schedule their WebEx lessons to match up with their school timetable.

GT Online classes are timetabled with the principle of minimal interruption to regular school classes. This is achieved in a number of ways:

  • Multiple ‘streams’ of lessons are offered to allow for different school timetables.
  • Final timetable fits are worked out by analysing all school timetables together.

The final timetables are not always a perfect fit and students may miss part of a school class or a recess/lunch during the week. However, the disruption is minimal. Parents and students value what the program offers and are willing to compromise in this regard. Students are expected to attend the full length of their lessons even if there is an overlap with break times.

Students work in intensive, small group tutorials with their teacher for two periods per week in real time using WebEx video conferencing. This platform allows students to communicate with their teacher using voice and video and to work together using a shared visual working space.

For a further two periods per week, students work independently during school time on learning activities and research tasks in the school library or online room. A secure online learning system called Moodle, provides students with their course program and learning resources, plus allows for communication with their teacher, online tests and other tools.

In addition, 1 to 2 hours of homework will be required for each subject per week, increasing from Year 7 to 10. At the same time, teachers recognise that students have many other commitments to balance, both at school and outside. They therefore recognise where due effort has been made and do not expect students to work beyond what is reasonable.

PARENT INFORMATION GT ONLINE CONNECTING BRIGHT MINDS ACROSS WA

A teacher conducting an online class

Programs of study are offered in Mathematics, Science, Humanities & Social Sciences and English. Students usually commence studying either the Mathematics and Science stream or the Humanities stream (Humanities & Social Sciences and English).

Experience has shown that it is beneficial to start with only two GT Online subjects in order to develop the organisational and time management skills required to be successful at online learning. Following a review after one semester, students may be offered the option to increase to four subjects, if their progress and ASET scores support this decision.

At the commencement of high school, it is important for your child to maintain interaction with their peer group to assist them to establish friendships and a social network. Students can sometimes experience a feeling of isolation from their peers and feel they miss opportunities to establish new friendships if they commence the year with 16 hours of online learning per week.  Students can also find it overwhelming to undertake the independent learning requirements of studying both streams of study, and benefit from having a semester to develop their time management and organisational skills.

Class sizes do vary, with a minimum of 2 students and a maximum of ~10 students.

The School Coordinator will organise a suitable location within the home school where students can work on a school-networked computer. Many students work in a space in the library or some schools have an online learning room used by a number of students, including students studying with the School of Isolated and Distance Education (SIDE). In the event you are not at school for a day, students can attend WebEx lessons from home on a computer with Internet access, or access a recording of the lesson if unable to attend.

Science inquiry skills are developed in several ways including

  • the use of web cams during Webex lessons allowing students to view demonstrations
  • online lab simulations using an Explore E-learning Gizmos program
  • laboratory workshops conducted during camp
  • practical investigations conducted by the students using simple safe equipment that can be easily sourced from the classroom or home.

Each school has a member of staff allocated the role of Gifted and Talented Online Coordinator. This is the person to go to if you have questions or problems, for example, timetable issues, a problem with your computer or need to scan or post something to your online teacher.  If a school does not currently have any students enrolled in the GT Online Program, they will  appoint a person to support any future students.

Once enrolled in the program,  for specific learning area questions check Moodle, as this is where the program and tasks are located. GT Online teachers can be messaged via Moodle. Sometimes the teachers at your home school are willing to provide guidance, if an agreeable time to meet can be organised.

If there are other GT Online students at your school, ask them for advice.  It can be very helpful when older GT Online students act as a mentor when students first begin online learning.

GT Online is a task-based course. The course covers the core skills and understanding critical to each discipline and will extend students’ higher order thinking. Learning is focused on the achievement of objectives often through problem-solving and critical and creative thinking.  Tests are also conducted, both in an online and written format.  The student and their School Coordinator organise a suitable time in order that supervision can be provided. Tasks can involve the creation of a ‘product’ which achieves the goal of the task and demonstrates the learning. For each task students receive an outline of what is to be assessed. A mark will be given for each task. An overview of the assessment tasks and weightings for each course are provided at the start of each Semester and always available on the Moodle learning platform.

The GT Online teacher will monitor and assess student progress and report on student achievement.  Letters of Commendation and Letters of Concern will be issued to celebrate student progress or indicate areas of underperformance.  GT Online semester reports are written by the GT Online teacher and emailed to parents and accessible on RTP for the home school.

Some testing is conducted online and some by pen and paper.  Online testing is usually conducted during a lesson, on secure platforms where teachers can monitor student online access.  Supervision of pen and paper tests is organised by the home school GT Online Coordinator.

In order for students to experience formalised group exam conditions, students will usually sit exams during the residential camp in Perth.  It is important to prepare and train students for exams, and it is very valuable assessment validation process.

GT Online classes are timetabled with the principle of minimal interruption to regular school classes. The primary concern is that GT Online lessons do not clash with any of the core subject lessons (Maths, Science, HASS and English), however at times students may be required to leave a class early or arrive late.  For the subjects studied in the GT Online Program, students will not be timetabled into mainstream classes.  It is very important to work with the GT Online Coordinator at the home-school to inform teachers of any variation to the regular timetable, and to support students to manage what can be a complex schedule. If students miss part of a mainstream class, it will be their responsibility to catch up on what was missed.

Transfers between programs

Students may wish to transfer from the online program to Gifted and Talented academic programs offered in Perth, Albany or Bunbury.

A child wishing to transfer from their current Gifted and Talented online program place has two options:

  1. The child can apply for entry to their preferred program through the annual testing which involves sitting the ASET for the selected intake year. Further information regarding the application and selection process is available at Gifted and Talented – Department of Education
  2. The child can lodge a Request for Transfer form*. Transfers can only be considered where the previous ASET TSS/arts/languages score would have qualified for placement at the requested school had they listed it as a preference. The child will be assessed on previous ASET TSS and current school performance and may be required to attend an interview. If the transfer request is made within a current testing cycle, the score will be ranked within the current cohort vying for placement.

*The transfer option only applies to applicants wishing to transfer to a like program (that is, from one academic program to another academic program and not from an academic program to an arts program, for example)

Transfer request forms are available on request by emailing gtsu@education.wa.edu.au.

Please note that all transfers requests are dependent on available vacancies.

For more information call the Gifted and Talented Selection Unit team on 9264 4307 or gtsu@education.wa.edu.au

The decision to withdraw from the GT Online program should be made in agreement with the parents, GT Online Coordinator and the home school. Students have up to one month to change their mind and are not permitted to opt in and out of the program. Suitable timing of the withdrawal is to be agreed upon by the home school and the GT Online Program Coordinator.  If a student withdraws from the program and then wishes to return at a later date, they would need to write a formal request to the Gifted and Talented Selection Unit.

There may be times when it is agreed that a student studying four subjects with GT Online should reduce their load and this decision is made in consultation with the student, teacher, parent, and home school.

The GAT Online program is for Year 7 – 10 only

Years 11 and 12 are studied with the mainstream cohort at the home school or via SIDE

Transfers between programs

Students may wish to transfer from the online program to Gifted and Talented academic programs offered in Perth, Albany or Bunbury

A child wishing to transfer from their current Gifted and Talented online program place has two options:

  1. The child can apply for entry to their preferred program through the annual testing which involves sitting the ASET for the selected intake year. Further information regarding the application and selection process is available at Gifted and Talented – Department of Education
  2. The child can lodge a Request for Transfer form*. Transfers can only be considered where the previous ASET TSS/arts/languages score would have qualified for placement at the requested school had they listed it as a preference. The child will be assessed on previous ASET TSS and current school performance and may be required to attend an interview. If the transfer request is made within a current testing cycle, the score will be ranked within the current cohort vying for placement.

*The transfer option only applies to applicants wishing to transfer to a like program (that is, from one academic program to another academic program and not from an academic program to an arts program, for example)

Transfer request forms are available on request by emailing gtsu@education.wa.edu.au.

Please note that all transfers requests are dependent on available vacancies.

For more information call the Gifted and Talented Selection Unit team on 9264 4307 or gtsu@education.wa.edu.au

Two residential camps are run each year in the Perth metropolitan area.  These camps are part of the academic program, and though not compulsory, are highly recommended. The cost of the camp is subsidised, but a payment of ~$330 per camp is required. Travel to and from Perth is at your own expense, however for 2023 the Department of Transport  has made the Student Travel Subsidy available to GT Online students.

Students will need to provide their own headset with microphone, though some schools may have a headset for students to loan. A recommended comfortable, durable, quality model is Logitech HP390 that costs ~$100, however many cheaper options are available.

All students are required to have a webcam and if required will enter into a loan agreement with the GT Online Program.

Year 10 Maths/Science students enter into a loan agreement when provided with a tablet and stylus to assist with equation and formula writing. This agreement states;

  • I am responsible for replacement costs if equipment is lost, damaged, destroyed or stolen
  • If I fail to return the item in good condition by the return due date, a $90 replacement cost will be charged.

An end of year camp is planned for 27 November  to 1 December 2023 at Swan Valley Adventure Centre for current Year 7 – 10 students.

All Year 6 students who are enrolled in GT Online commencing 2024, will be invited to participate in an online Induction Program. A series of online workshops are run via Webex to establish connections with peers and teachers, as well as be introduced to the technology platforms used in the program.  It is very beneficial for prospective students to participate in these online workshops.

The first camp of 2024 will be mid Term 2.

A school networked computer is made available by the home school.

All students will have a webcam made available for their use.

Students sharing headsets is a recognised risk for transmission of disease and as of 2023 all students will be expected to purchase their own headset. A recommended comfortable, durable, quality model is Logitech HP390 that costs ~$100, however many cheaper options are available.

Year 10 Maths/Science students enter into a loan agreement when provided with a tablet and stylus to assist with equation and formula writing. This agreement states;

  • I am responsible for replacement costs if equipment is lost, damaged, destroyed or stolen
  • If I fail to return the item in good condition by the return due date, a $90 replacement cost will be charged.

Many digital resources, including text books, are made available to students on Moodle.

Some books and study materials are loaned to all students and posted to the student directly on commencement of their course.

Graphics calculators are available to loan for Maths students in Year 10.

Students are expected to look after these loans and report losses to their teachers immediately. If resources are not returned, parents will need to pay a replacement fee.

WebEx lessons allow for students to speak with each other and interact on screen under the direction of the teacher. The Moodle platform provides forums where students can discuss ideas, monitored by the teacher.  An important role of the residential camps is to foster positive relationships between students.  Very often friendships quickly form and a sense of relief and happiness in finding a group of like-minded peers is experienced. At camp, some students may choose to share their contact details to allow for interaction outside of the educational context.

Listed below are the communication tools approved for use in the GT Online Program during school time. These tools are for educational purposes only and are monitored.

A GT Online ICT Acceptable Use Agreement exists to provide guidelines for students and parents to ensure student safety online and includes;

  • I understand that I am responsible for all activity in my online services account.
  • I will make sure that my online interactions, posts and emails are polite, carefully written and well presented.

The misuse of online services will impact a student’s Good Standing in the program.

GT Online is an online community and many students use a variety of methods outside of school time to keep connected socially and as learning groups. There is benefit to building connection in our online learning community and parents should ensure their  child has their permission if they want to  access other communication platforms outside of school time, and ensure they are following safe online practices, including explanation of the digital footprint created and encouragement to inform parents if they are uncomfortable with any language or topics raised in these groups. These social group platforms are not approved for use by the Department of Education and cannot be used at school. Links for further information and guidelines on cybersafetyare provided;

For Young People: https://www.esafety.gov.au/young-people

For Parents: https://www.education.wa.edu.au/cyber-safety?redirect=%2Fstudent-health-and-wellbeing

It is a steep learning curve for students to start secondary school and take on a new mode of online learning. Managing the timetable and maintaining a level of organisation takes effort and usually requires support from parents and School Coordinators. A document summarising ten key steps on How to Be a Successful Online Learner has been produced to help guide students towards good habits.  

It is important to reassure students that a transitional period of up to 6 months is required to develop an understanding of the personal, social and academic skills required for success in a gifted and talented online program.

Parents are encouraged to access the Moodle learning platform with their child, to explore the learning area programs and how the platform works.

The communication tools used daily for educational purposes are monitored.

Webex is a web conferencing tool supported and licenced by the Department of Education. Webex relies on the use of Department of Education log in details for access.

The Moodle Learning Management System is designed to be very secure.  Students are enrolled in the platform and provided with a username and password required for login to give them student access to the courses in which they are enrolled. The Department of Education Third Party Services identified Learnbook (Moodle) as a Minimal Risk.

Some online third party services are provided by vendors external to the Department of Education. These services provide functions such as:

  • school or student management
  • teacher administration
  • student learning content or activities
  • communication tools.

The level of risk involved with providing personal information to a third pary service has been assessed by the Department of Education and where required information is provided and parent consent obtained for students to use certain programs.

Note that an online eduactional program does have some reliance on the use of third party applications to enhance the learning experience e.g. Mathspace, Gizmos, Education Perfect.

Communication is undertaken by teachers throughout the year

  • Term 1 parent interviews by telephone or Webex for all Year 7 students and any Year 8 to 10 students where there are concerns regarding application or achievement.
  • Semester One report –will be issued at the end of term two. This report will be similar to the report received for the subjects studied at the home school and will indicate a grade of achievement for each subject.
  • Certificates – will be awarded for excellence, merit and encouragement at the end of each semester.
  • Final report – indicating grades of achievement will be issued at the end of the year.

Teachers regularly communicate with parents and school coordinators via email or phone to keep them informed of their child’s progress and to discuss any concerns.

Parents are welcome to email their child’s teacher to make a time to discuss any concerns.

The GT Online Coursework: Student Responsibilities document outlines coursework requirements and the processes for recognising high performance and addressing unsatisfactory performance.

There is a fulltime Program Coordinator who is contactable via phone or email to discuss any queries or concerns. For specific subject area matters, all teachers are contactable via email and a phone call can be scheduled if required.

ABOUT GT ONLINE CONNECTING BRIGHT MINDS ACROSS WA

Online Provision for Gifted & Talented Students in Western Australia

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