Using the vln

USING THE VLN Suzie Vesper Former Digi Advisor - CORE Education Current Teacher – Mount Pleasant School

Getting started

Registering

If you have a Google account and are logged in to it, you can choose this option. You will then continue to select this each time to log in.

Click ‘Register’ if you don’t want to use a Google Account.

http://vln.school.nz Click ‘Log in’

Registering

If you chose to not link to a Google account, complete the form and click ‘Register’. Check your email for the confirmation link. If you don’t use a school.nz email address, it can take up to 24 hours to be approved.

Logging in

Click ‘Log in’ Enter your

details OR use the Login via Google option.

Tick the ‘Remember me’ box to make logging in easier in the future.

Your dashboard When you have logged in, you are taken to your dashboard. This is your own personalised landing page. You can customise some parts of this space.

Your dashboard Activity – this is a space where you can see what members of the community are doing. This can be useful to help you find interesting groups, resources and discussions. You can also post comments here which others can see.

Your dashboard VLN News – This is a space where the VLN online facilitators and support technicians post important information for all VLN members to be able to access. This includes upgrade information and PLD opportunities.

Your dashboard Widgets– Adding other widgets

Click ‘Add widgets’ to view other widget options. Click again to close options.

Your profile Your profile is where you can add information about yourself.

Click on the silhouette in the top left corner.

Your profile ‘The wire’ posts – If you have put a status update on ‘The Wire’, you will be able to see it here. Click ‘Update’ to put on a new post.

Your profile Changing your picture – You can upload a photo of you or upload a picture to represent you (an avatar).

Click ‘Edit avatar’ to change your picture.

Then choose a picture file to upload.

You can drag a square on your image to choose the section you want.

Your profile Editing your profile – Your profile can include information about you and your role. You can include your location, interests, skills and contact details. You can set the level of access for each thing.

Click ‘Edit profile.

Fill in any of the information you feel comfortable sharing.

Click the arrow to set the level of access.

Your profile Editing your profile theme – You can have an image in the background of your profile and can have a banner (logo) at the top.

Click ‘Edit profile theme.

Making friends The VLN is a social place and you can ‘friend’ people the same way as you can in other social networks. Advantages of doing this is that you can be informed when those people add content or comments. You can also view their profile if they have set the level of permission to ‘Friends only’.

Making friends Accessing your friend lists and tools – You can access the list from the top left menu or from clicking ‘More’ and then ‘Friends’. You will also see a number on the top left picture if you have friend requests.

Click here to view your friends and to invite more.

Making friends Inviting friends – You can send people a message requesting to be their friend if you know their email address. Otherwise, you can click on a person’s name where you can see their activity in the VLN to take you to their profile. You can then request to be their friend there.

Click on a name Click on ‘Add friend’

Making friends Creating friend groups – You can organise your friends into groups and then that group becomes one of the options you can choose when deciding the level of access for each thing you post to the VLN.

You will see this group listed for each thing you add within the VLN.

Finding and joining groups

Finding groups to join There are many different groups you can join in the VLN or you can set up some yourself.

Click on ‘Groups’

Look at the popular groups

Latest discussion highlights the active groups.

Featured groups are also a great starting place.

Click ‘Join Group’ when you go to the group page.

7 day challenge for using Māori language

ICT teaching and learning curriculum pathways

Examples of group discussions

Examples of group bookmarks

ICT in schools survey 2011 results

NZ education review: ICT and Procurement

e-learning roundups (across the VLN)

Examples of group blog posts

Future orientated teaching and learning in NZ

Examples of webinars (upcoming and recorded)

How to use VLN groups/ Enabling e-learning

Unpacking the Science Learning Hub

Technologies to capture student progress

Talking about Facebook with students


Olympics: Digital resources


Tips for starting a class blog

Blogging and web 2.0 considerations

YouTube: Teachers Channel

About learning and not just technology


Maths in a digital world

Useful Māori related digital content

Are you and your school cyber secure?

Internet filters and best practice


e-books: How do you manage them?


How to best utilise an LMS

Top 100 tools for learning 2011

Techies for schools: Online forum

Tip tips for posting and learning online

How do your curate web content?


How to run an online workshop/ webinar


Teachers need as much scaffolding as kids

How to best search on the net?

VLN group: Videos for PD

Is e-learning improving achievement?

Is it the technology or the leadership?


Golden rules for your e-learning strategy.


Thinking e-Strategically

Bringing communities into the school

Connected principals blog

Managing BYOD at Albany Senior High


Critical buddies and ‘Teaching as inquiry’

Using ICT tools to reflect on your teaching

Staff taking iPads home?

iPads in the junior classroom


Setting up…things I wish I knew then


iPad resource collection

Teachers guide on the use of iPads in education

Preparing your school for iPad implementation

Collaborative whiteboards


What apps have you got?

Apps for special need students

Documents

Using the vln