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An overview of the Virtual Learning Network Primary initiative.
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PROMOTING SCHOOLS COLLABORATIONS THROUGH ELEARNING - VLN PRIMARY
Rick Whalley & Rachel Roberts
“Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for she/he was born in a different time”
Industrial to Informational
“In the industrial age we went to school… in the information age school comes to us”
Virtual Learning – Derek Wenmoth, Revised LCO Handbook 2010
Networked Schools & Learners
The Virtual Learning Network (VLN) supports the concept of classrooms without walls, where students and educators have the flexibility to connect with their classes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Where a rich and diverse range of courses, programmes and activities, from early childhood through to tertiary, are offered by New Zealand-based educators.
Virtual Learning Network Community
www.vln.school.nz
VLN – Primary
The potential is there to be able to provide all of our students in the Primary Sector with learning opportunities that we are not able to provide in our individual schools.
Participating Schools
VLN Primary - Purpose
Develop & support elearning collaborations in the Primary School Sector by:
Participation inProgrammes of LearningProjectsProfessional Learning
LCO Handbook
Participation - Protocols
Participation in the Virtual Learning Network (VLN) Primary is based on the Principle of Reciprocity.
In order to access learning opportunities, schools also need to contribute to or support learning opportunities.
The VLNP is not a service or a product but a collaboration of schools & clusters of schools.
The VLNP acts to support and broker those collaborations: Through MOE support and website services Through participation in the VLNP Community.
Programmes of Learning/Projects
http://pol.vln.school.nz/search
Matapu Students in
German Class
http://www.v7.breezeserver.co.nz/Adobe Classroom - Synchronous learning
http://primary.vln.school.nz/Asynchronous learning
Online learners and F2F learners = Blended Learning Environment
VLN Primary Moodle Site
WeLearn
Liaise & participate in the wider educational networks eg VLNC, potential NEN, ICTPD network, EEL, VPLD, Advisory support
Grow a Community of Practice of talented eteachers in the primary sector;
Provide professional learning support for schools in elearning pedagogies and using the technologies for online learning
Adobe Connect
video conferencing
desktop video conferencing
Audio Conferencing
Moodle and Web 2.0 tools
Professional Learning
UFB/RBI – Bandwidth the Silver Bullet
Increase ‘social presence’ through use of webcams instead of phone – explore the use of document cameras across the desktop.
Free up phone lines into a school. Allow multimedia to run at same speed for all sites. Enable students from distributed sites to interact
on an equal footing – when ‘real time’ means real time.
Ease access and interaction around supporting activities & resources in Moodle.
Possibilities for Primary Schools to join the NZEdNet VC network through desktop VC – actively interact with the wider online community eg participation in Digital Conversations, teacher Professional Learning.
Challenges
Developing elearning ‘culture’ within schools – robust student support, teacher capability & confidence;
Digital divide – schools bandwidth - connectivity & reliability of technology in rural areas;
Digital resourcing particularly for languages classes – takes time to collate, create, adapt for digital environment (Moodle);
Growth & sustainability – growth has been doubling every year – continued funding to co-ordinate will require schools contributions in partnership with MoE.
“One of the greatest problems a rural school faces is access to teachers of specialist subjects. By being on the VLN, our students can be involved in virtual lessons delivered by any number of specialist teachers around the country…. As ‘virtual presence’ technology improves, all the best teachers will be able to teach those students who wish to learn through their own inquiries.”
Rick Whalley, Principal, Matapu School
http://tiny.cc/vlnprimary
Discuss….
What are the needs of my
students?What strengths have we got to share with other schools?
What strengths have we got to share with other schools?
How can online collaboration through the VLN benefit my
students and teachers?
How can online collaboration through the VLN benefit my
students and teachers?
Contact:
Rachel [email protected]
Rick [email protected]
Eddie [email protected]
Would you like to participate in the VLN Primary?
