An overview of the Virtual Learning Network Primary initiative.

1. PROMOTING SCHOOLS
COLLABORATIONS THROUGH
ELEARNING - VLN PRIMARY
Rick Whalley & Rachel Roberts

2. “Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for
she/he was born in a different time”

3. Industrial to Informational
“In the industrial age we went to school…
in the information age school comes to us”

4. Networked Schools & Learners
Virtual Learning – Derek Wenmoth, Revised LCO Handbook 2010

5. Virtual Learning Network
Community
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.

6. www.vln.school.nz

7. 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.

8. Participating
Schools

9. VLN Primary - Purpose
Develop & support elearning
collaborations in the Primary School
Sector by:
Participation in
Programmes of Learning
Projects
Professional Learning
LCO Handbook

10. 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.

11. Programmes of
Learning/Projects
http://pol.vln.school.nz/search

12. Matapu Students
in German Class

13. http://www.v7.breezeserver.co.nz/
Adobe Classroom - Synchronous learning

14. VLN Primary Moodle Site
http://primary.vln.school.nz/
Asynchronous learning
Online learners and F2F learners = Blended Learning

15. WeLearn

16. Professional Learning
 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

17. 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.

18. 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

19. “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

20. Discuss….
How can online
collaboration through the
VLN benefit my students
and teachers?
of my
ne e ds
the What strengths
are
hat ts?
have we got to
W en share with other
tud
schools?
s

21. Would you like to participate
in the VLN Primary?
Contact:
Rachel Roberts
rachel@matapu.schoolzone.net.nz
Rick Whalley
rick@matapu.schoolzone.net.nz
Eddie Reisch
Eddie.reisch@minedu.govt.nz