2_MembersVLNCommunity


 * Chris Nielsen** introduces the experiences of the community from two different perspectives. Initially his interaction with the community was as one of the instigators of the Baylink community during his term as Principal of Tamatea High School. Now as Principal of Whakatane High School he is part of the Volcanics community and with his role on the VLNC council he is intent on seeing an education environment that is challenging, enabling and nationally sustainable.

**Members and Makeup of the VLNC network:** Ultimately this is to underscore the experience, spread and diversity of the members who are integral to the strength and sustainability of the communities of schools that is the VLNC. An important aspect of the VLNC is that, however it transpires within individual clusters across the board, the clusters are no longer dependent on MoE funding for personnel. Clusters have matured which has moved the VLNC into a more sustainable position.

Chris talks from his position as leader of a school which is part of an eLearning community. Whakatane High School is part of Volcanics, and while this positions the education community within a national context of collaboration and support as part of the VLNC, it is within the local context that important details are worthy of highlight. In the current environment of rapid technological change the support and collegiality of being within a community of practice ensures the opportunities provided in the upgrades do not remain dormant and underutilised.

There is a well documented and supported framework for encouraging entry for new schools into the national community through the regional cluster model. The framework for accessing extra subjects and ensuring a broad menu of subjects for students is backed up by nationally negotiated structures that ensure consistency of delivery, communication, exam practice and the collection and collation of data.

Schools quickly progress beyond the simply supplying and receiving subjects. The e-Principals have become a focus point in each cluster for the sharing and development of best practice in utilising modern and emerging technologies to support learning. They certainly provide much more than brokering of subjects for students, and fill the role of advisers on the pedagogy of using communication technology effectively in the classroom.

As important, within the framework of online collaboration, are the opportunities for face to face collaboration. In the example of the meeting around the Digital Technology Guidelines supported by the ePrincipal, teachers were able to negotiate classes to meet for an important face-to-face meeting while on a fieldtrip. This underscores the use of technology to progress learning opportunities in whatever capacity they present themselves.

Being within this framework of collegial support allows the very best of practice to be established. Schools are always working towards the highest educational outcomes for both students and teachers. Being part of a cluster, and therein a wider, national network gives them a clear picture of what financial commitment will be required.

This model of providing into the local education community gives an easy entry, and structure that allows schools to budget for a known commitment to join the cluster of schools. The provision of staffing, particularly, removes barriers to remaining student focused in that the financial planning is for a consistent and signaled cost of inclusion in the cluster. This is in contrast with a funded model where the costs are not going to be known until all students are entered into the courses they wish to access, or all teaching time is allocated in supporting the online learning time commitment.

All of these aspects of being part of a local learning community that is a subset of a national organisation allows individual schools to enjoy the support to engage in new and developing technologies and to focus on the core business of increasing the opportunities for all learners.

//From meetings and online discussion there were also the following list of community concerns to address//
A: **Awareness** - more effort to signal the important activities of the community B: **Connectivity** - UFB/RFBI - need it yesterday. C: **Funding** - Current challenges for VLN around enrolment, (funding single student enrolment/single institution) could be seen as an impediment to growth. D: **Timetabling** - Timetabling issues and constraints. Involvement of wider learner community (for Secondary at least), it can also impact Primary but in a different way (lessons are still timetabled in VLN Primary cluster). E: **Diversity of our community** - ELLINZ, Primary, Maori medium - reveal links between many programmes that we are part of: VLN, Pathways, Gateway, Trades Academy.