We held the final ‘Be Connected’ session on 30th January. The ‘Be Connected’ sessions
ran for six months, which included a one month Summer School.

Our total registration of participants reached just over 30.

The ‘Be Connected’ website offers a wide variety of information on using computing
devices and the internet and is aimed at helping older Australians better understand how
to use their computing devices; be it a desktop computer, a laptop, a tablet or a mobile
phone.

Even though the Course offered through Benalla U3A has finished, the website still
remains available to all to continue honing their computing skills.
​
Jenny Sawyer​

Our ‘Drop In’ sessions for members keen to finish additional ‘Be Connected’ modules with support from our mentors continued in November with most participants now confident of being able to draw upon Be Connected modules to meet future learning needs. 

Be Connected is continuing in January next year as a ‘summer school’ on Wednesdays 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th January from 10 to 11am, with each session followed by a catch up coffee and chat.   Come along to work on Be Connected modules with support from Jenny Sawyer and mentors. 

We would like to thank Jenny Sawyer for delivering Be Connected and the upcoming Summer School.  Jenny’s enthusiasm knows no bounds! 

We would also like to thank Margaret Jenkins for her work in accessing funding via the Be Connected program, monitoring progress and results and assisting Jenny with report backs to Be Connected.  These funds have been put to excellent use in enabling our office and meeting room computers to be updated.  Margaret’s work on the Benalla Age Friendly committee has also resulted in three new iPads which will be made available to members in next January’s summer school. 

Thanks also to the ‘Be Connected’ mentors, Marg Jenkins, Helen Jeffree, Pat Treleaven and Margaret Walshe and – last but not least - thanks to ‘Be Connected’ participants for their interest, patience and preparedness to help each other out.
​
Bev Lee

In early October a number of ‘Be Connected’ participants attended our drop in session to work on their modules. 

On October 17th, it was time to celebrate ‘Be Connected’s ‘Get on Line Week’.  The theme was #try1thing .  Our President, Dorothy, led the activity, describing how she had learnt to use her phone as a credit card when shopping using a new app.  Dorothy then helped people install the app on their phones for possible future use.  

Dorothy seemed very comfortable teaching tech savvy to beginners– we are keeping this in mind for future guest spots! 

This was followed by a delicious afternoon tea and a group photo...

​Bev Lee

This month we used the Be Connected website learning modules to learn about data and connecting to others through Apps such as Whatsapp and Skype.

We did learn that Whatsapp can only be installed onto a mobile phone; not a tablet!
September was the last scheduled session specifically for Android users.

We now invite both Apple and Android users to attend our follow up sessions with Bev Lee ( same time and place: 1:30 - 3:30pm )

1. Wednesday 3rd October
2. Wednesday 17th October
3. Wednesday 7th November
4. Wednesday 21st November

This will give registered learners a chance to hone in on particular areas they still would like help with, ie. Searching online, Emailing,  Downloading Apps, Using the cameras, Connecting online, and more..................

Happy computing to all Be Connected participants.
​
Jenny Sawyer

The Be Connected Course was modified just before the final August 15th session for Apple Users with a new Homepage and extra modules; including ‘All About Data’ and ‘Apps’. However, in this session as the group finally got going and worked on both previous and some of the new modules we found the quiz sections were not available showing as a blank page. U3A Benalla has contacted the Be Connected organisation and the Quiz Sections are now back online.

We will now introduce the Be Connected website and Course to all of our Android owners beginning Wednesday 29th August 1:30 -3:30pm.

​Android  
Wednesdays   1:30-:30pm   29th Aug;  5 & 19th Sep

Apple users are invited to come along to Tech Savvy Project sessions to continue working on modules of their choosing. 

Apple (Be Connected@Tech Savvy Projects)
Tuesdays 3:00-4:30pm  11th &25th Sep,   9th Oct

More dates are being offered in October & November.

Jenny Sawyer  0409 55 12

The registration process for Be Connected is a learning experience in itself!  However most people are now registered and beginning to master the art of completing Be Connected modules.  Photo - Wednesday 1 August.

Welcome to U3A and non U3A participants in the U3A Benalla Be Connected program.

So far we have conducted two sessions; the first dedicated to enrolment and registration. The next one was to familiarise participants with the logging on and logging off procedures. And we did commence some modules in the Beginner section of the course.

The internet has been serving us well and we have been able to view modules that include short video presentations.

Participants will now be encouraged to tailor an individual Be Connected program for their specific needs.

There are mentors at hand ready to help participants with the course.

The current course has two more sessions timetabled.

Wednesday 1st August and 15th August.

Extra sessions can be timetabled if the need arises.

Could this be the computing course for you?
Do you want to know more about the using your laptop, tablet or smartphone? 
Do you want to know more about the internet, emailing, internet safety and using social media?
BE CONNECTED could help.

If you haven’t yet registered or enrolled there is another BE CONNECTED Course being conducted at U3A Benalla on Wednesday afternoons starting 29th August.

(There is no registration fee for Be Connected)
​
Jenny Sawyer      Ph: 0409 545 182

The iPad Beginners Course finished on June 20th. Next month U3A is registering computer beginners, both Apple and Android for a Be Connected Course to run in the second semester. See under for dates.

In iPad Beginners this month we revisited Settings and checked our device used storage and capacity. We also enabled the dictionary function to look up word meanings by highlighting a particular word and tapping on ‘look up’.

Next we focused on Travel Apps; there are so many to choose from! So reading the blurb, the ratings and reviews can help with your decision on which one to download. When you do download any App it’s easy to delete if its not the the App for you. - Hold, Wait for jiggling, tap the cross and its gone.........Remember to tap the Home Button to stop everything else jiggling.

In our last session we had a go at Bookmarking which is iPad speak for saving an article you want to keep from your browser. Eg. Google

Finally we downloaded a Brain Training App and had lots of fun directing trains in to stations.

Thank you to all participants and I hope you all keep on using your Apple devices with more and more confidence.

Jenny

SECOND SEMESTER
BE CONNECTED
Registration - Wednesday 4th July  1:30am. U3A Room ( Senior Citizens )
Course Dates
APPLE  U3A Room 1:30 - 3:30pm
18th July
1st August
15th August
ANDROID U3A Room 1:30 - 3:30pm
29th August
5th September
19th September
 
Queries - Jenny Sawyer   Ph. 0409 545 182

We are nearing the end of our Semester I course and next month will be deciding whether to go on  to enrol in ‘Be Connected’ which is running on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays 1.30 to 3.30 pm in Semester II.

Be Connected is an Australian Government initiative comprising online learning modules which help to make the most out of being online.  The Apple Users in our group can take up the short course for Apple Users from 1:30pm - 3:30pm on Wednesdays 18th July; 1st and 15th August and join in the drop in sessions which follow.  Jenny will provide more information and take registrations for Apple Users at the end of Semester 1’s ‘Ipad for Beginners’ course.
​  
There is more information about the full Be Connected program in ‘Program News’.
 
Jenny Sawyer