During August as a group we have made considerable progress with our Be Connected Course.
We have been looking at the module Getting Started Online and have covered segments on Using the Internet, Using Email, Using search engines and an Introduction to Internet Safety.
We have also taken a photograph with our devices and sent it to a family member.

Later in the month we looked at All About Apps and we all downloaded the ABC iView app onto our devices.

One encouraging aspect of the group is the way everyone is coming each week. We all understand that we are not going to retain everything that is presented each week. However, by constantly coming each Wednesday afternoon we are all making considerable improvement to our computer skills.

Margaret Jenkins

U3A Benalla welcomed thirty-four people to the BBQ held on Wednesday 3rd July to mark the beginning of the Be Connected course. Cooking for the BBQ was capably done by Benalla Lions Club in the carport near our U3A entrance. Those who came to the BBQ enjoyed sausages, beef or chicken hamburgers, fried onions with various sauces and cold slaw followed by tea or coffee and small cakes. Everyone settled in the U3A room to enjoy their lunch with plenty of chatter and a great atmosphere. We had Meg from the Benalla “Ensign” there with her camera, and a good report of the event appeared in the “Ensign” the following Wednesday.

The Be Connected course is being promoted by the Federal Government in an aim to get more senior Australians familiar with the Internet and doing things online. U3A Benalla applied for and received a Community Engagement Grant to hold the BBQ on 3rd July. The BBQ was to encourage not only U3A members but all people over 55 in Benalla to come and be part of the Be Connected program. 

U3A Benalla is conducting the Be Connected course using the overhead projector in our U3A room every Wednesday from 2pm to 4pm. We are fortunate to have five mentors who are helping the participants get online and find on their devices what is being shown on the overhead projector. Originally the course was aimed at those people who had Android Tablets.  Lin Ryan, Dorothy Webber and Geraldine McCorkell kindly offered to help these people. However, about a third of the participants have Apple iPads so we have Pat Treleaven and Jenny Sawyer on board to assist those individuals who have Apple iPads.

During July we have looked at two online learning modules. The first one was “The Absolute Basics” which included information on what is a tablet. The next Wednesday we studied “Getting Started Online” which talked about using the Internet and getting around online. The next topic is Email, which is a great means of communicating with family and friends.

Be Connected is running every Wednesday at 2pm, so if you want to pick up some helpful tips to help you online, come along.
​
Margaret Jenkins

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