VINE News

2026 Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available!

Rob Flavell — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 04:47:32 GMT

Companies interested in supporting the Victorian ICT Network for Education (VINE) as a sponsor in 2026 are encouraged to contact admin@vine.vic.edu.au to request a copy of the updated VINE Sponsorship and Vendor Engagement Opportunities prospectus.

About the Prospectus

The updated prospectus provides a comprehensive breakdown of all available sponsorship opportunities for 2026. It includes detailed information about VINE itself, outlines the changes and updates for the upcoming year, and explains the selection process for sponsors.

Benefits of Sponsoring VINE

By sponsoring VINE, companies contribute to the ongoing professional exchange of ideas at our meetings and through our online forums. This support is vital in fostering collaboration and innovation within the education technology sector.

Further Information

For additional details, visit the sponsorship section of our website and request a copy of the 2026 sponsor prospectus.

Free Internet! School Student Broadband Initiative

Rob Flavell — Sun, 18 Aug 2024 21:45:25 GMT

The School Student Broadband Initiative is an Australian Government program that offers free home internet to families and carers who look after school age children and are struggling to pay the bills.

Do you know someone who may be interested?

With less than 6 months to go for families and carers to redeem their vouchers, VINE are doing what we can to share this offer.

Flyers to help advertise in your school community are available via this link: nbn® Digital Asset Portal (nbnco.com.au)

To qualify for this offer:

You must be caring for a school age student at your home.
The household must not have an active nbn connection now or in the past 14 days (Having a mobile internet service does not affect eligibility).
Must live in premises that can access the nbn network through a standard connection.
Apply for the offer by 31 December 2024 to get free home internet until the end of December 2025

Contact the National Referral Centre to apply on 1800 954 610 Monday - Friday, 10am - 6pm (AEDT) or visit https://www.anglicarevic.org.au/student-internet/

What’s included in the offer?

Free home internet until December 2025
Free WI-FI router (you can keep it)
Unlimited data
50 / 20 plan (this is a typical household plan)
No lock in contracts
Choice of participating internet providers
Ongoing support from the National Referral Centre to apply – callback, webchat, and interpreting services available

Have further questions or want to know more?

Visit the FAQs on the National Referral Centre website: https://www.anglicarevic.org.au/student-internet/

Contact: ssbi_engagement@nbnco.com.au

VINE 2024/2025 Sponsor Announcement

Rob Flavell — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 22:00:00 GMT

It's with great pleasure that we announce the sponsors for the Victorian ICT Network for Education (VINE) for the 2024/2025 financial year. We're looking forward to embracing a number of new sponsors while also sustaining our partnerships with ongoing supporters.

This year, our Platinum Sponsor is Cisco and we are excited by the array of opportunities this new collaboration affords.

Additionally, our collaboration with Centorrino Technologiesis expanding, as they will not only sustain our Women in IT initiative but will also back our security-themed events and materials.

We also welcome new annual Streaming Sponsor Xuno, who will assist us with streaming our events and providing an archive of video resources.

Theme Sponsors

2024/2025 has seen introduction of sub-committees who lead the development of event agendas and the creation of resources in our various themes. We are pleased to introduce our new Themed Gold Partners and Themed Partner Sponsors:

Data Gold Partner – Atturra
Data Partner – Compass Education
Security Gold Partner – Centorrino Technologies
Security Partner – HPE Aruba Networking
Strategy & Leadership Gold Partner – Compnow
Strategy & Leadership Partner – Novo3
Teaching & Learning Gold Partner – Sentral
Teaching & Learning Partner – Pixevety
Tech Ops Gold Partner – Edunet
Tech Ops Partner – Fortinet
Tech Ops Partner - Honeylight

VINE’s continued success is made possible by the incredible support of all our sponsors. We extend our heartfelt thanks to them on behalf of VINE members and look forward to a productive year Sharing, Learning and Growing!

2023 VINE/ASBA ICT Benchmarking Survey Report Released

Rob Flavell — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 10:52:18 GMT

The 2023 VINE/ASBA ICT Benchmarking Survey has been released and holds a wealth of information about the current state of technology use and management in K-12 schools.

60 schools (75% metropolitan and 25% inner and outer regional) across Independent (67%), Catholic (25%) and State/Public (8%) sectors took part in the comprehensive survey which covered areas including:

ICT Resourcing and Responsibilities
Connectivity
User Devices
Software and Services - Operations
Software and Services - Teaching and Learning
Software and Services - Communications
Software and Services - Systems Administration
Network Devices
Suppliers and Vendors
Policy, Risk and Governance
Safety and Security

The general report and individual school reports were compiled by independent consulting firm Votar Partners. The survey platform was provided in partnership with Independent Schools Queensland.

While any school could participate in the survey and receive the general report, VINE Member schools were provided with a unique code to place their school within the overall dataset. The unique code was used to obfuscate school identity while facilitating furnishing the owner of each code with a targeted report about their school in the context of all participating schools.

While there were many interesting aspects of the report, a few key findings were:

ICT resourcing within schools is not excessive with investment levels as a percentage of overall school budgets being between 3-5% for most respondents.
ICT staffing levels and seats at the leadership table were also low despite the broad and complex responsibilities ICT teams are accountable for.
The security posture of most responding schools represents a material risk with a lack of policies, plans and operational controls.

There are other summary findings in the report along with far more detail about each of the areas listed above – members can access the general report on the VINE website. (VINE Members Only)

VINE and ASBA anticipate undertaking this survey again in the years ahead to help inform and support the maturation of ICT use and management with K-12 schools.

View report (VINE Members Only)

The VINE Generative Artificial Intelligence Guidelines Launched

Rob Flavell — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 10:21:42 GMT

At the VINE Teaching with Technology day, hosted at Camberwell Grammar School, we had the pleasure of launching the VINE Generative AI Guidelines to member schools. The guidelines have been distributed as an open access document to VINE members and non-members, and are available on the VINE website here. During the session, we held an “AI round table” with some very rich discussions about what these technologies mean for the future of education.

The Guidelines were developed over a period of two terms in consultation with VINE member schools, reflecting on the draft National Framework and the UNESCO Guidelines for Generative AI in Education and Research, as well as my own PhD studies and work with other schools and universities. Further consultation with a number of VINE member schools during the process helped fine tune drafts and make sure that the Guidelines were as practical as possible.

The Guidelines are broken into three core areas: Teaching and Learning; Privacy, Security and Safety; and Fairness, Accessibility and Equity.

Teaching and Learning

In discussions with VINE, we decided that these guidelines should focus first on Teaching and Learning. Although many schools have leaned on ICT and Digital Technologies staff for support with Generative AI, it’s clear that the technology will impact all levels of teaching and learning, and all disciplines. The guidelines begin with a discussion of academic integrity and assessment. Most schools’ academic integrity policies will not need to be significantly updated to account for AI: at the end of the day, honesty is still honesty. What will need to change, however, are some of our approaches to assessment. We know that students can access generative AI technologies through a range of platforms, and we cannot detect or otherwise identify generated content. Schools need to commit to professional learning to support their staff in navigating these changes.

Privacy, Security, and Safety

One of the key areas of the Guidelines identifies the need to be aware of, and deal with, the potential security issues with generative AI. Your school will already have data breach and sensitive information policies, many of which can remain as-is. You will need to be aware of where data goes, how it is stored, and how it is used by different developers. You’ll also need to be aware of the safety issues with generative AI, including the potential for “deepfakes” or other inappropriate uses of the technology. Again, most of these are covered by existing regulations and laws, but your staff and students need to know what to do in case of abuse. The Guidelines include advice on how to act in these situations, such as reporting to the eSafety Commissioner.

Fairness, Accessibility and Equity

All Artificial Intelligence, including Generative AI, is prone to bias. This is due to how datasets are collected, the communities those datasets do and don’t represent, and the representations of individuals and groups. Understanding bias and marginalisation in AI should form a core part of your staff and student education. Similarly, transparent, and fair use of these technologies should be a high priority. This means that staff and students should acknowledge when they have used AI. For example, if a school uses AI in any stages of reporting, assessment, or communications with the community that should be transparent. Finally, the Guidelines offer advice on personalised learning through generative AI, including some areas to be cautious.

Practical Strategies

Each area of the Guidelines is accompanied by practical strategies which are intended to help school leadership teams implement the advice. These include academic integrity modules for students, registers of secure apps and services, and professional learning calendars. In the appendices for the Guidelines we have also included a fully articulated academic integrity policy, an example of the apps register, a list of current (as of November 2023) recommended apps for teachers, and a version of the Guidelines which can be adapted to your school context.

The intention for these Guidelines is to provide a starting point for school leadership teams and staff to discuss generative AI, including the potential benefits and challenges. They highlight areas where you may need to make minor adjustments to existing policies, and also help to guide the creation of new policies for these new technologies.

If you have any questions about the Guidelines or how to use them in your school, please reach out directly or through VINE.

The VINE Guidelines for Generative Artificial Intelligence can be accessed on the VINE website here.

Leon Furze

https://leonfurze.com

VINE/RMIT Research into best practice use of technology in schools

Rob Flavell — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 01:43:28 GMT

VINE are collaborating with RMIT University in a research study, “Creative and effective integration of technologies into learning and teaching” led by Dr Thembi Mason. The aim of the study is to increase teacher knowledge and skills in the use of technologies for learning and teaching in the classroom. Through participating, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the advancement of educational practices and gain valuable insights into effective pedagogical approaches with technology integration. You will contribute to the development of a framework or model for teacher capacity-building in the use of technologies for learning and teaching and inform a targeted teacher professional learning program. This information not only benefits your school but will also benefit pre-service teacher programs at RMIT University and beyond.
The study involves the following key components:

Questionnaire: You will be asked to complete a brief 10-minute online survey to provide baseline information about your teaching experience, current technology use, and perceptions of technology in the classroom. Complete the survey now - or forward to colleagues at your school for them to complete.
The survey is open until 10/11/2023

Opt-in Interviews: In addition, for those who agree by indicating their participation, Dr Mason will conduct interviews (approx. 45 minutes) with participating teachers to gain in-depth insights into their experiences, challenges, and successes with integrating technology into their teaching.

Data Analysis and Findings: The collected data will be analysed, and the findings will be used to identify best practices, potential challenges, and recommendations for enhancing learning and teaching using technologies. The results of the study will be shared with you, and your anonymity and confidentiality will be strictly maintained.

Please note that participation in this research study is entirely voluntary. If you choose to participate, your commitment of time and effort would be highly appreciated. This is a great opportunity to shape professional learning in this space and to give feedback into what is working and what is not working in effective technology integration in learning and teaching.

If you are interested in participating or have any further questions about the study, please feel free to contact Dr Mason at thembi.mason@rmit.edu.au or 03 9925 7729. More detailed information is outlined in the plain language statement at the beginning of the survey.

Thank you for considering this invitation and we look forward to the possibility of collaborating with you on this exciting endeavour.

Sentral - VINE Sponsor 2022/2023

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 23:15:22 GMT

Sentral is proud to partner with the Victorian ICT Network once again in 2022 / 2023 as a VINE partner.

Click here to learn more about our locally based Victorian team who would be delighted to meet with you in person to explain why Sentral is Australia's most comprehensive cloud-based school management system, trusted by more than 2,500 schools across Australia!

We look forward to hearing from you,

The Sentral Victorian Team,

Anthony Aspiridis, Sales Executive (anthony.aspiridis@sentral.com.au) | Christine Wood, Sales Executive (christine.wood@sentral.com.au) | Amanda Cannatella, Customer Success Manager (amanda.cannatella@sentral.com.au)

VINE Member Training Offer

Rob Flavell — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 22:03:46 GMT

In the spirit of sharing, learning and growing, VINE is happy to announce a partnership with Prodigy learning and Microsoft which will see discounted training available to members schools.

This offer enables school’s technical staff to undertake self-paced learning and optionally certify in any of the technical streams offered by Prodigy Learning at a vastly reduced cost. Certification enables your technical team to demonstrate their technical know-how and that they are committed to continuing their professional learning to remain current in a world that is always changing.

The second component of this offer is to boost the skills of school’s teaching and professional staff. VINE encourages teaching and professional staff to close out the training cycle by attempting the optional certification exams. The purpose of this offer is to boost core IT skills of our member schools’ teaching and professional staff to make the most of the tools at their disposal.

VINE Member Rebate Bonus

In addition to discounted pricing, VINE member schools can claim a $50 rebate for each of the first 10 courses and exams that they purchase for their school each annual membership cycle, The maximum rebate is capped at $500 per school. To collect your rebate, your school will be required to submit a tax invoice to VINE.

The rebate is not available to VINE Individual Members or VINE Digital Members however the VINE Offer Code may be used to access the discounted pricing.

Announcing the VINE Community Calendar

Rob Flavell — Sun, 09 Oct 2022 03:17:23 GMT

With so much going on it’s easy to miss something which is why VINE has launched the VINE Community Calendar. Schools, vendors and anyone running events focussed on technology use at K-12 schools can post meetings and events to the calendar. Whether free or paid, invitation only or for thousands of people, provided you have your school or company’s permission to post, you’re welcome to advertise your event on the VINE Community Calendar.

To add an event:

1. Go to https://calendar.vine.vic.edu.au/ (or click events above)
2. Click “Add Event”
3. Sign in (or register)
4. Complete the form and submit your event for approval

All events are checked for appropriateness and relevance to K-12 Schools before publication. Event details remain the responsibility of the event author.

VINE 2022/23 Annual Sponsors Announced

Rob Flavell — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 08:34:01 GMT

Another amazing year of growth and connection despite the challenging and sometimes rocky return schools have had to face-to-face learning. The situation we find ourselves in continues to underscore the need for schools to connect regularly and this happens best with the support of sponsors. Sponsors not only help fund our work and provide venues where we can meet, but also add a different and valued perspective to the dialogue which helps the industry mature in a positive and productive way.

45 companies applied for the eight annual sponsorship spots offered for the 2022-2023 financial year and of those accepted, six of the eight were returning sponsors. I mention this as these companies (Microsoft, CompNow, Centorrino Technologies, Somerville, Sentral and Pixevety) demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the work VINE does and this is highly valued by member schools.

I would also like to highlight two new sponsors: Lenovo (VINE Partner) and EdSmart (VINE Partner). Both companies are well known in Victoria and have contributed to the growth and success of VINE over time – it is fantastic to have them as annual sponsors for 2022-2023.

VINE is a professional association committed to nurturing the effective and innovative use of ICT in all areas of K-12 schools. Our tagline: "share, learn & grow" sums up our reason for being and our sponsors help ensure we continue to thrive.

Rob Flavell

VINE President

ASBA/VINE Meeting - Friday 26 August Scotch College

Tue, 17 May 2022 01:05:32 GMT

We are pleased to let you know we will be organising a collaborative meeting with ASBA (BUsiness Managers) and VINE focussed on Strategy and Leadership.

Thanks to the team at Scotch College for hosting us on

Friday 26 August

We are looking forward to sending out details in the coming weeks.

Data Meeting at MLC - Tuesday 2 August

Tue, 17 May 2022 01:03:14 GMT

Save the date for our "All about data' focussed meeting in Term 3.

Methodist Ladies College have kindly offered to host our meeting on

Tuesday 2 August

Agenda is currently being finalised. Stand-by for registration!

Save the date - Wedneday 15 June

Wed, 04 May 2022 01:46:50 GMT

Our Showcase is back in person at Eltham.

We are relaunching the device showcase to be our innovation showcase (still featuring devices, but extending beyond). We are working with a great group of vendors as well as including our usual networking opportunities, including the famous Dinner at Swipers!

Look out for more details and registration soon - places will be limited!

Notice of Annual General Meeting

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 00:06:47 GMT

All members of VINE that our annual general meeting will take place

Time: 10.00am - 1.00pm

Date: Monday 23 May 2022

Place: ISV - 40 Rosslyn Street West Melbourne

Technology: Members may attend online by registering for a Team's link.

More information including agenda will be emailed to members in the coming days.

Save the Date - 22 April 2022

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 04:24:56 GMT

We are pleased to let you know the line up for our first meeting is looking amazing, thanks to the great work of Ashley Voigt.

The meeting theme is 'Time to talk tech' and will provide a great line up of presenters as well as lots of opportunity to learn from other schools. After last year's survey we understand it is hard to release technical people during the school term, so the Friday 22 April is in the school break.

Venue and final agenda will be made available soon. For now put the date in your calendar.

2022 Microsoft Teacher Workshops

Rob Flavell — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 22:22:08 GMT

Microsoft Education Australia has announced the 2022 Microsoft School Transformation Program. It is a range of free professional development workshops for teachers, leaders, and IT pros that runs in the latter half of each year. In the first half of the year, we run a range of teacher workshops that will allow your staff to learn about Microsoft technologies in education to empower themselves and their students. By upskilling your staff early in the year, you will be set to complete the School Transformation Program later in the year if you choose to.

Schools can use the calendar of events listed to build a professional learning program for their teachers around using Microsoft Technologies. Individual teachers can use the calendar of events to build their personal professional learning program. Whether these workshops are pursued as a school or as an individual, teachers can build capacity and understanding in using Windows, Teams, 365 tools, STEM and Inclusive Classroom tools.

View Events and Register

New Series of VINE Videos

Rob Flavell — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 03:00:00 GMT

One of the ways VINE supports schools is creation of resources which can be used to help ensure safe and effective use of technology for learning and teaching. Today we're excited to announce the release of our second round of animated short films.

The new series of films address three more common topics relating to ICT use in schools: Passwords, Personal Brand and a Parent Guide to managing their children's use of technology.

Below are links to all films on the VINE YouTube channel. The films are publicly available to enable schools to embed them in newsletters, play them at parent nights and device deployment days, post them on websites or use them how they see fit.

You can do this! Season 1

You can do this! - Encourages people to have a go at resolving ICT problems for themselves.
Data breach - This video aims to raise awareness of data breaches and how to avoid them.
Phishing - This video aims to raise awareness about phishing attacks and how to prevent them.

You can do this! Season 2

Passwords – This video aims to explain how to craft a strong password and how to manage some of the challenges of account security.
Personal Brand – This video provides guidance to young people on how to take control of their personal brand.
Parent guide – Sensible advice for parents around management of their children's use of technology.

Thanks to Nourishing Media who produced the films and members of the VINE committee who contributed to their development.

VINE Annual Sponsors Announced

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 00:02:48 GMT

What a year it has been for VINE with growing membership and engagement despite the uncertainty that ongoing lockdowns bring. The situation we find ourselves in is an underscoring of the need for schools to connect regularly and this happens best with the support of sponsors. Sponsors not only help fund our work and provide venues where we can meet, but also add a different and valued perspective to the dialogue which helps the industry mature in a positive and productive way.

35 companies applied for the eight annual sponsorship spots offered for the 2021-2022 financial year and of those accepted, six of the eight were returning sponsors. I mention this as these companies (Microsoft, CompNow, Interactive, Somerville, Sentral and Pixevety) demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the work VINE does and this is highly valued by member schools.

We would also like to highlight two new sponsors: Centorrino Technologies (Gold Sponsor) and Trident Technology Solutions (VINE Partner). Both of these companies are well known in Victoria and have contributed to the growth and success of VINE over time – it is fantastic to have them as annual sponsors for 2021-2022.

Upcoming Event: Hardware for Hybrid Learning by Microsoft

Tue, 27 Jul 2021 12:09:27 GMT

Hardware for Hybrid Learning

Delivered by Russell Ginley, Microsoft Education Expert

In this digital event briefing, Russell Ginley from Microsoft will provide guidance for Schools to invest in technology that not only delivers measurable ROI, but provides learners with a very real advantage when they need to use similar tools in University and the workplace.

He will share the latest research, local and global insights, as well as future roadmap to help decide:

Where to Invest in technology that ensures School remains ‘always on’
What technology is vital to support hybrid learning
How to capitalise on Modern tools to be at the forefront of the future of Education
What tools can deliver better learning outcomes & better staff satisfaction

Event Date 3 options to choose from

Tuesday, 3 August 2021 | 12:00 PM-1:00 PM (AEST) OR

Wednesday, 4 August 2021 | 3:00 PM-4:00 PM (AEST) OR

Thursday, 12 August 2021 | 9:30 AM-10:30 AM (AEST)

Microsoft PD Opportunity - Sign up now

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 01:45:36 GMT



Introducing The Modern Backpack! Everything you need from Microsoft to ensure your toolkit is packed for the modern classroom! Join us on the second Tuesday of every month 4:30pm AEST Join your Modern Work team for 30 mins of: M365 & Surface key announcements and updates Tips & tricks, topics & demos for education practitioners Hear from the Microsoft Specialists across areas of devices, productivity, collaboration, and how Microsoft can best serve you.
Join us here: https://aka.ms/themodernbackpack Provide feedback here: https://aka.ms/themodernbackpackfeedback
Powered by you Modern Work & Surface Team Chris Turner, Rhiannon Herbert, Damien Bedford Antoinette Jago, Briar Klavins

VINE Sponsorship and Vendor opportunities for 2021-2022

Fri, 07 May 2021 12:34:26 GMT

We are pleased to announce our sponsorship and vendor engagement opportunities for 2021-2022.

If you are interested in becoming a VINE sponsor, please complete the 2021-2022 VINE Sponsorship Expression of Interest form. Top tier packages (VINE Platinum Partner and VINE Gold Partner) are highly sought after and for 2021 the Committee have decided to conduct interviews with interested organisations. The interview is intended to explore the alignment of VINE and the potential sponsor and any potential value adds (other than sponsorship fee) the sponsor may be able to provide members or the organisation (e.g. training for members, venue access for meetings, etc.) which help support the network or technology use in education as a whole.

A copy of the sponsorship and vendor opportunities document can be obtained by contacting us.

Sentral and Microsoft working together

Rob Flavell — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 01:05:48 GMT

VINE Sponsors Sentral and Microsoft are working together to achieve ISO 27001 Information Security Management Standards certification for Sentral's suite of school management tools. Read more here.

The Essential Eight for Security - Microsoft Event

Rob Flavell — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 00:11:52 GMT

With security and cyber-attacks, a growing concern globally, this series shares multiple strategies to help mitigate incidents.

The series will then deep dive into each of the mitigation strategies in more detail. Starting with Patching of Operating Systems & Applications. It will cover all eight of the essential recommendations and how you can act today to prevent cyber-attacks in your organisation.

More information and registration can be found here.

Microsoft recruiting for their 2021 School Transformation Program (STP)

Rob Flavell — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 22:59:33 GMT

The Microsoft School Transformation Program is a free school-wide professional learning program which sees school leaders, teachers, learning support teachers and IT professionals build their capacity to transform their school to support students using the technology they already have at their fingertips.

Microsoft is currently accepting expressions of interest for the School Transformation Program from schools across Australia for Terms 1 and 2, 2021.

2020 VINE Technology Showcase - a success!

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 03:44:50 GMT

With COVID-19 laying waste to so many events, it was a great pleasure to facilitate this year’s VINE Technology Showcase.

Our members drove the decision to run the event this year and although it was not quite the same as the face-to-face experience, we think it was a great success.

There were ~409 participants (~100 unique) from over 50 schools attending at least 1 of the 25 webinars, which took more than 15 hours to deliver over the two weeks.

We have received some great feedback and we’re currently seeking further member feedback on all aspects of the event.

All sessions are now online for VINE members

While not all members could attend in real time, they can watch the recorded pitch videos and the webinars by logging in.

Feedback

We value feedback on the showcase to help inform what we do for future events. Please take a few moments to complete our event survey.

Tech Showcase Continues – Week 2

Rob Flavell — Sun, 26 Jul 2020 00:34:19 GMT

After our first week of watching parties and webinars we have another week of webinars to round out the 2020 VINE Technology Showcase.

A reminder that all webinars that have occurred so far along with pitch videos (that CompNow one is pun-tastic!) can be found on the showcase page. You’ll also find direct links to the remaining webinars, slide decks and some question and answers from some vendors who have provided them.

Thanks to VINE Committee members David, Josh, Steve, James, Chris and Kunal for hosting and for all those who have attended and made this a great event so far! Thanks also to Madeleine La Ferla for all of the background work this year.

Vendor	Day and Time
Lenovo	Mon 27/7 11:00AM-11:30AM
Fujitsu Australia	Mon 27/7 4:00PM-4:30PM
Lenovo	Mon 27/7 4:30PM-5:00PM
Acer	Tues 28/7 11:00AM-11:30AM
CompNow	Tues 28/7 4:00PM-4:30PM
Murdoch Webster	Tues 28/7 4:30PM-5:00PM
Microsoft	Wed 29/7 11:00AM-11:30AM
Amazon Web Services	Wed 29/7 4:00PM-4:30PM
Envirostream Australia	Wed 29/7 4:30PM-5:00PM
Dynabook	Thurs 30/7 11:00AM-11:30AM
Sentral	Thurs 30/7 4:00PM-4:30PM
Somerville	Thurs 30/7 4:30PM-5:00PM

Membership Update

VINE are currently doing (thanks to Josh Lyon) a member audit and are consolidating memberships into our new structure. This effort aims to keep things organised and help keep our member list current and sustainable.

Our old membership levels were:

Individual member – non-school
School membership – individual
School membership – multiple members per school

Our new structure looks like this:

Individual member – for non-commercial individuals who don’t work at a K-12 school (e.g. retirees, students, other educational institutions, etc.)
Digital member – for schools outside Victoria
School member (less than 600 students)
School member (600+ students)

Joining using the free COVID-19 membership level will continue until Victorian lock down restrictions ease and after that this membership level will exist until renewal in August 2021.

Please Note: Due to restricted operations of VINE during the COVID-19 Pandemic, membership payment for the 2020 year is NOT required. Membership renewal for all membership levels will recommence August 2021.

Stay safe and see you at the webinars this week!

Annual General Meeting for 2019/2020

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 05:44:17 GMT

Thanks to those who attended our online AGM that was originally scheduled for our Term 1 meeting (cancelled due to COVID-19).

We had promised a lucky 'door' prize and we are pleased to be sending Lance Pilgrim (Woodleigh) a $100 Uber Eats voucher to shout their team some lunch.

You can click here to access the presentation from the meeting, but a brief summary of the discussions below:

Membership Report showed 368 members and 112 schools
Schools will not be charged for 2020 renewal due to COVID-19
Overview of member resources developed was presented
Summary of meetings and topics held throughout the past year
Click here to access the financial report (members only)
Sponsorship Update with our new sponsors and the process we follow
Committee: Special thanks to John McAlister from Wesley leaving his role as Treasurer and to Ashley Voigt (Mazenod) and Lauren Sayer (Haileybury) for joining the other existing Committee members.
Future plans include the Online Device Showcase, Battery Recycling Project, more videos, licence negotiations (Adobe & Microsoft) and PD projects.
Special thanks to all our members, school who host events, the Committee, Madeleine (our admin support) and once again John McAlister.

Upcoming Annual General Meeting

Sat, 27 Jun 2020 10:30:30 GMT

The VINE Annual General Meeting will be held online on 15 July from 4:00PM - 5:00PM (UTC+10:00) following cancellation of our scheduled face-to-face meeting in Term 1, due to COVID-19.

Click here to find out more and to register.

VINE Response to COVID-19

Rob Flavell — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 02:30:03 GMT

What a challenging beginning to 2020! I'll keep this short, but wanted to communicate a couple of decisions the VINE Committee have made in light of the current circumstances we are all experiencing:

There will be no requirement for members (schools or individuals) to pay their annual subscription renewal later this year.
There is a new member category created called "COVID-19 Member" which will exist for at least the next 12 months. This membership level will be FREE and will give access to the member forum - valuable for us all to learn from one another. The restriction of only people who are employed by a school will remain for this member category.

I have also had contact with CompNow around providing cheaper access to Zoom for VINE members. Here is the flyer - for details contact zoom@compnow.com.au

Rob Flavell
VINE President

Microsoft seeking school for Tune Up 2020

Sun, 27 Oct 2019 22:44:04 GMT

Microsoft Education Tune-Up Recruiting New Schools!

We are pleased to now accept expressions of interest for our free Microsoft Education Tune-Up program for Terms 1 and 2, 2020.

Our team of Education experts are on hand to meet with your school. Through a series of workshops and meetings we will deliver a comprehensive and bespoke strategy which leverages our Education Transformation Framework.

Uncover answers to questions your school may be asking:

Are our school leaders and teachers equipped to deliver 21st Century learning skills for students in an rapidly-changing world?
Are we managing and deploying our devices and apps in an efficient and cost-effective manner?
Are we best leveraging technology to make our school a more equitable and inclusive institution?
Are we getting the most out of our existing Office 365 technology?

This unique service capitalises on decades of research, global best practice and real evidence to help deliver a strategy tailored to your school’s needs.

There are limited spaces available for this exclusive program, so reach out now to arrange a meeting with your school’s leadership team.

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST >

About The Team

A Technology Solutions Professional will offer guidance & support to help you; assess your technical readiness; optimise your Office 365 tenant; build your ICT team capacity; recommendations on the right Microsoft partner.
A Learning Delivery Specialist who will help you see the potential of the Microsoft Education solutions; assist you to build a PD strategy to better reach curriculum outcomes and transform classroom time.

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Our Offer / Your Commitment

A move toward Office 365 and/or Windows 10 as the major platform in your school;
2x term duration;
A technical readiness assessment;
Build a focused PD strategy with the LDS;
Key stakeholder attendance (incl. Principal or AP) at the Transforming Education Leadership 1-day workshop;
ICT Team to attend an M365 for IT Pros 1-day workshop and work directly with our TSP to build their capacity;
Your Learning Support/Inclusivity team to attend 1-day Inclusive Classroom workshop;
2+ teachers released for 2 days to be certified as MIE Trainers;
Monthly virtual meetings with our team and other schools successfully implementing these tools.

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Remember, spaces are limited so get in touch now to arrange a meeting with your school’s leadership team.

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Family Zone Announced as VINE Gold Sponsor for 2019

Mon, 08 Apr 2019 19:00:00 GMT

Family Zone has been announced as gold sponsor for the Victorian ICT Network in Education (VINE) for 2019.

Please see our media release below:
FamilyZone named gold sponsor MEDIA RELEASE April 2019

Microsoft named VINE platinum partner

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 23:45:32 GMT

The Victorian ICT Network for Education (VINE) has announced a partnership with Microsoft to become its inaugural Platinum sponsor.

Please see our media release below:
Microsoft named VINE platinum sponsor MEDIA RELEASE March 2019.pdf

Pixevety announced as VINE gold sponsor for 2019

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 23:44:11 GMT

Technology startup pixevety has been announced as the inaugural gold sponsor for the Victorian ICT Network in Education (VINE) for 2019.

Please click here to download the media release:
Pixevety named gold sponsor MEDIA RELEASE March 2019.pdf

Acer signs as VINE silver sponsor for 2019

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 23:42:35 GMT

Technology company Acer has been announced as the inaugural silver sponsor for the Victorian ICT Network in Education (VINE) for 2019.

Please see our media release below:
Acer named silver sponsor MEDIA RELEASE March 2019.pdf

CompliSpace identify 12 key risks for boards to consider

Mon, 18 Mar 2019 00:04:51 GMT

CompliSpace recently released a white paper identifying top 12 key risks for schools. It is no surprise, that 'IT Systems and Security Failures' was right near the top of the list. They suggest that schools need to be thinking of 'when' not 'if' a breach make take place. They identified common operational risks as

systems/network failures due to power fluctuations
hardware/LAN failure
loss of data
poorly trained staff
over dependence on outsourced IT
poor management practices and process
inadequate use of anti-virus/anti-spam systems

They suggest the following key steps to assist in addressing the risks:

engage a cybersafety expert to conduct a review and identify weaknesses
conduct scenario based drills
develop and test critical incident response/business interruption plan
review policies to address impacts on staff and students safety and welfare

Click here to download the full article

Momo the current topic for community concern

Sun, 03 Mar 2019 22:45:54 GMT

Schools may wish to get on the front foot in dealing with the latest topic that is doing the rounds at school drops offs..

There is a fair bit of debate whether the hoax (similar to blue whale) is true or not, but it certainly has some parents highly concerned. Whilst there are no doubt several approaches schools can take, (from ignoring - to informing all parents) it may just be the opportunity for a timely reminder on some hints for parents to give them some tools (and comfort) on how they deal with Momo or whatever the next craze is. It may also be worth getting some value for money from your firewall to see how many students are actually investigating this craze while they are at school...

Some articles (there are plenty more)

Description of what Momo is/isn't about

Generic Youtube safety advice from Family Zone

Education Review article on student privacy concerns

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 04:07:58 GMT

The Education Review recently published an article by Colin Anson from Pixevety (now a VINE Gold Sponsor) where he refers to Deloitte Australian Privacy Index that found the education sector as one of the weakest on privacy. The article talks about how the use of photos, videos and digital recordings fit into our duty of care, the consent process as well as Data Breach.

Many schools have given great consideration to the security and privacy of the data and platforms, particularly in light of the legislative changes brought around by the data breach legislation. However, as the article suggests it may be timely to consider a review of your consent process to ensure you avoid 'coercive consent' (ie where a child cannot participate if they do not have consent) or 'bundled consent' (a vague opt out that covers everything).

Education Review Privacy Article.pdf

New VINE Website!

Rob Flavell — Mon, 18 Jun 2018 10:56:46 GMT

As previously advised, the transition from the Victorian IT Directors Network to the Victorian ICT Network for Education (VINE) is now well underway.

Part of this transition is the migration to a new member website which can accommodate the growing needs of our newly incorporated group.

There are three member types:

Individual	$50 per annum, ex GST
School – individual member	$150 per annum, ex GST
School – multiple members	$600 per annum, ex GST

Renewals will be from 1 August each year.

The legacy VINE site will continue to be accessible to members while the transition takes place (until the end of 2018). We encourage all existing members to Join the new site to ensure they remain connected to the network.

For individual membership, the signup process is straightforward. For school with multiple members, please follow the following process:

For each school, a master member must be selected. The master member (typically the ICT Manager) signs up first and is responsible for payment of the membership fee.

Once payment has been processed the master member will be notified and further members can sign up/be "bundled" into the school membership.

No further charge will be made for additional/multiple members.

Once registered members will be asked to complete a short personal profile. Registrations will give access to the members only area of the website.

Queries should be directed to info@vine.vic.edu.au