Wimba Pronto is the school provided chat client. It is an Instant Messenger like Yahoo! Chat, or AIM, or Skype, but only for students in our school. It integrates into our Blackboard system, so that users can only chat with other people who have an account with our Blackboard system. One of the best ways to think about it is directly from the Wimba website:
The Wimba Pronto interface is easy-to-use, acts as a "virtual hallway" for unscheduled learning scenarios, and facilitates community building among 21st century learners.
Through Pronto, student can:
On this page: Getting Started | Frequent Questions | Additional Help |
If you have not already, you will need to set up a Wimba Pronto account. Many teachers have set up links for Wimba within their course/organization. If you can not find it, you can go directly to the Pronto box on the Community Tab of Blackboard. You will need to complete a short form.
Once you submit the form, you will receive a conformation email at your school email account. Just click on the link provided in that email to activate your account. You will then be able to begin using Wimba Pronto. You do not need to download and install the software, it is already installed on the school computers.
What is Pronto? Pronto is an instant messaging client to Yahoo Messenger, or GTalk. The big difference is, Pronto is available only to students and teachers in PAVCS.
Is Pronto safe? Pronto is available ONLY to the PAVCS community. You can chat with people in your courses and organizations only if they also have set up a Pronto account.
Do I have to use Pronto? Pronto is completely optional. You will only be visible to other users if you choose to login and use Pronto.
What if I don’t want to talk to someone? You can ignore, or even block users you don’t want to chat with. You can also change your status to INVISIBLE so no one will know you are online.
Is Pronto monitored by PAVCS? No. Students and parents who choose to use Pronto are responsible for their own actions and are expected to adhere to the PAVCS code of conduct.
What if someone “bullies” me using Pronto? You can simply block that person and they will no longer be able to chat with you. You may also choose to report inappropriate use to PAVCS staff.
Wimba has put together a Pronto User Guide available on the web detailing how to use the Pronto Chat Client