You can contact LEARNZ, part of CORE Education, at:
Postal Address:
PO Box 13 678,
Christchurch 8141,
New Zealand

We are planting our local waterway so this field trip helped the students understand why and how and where and when. "Wai Care?" was our focus for the term - used this field trip extensively.
Students who watched videos were motivated to set up a fresh water tank at school. Good science, reinforcing concepts of food webs and freshwater ecosystems.
We particularly enjoy the videos and questions, as they are effective at any time. Followed on from our water study and reinforced our learning around water ecosystems. The field trips have relevance even when they don't exactly fit a planned topic. I am hooked!
Students were captivated by this context. An outstanding resource to facilitate effective learning.
This method of learning was highly suited to a select group of my Year 9 students as it allowed them to self-manage, focus on learning, and at a later stage 'practice' through an EOTC field trip to a local freshwater stream. Excellent and most effective.
Our students loved being able to manage their own learning from the website and being introduced to new experiences such as the audio conferences. Great for the learners who have difficulties with literacy - easy background and listening features are excellent for them.
We found it really interesting and helpful towards our inquiry topic "Wai Care". It gave us a whole new perspective on nature and wildlife. We enjoyed feeling like we were out there with you experiencing it. LEARNZ ... helps all learners.
Following the Inquiry model for the field trip meant students were co-constructing their own learning. It provides current and informative resources. Students were able to form good research questions.
Effective because it took my class to a place that they would not necessarily get to in reality. Provided good information at an appropriate level.
It tied in with our statistics unit, collecting data and using it to make a difference and to advise. My class love when they can view things through the data projector and it was helpful to generate discussion. Students were kept motivated and were also interested in the jobs available in this field. LEARNZ fits with all learners.
As we are going to all these places for our school camp in September it was awesome to give them some background and really light the fire of the students. The activities were at the right level and there was a range of interesting things to do. The kids were very enthusiastic and were looking forward to each new day and what was happening to the experts. The learning they got from it was very real. I have got some amazing writing from the students as they try to explain complex terms like ecology and such like. It was a really good experience for me and my class, they learnt a lot about the topic and themselves. Brilliant. Have already recommended to many colleagues both in my school and at other schools.
We were teaching about NZ Rivers as a module class, combining Science and Social Studies, so it fitted the achievement objectives perfectly for our subject areas. Awesome!
Having a variety of reading levels and activities helped the children to participate well. I have Pasifika children who thoroughly enjoyed the trip and participated fully - even forming the questions and talking on the audio conference. It gave us an opportunity to do some learning that was way outside our resources and actual ability to 'be there'. It gave a wider perspective to our thinking about water.
It is appropriate for anyone!! We had every level in our primary school- year 0-6 participating this year. It was amazing! We will use LEARNZ again because of the ignition that happens for the kids. Motivational, fun, a way for kids to take their learning home. Loved the quick responses I got from your team when I did participate in the online help.
Ability to have contact with scientists and other experts provides an authentic learning experience. We were able to learn about other wetlands and compare them to our local wetlands. Great background information and resources. Thank you!
I particularly used the field trip in a Science context and looking at work scientists do (science capabilities). Videos had lots of content that was appropriate to use to discuss what scientists do. Community and participation as well as ecological sustainability were principles that were supported by the wet land field trip. We had a discussion about the drought as our overarching topic this year is water.
We used the field trip as an alternative programme for our advanced readers. The students who undertook this field trip were engaged and interested in the content. We were able to select background information and activities that were suitable, yet challenging enough for our students. The use of video, with the ability to replay and revisit parts to gain a greater understanding, was helpful. They had very little knowledge prior to the 'trip', but demonstrated a great understanding afterwards.
It (the field trip) was related to what we were learning and generated more inquiry questions. LEARNZ motivates the students and the information is pitched at the appropriate level for my class. Another portal of learning that lifted the enthusiasm of my students.
Key competencies were all addressed through the use of this field trip and it was easy use the material to differentiate for different learners. The LEARNZ trips are motivating for students and supporting for teachers. They are broad enough to use as the basis for many Inquiry topics and versatile enough to use over a long or short period.
It was a great learning experience that is still going as an inquiry! I love the interacting that occurs between the LEARNZ teacher and the children. The activities are very child friendly and engaging. The language was able to be learnt and the videos were fantastic to clarify anything. I love the use of Maori words throughout.
Fitted in very well with our Term School focus of Kaitiaki and Science focus of Living World. Preparing for the audio conference extended our students thinking and created a whole new level of class discussions and understanding.
We were studying a local waterway and were able to compare the bio-diversity between our waterway in the Far North with a fresh waterway in the South Island. The students were motivated to research their topic, find out more about their own community and particularly enjoy the audio conference and following their ambassador.
You bring the outside world to us! Boys especially are absorbed by the videos and discussions with scientists - you help turn them on to learning. The field trip helped us connect and participate with our community and is making science real and meaningful.
The field trips allow me to provide an integrated literacy programme with links across the Curriculum, especially science. Everything that I use to implement the field trip within my classroom programme is clearly laid out and available on the website - thank you!
I feel it covered all areas of the key competencies - I used it to foster new learning relationships within our class, and it was an excellent tool to draw out my innovative thinkers. Due to the video nature of this field trip, the students were very engaged.