You can contact LEARNZ, part of CORE Education, at:
Postal Address:
PO Box 13 678,
Christchurch 8141,
New Zealand
Testimonials
ShakeOut
We think this (field trip) was very effective as we are much wiser about what we need to do at school and at home, to be prepared during and after an earthquake. LEARNZ is a remarkable online learning community which allowed us to get information on earthquakes from schoolchildren, parents and teachers.
Susan Hodge from Elm Park School
The kids thought it was a cool way to learn and they also said that the Shakeout drill now made a lot more sense i.e. why we do it. We found that the variety of different ways the information was presented made it interesting and accessible for all levels.
Judy Edwards from Waterlea Public School
This was my first time on LEARNZ and I loved it. Apart from the well-prepared unit as such, the level of motivation for the kids was instant, high and continued through-out the whole series of lessons.
Sabine Hartmann from Karangahake School
The children saw themselves being part of a wider community, participating with other schools and learning from their questions. It was especially useful to have Te Reo words to complement the learning.
Anna Cullen from Clifton School Bulls
Reinforced other learning on natural disasters, emergency procedures and being prepared.
Dylan Kiriona from Ohau School
All my students could relate to the information according to individual ability and interest levels. LEARNZ opens up a whole new dimension of making outdoor teaching a reality.
Martie Andrew from Awakeri School
The visual content helped quite a lot of discussion. So many real life experiences that the children can piggy back onto. The Field Trip was an asset for all the class. Thank you.
Deborah Lamont from Methven School
The levelled information was great. It also was at an apt time as far as reinforcing evacuation and preparedness as a class/school/whanau. I liked the availability of the videos and audio conferences to review and use, even though the fieldtrip had ended.
Joelle Walker from Edgecumbe School
Very relevant for year 7 students. I really like the audio voice over which has allowed the lower reading level students to work with a lot of independence, without having to wait for the teacher to say the word / discuss the word / explain context etc.
Kersty Millar from Reporoa College
We used this across the school - very appropriate. It linked well with the main ShakeOut event, managing selves, and collaboration.
Nicola Stevenson from Worser Bay School
Resiliance was a key idea we discussed, as were some of the key competencies and their application in real life situation. Right level, good content.
Jeremy Meadows from Woodhill School
It broadened students' thinking and understanding of the large scale of the event and excited them about the topic. The ability to access information, colleagues and a world which we otherwise wouldn't have access to makes the learning process really meaningful.
Lucy Hannah from Christ the King Catholic School Owairaka
Was topical and at appropriate level for my student. Encouraged good discussion and gave excellent information. Student said "That was great. Can we do another one?"
Lorelei Salisbury from Salisbury Home School
We are looking at change and our ways to survive. It (the field trip) gave more specialist knowledge to students, that the teacher could not give.
Nicola Pitcher from Glen Eden Intermediate School
We used the videos and some background pages for discussions.
Jennifer Barrow from Kaniere School
Very appropriate - supported student learning about earthquakes and doing the ShakeOut drill. Interesting, motivating and flexible - students get a lot from having readings, videos, audioconferences, activities, and photos.
Jan Flannery from Masterton Primary School
The field trip was a great lead in to the Shake Out drill earlier today and complimented our topic on civil defence. Related well to Science - Natural disasters as well as civil defence and emergency management.
Brenda Town from Town Family Home School
It helped with critical thinking, managing personal plans and responsibility in a disaster. A great way to have a different teaching medium with other experts to answer questions and supply information.
Timothy Crawshaw from Newtown School
The content was very appropriate as they were able to relate it to their own experiences, having experienced a 5.8 earthquake the night before. The audioconference was an excellent opportunity to focus on asking quality questions with a purpose and to interact with experts.
Keryl Lee-Kelleher from Makuri School
The field trip connected the students to issues about earthquakes in a practical way. It was also great to connect with children who have been in earthquakes - this gave a realism and reality to the trip. Andrew (the LEARNZ Teacher) is marvellous - he really helps to ignite curiosity in the students.
Jennifer Kitchin from Weston School
It was good to have a child's perspective in the videos and background pages were good science information. The field trip enabled and empowered students to have an understanding of others' experiences and the impact these experiences have on themselves and the world in which they live.
Debbie Purves from Te Whanau o Waitangi
The field trip allowed children to think deeply about emergencies, which was relevant to what we were learning in class about preparing an emergency plan. It was real life experiences from children to children which was great and the children were engaged because it was with other learners at their level.
Leigh Kaye from Frimley School
Enjoyable to hear first hand accounts - made it more real for the children.
Robyn Wee from Wakaaranga School
It supported the Shakeout event we were participating in. It also supported the curriculum well. Visuals are excellent and information is current. The videos led to good discussions and recall of prior knowledge.
Helen Gibson from Hilltop School
Relevant to topic at school and it was all current. Great tool.
Marne Hendriks from Rosebank School Balclutha