Newsletter 1

Antarctica Newsletter #1 for Teachers

Tēnā koutou Shelley here,

Welcome to Antarctica. This Virtual Field Trip gets under way on 23 November 2017. This field trip is supported by the Ministry of Education and Antarctica New Zealand.

Things to do from this newsletter:

View the Antarctica web site for student preparation
Take part in the free teacher-only PLD webinar for this field trip
Book a web conference by emailing shelley.hersey@core-ed.org
Email shelley.hersey@core-ed.org with your content requests for this year's Antarctica field trip
Prepare your students for their field trip
Check out the Resources section with useful links
Sign up an ambassador to join us on the field trip
Follow Shelley on Twitter @ShelleyHersey

Key dates

Thursday 23 November - The Antarctica Virtual Field Trip gets under way!
Friday 10 November - Last day for web conference bookings with Shelley - shelley.hersey@core-ed.org
Friday 17 November - Web conference questions due with Shelley - shelley.hersey@core-ed.org
Friday 17 November - Deadline for Ambassadors to arrive at Shelley’s home office ($35 payment to be sent to the CORE Education office).

1. Free teacher-only PLD webinar

At 3.30pm on Wednesday 8 November take part in the free teacher-only PLD webinar for this field trip at http://www.learnz.org.nz/support/pld-and-webinars.
PLD webinars are designed to help you and your students get the most out of a Virtual Field Trip experience.

2. Enrol ALL your classes

Please enrol all the classes you are taking on this field trip through your MyLEARNZ control panel. This enables us to report accurately to our supporters, continue to offer LEARNZ free of charge and it helps us to support you and your students.

3. Web conferences

Personalise the field trip for your students by taking part in a live web conference. During web conferences students will be able to put questions to experts who are on location.
One web conference will be held each day on 23-29 November, divided into a formal first part and an informal second part.
Details about connecting to web conferences are in your MyLEARNZ control panel.
Check the web conference topics on the timetable and book your web conference now by emailing shelley.hersey@core-ed.org.
Running alongside the 15-20 minute formal, structured live web conference is the associated visual support like web cam view and photos in the LEARNZ Adobe Connect room.
Following the formal part of the web conference there will be an extra 5-15 minutes to enable you and your students to type extra questions in the chat pod and have them answered, live.
The platform is easy to use and is the same as for the LEARNZ PD sessions.

4. Your suggestions

Do you have suggestions for the Antarctica field trip website?
Email shelley.hersey@core-ed.org if you have a request for content such as field trip videos or photos.

5. Ambassadors

6. Pre-test self-assessment

The pre-test is an opportunity to find out more about what your students know before the Antarctica field trip.
The link for the post test will be available after the field trip. Email help@learnz.org.nz to request your class results.

7. Encouraging Parental Involvement: Home-School partnerships

Communicate with parents about supporting your students' learning during this field trip. Find out how and get the text for a letter or email home.

8. Connect with the field trip via Twitter

Follow Shelley on Twitter @ShelleyHersey #learnztrip for links to new information leading up to the field trip, as well as live updates once the field trip gets under way.
More on using Twitter with LEARNZ here: http://www.learnz.org.nz/support/twitter

9. For teachers who are new to LEARNZ:

There is no prescribed way of using a LEARNZ virtual field trip.
Curriculum links are available for you to check and see how the field trip relates to your class programme.
Give the class login (username and password you set up for them in MyLEARNZ) so your students can access the web conference section in class and at home.
For help with enrolment procedures email help@learnz.org.nz.
There is a planning sequence in the Resources section under the heading Contributions. This short-term lesson sequence makes use of all field trip components for a 3-day virtual field trip.
The Prepare Students section of the Antarctica site ensures your students are ready when the field trip gets under way.
The background readings give an overall idea of the topic and can be used to generate further inquiry. The activities consolidate new learning and encourage deeper thinking.
During the field trip your class can follow the action in my daily diary, watch the videos, and ask questions or listen during live web conferences with our experts. Combined with the background readings and activities, these components are powerful mediums for inquiry learning.

Ka kite anō and I will catch up with you all again soon,

Shelley, the LEARNZ Field Trip Teacher
@ShelleyHersey