You can contact LEARNZ, part of CORE Education, at:
Postal Address:
PO Box 13 678,
Christchurch 8141,
New Zealand
It was great. They loved learning about GPS and GIS as it was something the students hadn't done before. It covered a wide variety of subjects.
It gave a rich context for our Maths and provided real relevance. All learning areas were integrated even though our focus area was Maths and the virtual field trip supported all aspects of the NZC vision statement.
Students were so involved that we had an expert bring a drone to school to demonstrate, and then take a group of students out to Lake Omapere to film where the outlets were that they identified on a map. They particularly enjoyed being part of the audio conferences, finding out information and also asking questions.
Good platform for introducing Science students to the concept of GPS. Students liked that there were videos of how GPS worked. The field trip also worked well for international students in the class and those with English as a second language.
This field trip was engaging, fun and challenging for all involved. It linked well with our technology unit and also supported the Principles, Values, Key Competencies, Learning Areas and Vision of the NZ Curriculum.
There was something for everyone, even for students with prior knowledge.
My 15 year old said, "Wow - I never knew navigation technology was so technical and important!". It was great for the children to see some practical examples of where they could need to use some maths in the real world.
This field trip provided ample opportunities for my Year 11 Geography students to engage in the subject matter and context. It was appropriate, and linked well to establishing a base understanding of GIS and some of its real life applications.
Videos were very helpful to gain students' interest. Activities and discusssions were at the correct level for my class. The field trip involved students of all levels and abilities - they used skills and curriculum knowledge from English, Science, Maths and Social Sciences learning areas.
Using a LEARNZ field trip is important in transforming my teaching from a part digital to a fully digital classroom. We spend three weeks working on this field trip as it fitted in really well with our whole school topic of examining our place in the world. It covered many of the areas of the NZ Curriculum through a cross curricular learning experience. My year 4/5 class liked the choice of reading or listening to the background material. The support provided is thorough and I found it very useful in my teaching.
My tauira (students) were well engaged about GIS, maps and cartography by the background readings, videos, photos and captions, and listening in on the audioconference. They relished the opportunity to experience the ferry, train and plane through virtual learning. Good links to the Social Sciences and also Technolology.