You can contact LEARNZ, part of CORE Education, at:
Postal Address:
PO Box 13 678,
Christchurch 8141,
New Zealand
Hand-picked videos for my senior science class to show practical applications of theory. They help link an NCEA chemistry topic to the real world and show participation of science in the local community.
Good to have a variety of ways to understand the Water topic such as web conferences, quizzes, background information etc.
The variety of activities, materials and the actual (live) web conferences added value to our inquiry about water (wai). The way the topic was presented enabled my (predominantly Māori) students to put their own words to it, to explain it.
The videos were good because they were short and they were 'in the field'. This field trip was part of our "Finding out about water" unit and so it had some useful information. The field trip medium means it is a future-focused way of delivering information and has the potential to connect students to other students' lives while covering a range of learning areas.
Very interesting and well explained. It helped my students to think about all the different users of the water and encouraged them to discuss it with whanau.
It was effective to tune students into ideas they had not thought of, and wonder. The virtual field trip is a good way to leave the classroom without the big cost.
We planned a trip to discover Canterbury based on this virtual field trip. It was good for the students to meet real life experts and it was good to follow Andrew's progress via daily updates online.
I loved the way it generated discussion and encouraged inquiry so my students really thought about how we use and manage water. I also love how the students can access the material themselves and monitor their own interest in the before and after work.
It fitted well with our Sustainability Social Studies topic.
Year 4-5 student comment: "It is interesting because the people know stuff that we don't know - it's good to read and watch the videos about it."
Love the fact that the articles have an audio feature so children with low reading levels can be included too. The field trip connected to what we were learning in class and it provided a good hook-in ... and they got to learn from experts.
This Water field trip fitted in well with our inquiry related to weather and it introduced the children to a variety of physical geography concepts and exmaples. It fostered curiosity and all the core competencies, and it effectively integrated a variety of curriculum areas.
The LEARNZ delivery method made it easier to work alongside students with their learning rather than in front of them. Students have been engaged and motivated to ask questions and wonder about things.
Appropriate and effective, especially for Kaitiakitanga. Students particularly liked looking and watching the updates.
Year 4-5 student comment: "Doing this field trip was interesting because I was learning about irrigators and water on earth".
The course was great for student engagement and they had fun learning about farming and irrigation.
We used the videos to connect with our conceptual learning topic of sharing our world. Appropriate and effective.
The material was definitely at an appropriate level for my Year 7-8 class. It tied in with our Science focus and enabled students to explore places that they would not usually see. It also gives them a chance to "meet" and work with outside teachers and experts.
The field trip encouraged my students to think more deeply about the topic while reflecting on what they already knew.
Allowed students to access information they would have struggled to find themselves and inspired independent study on questions students raised. This is an excellent multimedia resource with differentiated learning that supports an inclusive curriculum.
LEARNZ field trips like this expose my students to things (places, concepts, experts etc) that they would not otherwise be exposed to.
It was great to have a topic that linked into Sea Week. It clearly linked to the curriculum for social science, science, literacy, and Te Reo Māori. As a digital classroom, it was fantastic to be able to do our work through the website and access it from home so that learning could be shared with whanau.
It has given my predominantly Pasifika students an invaluable and accessible EOTC experience that would normally be beyond our ability to provide in real time. Oral recordings made it very accessible and having ambassador on board increased engagement further.
It was related to a topic the students could branch out into/feel passionate about and the resources were suited and adaptable to our year 7 class. Engaging with an expert models the quest for knowledge and students take it more seriously/engage more when they know the expert has dedicated their life to their chosen field.
It was really well set up with appropriate material for classroom writing and got all of my students excited about marine mammals.