You can contact LEARNZ, part of CORE Education, at:
Postal Address:
PO Box 13 678,
Christchurch 8141,
New Zealand
I used it with a learning group within my class and it supported their understanding very well. The flexibility in the level of involvement was great. We joined last minute based on an emerging interest/need within the group and it engaged them wonderfully. Great use of eLearning.
Well-integrated, interactive, inquiry based. Encouraged thinking, questioning, and valuing other cultures. A visually impaired student commented: "I could listen for myself, I didn't have to use a reader".
We were able to link this field trip with our school learning about performance, and our "showcase" which will be at the end of this term. The content was accessible to all students, with them able to listen to the information if they were unable to read it. Students were particularly engaged when taking part in the audioconference and asking questions, live.
It's great to have SOLO linked to the lessons. Children are able to work on this independently and show responsibility for their learning.
This trip led to our kids being more excited than ever about putting on our own show! Thanks for the encouragement! It's great to see Learnz embracing the Arts like this - you broaden our appreciation of what is around us.
I have been running an online class with my Social Studies class. The virtual field trip enabled the students to utilise a variety of tools and learning medium to enhance their learning. Linked with the topic "Sustainability" extremely well.
It (the virtual field trip) helped students think about the environment and how they can contribute to looking after it. The topics related to what we were studying and we did't have to leave the school to experience it.
Effective with real time and current information that covered many facets of inquiry and opened up deeper thinking. Receiving the letter with the liner sample from CWS was fabulous! Established a very tangible connection for students.
Wonderful. Good resources, and meeting with the key competencies. Fantastic resource to fit in with science, social studies etc.
We had just gone through a process of making submissions to our local council - it will be good to continue to ask them questions now that we are knowledgeable about the Kate Valley landfill.
It was a great follow on from our litter less lunch inquiry. Good for Social Action, informing our parents about choices when purchasing goods and disposing of the waste.
Students got to experience aspects of waste management that they could not in our local environment and have become really motivated to address waste management issues in our local area. I also find that special needs students are supported on Learnz by the differently leveled materials available and by the different types of media (Text, Audio, Video).
As we move to inquiry learning, this is a wonderful tool for supporting teachers - scaffolding our professional development. For students, because there are several ways to access the information our lower ability readers can still complete tasks, supporting their literacy.
Looking at Landfills as intro to our Sustainability study and being able to access your fabulous resources and view audio conferences, fitted in so well. Samples (of the landfill liner) sent to us were an extra bonus.
LEARNZ is another way to educate the students who are unable to physically participate in these field trips. A great medium for teaching. It's fun having 'live' updates. The students were intrigued with the covering up of the waste, the sheer size of the land area and of course...machinery! We are an Enviro School.
Under our sustainability inquiry during this field trip, students had a say in what they learned (student voice and agency); they were motivated to learn new things and were comfortable about this (personal agency); and they worked in groups to find answers (peer support). Also students are thinking about changes/actions needed in the future (future-focussed learning); and they worked with other students and people in the community who help them learn (connected agency).
Fabulous topic. Very easy and user friendly website, accessible for everyone. Thanks for sending the sample of the liner material used in landfills - it was very effective to see and feel the liner, and it covers a big area of technology.
This service is absolutely fantastic - have used it for years!
It really fitted in with our Wellbeing Inquiry and also with us as a Green-Gold school. All learners benefit from LEARNZ in multiple ways but ESOL students partcularly benefit from using the button which allows them to listen to the text being read, while they read themselves. This helps them with new technical vocabulary and helps them to access the curriculum effectively.
We used the field trip to plan, implement and evaluate a programme to reduce waste and improve hauora of our school environment. I found the videos and background information very useful for my class and I have used the photos for sequencing ideas for writing. My class loved Andrew's diaries and could connect to him when they viewed the videos. Lots of curriculum links to Health and PE, Social Sciences, English, Science and Key Competencies.
We are looking at product lifecycle in our design class and it showed what happens to the end of products when put into rubbish, and the importance of designers to design for end of life. It enabled students to critically think through what their consumption produces and it was a great way to show students something without having to physically go.
This trip was fantastic as it made direct links to sustainability and future focus. It was also ideal for our new collaborative teaching techniques which included students recording their ideas on iPads.
Fantastic, up-to-date, real time, interactive resource on a current environmental issue. Related well to Social Sciences, L.4, innovation, challenges, people, places and environment. NZC Vision: a greater awareness of how students can be positive, lifelong contributors. Values: linked with innovation, community, ecological sustainability. Principles: community engagement, future focus. Related to all KC's as they were communicating, thinking-inquiry, participating, and completing tasks on time.
In a very powerful way students were able to work collaboratively and at their own pace. Practical as our school is isolated rural, 40km from the nearest township and our class is mixed ability Year 6-8.
The field trip fitted with our environment and sustainability topic and saved a lot of resource development time which allowed me to focus more on my students learning. The content was readily accessible for my year 9 students and was effective because of the bite-size delivery e.g. short videos and diary entries that did not take too long to read.