You can contact LEARNZ, part of CORE Education, at:
Postal Address:
PO Box 13 678,
Christchurch 8141,
New Zealand
The children were fascinated by the virtual field trip videos. They learnt a lot of new ideas and words and talked about it for days. The field trip was effective as it showed our students that other people did what we do.
Students felt they learned a lot. The LEARNZ trip was used to introduce our inquiry and then provided a good follow up. We also visited a local wetlands and planted trees. The key competencies of Thinking, and Participating and Contributing were well covered. The field trip integrated well with Science, Social Science, Art and English. There was also a good emphasis on ecological sustainability and community engagement.
Students have learned so much and they have become overnight advocates for wetlands. The LEARNZ programme really enhanced the pronunciation of Maori place names, values and importance of early Maori traditions to our lives today.
Comprehensive resources in a local context. My Year 10 student gains: posting a question to an expert, literacy from background reading.
Science is an area we are trying to strengthen and this was a perfect opportunity to put the students in a real life context or study. The students were really engaged in the topic. I am looking forward to sharing with my students both the Antarctic and ANZAC Memorial Park trips. Both are topics we were already studying.
The field trip supported all of the Key Competencies, attitudes and values of the NZ Curriculum, and our own school Curriculum.
Watching the students get excited about their role (we were a speaking school, which was a breeze) and then watching them make connections in their learning, has been a real highlight. They built connections with the area the trip took us to and linked it to our local community and loved connecting what they were reading and hearing with specific people.
Provides an interactive online learning website that is safe and relevant to the student's needs and interests, in regards to protecting NZ's wildlife and environment. Māori dictionary and glossary is provided and the relevance to the past use of wetlands to Māori shows respect for their ancestors and the future of NZ.
Ability to have contact with scientists and other experts provides an authentic learning experience. We were able to learn about other wetlands and compare them to our local wetlands. Great background information and resources. Thank you!
Many of my students found the Māori Tikanga section the most interesting. I also liked that the learning was rewindable and allowed for student agency. The opportunity to experience a virtual field trip really excited the children and motivated them to want to find out more, as it provided a meaningful and authentic learning context that included SOLO and built on our own 'Freshwater Frolicking' field trip to The Groynes.
Students got to continue to learn about the environment (following on from involvement in the Virtual Great Walks field trip). The detail and facts included in the background pages made things more interesting to read (or listen to!).
It is such a great resource as all the background research has been completed for teachers and we can rely on it as being factual with the experts involved. Having a face to experts is really important for children. Videos were also most useful for a Y2 & 3 class. We are using it as a context for our Inquiry and this topic complimented our topic as it was local to our school.
Students appreciate information from different, up to date sources and they can work at their pace. Allowed for differentiated learning. Good photos.
We used it as part of immersion for starting off on our journey of restoring a Wetland. It prompted questions, wonderings and enhanced their interest. Being able to send along an Ambassador was fantastic as it helped the younger members of our Wetlands group relate to what was happening.
It is appropriate for anyone!! We had every level in our primary school- year 0-6 participating this year. It was amazing! We will use LEARNZ again because of the ignition that happens for the kids. Motivational, fun, a way for kids to take their learning home. Loved the quick responses I got from your team when I did participate in the online help.
Our Inquiry was Sustainability this term and students really got into the field trip. It was a spectacular way for students to practice the Key competencies and meet people online they would otherwise have no access to.
We used the field trip as an alternative programme for our advanced readers. The students who undertook this field trip were engaged and interested in the content. We were able to select background information and activities that were suitable, yet challenging enough for our students. The use of video, with the ability to replay and revisit parts to gain a greater understanding, was helpful. They had very little knowledge prior to the 'trip', but demonstrated a great understanding afterwards.
Ties in to EOTC with the school camp this week which will focus on ecological sustainability. Students are already talking about the Rangitata River with new terminology. The boys were especially entranced with it all.
It was a great learning experience that is still going as an inquiry! I love the interacting that occurs between the LEARNZ teacher and the children. The activities are very child friendly and engaging. The language was able to be learnt and the videos were fantastic to clarify anything. I love the use of Maori words throughout.
It supported excellence, high expectations, learning to learn, diversity and environmental sustainability, as well as the NZC level 4. It ticked all our Level 4 boxes. Great resource. My class can't wait to use it again.
The field trips allow me to provide an integrated literacy programme with links across the Curriculum, especially science. Everything that I use to implement the field trip within my classroom programme is clearly laid out and available on the website - thank you!
Very motivating. Students were engaged.
My students loved learning about the animals in the wetlands and why they are important. I have used the field trip integrated into my planning and programme.
It is a great way to motivate students and it was set at the approximate age and interest. The virtual field trip was effective and we are planning a field trip to our local wetland area next term.
Great for Maori and Pasifika students and ESOL.