You can contact LEARNZ, part of CORE Education, at:
Postal Address:
PO Box 13 678,
Christchurch 8141,
New Zealand
Teacher testimonials
Garden Bird Survey
The children were motivated by being part of a New Zealand wide project. The resources provided at different levels and also with the facility to listen to the text, make it accessible by everyone in my class - this is so valuable.
Where Are We?
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.
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.
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.
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.
Opera
Our values at our school include Creativity, so this was a great link to the curriculum as well as seeing the production elements of performance. The performance technology students got to see elements of performance for something we can't teach at school.
We were doing an inquiry into plays and performance and it was a great hook for the kids. It was good background for our topic and was good to hear from actual experts.
Fantastic for my year 5/6 class. They learned so many skills and it was great to apply them to a real-life purpose, putting questions to experts in the audioconference. The field trip was a very effective learning experience for my class, which was added to by attending the dress rehearsal.
Inspired and developed an appreciation for this field of the arts to a group of children from a variety of backgrounds, who all all said they enjoyed it and looked at opera differently now. Marvellous student opportunities - also developed and extended the knowledge of some students for whom music is a personal skill.
Students were engaged, motivated and excited to be taking part, and learnt a great deal from this field trip as it encouraged them to work towards excellence. Participating meant they engaged with the curriculum in English, The Arts (Music, Visual Arts, Dance and Drama), Technology, and with many of the Key Competencies.
The students learned so much more than I thought - they were engaged when seeing students their own age asking deep questions. We are looking at creating our own movies and seeing the interviews with cast and crew helped to focus their ideas and find realistic goals.
Very appropriate in that we are doing a production this term, and it was a cool way for my students to see the arts in action for real.
The Opera field trip supported the extension of my childrens' experiences and new interests. Who knows how it will unfold and manifest itself in the years to come!
My online (distance) class was focussing on a topic about creativity this term so the Opera Trip was a great complement to this. LEARNZ trips offer rich, pertinent learning about the place we live in.
It's great to have SOLO linked to the lessons. Children are able to work on this independently and show responsibility for their learning.
Freshwater Ecology
We use material from completed field trips (Freshwater Ecology and Whio) on school camp at Tongaririo which provides excellent, authentic, high motivation support for our Year 7 students and relates well to our similar interets in Taranaki. I certainly appreciate the quality of the online resources that LEARNZ have produced. Thanks very much to the LEARNZ team.
Waka Voyaging
I try and do a field trip every term. They are so valuable as a resource and really promote learning in a real life situation. I love the Learnz Field Trips!
This field trip fitted in nicely with our health focus for the term, exploring hauora. The children were hooked in by the videos, with real people doing the jobs on the waka. It also fitted in with the Key Competencies and values - showing perseverance in the face of adversity, working together as a team, looking after our environment.
Allowed opportunities for students to develop self management.
The students were able to be self directed through this field trip. They then published a blog about their experiences.
It helped to provide a traditional context for teamwork, which was the focus of our inquiry last term. I felt the information was a good level for our learners (year 4).
It was excellent, it fitted in really well with our topic as well as curriculum values, principals, KCs. Students got a lot out of the Waka virtual field trip and were excited by it.
It supported my year 9 topic of migrations. A great way of bringing the subject alive.
This field trip was perfect for our combined Māori and Health studies for Term 1. My class were able to use this at school and in their home with parents. Very satisfying to observe students personalising the learning.
This field trip supported the key competencies and learning areas well.
An interesting style of learning - lots of potential. This has been a great experience as a teacher and for the class.
Very relevant to our Term Two inquiry about Māoritanga and how it is shared and celebrated in NZ. I use LEARNZ withy my class because I am always able to find something that suits the children's interests, and the real-life situations are so relevant and motivating.
The content was engaging and this was evident in the thinking that took place and the work produced by all my students, who absolutely loved this trip regardless of their abilities or interests. For our Maori students this was a particularly awesome experience and it was also great to look at hauora from the angle of working together to crew the waka.
The topic tied in nicely with our class health focus on 'being in the waka' and working together. Although many of my students didn't connect culturally to this field trip, it was a new experience for them and therefore was engaging.
We also visited the waka and helped with repairs to Nukutaiao. That made the (virtual field trip) experience very meaningful.
Students participated using all of the key competencies.
Students could see links between real voyages (now) and those made by our ancestors. The programme was well thought out, informative, and had many options to use it in a variety of ways. It was engaging, fun, and a great way to learn something through a different medium.
While all students benefit from the material, I found this one to be especially relevant to our local Maori students. It was also very useful as part of our reading programme when used with a graphic organiser for finding, selecting and retrieving relevant information.
Anything to do with Culture is well received by our Maori students! Also covered all the Key Competencies. Was fantastic to be able to be a part of the field trip. Our students loved it!
Outstanding and supports student development in all areas. High interest and enthusiasm to learn. Wonderful context for our polynesian/maori majority students as connections are made with how their ancestors made significant migrations.
It (the virtual field trip) allowed our students to be involved and part of something that wouldn't be attainable in a normal classroom setting. It totally enhanced my learning programme and enabled me to get support and guidance using the NZ curriculum.
Wetland Biodiversity
Very motivating. Students were engaged.
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.
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.
Utilised the focus on te reo and cultural-history aspect of biodiversity. Students enjoyed the field trip as part of our ecology topic -they engaged well with the learning and were willing to contribute.
Linked closely to students understanding their immediate environment while involved in EOTC (school camp in this case). I see students engaged in the topic when involved with LEARNZ plus they tend to find more information and other areas of interest linking to the particular topic.
It (the field trip) was related to what we were learning and generated more inquiry questions. LEARNZ motivates the students and the information is pitched at the appropriate level for my class. Another portal of learning that lifted the enthusiasm of my students.
Great trip well presented by all involved. The topic of water and conservation of wetlands will effect all New Zealanders. Great information at appropriate reading age.
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.
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.
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.
Great to see and hear interaction and questions from students of other schools, which set high expectations for my class with questioning. The support material is excellent and students are able to connect with Science community in real contexts.
Students were asked about the KC's they used during this field trip and they unanimously said: Thinking, Relating to Others, Participating and Contributing, and Managing Self. They also said they enjoy the enthusiasm of the presenters, especially Andrew (the LEARNZ Teacher).
The content and style of learning is so engaging for the children. Love the strong Science focus. It was a good field trip to compare local, national and global - it lent itself really well to discussion.
Smart Motorways
Students followed the technological process by looking at the different roles of the people and the components of the smart motorway, and related these to its purpose. Thank you - the whole resource was able to be used and made into differentiated activities for my students.