You can contact LEARNZ, part of CORE Education, at:
Postal Address:
PO Box 13 678,
Christchurch 8141,
New Zealand
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 course was great for student engagement and they had fun learning about farming and irrigation.
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.
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.
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.
It fitted well with our Sustainability Social Studies topic.
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.
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."
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".
We used the videos to connect with our conceptual learning topic of sharing our world. Appropriate and effective.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I love how it helps my (secondary school) students see that they are part of a bigger picture and enforces the idea that small changes from individuals amount to big changes. Perfect for our topic of sustainability and worked in really well with the Sustainable Seas virtual field trip.
Good to have a variety of ways to understand the Water topic such as web conferences, quizzes, background information etc.
The children enjoyed the focus on marine mammals and the field trip was a very effective, engaging way of learning. Supported the overall vision of the NZC to become confident, connected life-long learners along with Values around Community Engagement and Future Focus. Supported the Learning Areas of Social Science, Science.
I love the links to Te Reo and the culture of the Maori people, particularly things like kaitiaki and karakias. Thank you.
Integrated perfectly with our current Year 6 Living World topic about life cycles and threats to NZ marine species. Resources are fantastic! Excellent for sustainability and future focus learning.
Making the resources very NZ based and knowing other students were also doing it around the country was motivating for many. Having the correct pronunciation of words (Māori and English) available was valuable for the teacher, as was allowing the lower readers to listen to the text.