You can contact LEARNZ, part of CORE Education, at:
Postal Address:
PO Box 13 678,
Christchurch 8141,
New Zealand
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.
Allows the students to go beyond their own back door and extend their learning to other areas and experiences that may not be available otherwise. Encouraged the Arts and English curriculum areas and I have noticed my children listening to different music during class time.
It was an opportunity for students to experience something they may not have ever been able to, had it not been for this field trip.
This field trip fitted in with the Arts Curriculum perfectly. I used the background information to teach the children about Opera and its place in NZ culture.
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.
This field trip tied in perfectly with our own school production and really got the ideas and understanding flowing. The videos kept the kids attention and sparked their interest for more.
As we have our school production this term, it was really valuable for the children to see it done on a larger scale. I love these trips - the children really get to learn things in a lot more depth than they would normally. The use of technology is a great way of hooking them in too!
We used this as an ignition to our art and drama unit. Added depth to children's learning and they enjoyed the interactive experience. The pre and post assessment showed a lot was learned during the field trip and some children asked their parents if they could go to a performance
Our KC for Term 3 was Using Language, Symbols and Texts. This trip offered the opportunity to see a completely different view of the ways people communicate though opera. We were also able to integrate the trip with our Arts programme. One of the best virtual field trips we have been involved with.
This field trip tied in perfectly for our school focus this term, as we are putting on our own school production so it was great for the students to learn about the variety of roles involved. Helped develop deeper understandings about the Arts, particularly with Understanding Drama in Context (UC) and Communicating and Interpreting (CI).
Every time I have used a LEARNZ field trip with my class, the students have absolutely relished the chance to explore something outside of their realm of experience. We are focussing on the performing arts (Music, Dance, Drama) in class/school - this field trip helped to expose them to the combination of these arts areas, and all the efforts that go into putting on a show of this type and size.
This term's topic is wearable arts, so the field trip was a perfect immersion into the world of performance and costuming. It was useful for increasing interest in the world and performing arts, and I was able to use the information and interactive questions as an effective reading activity, which I then used as a prompt for writing.
It's great to have SOLO linked to the lessons. Children are able to work on this independently and show responsibility for their learning.
Fitted in nicely to the curriculum (The Arts) - I found the unit plan really helpful and a time saver. The background information gave a great range of information all in the one place.
Used this for my music unit this term. It was exciting for the kids. Great opportunities to participate and contribute to each other's learning. The learners used what they discovered in many ways.
The children really enjoyed this unit, as there was lots of awesome information relevant to them putting on our school production next term. I will use LEARNZ again because I love the field trips!
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.
Fantastic use of The Arts in the NZ curriculum and all key competencies. Highly engaging for all students.
It was really successful and appealed to both boys and girls, who embraced the whole opera idea. Students' KCs developed well and the use of devices proved really successful. Great resource: cross-curricular, useful for literacy, and Maori keyword translations were appreciated.
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!
LEARNZ is a fun way to learn, that exposes students to things that are happening nationally and globally. It is real life learning. Lots of fun and high interest videos. Students could relate to the (performers') need to practise, and rest too, which links nicely to lots of classroom learning areas.
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.
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.
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.