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Using iNaturalistNZ in Science, Stats, GIS and other Learning Areas

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This is the third blog in this series on iNaturalistNZ (Blog 1: Contributing to your community as a non-scientist using iNaturalistNZ; Blog 2: Using iNaturalistNZ to build 21st Century Capabilities in Students). In this post I investigate how iNaturalistNZ can be used with specific Learning Areas of the New Zealand Curriculum.

Just a reminder that iNaturalistNZ is predominantly a Science platform which helps build a community of citizen scientists who have the opportunity to interact with professional scientists. It also enables scientists to access reliable data collected by others that they can analyse. Results can inform people so they can take action. iNaturalistNZ utilises the free iNaturalist smartphone app for Android or Apple.

iNaturalistNZ: butterfly
My observation of an endemic butterfly, the New Zealand Red Admiral or kahukura.

As far as Learning Areas are concerned, iNaturalistNZ is squarely aimed at the Living World strand of the Science. But, I believe, it fits even more strongly with the overarching Nature of Science strand, and the more recently espoused Science Capabilities (more). The data in iNaturalistNZ observations is open for anyone to analyse, so it cries out to be used in Mathematics and Statistics. Most people turn on GPS when they record their observations, so data has a location component, which also begs to be used in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) applications. GIS is a critical part of modern planning and design industries, with new jobs in GIS popping up everywhere in areas that most adults have never heard of. GIS is also a key aspect of Geography in secondary schools and in tertiary education. In relation to the Social Sciences, iNaturalistNZ can provide a place where students and whānau can “contribute to their local community”, and, at the same time, “engage critically with societal issues”.

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NatureWatch Observations

Using iNaturalistNZ to build 21st Century capabilities in students

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iNaturalist app

In my previous blog, I wrote about my largely personal reasons for getting involved in iNaturalistNZ (by downloading the iNaturalist app for Apple or Android).

In this second post of this series, I look at reasons for educators to use iNaturalistNZ. In doing so, I structure my arguments around the Vision for our young people, from the New Zealand Curriculum 2007 (NZC). Note: text below that is italicised denotes that it is quoted from the NZC.

I also talk about the role of iNaturalistNZ as a digital technology for teaching and learning, and in building digital fluency, a key 21st Century concept. I point out where the role of the teacher is particularly important, and make suggestions to get you started with iNaturalistNZ at school.

The vision for young people

The Vision espoused in the NZC is for young people to be:

  • connected
  • actively involved
  • confident
  • lifelong learners.

NZC

How could using iNaturalistNZ help?

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Contributing to your community as a non-scientist using iNaturalistNZ

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iNaturalistNZ

Our modern world is incredibly busy and complex. There are so many new things coming our way that we can’t take them all in, let alone act on them. However, every now and then we are exposed to something new, which turns on a whole lot of light bulbs at once.

For me, it was being told about iNaturalistNZ, part of an international initiative called iNaturalist. In this blog, the first of a series, I will tell you about iNaturalistNZ and why it appeals to me as an educationalist, as a parent, and as someone simply interested in the Living World. I will also tell you about my journey so far with iNaturalistNZ, and hopefully tempt you to start using it too. My next blogs will look at the rationale for using iNaturalistNZ in formal education settings and delve deeper into iNaturalistNZ as a tool for learner agency in a globally connected world.

What is iNaturalistNZ?

iNaturalistNZ is a tool for all citizens that makes it easy for us to contribute to a living record of life in New Zealand. From the crowd-sourced data we create, scientists and environmental managers can monitor changes in biodiversity. iNaturalistNZ enables anyone with the iNaturalist smartphone app (Android or Apple) to record their observations of living things like plants, birds, and insects, and upload them to the Cloud so the iNaturalistNZ community can identify them and analyse them. It’s like iTunes in that the mobile app is used when you are out-and-about, whereas logging into your account from a bigger device like a laptop allows you to manage and organise your observations, and communicate with the iNaturalistNZ community.

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Is your school coherent?

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Teachers and curriculum leaders, when was the last time you looked at the Directions for Learning, the so-called front end of the NZ Curriculum? It includes the Vision, Values, Key Competencies, and Principles.

Under Principles, one item is called Coherence. NZ Curriculum Online has a whole section on it at http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Principles/Coherence

Coherence has three parts; Connections, Transitions, and Pathways. I am going to concentrate on Connections and use examples from the project I work in LEARNZ.

Connections within a learning area

Connections are defined in this instance as: links within and across learning areas.

How do you make connections within a learning area? As well as other techniques, I believe many teachers already use first-rate questioning skills during class discussions that make such connections explicit for students. That may often take place in summary sessions towards the end of “topics”.

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Virtual field trips open the door for all learners

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Virtual field trip

In this blog post I’d like to briefly explore how participation in a virtual field trip with the aid of technology such as web conferencing helps all students learn alongside their peers.

Dyslexia Advocacy Week and the Web

This week (16-22 March) is Dyslexia Advocacy Week in New Zealand. Curious, I did a web search and landed at Plus 20 in 2015 – Making Good in the Classroom, where I wondered if the content could be accessed other than by just reading text. I was pleasantly surprised as. Alongside the usual option of reading the text on the web page yourself was the option of having the text read to you in a fairly good automated rendition. The text highlighted in time with the narration, and it could be paused and restarted. I further noticed that the heading fonts on the page were big and wavy and colourful, and there is also an interesting big-scale, colourful graphic that summarised the content. I must admit, although I enjoy reading, I went straight to the interactive graphic to get the underlying message quickly! Anyway, I thought this was a good example of a website that was accessible to those with dyslexia, but was also interesting and accessible for everyone.

It got me wondering if everything on the Web improves learning for everyone, not just for students with dyslexia (reading), dyspraxia (fine motor skills), dysgraphia (writing) and dyscalculia (maths). It seems to me that the UDL (Universal Design for Learning) framework offers some hope — I wrote more about this in a previous blog called UDL and Teaching.

Our own experience in applying the principles of UDL

We have always taken this issue seriously. We are increasingly applying UDL principles to our e-learning programme called LEARNZ virtual field trips which has been operating on the Web for 20 years, reaching a wide diversity of New Zealand teachers and students. We are always looking at ways to make our field trips more engaging and more accessible and UDL is part of the “heavy lifting” we undertake so precious teacher time goes further in reaching all students in a class. For students with dyslexia, any learning experience that removes total reliance on printed text should be beneficial.

The benefits of web conferencing as a useful tool for all learners

To provide more immediacy and a more realistic experience for all learners, another addition to LEARNZ is Web Conferencing. It allows multiple interactions to take place in real time between people in different locations. Incidentally, we are also using the same platform to run regular free Teacher PLD about LEARNZ.

During field trips, web conferencing enables our guest experts in the field, such as scientists or conservationists, to discuss and answer students’ questions. LEARNZ teachers, working alongside the experts can also connect to the platform using their mobile phone over the cellular network. Enabling the webcam on their mobile phone means they can show who the experts are, where they are and what they are working on. Back in the LEARNZ office support staff preload or upload in real time related material like photos, diagrams, charts, raw data and web links or summarise spoken responses in the text area. Students, or teachers on their behalf, type questions live into a chat window and the expert’s support people or the LEARNZ support people answer them straight away or provide hints to guide their inquiry.

The multi-mode nature of web conferencing, its immediacy and flexibility allows all students to get a sense of what’s going on and to deepen their understanding. Dyslexic students benefit because web conferencing de-emphasises reading text. Although they may initially find the many nodes of a web conference busy and overwhelming, access via a mobile device shows just one node at a time and allows dyslexic students to focus their attention and spend more time on one activity; such as interpreting a photo.

Web conferencing also allows collaboration. Students, or teachers on their behalf, can upload items to share. It could be photo of a class on its own field trip. It could be a photo of a local action they have taken, like native planting along a waterway. It could be water quality data for discussion.

Conclusion

Combining a field trip experience with a web site and a web conferencing platform whilst applying UDL principles creates a powerful e-learning experience for everyone, dyslexic students included. 

What other sites have you found to be a good user experience for those with dyslexia as well as all users?

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