Virtual learning: a springboard to restoring the broken bond between children and the outdoors

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Kids in forest

Growing up in the 60s and 70s

Our local stream was a quick five-minute ride from home. In these pre-mountain bike days our 3 speeds made the rough track to the bridge hugely exciting. The stream was a wilderness of old willows, a shifting riverbed and a busy road bridge. For much of my early adolescence I played, swam, camped, cooked over fires, fished, fought and generally mucked about in this wilderness. My parents, mostly unaware of what we were up to, didn’t care – provided we were home for tea.

That was growing up in the sixties and seventies. A free-range childhood. We didn’t know about stranger danger, endangered species, ozone depletion or climate change. We did know every nook and cranny of that streambed.

Growing up today — it’s different

Today our children have different experiences. They spend more time IndoorsThey do more organised sport in human-created environments of asphalt and turf. Our children are well informed about the decline of natural values; our ever-increasing list of endangered species and habitats at risk. Nature has become a doom and gloom story.

Nature-deficit an alarming trend

Author Richard Louv in his book Last Child in the Woods explores the divide between children and the outdoors. He calls the lack of nature in the lives of today's wired generation, nature-deficit. He attributes nature-deficit to some of the most disturbing childhood trends such as the rise in obesity, attention disorders, and depression.

It is true that for all of human history children have spent much of their time outside either playing or being in nature. It is part of what and who we are – we’re genetically wired to need nature. Louv argues that treasured moments of wonder in nature, such as discovering what exists on the underside of a rock or hearing the wind in the leaves, are a rich source of spiritual growth.

While better informed, our children are being put off nature

In recent years I have taken interest in this so-called nature deficit disorder. I’ve wondered about what it is to be a Kiwi; the relationship we have with our natural heritage; what we think about 100% Pure; and what the separation of a large proportion of our children from the natural world will mean for New Zealand and Planet Earth.

Our students are arguably better informed about their global environment than ever before. Their awareness of the natural world is largely through television and the Internet; their awareness more an abstraction than a personal reality. The message delivered inadvertently through schools and the media is that the outdoors is dangerous. Regulations and expectations of safety make playgrounds too safe. There is little room for creativity and expression. Our children’s environment is increasingly de-natured and their perceptions of the natural world are devoid of personal experiences.

What does this mean for the likes of virtual field trips? The answer is surprising.

So perhaps you’re thinking this is all a bit rich coming from the Project Director of a virtual field trip programme? Well it could be if student involvement in virtual field trips (VFTs) resulted in less time spent outdoors. The evidence suggests otherwise. Teachers are telling us that students are inspired during VFTs by getting to know people who work in the outdoors. They are motivated to learn more about conservation and want to get involved. The student experience with environmental VFTs is creating a desire to get out and do stuff in the outdoors.

Look at some of the feedback we’ve received:

The children were enthralled by this trip. They all want to go and walk the Routeburn for real now! A great way to 'hook' the children in. So interactive and 'real'.
–  Joanne Mortimer from Weston School

Students found it very engaging and enjoyed being able to go on the LEARNZ website at home as well.  One student and their family is now going to go and walk the Routeburn Track next school holidays.
– Te Whaea Ireland from Karoro School

They developed their knowledge of pest threats in NZ and also developed a positive attitude to how they can help with campaigns like Project Crimson & Living Legends. LEARNZ is an excellent programme.
– Philip Lightbourne from Kairanga School

The biggest benefit was being able to relate to it on a personal level and also to be able to follow up on it in our local community. 
– Jane Pearson from Hira School

My students enjoyed it and learnt so much. They were inspired and did their own projects on kauri dieback.
–  Julia Kippen from St Mark's School (Pakuranga

LEARNZ is wonderful for those students who learn in different ways e.g. listening (and they can refer back to recordings to check information). We are now interested in "adopting" a local reserve and planting some natives, including kauri.
– Debra Sheeran from Pukenui School

We also followed up with a visit in our local area to a native bush stand.
– Vicki Karetai from Brooklyn School Motueka

We are now going to visit the local bush and observe our trees.
– Sharlene Tornquist from Kaiwaka School

Virtual field trips could be a vehicle for a real-life appreciation of nature

We haven’t designed our VFTs to necessarily achieve outdoor activity outcomes. But why don’t we?

The evidence is that LEARNZ VFTs have the capability to motivate large numbers of students. So what if we placed more emphasis on action outcomes from our VFTs? What if we partnered with organisations that could broker relationships between schools and local environmental projects? What if virtual field trips became a platform for energising and mobilising the imagination and spirit of young people? And what if there was a campaign to soak up that energy where young people could get involved with nature.

Your comments welcome

What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts about nature deficit. How can we restore that age-old relationship between people and the planet? If you've seen your students inspired by a LEARNZ field trip, what were the outcomes? How might we organise ourselves to harness that inspiration and get kids outdoors?

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Confessions, assumptions, and keeping your educator brain alive

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Confessions of a teacher: getting the brain alive

I’ve been thinking about my recent experience in getting to grips with educational research and escaping the confines of my assumptions. My involvement in an education innovation project has enabled me to do exactly that, and I can certainly recommend it — provided you are prepared to visit spaces outside your comfort zone.

The need to go beyond your comfort zone and assumptions

Having the time to read, reflect, think, visit schools, talk with teachers and students, and engage in professional conversations about a topic of interest is like taking a very deep breath of fresh air. It’s enjoyable but scary at the same time. Scary, because, not only am I working towards an outcome that is not yet known (thanks to the design methodology process being followed), but I also realise that my educational focus has gradually narrowed over the last few years.

 

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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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Connecting schools with scientists

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Most primary school students are full of wonder and curiosity about the world around them. Our job as educators is to embrace this and encourage further purposeful enquiry. Sometimes, however, we can be ill prepared for the complexity of the questions that are thrown our way, particularly when it comes to science. Just imagine if you had a scientist that you could call upon to answer some of these curly questions, and just how much would students gain from asking this expert?

Speaking the same language

I used to think that, as a teacher of science, part of my job was simply to connect my students with scientists. But this is oversimplifying what is actually a complex interrelationship. Educators and scientists often do not speak the same language. If you were to invite a scientist into your classroom to answer your students’ questions would the responses they give be useful?  Probably not, unless you had spent time preparing both the scientist and your class to ensure you could converse in a common language.

There is an increased drive for schools to connect with their science community. This requires active partnerships where both scientists and educators contribute and recognise each other’s expertise. Even with the ability to connect online it can be difficult to establish connections with the science community, especially if you are trying to contact individuals who are already busy with their normal workload.

An easier way to create these connections in a meaningful way is to use an ‘interpreter’ — a person whose job it is to broker a relationship between experts and schools. I became a virtual field trip teacher with LEARNZ back in 2009, and since then I have facilitated many connections between teachers, their students, and experts out in the field. Much time is spent talking with experts both before and during the field trip to gain an understanding of their work. I can then explain the intricacies of the New Zealand curriculum, the prior learning of students, and how they as scientists can best share their knowledge to engage these students. In this way LEARNZ can take the hassle and hard work out of connecting your class with scientists within the meaningful and relevant context of a virtual field trip.

snowmobiles trekking in Antarctica
Students can see what life is like in places like Antarctica during LEARNZ virtual field trips and talk with scientists working in the field.

Developing these connections between schools and scientists is also of benefit to scientists who want to foster an interest in science, encourage the next generation of scientists, and share their research. Increasingly, this partnership is also required to meet the obligations from those who allocate research grants.

Sparking interest

I used to be a little sceptical of the ‘virtual world’ that the Internet can offer. But, after delivering numerous virtual field trips and participating in webinars and the likes for professional development, I can see that rather than trying to replace reality, virtual applications offer something that would otherwise be inaccessible. Virtual field trips, for example, are not designed to replace actual class field trips, but to engage your students in a novel, yet relevant learning experience.

Recently, I was lucky enough to travel to Antarctica to deliver one such field trip. I have always dreamed of going to Antarctica, and even though this was my second visit to this white wilderness, I was still really excited, as I knew I would be able to share my journey with thousands of students from around New Zealand. Although Antarctica is a remote and inhospitable place, it still captures the imaginations of many people, and as we all contemplate a future affected by climate change, Antarctica remains highly relevant to us all.

A curious penguin visits the LEARNZ team on location
During the LEARNZ Antarctica field trip students met a few local residents as well as scientists.

Antarctica is the perfect place for scientists, as it is largely unmodified by people and, therefore, offers scientists the ideal place to investigate natural processes. Throughout the two weeks that I spent in Antarctica I was able to follow the work of a group of scientists from the University of Otago and the American SCRIPPS institute working on Antarctic marine food webs. I facilitated conversations between the scientists and students back in New Zealand. Students took part in audio conferences and a chat room using Adobe Connect. The daily action was shared through videos, photos, and diaries. Background pages and activities on the LEARNZ website allowed enough domain knowledge to be gained prior to the field trip to allow students to ask meaningful questions yet also spark further inquiry. Two hundred and thirty five classes were enrolled in the trip, and from the evaluations that we have received it seems that students not only learnt a lot, they also really enjoyed the field trip. Students appreciated being able to talk with scientists who understood how to best answer their often challenging questions and were totally engaged by the authentic context of Antarctica.

You can watch a video about why the scientists chose to work out at Cape Bird in Antarctica:

Why Cape Bird from LEARNZ on Vimeo.

Future Focused Science

The Chief Science Advisor’s 2011 report on Science Education for the twenty-first century raised questions about how to ‘engage and enthuse’ more young New Zealanders in science, and whether the science we teach is addressing the ‘serious questions we will face in the future’. If we are able to connect schools and scientists we can ensure that up-to-date scientific knowledge is provided, students’ horizons are expanded, and students can be inspired by role models within the science community. Real-life authentic science can be shared, which allows students to apply their scientific knowledge and knowledge from other domains to address real-world challenges. LEARNZ and other initiatives can help create these connections and ultimately help foster and focus the intrinsic curiosity and capabilities of our students.

Links

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Making connections with ICT

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Making connections with ICT

I was thinking the other day about a discussion I had with my lecturer at teachers’ college about aspects of culture. I can’t remember exactly what context it was in, but I recall at the time saying that I felt I had no real culture. This is now in contrast to today, where I feel a great sense of connection to my culture, or at least a connection to what it means for me to be a “Kiwi”, raising a family in this wonderful country, and making positive contributions to the community in which I live.

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