The greatest number of school and students within Learn-Now this term, are those involved with our Travel to Turkey programme. We've gone global with International Cyber Trips...not wanting to tred on the toes of LEARNZ, who run the most spectacular NZ based field trips, rich in Science, in particular.Pauline McLeod, an ICTPD facilitator within the Cambridge district is off to Turkey and right beside her, are several schools who've been getting a taste of life online together, with a common theme. Learn-Now hosts her trip and has enrolled a huge number of students as her virtual tourists.
Pauline has her travel blog underway, the Learn-Now site has been running a Travel to Turkey programme and we've had students as young as 5 involved. There's been a great attempt to immerse ICT with inquiry based learning, and students 'home sick' haven't been able to take down time, logging in so as to not miss a beat.
The go-getter attitude of some schools has been wonderful. It's a tough call for teachers to let students lose with others 'on the internet', let alone squeeze yet another thing into the already tight programme. All credit to those who've let it happen - or more to the point for some..let their students 'go', work with us and explore a little bit at a time. Just over 100 threads within forums have featured in the very recent weeks, 18 'live' workroom discussions and copious emails. Not bad for a trip that's yet to step foot on the aeroplane...
There are three aspects to the programme:
1) Partake in an inquiry study
2) Engage in role play: be a consultant for Pauline eg: travel, food, medical...
3) Watch and interact with the trip as Pauline 'beams' in from Turkey.
If reading this and interested in taking part - or know of someone who could be, please contact us. We need to assign access to the actual student site, for facilitation & monitoring purposes. Ready for new members - now... interested particularly in proactive connections and contributors. Watch this space! This is still 'early days'...
