Journeys of Medical Missionary

This morning was stunning! A team of 8-10 year old students had an amazingly bouncy experience, 'live online', with special guest Jo Gundry.

Jo Gundry's a medical student in Tauranga NZ, who's life (between studies) is devoted to voluntary work in third world areas. She's hugely passionate about sharing the experience had in Indonesia last year and became the most outstanding 'Guest' today, that Learn-Now has had in its seven years of operation.

Going 'live' in our workroom (synchronous chat) facility, saw 12 experienced Learn-Now elearners and 11 elearning novices, take her on. Their mission? To inquire after all that she represents, applying their questioning skills, while learning a little more about specific detail and information gathering.

From 'is there punk rock music there?' to 'what's the economy like', Jo Gundry's fingers were smoking in response! Her responses certainly had that 'Wow Factor' - a tag being immersed in all Learn-Now programming this year. Reactions in the computer suite hub, heard the 'No Way! No toilet?' cries, through to 'Oh - no electricity, so of course, no electric guitar'.

Influx vs drip-feed... There was also the reality check for the students, on behalf of the presenter, pertaining to managing an influx of questions vs the drip-feed approach, and avoiding the repetitive nature (ie food being the hottest topic). But such is the nature of learning to work collaboratively and the best use of a community environment. Adopting multi-tasking habits took ahold too, and within moments, the discussion forum almost drowned in a new wave of threads. While Jo was given the go ahead to take up to a week to respond (poor soul's also got an assignment on the lymphatic system to do), just about all was responded to within the next hour.

Journey's of a Medical Missionary launched this week, as a wonderful programme of insight, adventure and problem solving. It's open to elementary, primary, intermediate and middle school students around the world. There's a competition about to launch for the students involved, discussion topics, mind-bending challenges (eg: sterilise some dirty water, fit to drink), and mini case studies. One team enrolled will also bring their whole school on board to be partners in the same journey.

But wait...there's more...
Operation Orphans and One People, One Planet are about to be affiliated partners in this work.

Way2Go Solway Primary!

Solway Primary School, Masterton, has just entered their third year with Learn-Now, enrolling a stunning team of 25 Year 4-6 students.

ERO's visit to Solway presented a favourable reference to Learn-Now last year, so with even greater confidence, another level of programming launches.

Grants, subsidised by parental contributions, a proportion of the G&T and staffing budget manages the funding, while the team of 25 students have been split into two teams. Monday-Wednesday classroom teacher Pam Paterson, is released as the Learning support teacher on Thursdays, supervising the respective Learn-Now teams within the computer suite from 9-11 am, and Learning support thereafter.

The two teams are known as the Year 6 'Lead Team' while the Year 4-5 contingent represent the 'Dream Team'. Each team receives an hour of official school time and already, the students have nabbed extra time in class and at home for more. The long-term plan's been tabled and the learning intentions for Term 1, are already ticking off achievements.

The Learn-Now Solway Primary teams are destined to be:

1. Designers & managers of a Solway Online Student Centre for their Y3-6's;
2. Employees of ChocLot Paradise - designing & marketing a new chocolate product;
3. Participants in Operation Orphans - a Learn-Now international community service programme, producing educational material for a team of 10 orphans in Pakistan;
4. Inquiry learning project managers in Journey's of a Medical Missionary, learning about the life and times of third world survival - spotlighting on Indonesia;
5. Travel consultants for Mascot Mania managing an international Cyber Surfari travel project to selected schools in selected countries;
6. Journalists, Editors, Photographers etc of the Journal Headquarters, creating an Online School Journal, with interactive stories, articles, plays, poems & special features.
7. Youth enterprise business owners, within the Learn-Now Business Zone, designing and implementing small, money making businesses.
8. Vitrual Tourists with Virtual Field Trip to Scotland first... during Term 2-3, as one member of the Lead Team designs a Cyber Surfari for guests (hopefully other schools) to follow, during his lead up and visit to Scotland. In December, they'll head to Pakistan with a NZ med student.
   
9. Programming designers with Made2Order - a student-driven, student-centred programme... Focus unknown as yet, but a real test of applied learning for Term 4, based on Term 1-3 work as they build their own Term 4 programme.
10. Christmas case study workers with Christmas Worldwide - connecting with selected schools & families in selected countries, teaching their traditions to others, reciprocated by international ePal teaching in return.
    

...and that's just what's planned, beyond core key competencies, integrated programming factors, and learning the art of being a collaborative, self-driven elearner. Since flexiblity incorporates highly encouraged spontaneity, there will also be, without doubt other key elements that'll come to fruition. School wide issues, focal points, guests, student requests...etc.

Way2Go Solway!