The Pembina Institute today launched www.greenlearning.ca, a dynamic and innovative education web site that combines interactive online learning techniques with downloadable teacher activities. The launch was celebrated at Mount Royal Elementary School in Edmonton with a demonstration of the new Science 5 program called "Electricity All Around Us."
Greenlearning.ca is designed to meet core curriculum objectives in selected Alberta Social Studies and Science courses. Using a mix of online interactive and downloadable conventional activities, the program provides accurate and engaging Alberta environmental information, resources and support to all schools in the province.
Other Alberta modules are already in the works for Science 24, Science 7 and Social 20 and plans are underway to introduce the program to British Columbia and Ontario schools.
Greenlearning.ca's EnerAction module, due in 2004, will help students learn about the environment and help schools save energy, avoid greenhouse gas emissions and save money. Every Canadian can access the web site's environmental resources.
"Everything a teacher needs, including lesson plans, activities and resources, are available at greenlearning.ca," says project manager, David Dodge. "Typically, environmental educators struggle to find curriculum connections to help teachers fulfill Alberta Learning requirements," says Dodge.
"We take the reverse approach. From the outset, we satisfy specific learner expectations in core subject units while infusing real world facts and information about renewable energy, energy conservation, climate change and other topics-all within the context of Alberta."
"Greenlearning.ca activities are interactive and work well online, but about 80 per cent are downloadable and usable right in the classroom. Program flexibility ensures that a teacher can use one or all of the activities. This makes it ideal for teachers who may have access to the Internet but still want to spend most of their time at the front of the class in personal engagement with their students," say Dodge.
Pembina's education group consists of former educators who will work with teachers and learners in a collaborative effort to improve activities and materials. This resource is provided free of charge to Alberta teachers and students and citizens at large and is supported by public and corporate sponsors.