Wicked...That’s My Skeleton And Organs
July 2, 2013
Wellington children and adults are about to learn the complexity of the human body and what they need to do to look
after it and remain healthy.
The Life Education Trust’s new prototype classroom, which is equipped with the latest digital technology, will be shown
to Wellington children and supporters later this week.
The Trust, established 25 years ago, now teaches health and nutrition to 225,000 individual primary and intermediate
children each year and 350,000 over the two year period.
Their latest mobile classroom, which was unveiled when the Prime Minister launched their 25th annual conference in May,
is intended to propel the Trust into the next 25 years as a relevant and essential player in the health curriculum using
technology to engage children’s imaginations.
Through the latest technology, software replicates the human skeleton and organs and demonstrates to children how they
work so they have a greater understanding of their own body.
Life Education Trust’s Wellington based CEO, John O’Connell, says it’s essential the Trust remains at the forefront of a
child’s learning experience and its commitment to the next 25 years is to reinforce its position as a leading and
innovative player in the school environment.
The latest mobile classroom, one of 45 across the country, is equipped with Microsoft Kinetic technology and software
developed by Life Education so a child’s imagination can be captured by the images on the projector based screen.
As they react and move in the mobile classroom, the “augmented reality” of the images becomes their own skeleton and
organs. They will then be able to download the programme and use it as part of their learning and assessment experience
back in the classroom.
“Our challenge in remaining relevant is to integrate our programmes into the school’s needs and learning outcomes,” John
O’Connell says. “The digital classroom is an example of how we’re developing our resources and content to support the
school teacher in the classroom environment.”
While Life Education Trust educators bring their programmes to 50 percent of New Zealand schools annually and 80 percent
every two years, John O‘Connell’s vision is to engage with every child, every year.
“We’re continuing to grow and have the capacity to meet the needs of New Zealand schools. To achieve that we must fund
and introduce 10 more technology driven classrooms in the next five years,” he says.
Two more classrooms have become operational in the last 12 months but meeting the $2 million cost of the 10 new
classrooms requires “new money.” John O‘Connell says the Trust is committed to funding that extra resource.
ends