Posted October 2006 Students learn about a scientist's life online
		Year 3 students at Ingham State School have gained first-hand experience about what scientists do, and what their lives are like, from zoologist and frog expert Jodi Rowley through an online chat. With teachers Julie Candosin and Anna Burberry, the students have been studying a science unit, Science and the Scientist. The teachers wanted the students to have direct contact with in-the-field scientists. Together with teacher-librarian Colleen Way, they contacted Julianne Cervellin, their Townsville Learning Place Mentor, for suggestions. "I knew about Jodi Rowley, from James Cook University, who has almost completed her Ph. D., and asked Jodi if she would be an online scientist for an online chat with the students," Ms Cervellin said. "Jodi was very keen, so I set up a secure Learning Place project room. Jodi supplied lots of great photos and these were loaded, ready for the chat."

On the day of the chat, the students were fascinated with Jodi's descriptions of her work, fitting tiny transmitters to rainforest frogs so they could be tracked to find out where they spent their time. "Jodi's stories of leeches, mosquitoes and trekking through the rain at 3 a.m. didn't put any of the students off. They all wanted to be scientists!" Ms Cervellin said. "The students were thoroughly prepared, and had interesting, well-thought-out questions ready. This resulted in an extremely lively and engaging chat session. The chat clarified their perceptions about scientists, and motivated students to consider themselves as scientists, even in a classroom context."

Ms Cervellin said that teachers at the school are making the Learning Place communication tools an integral part of the teaching and learning process. "They plan with the teacher-librarian to integrate quality resources and a variety of media and mediums in their units of work," she said.

Workshops in Ingham in Term 4 will allow teachers in the cluster to explore Blackboard tools via the Virtual Classroom, and to set up their own E-classrooms.

"The chat with Jodi was an amazing experience for the students," Ms Cervellin said. "Teachers and students were so motivated in this active dialogue with the online guest that they all want much more of this type of online experience. It says something when no-one wanted to log out of the chat – including the guest scientist!"