Did you know you could find me in the Digital Human Library? What’s the Digital Human Library? I’m glad you asked!
The Digital Human Library (dHL) is a free educational resource that connects Canadian teachers and students with organizations and experts from all over the world. K-12 teachers registered with the dHL can search for meBook experts like they would search for books in a library. dHL meBooks can then be borrowed to collaborate with classroom teachers on an activity, lesson, or presentation that would later be shared with students using videoconferencing solutions like Skype, FieldTripZoom, H.323 technology, or Google+ Hangouts … So now, in addition to the use of books and other classroom resources, students can now engage with real people, in real time, using videoconferencing technology to learn curriculum-based concepts and skills in new and exciting ways. The Digital Human Library brings the field trip experience into the classroom!
Today there are hundreds of meBooks registered with the dHL, like the Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Botanical Gardens, and Canadian Aviation and Space Museum. meBooks are experts in a variety of subject areas who are interested in sharing their knowledge and expertise with students to help enrich our classroom programs and provide support for teachers. Field trips and guest speakers are expensive, and in many cases the distances are far too great for students to travel. As a result, teachers can offer only a few of these exciting opportunities for learning over the course of the school year. The Digital Human Library is a resource that provides teachers and students with unlimited access to these unique learning opportunities not otherwise available from any other type of classroom resource.
Videoconferencing makes it easy and affordable for teachers to bring the field trip experience into the classroom. Imagine your child sharing stories of adventures to museums, archaeological digs, art galleries, and festivals, or explaining what the class learned from an optometrist, farmer, and musician! The possibilities are endless . . .
The Digital Human Library creates opportunities for teachers and community members to work together to inspire student inquiry, increase student engagement and participation, improve student learning and achievement, and strengthen relationships between communities and schools. These partnerships enhance learning opportunities for students, as well as incorporate 21st century content, global perspectives, learning skills, resources, and technologies into our classroom programs to create resources for students that are relevant, current, accessible and inclusive.
We always talk about how we need to make the world better for our kids. We also need to make the kids better for our world. ~ Martin Molata
Get involved! Try something new. Together we can transform learning in ways that will inspire our students achieve success.
If you would like more information about the Digital Human Library, please visit their blog, or contact Leigh by email.