Encounter Live Lessons bring remote environments, live learning and world experts into your classroom. You can take part with your class, as an assembly, or as a STEM club activity. We also welcome home-schoolers and family participation. This is a comprehensive guide to helping you use live lessons in your teaching. The guide is divided into two parts.
To book a place on an Encounter Live Lesson, you will need to have registered on Encounter Edu. Then browse for any live lessons that are of interest to your class and click ‘Book now’. A short form will ask for further details.
Booking will mean:
Each broadcast has linked ‘Supporting Resources’ to help with preparing your class. These reference different sections of the Encounter Edu website, including the Multimedia page containing video, galleries, activities and virtual reality content, Teacher Resources with full units and lessons, and Professional Development with background information.
No specialist technology is needed for Encounter Live. Live lessons use the YouTube Live platform. If you can view YouTube in your classroom, then you are all set. Most classes find it easier to take part if the live lesson is projected or shown on a large screen.
To take part in the live chat, you will need to have created a YouTube channel and be logged into YouTube.
On the day of a session, get set up in your classroom, showing the Encounter Live page, this is where the live lesson will be shown. You may need to refresh the page.
Make sure you have signed into YouTube, if you want to submit questions and comments via the live chat. This can be found to the right side of the video. You can also submit questions and comments via Twitter by mentioning @encounteredu.
YouTube Live Guidance
If you do not have a YouTube channel, follow the steps below to create one.
Things to remember
Live investigations
Putting into practice ‘working scientifically’, you can either participate actively with your class by doing the investigation at the same time as the live team, or you can join in by submitting your students’ questions.
Expert Interviews
Once you’ve registered for an interview, share the speaker’s profiles with your class. Discuss with students what they would like to know and help them formulate open-ended questions that are 'non-Googleable', such as:
• How did you decide to become a researcher?
• What is your favourite creature on the reef and why?
• What do you think this environment will look like in the future?
• What do you miss most while on expedition?
Look at How to: Generate higher order questions to develop your students thinking skills. It’s best to have questions that consider the speaker's background and knowledge, so be sure to check out the speaker profiles. Questions that have been submitted in advance by registered educators will have priority in the question queue. Additional questions that come up during the broadcasts can be submitted via the live chat.
Ask me anything
These sessions trigger great online and class discussions about marine science topics, geography, environmentalism, climate change and life as science communicators. Before the live lesson prepare for the ‘Ask me anything’ experience by talking with your students about what they would like to know and encouraging them to ask non-Googleable questions, guidance can be found in How to: Generate higher order questions.
Questions from previous years have included:
• Did you pack anything special from home?
• Have you ever swum with sharks?
• What tools do you use most while doing research?
• Can you sleep underwater?