GOING DIGITAL
Learning Portal CONNECTING LEARNERS AND EDUCATORS WITH THE PROVINCE’S NATURAL AND HUMAN HISTORY By Sydney Barnes, Web Publisher Intern, New Archives and Digital Preservation
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mmerse yourself in the natural and human history of British Columbia with the Royal BC Museum’s recently launched website, the Learning Portal. The Learning Portal connects learners and educators of all ages to the history of British Columbia through the eyes of experts from the Museum and Archives.
the site for keywords, pinpoint stories grouped around regions or communities or browse a timeline. Each article begins with a big question to spark learning and conversations.
The content on the Learning Portal includes a diverse group of topics, including information on Victoria’s Chinatown, the province’s biodiversity, the role of the British Crown in BC and First Peoples’ culture and history. Some content is tied to new or past exhibitions, and some is entirely exclusive to the site.
The Learning Portal provides multiple ways to research any given topic, regardless of learning style. Students can access a wealth of information to support and enhance their studies of British Columbia. Younger learners can begin their learning through videos and images, while more advanced learners can access articles by the experts at the Royal BC Museum and find a collection of other online resources particular to a subject.
The site, created in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and with the help of an advisory board of more than 40 teachers and librarians from across the province, focuses on exploration and inquiry as key components of learning. Users can explore through specific themes, browse through articles, search
Articles focus on subject areas already found in British Columbian classrooms: genealogy and family trees, the development of early BC, concepts of Canadian identity, the diverse flora and fauna of BC and more. Viewers can explore these areas through the resources of the Museum and Archives
to: learn how to track their own family history with the help of the BC Archives; watch a digital animation that recreates the oldest-known Chinese Freemasons’ lantern in its original full glory; look at the imaginative illustrations of crabs by Dr Josephine F.L. Hart; or listen to BC bird songs and hone skills of identifying the Great Horned Owl with the Grace Bell collection. Want more? Meet the curators and archivists who study British Columbia every day through their work at the Royal BC Museum. Follow Dr Ken Marr and Dr Erica Wheeler to alpine regions of Northern BC as they collect, record and preserve new plant species for the botany collection. Ever wonder what it takes to study BC’s ancient past? Grant Keddie offers insight into why he became an archaeologist and what he does as Curator of Archaeology at the Museum and Archives. The Learning Portal offers an exciting and easy-to-use platform that is perfect for delving into BC’s natural and human history in a classroom setting or from your own home. Explore the subjects you find most intriguing on the Learning Portal at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/learning-portal
The Learning Portal was made possible through the support of Teck Resources Limited and the generosity of an anonymous private donor. 20
What’s inSight
Spring 2015