Halifax – WEBWIRE – Wednesday, September 21, 2022

The National Film Board of Canada and the Ocean Frontier Institute’s Ocean School is kicking off the new school year with a new bilingual resource library on its platform that gives students and teachers a wider view of what happens in our oceans.

To celebrate the launch and the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, Ocean School will host an online information session on September 27, 2022, at 7 p.m. EDT, led by Jac Gautreau, Executive Producer of Ocean School; Boris Worm, Scientific Director of Ocean School; and Heather De Lagran, Education Producer of Ocean School. The session will include a guided tour of Ocean School‘s new resource library, new collections, features and content on the platform, as well as upcoming projects and a discussion about the UN Ocean Decade.

Fun facts:

• The resource library has more than 100 pieces of media and 27 themed collections streaming free online for students, teachers and parents to explore ocean issues, including virtual reality, interactive media, augmented reality and short documentary videos.
• The resources include ready-made activities for students in grades five through 12, which can be searched by keywords, grade, subject and type of media.
• Students get to interview innovators and scientists in Canada and from around the world about their work, exploring how new technology and ideas are used to study and protect the ocean.

Features of the new Ocean School experience include:

• An ad-free and login-free experience to enjoy in the classroom or at home;
• A secure experience for learners without collecting student data;
• Described video and closed captioning for learners with visual and hearing impairment;
• Collections curated by educators and scientists to address themes like climate change, biodiversity, Indigenous perspectives on the environment, and STEM careers;
• Ready-made activities for learners to accompany each piece of media. The activities are Creative Commons, so teachers can adapt them to meet their students’ needs;
• Tools for teachers, including integrations with Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams that allow them to share resources with just a few clicks;
• A responsive design to meet classroom needs by allowing usage on a variety of devices.

Ocean School’s project “Building Ocean Literacy through Community Engagement” is an official action of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030).

Quotes 

“We’re proud that, through the support of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ocean School will be part of Canada’s contribution to the Ocean Decade. Our work will highlight how communities in our northern latitudes and around the world are innovating to solve ocean challenges, fostering a stronger connection between people and the sea.”

– Boris Worm, Scientific Director, Ocean School

“Ocean School is beautiful. Everything that’s on there is really well filmed, well produced. I also like that it’s kind of meeting the students where they’re at right now. Students definitely have taken to using their phones a lot, and I think this actually gives them a positive opportunity to use the media that they’re familiar with and comfortable with right now in a really positive way. Ocean School is accessible on their mobile, it’s accessible on our class devices too. That’s the key. It’s engaging for them.”

– Kira Janisse, Grade 11 Biology Teacher, Toronto District School Board

“Ocean School is a way I can bring the ocean to my students without the expense of a field trip. It is immediate and engaging, I can dive in for a quick ‘minds on’ or a full science or geography lesson. For students who, in some cases, have never even walked along a body of water, Ocean School empowers them with the beauty and power of the ocean in a way that demonstrates why committing to the stewardship of the planet is an essential and lifelong event.”

– Melissa Dent, Grade 7 Teacher, Lambton Kent District School Board

About the Ocean Frontier Institute

The Ocean Frontier Institute was established in 2016 and is a partnership led by Dalhousie University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and University of Prince Edward Island. The Institute is now an international entity administering the Canada First Research Excellence Fund—The Safe and Sustainable Development of the Ocean Frontier, the Ocean Graduate Excellence Network (OGEN), Ocean School, and the North Atlantic Carbon Observatory (NACO).

About the NFB

The NFB is Canada’s public producer of award-winning creative documentaries, auteur animation, interactive stories and participatory experiences. NFB producers are embedded in communities across the country, from St. John’s to Vancouver, working with talented creators on innovative and socially relevant projects. The NFB is a leader in gender equity in film and digital media production, and is working to strengthen Indigenous-led production, guided by the recommendations of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. NFB productions have won over 7,000 awards, including 20 Canadian Screen Awards, 17 Webbys, 12 Oscars and more than 100 Genies. To access NFB works, visit NFB.ca or download its apps for mobile devices.

Associated Links

Ocean Frontier Institute

United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development

French version here | Version française ici.