Field Trip Earth named a Landmark Website for Teaching and Learning by the American Association of School Librarians
Posted: 07-15-2009 : ASHEBORO, N.C.

ASHEBORO, N.C. -- Field Trip Earth, a collaboration between the North Carolina Zoological Society and webslingerz, has been named a Landmark Website for Teaching and Learning by the American Association of School Librarians, a division of the American Library Association. Other Landmark Websites so honored include the Library of Congress, NASA, PBS Teachers, Smithsonian Education, Apple Learning Interchange, Google Earth, WebQuest, and EduTopia.

Field Trip Earth focuses on field-based wildlife conservation research projects ongoing around the world. All of the projects provide classrooms and other site visitors the opportunity to interact meaningfully with wildlife researchers and other conservation experts. Students and other users can read researchers’ field diary entries, direct questions to the researchers and read their responses, listen to recorded satellite telephone calls and other communications, see video taken in the field, and discuss conservation issues. In a sense, students can use the interactive resources of Field Trip Earth to become part of the research team itself.

"This accomplishment was the result of a complete team effort," said Mark MacAllister, Coordinator for On-Line Learning Projects at the North Carolina Zoological Society. ""Field Trip Earth ultimately involved almost 150 people - wildlife researchers on five continents, educators, administrators and, not incidentally, the team at webslingerz. They built and have maintained an attractive and sophisticated system that has met our needs for over seven years. More importantly, webslingerz worked to develop professional and personal relationships that also continue to this day."

"I'm pleased that we have been able to help the North Carolina Zoological Society join the distinguished ranks of the other Landmark Websites for Teaching and Learning," said Jeffrey Hoffman, President & CEO of webslingerz. "From the early days of the stand-alone Elephants of Cameroon project, we have worked continually with Mark and his team to evolve their Internet efforts into Field Trip Earth. This is the very essence of online and distance learning."

For more information about the Landmark Websites for Teaching and Learning: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aboutaasl/bestlist/bestwebsiteslandmark.cfm

For more information about Field Trip Earth: http://www.fieldtripearth.org/

For more information about webslingerz: http://webslingerz.com

For more information about the North Carolina Zoological Society: http://www.nczoo.com