Zooinverse is a people-powered research platform. It is a dream come true for teachers, students, and thousands of people around the world who understand just how important information can be.
The platform allows information and research to be introduced through different venues, making it accessible to educators and students alike. Of course, there is a team of professionals who test results and information before it is passed along to the rest of the users.
One crucial part of an educator's job is developing effective projects or lessons for their students. This is something that Zooniverse is well-aware of, which is why they developed ZooTech. This area of Zooinverse is dedicated to educators and offers things they might need. There are effective teacher-developed presentations to fresh ideas that a teacher may have trouble formulating him or herself.
There are also advanced research settings that help you find lessons that cater to what your students already know, and uses that to introduce a new idea to them. Keep in mind that these lessons, guides, or presentations have already been used by other teachers and have worked. Of course, it is okay to take these lessons as a starting point, and add your unique spin.
Naturally, there are a number of subjects available to educators that range from mathematics, science, humanities, or even art. The kinds of lessons you can find are quite specific as well. Take the Snapshot Chicago project; this project helps Chicago-based students understand the bio-diversity that is alive and well right in their city. It was created by people who understand the city and some of the wildlife there.
The project is meant to help children get a proper introduction to other biology-related lessons that you might be planning. Introducing your children to the subject in this manner does carry the bonus of establishing a connection between the subject and your students.
Keep in mind that this is just one example because there are several lessons that are as location-specific as the one just mentioned if that is what you were looking for.
Zooineverse also wanted to give you and your students an opportunity to contribute. It is often said that the hands-on approach is the most rewarding to students, and you can do that with the help of ZooTech. They have several hands-on projects like the Galaxy Zoo Navigator. This little project will ask your students to help classify galaxies. Students will be provided with graphs and histograms so that they can do their own research under your supervision. It is a great way to learn and possibly contribute to Zooniverse's ever-growing database. We are excited to see where this new platform can lead.