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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">VICTORIA, BC –
</span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">For a generation that’s growing up swiping screens, texting and puzzling over parental commands to “dial” phone numbers, the
Royal BC Museum’s Learning Portal </span></strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">(</span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://learning.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">learning.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca</span></a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">)
<strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">is a custom-made digital tool, designed for tech-savvy learners who like choice, connecting online and assembling info as they see fit.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">Just in time for</span></strong><span lang="EN-GB">
</span><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">UNESCO’s
<a href="http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/world-teachersday-2015#.VhLBw47F_Px">
World Teachers’ Day</a>, the Learning Portal now offers new tools for teachers and students, including “playlists”– a feature similar to a mixtape (which parents can surely relate to). Anyone can create a playlist by choosing materials offered on the Learning
Portal, mixing and organizing to fit whatever theme or topic they’re most interested in – and then sharing.
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">“The Learning Portal is a dynamic resource that supports the BC Ministry of Education’s new curriculum focus through content
and approach,” said Royal BC Museum CEO Professor Jack Lohman. “The Learning Portal fosters creative thinking and critical thinking – elements of learning that the Royal BC Museum continues to encourage.”
</span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">Some of the most interesting and useful playlists have been created by teachers and education
students; these are all public and ready to share as resources. Check out the playlists at
</span></strong><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://learning.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/our-playlists/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">learning.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/our-playlists/</span></a></span><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">Since launching in February 2015, the Learning Portal has also added lots of terrific new material,
including episodes from the televised series “This Week in History,” featuring the Royal BC Museum’s collections, and “pathways,” which are entry points into Learning Portal subjects as varied as Emily Carr, BC’s species at risk and BC’s gold rush. Soon to
come are pathways about spiders, mammoths and mastodons, the Royal BC Museum’s insect and fish collections, and much more.
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">The
</span></strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">Learning Portal is a window into the
<strong><span style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">Royal BC Museum’s
</span></strong>collections and BC’s history that kids and adult learners can crack open no matter where they live in the province.
</span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">Even its development was province-wide; the Learning Portal was designed with input from a diverse network of educators
across BC, including teachers, librarians and staff from Open School BC and the Ministry of Education. Their input helped the Royal BC Museum select and highlight key points for educators from its collections, with an emphasis on 21<sup>st</sup> century learning
methods and approaches. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">The Royal BC Museum will tweet the launch of new playlists, pathways or other new features on Twitter, using the hashtag
#RBCMlearningportal.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><br>
<a name="OLE_LINK5"></a><a name="OLE_LINK12"><b>About the Royal BC Museum</b></a></span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xbodytext" style="margin-top:.1pt;background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">The Royal BC Museum explores the province’s human history and natural history, advances new knowledge and understanding of
BC, and provides a dynamic forum for discussion and a place for reflection. The museum and archives celebrate culture and history, telling the stories of BC in ways that enlighten, stimulate and inspire. Looking to the future, by 2017 the Royal BC Museum will
be a refreshed, modern museum, extending its reach far beyond Victoria as a world-class cultural venue and repository of digital treasures.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xbodytext" style="margin-top:.1pt;background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">- 30 -<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">Media contact:</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">Royal BC Museum Media Inquiries
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">250-387-5051<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><a href="mailto:news@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">news@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif"">
</span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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