PBI Tundra Connections

PBI Tundra Connections Facilitator Information

PBI Tundra Connections
PBI Tundra Connections Lesson Plans

PBI conducts live broadcasts—both videoconferences and webcasts—from the tundra during the annual gathering of polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba. Frontiers North Adventure’s distinctive BuggyOne serves as our roving classroom.

Listen and watch leading polar bear scientists, zoologists, and educators conduct live broadcasts that are informative and educational, focusing on the topics of polar bears and climate change. In addition, access updates from the tundra through the PBI's website, Facebook, Twitter, Ning, and blogs.

Lessons from the Tundra. Education resources specific to the webcasts and video conferences are available on the Apple Learning Interchange.

Get connected: Join our webcasts or request a videoconference for your school, board members, green clubs, or business and community leaders.

For educators, your PBI Tundra Connection includes:

• Virtual front row seat on the tundra.
• Opportunities for participants to ask questions and receive answers from experts in real time.
• Interdisciplinary curriculum targeted toward secondary schools and universities. This can be easily adapted to elementary students or other audiences.
• Online resources that include lesson plans with pre- and post-conference activities.

What type of equipment do I need to participate?

• Computer with Safari, Firefox, or Internet Explorer browser.
• Internet connection (high speed, fairly robust).
• QuickTime® Player (free download for both Mac and Windows machines from http://www.apple.com/quicktime).
• E-mail account so that you can submit questions to the panel of experts at rollingonthetundra@me.com during the webcast.
• Video conferencing equipment (i.e., Polycom or Tandberg) if participationg in a video conference.

Who can participate?

• Webcasts are open to anyone who signs in. During the migration, the link to the PBI Tundra Connections will appear on the PBI home page. We recommend you do this approximately ten minutes prior to the actual webcast.
• Video conferences must be prescheduled to participate or you can join a previously-scheduled video conference if invited by another organization.

How do I prepare for a webcast or videoconference?

• Be sure to have the most recent version of QuickTime installed on your computer prior to participating in a webcast. QuickTime is a free download from http://www.apple.com/quicktime.
• Use rollingonthetundra@me.com to email questions during webcasts.
• Test the video connection for scheduled videoconferences at least one day prior to the event. 
E-mail kwright@pbears.org to schedule a time to test IF you have a scheduled and confirmed videoconference. If you are participating through a content provider, check it policy on testing prior to the scheduled event, and please conduct your test video conference directly with the provider, not with PBI Tundra Connections.

Helpful hints. Background information is important prior to participation in a PBI Tundra Connections event. Spend a little time at http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/ as well as the Rolling on the Tundra lesson collection on the Apple Learning Interchange.

If participating with students, we recommend that they know something about how webcasts or video conferences work and that they thoughtful questions to ask prior to the event.

Big paws up to Julene Reed, an Apple Distinguished Educator and PBI Education Advisory Council member, who developed and directs the PBI Tundra Connections program, and to our Platinum Sponsor, Frontiers North Tundra Buggy Adventure. Bear hugs also to Apple Inc., Parks Canada, Dr. Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots, and Immersion Learning.