|
Now, decide what you will telecollaborate about and with whom you will telecollaborate.
What
Some teachers begin with a simple project, in which students talk to other students about the weather, sports, music, and so on -- e-mail "pen pals," so to speak. Such non-academic projects often falter, however, when students run out of things to say. A better choice is to select an area of the curriculum you want to focus on and then decide what your students can learn about it through an e-mail exchange.
Who
When selecting a class with whom to telecollaborate, be sure the other class is
- similar to yours in size.
- similar to yours in age/grade level.
- led by a teacher who is as committed to the project as you are.
- covering the curriculum area you want your students to learn about.
Note: E-mailing students in foreign countries might sound particularly educational, but you should be aware that Internet service in other countries often is not as reliable as it is in the United States. Your students could grow frustrated waiting for e-mails that take weeks to arrive. Also, be aware that, because of cultural differences, a middle school student from another city or country might discuss topics that are more mature than your middle school students are prepared for (or vice-versa).
Don't reinvent the wheel! For your first telecollaborative project, consider joining an established program instead of trying to start your own. Check out one of the successful (and free) e-mail projects below.
- Monster Exchange is a great project for younger grades using a group e-mail account.
- Jenuine Tech is the brainchild of a tech teacher in California. Projects encourage students to gather data on a given topic and then submit their classroom results through the teacher's e-mail account. This is an excellent starting point for K-6 classrooms when the teacher has e-mail but students do not.
- Global SchoolNet, the "granddaddy" of collaborative projects, includes a search engine to help you find a project that suits your needs.
- CIESE (The Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education) offers science-related projects for students in upper elementary grades and above. The site contains very clear explanations of each project along with curriculum standards.
Next: Great expectations?
|
