Whether it is planning an end of the year activity with another class within your school district, or writing a story with a class in Asia, there are ways in which your students can share their ideas and work together towards a common goal. They can accomplish this even if their teammates are separated geographically. In addition to broadening their experiences beyond their own community, they will be improving their communication skills. Because the form of communication is the written word, students learn to appreciate how important good writing skills are to effective online communication. They also develop strategies for successful collaboration, and a better understanding of geographical and cultural differences.

You might want to begin a small, short-term project with the class down the hall. In this way you could develop a plan with the other teacher, in person, and evaluate the project as it progresses. Input from your students can be extremely useful, and discussions about the challenges and advantages of online collaboration can inform future projects.

When you are ready, you can take on a more extensive and far-reaching project.

The Department of Education hosts the International Collaboration on the Internet site, with projects designed for children from 5 to 19 years old. The Social Studies section includes The Teddy Bear Project, which could be used with young children. Two classrooms are paired and are asked to exchange teddy bears through traditional mail. Students then send email messages with diary entries written by the teddy bears, describing their adventures in their new homes. Teddy bears have recently traveled from Kyrgyzstan, Australia, and Estonia. The site contains information on a a wide variety of other projects, and has detailed instructions on how to join.

The Global School House Internet Projects Registry has a listing of projects that is searchable by age level and starting date. "What Will I Do When I Grow Up?" is a project for middle school students with resources designed to help them plan their future. A goal for the "Kidville Pledge" project, designed for third graders, is to learn mutual respect and understanding of others.

Co-nect Teleprojects boasts that you can "join the largest book discussion in the world!" Students from kindergarten through high school can participate, and there are scheduled online events. The "Kids 'N Fitness!" project includes Co-nexercise, an online competition between classrooms comparing how much they exercise in a given week. "The Link: Co-nect's Webzine for Students" allows you to publish your students' writing and artwork.

Another form of collaboration is the online, or "virtual", adventure. Outfitted with laptops and satellite communications, individuals and teams of adventurous people can exchange email with students back home in their classrooms. Adventures that would otherwise be too expensive, time consuming, or dangerous for class field trips, can be experienced with day-to-day reports and interaction with the team of explorers. Classroom Connect cosponsors some of the best known virtual adventures including MayaQuest, AmazonQuest, AfricaQuest , AustraliaQuest, Galapagos Quest, and AsiaQuest. There is even an AmericaQuest for those who would prefer their explorations closer to home. You can read about the upcoming projects at Classroom Connect's The Quest Channel. Please note that it is necessary to register with Classroom Connect in order to actually use any of these online quests.

HILITES, sponsored by the Global Schoolhouse, lists online expeditions including sitesALIVE!. Participants travel "aboard" a ship with a crew of forty high school students, and sail around the world visiting exotic ports such as Easter Island and Cape Horn. On another expedition you can travel with Mick Bird on a 26,000-mile voyage around the world -- in a rowboat! Students get daily logs and can interact with the adventurers.

Guidelines for Choosing and Participating in Collaborative Projects

1. Make sure that you have sufficient information to make an informed decision about whether the project is appropriate for your students. The following information is essential:

• the curriculum goals that will be addressed
• the age level, or grade level, suggested
• the starting and ending date of the project
• the costs involved, if any
• what materials need to be sent to you
• what materials you will need to purchase
• what computer equipment and peripherals are required

2. Decide whether the project truly fits into your curriculum. If it does not, is there a way that you can adapt it so that it will be appropriate? Can you participate in just a portion of the activities?

3. Read over all of the literature on the project. You usually can find it at the project's web site. Sometimes there are curriculum materials that you can view from a previous offering of the project.

4. Make sure that you can fit the project activities into your schedule, and that assigned tasks can be completed by the required deadlines. Before and during the project, you can create a timeline to post in your classroom so students can see a visual representation of the activities.

5. Set a standard, with your students, for email communication and postings to conference boards. You have an opportunity to discuss the benefits of good writing, correct grammar and spelling, and informative and creatively-written content.

Most teachers find that international collaborative projects can be enriching experiences for their students and for themselves. Their students can engage in real world challenges and group problem solving with students from around the world. A common byproduct is that many students are highly motivated to write to an audience of other students, and that they care more about the appearance and clarity of their writing, than if the audience were their classmates or just their teacher. Spelling, punctuation, and grammar get self-checked more frequently. Peer editing is an option that students employ more seriously.

If you have even just one available computer with a reliable Internet connection, you can participate in many of the projects listed in this article. There are more web links to explore in the Web Spotlight of this month’s newsletter. Take advantage of the power of the Internet and the opportunities to enhance your curriculum, as you take your class virtually to almost anywhere in the world.

Back to the November, 2001 issue of Sun Associates News

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