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Carolynn Bruton
South Africa |
I have written to many of my friends around the world telling them all about ECELL. The teachers on our contact page have expressed an interest in communicating with you during your ECELL summer school. You have seen their names and their letters showing an interest in what you will be doing this summer. Carolynn Bruton (pictured on the right) is one of these teachers. She's fantastic to work with. Her greeting message gives us a glimpse of her work. You have also seen many messages with greetings and best wishes for you and your students from around the world.
Now, what can you do with all this information?
The depth and level of participation and cooperation with any of these global friends is completely in your hands...and the next steps are up to you. Think about some ways that you might like to interact with other colleagues around the world and possibly have your students interacting with their students.
Step 1: Think about your project and how people from the countries on our list can enhance your project. For example: [and these are just a few]
- Our Friends Around the World - Exchange e-mail with students in Botswana, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Brazil to learn first hand information about "...clothing, music, foods, pets, hobbies."
- Talkstory.com - hearing about customs and sharing stories with students from Argentina, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, etc. would add fascinating learning opportunities to your project.
- Creating a Virtual Zoo or Exploring Animal Habitats - Do you think your students will be curious about animals in Argentina, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, etc.?
Step 2: Decide on a level of collaboration you would like to see.
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Levels of Collaboration |
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teacher to teacher |
Mahenaz Mahmud
Pakistan
Adriana Portella
Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil |
You and a global partner exchange e-mail and share ideas, strategies, cultures, customs, best practices. You might write to this teacher about your project and get input from him/her.
There could be student interaction but perhaps you made contact with Mahenaz in Pakistan and she isn't in school during ECELL. You may simply like to find out more about Pakistan and Mahenaz might be willing to write to your students. Adriana is a principal in Brazil who sent you a greeting message. She's dynamite.
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| students to students |
If your students are young (K-2) you might want to compose messages as a group that you type and send to global friends rather than have your first graders type text for e-mail. Whatever works best for you is the key.
If your students are older they can send e-mail to their global peers with questions or ideas to share about your project. |
Step 3: Write a letter of introduction to the contact telling him/her that you are one of the teachers in the ECELL program in Hawaii. Tell them that I sent you.
Step 4: After you receive a reply, write again to the teacher and discuss how you would like this teacher and class to interact with you during ECELL.
Step 5: Keep us all posted ;-)
The teachers on the greetings webpage may not have students at the same time that you are having ECELL classes. They are sending you best wishes for a successful program... but... they will be around in the fall when regular school begins again. Now you have friends in many additional countries! Write to them and make friends. Who knows what projects you might develop together in the future.
Have fun!
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