1. The Global Schoolhouse
1) Overview
This is designed for students and teachers to colloborate one another in order to improve their learning process through technology. The project enalbes for them to learn language, communication skills and intercultural communication through exchange ideas and opinions. Although physical distance exists between different groups of students and teachers, they can use technology to lower the walls between them.
This pragram is supported and has partnership with famous people. In the video which introduces about GlobalSchoolNet, I could see a number of people who are famous in their field endorse this program such as Al Gore, Bill Gates and so on. This proves that the program has more validity and reliability to use.
One project draws my attention on the website. International School Cyber Fair! This is project that many groups of students compete globally. It is the event held every every and endorsed by White House. Every year, they have new theme such as "Empower and Unite(2007), Learn and Unite(2008), and Teach and Unite(2009).
If it's possible, I think it's good to participate in this fair with the students. Since we can take a look winners' final products on the website, we can show them to the students how to do it. Also there are a lot of information about the procedures. In the way of doing it, the students are able to learn their own communinty and global community as well.
If participating requires too much work for both students and teachers, it can be modified into smaller projects. What I mean is that the teacher takes motif from the Cyberfair and holds class cyber fair, so that the students can work on the smaller projects.
2. Epals
1) Overviews
This website is used many students and teachers to share their ideas. It emphasizes that the website is specifically designed to educational environment so it's safe to use in the classrooms.
2) Special Features
This website includes that translation function so it enables the students who has low English proficiency skill to communicate with other students all over the world.
3) How to use in classroom
This website can be useful in the classroom where students can learn each other and communicate with other students who are living in other countries using English. One of the reasons that I think it's beneficial in the language class is that students can actually use English to communicate with other people in the world.
The students can ask questions about a certain country's culture to people who are from that culture. Also they can discuss and express their opinion on the forum according to the topics they are interested in.
As far as learning another language, is concerned, can I put in a word for the global language, Esperanto?
ReplyDeleteAlthough Esperanto is a living language, it helps language learning as well.
Five British schools have introduced Esperanto in order to test its propaedeutic values. The pilot project is being monitored by the University of Manchester and the initial encouraging results can be seen at http://www.springboard2languages.org/Summary%20of%20evaluation,%20S2L%20Phase%201.pdf
You might also like to see http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8837438938991452670
Alice,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughtful review of these two sites. As you have pointed out, global collaboration projects can be very beneficial for English language learners. By focusing on content but with the need to make communication clear to a real audience, students can be motivated to do their best and improve their language skills.
Dr. Burgos