Pen Pals
When I was a student in school, we sent letters to other students in Arkansas. Using technology, classes can unite across the globe to learn more about each other. Through email and language translators, any students can communicate with one another about their lives.
Granted, in today's day and age it is increasingly important to research before you initiate conversation on the web. I intend to study abroad in Australia and hope to gain some contacts there to eventually gain a cooperating class for future students to learn about students just like them, living in a totally foreign environment. However, there would not be a language barrier to conversation should allow them to learn dialect and accepted slang.
Using these pen pals, the students would utilize email to communicate. I would also incorporate a hands on/letter version of the assignment to introduce the postal service as well. After they begin to communicate openly with their pal, I would have them keep a blog about their interactions and the differences between the two. I may also utilize this opportunity to link this into language arts or social studies, having them learn about the region where their student lives, and then write about them. Another aspect may involve a web cam or digital camera, for them to take photographs to communicate with their new friend.
Many of these aspects (email, blogs, digital camera/web cam, etc.) satisfy METS. These would satisfy many standards for students by grade 5. I would further elaborate on these with class discussions, helping them to realize the differences technology can make, emphasis on safety issues while on the internet, using the basic technology, utilizing 'save, open, print, grammar editing, and more.
One main focus of the Pen Pal program, with my ESL experience, would be to allow students to talk to others with a different native language to help them learn common vocabulary, slang, as well as idioms and phrases in their non-native language. I have also had the experience of studying abroad in Australia, where I would like to connect students to ELLs there. It would be a great experience for students to practice communicating with those who are not exactly like them, as well as possibly helping their own grammar and linguistic knowledge through the errors of their pals. Both sides of this program would benefit in many ways, always learning from each other. Student learning from their mistakes and their peers is a powerful method of teaching.
Granted, in today's day and age it is increasingly important to research before you initiate conversation on the web. I intend to study abroad in Australia and hope to gain some contacts there to eventually gain a cooperating class for future students to learn about students just like them, living in a totally foreign environment. However, there would not be a language barrier to conversation should allow them to learn dialect and accepted slang.
Using these pen pals, the students would utilize email to communicate. I would also incorporate a hands on/letter version of the assignment to introduce the postal service as well. After they begin to communicate openly with their pal, I would have them keep a blog about their interactions and the differences between the two. I may also utilize this opportunity to link this into language arts or social studies, having them learn about the region where their student lives, and then write about them. Another aspect may involve a web cam or digital camera, for them to take photographs to communicate with their new friend.
Many of these aspects (email, blogs, digital camera/web cam, etc.) satisfy METS. These would satisfy many standards for students by grade 5. I would further elaborate on these with class discussions, helping them to realize the differences technology can make, emphasis on safety issues while on the internet, using the basic technology, utilizing 'save, open, print, grammar editing, and more.
One main focus of the Pen Pal program, with my ESL experience, would be to allow students to talk to others with a different native language to help them learn common vocabulary, slang, as well as idioms and phrases in their non-native language. I have also had the experience of studying abroad in Australia, where I would like to connect students to ELLs there. It would be a great experience for students to practice communicating with those who are not exactly like them, as well as possibly helping their own grammar and linguistic knowledge through the errors of their pals. Both sides of this program would benefit in many ways, always learning from each other. Student learning from their mistakes and their peers is a powerful method of teaching.