Global Cooperation

This unit is the most exciting for me to date because it contains sites I can easily use with my students.  I found the sites all similar with projects and ways to connect with other teachers and students around the world.  The Global School House was organized into a very teacher friendly site.  The information under each heading was clear, and informative.  I liked having the background information, because it gave me a sense of validity.  The ability to participate in projects or to find contacts for projects I would like to do seemed to be easy.

The Epals was another site I liked.  Again I was pleased to see how well it was organized, and how easy it seemed to access information about the site and projects, as well as to connect to students around the world.  I thought the section on common questions helpful because it brought to light questions I had not even considered, but would encounter if I started participating.  This site is based on e-mail and blogging which made connections to other classrooms and students more accessible and i think could be a very personal connections for students, which may allow more interaction between students.  In the previous unit I researched Skype, which could be added to this tool, and allow visual, and audio to be included in the connections.  I think students would be very excited to use this tool, along with Epals.

Many of the projects available are cultural and scientific, I would probably like to start by becoming involved with a pre-exisiting project.  Once I am familiar and comfortable, and can better anticipate any complications, I would like to have my students create art trading cards to share with students in classrooms in different places around the world.  Art trading cards are original works of art the same size as traditional sport trading cards, and they are meant to be shared, and traded.  I think the entire project could be developed and Epals would be the best place to start sharing and trading.