Interpersonal Exchange


Below are many examples of curriculum-based projects designed using Interpersonal Exchange activity structures.

The Web sites mentioned in Judi Harris's Virtual Architecture are marked with a book icon:[ ] .

1. Keypals
2. Global Classrooms
3. Electronic Appearances
4. Telementoring
5. Question-and-Answer Activities
6. Impersonations
Other Works Cited


Structure 1: Keypals

Australian Connection
Grade:  5
Ongoing? No
Do you know what "vegemite" is?  Neither did a group of Canadian fifth graders, that is, until they started corresponding with a group of enlightening peers in Tasmania, Australia.  This simple Web page lists all sorts of amusing facts gleaned from a month of trans-oceanic e-mail exchanges.

Keypal Locator Services

Dave's ESL Cafe
Grades: K-12
Ongoing? Yes
Students can make friends and discuss topics that they find interesting (e.g., pets, cinema, hobbies).  In this example, the keypal relationship is built mostly through online threaded discussions.

ePals
Grades:  K-12
Ongoing?  Yes
ePals calls itself "the world's largest classroom keypal network," and from the looks of things, it probably is.  This attractive site makes it easy for teachers and students to search for keypals by region, language, grade level, and topic.  A particularly powerful aspect of this site is its availability in three languages--English, Spanish, and French--making it truly accessible to a wide audience.  (The site features information on non-European languages as well...a search for "Hindi" produced 4 potential keypal matches!)  In addition, you will find chat rooms and a well-annotated list of resources to help you as you plan your keypals project.

Back to Top of Page


Structure 2: Global Classroom

ENO—A Global Web School for Environmental Awareness
Grades:  K-12
Ongoing?  Yes
Sponsored by the European Commission and National Board of Education, ENO creates a global school environment with over 100 schools from over 50 countries participating in a year long program that is actually part of their curriculum.  The purpose of ENO is to raise environmental awareness.  There are two lessons per week and you must apply during the previous school year in order to participate.  Registration information is available at the site.

Interlink
Grades: 9-12
Ongoing? No
Here, you will see how schools in the United Kingdom and New Zealand communicated with each other to explore the history, economy, and culture of each other's countries.  Be sure to check out the Projects Page and the What are they Like? section to see some truly interactive learning.

Peace Diaries: Volume II
Grades:  K-12
Ongoing?  Yes
The Peace Diaries’ motto is a quotation by Ghandi:  “We must be the change we wish to see.”  Sponsored by the Kellogg Foundation, the site promotes collaboration between teachers and students on projects to learn about each other and help improve the quality of life one small change at a time.  The web site contains discussion boards for teachers and students on topics such as family, culture, food, our environments, and other issues raised at the World Summit for Sustainable Development.  There is a link to a collaborative project with various organizations to increase the world’s resources such as fold.  Along with the written collaboration, there are Peace Diaries Radio Shows that can be listened to via a link on the site.  Before you can access the Peace Diaries, Volume II in its entirety you must register.  Peace Diaries, Volume I may be accessed by clicking on the picture of the dove.

[ ] The Read to Write Project
Page 21 of Virtual Architecture
Grades: 3-12
Ongoing?  No
Imagine virtual book clubs in which students worldwide share analyses, discuss literature, and publish their own work over the Internet.  That's what you'll find at the The Read to Write Project.  If you visit this site, be sure to check out the student-created matrices that allow for comparative studies...a perfect example of something that couldn't be done so well (and so collaboratively) without the help of Internet technologies.

[ ] Voices of Youth
Page 22 of Virtual Architecture
Grades:  4-12
Ongoing? Yes
Unicef's Voices of Youth is a place where students worldwide can discuss (in three languages) social and economic issues such as child labor, the girl child, and urban children.  This attractive site also includes quizzes and interactive "games" to set the tone for deep discussion and learning...one particularly powerful example is an interaction on stereotypes.

Back to Top of Page


Structure 3: Electronic Appearances

Ask the Space Scientist
Grades: K-12
Ongoing? Yes
This site has answered over 24,000 questions from students around the world since August 1995. Visit this site to find answers to questions like: Did ancient peoples really predict solar eclipses? and How are satellites prevented from crashing into each other? Or better yet, ask your own question!

Eyewitness to History
Grades: 4-12
Ongoing? Yes
"Eyewitness to History" accounts of fifty historical events will provide students with a deeper understanding of history. Enticing vignettes, with titles such as Battlefield Tragedy, The San Francisco Earthquake, and On Safari, will make wide-eyed students feel like they're really conversing with people from the past. (Please note that these are prewritten "electronic appearances" rather than interactions online with people impersonating historical characters.)

Timewitnesses
Grades: 3-12
Ongoing? Yes
Help your students understand the harsh realities of war. The Timewitnesses site tells the individual stories of people who lived during the 1940s (most are European). At the end of each person’s story (many are translated into French and German), they have included an email address for children to ask questions they may have about Wartime life. A recent addition to the site is a list of recipes from the times of severe food shortage. Resources include a searchable archive of stories.

[ ] A Visit with Dr. Francis Crick
Page 25 of Virtual Architecture
Grades:  9-12
Ongoing? No
This site features a transcript of an interview with the co-discoverer of the structure of the DNA molecule.  While this electronic appearance does not allow students to e-mail the Dr. Crick, they will get a chance to learn his thoughts on the discovery, in his own words.

[ ] Women of NASA
Page 25 of Virtual Architecture
Grades:  4-12
Ongoing? Yes
Through profiles and weekly web chats, students get a glimpse of the integral role of women in America's space program.  Students will get a chance to "meet" women of a range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, in both English and Spanish.

[ ] A Visit with Zlata Filipovic
Pages 24-25 of Virtual Architecture
Grades:  4-12
Ongoing? No
This page contains a transcript of a synchronous (real time) chat between English-speaking students and Zlata Filipovic, a fourteen-year old Bosnian girl who, in her book Zlata's Diary, wrote of the war in her country.  The participants' bubbling warmth and compassion transformed this formal electronic appearance into a celebration of friendship.

Back to Top of Page


Structure 4: Telementoring

[ ] Electronic Emissary Project
Page 26-27 of Virtual Architecture
Grades:  K-12
Ongoing? Yes
Start here to find subject matter experts in a huge range of curriculum areas.   The Electronic Emissary staff facilitates expert-student e-mail interactions to help your class get the most out of this experience.  Search the database of available telementors or see how other classes integrated telementoring into their curriculum-based work.

[ ] International Telementor Program (formerly the HP Telementor Program)
Page 26 of Virtual Architecture
Grades: 5-College
Ongoing? Yes
In this program, professionals from companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Agilent Technologies "help students, through teacher-supervised projects, in the critical areas of  math, science, professional communication skills and  career/education planning." Be sure to check out the spotlights to find real telementoring success stories!

[ ] Letters on Spanish Texas
Page 27 of Virtual Architecture
Grade: 4
Ongoing? No
This site chronicles the correspondence between two Texas history buffs and a group of curious fourth grade Social Studies students. The discourse that develops between the two groups is rich with detail, personality, and intellectual stimulation.

Telementoring Young Women in Science, Engineering & Computing
Grades: 4-12
Ongoing? No
This was a three year project that built on-line communities of support among female high school students, professional women in technical fields, parents, and teachers.  Specifically, this project "encouraged young women to pursue courses and careers in science, engineering, and computing by providing sustained support from and communication with female professionals."

Back to Top of Page


Structure 5: Question-and-Answer Activities

Ask an Expert Sites Index
Grades: All
Ongoing? Yes
This exceptionally helpful index classifies the many ask-an-expert sites into curriculum-related categories. (Courtesy of the CIESE Project at Stevens Institute of Technology)

Famous Albertans - Its People and History
Grades: K-8
Ongoing? No
Need a creative way to motivate your students’ interest in their local history?  This Canadian page provides an example of student research and artwork about famous Albertans from the past. As part of the project, student visitors to the Web site asked the student researchers questions, which were later posted and answered on the site.  The project’s host class also created and shared a timeline of local history and a bibliography from their research work.  This project shows how teachers and students can meld history, art, and language arts curricula.

How Stuff Works
Grades: 2-College
Ongoing? Yes
Students and teachers alike can spend hours reading answers to questions like: How Smoke Detectors Work and How Pop Rocks Candy Works. You may use an online form to ask your own questions to the site's authors.

The Hubble Team Answers Your Questions
Grades: 3-12
Ongoing? No
In 1996, NASA, PBS, and NSF collaborated to create a site from which students could e-mail questions to Hubble scientists...check out the archives to get a feel for this innovative project.

[ ] The Mad Sci Network
Page 30 of Virtual Architecture
Grades: All
Ongoing? Yes
This "collective cranium of scientists" answer just about any type of science question...Here are a few to whet your appetite: Why is my refrigerator door harder to open the second time? How much does the average seahorse weigh? Was the Big Bang actually silent?  How is it that blood looks green underwater?  The scientist use casual, age-appropriate, and friendly language to answer students' queries.

Back to Top of Page


Structure 6: Impersonations

[ ] Ask Thomas Jefferson
Pages 31-32 of Virtual Architecture
Grades: 3-12
Ongoing? Yes
Students e-mail questions to the staff at Monticello, who in turn answer in the voice of America's third president, Thomas Jefferson.

Folk Tale Letter Writing
Grades: 2 - 4
Ongoing? No
Look at the Big Bad Wolf in a whole new light, and encourage your Language Arts students to express their creativity at the same time! This site outlines an impersonation project in which younger students (2nd to 4th grade) read a fairy tale and write a response directed to one of the main characters. The older students, using an approach like a literature circle, discuss the issues and character types found in the fairy tales, then they respond as a group to the particular issues that the younger students have raised in their responses. Teacher resources include ideas for eliciting rich and fruitful responses to stories by students.

Hamlet: A Visual and Virtual Reality “to be” Experienced
Grades: 10-12       
Ongoing?  No
Want a new way to approach study of that famous Dane?  This 12th grade class electronically published their work from a Shakespeare unit, providing a great lesson plan for your class to do the same.  Students reviewed Hamlet-related films, role-played characters from the play and answered questions sent to them electronically by other students involved in similar study.  They also posted artwork that they created representing various scenes in the play. An outstanding new way for high school English teachers to help their students approach Shakespeare using modern technology.

Letters to Santa
Grades: K-12
Ongoing? Yes
You will be overwhelmed with good cheer when you visit this bilingual (French and English) site.  In this project, younger students e-mail letters to Santa, to which older students (proxy Santas) reply.  Both parties gain writing skills and receive "warm fuzzies" in the process.

Victorian Lives and Letters
Grades: 9-12
Ongoing? No
Rich conversation develops between students and a Charles Dickens impersonator.  This is a great resource for any teacher helping students to explore the Victorian era.

Back to Top of Page


Other Interpersonal Exchange Resources Cited

[ ] I*EARN
Page 21 of Virtual Architecture
Grades: K-12
Ongoing? Yes
This is a hub of collaborative learning activities for youth around the world.

[ ] KIDLINK
Page 24 of Virtual Architecture
Grades: K-12
Ongoing? Yes
A wealth of mailing lists, chats, resources, and student publication opportunities abound here for youth.

[ ] NASA Quest: Internet in the Classroom
Page 25 of Virtual Architecture
Grades: K-12
Ongoing? Yes
Welcome to a gateway to online space-related resources and activities.

Back to Top of Page

< -- Back to Telecollaboration Index


Last Updated: February 22, 2010