An Introduction to Telecollaborative Projects

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An Introduction to Telecollaborative Projects
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What Is Telecollaboration?

• An educational endeavor that involves people in
  different locations using Internet tools and
  resources to work together.
• It is usually curriculum based, teacher-designed
  and teacher-coordinated.
• Most activities use email to help participants
  communicate with each other.
• Many have supporting web sites.

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Educational Benefits?

• Projects can expose participants to differing
  opinions, perspectives, beliefs, experiences and
  thinking processes.
• They have the potential to broaden the curriculum
  and expand global awareness.
• Friendships can develop through communication
  with a live audience using text and imagery.

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Types of Projects

• Interpersonal Exchange
• kepals, global classrooms, telementoring
• Information Collection and Analysis
• information exchanges, electronic publishing,
  telefieldtrips, pooled data analysis
• Problem Solving
• parallel problem solving, simulations, social
  action projects

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Telecollaboration Opportunities

• Website launched recently by President Bush.
• Provides a World Wide Web portal for educators to
  find curriculum-based telecollaborative
  opportunities.

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About Friendship Through Education

• A consortium of non-government organisations and
  private groups.
• Aims to facilitate expanded student and teacher
  exchanges among countries throughout the world.
• Particular aim is to expand links between US
  students and students in countries with Muslim
  populations.

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Organisations Included

• iEARN
• ePals Classroom Exchange
• Global SchoolNet Foundation
• Schools Online
• The UNs Cyberschoolbus
• Sister Cities International

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International Education and Resource Network

• Engaging young people in collaborative
  educational projects

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Learning Circles

• Learning Circles are task-oriented groups of 6-9
  classrooms that plan and implement
  curriculum-based projects.
• Circles are grouped according to themes such as
  Places and Perspectives, Computer Chronicles.

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ePals Classroom Exchange

• The worlds largest online classroom community

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Global SchoolNet Foundation

• Partners with schools, communities and
  businesses to provide online collaborative
  learning.