An Introduction to Telecollaborative Projects

• 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.
• 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.
• 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

For more information about telecollaboration see the excellent articles by Judi Harris (originally published in Learning and Leading with Technology, ISTE journal) at:
http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~jbharris/Virtual-Architecture/

• Telecollaboration Opportunities
  - Friendship Through Education web site launched recently by President Bush.
  - Provides a World Wide Web portal for educators to find curriculum-based telecollaborative opportunities.
• About Friendship Through Education
  - A consortium of non-government organization 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.

The Friendship Through Education Consortium is committed to creating opportunities that facilitate online and off-line interactions between the youth of the world, inside and outside of classrooms, in order to build a culture of peace in which the dignity and rights of all human beings are respected. The effort focuses initially on expanding links between US schools and those in Islamic countries. The consortium will provide information on how students can link students through letters, email, art, collaborative projects and physical exchanges to foster mutual respect and greater understanding of cultural differences.

Education Partnership with Muslim Nations Launched - White House press release, October 25, 2001.
Go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/10/print/20011025-2.html
Friendship Through Education web site go to: http://www.friendshipthrougheducation.org/

• Organization included as part of the Friendship Through Education website: a select list
  - iEARN
  - ePals Classroom Exchange
  - Global SchoolNet Foundation
  - Schools Online
  - The UN's Cyberschoolbus
  - Sister Cities International
  

• iEARN: The International Education and Resource Network
  Since 1988 iEARN has enabled young people to use the Internet and other new technologies to engage in collaborative educational projects. These projects both enhance learning and address issues of global importance. iEARN currently links 400,000 participants in over 95 countries in 29 languages through a unique project-based learning network. One type of collaboration organised by the iEARN group are Learning Circles.
  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 and Mind Works.

  Go to: http://www.iearn.org
  For Learning Circles go to: http://www.iearn.org/circles/publications.html

• ePals Classroom Exchange
  Over 4 million students and teachers are building skills and enhancing learning with ePALS. Established in 1996, ePALS has 54,808 classroom profiles bringing people in 191 countries together as cross-cultural learning partners and friends. Keypal correspondence and classroom exchanges can be easily organised after online registration with ePals.

  Go to: http://www.epals.com

• Global SchoolNet Foundation
  Partners with schools, communities and businesses to provide online collaborative learning programs that prepare students for the workforce and help them to become reasonable global citizens. The International Schools Cyberfair, International NewsDay, GeoGame and Online Expeditions are examples of the types of projects available through the GSN.

  Go to: http://www.globalschoolnet.org

Other resources for further exploration:

Electronic Collaboration: A Practical Guide for Educators. 1999. URL: http://www.lab.brown.edu/public/pubs/collab/elec-collab.pdf. Accessed: November 1, 2001.

iEARN Handbook: A Guide for Getting Started in Collaborative Online Project Work in iEARN. January, 2001. URL: http://www.iearn.org/professional/handbook.pdf. Accessed: November 1, 2001.

McLain, Timothy. How to Create Successful Internet Projects. Pennsylvania: Classroom Connect, 1997.

NickNacks Telecollaborate! October 27, 2001. URL: http://telecollaborate.net/. Accessed: November 1, 2001.

Royal, Ken. Collaboration is the Name of the Classroom Internet Game. April 1, 2001. URL: http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/WCE/archives/kenroy.htm. Accessed: February 10, 2002.

Teachers Guide to International Collaboration on the Internet. USA Department of Education. June 21, 2001. URL: http://www.ed.gov/Technology/guide/international/index.html. Accessed: February 10, 2002.

Julie Lindsay, February 2002
jlindsay@qualitynet.net

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