The Global Classroom by Cathy Buckingham

The Third Step in Integrating the Internet Into the Classroom

     The final step to integrating the Internet into your classroom, according to Classroom Connect, is to create and post your own Internet project (Internet Curriculum Integration Tape 3). A project is more extensive than a lesson plan, usually requiring at least two weeks to complete in the classroom. It also encorporates a number of other classrooms from distant locations as partners in your project. One example, the Global Grocery List, is a popular project in which students from around the globe exchange current prices of goods in each of their communities. This project provides opportunities to develop math, language arts, and social studies skills inside of one project. Another example involves hands-on experiences away from the Internet: the Save the Beaches project. This unique project enlisted classrooms from around the world to pick up litter from their beaches, to record and categorize the litter, to brainstorm for ideas to keep the beaches clean, and to share their findings and solutions to the problem of litter on the beach through email.

     Your project needs a catchy name to generate interest, a starting and ending date, and a brief purpose. Include the subject(s) covered (many, like the Global Grocery Store, are multidisciplinary), grade level, and a one or two paragraph summary. Inform interested parties about the number of students or classes you plan to include in your project. Add your name, your Email address, and what information you need from potential participants. Usually, you will want to get the participant's name, school name and district name, address, Email address, and grades and subjects taught.

     Then post your project at least four weeks in advance of the start date and wait for replies. Useful locations for posting projects are Global School Net Foundation, Reed Interactive, and Scholastic Center. Other teachers contact Kidsphere by sending Email to Kidsphere-request @vms.cis.pitt.edu. and typing "subscribe kidsphere<your name>" in the message body. Kidsphere allows teachers to share lots of helpful ideas. You can also post to Electronic School House Projects from America Online by entering ESH in the key word window. Pick your participants and notify them with enough time for everyone to prepare. After the project has been completed, send the results back to all participants .