Taking Social Literacy to the Global Aspect

Taking Social Literacy to the Global Aspect

Now that we have covered students reflecting and questioning the material they are presented through blogs; collaborating with peers both within their class and across multiple classes through the aid of a Wiki Classroom... How is it possible to take Social Literacy any further!?!?

As I began this research on social literacy both withing my classroom and outside the classroom, I was looking for something where my students could learn from students who are not necessarily in the same building as them. I wanted them to see how the content they are learning corresponds to the content another student may be learning in another building, state or country.

e-pals 

E-Pals fulfilled my aspirations of my students connecting with other students about the content they are learning. E-pals is a website for our students to be able to connect with students in other states and even in other countries. When you enter the main page of e-pals, students can click on not only the connections tab at the top of the page but they can click on the collaborations tab where they are able to connect with a pen pal. Under the collaborations tab, students are able to search for a pen pal based on subject, age range, type of experience and source. 

This website not only encourages our students to collaborate and use their interpersonal skills, it allows them to enhance their knowledge on cultural customs while learning about the content material within the classroom. 

Using e-pals within the classroom

I would introduce this at the beginning of the year with my students. As I introduce this within the classroom, of course I would use an immense amount of modeling on how to not only set up an account, find a pen pal, but how to productively communicate with my pen pal. When modeling this, I would myself find a pen pal with a teacher to discuss the curriculum and what they are doing in their daily classroom activities. After the immense amount of modeling, I would make it a weekly homework assignment to communicate with their pen pal about the material they are learning and how they are using their pen pal to embrace the math they are learning within the classroom. 

Although I do find myself questioning, is there a way they could use their pen pal to work on a project throughout one unit during the curriculum? If so, what would I need to do as the educator to facilitate that?