The idea of collaborating with classes around the world is
certainly appealing, especially when teaching language and culture. The ePals
classroom match finder would be a great way to connect with other educators,
both within the United States as well as internationally, who are interested in
exposing their students to other perspectives and putting names and faces on
other cultures and countries. Whether it’s through interacting via Skype or a
more traditional penpal-like email exchange, getting to know another classroom
somewhere else in the world is a great way to make the rest of the world (or
country) seem both more real and more accessible to students.
The lessons and projects suggested on ePals are a great way
to get students thinking about other parts of the world, and if they actually
got to interact with students from those places, it might seem more relevant to
them. While some of the projects seem a little superficial, they could still be
great introductory lessons or background to a more authentic collaboration. I
liked the Walk a Mile in My Shoes project they suggest and could imagine doing
something like that with students in both ESL and LOTE classrooms. I know my
students in Germany had a lot of questions about what life was really like in the
United States, because they had a hard time imagining that the things in their
textbook were true. Having a real person they could ask questions of was
fascinating for them, and since we can’t all take our students to other
countries, trying to connect in other ways is that much more important.
