Suze Carroll, are you out there?

Nice picture:)

I think your's might be a little shorter though...

Hi,

I'm sending out messages to everyone I know right now, and this classroom20 network is no exception. (I've also sent this out on other Ning networks you may be a part of.) My name is Marco Morales; I am a 20 year old college student from Olin College of Engineering. I am a part of a group of 6 Olin College students (we're in Needham,MA, and engineering students) who has taken a year off to work on an education related project. I found you when I searched for middle schools on classroom20, and since our project is specific to middle schools, I thought you might be interested! Our project is called AlightLearning, and this is our "short" project description:

Under the assumption that within ten years, the landscape of modern education will have fully integrated what we now define as new classroom media: video, online collaboration, open source curriculum and other web tools, we hope to pioneer a web software tool that acts as a platform for this new media, bringing the power of the web and its tools to students, teachers and parents in a secure, comfortable and innovative environment. Our goal is to have our free software at a pilot middle school by April 15th, 2008, continuing to develop and coordinate with our users to create a product that other schools want to pilot and use at their schools, while allowing individual teachers to implement this tool in their own classroom.

Our project, titled Alight Learning, is currently trying to win an idea competition on Ideablob.com You can find us at http://ideablob.com/3975. We would love your support in the form of a vote within the next couple days, but more importantly we'd love your feedback and comments. Our description on Ideablob is short, and even the one above hardly gets many of the issues we would like to take a stab at solving, but at least it's a start.

Feel free to email me back, check out alightlearning.com, anything you like!

Thanks,

Marco Morales
marcotuts@gmail.com

Hi Dan!

Happy New Year! I was wondering if you, your educator contacts or students would be interested in participating in a nationwide Vocab Video Contest @ MIT university. We'd really like to get more students involved from South Dakota!

You can view contest details at BrainyFlix.com Please let me know. Thanks!

Hi and welcome Dan from Germany! Please consider to join my group DigiSkills with now 472 members.
Greetings
Hans

Hi Dan! Thank you for your warm welcome! With regards to your request, I must respectfully decline. Reason being that I see that you teach sixth grade. My students are only first graders. I would love to have my students pen pal with other first grade students. Give them a chance to see first grade writing from a native english speaking perspective. However, I would be willing to speak with our sixth grade SS teacher on your behalf. Would you be willing to do the same for me?

Cool! I'll speak with him!

Hi Dan...
Of course - I think it'll be simply great to connect our students, Let's keep in touch and organize everything. We're back into the classroom next Monday and tomorrow I'll know which groups I'll be teaching this semester. Thanks for the suggestion.

I am not in charge of any one class, so I cannot make any decisions. I will talk to the teachers in charge of each class and see if any would be interested in doing something like this. I will let you know what they decide. I hope they say yes, because this is a great opportunity.

Hi Dan...
I'm also very excited about this project. I'll be in touch. Can I reach you via Skype, MSN, Yahoo Messenger? About me: Skype:gildsmattos/ MSN:gsilvamattos@hotmail.com/Yahoo: gilmattos2001@yahoo.com

Dan, I spoke with the the admin here and they have approved my request to begin a 'Pen Pal' type of project with your students. I have also spoken with a fifth grade SS teacher here at our school and she is very excited to have her students begin corresponding with your students. I willl make contact with the first grade teacher straight away. I have forwarded your contact information to our SS teacher. Her name is Mrs. Hanan.

Hi Dan...
No problem at all. It's interesting to know about these restrictions because I've just complained to my Directors here because I can't, for example, access my gmail account if I'm in the school. But knowing about your situation it seems I'm in Paradise (lol) because I do have access to Skype, MSN... But, again, we can perfectly keep in touch via email. Next Monday I'm in the classroom and I'll organize my stuff and then I'll let you know.
Keep in touch.

Dan,

Thanks for reaching out.
Your blog looks terrific. I love what your students are doing.

When you get a chance, look at my class blog:
http://pvcscience.blogspot.com

And here's my edtech blog:
http://teachingownership.blogspot.com

I would appreciate any feedback you may have.

Gerald

Hi Dan...
I think it's a great idea. I still have not met all my new students. This is our first week and new people may join us soon. Let's keep in touch and we plan what to do. I'm sure this experience will add a lot to our classes specially mine because I teach EFL and this is going to be a great experience for my students - an opportunity to use the language they've been studying for real - there's a real audience waiting for them. As for your students they might have a number of questions about us down here in Brazil and it'll be sheer pleasure to share as much as possible. Hope to read from you soon.

Hi Dan, thanks for yr message .. international collaboration is a great idea yes! However i'm not teaching this semester, and my students are adults (some of them possibly wouldn't have the reading skills of your 6th graders). best regards, michael

Hi Dan... That's what connection is all about. I've spent the whole day thinking about you and our ideas to connect our students. The thing is I've been doing so much it took me long to contact you too- sorry. Well, I really like the idea. You could post the questions and I'll ask my students to answer them. I've been thinking about creating blogs or wikis for some of my groups or maybe a big one for me where I could post things for all of them. This is very new for us around here. How about you? How long have you been doing that? Hope to read from you soon.
Take care...

Gilmar

Hi Dan...
Actually I have my own blog although it was created for an online course I did last year and it is more directed at other teachers. I have also created a ning page for my colleagues at school. I have loads to learn as I've just got into this area - using webtools in the classroom. I also intend to create ning/wikis/blogs for my groups this semester. I'll check your blog and let my students know about our ideas - I've already talked to some of them and they're really excited. Hope to read from you sooon. Viist me at http://gilteacherbrazil@blogspot.com / http://ccbeufrancaeducators.ning.com/ gilmarmattos@posterous.com.

Hi Dan...
Just to let you know I have NOT forgotten our agreement. The problem is I've been extremely busy these days and we're having a week off (Thank God) because of the Carnival. I've already talked to some groups but they do need my support because this online interaction is kind of new for them. Most of them see the Internet as entertainment only so I have a long way to teach them the wonderful tool they have and its potential to enhance teaching/learning. We'll be posting soon and I'll have my groups ning pages onair very soon too. Hope to read from you.

Hi Dan..
Thanks for the message and the patience. As I said I started getting to know more about Web 2.0 and the tools last October when I did a course (Webtools4BrazilianEducators) with Carla Arena from another BiNational Center here in Brazil. At the time she was living in the US in Key West. I'm learning lot, trying to get my hands dirty(the only way to learn about it). A Ning page is very similar to a wikipage - another plataform for people to interact and there's great potential to be used in the classroom. I've already created one for our staff (http://ccbeufrancaeducators.ning.com) and another one now for our Library/ Multimedia Center (http://ccbeufranca-learningcenter.ning.com). They are both public - you could visit them and even join us. Have a great weekend. See you....

Hi Dan....
Long time we have not been in touch. I left some comment in your blog - have you guys got it? My students are sill "lazy" about using the new tech. I've always known it'd take some time to change old habits but I'm still excited about the project. Hope to read from you soon.
See you.

Hello Dan,
Yes, we are interested in writing with your students. We are out of school all week for the Prophet's birthday. I have a small special education class of 9 kids in grade 6 English. They are an enthusiastic group. Their spelling stinks, but writing with other students in English can help them. Let me know how to work out the plan. Thank you so much for your note.
Deborah Kerwood

Hi Dan, sounds interesting but my students are 16-19 would that be ok?

Dan, sounds like an interesting program. Currently I teach college age Americans, so I don't think they fit the profile of your project. Best of luck, though. If I come across someone who is working with your age group, I'll let them know about your project.

Of course, I will! It's a great opportunity for your and my students to get into direct contact. My students are 14-16. Is it OK?

Hello Dan,

Your site is amazing! We are on spring break, but will back in school on Sunday (our first day of the week) I will show it to my students then and talk with them about the project. Way coool, thanks for sharing with us.

Deborah Kerwood

Dan, I think it would be a good way of interacting. Almost all of my students have an access to the Internet but use it for fun. Let them do something both pleasant and useful. Hope to read from you soon

Hi Dan,

I had a look at your site and it is quite comprehensive. My students would have no problem accessing the internet as we go to the computer lab on Mondays and have the laptops in the classroom on Thursdays. My students will have an opportunity to answer your questions on Thursday 19th March. Hope to hear from you soon. Ariane

Hi Dan! I'm going to suggest my students blogging while their free time at home as an extra task. Is it possible for them to work this way or should I work together with the students?

Go to www.elluminate.com to see what the program does, or you can watch one of the recordings of an event at http://live.classroom20.com/. I'm anxious to see more and more use this way!

Dan, I have some students who are really motivated and keen on English. I'm sure they will take interest in it and will do it eagerly on their own. However I'll monitor their work.
Unfortunately, I'll see my students only next week. I hope that this very week will be our starting point.

Cheers

Hi Dan,

I have been on your blog and cannot locate questions for our international connections project. What do your students want to find out about Sydney and Australia as a country?

Hi Dan,

That's fine I will be in the computer lab on Monday with my class so we'll answer the questions then.

Ariane

Hi, Dan! I'm glad to answer your questions! Yes, I live in Russia since my birth, my native town is Samara, if you've heard about it. Actually, I've never dreamt about being a teacher but once I had a practice of leading a group of children in the summer camp. Then I realized that I'm keen on children and I became a teacher of special English course in September 2008. So as you see I'm a beginner )) And how long have you been teaching? Is it you cup of tea?)))

Hi Dan, as for me I'm 20 and still I've never been to anywhere. Hope to improve it soon though I'm not a fan of travelling. I like doing it only for rest. But when people say they are fond of travelling it always fascinates me. You should certainly visit Russia if you want to travel because its culture, its way of life is something that really difficult to describe in one word but it should be felt )) Here are many people who believe in miracles )

We will try to answer on Wednesday. So, post the questions for us!
Speak soon

The students had a stimulating time in groups brainstorming the answers to your questions on large sheets of paper. They viewed the presentation you had on the blog and were very interested to see how different your school is from ours. There was lots of interesting discussion happening.They thought your school gymnasium looked similar to the one in highschool musical. They were very impressed with the school cafeteria and that your students wear casual clothing to school. We'll try and summarise the answers and post them up there on Wednesday the latest... I hope.

Hi Dan! In many Russian schools for employers it's seldom an obsticle to accept a young teacher who hasn't graduated because some schools lack teachers of English (I don't mean prestigious schools of course). They say: "Just have enough time to conduct classes". But actually, I do not work in such a traditional school. It's a special course of English that I lead. So, the students have extra classes. I'm responsible for video ones, in particular.
As for me, I'm the 4th year student of a university. There are classes every day: lectures, seminars, practical studies, than canteen :), working in the library. I feel it's practically the same everywhere. By the way, in your state is it like in Russia important to have a higher education so as to find the job you want?
I'm very sorry, Dan, but we have to postpone our blogging till next week( Again I do not have an opportunity to see my students. A roof has leaked in our school. We'are having it repaired right now. All the classes are canceled. It shouldn't take them more than a week. I'm very sorry again

Hi Dan!
I do hope it will get fixed next week. Our school building is 20 like me ))
What about other jobs? Do they require a higher education?
My university doesn’t have any special name. It’s simply Samara State University. It’s quite conservative which sometimes irritates its students who want to have everything up-to-dated. However, this university is considered very prestigious and every year there’s a hard competition among applicants.
So, if a prospective teacher speaks English in Russia then he/she is a teacher of English but if one feels like teaching Biology, for instance, there’s just no need to speak English. He/she will be employed without looking at language ability.
Samara is on the river Volga. And it is its main place of interest. There’s a long-long embankment where all the generations of the city admire to walk in summer. Of course, in our city many, very many cars and buildings of different architecture: old and modern as it’s usually in stone jungles ))

Hello Dan,

Egypt is ready to go up on Waterforsixthgrade. The kids are thrilled. They worked out the responses on paper first, then came up with a group consensus what to say. Where do we write?

thank you again for this fun learning opportunity,
Deborah K

Wonderful! We will post on Tuesday April 7. (That's the next time I see them due to our Sun - Thurs school week and block scheduling.)

cheers,
Deborah K

Hi Dan,
I'm very sorry for not writing for so long. Actually my students finally have tried to post their comments but failed because when they inserted http://waterforsixthgrade.blogspot.com/ they only saw an offer to create their own blog and not the page with your greetings and your questions.Though on my computer I see it pretty good when I follow the link you've given on your page. That's why we'll have another try at the lesson together on Wednesday.
By the way, why is it called "water for six grades"?

Hi Dan,

I hope the answers to your questions were what you were expecting. Let me know if you require any more information from your friends downunder.

Hi Dan, I have just started a new blog too at Princes Hill Primary School in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia http://grade56m2009.edublogs.org/

Hello Dan
I'm sorry to read your invitation after six months I forgotten classroom social network. Are you sure that your studets of social science could enjoy with mine that study chemistry subjects?

Hello Dan,
Thank you, that would be very nice. As soon as we create our Ning or my studentds get the access to the internet in class, we will be happy to visit your blog and your website. Or invite you and your students into our Ning.
Sorry for my late reply... Better late than never, but much better in time ))

I'm awfully sorry, not yet ((

Hi Dan,

Thank you for your invitation. I teach grade 4 until grade 9 this semester and I am the class teacher of grade 6. I would love to participate in your activity. Please let me know more about it. My blog is: http://inesogura.weebly.com

Hi Dan,

Thank you very much for your invitation. Your activity is great for your students giving them the ability to learn about other cultures and nations. Unfortunately I can't participate now. Maybe later in the next school year. I hope your activity will be succesfull. 
Greetings from Greece

 

George