"Docking" is "docking"

When I tell people I used to live in Florence as a research scientist, they are generally impressed. I assume that this brings to mind beautiful cityscapes, wonderful food and sitting around in cafes on piazzas watching stylish attractive Italian girls stroll past. Reality, however, was somewhat different, as this video made in 2003 with my Israeli friend illustrates.


The idea of scientific collaboration across continents sounds very exotic, but at the end of the day, science is science, wherever you go. As an Italian colleague told me, “The Italian word for ‘docking’ is ‘docking’ “.

I was reminded of this quote when noting that, while using a particular maths site, students could do ‘skill and drill’ races against people from far-off lands. I wondered why. Is 6+8 something else in Holland?

So why bother linking up with other schools? Here are the reasons I could come up with...

• Audience for speaking and writing
• Challenge
• Ease isolation of remote schools
• Access to alternate points of view based on
– Geographic location
– Socio-economic status
– Ethnic background

This led to our creation of the concept of the interschool discussion. Students are introduced to an issue through a student-centred news site such as the ABC’s Behind the News and prepare an opinion based on fact, enhanced through research, shared electronically. Students use the collaborative document writer Etherpad to conduct a text-based discussion of the issue. Students then use Skype to follow up the discussion verbally with reflections and clarifying questions to the students in other schools. Schools around the world are invited to participate.

We imagined talking about indigenous issues with schools in the Northern Territory; immigration issues with schools in inner city Sydney; even climate change with schools in Bangladesh. We have a long way to go before we ever get there, but if you’re interested in this idea, check out more at http://thenorthscool.com/discussion .