E-mail is fast becoming a major medium of
communication. A planned and monitored e-mail project between two
schools is an excellent way of increasing pupils' skills in this
increasingly important area.
To begin, locate a partner school and establish
good communication with the teachers there. Together you will have to
decide on what your joint project will be, as well as clear aims for
your pupils using e-mail. It’s a good idea to meet face-to face if you
can.
Some of the decisions you have to make will include:
- timing
- how to group learners
- introducing the work
- topics
- ensuring that communication is appropriate
- the mechanisms needed to deal with problems.
Ground rules
These should be generated and agreed by the class
through discussion, when experience and understanding of the pleasures
and pitfalls of e-mail are shared and the reasons for rules are agreed.
- Why do we need rules for e-mail?
- Do you have any rules about e-mail use at home?
- What might go wrong if we don’t have rules?
- What should happen if people break our rules?
- What should our rules be?
The children should understand:
- The language in e-mails should be appropriate for a general
audience. E-mail is not a private medium and can be used for both
‘one to one’ and ‘one to many’ messages.
- Names or pen names must be included, and e-mail should be
addressed to a specific recipient, either an individual or a whole
class.
- Any restrictions on the time when e-mail can be written or sent
should be explicit. Some schools may expect e-mail to be written off
line. E-mail may be checked at random or at set times.
- E-mail will be removed from the host server when accessed.
- Whether e-mail (and any attachments) should be printed out or
stored electronically will have to be decided.
- Rules and sanctions are in place to protect and support people in
both schools.
Whole-class discussion: how and why do we use
e-mail?
- Who has used e-mail? Where? Why? What did you think of it?
- What is the difference between e-mail and letters?
- Who has their own e-mail account?
- How was it set up?
- Where and why do family members use e-mail?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of e-mail?
- What did people do before e-mail?
- Do you think most people communicate by e-mail?
- What is the difference between e-mail and chat?
- What sorts of things can’t you communicate using e-mail?
- How can e-mail help with school work?
E-mail knowledge and skills
Following an introduction and an opportunity to
practise, the children's writing, sending and retrieval skills will
develop as they continue to use e-mail. Confident pupils may be asked to
take responsibility for collecting or sending e-mail.
The amount of e-mail
The weight of message content or attachments will
depend on the project. Initially you might structure the e-mail by
suggesting introductory sections such as ‘about our group’ or ‘our
ideas’. It may be worth allowing children to determine their own
content.
Sending and receiving e-mail
It is essential to ensure that virus-filtering
software is used by both schools. How will you monitor the project? It
is a good idea to keep a back-up file of sent and received messages.
Integrating e-mail with classroom activity
All children should be involved in receiving,
creating and sending e-mail during the project. Groups or individuals
will need time to collect e-mail, reflect on it, create a response and
send it. You will have to accommodate different speeds of working and
different content. You will need to consider whether exchanges beyond
the project can be exploited.
Sources of information
Electronic
mail in schools – A report for the DfEE: Becta, April 1999, free
Internet
Safety and Information: Becta, May 2001, free
Teachers
Online Project (TOP): Teachers can exchange views and join collaborative
projects.
Virtual
Teacher Centre (VTC)
Links
and updates to ICT in practice across the curriculum
GridClub:
A DfES safe site for 7- to 11-year-olds.
QCA
Scheme of Work: Unit 3E
Source: http://www.ictadvice.org.uk/index.php?pagetype=service&service=howto&rtypeid=42
(13-05-2002)
Reinhard
Donath: Englischunterricht in der Informationsgesellschaft
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