Topic: Comments on Judi Harris article

Conf: 387 1.1 Internet-based reading

From: Megan Forness (mforness@springfield.k12.il.us)

Date: Tuesday, July 07, 1998 06:19 PM

Being quite a linear thinker, I appreciate the organization of Judi Harris' article into steps. Below, I have expressed some of my opinions concerning this article and issues that pertain to my project. In step one, she mentions choosing particular curricular goals. This so eloquently states what I was trying to accomplish when I developed student tasks for my project. I want the country they choose to be one that will be studied in their geography class. Communication skills they will utilize during this project are cross-curricular. Using email and keyboarding skills will be developed as a result of performing tasks during this project. The second step Judi mentions is choosing the activity's structure. I will need to consider this in more detail as my project develops further. I like the idea of students having "key pals" who participate in information exchanges. Students will participate in information searches and possibly tele-fieldtrips to broaden their scope. I whole-heartedly agree with step three! Here, Judi applauds the efforts of viewing other online projects that have already been tested and "debugged" to a certain extent. It reminds me that as a teacher it is not always necessary and also very time-consuming to "reinvent the wheel" with each new project idea. I was told in a response from a colleague that a project similar to the one I proposed was done in my own school. I feel more encouraged now to seek suggestions from the team who has done this. Details, details, details...step four.Judi suggests that, in order for a project to succeed, a very specifically-stated project description is imperative. Included in her comments is a list of specific information that should be included when presenting a project to others. I did not include a projected age group in my project description, yet Waugh, Levin, and Smith suggest that this is not always necessary and that teachers may in fact create a better result by mixing age groups. Step five discusses the use of telecollaborators. These appear to be useful tools, but I am a bit hesitant to use them for my first project. The newsgroup I've joined has provided me with great discussions and a good connection with a French math teacher. Because of this I see how it may be a good avenue to investigate as a project tool. However, I would feel more comfortable, as the article suggests, participating in someone else's project before I design one on my own. Forming the telecollaborative group is discussed in step six. The issue of responding to prospective collaborators is examined. Also discussed in this section is how to respond professionally over the internet. I believe this is called "netiquette." This is always a good idea to share with students while working on any project that involves communicating online. Communication is the topic of step seven. This makes perfect sense because an online project that does not involve communication of some sort is defeating the whole purpose. In the case of using collaborators, the communication of project details is essential. Feedback on work and clarification of issues is imperative so that all participants are on the same page. Additionally, the project itself may be communicated to the parents and citizens of the community. By doing this, students are encouraged to place additional value in what they are doing. I would like the parents of my students to be actively aware of what students are doing and for them to view their final presentations.It is good for both PR and HR and ER (esteem relations!) The final step Judi addresses in her article is, most appropriately, closure. She suggests that a project should have some sort of tangible product to conclude the episode. I did consider this when creating my project, and I have chosen to have students create a HyperStudio presentation that includes all the research they have done. After several weeks of work, students can view what they've accomplished and feel pride about their efforts and what they have learned. This should be the goal of every student. I think this is what makes teaching so worth while