4. It will perhaps be possible for
us to create classroom
communities within school
communities...in which writing
matters because…
5. it's done for real reasons by
real writers who ache with
caring for real response.”
(Reflections by Mem Fox, 1993)
6. iEARN Goals
•To facilitate teacher-directed, student
collaborative on-line project work
•To create global, national, and local
support structures to sustain project work
•To demonstrate that on-line education
can enhance learning and improve the
quality of life on the planet
7. iEARN Experience
12 years linking schools for project work in
both northern and southern hemispheres
(started in 1988)
Structures and projects in over 80 countries
Collaboration with governments, NGO’s,
foundations, educational agencies, companies,
etc.
8. iEARN Provides
a safe and structured environment for
children to communicate
a known audience for writing and reading
for a purpose
an opportunity to apply knowledge in
service-learning projects
an inclusive and culturally diverse
community of supportive educators
9. Keys to Interactive On-line
Project Success
•teacher and student driven
•interactivity, not passivity
•honor local teaching & learning
styles
•adaptability to new technologies
•teacher training and support
•collaboration with others
10. Collaborative Project Work
Curriculum areas:
• Science, environment, math
• Social studies, economics
• Literature, creative writing
• Language skills acquisition
11. Civic Education in iEARN
The interdisciplinary nature of on-line
collaborative project work empowers students
to be pro-active in their communities in issues
of gender, human rights, ethnic differences,
conflict resolution and environmental
preservation. By creating the habit of getting
involved in issues that are relevant to them,
youth will hopefully be better equipped for
future civic participation.
12. Civic Education and Language
"Literacy is about empowering
people...to write and read about
their world...to use literacy to be
shapers of their world with a sense of
hope."
(Paulo Freire, 1994)
13. The Foreign Language Teaching
area is without doubt one that
gets more benefits using the
Internet in the classroom.
Let’s explore some reasons why this
happens:
14. The current approach to Foreign Language
(FL) teaching
Since the 1970’s psychologists and linguists
have placed emphasis on interpersonal
relationships, the nature of communication
and the interactive process of language.
As a result, the language teaching profession
has responded with methods that emphasize
communicative competence, and that stress
group work, interaction and cooperative
learning.
15. Language for Communication
In the past two decades interest in FL
teaching has been in communicative
language teaching (CLT). This focus
has centered on speaking and listening
skills in real life situations, on writing for
specific communicative purposes, and
on reading “authentic” texts.
16. Why use Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT’s) in my FL classroom?
There are three main reasons:
• To create a richer environment for learners.
• To give my students the chance to interact
in real communication.
• To provide my class with real audiences
instead of simulated situations.
17. What does iEARN add to my EFL class?
Working with iEARN, teachers and
students join an inclusive and culturally
diverse community of teachers and students
around the world.
iEARN provides a safe environment where
kids can interact
iEARN provides a known audience for
reading, writing and talking.
18. How can I work with iEARN in my EFL class
to enhance communication?
The model iEARN uses is themebased, project based
collaboration.
The students get involved in specific
collaborative projects that include at
least two classes anywhere in the
world.
19. Model Projects using iEARN in different
levels
Level 1 (elementary)
– The Teddy Bear Project Project
Level 2 (pre-intermediate)
– Descriptive writing in publications
– Producing and describing artwork
Level 3 (intermediate to advanced)
– Reading and contributing to publications
(Laws of Life, Lewin, Child Labour)
20. The Teddy Bear and Cleft Buddy Project
(elementary level) www.iearn.org.au/tbear
Schools around the world are given partners to send a
Teddy Bear to. When the bear arrives students send
weekly e-mail diary messages to the bears home
describing its adventures.
The Cleft Buddy Teddy Bear Project gives students an
opportunity to exchange stuffed animals that symbolically
represent a child born with a cleft lip and palate. Using
information posted on the web, teachers develop activities
with their classes encouraging awareness and sensitivity
to children born with cleft lips and palates.
21. Descriptive writing and generating artwork and describing
pictures (pre-intermediate level)
Me and my Pet
The First People’s Project (Global Art)
Local Birds
Beauty of the Beasts
Side by Side
Folk Tales
22. Reading & contributing to publications
(intermediate and advanced levels)
Reading task example:
Writing task example:
– Students read articles
from projects and
report to the rest of the
class about it.
– Students write and use
peer editing techniques
to review and proof
essays before posting.
– Respond with written
comments to other
students’ essays.
23. Sample Projects
(intermediate and advanced levels)
– Laws of Life Essay:
Students write about
their personal values in
life.
www.iearn.org/projects/
laws.html
– Lewin: A global
anthology of creative
writing.
www.iearn.org.au/lewin
– Fight Against Child
Labour Project: Youth
collaborating and
researching and
awareness raising on
the issues of child
labour and
exploitation.
www.iearn.org.au/clp
24. Two final benefits when working with
I*EARN projects
Interdisciplinary
nature of projects:
– The FL teacher works
closely in collaboration
with teachers from
other areas.
The input of students
who have advanced
knowledge of the FL:
– Club of Translators:
team of students who
help with the
translation of I*EARN
projects to facilitate
other teachers’
participation. (First
People’s web page)
