How to use ePals to find a

collaborative partner

classroom

Rita Oates, PhDroates@corp.epals.com

www.epals.com

What collaborations do you have now?

1. Within school

2. Within school district

3. Within state, province or region

4. Within your country

5. Outside borders of your country

6. NO collaborations at all

Have you ever used ePals for a global project of any kind?

YES: Click on the green check mark

NO: Click on the red X

How do you find collaborative partners?

Type a brief statement in the chat box on the left.

Summary of SuggestionsLearning Objective: To summarize suggestions of how to find a collaborative partner

Suggestions to help find a collaborative partnerBe active in asking others to collaborate with youCheck the date of the profiles Ask for a referralChange your method of searchOpen your search to other areas or agesTake a look at Teacher Spotlight! Update your profile so your classroom is on the front pageAsk one of your colleagues who uses ePals to help youContact ePals Support if all else fails

Tips from an ePals TeacherJohn L. of Maryland, USA offers this tip on searching classroom profiles

New Classroom Profiles

If you are looking for an eager partner, check classroom profiles approved today. Brand new members of ePals are often very eager to get started, and they respond enthusiastically to requests for collaboration. -- John L, USA

Tips from an ePals TeacherReinhard Marx of Germany offers tips on finding a collaborative partner

Finding a Collaborative PartnerEven if you only want one partner, try to find about five. Sometimes, teachers will stop their cooperation just before the active part of the project. You can’t always plan interruptions, so it can be better to have a few partners. If you try to find partners from abroad, start looking at least six months ahead of time to get everything arranged. Have specific details ready: when you want to start; how long your project will run.

Tips from an ePals Teacher

Searching classroom profiles: Check the date

• When searching classroom profiles, pay close attention to the two dates listed: Posted On and Member Since.• Many active ePals users regularly update their profiles. So, if a member joined more than a year ago, and has a newer profile date, the teacher may have had some collaborative experiences and be looking for a new partner classroom.• If a teacher already has a match, ask him or her for suggestions. – Hagit G, Israel

Hagit G of Israel offers this tip for searching classroom profiles

Hill City Elementary

Bringing the world to rural Kansas through social networking

USA Statewide projects with ePals

• Maine: 150,000 students

• Wisconsin: 800,000 students

• Pennsylvania: 1.8 million students

• Kansas: 400,000 students

• Colorado: 800,000 students

States with a few large cities and many students in rural schools.

Country and area agreements

• Ministry of Education, Kenya

• Thailand, L.E.A.P. (public and private)

• Eduteka, Latin America, 75,000 teachers

• Global Gateway, UK

Example profile: Students learning to speak English

Example profile: Science class studying habitats

Goals

• What is ePals?

• Stories of collaboration

• Finding a global partner with ePals

• What are my first steps?

• More resources

• Connecting 600,000 classrooms in 200 countries & territories

• 2,500 new schools/month

• Policy managed and Teacher supervised

• Trusted pipeline to the world’s classrooms

• TRUSTe certification

ePals Brings Next-Generation Solutions to Schools

free -- students and their teachers locate, connect with and work collaboratively with another class

free -- secure online communication for students, parents, teachers and administrators, instant translation in 58 languages, allows administrators to establish school-safe usage policies. Used by New York City and many other districts.

ePals’ grade 3-5 curriculum-based e-mentoring program

A virtual workspace optimized for creating, sharing, managing and collaborating on educational content. Integrated web 2.0 tools: new version of SchoolBlog, wikis, forums, digital portfolios, cloud-based storage and ePals SchoolMail, all with industry-leading safety and security for K-12 schools. $4 per student license

Partnerships • National Geographic

• Microsoft

• Low-cost laptop projects:– One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) – Intel Classmate PC

• STEM eMentoring Platform – 14,000 mentors / mentees– Secondary school activity (US gr. 6-12)– funded by IBM Foundation

Goals

• What is ePals?

• Stories of collaboration

• Finding a global partner with ePals

• What are my first steps?

• More resources

We'd like you to meet our ePals from Brazil

Mrs. Russell's First GradeGlenwood Elementary

Vestal, NY

School: EMEIF "Terezinha do Menino Jesus Porto Wuó"Town: Santa BrancaState: Sao PaoloCountry: Brazil

Hello From Sao Paolo, Brazil

The School in Brazil

Our square is being rebuilt. See how our town is a hilly place!

Collaboration across the Digital Divide: New York Students and their ePals in Botswana

A story of global connections that transcend socio-economic status, culture and place.

Students from the Guangxi School, China

A story that embraces shared language and cultural awareness.

Collaborating with Their California ePals………

These teachers have worked together for eight years….some projects are just a few weeks or months!

http://www.epalscorp.com/about/news/press_feb08_06.html

Email Improves Reading and Writing Test Scores

State standardized test scores from a Newark Public Schools 4th grade class show significant reading and writing improvement through twice weekly use of email letter writing with fellow classmates and a peer classroom in Italy.

Louisiana and United Kingdom

The students had so much fun reading emails from their new friends. They learned many ways they were alike as well as different.

The student groups wrote about different aspects of their schools and videoed themselves to create a "documentary" about their school and community. We then exchanged "culture parcels" with the other class.

Loudoun County (VA) Public Schools

• Students study communities in grade 3.• Contact classrooms from elsewhere in Virginia

(urban/rural/suburban) and exchange information about their communities. 

• Children grasp the idea of “rural,” “urban,” to compare to their own “suburban” as they communicate with peers from these areas. 

• Next the class has a collaboration with a classroom in an area like theirs but in another country!

• Teachers use videoconferences with classrooms.  • Students use presentations and Google Earth to

showcase their communities.

Most Popular Long-term Matches

#1 English as a Second Language teachers outside an English-speaking country want to pair their students with students in English countries

#2 Teachers of foreign language want to pair their students with native speakers (i.e., teacher of Spanish wants to have Spanish speakers in Mexico, Chile, Spain)

French class in Spain

Spanish class in S. Korea

Goals

• What is ePals?

• Stories of collaboration

• Finding a global partner with ePals

• What are my first steps?

• More resources

Finding a global match

• Search by map

• Look at “new schools” scroll on home page for newest profiles

• Search by classroom

• Search in Project Forums or Teacher Forums

Search by Map1. Select a continent

2. Select a Country

3. Select a classroom from the profiles

Eliminate language barriers with translation tool!

English version of the Spanish profile

Translation to 58 languages!

• Most common languages listed first

• Less common languages listed second

• Both in alphabetical order

• This is an expansion as of late June 2009 from eight languages

Cautions…about your assumptions

• What age students are in Primary School?

• What age students are in a school called “College”? Or a “colegio”?

• When does the school year start and end?

• When are vacations or holidays?

Finding a global match

• Search by map

• Look at “new schools” scroll on home page for newest profiles

• Search by classroom

• Search in Project Forums or Teacher Forums

ePals home page

New schools today

Profile from Poland

ESL students in Ireland

New Zealand

Rural Oregon gr. 3-4

Finding a global match

• Search by map

• Look at “new schools” scroll on home page for newest profiles

• Search by classroom

• Search in Project Forums or Teacher Forums

Searching Classroom Profiles

Search Options• Key Word (“environment”)• Language spoken in classroom

(ePals tracks 136 languages)• Geography: US, Canada, World• Advanced Search

Learning Objective: To understand different ways to search classroom profiles

Search Classroom Profiles

Remember: You must have an approved profile to contact ePals members through Classroom Match.

Learning Objective: To know how to find a partner by searching classroom profiles

1. Go to Collaborate Tab.2. Click on Search Classroom Profiles.3. Click on link for Advanced Search.4. Fill in 1-2 boxes to target results.5. If necessary, remove one of the

filters to have a wider search. 6. Results are displayed with newest

profiles first.

Be specific about what you want!

• What do you study? – Use keywords from your curriculum– Geography: Mexico, Brazil, Russia

• Do you want to use an ePals project?– Which one?

• When does your school year start and end?– March-June is end of year in Iowa, but start of school

year in Chile• Interesting way for your students to practice

writing to non-English speakers – Make them more aware of how they say things so

they aren’t confusing!

Finding a global match

• Search by map

• Look at “new schools” scroll on home page for newest profiles

• Search by classroom

• Search in Project Forums or Teacher Forums

Search Project Forums

Project Forums• Digital Storytelling• The Way We Are• Global Warming• Habitats• Maps• Natural Disasters• Water• Weather

Learning Objective: To know how to find a partner by searching Project Forums

Reminder: You must have an approved profile to contact ePals members of the Global Community through Classroom Match

How to Search Project ForumsLearning Objective: To understand how to find a partner by searching Project Forums

1. Go to Collaborate Tab. 2. Click on Search by Project.3. View Index Page for Project Forums4. Choose a Project

• Teacher Forum: Find a Partner• Student Forum: Discuss Project• Project Resources: Discuss

Project details or suggest resources to help with it

5. Respond to messages or post your own.

Search Teacher Forums

Teacher Forums• ePals Wanted• Literature in the Classroom• Teacher Spotlight• Ongoing Projects

Learning Objective: To know how to find a partner by searching Teacher Forums

How to Search Teacher Forums

Reminder: You must have an approved profile to contact ePals members in the Global Community through Classroom Match

Learning Objective: To know how to find a partner by searching Teacher Forums

1. Go to Collaborate Tab. 2. Click on Search in Teacher Forum.3. Index Page for Teacher Forum

• ePals Wanted• Ongoing Projects• Literature in the Classroom• ePals Teacher Spotlight

4. Respond to messages or post your own.

Tips from an ePals TeacherReinhard Marx of Germany offers tips on finding a collaborative partner

Finding a Collaborative PartnerEven if you only want one partner, try to find about five. Sometimes, teachers will stop their cooperation just before the active part of the project. You can’t always plan interruptions, so it can be better to have a few partners. If you try to find partners from abroad, start looking at least six months ahead of time to get everything arranged. Have specific details ready: when you want to start; how long your project will run.

Finding a Collaborative Partner: Key Factors

1. When are school vacations?2. What languages do your students

speak?3. How large is your classroom?4. How old are your students?

Learning Objective: To understand potential problems in finding a partner

Finding a Partner: Be Flexible!

Communication is Important – Be Flexible!Be Open – try new topics and projectsBe Clear – outline project and activities clearlyBe Flexible – adapt your project as neededBe Understanding – help the other teacher meet her instructional goals tooBe a Leader – be willing to direct the project

Learning Objective: To know how to find a partner by being flexible

Tips from an ePals TeacherJohn Doubleday, Australia, offers these tips for ePals teachers

Tips to Finding a PartnerBe patient. Start looking for a classroom match six months before you are ready to start your projectBe flexible. If you find a teacher on ePals with whom you can talk easily, but who doesn’t teach your subject -- don’t throw away the contact. See if you can get that to recommend a colleague who may be interested.

--John DoubledayAustralia

Tips from an ePals TeacherCarole Schacter, Pennsylvania, USA, offers these tips for ePals teachers

Tips to Finding a PartnerWork as a team with others in your school. I search for partners for several teachers from my middle school. When I was looking for my own students, I would see potential partners for them too. I wanted partners grade 5 for my language arts students, but I could find similar age students for other teachers and make the first contact for them. --Carole Schacter

Pennsylvania, USA

How do you get a profile?

• You fill out some basic contact info

• You write your profile

• We have real people who read and approve them…or ask for revisions!

Teachers can’t contact other classrooms without having a profile submitted and approved.

ePals Global CommunityClassroom Match – Create Your Classroom Profile

ePals Forums (also free)

• Student Forums– We mediate the forums, so you don’t have to

read and approve postings.– Your students can collaborate with other

students safely, over the weekend.– Your students can search and read student

postings to see what others have said, a great way to practice authentic reading and writing!

• Adults can post in adult forums; students in Student Forum

Student Forums

Student Forum: Social Issues

Student viewpoints: Turkey, USA

Goals

• What is ePals?• Stories of collaboration• Finding a global partner with ePals• What are my first steps?

– Join ePals– Write your profile– Look for matches– See what other teachers have done– Your students can look at teacher profiles too!

• More resources

ePals Members Create Global Projects

ePals classroom teachers are presenting during this conference

Wednesday, 11/17• 10 pm EST: Elizabeth Simmons,

keynote, USAThursday, 11/18:• 6 am EST: Namita Verma, Charlotte

Pederson and Eather Newaz, India• 3 pm EST: Hagit Goldstein, Israel• 11 pm EST: Thomas Beckett, Hong KongFriday, 11/19:• noon EST: Laurel Strothers, Canada

Keynotes speaking about ePals

• 10 pm EST 11/17: Elizabeth Simmons, keynote, GA, USA– Six projects for NETS-S in elementary writing

• 11 am EST, 11/18: Dr. Howie DiBlasi, keynote, Texas, USA– Creativity

• Noon EST, 11/19: Ken Graham, NY, USA– District-wide Collaboration Platform

One-email exchanges too!

• Students create 10 questions for a classroom in a country they are studying in Geography, things “not in the book”

• Students search global community and find five potential partner classes

• Students copy profiles into a Word file• Students submit questions and profiles to

teacher• Teacher writes to the other teachers, pasting in

the student questions…..

Sample one-email from teacher

Dear (teachername),My geography class in Massachusetts has

questions about your country. Could you please have a few students answer these questions in an email to me? If possible I would like to have the answers by Nov. 15.

Here are the questions:<paste in the students’ questions>Thanks so much for your help. Please let us know

if we can answer any questions about Massachusetts!

Goals

• What is ePals?

• Stories of collaboration

• Finding a global partner with ePals

• What are my first steps?

• More resources

How Tos, Manuals Under Help from home page

Finding a Collaborative Partner

In this tutorial, we show how to find collaborative classroom partners. We show different ways to search for a partner, suggest factors to consider when searching, and help set expectations about working collaboratively.

Tutorial # 12

French and American ePals meet in New York City after

collaborating for a whole school year

A few sample pages from tutorial

Goals of this Tutorial

The goals of this tutorial are:• To demonstrate different

ways to find collaborative partners

• to suggest factors to consider when searching for partners

• to set expectations about finding partners

• to share tips for creating a great classroom match

Learning Objective: To understand the process of finding collaborative partners

Search by Country

Reminder: You must have an approved profile to contact ePals members of the Global Community through Classroom Match

Learning Objective: To know how to find a partner by searching classroom profiles

1. Go to Collaborate Tab.2. Click on Search By Country.3. Click on a region on the interactive

map.4. Choose a country.5. Read profiles from that country.

Student Testimonial

When we were told that we were going to talk with American students, we didn’t really know what we were getting into.We already knew things about the American culture by what we saw in the movies or read in books, but it’s completely different when we are talking about it with people who live there and can tell us their perspective of it. . . .In my point of view, this was a great experience because the USA is the country that fascinates me the most, and I love to speak English, so I try to speak it whenever I get the chance.

--Inês M, Portugal

Inês M of Portugal comments on her collaborative experience

Inês M and her classmates in Braga, Portugal

Summary of SuggestionsLearning Objective: To summarize suggestions of how to find a collaborative partner

Suggestions to help find a collaborative partnerBe active in asking others to collaborate with youCheck the date of the profiles Ask for a referralChange your method of searchOpen your search to other areas or agesTake a look at Teacher Spotlight! Update your profile so your classroom is on the front pageAsk one of your colleagues who uses ePals to help youContact ePals Support if all else fails

Review

This tutorial:• Demonstrated several ways to find collaborative partners• Help set expectations about finding collaborative partners• Shared tips for having a successful search for partners

Learning Objective: To know how to find collaborative partners for your classroom

Thank you!

Rita Oates, PhDROates@corp.epals.com

www.epals.com