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Several previous participants on our programmes have stressed the importance of ensuring that “traditional” means of communication are not ruled out! Teachers commented about the need to exchange parcels, letters, brochures and other tangible materials. This is especially true when the link involves younger pupils, who see the contents of letters, parcels, brochures and other tangible materials as being ‘real’ in comparison to something on the screen.
Opening a letter or parcel can be an exciting event, especially if the pupils in the partner school are sending materials which help to convey their culture. The idea of a ‘culture box’ (of limited size) also helps the sending class to concentrate on what items to include. Postal charges may of course be an issue and parcels can take several weeks to arrive. For these reasons most schools use the postal system strategically alongside other means of communication.
Emailing is as an almost universal tool for school to school communications but it can be used in many different ways. Most teachers, as might be expected, use email as a means of administering the link but some also rely on occasional telephone calls to keep in touch. However there are real differences in the ways in which pupils can use email depending on:
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The speed and reliability of the link |
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The age of the pupils and their language ability |
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The size of each school |
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The outcomes required by the partnership |
Some school partnerships may struggle to make reliable email contact especially where the connection had to be through a ‘dial-up’. This limits the size of files which can be sent and may be especially frustrating if one partner enjoys the benefits of a broadband link. In some cases where one-to-one communication between pupils is not possible (eg. different class sizes), many teachers in the past have worked on special projects for a whole class basis, such as a questionnaire or an intermediary such as Japan 21.
Although not strictly a means of communication several schools use linked websites as a way of exchanging information and comparing information about the two schools. See www.elanguages.org as an example of how this might work.
Schools are able to use videoconferencing as a communication tool when both partners possess fast connections or are able to take pupils to use a nearby venue, such as a Local Authority-owned e-learning centre or a university. Videoconferencing is still relatively uncommon amongst most participants in our programmes, but those who had used it praised the motivating effect it had on pupils. There are some challenges to bear in mind however:
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Time difference: videoconferencing is straightforward with France but virtually impossible wth Japan unless someone stays at school very late or arrives very early! |
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Sessions might need to be scripted so that pupils are well prepared at least while they get acquainted with the technology and the small time lapse |
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Videoconferencing can be difficult with large classes if everyone is to make a contribution |
Many schools are now embarking on very new technologies and IT tools to facilitate working with an international partner. Some project co-ordinators regularly use:
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Skype (voice over internet communication) |
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Blackboard |
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Other virtual learning environments |
Practical applications for many new ICT tools can be found on a number of websites including:
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