Issue 3
June 1998.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Editorial Staff:  
David Lloyd    
Gail Mann    
Ellen Serfaty     
Ann Shlapobersky   
Renee Wahl    
 
Using International Correspondence to Make a Difference (I*EARN)
 
There is some disagreement as to how and why the Internet should be used in the classroom on a global scale. Many English teachers simply see this as an opportunity to practice English skills. Others see it as a way to expose their students to authentic English registers and content. Yet others see it as a welcome opportunity to expand the scope of EFL in the classroom from what they view as simply a mindless acquisition of language to a meaningful experience in which students interact with their global environment--and possibly also strive to make a change. 
 
 Kids making a change is not a slogan everyone feels comfortable with.  KIDLINK, for instance (which I talked about in the last issue of ETNINEWS), tries to avoid any sort of international communication which it feels touches upon controversial topics which might estrange some of the participating countries. For instance, when a young student from Canada created his own web page, worked to find kids around the world who were willing to join his call for a fight against child labor, and raised the issue with KIDLINK as a possible project, it was rejected by the KIDLINK management as they felt it would harm their concept of global dialogue. Not everyone in KIDLINK was happy with this standpoint. They asked -  
What is the point of global dialogue among kids if it doesn't lead anywhere, helping to break down the barriers, stereotypes and enable kids to work together to build a better world?
 Should we be afraid of stepping on toes? In Israel, this is a two way street.  We may find it very easy to have our kids talk with kids around the world about problems in other parts of the world.  But when it comes to our own problems - when we are put under the microscope - we often become very defensive.  

 Let's look at an organization which has no problem approaching such issues. I*EARN  is a non-profit international organization with member schools from over 30 countries (in Israel the ORT network is involved). 
 The motto of I*EARN - http://www.igc.apc.org/iearn/ - is: 
Youth Making a Difference in the World through Telecommunications. 
The heart of I*EARN is for students and teachers to collaborate on projects.  I*EARN  is open to elementary through secondary schools, but also acts as a network of both schools and youth service organizations.  

It is a global community of youth, teachers and youth service leaders committed to using telecommunications to make a meaningful difference in the world, as part of the educational process.  It presently consists of a web of 35-40 structured projects, each designed by participants themselves and each with a teacher-facilitator, covering the following subjects: 

  • social studies;, 
  • science ... environment ... math; 
  • arts ... literature; 
  • interdisciplinary areas.
As a practical matter, I*EARN posts times when your school or organization comes on-line.  For teachers, it is a "time-saver" --saves having to constantly surf the Internet for project partners around the world. 
The organization also sponsors international conferences. 

The main focus of I*EARN is to provide a home for  programs which answers the question  now what? 

  • a place to find specific action steps to address local, national and global issues;
  • and an opportunity for you to design your own project and seek partners throughout the world. 
 
 It is no surprise, then, that I*EARN has incorporated the issue of Child Labor among its wide range of topics. Here is a short description of the project: 

Description: Students involved in the Child Labor Project - http://www.peg.apc.org/~bairnssec/marches - will investigate and share examples of child exploitation around the world today and in the past, and  prepare materials to support the 1998 Global March Against Child Labour. The project has two parts: 

1. September - December 1997 (Research phase) 
a). Students will research issues of children's rights, now and historically. This will involve students: writing essays, reports and poems, undertaking surveys, investigating what is sold in their communities produced by child labour, producing art work and cartoons.  
b). The writings will be posted to an I*EARN conference (iearn.ideas) and may be compiled into a booklet. 
c). A WWW page will be produced featuring writings, art works, and cartoons arising from the research. 
2. January 1998 - June 1998 (Action Phase) 
Follow the progress of the marchers and support them through activities such as: publicise in local communities, prepare material for the marchers to present to the ILO in Geneva; write letters to the ILO and UNO highlighting child exploitation and supporting the marchers.  

CURRICULA CONNECTION: history, social education, civics, geography, art, language studies 

The Global March Against Child Labor will commence in January 1998 and will include three marches--one stretching across Asia, another heading north from the southern tip of Africa, and a third working its way through the Americas--which will all converge five months later in Geneva for the session of the International Labour Organisation which will be considering the convention on child labor for the first time.  The marchers will be a focal point for local and international attention and a catalyst for eliminating this practice from the planet. 

Ages: ages 10 and older 
Languages: English and any others 
Dates: September 1997 - December 1998 

 I*LEARN is thus an excellent way of combining learning and social awareness.  It also provides us with a new understanding of the term - Student Empowerment.  Student empowerment can mean enabling the student to take charge of his/her own learning process;  but it can also mean having an effect on his/her environment and  feeling that s/he is playing a small part in making a change. 

 Is there a room for this in English teaching? I feel there is. I believe English to be a vehicle. And if we treat it as such, instead of making it the end target of our efforts, our students will actually acquire the language rather than awkwardly trying to wear it as if it were an uncomfortable and unwanted extra piece of clothing on a hot day. 

 We want to make our English teaching meaningful. But how do we do this?  Some people will say that in order to make it significant, we have to use only local images and local topics. What do things from the outside world mean to our students?  Remember when we were told to use local names like Liora and Moshe in our exercises and not names that the kids might not be familiar with like Frank and Heather? However, can we look at the local Israeli scene without looking at the world as a whole?  Are there really things that affect us separately, problems which are really only local in nature?  And should the EFL classroom be only concerned with EFL (whatever that is)? 

 There is really no such thing as an international EFL project. What would that be?  English is an excellent vehicle for kids to work together in the international arena, cross-curriculum, for it is now the only practical international language, even if it has not been officially recognized as such. The EFL teacher can work with teachers from around the world on any topic, and still feel that s/he is meeting the goals of the EFL curriculum. 

 In my future articles on ETNINEWS, I will continue to explore different aspects of using computer communication for international communication and projects within the EFL classroom. Your comments, suggestions are welcome. You can send them to - david@boker.org.il 

      David Lloyd