Uses 
| E-Mail in the Classroom |
| Tips for using e-mail with a class |
 | Agree an exchange focus with teachers in the partner school(s) |
| Set time limits for each part and an end date. Good projects might last anything from a few weeks to a whole year. |
| Agree how quickly pupils will reply. Ten minutes is technically possible, but two days is much easier to plan for and sustain. |
| | Don't take on too many partners |
| Use digital cameras and scanners to add interest |
| Send something by 'snail mail' to make it more exciting. Examples have included a teddy bear, letters, video and a Christmas crib. |
| Monitor what your children are writing and receiving. You may need to check your school Internet policy to ensure pupils are absolutely safe. |
| Integrate the exchange into the curriculum wherever possible |
| If using web-based e-mail where you can only write online, type into Word offline and cut and paste |
| Use a data projector if you have one, or failing that a TV connection, to enable the whole class to read the mail |
| Use parents, friends and family connections abroad to help you find partners |
| Year numbers and terms like 'infant' and 'primary' mean different things in different countries. To avoid confusion, use ages |
| Remember that terms and holidays in Northern and Southern Hemispheres and even within Europe, do not align |
| Let pairs or groups of children work on different aspects so that recipients are not bombarded with 32 versions of the same thing. |
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| At the end of a project, remember to thank your host! |
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| The logistical problem of one access point to the Internet and 31 children must be addressed before even looking for a project. |
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| Some schools enter a partnership with enthusiasm, but find the reality of the regular link onerous and the project fails. So try to predict the amount of time needed per week. |
| Rather than just closing the project and thanking the teacher at the other end, why not ask them to repeat next year with new classes? It is a lot easier than re-planning and you have already established a relationship. |
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Connecting with the World (QCA unit of work)
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