Dynamic Landscapes Global Friends- Learn and Share

This had to be my favorite conference session. Joyce Babbitt works with students and teachers in her school to facilitate friendships where students learn about different cultures through global pen pals. She started her profile on epals.com and facilitated connections between her classes and Italy as well as other countries. (I can't recall the specific countries and unfortunately the online presentation is not available.) The interactions began as email and snail mail exchanges and then began to evolve. Students recorded video introductions for their pen pals and suddenly started creating claymation videos and music videos of them singing their favorite songs for their friends.They sent each other Christmas gifts and learned how to speak their pen pals' native languages to say (ex) Happy Holidays. Students created "this or that" sheets to decipher common interests and continue to learn about each other.
It was a very engaging experience to hear students talk about their global pen pals, see the videos, and pictures that were exchanged. Many students still interact with their pen pals even after the completion of their school projects. As someone who grew up writing to her own pen pal (though mine only lived in New Hampshire while we were growing up), I really appreciated the impact of this program on these students and I would love to have e-pals in the future. I have included Ms. Babbitt's tips at the conclusion of this post for things to keep in mind when facilitating global connections.

Tips for global friends1. timing and putting in time
2. Get parental support

• Approval first

• Keep parents updated- emails, videos, etc.

3. Plan and allow for spontaneous moments. (ex. Music video creation)
4. Learn and send video.
5. Keep trying; don't give up.
6. Share the Process.

• Share successes with community, school board

7. Check out free resources.
8. Connect and reconnect.