Time 2003

2003 Intercultural Dialogue

Students involved from our School

thirty 10th graders: Classroom Twinning (1st semester)
thirty 11th graders: Classroom Twinning (1st semester)
seventy-five 9th graders: (2nd semester)

Countries and regions involved throughout the year : Canada, Italy, Sweden, Belarus, Finland, Mexico, Bosnia Herzegovina, France, Australia, USA, Greece, Martinique, Turkey, Czech Republic, Russia, Indonesia, The Netherlands.

Aims:

Practice language skills
Practice computer skills (e-mailing, search on net, oral presentation interacting in a forum)
Develop cross-cultural awareness and understanding; learn how to challenge bias, unfairness and stereotypical views.
Make students think about the aspects that reflect their culture and images different countries have of it, and develop their own views on diversity and culture

Technology:

School:

4 computers with ADSL connection in teachers' room,

8 computers library (ADSL connection)

16 new computers (with ADSL connection in technology room), printer, scanner

8 very old computers science room (slow connection), 1 printer, 1 scanner

1 Digital Mavica

Home:

2 computers (ADSL connection), 1 printer

Macromedia Dreamweaver software

Process:

Classroom Twinning: students participate in emailing and two forums during the year : from April to early June and from October to end of November.

First semester theme: Stereotypes

URL:

The mailing is done in English between groups of classes from 9 different countries (Mexico, Indonesia, The Netherlands, Italy, Finland, Belarus, France, Brazil and Canada).
Tips for teachers on e-mail exchange are posted on the community forum.
Participating teachers carry out stereotype lesson plan in their classrooms.
Students get in groups in class and brainstorm on images they have of other countries and questions they want to ask other schools.
Students post in a closed forum and post the images they have of other countries and questions they would like their peers to answer.
Teachers meet in the Time Classroom Twinning Community to exchange ideas, point out eventual problems, post doubts and suggestions and together evaluate their students' work.
Students post the answer to the questions they received and comment on stereotypes from other countries.

Second semester theme: Celebrations

URL:

Instructions are posted for teachers on how to operate the forum.
Teachers from Brazil, France, Italy, Canada, Australia, USA, Greece, Martinique, Turkey, and Sweden carry out lesson on celebrations in class.
Students are paired in groups and post their group introduction letters on the students' forum and start communicating with others.
Questions on the various themes are established.
Students get in groups according to their choice.
Discussions are held in class after presentation of target vocabulary and research on the Internet.
Students exchange their views with students from different countries on the old forums and the new community opened just before Time Day.