ePals: More Learning Experience

   

     ePals is a digital media that allows children to gain more learning experience outside the classroom. Through ePals, children are provided with a number of stories, games, and books, etc. Teachers are able to connect with other teachers all over the world to share their teaching experience and culturally different teaching strategies. What is more important to both young learners and educators: many meaningful and helpful projects which will enrich learner's learning experience in various aspects could be worked through this Internet tool. There are some education projects which have been developed through this program:

     1. Education Around the World Project This project is developed by an education student and pre-service teacher who is looking to start a project about education curriculum and systems around the world. Through this project, this pre-teacher would like to communicate with elementary schools around the world, gain as much information about education systems worldwide as possible, and get contact with students, teachers, and administrators all over the world.

     2. Class in Azerbaijan Seeks Partners for Culture Project This project is started by a class in Azerbaijan which is seeking partners for their project. Since the students from this Azerbaijan class are interested in foreign countries and want to learn other countries' art, culture, and educational system, they develop this collaborated project through ePals to gain as much information from different countries as possible.

     3. Let's Paint the Globe Green This projected is designed to give students a better understanding of the "Go green" concept and the "Think global". Through this project, students all over the world are expected to think about earth and it resources through discussion and conversations with other students in different countries and cultures. 

     One feature that ePals provides is the available entry to communicate to not only students but also educators around the world. Therefore, for my future teaching, if I am able to apply ePals to my teaching, I would like to develop some projects through ePals to have my students share their English learning experience with other students from different countries and cultures, and encourage them to learn from each other through communication and conversations.