Talking+to+the+world

Inquiry today can easily include asking questions of real people, like experts in a topic or residents of countries we might be investigating. When time differences permit, we can talk to other classes using Skype, and if time is a problem, we can still collaborate using tools like blogging and Voicethread. Because so many of the world's students are keen to learn English, linking up with e-pals is always a possibility provided your school is comfortable with it and you are prepared to monitor everything!


 * Blogging**
 * []** This was our SP class blog for Term 1, though we only worked on it for about five weeks in total. The students get a real buzz when the red dots appear from around the world! Apart from the skills of blogging and using a variety of ICT tools, the benefits of this have included forging links with teachers in other countries. These teachers and their classes become our friends and this can lead on to other collaborative activities outside of the blogging challenge. I would be looking to these links as possible resources for class inquiry in the future.

[] This blog is from a youth ESL class in Croydon where the teacher is keen for her students to link with other classes so that they can practice their English in a real context. Many of the students are refugees or very recent immigrants.

[] The simplist blogging platform! We have found it a great way to start with a class, even with older students. We have one English teacher who uses this when studying a novel, and has the students respond to his prompts to begin with, but then the students pose the discussion questions and everyone has to take part in the discussion. The change in student writing has been remarkable, both in quantity and quality and it has highlighted the students who are engaging with the issues but are perhaps not so vocal in class.

[] Watch this demonstration of how Voicethread works. I've used it with classes and it is very straighforward and FREE to make three VTs. Consider subscribing to the educational version which has more safety features. [] Here is one shared example from this week, showing how students get a voice to express themselves on topics that inspire them.
 * Voicethread**

[|www.epals.com] Join this free community to find suitable partners for your inquiry unit. Not every school will want their students involved, but it can be monitored well with all ingoing and outgoing messages screened. TIME!
 * E-pals**

[] Watch this example of a class using Skype. I've had a link with the UK and the teacher there and I took turns at being interviewed by the classes. The students wanted to know about Christmas and what it looked like in our different countries. We exchanged Wordles of Christmas too just to see what words came up that were different or the same.
 * Skype**