Broaden your Broaden your Horizons: Educational Horizons: Educational NetworkingNetworking

By Alicia DavisBy Alicia Davis

EDLD 5362-ET8008EDLD 5362-ET8008

Table of ContentsTable of Contents

Educational Educational NetworksNetworks

What is ePals?What is ePals? Why choose ePals?Why choose ePals? How could ePals How could ePals

impact my students’ impact my students’ learning?learning?

What is Lesson What is Lesson Gateway?Gateway?

How could Lesson How could Lesson Gateway benefit my Gateway benefit my students?students?

How could Lesson How could Lesson Gateway impact my Gateway impact my students’ learning?students’ learning?

Why join an Why join an Educational Educational Network?Network?

ReferencesReferences

Educational NetworksEducational Networks

ePalsePals

Lesson GatewayLesson Gateway

What is ePals?What is ePals?

is a Global Communityis a Global Community of collaborative learners, teachers, and of collaborative learners, teachers, and academic experts in 200 countries and territories.academic experts in 200 countries and territories.

provides Connectionsprovides Connections to students, classes, and school districts to students, classes, and school districts worldwide that are safe and secure.worldwide that are safe and secure.

is the safe and protected solutionis the safe and protected solution for linking classes, schools, for linking classes, schools, and school districts globally via and school districts globally via ePals SchoolMail™ePals SchoolMail™, , ePals SchoolBlog™ePals SchoolBlog™, and , and Classroom MatchClassroom Match..

ePals. (2010). ePals. (2010). ePals Overview.ePals Overview. Retrieved on January 25, 2010, from Retrieved on January 25, 2010, fromhttp://www.epals.com/groups/about/pages/epals-overview.aspxhttp://www.epals.com/groups/about/pages/epals-overview.aspx

Why choose ePals?Why choose ePals?

Collaborate with Collaborate with classrooms worldwide classrooms worldwide using Web 2.0 toolsusing Web 2.0 tools

Utilize embedded Utilize embedded language translator language translator program provided in 72 program provided in 72 languages for email languages for email exchange between exchange between studentsstudents

Participate in project-Participate in project-based learningbased learning

Build literacy skills with Build literacy skills with cross-cultural exchange cross-cultural exchange between a mentor pen between a mentor pen pal in another countrypal in another country

How ePals could impact How ePals could impact my students’ learning?my students’ learning?

Foster a sense of Foster a sense of collaborative learningcollaborative learning

Exposure of various Exposure of various social networking skills social networking skills with students of different with students of different culturescultures

““Reinforce and extendReinforce and extend the learning with in-class the learning with in-class book discussions and book discussions and related instruction in related instruction in genre and literacy skills”genre and literacy skills”

ePals. (2010). In2books. Retrieved on January 25, 2010, from

http://in2books.epals.com/content.aspx?caid=I2BCorp&divid=How_In2Books

What is Lesson Gateway?What is Lesson Gateway?

“…“…a free online community where K-12 a free online community where K-12 teachers find, share, rate, and review the teachers find, share, rate, and review the best online educational resources on the best online educational resources on the internet.”internet.”

Lesson Gateway. (2010). http://www.lessongateway.com/

How can Lesson Gateway How can Lesson Gateway benefit my students?benefit my students?

Offers extensive Offers extensive databases that will databases that will enable my students enable my students access to various Web access to various Web 2.0 technologies2.0 technologies

““Offers lesson plans, Offers lesson plans, online student activities, online student activities, teaching tips, reference teaching tips, reference information, etc., that information, etc., that can be used in the can be used in the classroom” classroom”

Free online resources Free online resources are categorized by are categorized by content areas and content areas and recommended by recommended by teachers according to teachers according to student engagementstudent engagement

Lesson Gateway. (2010). FAQ. Retrieved on January 25, 2010, from http://www.lessongateway.com/faqs.html

How Lesson Gateway could How Lesson Gateway could impact my students’ impact my students’ learning?learning?

Students would become engaged in technology activities to Students would become engaged in technology activities to perform higher-order thinking skills for problem solving tasksperform higher-order thinking skills for problem solving tasks

Students will be provided additional educational resources to Students will be provided additional educational resources to assist them with Web 2.0 technologies such as podcasts, wikis, assist them with Web 2.0 technologies such as podcasts, wikis, and blogs for collaborative group projects and blogs for collaborative group projects

““Teachers..have the opportunity to share their knowledge and Teachers..have the opportunity to share their knowledge and experience to benefit students and teachers, not only in their experience to benefit students and teachers, not only in their classroom, but throughout the world”classroom, but throughout the world”

Lesson Gateway. (2010). FAQ. Retrieved on January 25, 2010, from http://www.lessongateway.com/faqs.html

Why join an Educational Why join an Educational Network?Network?

““In order to keep up with the growing demands on them, statewide In order to keep up with the growing demands on them, statewide educational networks will need to be expanded and upgraded in the next educational networks will need to be expanded and upgraded in the next several years. It is essential for leaders in education and government to several years. It is essential for leaders in education and government to agree that statewide educational networks are a vital part of the state’s agree that statewide educational networks are a vital part of the state’s future.” future.” (Matthews, J.B. (2004, April). Why Statewide Educational Networks are Important to State and (Matthews, J.B. (2004, April). Why Statewide Educational Networks are Important to State and Educational Leaders. Southern Regional Educational Board. Retrieved on January 25, 2010, from Educational Leaders. Southern Regional Educational Board. Retrieved on January 25, 2010, from www.sreb.org)www.sreb.org)

““We all have high expectations of what the Internet can do for our We all have high expectations of what the Internet can do for our educational institutions. While we all agree that e-learning offers great educational institutions. While we all agree that e-learning offers great promise, we must be certain how to achieve it. Clearly, if we don’t set our promise, we must be certain how to achieve it. Clearly, if we don’t set our sights high, we could fall significantly short of our goals.” sights high, we could fall significantly short of our goals.” (Arsham, H. (2002, (Arsham, H. (2002, March). Impact of the Internet on Learning and Teaching. USDLA Journal pg. 8. March). Impact of the Internet on Learning and Teaching. USDLA Journal pg. 8. www.usdla.org/html/jouornal/MAR02_Issue/article01.html)www.usdla.org/html/jouornal/MAR02_Issue/article01.html)

ReferencesReferences

(Arsham, H. (2002, March). Impact of the Internet on Learning and Teaching. USDLA Journal (Arsham, H. (2002, March). Impact of the Internet on Learning and Teaching. USDLA Journal pg. 8. www.usdla.org/html/jouornal/MAR02_Issue/article01.html)pg. 8. www.usdla.org/html/jouornal/MAR02_Issue/article01.html)

ePals. (2010). ePals. (2010). ePals Overview.ePals Overview. Retrieved on January 25, 2010, from Retrieved on January 25, 2010, from http://www.epals.com/groups/about/pages/epals-overview.aspxhttp://www.epals.com/groups/about/pages/epals-overview.aspx

ePals. (2010). In2books. Retrieved on January 25, 2010, from http://in2books.epals.com/content.aspx?caid=I2BCorp&divid=How_In2Books

• Lesson Gateway. (2010). http://www.lessongateway.com/

Lesson Gateway. (2010). FAQ. Retrieved on January 25, 2010, from http://www.lessongateway.com/faqs.html

Matthews, J.B. (2004, April). Why Statewide Educational Networks are Important to State and Matthews, J.B. (2004, April). Why Statewide Educational Networks are Important to State and Educational Leaders. Southern Regional Educational Board. Retrieved on January 25, 2010, Educational Leaders. Southern Regional Educational Board. Retrieved on January 25, 2010, from www.sreb.orgfrom www.sreb.org