[Techtalk] improving computer usage in schools

[sara]

Good idea--I loved having penpals in elementary school. And it's easy
enough to obtain the penpals, and then restrict the emails into the
childrens' accounts to internal email and the email address of their
penpal. 

Don't have to be a country that natively speaks English, either. I had a
Korean penpal from third to sixth grade--she spoke Broken English at
first, but learned more through her communications with me. And I
learned quite a bit of Korean in the process. =] It was a good
experience to write with someone who did not speak English natively--it
prepared me for working in support. ;) "Yes, use the
hockey-puck-clicky-thing to click on the picture of the big E"
Although... She was bright and spoke MUCH better English at age 8 than
most of the people I dealt with while working support... ::shudder:: 

-Sara


> Actually, setting up some pen pals with kids in another area or
> another
> country could be really good for them.  Broaden their horizons a bit.
> You'd probably need a school in a country that speaks English natively
> at that age group, but even then it could help them learn about other
> things and other areas.