Linda Bilak’ Blog

Global collaboration has been the subject of a few blog postings recently.  Topics ranged from how to encourage teachers to participate effectively, to the components of a successful, well managed project. There was even a parable authored by Graham Wegner.More online project pitfalls were highlighted  by Susan Sedro here  as well. I read them all, added a comment occasionally, and checked my epals account faithfully.  I had recently reactivated my account and began looking for a motivated school to connect with my Spanish learners.  I was contacted right away- A public school(un instituto) in Villajoyosa, Valencia, Spain found us.  We were thrilled. It was  like being  a hot commodity on match.com.We did not linger longingly awaiting a suitor to court us. We were chosen by a very chic seaside community on the shores of the glorious Mediterranean.   Kids eyes were agape at the photos we viewed of our new pals hometown. Impressive, very impressive.

Emails were exchanged, student accounts created, test emails sent and received.  Students were prepped in online etiquette. The discussion of teacher monitored email was gone over and over again so that the idea of young email ambassadorship was understood by one and all. I checked my email faithfully except I had not received anything since 12/31/07.  I explained away the lack of contact knowing full well the culture and the holidays that occur beyond our celebrations. Family holidays would keep one from returning to a more  daily routine chore of responding to email.  School in Spain would not resume until 1/8/08… there was no need to feel panic.  We took our midterm in classes and were otherwise occupied anyway. And I checked my email faithfully. My students began to use the accounts I created for the exchange to ask for review sheets, additional practice, a grade inquiry. I responded via the epals account- even if it were meant for a higher purpose- it lent itself to teacher-student communication as well.

And now it is 1/15/08. There has not been a response to my emails since New Year’s Eve.

The students are starting to squirm a bit now. I have searched out other schools  to line someone up in case this all falls apart(has it already?).  And I check my email faithfully…….so as I read blogs about the lack of true global collaboration happening in most schools-if anyone has a Spanish class to write to my 65 students…. we are ready willing and ABLE.