10. A University Environmental Project

Three teachers in three different universities organized a project focusing on the environment for students in their courses. Students formed groups to find the best solution for a real-world environmental problem via e-mail. Each group had to finish a variety of genre writing and gave oral presentations at the end of the semester. Other students voted on the best projects.

I think this is an interesting international project. It looks like a competition where students can compete with other students around the world. It helps develop students' writing skills, problem solving skills and give students a taste of collaboration with people from other parts of the world.

9. A Univeristy-Level Problem-Based Learning Course

Susan established a course to help students develop their Internet and English skills whole solving a practical problem related to their own life goals. Students learnt how to plan projects, prepare CVs, develop written communication skills for business letters and e-mail, and oral communication skills. Susan found that students are highly motivated to identify weaknesses in their communication skills and seek assistance. The course helps students develop language and technical skills.

I like this course developed by Susan because it is practical for third year students who will soon graduate and have to find a job. I hoped that I could take the course when I was an undergraduate.

8. A University On-line Writing course

John set up an on-line writing class at the University of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla to maximize students' opportunities to communicate in writing with the instructor and with each other. He also posted his course textbook on his home page. Students had to post assignments to him through e-mail. He also set up an electronic classroom.

I think John's project is similar to Jack's project. They both created a virtual classroom outside class which means that students can contact their teachers through Internet. Also students can discuss with each other in the discussion forum.

7. A University-Level Content-Based Course

Randall taught a content-based langauge course at Nagoya University in Japan. Basically, students would develop hands-on technical skills and knowledge about intercultural communication through the Internet and their language skills. They had to carry out a cultural research project in which they gathered information about a holiday in another country via the Internet resources.

I think this kind of project is not new in these few years in Hong Kong as it becomes easier for people to get useful information in the Internet.

6. An Internet Research Project in an Intensive English Program

Adele asked his students at the Minnesota English Center of the University of Minnesota to do an Investment Project. They used the Internet to research companies they might want to invest in. Then, they formed groups to compile an investment portfolio. At the end, they have to present their projects.

I think this is a great experience and simulation for those business students to practise what they learnt in class. It not only brushed their business knowledge, but they also learnt some authoring skills.

5. A High School E-mail Exchange Project

Roseanne developed a collaborative, task-based e-mail exchange project in a Hong Kong secondary school. The exchange involved three elements: project-based learning, cooperative learning, and process writing. None of the elements was regularly practiced in HK. Students had to work with their international partners on writing through e-mail exchange. Then, they had to peer-edit each other's writing. Roseanne found that this project helped develop student's writing skills for a real audience and at the same time, helped students see English as a valuable tool for international communication.

I agree with Roseanne that the project helped students to see English as a real tool to communicate with people around the world. This arouse their interest in writing.

4. A Junior High Virtual Classroom

Jack created a bilingual virtual classroom on the WWW called Jack's English Classroom in Taiwan. His students can access the virtual classroom through internet connections at home. They can post their homework and discuss with each other through the internet.

One of my friend who is a secondary school English teacher creates a blog for her students to discuss interesting English stuff. I think it is more practical for secondary school students to have this kind of communication as most of the secondary students know computer skills and they have a PC at home.

3. A Middle School Web Publishing Project

Markus and Alexander were two teachers teaching English in Germany. They developed a Web publishing project based on the book K's First Case for a seventh-grade English class. Markus found that most German students' writing experience was about fill-in-the-gap exercises. So they wanted to provide opportunities for students to develop their writing skills in a more natural way. Students had to finish three writing assignments and their work would be published on the Web. The three tasks trained their collaboration skills, pronounciation skills and writing skills.

I think this project gave students a sense of belonging and honour as their work was published on the Web which means that people around the world can see them. Also, it gave them a purpose of writing and relate their writings to this real world.

2. A Primary School E-Mail Cultural Exchange

Teresa teaches sixth-grade English in Portugal. She began a voluntary, after-school e-mail exchange project between her students and some US students. This after school project was put into her regular curriculum in the following semester. Glenn, who was in Florida, interested in carrying out a student exchange programme with Teresa. Two of them planned and coordinated the exchange programme. Their students exchanged information about Christmas decorations, shopping, etc. Teresa found that students showed great enthusiasm in learning English as a result of this project. They not only improved their English, but also made some good friends through e-mails.

After reading this story, it reminds me of one of my assignment in my undergraduate studies. My tutor provided me some chat rooms to chat with native English people in order to collect some information to write up an assignment about different culture. I found an American to be my subject and we started chatting. Later, we exchanged e-mail and we kept writing to each other through e-mails. After the assignment has been finshed, we still kept on writing e-mails to each other about our daily life. And now, after 10 years, we use facebook to keep in touch. So interesting!

Sample Web Subjects 1. Primary School Webfolios

Rachel Arenstein used his English teaching time to teach students how to create an English porfolios. The students were in fifth- and sixth-grade. They had to design their web pages in English with Hebrew instructions and English software. These trained students' artistic skills and interpersonal skills. Besides, students were learning English and computer skills at the same time. However, Arenstein spent quite a lot of time to teach them computer skills before they can create web pages.

I think it's good to combine different skills in learning. Also, students are highly motivated and they show great interest in creating their own porfolios. However, teachers have to spend quite a lot of time in teaching computer skills which is a luxury in most local schools.

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