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Virtual travel:
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By Judy Freund
Meyer Middle School
River Falls
The University of Wisconsin--River Falls, under the direction of Dr. Carol LeBreck, has made available the opportunity for teachers to spend time working as professionals in countries around the world through the Visiting Teacher Program (VTP). Teachers spend three to six weeks in locations that for one reason or another appeal to them and work in capacities connected to their professional work.
In the summer of 1997, I participated in the program, spending three weeks in New Zealand. The majority of my time was spent in Rotorua, on the North Island. This area is rich in cultural diversity because of the many Maori communities there and provided a wonderful opportunity to examine one approach of integrating indigenous peoples into the educational process.
At one point I was telling a class about the experience of native peoples in America and a very attentive 13-year-old Maori boy said, "that is just like us!" This moment - and numerous others - left me wishing I could pick up the phone and tell someone about this experience.
I know that most if not all of the VTP participants feel that desire to "share it all" with their classes and colleagues back home. There are times when the urge is nearly irresistible to immediately tell about that insight or piece of interesting information.
My New Zealand experience was followed by a mission trip to South American this spring - but this time I used technology available in our district to take students, peers and community members along via the Internet! You have probably heard of - if not participated in - programs like MayaQuest, Journey North, etc.
The next time you or your students are off to a foreign country or on an information-filled excursion that takes you or them away from your community, consider using the same approach to send pictures and text back to your districts to be placed on your school's home page and then available for access by anyone who calls it up on their computer! A little planning on your part can make it all happen. You will need:
- a digital camera and a laptop (you probably have access to these in your school/district),
- access to the Internet at the site you will visit,
- a webmaster at your home school willing to help you out a bit (depending on your expertise), and
- just a little luck to go along!
This past March I spent three weeks in Bolivia with the Dental Symposia Humanitarian and Educational Expedition. The group worked in the AMENECER Mission Project in Cochabamba. Problems of poverty, concern for children's health, and drug abuse are basic issues in that city - as well as many cities in South America. These are being addressed through the efforts of the staff and volunteers at the AMENECER facilities. "AMENECER" is a Quechua word that means "daybreak," and the program is run by the Sisters of Charity. Through their numerous facilities they serve up to 1,200 children and family members at any given time.
The Humanitarian Expedition went down to Cochabamba to carry donations of dental/medical/miscellaneous supplies, to do dental work in the mission facilities, and to "lend a hand" as may be needed.
When Sue Covil, 6th grade teacher at Meyer Middle School in River Falls, heard that I was going she asked, "when you are there why can't you send my kids e-mail and pictures, just like MayaQuest?" (Our 6th grade unit has participated in MayaQuest the past two years.)
I had no really good reason why I couldn't; so I talked to a few people - both in person and via e-mail - and did some hustling to get the equipment that I needed to take. I also met with our webmaster to talk through what he wanted the information to look like when he received it. And I spent more than a little amount of time working with our Goals 2000 representative becoming familiar with our digital camera and loading the necessary software on the laptop. I used a Kodak camera with PhotoEnhancer software and had a Macintosh 520c laptop with about 20K of memory - pretty basic, I guess.
The biggest obstacle for me seemed to be Internet access. If you are in and around schools this will probably be a small issue. Because I was in a third-world country and working in a mission project that has scant resources available I was concerned. I had numerous suggestions from locating a provider who might offer a foreign access or 1-800 number, to using satellite technology, or connecting with a local business or university with Internet access.
Dr. David Crane, a dentist from Chippewa Falls is the founder of Dental Symposia and along with his wife, Vicki, organizer of the expedition to Bolivia. Participating dentists routinely conduct workshops for the faculty and students at the local university, and David assured me they would allow me to use their computer/Internet facilities.
I left River Falls not at all sure I would be able to find the access I needed. As it turned out, David was right, and I did use the facilities at Univalle University. I also found a cybercafe that was willing to help - for a fee, of course. (In a pinch, this would be a good alternative.) The parting words of our technology expert were, "if you were taking a technician along you would have no problem!" I was not at all amused or encouraged.
In the end I did better than take along a technician - I found an 18-year-old! I was also granted unlimited use of the computer Internet lab a UniValle. They had PC's (of course) and I was running a Macintosh, but my young friend, Andy, helped me make the transition between systems. He also laid out an html page format - which I followed in sending my series of installments - and solved a number of other problems. Finally, it all worked! NOT PERFECT, by any stretch of the imagination. But it worked; AND even more exciting is the fact that it provided a model for other programs.
Meyer Middle School has had a student exchange program in effect for several years. Last summer, the group travelling to England used this model to keep our community in touch with the group as they experienced education in Malmsberry.
In the future we will use the model to enrich the curriculum component of these student exchanges and infuse more collaborative, project-based work on the part of the participating students from both of the exchange schools.
Please visit the Bolivia site at: rfsd.k12.wi.us/meyer/6g/jf.html. Then, let your own imaginations run wild. . .and don't leave home without technology.
Posted October 2, 1998
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