From: Chris.Rowan@f2.n3820.z1.fidonet.org (Chris Rowan)
Newsgroups: k12.chat.teacher
Subject: Re: GLOBAL VILLAGE NEWS
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 07:16:58 PDT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:3820/2 - The Lyceum, Brownsville TX

Hi John,

*** Quoting John Mclaughlin to Chris Rowan ***

JM> Chris -- I read your message about Global Village and am really
JM> interested in getting my students connected.  I teach a combined
JM> Grade 7-8-9 in Bathurst, New Brunswick.  We do a newspaper
JM> activity a couple of times a week and your project would fit in
JM> with our program.  Let me know what I have to do if it isn't too

Here's some info about GVN:

Last year, we started a project called Global Village News.  It
consisted of students reading their local newspapers for items of
interest to their particular community.  The articles were
summarized, and a brief explanation _why_ the article was chosen was
attached.  Posts were then entered in Channel 11 of the K12Network, a
subsidiary of Fidonet.

Last year's GVN was very successful.  There were posts from
Washington, Oregon, Canada, Australia . . . Many different places.

In order for this year's GVN to be a success, we will need at least 6
participants (i.e., schools/classes).  The project will be "open,"
admitting new participants as time goes by.

If you would like to participate in this year's Global Village News,
post a short message here with the following information:

     1)  Name of teacher
     2)  Grade level
     3)  Name of school
     4)  Location of school (City, state, province, etc)

The purpose behind Global Village News is to provide a forum for
intercultural exchange of events, people, places, and ideas.  This
year, the time frame will be split into five, two-week segments.
Each segment will focus on a particular subject or topic.  The time
frame is listed below:

    10/26/92 to 11/9/92 -->  Places in Our Community

   11/10/92 to 11/13/92 -->  Open Forum/Discussion about Places

    11/30/92 to 12/7/92 -->  Our Community's Plans for the Future

    12/8/92 to 12/11/92 -->  Open Forum/Discussion about Future Plans


The time frame and topics listed above are _not_ cast in stone.  If
you have any suggestions, comments, complaints, or concerns, PLEASE
let me know.

Your students may have some questions about what they need to do in
order to participate in this project.  Some typical Q & A's follow:

Q.  What do we need to do?

A.  Find out what the topic is for the current week and peruse the
local newspaper(s) for relevant news articles.  When you find one,
summarize it (do NOT copy it!) and post your news summary in Channel
11 of the K12Network.  Please include your personal reaction to the
article, i.e., why you chose that particular article; how it made
you feel; its relevance to your community, etc.

Q.  What do we need to type in the Subj: heading?

A.  That depends on the topic.  If the topic for a particular
project segment is "People," the Subj: heading should be "People."
If the topic is "Events," the heading should be "Events," and so on.

Q.  How long do the summaries have to be?

A.  The summaries have to be long enough to fully explain the main
idea of the news article - No more, no less.  The factual material
is less important than your personal reaction to the event, person,
etc.  If your community is planning to build a Youth Center, that
may not seem like "BIG NEWS" to people who live in large cities.
However, if you add that your community has been planning to build a
Youth Center for the past 20 years and has finally acquired the
means to do so, we all come a little closer to understanding what the
Center means for you and your community.

Q.  Do I have to be over a certain age or past a certain grade level
in order to participate?

A.  No.  If you can read and write, you can participate.

Q.  Can we exchange "friendly" messages with participants in Channel
11?

A.  It would be best if you did not.  Please take note of the
student's name and post a message to him/her in the appropriate
"Chat" echo.

        Global Village News is a project designed to promote intercultural
awareness through the sharing of local news items.  Students read their local
newspapers for items of interest to post on Ch. 11.  A brief personal reaction
to the news item usually accompanies the summarized news article.  Here is a
sample of some of the articles posted last year:

        DNA testing in a murder trial in Novia Scotia
                Australian Emus stolen from farm in Pasadena, Texas
        Brutal stabbing of RMCP officer In Alberta, Canada
                New pool built in Birdsville, Queensland, OZ
        Australian cattle dogs need flea remedy
                The Halifax Explosion
        Student violence at Georges P. Vanier Junior High
                Boozehound elephants in West Benghal, India
        Australian response to Bush visit
                Pot bust in Oregon
        Men use pocket knife to tunnel out of snow trap
                Drive-by shooting in Brownsville, Texas
        Freshman thinks condom dispensors belong in junior high
                Girl pulls gun on another in school restroom
        Man rescues six lions and a tiger
                Bikini bandit robs convenience store
        Man sentenced to prison for knowingly spreading AIDS virus

        There are many reasons why I think this is a good activity for
students.  It forces them to read their local newspaper, which is something
many students avoid.  Students must critically examine a news item to determine
whether it is worthy of their time and effort to summarize and post on the
network.  GVN also allows students a peek into the day-to-day lives of other
students who live hundreds, even thousands of miles away.  It is social studies
in realtime - NOW.

This is the Global Village News participants' list as of 10/9/92.
Please feel free to post your articles on Channel 11.  The topic for
this project period is "Events in your Community."   I would
sincerely appreciate any comments or suggestions you may have about
this project.


Participant's Name           Location                   Grade Lvl
------------------|------------------------------------|---------
John Chisholm     |  Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada    | 6
Roberta Hawkins   |  Seattle, WA                       | 10-12
Cal Hauserman     |  Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada     | 4
Cindy Cole        |  Charlemont, MA                    | 6
Carol Hooper      |  El Paso, TX                       | 7-8
Zelma Gragg       |  El Paso, TX  (?)                  | 4-6
Tom Winn          |  FIr Island, WA                    | K-12
John Feltham      |  Townsville, Queensland, Australia | 8-12
Ann Bradford      |  Agawam, MA                        | 4
Jeff Benedict     |  Chimacum, WA                      | 9-12
Rebecca Mctainsh  |  Brighton, Otago, New Zealand      | 4-6
Phil Spooner      |  Gaston, OR                        | K-6
Nancy Bucher      |  Bonners Ferry, ID                 | 2-6
Lorna Kropp       |  Spokane, WA                       | 5-6
Dave Lehnis       |  Lacey, WA                         | 9
Diana Campbell    |  Bernardston, MA                   | 6
Deborah Roussell  |  Hatfield, MA                      | 6
Elliott Mitchell  |  Nashville, TN                     | post grad
Bob Anthony       |  North Sydney ,Cape Breton, Canada | 6
Jean Churchill    |  Easton, MA                        | 7
Janice Kibbe      |  Holyoke, MA                       | 4
Loretta Taylor    |  Bothell, WA                       | 5
John Mclaughlin   |                           |
Chris Rowan       |  Brownsville, TX                   | 6
------------------|------------------------------------|----------



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