One example of an impersonation is the ongoing project in Virginia which involves docents at Monticello answering student e-mail in the character of Thomas Jefferson. Students may also go online in character as described in In Character . The second category of Internet use which Dr. Harris defines are activities in which students collect, compile and compare information. These research-based activities tend to be collaborative, supporting joint learning. Information exchanges engage students in gathering similar data for analysis by two or more classrooms.
Students then figure out what the data means and create new knowledge.
Database creation can be the next step that information exchange projects take. Students may be interested in taking the data they have collected and compared and organizing it in the form of a database. Kids' Consumer Guide describes a database creation. Electronic Publishing includes online magazines, Web sites, and other formats that allow students to publish and share their research with a worldwide audience. A Myth is Born is an example of electronic publishing which engages students in collaboratively writing a myth.