Within the six language arts classes I teach daily, I assign each student an email partner, one that is from a different class. They must keep their identities a secret, so they don't divulge their preferences in friends or sports, for example, or their sex or class description-anything that could give a clue as to whom they are. If a student breaks the secret, they lose the privilege of emailing for the remainder of the school year. To my knowledge, in three years, no one has ever revealed their identities before the last month of school when the names of the email pals are shared. The positive aspects of these unconditional friendships are immeasurable as physical looks and personal handicaps become unimportant and true friendships develop.
Students learn the value of individual differences, and their self-esteem increases.
Writing emails also allows students to vent their anger through a safe channel, for the reality that I am monitoring what's written is never removed. Through the Hewlett Packard Telementoring Project, my students email people from all around the world and then share with each other what the mentors have taught them. By being globally connected, my students learn about different time zones, business functions, governments, and cultures. One of my classes was fortunate to have fourteen mentors. For me, email is an effective way to communicate daily with my students' parents.