General Information Project Overview Curriculum Connections Learning Outcomes Resource Connections Evaluation

  General Information

  Project Overview

Participation of students from Mount Pearl Junior High School in what we are calling International Teen Trends arose from an email request by a Japanese student. Haruka Abe’s message (kitako01@pnw.hokkai.or.jp) was forwarded to us from the STEM~Net offie. The project involves students from around the world collaborating via email to produce a collection of "what’s in--NOW" or current "fads and trends" in the world of music, fashion, foods, material goods and the language of today’s teens. Not only dowe see this project as being very popular with the students, but it will provide us with a "snapshot" of international teen culture at this period in our history.

  Curriculum Connections

This project provides an extension to the curriculum in both Language Arts and Social Studies. Since students in grade eight study the culture of Japan, this project provides a very real opportunity for them to learn about cultural similarities through the medium of electronic communication and to share their experiences with others through journal writing or oral reports.

  Learning Outcomes

• Nature of Technology -students develop understanding of the role and impact of information technology
• Technological Literacy -students develop abilities with using communication networks effectively
• Lifelong Learning -students work and learn by collaborating with others and use communications technology to present and share ideas and information

  Resource Connections

It is our intention to suggest to the lead teachers in Japan that if they would like to know about the teen language that is currently "in", we send audio files or video files produced by our students. This will give them a clearer picture of the language of our teens —including intonation and associated body language and facial expression.The STELLAR schools Internet connection will enable us to embark on a collaborative project involving the sharing of such multimedia files. Students at Mount Pearl Junior High School would assist in the production of a web page which would highlight the information received from the Japanese host Resources needed for this project include:

• multimedia-capable computers with Internet connections
• hardware and software to permit creation of video files
• multimedia microphones for creating audio files
• HTML editing software

  Evaluation

Evaluation of this project would come partly through grading of students’ research and compilation of local data. Students’ participatio n in using email would be observed and the degree of proficiency noted. Evaluation of written or oral reports would make up a major part of the evaluation.