General Information

  Project Overview

Economic conditions in Stephenville Crossing and surrounding communities prevent many of our students from exploring the world through travel. Becoming a Stellar school would enable our students to travel through other communities via the Internet. Most children in our school do not have access to home computers or the World Wide Web. Our school certainly is the ideal place to introduce our students to this concept.

Newfoundland is an island with a unique history and culture, and culture is an integral part of what defines a community. Our goals would be:

1. To broaden our students' views of other communities similar to ours.
2. To broaden our students' views of other communities that are different than ours.
3. To connect our students with their peers to enable them learn about their culture and opportunities.
4. To promote reading and writing skills through correspondence with other students.
5. To expose students to the vast amount of information that is available on the Internet.

  Curriculum Connections

Social Studies:

Our students learn about a variety of cultures, both similar and different from their own - fishing, farming, mining and political (capitals) communities. By connecting with other fishing communities, for example, students will learn to appreciate the vast differences that exist from one fishing community to another.

Language Arts:

Using the Internet, e-mail, and our own Web site, students will use their writing skills to promote their culture, as well as gather information on their own level of ability.

We wish to promote a web communication between other communities and our own.

  Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes For Provincial Curriculum:

The intended learning outcomes of this project follow the Provincial Curriculum in the fact that it encourages children to use their listening, reading and writing skills and promotes these skills through the use of the Internet.

Learning Outcomes For Technology Education:

• Understanding the basic communication principles of transmitting, receiving, storing and retrieving information.
• Understand the language and terminology used.
• Use communication technology to gather information to build on what is already known.
• Development of vocabulary and terminology and language related to computer technology.

  Resource Connections

The K-3 students who are given the opportunity to connect with the Stellar school's Internet will, by nature of the Internet, gain an understanding of an unlimited source of information.

  Evaluation

• Students will have a broadened scope and understanding of the world they live in.
• Students will have an invaluable cultural text that is up to date with today's students of the same grade level.
• Students will be able to make contact with other students for the purpose of sharing cultural differences and similarities.
• Students will fine tune their writing skills and realize the importance of accurate grammar and spelling in their correspondence.

Our committee feels that it is important for today's students to have a global understanding and inquisitive desire to learn about the many and varied cultures that make up our world.