2. My class set up a blogmeister site. This included a teachers’ page and individual student blogs. We buddied up with a Malaysian Class who also had a blogmeister site. We then set up a wiki with the intention of both classes adding to the comparison table. Initial contact involved the students writing blogs about themselves. They then buddied up with students from 4 Azim and 4Akil and asked them questions about their day. I found that replies to these were slow and were not going to be effective in the timeframe available so we sent questions as a class. The Malaysian class added a virtual trip with photos. We also included photos of ourselves and our school.

3. Our blogs were very successful with all students setting up their own design, blog heading, details and initial entries. Six of my students regularly blogged at home throughout the time and continue to do so. These students then buddied up with others in the class and helped them to blog. The ICT learning was amazing with all students improving their skills. The class teacher was impressed with their commitment and enthusiasm to the project. They were constantly chatting about it. I sent notices home to parents to involve them in the project as well with some of them adding comments on their childrens blogs. The connection with the Malaysian class was slow coming because of other projects they had. But once up and running it was brimming with information for us to utilise. I would loved to have continued this over a longer period. The children were able to gain some information to add to their Venn Diagram over this short time however when doing this again I would run it over a term. The children are keen to keep it going.

4. What an effective learning experience that created enthusiasm and fun learning. This was so successful that I have set it up in other classes and will be setting it up at the beginning of the year in my new classroom. All students improved their ICT skills as well as their social and cooperative skills. Barriers to learning were the short time frame available for the project and the amount of time it took to initially set up each students blogs. This was due to lack of computers and time in suite. I would set this up and have it running all the time with students blogging in their writing time each day. The wiki was a late addition to my project and if set up initially both groups could’ve added to it. I think is an effective tool when working with a class overseas. As I wasn’t the class teacher I had to fit in with her timetable. If it was my own class I would’ve included a lot more class teaching using the data projector. I was having to work with groups. I enjoyed blogging with the class teacher and she was a great help to me with this project.

5. Presentation notes Ashley (reading, behaviour management issues in the classroom. Keen to help others and so keen to read blogs from others. Report happenings around the school, orchestra etc How do you facilitate discussion between the students???? Good online teaching and learning promotes discussion and debate between students, however how do you do it. Learner centeredness where the learner takes responsibility for decisions about what he/she learns and how he/she learns it. Through the use of their blog they are able to ask questions of others and

6. What Next? Set up blogs with new students next year before interacting with another class . Share initial planning with teacher and more details before beginning What? Communicated with Liza by email and then by blogs Set up class blog All students set up own blog Visited Malaysian class blogs which included a virtual field trio through photos. Parents commented on blogs Venn Diagram done by students to compare their day How? More contact with e teacher Longer timeframe I needed to comment on 4 Akim’s blogs and involve myself more Synchronous technologies such as skype to enhance project Whole class work Roster for computer management Train more tech angels to help others More information needed on country before beginning to enable children to think of questions Use wiki more Why? Lisa the Malaysian teacher was enthusiastic and keen and set up her blog quickly and kept it updated. She responded to students blogs. Students were keen to help each other with their blogs Students had high expectations for Malaysian students to respond to blogs immediately. Communication with home by a newsletter with links etc involved parents

7. I began to use my blog to keep a recording of what I was doing this was also to keep Liza up to date on where we were at. After each day you can blog what you have achieved and what you could do to improve. My intial problem was getting the individual blogs up and running as well as inserting photos. I was able to get help from another teacher that hI am going to use a reflecting on action cycle (David Kolb et al). I will do this by keeping a journal recording what actually happened and what occurred to make it happened daily. to reflect. I will involve the children in this reflection process by getting their opinion and reviewing their work samples. This process will then help me reflect on the overall project and what I would do to improve it next time.

9. Our Blog: http://www.classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=218163&blog_id=&listclass=26494 Malaysian Class Blog: http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=210620 Class Wiki: http://hokitika.wikispaces.com/ Student work examples: Mitchells Blog: http://www.classblogmeister.com/blog.php?user_id=218163&blogger_id=219817 Venn Diagram Evaluation Sheet