North-South School Partnerships in the framework of UNESCO – Collaborating on ESD projects Berlin, Germany, 22 – 26 Nove

1. Internet Communication in School Partnerships North-South School Partnerships in the framework of UNESCO – Collaborating on ESD projects Berlin, Germany, 22 – 26 November 2009

2. Internet Communication in School Partnerships How do we use Internet communication for our partnership? • General notes on internet communication (advantages & disadvantages) • Introduction of the most common internet services & tools • Practical exercise: Which media/ internet services/ tools fit your needs?

3. Internet Communication in School Partnerships General aspects of internet communication (advantages & disadvantages in comparison to face-to-face communication)

4. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Why do we not use Internet communication for our partnership? Objections & Fears Facilities (school, internet cafe, home) Technical knowledge (hardware & software) Communicative & social objections I General aspects of internet communication

5. Internet Communication in School Partnerships RE: Partnership Invitation Objections & Fears Scam/ Spam No social control No control of personal data Internet communciation is trivial Business Offer Win 50.000 $ NOW Re: Confirm Prize won! Letter From Dr Amro Al-astal I General aspects of internet communication

6. Internet Communication in School Partnerships • Social Aspects: Place & Distances • Advantages: • Daily meeting without moving is possible! • Neutral ground • Disadvantages: • distance = less social control/ less personal obstructions. •  People are more direct/ more offending I General aspects of internet communication

7. Internet Communication in School Partnerships • Social Aspects:Time • Advantage: • Make it fit your time needs. Appointments not necessarily needed! • Disadvantage: • asynchrony •  communication delay I General aspects of internet communication

8. Internet Communication in School Partnerships • Social Aspects:Language • Chat language • reduced language • Foreign language: Is the language the mother tongue of one group? •  Contents of communication can be lost I General aspects of internet communication

9. Internet Communication in School Partnerships A: Hey whats up? How R U 2day? B: good and u? A: thx 4 ur mail. read it just now ;-) B: did u like the pic? A: yes haha ROFLMAO Where did u take it? B: oops phone. Brb A: tyt! B: oki back. Srry Btw that was lisa. She sends greets 2u A: thx B: she has a new bf A: lol. Again? A: yeah ^_^ B: srry have 2go now. Ttyl! A: sure! CU l8r take care! I General aspects of internet communication

10. Internet Communication in School Partnerships • Social Aspects:non personal • Aspects of communication are missing (gesture etc.) • Words & Language play a bigger role • Highly dependent on perceptions • High rate of misunderstandings • social control missing •  Consequences: cyber bullying/ mobbing etc. I General aspects of internet communication

11. Internet Communication in School Partnerships • Social Aspects:Anonymity • Advantages: • Can help to establish contacts (e.g. shy persons) • Reduces social inequality • Disadvantages: • Leads to more misuse and social misbehaviour I General aspects of internet communication

12. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Social Aspects:Communication Behaviour Can be affected by local circumstances or by social customs (e.g. attention for the chat partner) I General aspects of internet communication

13. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Cultural Aspects: Cultures are very complex, Communication is very complex Intercultural communication: extremely complex! example individualism vs. collectivism universalism vs. particularism I General aspects of internet communication

14. Internet Communication in School Partnerships

15. Internet Communication in School Partnerships It is ZEBRA... And so delicious!

16. Internet Communication in School Partnerships IT IS ZEBRA ......... AND SO DELICIOUS

17. Internet Communication in School Partnerships • Conclusion • Facilities •  clear circumstances of communication (at school? At home?) • Technical knowledge •  allow your students to help you, there is always someone willing to give technical assistance! • Communicative & social objections • Try to reduce social barriers (e.g. create personal atmosphere) • Create awareness about internet communication disadvantages and possible cultural differences I General aspects of internet communication

18. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Internet Services & Tools Email Newsletter Chat/ Messenger Video Portals Social Networks Own Websites/ Forum  What fits your projectwork best?

19. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Email Services: MSN Yahoo Google Mail Local services • Possibilities: • Send text • Send files II Internet Services and Tools

20. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Email • Advantages • independet of time and place • little technics and technical knowledge needed • Disadvantages • Asynchronity • Limited file size II Internet Services and Tools

21. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Newsletter/ Twitter Can rather be used to reach publicities/ less useful for group interaction II Internet Services and Tools

22. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Chat/ Messenger Services: Skype VOIP MSN Messenger ICQ Chat Systems • Possibilities: • Written Chat • Voice Talk • Video Chat II Internet Services and Tools

23. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Chat/ Messenger

24. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Chat/ Messenger • Advantages • no continous maintenance needed • less time consuming • direct/ personal communication is possible • students are forced to deal with another II Internet Services and Tools

25. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Chat/ Messenger • Disadvantages • technical equipment needed: webcam, headset • fast internet connection needed II Internet Services and Tools

26. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Chat/ Messenger • Recommodation • build pairs of 2 or 3 students • give students time to introduce themselves/ talk about own topic • at the same time: give a specific topic to discuss • think about the use of moderators/ mediators (can be the teacher) • analyse the chat/ problems with the students afterwards II Internet Services and Tools

27. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Video portals Services: YouTube Myvideo Clipfish Sevenload Youku • Possibilities: • Watch video streamings (flash) • Publish videos • Create your own TV Channel • Interact with other members (comment, rate, private messages..) II Internet Services and Tools

28. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Video portals II Internet Services and Tools

29. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Video portals • Advantages: • raise attention/ reach huge publicities • can easily be implemented/ linked • possibility to earn money (if videos are very popular) II Internet Services and Tools

30. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Video portals • Disadvantages: • everyone can see • less social control (comments etc.) II Internet Services and Tools

31. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Social Networks • Services: • Facebook • Myspace • Local Social Networks: • SchülerVZ (Germany) Possibilities: Various services and applications available (Private Messages, Forum, calender, event manager, group manager, walls, chats) II Internet Services and Tools

32. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Social Networks II Internet Services and Tools

33. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Social Networks II Internet Services and Tools

34. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Social Networks • Advantages: • Meets the communication behaviour of your students • Combination of private interests and project • little efforts needed in administration • enables students to stay in contact II Internet Services and Tools

35. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Social Networks • Disadvantages: • No own label/ less beneficial for external project presentation • Many possibilities of distraction given II Internet Services and Tools

36. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Own Website and/or Forum Services Various free software available to generate own websites (no html skills needed) Various free forum/ board systems available (Bulletin Boards) Possibilities: Almost everything is possible II Internet Services and Tools

37. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Own Website and/or Forum II Internet Services and Tools

38. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Own Website and/or Forum • Advantages: • You can fit everything your needs • You can control all contents and contacts • perfect for external presentation & project documentation II Internet Services and Tools

39. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Own Website and/or Forum • Disadvantages: • High technical knowledge needed • Administration and maintenace is very time consuming • might not meet the interests & regular communication behaviour of your students  website can easily get unattractive for students (especially after the project) II Internet Services and Tools

40. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Own Website and/or Forum • Recommodation: • Calculate cost-value ration very well • Don‘t put high efforts in something that no one is using/ watching • If students are willing and able: let them participate in a responsible manner II Internet Services and Tools

41. Internet Communication in School Partnerships Practical level Which media & internet services fit your needs? III Practical Level

42. Internet Communication in School Partnerships • criteria of choice: • Which technical possibilities do we have/ can we have? • Which services/ tools apply our needs? • Whom do we want to adress too? (exchange groups, schools, other students, everyone?) • How much time are we willing to invest? • How many people do we have willing to support? • Do we want continuity within the project or is it a one-time project? • How effective are the used media? (cost-benefit ratio)

43. Internet Communication in School Partnerships • criteria of success: • Do your students identify with the project contents? Does the project meet the private interests of your students? • Does the way of communication in the project meet the regular communication behaviour of your students? • Do the students have a possiblity to receive a positive feedback on their media products? • Optimal way  students participate and volunteer for the project in their free time!