RUSSIAN-AMERICAN WIKISPACES COMMUNITY FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS.

1. RUSSIAN-AMERICAN WIKISPACES COMMUNITY FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. Росина А.Ю., Шайхутдинова Л.Т., Габидуллин А.Н., 10 класс, МОУ-гимназия №1 имени Ризы Фахретдина г. Альметьевск, руководитель- учитель английского языка Надиманова А.М.

2. Reasons of the research • In the contemporary world it is urgent not only to study and speak English but also to use the language in the purpose of solving cross cultural misunderstanding, analyzing different perspectives on variety topics, searching common points and learning to be tolerant.

3. Reasons of the research • In March, 2008 and September, 2010 our school hosted an American teacher from the Talwood High School, Virginia Beach, Virginia. • It was investigated that both sides as Russian as American know a little about each other.

4. Aim • To clarify possibilities to maintain international relationships via a virtual community for students and teachers.

5. Steps We are going to do it through: • 1. creating a Wikispace community for students and teachers; • 2. attracting Russian students and teachers and American peers to the Wiki; • 3. regular upgrading our Wiki with interesting issues and projects; • 4. popularizing our experience among students of our community.

6. Object • The object of the research is the Wiki located in http://tgr.wikispace.com which was created in January 2010. This name was created from Tatar Gymnasia from Russia.

7. Ways of the research • online searches; • literature and Internet resources overviewing; • group-based collaborating; • questioning, • brainstorming.

8. What is Wiki? • A wiki is a website that allows the easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages. • Wikis are often used to create collaborative websites, to power community websites and for personal note taking.

9. Why is Wiki?

10. History of the TGR Wiki Creating. • Registration or creating own account were made in the http://www.wikispaces.com/ • It was investigated how Wiki worked. • The structure of a Wiki was studied. • Pages on different topics were begun to create. • Inviting new members to the Wiki.

11. Statistics • Organisers: 4 • Date of organizing: January, 11 2010 • Time of existing: 3 months • Members: direct TGR members – 29, Gymnasia students – 13 Gymnasia teachers – 2 American students – 11 American teachers - 3 co-members from KLMS - 136 co-members from Creating Connection members – 10 • Pages: 10 • Discussions: 14 • Posts: 71 • On the page Usage Statistics can be found the information of amount of every month views, visitors, edits, editors, messages, and top countries visitors.

12. The structure of the page

13. Home page • Home page is devoted to the history of Russian-American relationships between our school’s teachers and students and American peers.

14. The way the TGR virtual community live is discussing different issue that both sides are interested in. Participants are students from Gymnasia #1 after Riza Fakhretdin Kemps Landing Magnet School Talwood High School Shanhai American School International projects

15. Heroes KLMS

16. Vancouver 2010 Heroes

17. Contemporary Celebrities

18. The Second World War

19. Conclusion • In three months the virtual community in Wikispaces was organized and advertised to be used as a source of communication. • TGR Wiki is designed for collaborative authoring by participants of the both sides of communication. • The TGR Wiki provides various topics for discussions which let to begin a research and based on it help to solve cultural misunderstanding and realize how many common points we have at the same time. • Each discussion is supported by the members of the TGR Wiki and two American schools and one school from Shanghai. At the same time Gymnasia member’s of the Wiki takes an active part in American projects of KLMS-English8-Flames Wiki. • Different ways of promotion are used: lessons, teachers-to-students activities, students’ conferences, e-mailing are among them.

20. Thank you for your attention!