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5. Register and Follow Through
Below, we discuss registering and following through with networked projects. Registering for a project takes only a few minutes, but before you register, you should find out about what it will take for your class to complete the project successfully.
For your first project, have your students participate in a virtual field trip or an information exchange that requires only one or two email exchanges. That way you are sure to follow through.
Registering for a Project
The project coordinator decides how you will register to participate in the project. Teacher-initiated projects will usually require you to send email to the coordinator. If a project is managed by an educational organization or company, a form may exist on the project web site that you must submit.
The project coordinator will always want to know your name, email address, your school, grade level, mailing address, phone number, and other general information. They may also want you to supply some specific information regarding your interest in the project.
The vast majority of projects operate in a professional, collegial and friendly manner. You should expect this to be a friendly, rewarding experience, and one that is bound to develop new friendships.
Following Through
Registering for a project is definitely not the hard part. But following through, so that your students get the most out of the project, takes commitment. Sometimes, information exchange projects require your students to contribute research information crucial to the project for interpreting data. In other words, everybody's success in the project depends on your participation. So, you can see the importance of following through.
The rule to be a good net project citizen is simple! READ EVERYTHING! Note the time, materials, and experience characteristics of the project. Determine whether you'll be able to acquire the materials, complete all the required tasks on time, and have the technology and subject matter experience required. If you can't successfully complete the project, don't register. Find a different project, or make a project of your own that matches the characteristics you identified.
Your students will get the most benefit from project participation if you take full advantage of the information offered on the project site or in the project description. Many times project sites offer multimedia resources, display informative pictures, link to other Internet resources, provide lesson plans, recommend printed resources, provide forums for student discussion, house additional activities, and suggest ways to expand, enrich, and supplement the project curriculum.
You as a teacher should decide which resources and activities are best for your students.
The Journey Begins!
Well, your preparation is done. You've learned about networked projects, visited project sites, determined the characteristics of a project you'd like to participate in, and found that project. All that's left is for you to register, and follow through. So, go ahead and do it. We'll see you in the fourth dimension.
In case of Disaster
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