Name: Linda S.
School: Homeschool in Florida, USA
I cannot begin to express how much of an impact ePals has had on my son. Not only has he made 12 new friends in Lithuania, but he has also learned how it feels to do something special for others. We email photos, letters, interesting lessons to try, and so much more. We have exchanged care packages full of interesting things from the two countries. By connecting kids to friends in other countries ePals has given my son the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children in foreign land.
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Name: Amy L.
School: Grand Junction, Colorado, USA
The main benefit of using ePals is teaching computer and technology skills to my students. Another benefit is that my students practice their writing and reading skills when they read and respond to an email. My students also enjoy corresponding with kids who live in different cultures. Currently, we are exchanging weather reports with our partner class in Florida so that we can compare Florida and Colorado weather! We have also exchanged ideas about celebrating holidays and classroom traditions and activities.
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Name: Lupé S.
School: Kamiah Middle School, Kamiah, Idaho, USA
This is my second year using ePals and working collaboratively with international teachers. Using ePals as a tool of learning is having an incredible influence on my students' impression of the world in which we live. Social Studies is the content focus for integrating ePals, this year. The students are extremely eager to race to the computer lab to engage in what is happening with their "epals"! All I can say is that I have a great appreciation for ePals for allowing educators and students this life long learning experience!
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Name: Sue V.
School: Woodland Park Middle School, California, USA
I have been using ePals for nearly three years and my students love it! I try to select international ePals from countries that are studied in 7th grade geography. My students practice word processing skills, writing block style business letters and designing graphics, as they learn that kids around the world are a lot like they are. We "snail mailed" valentines to our ePals and received some wonderful valentines in return from Lithuania, Japan, and Israel. What fun!
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Name: Kristy C.
School: Heritage Elementary School, Keller, TX, USA
We are a 4th grade class in Keller, Texas and we have been emailing our epals in Australia which has been really neat with the Olympics and everything. We are also participating in the E-lympics program. We've got everyone in on the act. Students did Olympic "Share the Spirit" artwork in their Art class; they are learning Waltzing Matilda in music. We are doing a weather tracking experiment in science and are learning about the Outback in Social Studies. We have a guest coming to speak to our class next week to play the Didgereedoo, an Australian Aborigine instrument.
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Name: Margaret C.
School: Sheridan Hill elem. Clarence, NY, USA
My first grade class has been epals to a small school in S. Korea since we started school in Sept. The children enjoy writing and receiving e-mail. We have sent pictures of the class, school, our first day that we had frost on the ground, field trip pictures. The S. Korean school has also sent us pictures of their school, playgrouond, pool, and pictures of the children learning Korean dances. My class has learned that children in other countries study some of the same things and read some of the same books. They have enjoyed telling each ohter about holiday celebrations and what they are learning about. It has been a wonderful experience.
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Name: Ivar B.
School: SVS upper sec. Norway
ePals is an excellent tool to establish connection with a class in another country. When I came across ePals last fall a had no experience in the use of Internet and email correspondence. After I entered my EFL class here, I was contacted by a Belgian class. We soon embarked on a very interesting "health"- project - which we later published online. More tools have been added, and I am sure I'll make use of these facilities next year:
Ivar B. Sandnessjøen videregående skole, Norway
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Name: Lanor D.
School: Ulsan, South Korea
My class and I have been emailing with a school in New York Sate, USA since August. The children are only 5 / 6 years old. My children are all expatriate children from a total of 8 different countries ( there are only 14 in the class!!) we have been telling each other about the weaher, our class work and festivals and celebrations thatwe are celebrating. My children were asked how they were going to celebrate Easter.The other school went on to describe chocolate hunts etc. my children replied that we were sure to do something, but because we can't get much chocloate/sweets and especially Easter candy, it was unlikely we will be having a treasure hunt. The other class immediately parcelled off to us easter eggs full of jelly beans ( oh they tasted good, it has been a long time... ! ) My children were sooooo surprised and soooo happy. Thank you to that class and teacher. It was a lovely end to a long week!! :-)
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Name: Nancy T.
School: NuecesCanyonCISD Barksdale, TX
After reading Number The Stars by Lois Lowry, my class and I decided that we would try to get in touch with a Danish classroom. I found the E-pals site and soon we were communicating with a 6th grade, third year English class in Hvidovre, Denmark. It has been a tremendous learning experience for my students. I get as excited as they do when we get e-mail from our new friends. It is amazing how much we have in common. At the same time, it is interesting to learn of our differences. Our local newspaper even published an article with pictures about our Danish e-pals.
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Name: John R.
School: Francis Bacon School, St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK
Just a quick note to congratulate you on a truly fantastic web site - thorough, easy to use, pleasing to the eye and, most importantly, a huge resource for opening up communication within education. This is the first site I've come across which could genuinely provide students with the enthusiasm and motivation to open their eyes to the wonders of our rapidly shrinking world. Good work!
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Do you have an inspiring ePals story or experience? Please share it with us.
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