My wife has been lucky and productive enough to have many professional international ventures. She has the social, technical, and educational expertise and motivation to turn these visits into long term opportunities for herself and others she works with. In 2003, she spent several weeks in Japan as part of an educational exchange. She became friends with her interpreter Miyako and continues this friendship to the present.
Miyako has an interesting story. From what I can tell, she works primarily as a translater and expert in English language issues. She has some very interesting ideas – i.e., I want to spend time with American elementary school students so I can learn how they converse.
Most recently she has become involved in Skype conversations with students from a Grand Forks 3rd grade classroom. The activities associated with these interactions have generated multiple classroom activities that span a variety of skill areas. This link to the classroom blog (hosted by the teacher Mrs. Benjaminson in collaboration with Pam Carlson Curriculum Technology Partner) offer some insight into the topics Mrs. Benjaminson and her students, Miyako and Cindy have explored.
Mrs. Benjaminson’s blog also offers interesting ideas for how this participatory web tool can be used in elementary settings.
