Emilie Johnson
Elective #3
Keypals
and Epals
There are many different ways to use email in your
classroom. Below you will find five different
activities that could be used in the classroom as well as two wonderful
websites dedicated to finding email buddies and addresses for your students.
Use these five ideas in your own classroom!
1. Have your
students choose a student from another country to exchange emails with. Set aside time each week for the children to
send emails about the American culture to their new pals. Encourage them to ask questions about their
pals culture. This is a great
opportunity for your students to become more multicultural and to learn about
how people live differently all over the world.
2. Use the
email so that students can practice their typing and writing skills. Have them email you/the teacher about
certain topics. When these children
grow up to be adults typing and computer skills will be essential for
success. Start them off early so that
they will feel comfortable when they reach high school and college.
3. Have the
students email the school Principal suggestions about school policy, lunch,
recess, or anything that they want to tell the Principal. This will show the Principal that your
students are aware of their environment and will show him or her how
technologically advanced your students are.
4. Collect
email address to various tour facilities or state offices so that students can
research different states in the country.
Students will learn about the economies and environments of other
states. You may also use this as the
beginning to an oral report.
5. Allow
students to exchange email addresses at the beginning of the school year. Assign homework buddies so that students can
discuss any questions, comments, or concerns with one another via email. This is a good way to build classroom
friendship and community.
To get started with Keypals and Epals visit
these sites:
This website is easily understood. You must register as a new user to access
most of the information, but the website has many great ideas. You can also find classrooms in other countries
and in the United States to exchange addresses with! - http://www.epals.com/
You can find the perfect keypal on this
site! Search by grade, age, and state
to find the keypal that you are looking for.
Both teachers and students can search for pals. Learn about keypals and send feedback and
suggestions to the company. - http://www.teaching.com/KeyPals/register/done.cfm