The Kidlink Organization
http://www.kidlink.org/english/general/overview.html
Kidlink
is a non-profit, non-governmental,
user-owned organization working to empower children and youth
through the secondary school level. They provide free
educational programs to give students better control over their
lives, help them mature, encourage creativity, make friends, create social
networks, and collaborate with peers around the world individually
or through their classrooms.
Kidlink
is based on the idea that getting kids
around the world to communicate will provide them a direct
experience with friends in very different circumstances.
By sharing a range of opinions and developing familiarity with
different ideas, students will overcome communication barriers
and solve problems in a more cooperative manner.
We believe that when Kidlink
kids become adults they will take a more
global and long-term perspective on issues, rather than acting to
maximize local, short-term interests.
Kidlink's
participants live in countries all over the
world. Their societies have very different views on social, ethical,
legal, religious, and moral issues. Kidlink
encourages participants to value these
differences, and use them as a means of helping kids gain insight into
multiple views of a particular issue. In all activities, kids are
free to honestly express their own views. Foul language or offensive
manners are not allowed. It is a
safe place for kids in the Internet.
http://www.kidlink.org/english/general/response.html
http://www.kidlink.org/english/general/snapshot.html
Kidlink‘s public mailing lists (Listserv) are the main means of communication. When someone posts to a mailing list, a copy is sent to each member of that list. The message becomes part of the archives of the list so there is no need to keep all the emails one receives.
KidSpace - teachers and students actively participate in the numerous collaborative projects inside this space. Kidspace generates links between activities, texts, and images. Students can interact with each other by inserting comments and annotations in the web pages of the online materials with the approval of several moderators. A chat facility and online support are always available for teachers and students.
KidForum - offers discussions on a variety of topics, scheduled in advance. Discussions help the kids of the world communicate about matters of importance to them. School classes and individuals participate in Kidforum topics. Kidforum is a part of Kidlink's focus on Teaching and Learning with the Internet. Using Kidforum, teachers can work with one another connecting classes around the world.
KidCafe - is a place where students find and exchange messages with keypals. Mail from participants is moderated by an adult to make sure nettiquette is followed.
KidLeader -
is an informal meeting place for teachers, coordinators, parents,
social workers, and others interested in
Kidlink.
This is where the exchange curriculum ideas,
network on a personal level, ask for help, and build online communities.
Real-Time Interactions - In Kidlink's
private chat network where kids all over the world can exchange instant
messages. Special events are organized and are posted on their mailing
lists.
http://www.kidlink.org/KIDPROJ/index.html
Definition
A place where students join global projects. Teachers and youth group leaders from around the world plan activities and projects for their students in KIDPROJ-COORD, the adult discussion area of KIDPROJ. Student work and outcomes for the projects are posted on the web in Kidlink's KidSpace.
Basic Projects – Educational Context
1. Who Am I? (http://www.kidlink.org/kie/nls/abstract.html)
The Who-Am-I? is a 8-month long educational project which aims to guide the students to acquire knowledge about themselves, their community, their rights, friends, families, and roots. This project supports them growing up, living and respecting religious or political points of view, without imposing adult opinions. Students will build friendships and inter-personal networks with peers around the world.
A. Who am I?
2. My Future Job (http://www.kidlink.org/english/career/index.html)
Life is about making choices. Whatever students' choice of a career might be, it is imperative that each individual take action and be responsible for their own life. The key aspect in this program is a long sequence of small steps leading the students from curiosity and browsing to meeting peers with same dreams, and ultimately to sharing, social networking, and collaboration.
3. I Have a Dream (http://www.kidlink.org/dream/curric.html)
The
I Have
a Dream
project aims to help
students realize their
dreams
about their future and build a better world. Students are challenged to
plan, design, and implement an Internet based project to realize
their favorite dreams in collaboration with peers in other countries.
E. Evaluation
4. Making our world better (http://www.kidlink.org/english/voice/index.html)
Kidlink offers the Making Our World Better educational program as a means for kids and youth to better their future world in collaboration with peers around the world. To support their decisions, for example on what solutions to propose to politicians, the program guides them to investigate alternatives. Students share information, experiences, and resources with their peers who have similar aspirations, and use effectively their knowledge and information tools. The program runs in parallel in several languages, all year long.
Other Projects
Multicultural Recipe book - http://www.kidlink.org/KIDPROJ/Recipe/
KidArt e-card - http://www.kidlink.org/italiano/progetti/kidart/cards/englishcards.htm
Multicultural Calendar - http://www.kidlink.org/KIDPROJ/MCC/
Money around the world - http://www.kidlink.org/KIDPROJ/Money/
http://www.kidlink.org/english/general/4qcurr.html
Kidlink Projects can be linked with curriculum subjects such as: Language Arts/Writing, Social Sciences, Sciences, Art and Drama, Mathematics, Public Speaking, Foreign Languages, Library Science, Health Education, Physical Education, and Life Skills.
Through Technology
Tips
for Teaching and Learning with the Internet
http://www.kidlink.org/english/general/learning.html
As information and communication technologies (ICT) evolve. They bring new opportunities to globalize the world we live in. ICT’s provide new ways to acquire knowledge and develop skills that will make us better citizens. However, they also increase the gap among those who have access to these technologies and those who don’t. The digital divide is a term that was primarily used to address these inequities. Lately this term is being redefined by the notion that it is not only by providing access to technology for all that inequity will disappear. Knowing how to use the technology adequately becomes a fundamental tool to improve learning outcomes.
A
Kidlink House (KHouse)
-
http://www.kidlink.org/kie/khouse/index.html -is
an open door, public house or cultural center, with a computer lab
connected to the Internet. It is a form of community 'telecenter'
(CTC), or Internet café.
The KHouse may also be a weekly "time slot" in someone's
computer lab or Internet café. For example, it may function as a KHouse
on Monday evenings, and serve a University's students during the rest
of the week.
KHouses render educational
Kidlink
services
to economically less favored groups, like students of
low-income public schools, and individual youth without access to
computers and the Internet, based on the idea of a Social Inclusion
project.
KHouses
come in three flavors:
The first KHouse was opened in March 1996, in the RioData Centro of PUC-RJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
References on Social Inclusion
Warschauer, M. (2003). Technology and social inclusion: rethinking the digital divide. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
The hole in the wall - http://www.niitholeinthewall.com/
An Information Age Town - http://www.eiat.ie/
Digital Nations - http://dn.media.mit.edu/
Electronic
Communication in a k-6 classroom - Conversations about New Literacies
in K-12 Classrooms
SUNY ONEONTA - May 14, 2004
