Week 14

When I was in middle school I was able to get a pen pal from Scotland.  Eileen and I kept in touch all the way through high school and lost touch when she moved to a new school.  I learned so much about Scotland, and how different the educational system is there.  I also realized that Eileen were different but also very similar.  We had similar fears about the future and about relationships with boys and peers.  Our tastes in music and fashion differed but that did not stop us from sharing our lives with each other.  I also had pen pals from Trinidad and Sweden.  Neither one of them had the connection I had with Eileen.  When we talked about the Epals website, it brought me back to the excitement I would get when I would receive a letter from any of my pen pals.  Social media has made the world seem so small but I still think it is important for people to still make that personal connection with another person through letters.  Epals though was not just a website about writing letters to other students in another country, it was a way for teachers to bring other cultures, histories, and stories into a classroom.  While we were exploring the site, I was amazed as how many different activities and lessons that could be done from this website.  Another great site to add to my wiki to have as a resource for my future classes.  I would love to see a student make a connection like I did with my pen pal/friend Eileen.