Are you getting ready?

Hello All,

In one week, mailing will begin!

Registration is closed but please wait to download your mailing lists. There are always last minute adjustments and the lists will not be in their final state until late in the week. After you download the lists, please remember to check the blog for changes in e-mail and snail mail addresses throughout the duration of the project. They are inevitable.

At this time you should have your students organized and ready to create/address their cards. Hopefully, you have all determined how you will participate (snail mail or electronic cards, or a combination of both) and have either a production process in place or your ready made cards on hand. Please remember to keep the information on the cards succinct and useful. Let others know about the physical and cultural geography of your area through the words and images you used.

Have you created a place to display the cards you will recieve? Are you using a wall map, a scrapbook, or some other clever solution?

We'll talk again soon...

Best,

Leni

It's not the technology... moderator's musings

Sandi's post reminds us of the "side effects" of the project. I'm glad it has become a springboard to such learning and problem solving for Sandi's students and colleagues. I suspect this is the case in the classrooms and schools of many participants.

When I was doing the project with students, myself, my learning goals for my students included real-world activities: problem solving and organization and writing for a real audience. The major goal, of course, was to make my students aware of far away places in a very personal way. Just as primary sources can put a face on "history," so personal postcards can put a face on "geography."

I get many notes about the success of the project from participants, but, frankly get more notes of disappointment and frustration from teachers who feel that the return on their effort has been inadequate. At this point in the project (near the end) I always begin to question whether the efforts we all extend are worth the outcomes.

I have conducted this project for more than 15 years.I have seen many changes in participants and participation over these years. I know that the "community of learners" feeling seems to be gone. It may not matter to anyone but me :-)

It is obvious that the realities of classrooms and their use of technology has changed tremendously over these 15+ years. Those of us out there "early" were totally enamored with the newness and new possibilities that technology presented. That "aha" is gone, of course! And today's classroom environments allow fewer curricular degrees of freedom and less choice. It is harder to engage in projects like this, let alone reach beyond the immediate requirements of the project.

You may find it useful to reflect with your class about the outcome of participation in the project. What worked, what didn't? You may want to add your/your students comments to this post. It might provide some "communal closure" to this year's project :-)

The "official" end date for Postcard Geography is Feb. 2. Try to get your cards sent by then. If you don't make the deadline, please send your cards when possible. Most participants would prefer to get cards "late" rather than not at all.

Thank you for your participation. I hope it has been a good experience for you and for your students!

Leni

I'm worried - are you?

jetech's post has reinforced my concerns. I started this project about 15 years ago. I believed then, and I believe now, that project like this create a larger stage for our students learning. I think it is important to involve our kids in projects bigger than our classroom. It helps us all develop a larger, world view.

In the first several years of the project, I conducted an active teacher listserv. We talked to one another and shared ideas, successes, and concerns about the project. Over the last 3 or 4 years, I began to get more and more complaints about the listserv (too much mail, it exposed participants to spam, etc.). So, I thought I'd try a safe, moderated blog, rather than a listserv, for our discussion this year. That would eliminate spam and excessive e-mail, I thought.

However, this blog feels pretty sterile to me. And the Postcard Geography project seems to have no life. I don't know whether a project like this can survive in today's spam-riddled internet environment, but I do know that if we don't talk to one another we are engaged in "parallel play" - not collaborative work.

So... are other classrooms experiencing a disappointing response from the project? Does anyone else feel the loss of community that I am feeling?

Speak up, please. Your feedback and suggestions are truly being sought. Let's see if we can breathe some life back into what could be a thriving project.

Wishing you all the happiest of holiday seasons...

Leni

P.S. I have received MANY beautiful cards, however, and thank each and every one of you who have sent one my way (snail mail and e-mail).

Important Reminder: post your participant number on cards!

Hello All,

I hope you are receiving lots of cards and enjoying the project. I have received dozens of snail mail and many e-mail cards, already! Thanks so much for your commitment to the project.

One of our participants expressed a concern I hear every year. She said, "...remind participants to include their number or address on their mail. We have spent ALOT of time looking through the list for addresses to find the proper mailing address. I would rather be able to quickly locate it in today's "cram full curriculum" it is hard to find time to look over and over the list for the class address."

Help each other out. Whether you send snail mail or electronic cards, please include your participant number in your signature.

Thanks!

Leni
 

E-mail concerns

Hello folks,

Another note just received:

Sharkelton academy #12 sent their email postcards from Richmond, VA today. We had a lot of trouble with email addresses. Would you please let everyone know that we apologize if they got our email more than once or if they didn't get it at all to please let us know and we will send it to them
Thanks!
Alex DeCarmela

Please let Alex know if you don't receive her class' e-mail postcards.

Best,

Leni

Questions? Concerns? Sharing?

Are there immediate questions or concerns, folks?

Returning participants - please help by reading and responding to questions and concerns posted here.

Thanks!

Leni