Seniors in Our Lives Project
Objectives:
Through the use of computers and internet technology, this project will
help to connect middle school, college, and possibly elementary students
with senior citizens in their local geographic area, as well as with students
and seniors in other parts of the United States. Global interaction is
possible although not required in any project year.
Overview:
Through the use of computer technology, middle school students will
"meet" and exchange information with similar students. Ages may be
similar, geography and background will be chosen so that each can learn
from the other. Information exchange will be accommodated through
email and possibly through a structured online "chat" exchange.
Teachers and technology coordinators will be given information on how to
create a safe environment for such an exchange of ideas.
The students' increasing knowledge and the products of their exchanges
will become a "resource" for connecting to local senior citizen groups.
Students will become mentors to senior citizens, with plans to assist them
with the basics of internet access and to teach seniors about using
computer technology to meet other groups, as well as in finding
information resources.
Senior citizens concurrently become mentors to the students, sharing
experiences and teaching them lessons learned throughout their lives.
Students benefit from the additional resources as they listen and gather
stories from the community, as well as world issues. All participants
benefit in self-esteem and self-worth; the seniors as they realize their
ability to touch and mold young minds, the students as they are
empowered to become teachers themselves!
In the future of this project, this base of connections will grow as the
number of partnerships increases, classroom to classroom, children to
seniors. Each new partnership in this project will add new classrooms of
students and new groups of senior citizens to the exchange base.
The project's history and continuing growth will be documented online
and in a written history. In the future, the stories shared between
students and seniors may be compiled into a storybook to be shared with
others, and can be kept for future generations. Through an internet web
site, these stories can be used for outreach to other groups.
Procedure:
Teachers or administrators submit a classroom profile to enable
matching their students. The students will be matched by the teachers on
a one-to-one basis for completing study projects (see suggestions below)
and will at times work with fellow students or the whole class as a
workgroup. Teachers are encouraged to develop a working relationship
with the partner teacher in desired subject areas. When possible,
principals are encouraged to become involved in the exchange.
Several suggestions below lead students toward forming friendships
which enhance the classroom project exchanges.
Examples of initial student-to-student contacts -
•Students write letters of introduction to partners and email them, asking
questions about each other.
•Students create and exchange "token" gifts. Teachers, this is a basis
for exchanges with senior citizens; the process creates a wealth of
materials for sharing with all participants.
Examples of suggested exchanges:
Poetry at Valentine's Day (This is how it all began between Rock Hill,
SC and Ames, Iowa.)
Greeting cards and ornaments at Christmas/Hanukkah
Easter bonnets and sonnets
Linking to senior groups:
The first project completed within the classroom partnership is planned in
advance to become the introductory link with local senior citizens.
Once the students have formed their initial friendships and have begun to
work with students in another location, they have knowledge, products,
and stories to share. They become ambassadors to senior citizen groups
within their city or town. With their new skills, students begin to teach
the seniors the process of connecting and creating their own new web of
friendship and exchange.
Curriculum areas that may be addressed within this project:
•Language Arts (through letter writing, interviewing, creation of poetry
and greeting cards, etc...)
•Geography (studies of the areas in which partner schools are located,
places partners have visited, etc...)
•History (exploration of locally unique history to be able to share with
their friends at a distance, a reciprocal benefit)
•Social Studies (stories exploring the cultural diversity of our citizens and
shared by the seniors, as well as the exchanges between students in
different locations)
•Math (used for statistical information, measurement for creation of
materials to send, weighing packages, figuring postage, etc...)
•Science (collection of weather data from each location, as well as other
environmental information)
Background:
A similar project was successfully completed between our classroom in
Rock Hill, SC and a classroom in Ames, Iowa taught by Robert Kelly.
Both principals were participants in the project and contributed poetry to
a very popular end product, a Valentine's Day book of verse with
contributions from each student, both teachers, and both principals. The
books were copied so that each school participant received one, as well
as their senior group partners.
To become a "Seniors in our Lives" participating classroom, teachers or
principals should email Jamie Reinsch at jreinsc@rock-hill.k12.sc.us You will be placed on a group list for email
to begin matching classes and students within the classes.
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