Motivation+-+Pen+Pals+&+More+(Nicole)

I. Literature review topic and key concepts

One of the main concepts related to my topic was that students need authentic writing opportunities to be engaged in the writing process. Writing, for various reasons, seems to be a lacking skill for some students. Pen pal letter exchanges are a great example for students to have authentic writing experiences and can be implemented in all areas of the classroom.
 * Topic:** How do pen pal letter changes affect writing motivation?


 * Key words for this topic:** motivation, writing, authenticity, pen pal letters
 * Authenticity**: (Real learning experiences)

II. Summary and highlights of about writing motivation and pen pal letter exchanges My research was focused on case studies showcasing teachers using pen pal relationships in their classrooms. Students-and teachers were being connected nationally and globally through the internet and physical letter exchanges. Examples of locations included a nursing home in a local Massachusetts town and a small, underdeveloped country in Africa.

Every article that I read mentioned that the receiving of letters motivated students to be engaged in the writing process. Students wanted their new friends to clearly understand what they were trying to say in each letter, so sentence structure, flow, and grammar were important. The exchanging of the letters allowed students a unique,personal and interesting way of learning about geographical locations, diversity, and culture that may be very different from their own.

III Click here for sources used in this study

Implications of the research project A. Teachers- We are seeing a trend where students do not have the writing skills they need in order to be successful writers. A pen pal project can provide the motivation that students need in order to want to be engaged in the writing process by providing authentic writing experiences. The internet can provide a great starting point if you would like to try this in your classroom. [|Click here for an example]

B. Parents/families- Pen pal relationships can provide learning opportunities at school but at home as well. Through my research, I have found that students need authentic, or real, learning experiences in order to be motivated and engaged in learning. Ask questions about what your students are learning about, and if they have a pen pal share the excitement with your child about the new learning experiences they bring home. If they see you are excited, the more they will want to share with you!

C. Community members- Pen pal relationships with the school in your community is a great way to get to know the children in your area, and for children to get to know you. One of the articles in my research talked about a nursing home and a school in Massachusetts that exchanged letters. Students gained the writing skills they needed, and both sets of people (the nursing home members and students) felt such a strong bond with each other that they wanted to continue writing even after the pen pal relationship ended in school!

Resources:


 * Professional resources for teachers, administrators, and pre-service educators**

A) [|ePals Global Community]ePals is an online community where teachers can connect globally with other teachers who are looking to start a pen pal relationship with another classroom. Teachers can choose topics (such as digital story telling) that they might be interested in, and then get connected with a class that would also like to collaborate on that topic. Since students need authentic learning experiences to be engaged in the writing process, ePals would be a great addition to the classroom to help students be motivated and engaged in learning.

B) [|ReadWriteThink lesson] Teachers: This lesson plan is a great way to get started on how to introduce students to the letter writing process and format. If you decide to implement an internet program for pen pal relationships, it offers good ways for students to practice writing in email or Microsoft word since it will be a different experience than writing a letter on a piece of paper.

C) [|The Pen Pal KId's Club] is based on a book by Shelley A. Aliotti. The book is a scrapbook based on the author's experience as a child with her pen pal, a relationship that has been with her for many years. The Pen Pal Kids Club is a website where children can share friendship, cultures, and different ways of life. The website offers educators and parents access to digital postcards kids can share, games that can be played, and a child friendly encyclopedia about all sorts of different topics.

D) [|The Flat Classroom project]was founded in 2006 between two teachers (one in Georgia and one in Bangladesh) that wanted to make learning personal and unique for their students though the use of multimedia. The goal of this project is for teachers to realize the importance of diversity and how it can be implemented in your classroom to create interesting and engaging learning for all students.

E) [|Online resources such as Skype] can connect teachers and classrooms globally for free. As teachers and educators, team teaching and the sharing of ideas can make powerful learning in the classroom. Skype can be a great tool to implement for a pen pal program because students can practice writing and oral skills as well.


 * Resources for family members and the general public**

A)[| National Family Caregivers Association] offers a unique outlet for families to reach out to each other and start a pen pal relationship with another family that may be in a same situation that you have faced or are now facing. The website allows you to share your stories if you wish, and allows you to search for pen pals that may share similar experiences with you. It's good to know that you are not alone, and to make new friends. The website is very easy to navigate, so feel free to click the link to get started if this may interest you.

B) [|The Scholastic website, articles, and literacy tools]offer parents and family members various ways to get you and your child interacting globally with literacy. This article talks about how important it is for children to learn about new people and places with one on one contact. If children see you interacting with new food, new accents, and looking at pictures of new places they, too, will become curious and ask questions about different cultures and way of life.

C)[| The Pen Pal KId's Club] is based on a book by Shelley A. Aliotti. The book is a scrapbook based on the author's experience as a child with her pen pal, a relationship that has been with her for many years. The Pen Pal Kids Club is a website where children can share friendship, cultures, and different ways of life. The website offers educators and parents access to digital postcards kids can share, games that can be played, and a child friendly encyclopedia about all sorts of different topics.

D) Parents and community members can help create unique learning experiences at home and in the community. [|The Girl Scouts]and [|Boy Scouts] are two events that your family can participate in to not only give back to your community, but the world around us. Both of these programs have activities that raise awareness about culture and diversity all across the globe. Joining is usually free or low cost.

E. As parents, you juggle a lot of hats, and may not always have the time to consult with your child's teacher or school to determine some ideas to keep your child motivated and engaged in learning outside of school. [|ReadWriteThink] is a website that offers all sorts of great ideas and is sorted by age range.