Interschool discussion - an invitation - Discussions

Hi, My name is Rob Sbaglia and I am the ICT coordinator at Castlemaine North Primary School, a school of 163 students. We have a strong focus on ICT, with all our Grade 5 and 6 students having their own netbooks, as well as desktop and netbook access throughout the rest of the school. As a Grade 5/6 teacher, we are writing to invite your Grade 5, 6 or year 7 students to an online discussion of an issue covered recently in Behind the News. The discussion will be around the question “Should Australia have a bigger population than it does today?”. The story on Behind the News can be found here: http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2876851.htm Students research the topic before participating in the discussion. The online discussion would be held between 11.30am and 1pm on Friday, April 30th. The way we have conducted the discussion in the past is that there is an initial Skype video link-up (you will need to create a teacher or school Skype account if you haven't already done so - Skype is only needed on the teacher's computer) to introduce the members of the discussion to each other; followed by 20-25 minutes using etherpad to discuss the topic (students are in groups of 6 that I will organise), then a final Skype video link-up to reflect on the discussion and the process. If you do not have 1:1 computing, you can have two students to a computer or perhaps select a number of students who are interested in participating. By linking up with other schools and discussing issues with students they have never met before, our students have widened their view of the world, and been exposed to ideas and standards that they previously have not been able to access. In addition, there are the numerous literacy and communication benefits associated with the task. If you are interested in participating, send me the names of the students who will be a part of the discussion and I will set up the links you require to participate. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to ask. We look forward to seeing you online! Many thanks, Dr Robert Sbaglia ICT Coordinator Castlemaine North Primary School

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