If you have read any recent posts, you've noticed I'm working on a pretty good size project with classrooms from around the country. The project isn't over yet, but we should have things wrapped up by the end of next week.

I wrote a more detailed post about what I've learned while doing this project and you can read about it here. This post can be found on the Discovery Education Network Wisconsin blog, which I'm currently in charge of.

Please, visit the site, read the post, and comment here or there. Tell me what you think.

HELP!!!

The State Project is off to a pretty good start. We had a huge initial surge of interest from people across the country. However, we are still in need of participants from about 20 states. We need to wrap up the project in the next couple of weeks. Please pass this on to anyone you think might be interested.

Check out the wiki for the project and see if the state you teach in still vacant. The wiki is private, but if you ask to join, I'll give you permission and you can join us. Otherwise, leave a comment hear with all of your contact info, including Skype name if you have one.

I've created my first wiki!

http://hmstateproject.wikispaces.com/

If you are interested in participating in my State Project, go to the wiki and fill in your information.

If you commented on the earlier post about the project, I think I have some of your information, but I may need more.

Thanks.

A week ago, I purchased a webcam for our school, housed with me in the library, since I'm most likely the only one who knows how to use and will use it. After testing it out via Skype with Teryl_Magee and her students in Knoxville, Tennessee, I started thinking big.

In about 3 weeks, our fourth graders will begin a unit on the United States. For their big project, they will pick a state and research it. Last year, the 2 fourth grade teachers and I collaborated on this project. This year, I'd like to take it a step further and I need as much help as I can get. As one form of research, I'd like our students to interview a student or teacher from each state. In other words, the student who is researching New Mexico would actually "talk" to someone who lives there to get a prospective they couldn't get in a book. I would love this interview to be done through video conferencing. Our students have never done that before and I think it would be great. Now, I realize that finding people in all 50 states for a video chat will be difficult, but I would settle for at least an email interview. I have 3 or 4 states covered already, but am looking for contacts all over the place. I would even think that touching base with someone outside of a school system would be fine - perhaps a grandparent or business person, someone like that. While having the students interview another student would be great, interviewing an adult would work as well. I'm really hoping my Twitter network, which has over 100 followers representing at least 25 states can be a great resource for this. They should be able to help, right? Some of my fellow blog readers should be able to help, right?

I certainly cannot find all of these contacts myself. That's why I need your help - assist me spreading the word about this project. Are interested? Do you know someone who would be? If so, please leave me a comment with your info or send me an email. I think this could be really cool and more importantly, a great learning opportunity for everyone involved!

Here's my post on this project from Classroom 2.0 if you're a member.