Hello,

Every Friday, my students are heavily engaged in low stakes impromtu writing during the beginning of our classes. This warm-up is called "Something to Talk About". Here, students pick one Friday during the semester where they must deliver a 5 minute "talk" followed by 2 questions. These questions become the journal for the rest of the class. I can attest to the students' interest in this through my experience with this activity during the '09/'10 school year.

I am now looking for an educator I can team up with for the '10/'11 school year. You must teach a High School class that falls somewhere between 1:00-1:15 Atlantic Time. Our 2 groups would link up via Skype for 2 days out of each week; on one day my student will deliver their talk to both of our classes while on the other yours will do the same.

Opportunities exist here to sharpen our students' speaking skills as they encounter a more authentic audience. I see potential in this culminating in an end of the year celebration where the best "Something to Talk About" deliveries from each class (as voted on by our students)could be presented to both of our school communities.

For more information, please contact me at joseph.ross@nbed.nb.ca

Thanks,

Joe Ross

Many textual sources for The Great Depression are available. A rich pool of people who lived through the early 1980's recession exist in our families; therefore, we can interview them. Now, we are living through harsh economic times. I want my students to collect stories from people their age who can articulate their experiences that were brought about because of the current economic mess.

This is a call to teachers who are willing to connect their students to my classroom through Skype. My students will employ sensitivity and respect throughout the interview process. Such a collaboration will help my students learn valuable economic concepts and compare and contrast skills.

Thanks,

Joe Ross
Stanley High School
New Brunswick, Canada