My Take
I really like how it gave them a chance to put their writing in real world application and they got to see the importance of that. In addition, I really liked how they got to explore topics that are very important in their futures (and even now!) I hope in the future there will be differentiated articles for different levels.
How I Use It
I used this program to help my students practice their writing as well as learn about different cultures around the world and social issues locally and nationally. The kids really loved the fact that they got to communicate with other kids around the world. They also liked how they got to learn about different topics every week with kids their own ages in other countries.
More community reviews for PenPal Schools
Alicia M.
Saraland Elementary School
Saraland, AL
June 19, 2019
Creates an understanding of culture differences!
Overall, I feel there needs to be more interaction. The students were excited to see their pen pal's responses, yet many pen pals did not. There is a requirement and time limit for students to respond and many students never got a response from their pal.
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Nancy R.
April 24, 2019
Great engaging app!
I think this is awesome. It would be a fun tool to introduce to my students.
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Jillian W.
April 16, 2019
Connect students globally on PenPal Schools to collaborate and learn together
This website is a great teaching tool because it offers broad lesson plans that are being completed similarly in other classrooms so students can collaborate globally with other students. There are currently less than 50 lesson plan options on the website, but there is a large enough variety to be able to introduce this collaborate type of lesson at least a few times throughout the school year. Each lesson states how many other "active PenPals" are currently working on each. Connecting with students all over the World create an interesting learning environment for the students and also helps students get a better understanding of different cultures and environments that they would not usually be exposed to.
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