The Virtual Exchange Experience:
US and NIS Educators Team Up On-Line

By Colleen F. Halley, Director, Internet School Linkage Program, Project Harmony

From the perspective of development assistance and educational exchange organizations such as Project Harmony, this new technology creates a multitude of new ways to make a positive difference in the development of these countries. For twelve years, Project Harmony has facilitated cultural and educational exchanges for school and professional communities across the former Soviet Union. In the face of reduced federal funding for such exchange programs, the Internet provides a unique opportunity to create new ways of translating those experiences through Internet-based programs. For people, institutions and communities with established relationships abroad, e-mail and the Internet makes possible the continuation of these ties, facilitating a long-term gain from earlier short-term exchanges and international visits. Perhaps more importantly, the accessibility of Internet and e-mail helps such initiatives to reach broader audiences within the communities in which they work on both sides of the ocean. No longer is the exchange experience limited to 12-15 participants lucky enough to travel abroad. Through classroom-based project and school-wide partnerships, an international experience awaits virtually everyone at the institution.

As an organization committed to incorporating cultural and international components into the learning process to enrich the learning experience, Project Harmony viewed the explosion of the Internet in the NIS as an opportunity to expand our program work with secondary schools across the region. Project Harmony recognized the long-term change that could be accomplished through helping to reinvent the nature of education in the NIS, this at a time when new curriculum standards and teaching methods were under development in the NIS school systems. In the US, there has been a push for integrated learning which incorporates cross-curricular components into project-based classroom activities. Now such initiatives can be modified to include international components. Interactive projects breathe new life into old subjects through student interaction, real life simulations and international educational competitions. Teachers also have a multitude of resources available to them to facilitate the development of such projects and activities.

Project Harmony selected an initial sixteen NIS schools and a matching number of US partner schools for full participation in ISLP. In each school, teacher teams were identified and are taking part in a series of training workshops to prepare them to serve as trainers in their home schools. Each pair of US/NIS faculty teams work together with Project Harmony advisors to develop at least one major curriculum project per semester which makes use of e-mail and the Internet. Projects cover a range of topics, including but not limited to: youth culture, current events, cultural heritage, environmental science and creative writing.

This winter, Project Harmony assisted over twenty secondary schools and institutions across the NIS to get "on-line" as part of ISLP. With financial support from the Soros Open Society Institute and USIA, Project Harmony delivered and installed computer packages and acquired Internet access for schools and institutions across Russia and Belarus. In addition, Project Harmony is currently preparing a Russian-language compendium of training materials which address technical issues and approaches to integrating Internet technologies into the educational process.

The technical aspects of connecting schools proved to be an interesting adventure, taking over four months and a lot of patience on the part of Project Harmony staff and participating schools. After many creative solutions to unexpected problems and technical challenges, Project Harmony has helped more than 25 schools and institutions in 21 cities across the NIS get connected to the ISLP network.

• Import-Export Business Simulation – Based on a prior Junior Achievement program, schools simulate various activities and research involved with running an import-export business

• Comparative Media Study – Examination of the differences in media coverage of current events

• History and Culture Through Art – Study of art in each country as it reflects history and culture

• Health Issues Affecting Us – Comparative look at the different health issues effecting students, including smoking, substance abuse, alcoholism, AIDS and eating disorders

• Teen Troubles – Examination of the problems affecting teens in both countries

The two conferences linked together in cyberspace using Web Chat, an easy-to-use web-based chat channel located on the Project Harmony web site. This new Internet tool enabled participants from both conferences, as well as "virtual participants" worldwide, to engage in a live discussion (in English and in Russian) and also see digital photos taken at each conference. "Virtual participants" joined us in the Chat Room from a number of ISLP schools from around the globe, from Cherepovets to Petrozavodsk, Ohio to Oklahoma. The Conference Web Chat lasted over an hour and covered topics such as current ISLP projects, the challenges of working with international partners and the many varied experiences participants have had in bringing the Internet into the classroom. The Chat Room is a priceless addition to the Project Harmony web site. Now, at any time, ISLP teachers can arrange to "meet on-line" to plan projects, exchange experiences or simply "chat" with their colleagues.

To help facilitate project work beyond the English-speaking communities in our NIS partner schools, we have launched a partner discussion list for Russian-speaking educators – ISLP-RUS. This list provides a forum for Russian-speaking teachers to exchange their ideas on project ideas and curriculum development with others in the ISLP network. In the upcoming academic year, Project Harmony plans to expand the ISLP network geographically to include partner schools from across the NIS, Scandinavia, Ireland and the US. Plans are also underway to expand program activities to include more conferences and Project Harmony-led group projects throughout the year.

As the ISLP community continues to grow, so does Project Harmony’s commitment to what we like to call "The Internet in Everything". We plan to incorporate Internet components to all Project Harmony programs and provide on-line resources for all of our different constituent groups – teachers, students, professionals, and administrators. While the Internet will never replace the human component which makes Project Harmony’s programs so unique, we hope to take advantage of all the ways in which the Internet can help to extend and enhance those relationships, contacts and experiences.

The Project Harmony Website: