Linking Students with Their world

The article I read was "Linking Students with Their World: A Good Day in French Class" by Nancy A. Bacon. This article was about a French class in Washington state that was able to be video connected with a class from Dakar, Sengal. The class talked to each other and learned about issues that each class was dealing wtih. They were able to give power points and presentations together at conferences. They talked about issues such as education and even serious issues like AIDS. The connection between Foster High School and Senegal began in 1996 when returned Peace Corps volunteer and Tukwila School Board member Mary Fertakis visited Sue Pike's French class to talk about life in Senegal.

The questions that were asked back and fouth were:
From students at Lycée Thierno Saïdou Nourou Tall in Dakar, Senegal:· Do communities try to find solutions to the increasing violence in schools?· Can you speak about a true American culture if you consider the different ethnic groups who make up the population?· Don't you think that the attitude of the USA toward China may be the beginning of a new cold war?· How do you feel about the Bush presidency?
From students at Foster High School in Tukwila, Washington:· How do you feel about the spread of AIDS and other diseases? · If there were a civil war which broke out in Senegal, to which country would you go and why?· If you had the chance to visit the USA, where would you like to go and what would you like to visit?· What do you worry about?

I feel like this is a very interesting article about techonolgy in the classroom.