[mesmark]

I started the V-Key Pals Project Exchange as a warehouse for ESL/EFL projects. I have some projects all ready to go. You can download the project, print it out, do it with your students and then share with them projects completed by other students from around the world. Then you would submit some of your students' completed projects back to the site to potentially share with others.

Basically, I'm running middleman or more like library. If you're interested
www.mes-english.com/vkeypals.php V-Key Pals - the international project exchange

If anything, they are at least complete lesson plans all ready to go.

Thanks for your time.
Mark

[little sage]

Hi Mark,

I just got back to Korea after a (quite long) summer vacation.

This week I'm going to start teaching again! Woowee! One of my classes is a middle school writing class and, though I haven't met the students yet, I think the projects on your site look great!

I was wondering if, say, I was working with a group of kids whose level was below the examples you posted (I read through one of your high school classes' stories), would it be OK to simplify the lesson and still post it a shorter or simpler final project?

It's a very exciting project. I'd love to contribute if I can, just hope the kids I meet this week are an appropriate level.

Thanks,
Karen

[mesmark]

Absolutely!

My students would love to read a story from anyone. So, we would love to have it.

The third story is lower level and very funny.

I hope to eventually have completed projects all across the board (very simple to very advanced) for download. Then a teacher could choose to use whichever best suits the class.

Teachers can also change this and that, add this or leave that out as they see fit.

I hope the project works well for you. The Mt. Diamonte project works really well with boys for some reason. They usually will do work out of class (come with ideas, sometimes even written out!)

Happy teaching,

Mark

[little sage]

Hi Mark,

Wo, quite a few months flew by since I last posted about this. Sorry! The school I was at when I was first interested in your project did not turn out to leave any space in their curricurum for extra story-writing projects, though I'm sure the kids would have liked it.

Luckily, though, I've found two Middle School boys to try it with! They're on their second draft of the Mt Diamonte quest. They should be finished by Friday, if all goes as planned. Very possibly typing the stories up themselves, too.

Should I throw some clipart onto the stories before I e-mail them to you, or is text only OK?

Thanks,
Karen

[mesmark]

Cool I'm really excited to get the stories.

If you have places you'd like to add clipart please do or just let me know where in the story you'd like to ad pictures. (Either way I'll have to replace them with clipart I can publically use.)

Thanks for the support!

- Mark

[michèle 2]

I've just bumped into this thread. I think V-Key pals is the best idea one can ever have using this wonderful tool which is the internet. My JHS students were so proud to have their work on your site, Mark. Swati who has got a cousin in India said that he could see her work on the internet so imagine how happy she was!!
Actually, 2 of my students ( aged 15 ) are going to do another project in September so I will send you their work, Mark.
thanks again for this great idea!!

[mesmark]

michèle 2 - Thanks! I hope to get a few more projects up over this summer and completed projects are trickling in slowly. I really would like to see that area grow, so let's cross our fingers.

Thanks again!

- mark