2. The magic of email! Teresa Almeida d’Eça University of Pittsburgh 23 October 2000

3. Email and me love at first sight! inseparable ideal match: we go together like soup & sandwich

4. favourite means of communication enhanced personal and professional development: peer contact, student exchanges, etc.

5. Email and the teacher/my career opening up of perspectives and horizons no more excuse for typical teacher ‘isolation’: fabulous world of contacts at fingertips infinite world of information 24hrs/day, 365 days/year

6. constant sharing of hints, ideas, plans, experiences, knowledge invaluable tool for professional development: mailing lists, newsgroups, distribution lists [pn], email updates [nytimes], personal messages discovery of a New World: similar to Columbus´s discovery of this New World 5 centuries ago??!! ;-)

7. Email and my students magic words  email exchange (eyes brighten up and ears seem to grow antennas) magical new world of contacts and experiences

8. atmosphere –total support and solidarity (back me up 100%) –excitement about getting in touch with kids from distant cultures, countries, continents –high levels of motivation, interest and engagement (including weaker students) –good standards of collaborative work –good and healthy support of weaker students

9. –healthy added confusion, excitement and noise –permanent expectation: ‘have we got mail?’ –absolute excitement: ‘you’ve got mail!’

10. curious peculiarities –added care and attention to their writing:‘phobia’ of correctness –correction: peer (mainly) and teacher (minimum) –more easily notice keypals’ mistakes than own! –some improvement of writing and reading skills

11. –mixture of business and pleasure training & added knowledge in new communication and information skills (email & the Net for research) integration of new technologies into the curriculum in a natural way –excitement about being part of a pioneering experience –proud of having work and names on the Net

12. Email, friends and family informality of email: new contacts and friendships magic of email: daily contact with my family –convenience (assynchronous: different time zones) –speed (of light) –immediacy (‘just-in-time’) –low cost (‘a local phone call away’)

15. Visit me at: http://64.71.48.37/teresadeca/ Drop me a line at: tmvaz@mail.telepac.pt