DRZ@SJUVM.BITNET (Bob Zenhausern) (03/16/91)
Index Number: 14056 I wanted to share with you some of the activity that has been taking place in Big Computer Pals in the scant two months since the first message was posted. There are more than 60 subscribers from 15 states, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Several interactions have already been initiated and there may be more of which I am not aware. 13 students in Karen O'Quinn's Education class in Buffalo have introduced themselves and are already interacting with Anne Pemberton's LD HS students in Nottoway Virginia. At least one student in Dennis Golombek's elementary school class is communicating with Tom Holloway from project Chatback in the UK. Betsey Doane, a blind teacher in Connecticut, has contacted an undergraduate visually impaired student who was having problems in one of her classes. Tzipporah BenAvraham and David Metzger are working together with a whole class of EMR students in one of Anne Pemberton's classes. And probably the most impressive set of interactions involves Nelson, another of Anne Pemberton's students. Anne wrote a wonderful description of an LD HS boy, good with his hands, disdainful of rules, and flirting with the wrong side of the law. She appealed John Carson from Darwin, Australia who taught welding and metal work to be a Big Pal for Nelson. Even before John's first letter, Nelson had already written a letter and, for the first time, he was concerned with spelling and grammar. Mike Burleigh then sent a message to Anne asking if Nelson could act as Big Pal to the emotionally disturbed children from Project Chatback. Nelson and two of his classmates will be Big Pals to those children. Nelson is also communicating with one of Karen O'Quinn's education students. Are there any more interactions I may have missed. If so, share them with us and encourage others to initiate more interactions. At this point, there are more Big Pals than Little Pals. Is anyone working with children in elementary or high school with perceptual, physical, mental, educational handicaps who could benefit from a Big Pal? If so, send a message to bicompal@sjuvm.bitnet and join Big Computer Pals.