Participant's Guide
The ingredients of a good project

A good project...

Sets clear goals. They are quite closely aligned with traditional instructional objectives. In a well designed project, a teacher can easily see how participation can fit into regular class activities.

Sets clear tasks. These tasks become the focus of the collaboration. Projects in which many things are going on simultaneously with the promise that one class will help another often leave students lost and frustrated.

Offers clear outcomes. Beyond the "exchange", a project should aim for some finished product to which all will have contributed and to which all will have access.

Caters to the curriculum need of participating classes. Certain projects offered by commercial ventures focus on the technology and the hype. Stick to the essential.

Uses communications efficiently. Means of communications are kept simple. What is to be exchanged and with whom is clearly defined. It doesn't require getting special software for the duration of the project. Ideally, communications are done on a class to class rather than on a student to student basis.

Can be complete even when loosing a participant. It's important that the project's chain of communication not be broken if one link is missing. Another reason to avoid pen-pal pairing with students of another class or "sister class" type projects.