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Feedback

In 2007 we began to build Web sites for after-school groups and teachers. The aim was to get students to write to each other, to expand beyond an audience of one -- the teacher. Many studies show that this type of peer-to-peer learning is very powerful.

And indeed that has proven the case. We have 18 sites up and running right now and have done another five pilots. We survey the kids at the beginning and end of the year to gauge changes in their attitudes about writing and themselves. We also have discovered from these surveys that a side benefit is that the students gain a deeper appreciation of each other because of these online classrooms.

We also ask teachers to suggest improvements and give feedback. Our argument is that not only is this helpful to us but it can also help in discussion at the school about whether to go more deeply into digital learning or to buy more computers.

Here's a piece of feedback we received today from a 7/8 grade teacher using one of our online classrooms:

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