Planning the next movie and collaboration...

Cathy: Tyrone and I continued to share information throughout the summer. Some was personal, getting know each others' families We also started planning for the next movie. Remember that my students are not back from summer break, but it is winter in Brasil and their students are in school. The following e-mails were exchanged before my students returned to school. Notice how the timing has to be coordinated to make up for language barriers. You will also notice that sometimes things just don't go as planned.

8/8/09 I have also started a list of questions on Meninas. I will send them to you this weekend. Then you can add or delete questions. My students will need to use some research skills to locate statistics. Many of the questions are opinions and could be addressed in Tapped In. Others may be projects – PPTs, posters, charts, perhaps video where the girls (at least those here) can comment on how they feel.

Tyrone: (8/10/09)

Have you printed Menina's poster the way you wanted? I hope so. I think I will start working with Meninas tomorrow and on Wednesday. We didn't have classes today because today is Students' day. I am going to use part of your questions before and after their viewing of the movie. Don't worry about the time your students will watch it. If they watch the movie at the beggining of September it will be ok. I want to have my students watching the movie now, because there are several questions to be answered; in addition, they will have to make surveys in the net to do so. Afterward, they will have to translate what they wrote. So, I will need to have time to do everything. Tomorrow We will watch the movie and anwer about 12 questions in Portuguese. Part of the next week class will be used to go on answering questions on the movie. And then, they will translate what they wrote into English. I will think about a way through which my students can show their surveys; maybe we use PPT or a movie maker to do so. After your students having watched it, mine will be already able to discuss about Meninas. As I have already seen Meninas several times, I know the Meninas girls'. I think I will print their pictures so that my students can't forget their images, histories and names. As it is a true story, the girls of the movies won't be forgotten so easily and they will be able to talk about them via Skype, blog, Tapped In when it is the occasion, ok?

Cathy: There was some anxiety as to whether the connection with the new class would be as effective as that of the old group of Lovejoy seniors. Not just on my side, already knowing the next classes had a very different personality, but from Brasil as well... What if they don't click?

Tyrone: 8/12/09 I hope your new students and the juniors can interact with us, as Fetemma, Maurio, Paris, Brandi, Freddie, Damion, Latosha and other ones did. In fact, I miss your ex-seniors and I would love hearing from them in case you know about them, regarding his professional life, college etc.... I think I had to postpone the viewing of Meninas as I didn't find the copy I have. Anyway, tomorrow I will ask a colleague to lend me hers so that I can make a copy. In last case, I can go to a video shop, take the movie and make a copy for me....You see, it is so stressing when you are ready to do something and you realize that an important detail has been forgotten or not found, mainly when you are tired and want to go to bed!!!