I Have a Dream

Students are challenged to plan, design, and implement an Internet based project to realize their favored dreams in collaboration with peers in other countries.

Module 1: Develop a dream Teams of students or individual kids examine their personal dreams for a better world. They identify one that might be a foundation or base plan for an overall collaborative dream plan effort by a global team of peers. Module 2: Select a dream Teams promote their own dreams to others, and evaluate dreams from potential partners who might have similar dreams or dreams that might extend their own project definition. They decide which dream project to participate in. Module 3: Organize dream projects Teams organize their dream projects, and create a plan of action to make them a reality. Module 4: Your dream project starts Teams implement the dream project they have designed. They maintain, assess and revise their project activities to ensure success during this implementation phase. Module 5: Evaluation What have we achieved so far? What can we do to make our project more exciting/successful? Module 6: Finance your dream Writing applications for financial support to take the project further.

I have a dream awards communications projects developed by children and youth that

1. involve many persons, ages, languages, and countries in planning and implementation
2. have good chances of continuing beyond the program's annual schedule
3. use Kidlink's free infrastructure

Example: A hypothetical "dream project"

For teachers, I have a dream provides enhanced learning experiences in schools. It

• addresses learner outcomes in math, science, language arts, social studies, reading, writing, etc.
• challenges students to do something with their dreams for the future, starting now
• empowers students to take ownership of their own learning
• provides for a variety of learning styles
• encourages inquiry and discovery, including an ongoing process of assessment of student work by students themselves
  

In addition, it provides participants with practical experience and skills of perceived importance in tomorrow's world, like

• the art of planning, designing and implementing an Internet based project
• promotion/marketing of project ideas (using the web and other net tools) to potential partners
• negotiations for partnership, including decision making (ranking methods, short listing, evaluation, making partnership agreements)
• fundraising
• international cooperation/project organization, including recruiting of "the best person for the job."
• use of productivity software to enhance planning, negotiations, cooperation, fundraising, follow-up, etc.
• assess outcomes of their project compared with objectives

To parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, I have a dream is a means for close cooperation with the kid on something important to them and their future, and to coach them to important knowledge, opportunities, and experiences that may be useful in their adult lives.

To educational authorities, I have a dream is a means to help teachers enhance their curriculums, promote collaboration and sharing of educational experiences between teachers, and on-the-job training in the use of Internet in classrooms.

To NGOs, I have a dream is a means to empower youth in need of support. It may include increasing their ability to start businesses in their communities supported by peers in an interpersonal network of friends around the world.

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