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School projects

We have mentioned before how Postcrossing as a school project can be a great idea. Teachers all over the world are discovering how to use Postcrossing as an educational tool. English, geography, culture - there's so much one can learn through postcards!

Adriana Salim is one of those teachers and we are happy to be able to share with you all how her experience has been.

I am an English teacher at a public school in Petrópolis, RJ, Brazil. I teach classes to teenagers who keep me busy trying to get them interested and motivated. The dean of the school where I work found out about Postcrossing and here we are, the students and I, involved in sending and receiving cards.

I surely couldn’t have run into something more helpful! Everybody waits anxiously for the mail and the school mailbox is checked every single day. Isn’t it fun to learn English this way? Each student is a single user. They write and receive their own cards. Our enthusiasm has also hooked the Biology teacher who has joined Postcrossing with his own kids at home.

brazil school studentsWe have many projects at the school: theater, dance, environment protection, reading and Postcrossing! Some of the students take part in more than one project.

Before Postcrossing, the students used to swap cards among themselves to practice their English skills. Nowadays we realise that it's much more fun to write real postcards with Postcrossing.

This is where we have our Postcrossing meetings once a week.

Brazil School meeting place

Brazil School meeting place

Our postcards are mailed to the school address. The mail is always brought by the same mailman. We go to the main post office downtown for stamps. We usually post our cards once a week at a smaller facility. The students keep their own cards at home in albums or on a wallboard. Now and then we display all the received cards at school.

This is our mailman delivering some mail and the school mailbox.

Brazil School mailman

This is the board we keep the cards sent to the group as a whole.

Brazil School wallboard

This is the main post office where we buy stamps.

Brazil School postoffice

We once had a picture of the cards exhibition we prepared to celebrate the 18th anniversary of our school on the first page of Petrópolis newspaper.

Brazil School newspaper

As part of that commemoration a school postcard was created and is now available to be send by the students.

Thank you Adriana for sharing this with us!

Have other stories on how Postcrossing is being used on education? Then let us know! We love to hear about them.


Posted by on 12 Oct, 2010
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29 comments so far

nodders, United Kingdom
One of my official Postcrossing cards got sent to a school in Portugal (ESA10EF). I sent a card with a play on words in English (and a bit of English humour too). They seemed to have stopped now, which is a shame.
Posted by nodders on 12 Oct, 2010


martenia, United Kingdom
I received 2 cards from the same school but different class in the same week. Quite a coincidence. It's a great idea.
Posted by martenia on 12 Oct, 2010


9teen87, United States of America
I love it when postcards are used for education! I used to co-lead a Geography club and we used postcards every month at the meetings. The kids loved them! Of course we had food from the country we were studying too - so that might have something to do with the success of the group :)
Posted by 9teen87 on 12 Oct, 2010


CardWishTree, Belgium
When I have to send a card to a school, I think : OH, NO. It often means : waiting 60 days until the card expires because there is not really one main responsible person and also : big enthusiasm often fades away pretty fast or gosh, there is the summer vacation.
Of course it CAN be different, like here with Adriana Salin, who is a great organizer and structures it all well.
Posted by CardWishTree on 12 Oct, 2010


Sundreamer, Lithuania
I have recently sent a postcard to American school. I hope it will be registered soon :)
Posted by Sundreamer on 12 Oct, 2010


AllyRodrigues, United States of America
Is there is an email address for Adriana? My husband is a Brazilian teaching here in the US and I keep telling him that it would be great for strudents to start postcard exchange!
Posted by AllyRodrigues on 12 Oct, 2010


ASALIM, Brazil
Hi! If you are interested in discuss the use of Postcrossing at school send me a message and I'll be glad to share with you my experience.
Contact me at:
adriana.teacher.salim@hotmail.com

Adriana Salim
Posted by ASALIM on 12 Oct, 2010


MrsHaymans2, United States of America
I also am a Postcrossing teacher. We register every card the day it arrives. I also disable my account about a month before summer vacation so there is little chance of a card sent right away arriving while we're not here.

My second graders LOVE Postcrossing. I found found no better tool to teach understanding of cultures and places around our world. Next time you get the opportunity to send to a class, take time to teach them something about your part of the world! I hope you someday send a card to my class. They BEG me to check the mailbox every day.
Posted by MrsHaymans2 on 12 Oct, 2010


annapixie, Russia
That's great!
Posted by annapixie on 12 Oct, 2010


FemkeDorien, Netherlands
I realy love this kind of projects. It's a good way to get people entousiastic to learn someting.
Posted by FemkeDorien on 12 Oct, 2010


motherbrando, United States of America
I have used the postcards I get as Writing prompts for our students.3rd to 5th graders. They often have a hard time thinking of an idea of what to write about. It opens up the imagination and expands the horizons of thinking.
They all know I'm a Postcard geek.
I also send the students random encouragment card.
Posted by motherbrando on 12 Oct, 2010


jolo, Italy
GREAT ADRIANA, i imagine how happy you are with that project!! and i believe sending a card to a school means there will be much more people looking at it and trying to understand what's written on it- so use the chance everybody who gets the address, tell them something, show them the world!!
i was thinking of starting a similar project over here in italy but the problem is that i don't have an own class :(... has anybody got experience with a 'postcrossing promotion tour' in a school? please contact me directly, thank you!
Posted by jolo on 12 Oct, 2010


Luziaceleste, Brazil
Congratulations for the project! Wonderful example and motivation to all.
Posted by Luziaceleste on 12 Oct, 2010


JLeone, Brazil
That cool!
I'm in the picture.
:)
From: Jean Leone!!
Posted by JLeone on 12 Oct, 2010


Twoey, Canada
I would love to direct swap with a school group...if anyone is interested, please let me know!
Posted by Twoey on 12 Oct, 2010


glamourbanana, New Zealand
I tried doing this at the school I work at but it didn't really work. We found the cost of the stamps was quite prohibitive! :(
Posted by glamourbanana on 12 Oct, 2010


Dryddha, Spain
I will be soon an English teacher in Spain and I'm looking forward to have my own students in order to introduce Postcrossing to them and learn about different cultures and countries while they have fun. I think it's a great idea to motivate students! :)
Posted by Dryddha on 13 Oct, 2010


criscosta, Portugal
For the first time my 7th grade English students understood the purpose of learning how to describe themselves when they got in touch with this site and felt the need to write a profile. They are all becoming addicted to postcrossing and they are actually writing in English. Thank you! I'm a happier English teacher now! :)
Posted by criscosta on 13 Oct, 2010


MissCristin, United States of America
I have a question! Whenever I send a postcard to a class (or homeschooler, there are lots of home schooled kids on PostCrossing which is equally awesome), I always want to send MORE than a postcard. Like some stickers, a letter and maybe some fun stuff I find at the tourist shop. Is that okay, or is it too much?
Posted by MissCristin on 14 Oct, 2010


ASALIM, Brazil
Well, I think it's more than O.K. Do whatever your heart tells you to do and you'll never do wrong. My students have received lots of things... letters, stickers, extra stamps for their collections... Take another peek at the wallboard picture and you'll be able to see some...
If you still have other questions or doubts contact me at
adriana.teacher.salim@hotmail.com
Posted by ASALIM on 14 Oct, 2010


SamSalles, Brazil
I loved the field !
I'm in the picture [2] *---*
From: Samanta Salles :]
Posted by SamSalles on 14 Oct, 2010


wwwera, Israel
I received a card from http://www.postcrossing.com/user/Manzyschool, an American fourth grade class.

In addition, there is an English teacher in Israel http://www.postcrossing.com/user/Victoria1000, who organized postcards exchange for her school.
Posted by wwwera on 16 Oct, 2010


Mama-Bear, United States of America
Fabulous! Thank you so much for sharing!! Postcrossing must be the most fun way to learn about the world!
Posted by Mama-Bear on 17 Oct, 2010


lerato, Netherlands
I am a 5th grade primary school teacher in Holland. The children in my class are about 8 to 9 years old. This schoolyear I started postcrossing with them and they love it. When I show them a card we received I let them guess were it comes from. I just give a hint, for example 'it's a big country' and they already know lot's of big countries. Normally they learn the countries of the world in grade 8. Ofcourse I'm creating a problem now for my collegue in the 8th grade... :)
The children love postcrossing! We send a card on every thursday. We register cards the day we receive them.

jufKaren
Posted by lerato on 18 Oct, 2010


AntaresFoundation, United States of America
My Mother's 3rd grade class also postcrosses under the username "MiniMarshmallow." They have "Postcard Fridays" where they send out a card every week :) They kids love it and get so excited when they have a new person to write too! Keep up the good postcrossing work teachers!!
Posted by AntaresFoundation on 19 Oct, 2010


Marionete, Lithuania
Hehe, we made 2 swaps with ASALIM. :) Actually, we only planned one, but then I received a postcard with Adriana's school as a surprise. Of course, I've sent another postcard to her. :D Still travelling.
Posted by Marionete on 28 Oct, 2010


lacrimale, Russia
great idea! i thinks that its so good for schoolships!
i want too ;) but i didnt have a teacher in school with idea in postcrossing ;)
Posted by lacrimale on 5 Nov, 2010


alexandrediniz, Brazil
F A N T A S T I C !!!
I´M REALLY GLAD FOR THIS!! God bless postcrossers and our kids! :)
Posted by alexandrediniz on 9 Nov, 2010


kazinhabueno, Brazil
Great new! Congrats, Adriana and students!!! :D
Posted by kazinhabueno on 21 Nov, 2010



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