PC - World Neighbors

Just wondering, how will the students get ahold of the PC's they will be sending back? Or will they be making them?

I imagine the students are sending pc's from their area? Anyway, watching until closer to sign-up date. I'm in Alaska!

This is a great idea! wish I was still teaching - I would have some of my students do this project. I am signing up!

I love this idea - a chance to help students learn more about the world. I'm in. Here's hoping you get a great response!

For those of you who asked - I am leaning towards having my students take digital pics of the local area and having them create and print the postcards themselves. Also, I don't think there are any postcards of our town being sold anywhere. I work closely with the computer and art teachers, too, so I will probably get their input and help! Thanks for signing up and asking!

This is a wonderful idea. I will sign up near to the date!

What a fantastic idea to help the kids learn about other places.

That's such a cool idea! I sign up and I'm from Switzerland!

I would be happy to send you some too. I live in Kansas City, Ks, grew up in Leavenworth (also near Fort Leavenworth too), right next to the Missouri river too.

Would some from this area be ok for you. Let me know.

Anywhere and everywhere would be great!!

Sweden is in too..... Great idea !!!

What a fun idea. I'm part of this fun swap called, Postcrossing. http://www.postcrossing.com/ So far I have over 100 postcards from all over the world. It's free to sign up, it's for all ages.
On the site I go by the profile name- solarts66. Cheers,

A lovely idea for your kids - let hope they get cards from all around the world (I'm in Australia).

I'll second solarts suggestion above of Postcrossing - the members there probably come from a bigger mix of countries than Swapbot.

I have already checked it out and registered. Thanks for such a great resource! Swap-botters rock!

great idea! I'm from Germany

I am watching this swap. I just wanted to say that hand-made postcards tend to get ruined and sometimes lost in the mail more than regular store bought postcards.

A suggestion is that your students send their cards in an envelope to help protect them. In fact, for anyone who makes a hand made card this may be a good suggestion.

or you can laminate the cards after they are made and written on. :)

This is a really great idea. It is on my watch list for now as I am at my swap-bot limit. :(

Great idea, I'm in :).

Thanks for all your suggestions and participation!

What a fabulous idea!

A suggestion on hand-made postcards is to use real photos. I have found some at some thrift stores, book shops and antique stores. Or maybe they can create their own photos. Then glue the photos onto card board and make sure that the size of the card board is the average size of postcards. I think it's about 4X5.5 in. Watch out for those oversized postcards. The post office will ask for more stamps on the postcard if it's over the average size. I have made that mistake before many times. Unless the school doesn't mind paying extra for oversized postcards. Good luck and it sounds like a fun big project.

I'll put it on my watch, England.

OH what a super idea! I'd love to participate but will be out of the country and in the jungles of Indonesia so won't have access to a computer. Maybe you'll want to do this again later????

I would encourage sending the handmade cards through the mail as "naked" Just be sure that the photo is glued on well and that the card is stiff enough to go through the machines. I've sent dozens through, although I pay extra for my fabric ones with embellishment for hand canceling.

Have fun!

Thanks for your interest & comments on this PC-World Neighbors swap. I am so excited to have 50 swap-bot buddies so far!! Everyone who signs up for this swap will get a return PC in September - but we would be glad to get more anytime during the year - and will send a return PC for each one we get. So keep us in mind if you have a trip planned! We would love to have postcards from all over - even if you have to mail it when you get home from a trip.

Anything to help children learn. Hearts to you jj9jj for making learning interesting and fun. ((hugs))

I am on the Greek island of Santorini (Thira).

I'll send my postcard from Portugal.

GREAT IDEIA!!!

im signing up! philippines here!!!!

i'd love to get a postcard anytime!!!!

Can I send the school postcard now???? Count VA, USA in!!!! I'm sending an extra from my favorite vacation spot. Neat fun idea--anything to get students learning.

Good thinking! You can send your postcard to the kids anytime, though they won't be back in school until earlt Sept. to respond. Your swapbot partner won't be assigned until Sept. 1, so be sure to save one for that, too!

Hi jj9jj - are you happy for people to send more than one to the school? I'm quite excited about the idea of getting cards from the students...

More than one to the kids at school would be fine. I will be sure to have different kids write back! Thanks for asking!

Great, I love this idea ! I sign up ! (from France)

I am going to send two postcards since i just moved from one place (Chicago) and live in another (Las Vegas)..I think I will put them in an envie so they only send me back one. What do you think?

or am I ruining the effect of the postcard being stamped?...I can go either way...in fact, I don't mind sending more than two since I travel a lot and have a lot of extra postcards.

I don't think the kids are going to care if the PC is stamped or sent in an envelope. I am hoping the 'where' they came from and "what' they find out from 'who' sent the postcard will be their interest! You certainly can end them together in an envelope - but I see no problem having more than 1 student write back to you, either, if you want to send 2 without envelopes. I am hoping the kids are as excited about this as I am!

If I remember it, I will send a postcard from Latvia.

Is the address as you wrote - just "school"? I wonder where will those postcards go - to school secretary?

I'm in. This sounds cool. Its a good way for children to learn about other countries and places

It is a relatively small school and the office is aware that we will be receiving postcards from all over and will put them in my mailbox. If you want to address them to me, Janine Maletsky, that is fine - but don't worry - they will make it to me even if you don't!

I am soooo excited to have over 70 participants! The kids will be excited, too!!

Wow, this is a great idea for the kids! I'm in! You can add Japan to this growing list of countries!

I'll be sending the one to the kids before the "send by" date from Tokyo but to my partner, I'll have to send it to you when I'm in the US since I'll be vacationing there at the time partners are assigned.

Wonderful idea and you are certainly getting a huge response! Hope the kids have a real good time with it and learn a lot! Thanks for the swap. ~Gail from Maine, USA

I would love to join in too! I live in the north of the Netherlands and can sent cards of my surroundings. I love this idea! Do you know about postcrossing.com ? This is a postcard swap project too, and I do this too. There are schools involved also, maybe an idea for your school too. But this time I join in on swapbot! mama lieveheersbeestje from the Netherlands.

Wow -- what an original, outside the box idea. Count me in.

OK, the wonderful state of Missouri is in too!!!

OK, the wonderful state of Missouri is in too!!!

This sounds like a great swap. I can't wait!

Looks like fun and I'm willing to send two post cards to the school. I live in Portland, Oregon, however, on Wednesday I'm traveling to Hawaii and can send one from there too!

What a fun idea for your class!

I'm in from Massachusetts!

I have found that handmade cards travel in the mail just as well as store-bought cards as long as they are made well. Cereal box cardboard is one of my favorite substrates. Papers added on top need to be securely glued down.

I have also used my own photos and backed them with cardstock using double-sided tape. It ends up to be just the right thickness and as long as you use the doublesided tape all along the edges and a few prices in the middle. They always travel well.

Wheeeeee! We're almost at 100 participants! Wow, am I excited!! THANK YOU ALL!!!!

Postcard from Houston,TX in the mail! What a GREAT idea!

It's now 110! people who signed up. Hopefully swap members who have sent their past swaps. I have my postcards ready to be sent out by Sept.

I know this is early - but please let me know if you do not receive your PC from either your swapbot partner or your 'student'. I would be glad to 'angel' either.

Great idea from one of the participants - she sent the postcard with her child's name so he/she would get the return card!

Sweden's in! :-) Buying postcards today...

Would you like more than one postcard sent, if possible? Would you like a postcard from a country that may not be represented by those that have signed up?

Another St. Louisan is in also. Sending two postcards in envelope today. Great swap for the kids.

Thanks for all the good questions! I plan on this being more of a 'find this place on the map' and 'read what the person sending it has to say about that place' than a stamp/postmark collecting experience. So - if you have postcards from places you have been - feel free to send them. Please just include something about the place on the postcard - what you saw, what you know about the area or place, etc.

A couple of reminders: Be sure to include your snail mail address on the PCs to the school. The kids will NOT be looking at the swapbot site - but I will be able to contact you through swapbot if you forget. You can always PM me with your address if you forgot.

I will be keeping a detailed log of what postcards come in, who they are from, who is writing back and when the replies are sent. There are so many great swapbotters participating that I have included the 6th grade teachers in helping with the project. This way we can split the PC's amongst the entire 6th grade and there will be more of us coordinating the kids! They are super excited about this, too!!!

And as always - THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for participating!

One more thing - don't be disappointed about signing up if you think someone else from your area has signed up - I plan on have a different kid write every PC from school. I am sure no two of you will write the same thing, anyway! When all the 6th graders have gotten a chance I will let the 7th graders each write one, etc.

This is a great idea, jj9jj, and I hope it's a successful one for your students. While nearby your school, you'll be getting one from NYC!

You'd be surprised, Ystarr, how many of the students have never been to NYC, even though it is less than 30 minutes away!!

Wonderful ideas like this 'almost' make me wish I were back in a middle school classroom!! Great idea jj9jj!! Bet the kids luv ya'!!

F.Y.I. I'm hosting a new swap called, "Anything Cheerful!' Swap. http://www.swap-bot.com/swap/show/44061 Please check it out and tell all your friends.

Wonderful idea and so educational. I wish my school had done such a thing when I was growing up.
Expect a couple of postcards from sunny Israel.

Im Korean Its very interesting and educatianal.

I hope doing like this in my country.

Feel free to share the idea with your schools (kids' schools) and be sure to let me know if you host one similar - so I can sign up!

i am sending a postcard of a map from saskatchewan ,canada

What a great swap and what a great teaching idea! I am probably going to send a few extras to the school. GT

Thanks, GT, and all the others that are sending extras to the kids!!

I have a Special Ed class and I share all of my swap-bot and postcrossing cards with them. Last year we did Flat Stanley and this year my theme is "Exploring the World." I love your idea, I wish my kids could get cards too. :)

So much fun! Picked up a postcard in PDX before leaving for Hawaii and picked out another postcard at the City of Refuge to send. Again, what a lovely idea for your class!

love the idea.I'll send one from croatia :D

I have found a image of our house and the surrounding land on google maps. I plan to use that image on my postcard.

beadladystamps - What a great idea!

I did something like this when I was in the Peace Corps in uganda. It was unbelievably fun getting letters from all the kids. Count on some cards from out here in da middo o da ocean.

Im in!! sending from England too

I can't wait for this swap! :D

What a great idea.. I live in New Jersey as well, but it'll be a chance to send your kids another part of New Jersey, since you're about an hour and a half north!

Great idea! I'll send a card from Finland.

I am not in the swap but I will send a card to the school.

I'm in!! You'll be receiving two cards from Australia =D And maybe more, once I work out the best way to make them myself =D When I become a teacher I will definitely do something like this. And I also recommend PostCrossing to everyone here.

Ooh, I wish my teacher had done this when I was in school! I can send more than one from Seattle if you'd like, I sort of hoard postcards, haha.

Thats a great idea! Im sooooooo in!

Im from Brazil!!

The more postcards - the merrier! Thanks!

I forgot till I wrote the postcard that Lewis & Clark died where I am living! WOW! I even included that on the post card!!! Sent 9/2!

now im waiting my partner adress so i can send my PC x3

Ehh,when will the partners be assigned?I am newbie,can you tell?

OK - I have assigned your Swapbot partners! Again - THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL for signing up for this project!!

Wow - I went to school today and had over 20 PCs already! The whole 6th grade team is a-buzz about how they are going to use the PCs, how they are going to display them, etc.

just sent of my cards and read all the comments - such a cool idea! am so glad the school kids are so excited :)

Many of you have offered to send and even already sent more than 1 PC to the kids at school. Any number of PC would be welcomed and answered. Again - I thank all of you for your generosity!

I sent the postcards to the school a couple of days ago, you should hopefully receive them on Friday or Monday =D

I sent my PCs today, be aware that mail from Israel takes time to arrive

mine have gone out in the mail today! i just love this idea :)

Hi, I sent an extra postcard from Az. to your school. I hope the web site Postcrossing has been helpful for your school project. Please let me know if the site has been helpful. I think it's a great idea what your doing for your school. Please let me know if you need more postcards sent out for your students. I have many more from my state. Best wishes, Solarts (Stephanie)

Heeeey

I sent my PCs today But maybe will take a long (about 2 weeks) cause i live in Brazil!!

Im afraid cause tomorow and monday will be national holliday ;-; hope the PC wont delay!!

I'm also sending three postcards to the school. :-)

The kid will be looking forward to answering the postcards whenever they come! We will try and get our responses out quickly - but those that take a while getting to us will probably take the same amount of time to get back to you.

I forgot to mark it as sent yesterday, but they did go out! I even had the postal clerk hand cancel them with the Duxbury cancellation.

Postcards are in the box, but forgot about the Labor Day holiday, so they won't get moving in the postal system until Tuesday.

whew!

just got my postcards sent out today, and planning to send more during the year! is it ok?

My mailbox was STUFFED today!! You are all so generous! We will be starting to write back real soon! Thanks again!

Once again - let me thank everyone who sent us postcards. The 6th grade teachers and their kids are all really excited about reading them and writing back! They just got started yesterday. They are working on them along with their other schoolwork. We want to make sure they write enough - and that you can read it - so we are having them write rough drafts first. That being said - they will be finished and in the mail by next week at the latest. We appreciate your patience in waiting for your postcards from us.

For those of you who sent more than one postcard - we are going to have the kids write one to each of the participants first and then will try to get additional ones out to those of you that sent more.

Again - thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Janine (for Lakeside School!)

Just emailed everyone. Thanks for your patience. The postcards have been making their rounds through the school. The 6th grade teachers finally got the kids postcards to me and they are going to the post office tomorrow. I was amazed to realize that so many of them had never written a postcard. It was a great learning experience all the way around for them. And for me! Next time, I will oversee the writing myself so it doesn't take so long! Again - Thank you for writing and enjoy your postcards.

I got my postcard today from a little girl called Stephanie and it made my day!