Widens the students' and teachers' perception of the world.
	Improves intercultural/global understanding
	Allows students to realize that there are others around the world with the very same problems they face.
	Helps us to realize that the world is a global village with schools thousands of miles apart yet easily reachable at the touch of a key on the keyboard or click of a mouse.
	Teaches students about cultural differences and ways to respect them.
	Prepares students for the use of a technology already widely used in the "real" world outside the schools.
	Results in additional motivation for the students since they think it is fun and a positive change from everyday classroom work.
	Encourages projects oriented and based on cross-curricular activities.
	Requires independent work from the students and reduces teacher-oriented lessons.
	Offers teachers and students opportunities for discussion of curricular problems across frontier and cultural boundaries.
	Urges contacts to include video and audio contacts.
	Produces material for a "real" audience and not just for a teacher or for grades.
	Offers students a chance to revise their possibly biased local concepts by discussing periods of history or present day international affairs and hearing the other side, too.
	Produces additional material for classroom use as well as material for reading, discussing, learning, and amusement.
	Teaches the students to understand, evaluate and interpret information. Networks allow us to use the world as a source for learning.

E-mail alone is insufficient for effective international contact.  It should also include the exchange of photos, videos, audio cassettes, visits and the production of classroom material in general.

Prepared by Sheila O. Gersh, Ed.D.©  sogcc@cunyvm.cuny.edu