This is an open letter to parents in the USA who want to expand their children’s awareness of the world and to expose them to some interesting people using a social network SAFELY.  Start by visiting this web site:

http://sites.google.com/site/welcometoourschool/Home/bridges     ................... 

While this effort was started to link US students to my students from three continents, the method can be used to link any cuntry’s children to interesting (safe) potential mentors.

Now read the letter:

Dear Families with Children who want to learn more about the world...

I am a teacher of English to adults from Asia, South America, and Europe...  even some students from Africa.

I teach in Fort Lauderdale and the students generally go from a homestay family to school to the beach to school to shop, back to the homestay.

"How can we meet local people?  How can we speak with REAL Americans?"  (apparently, I'm not real enough for them...  actually they want YOUNG Americans.)

So here's the idea...  If you approve your child getting on Facebook or Orkut, I can connect them to really well-spoken, educated, nice, safe strangers who can tell your child about interesting places to visit in the world.

Are you interested?   Have you never tried facebook?  You can try it by going to www.Facebook.com and enter the following email address

Practicesite11@gmail.com  
password   thisisfun

You will be in a safe zone because none of your personal data is exhibited.  The account is owned by Patricia Safely, a made-up name.

You can find me (Steve McCrea) by typing in the search box in the upper right corner.  I’m also a “friend” of Patricia.  Your child probably knows more about Facebook than I do.

Here is an example of the type of projects that I'm conducting on Facebook (I’m reprinting a portion of the web site that is listed at the top of this page).

PROJECT:   Contact my nieces and ask them to answer questions about their cities (plus you can invite them to visit your city)

Jessica, Kristen and Olivia   (email addresses are given in the web site)
Be polite (especially if you are a guy...)  "Your uncle Steve is my teacher.  He wants me to practice writing questions to a U.S. person.  If it is not a problem, could you answer some questions (or ask one of your friends to answer these questions)?"

PROJECT:  Ask Rachel to find you a Florida teenager who will write to you.  You can expand the teenager's view of the world, and you can get information about US Culture that Steve doesn't understand... their music is (c)rap.   You can find Rachel by visiting my list of friends and typing "Rachel"...  or you can write to (email address is given on the web site).

PROJECT:  Connect with John Lipkin.  He is a student at University of Florida.  Do you want to know about life in the USA?  John taught Karim a lot!
 (email address is given in the web site)   John is on FACEBOOK.

Here are three tips for parents who want to allow their children onto Facebook:
a) Don’t use let your child use his/her real name, birthday, location, etc..  John Smith is okay.  Your child’s friends will eventually catch on that John is really your child.
b)  Don’t put photos of your child on the photo album section of the Facebook or Orkut account.
c)  Feel free to “unfriend” anyone who is rude.  If that student was referred to you by my school or by one of my students, then contact me and I’ll try to counsel the offending student to be more polite.  
I invite you to join us online and I invite you to explore the world of connecting students of similar ages safely via a social network.  If you have any questions or concerns, write to me at freeEnglishLessons@gmail.com (my teacher email) or respond to me via this email link.


Steve McCrea
VKontakte, Facebook and Orkut Advocate
Find me at FreeEnglishLessons@gmail.com
Links  http://www.FreeEnglishLessons.com,  http://www.vkontkte.com,  http://www.facebook.com,  http://www.orkut.com