Title: The Flat Stanley Project
The Flat Stanley Project is an international collaboration project for lower elementary students. First, the teacher reads the book, Flat Stanley, and engages in conversations about what it would be like to be flat. Then, the teacher separates the students into groups of 4 to 5 students. Together, they make a Flat Stanley and a writing journal. Before mailing their Flat Stanley to another project member (either in the U.S. or elsewhere) each member takes Stanley home for 2 days to write about his experiences at their homes. Then, the group reads the journal entries and explores the similarities and differences they see that Stanley has experienced on his journey to each household. They write a summary of their findings.

From these ideas (and some teacher-suggested ideas), the group will write a list of questions within the journal to send with Stanley to their assigned project member. They send their Stanley off and await the arrival of one being sent to them. While waiting, they will use the Internet to research some basic information about the place that Stanley has been sent to and where the new Stanley will be coming from. Once that Stanley arrives, the group members will each take it to their homes (this time for a week) and write a daily journal. Once completed, the group will compare their journal entries and decide collaboratively what they should send back with the Stanley (stickers, candy, pictures, etc.).

When their original Flat Stanley comes back, the group will read the returning journal and discuss the similarities and differences between Stanley's experiences with the group at home, and with the group away. They will also be looking for any correlation to the information found on the Internet (about the location) to what the other project group writes about. When all the classroom groups have received their Stanleys back again, they will reconvene as a group and have a discussion about the Stanleys' adventures and what the students have learned from their experiences (both from working within their group and from the project member from a distance).

• To create a title character that will be sent to another project participant (chosen from around the world)
• To record daily journal entries (some common themes: weather, location, favorite books, etc. and/or some less-conventional themes)
• To independently send e-mail to another Flat Stanley Project member
• To use the internet to learn about hometown and weather and to learn about another Project member's location
• To observe similarities and differences among the correspondences received from other members of the Flat Stanley Project
• To learn appropriate revising and peer editing techniques in journals and all correspondence (letters or e-mail)

The Flat Stanley Project is a very social activity which directly relates to the Situative Perspective of child development. It encourages individual expression and reflection within a collaborative group. Within the group, students work together to summarize and reflect on each other's writings. There are opportunities to take skills from instruction (editing, revising, giving constructive criticism, etc.) and apply them socially within their group framework. Another social aspect of the Project is that students are journaling about themselves, their homes, and their cities for the objective of informing others.

The leading theorist within Situated Cognition, Lev S. Vygotsky, stated that "All learning is social." Further, there are 2 main elements of learning in Situated Cognition: "1. All learning is social and happens within a community through participation, and 2. Learning is tied to its situation or context." The Flat Stanley Project is intended to encourage development utilizing both main elements. So, in using the Flat Stanley Project within one's classroom, a teacher should see developmental growth through participation in this highly social context (both inter and intra-community).

As the students participating are at various levels of competency and proficiency, the teacher should be sure to adapt the writing portions to be age (and skill) appropriate. Students within this developmental group are overcoming their egocentric tendencies and are beginning to see themselves less as individuals and more as members of a peer group. The Flat Stanley Project helps facilitate that developmental growth by using real world situations and examples.

The NET Standards that are most prevalently seen in this program would be:

• Use input devices and output devices to successfully operate computers, VCRs, audio tapes, and other technologies.
• Use developmentally appropriate multimedia resources to support learning.
• Work cooperatively and collaboratively with peers, family members, and others when using technology in the classroom.
• Demonstrate positive social and ethical behaviors when using technology.
• Gather information and communicate with others using telecommunications, with support from teachers, family members, or student partners.