Following are examples of postsecondary programs working with K-12 schools in creative uses of the Internet in connecting classrooms globally.

Interactive Communication and Simulations (ICS)
Based at the University of Michigan School of Education, the Interactive Communications and Simulations (ICS) project is a dynamic program of exciting and innovative educational telecommunications exercises. Using accessible telecommunications, students can spend part of every school day in a "global classroom." ICS exercises have been designed to help teachers teach, mostly by encouraging active learning, learning through design, and providing flexibility so that teachers can integrate the on-line and classroom experiences. All of its projects link participating students with teams of university student mentors, whose role is to support and challenge the students in their endeavors.

During the 2004-2005 school year, ICS was offering curricular exercises in a variety of areas. These include role-playing simulations on the Arab-Israeli conflict and Global Student Congress where participants developed resolutions bringing their concerns to the global community. They also conducted a global issues forum built around vicarious travel called Earth Odysseys. Student writers are linked both with peers and with university student mentors in the International Poetry Guild, and they are currently piloting their newest exercise, the Rivers Project, a collaborative venture with Japanese educators which connects students around the world in the study of history, culture, ecology, geography, politics, and art related to rivers and water.

• Age Levels: K-12 grades
• Webpage: http://ics.soe.umich.edu/
• Contact: telephone (734) 763-5950, or by email at stanz@umich.edu.
• Supporting Organization: Interactive Communications and Simulations group at The University of Michigan
• Language(s) of Communication: English and Japanese

International Communication and Negotiation Simulations (ICONS)
Offers educational simulations of international relations at both the university and high school levels. Students at a participating institution represent the decision makers of a selected country and negotiate solutions to global problems via the Internet with peers around the world.

• Age Levels: high school
• Webpage: http://www.icons.umd.edu/
• Contact: icons@gvpt.umd.edu
• Supporting Organization: ICONS, University of Maryland

The Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education at Stevens Institute of Technology sponsors and designs a number of interdisciplinary projects that K-12 teachers throughout the world can use to involve their students in online collaboration with their peers and analysis of real time data from the Internet. The projects are linked to the National Science Standards and NCTM math standards they support.
http://k12science.stevens-tech.edu/currichome.html