About VC Contest

From VC Contest Students

The AT&T Virtual Classroom project changed my entire life. First of all I learned never to give up. Next I learned how to be a good leader, have patience with others and not be too bossy. Last but not least, I learned to delegate. In conclusion, the VC Contest taught me a whole bunch.

Emily, age 11, Buck Lake Elementary School, Florida, USA (VC-85)

Before I joined, I hadn't turned my attention to global issues … but through the AT&T Virtual Classroom I came to know about the problems the world is facing, how serious they are, and how they need everybody's cooperation.

Emi, age 17, Shingu City High School, Wakayama, Japan (VC #06)

[The Internet and VC] teach students how to communicate and collaborate with people around the world. Communication and collaboration are the foundation of our world. Without these skills, students would never learn to interact with others in society.

Jon, age 13, Percy Julian Junior High School, Illinois, USA (VC #01)

I think this project is very unusual. It is amazing how the Net can demolish the distance between us. Imagine — I have friends in Florida and Canada! I can even see them! I love it.

Anjana, age 11, Delhi Public School EOK, Delhi, India (VC #85)

VC has not only given me a learning experience, but it has astonished me, that three schools, thousands of miles apart, [could be] working and collaborating on the same project, making ends meet.

Rod, age 17, Athens District High School, Athens, Ontario, Canada (VC #35)

It's amazing how the children have taken over the project as the teachers sit back and enjoy the ride. I'm so impressed with their work and "take charge" attitudes. They have matured, grown their abilities and skills and developed in ways that we, as the teachers, had not predicted.

Nanci Hamilton-Hoffman, from 1998 Grand-prize winning Buck Lake Elementary School, Tallahassee, Florida, USA

I just want to say how excited we are to be able to take part again this year. Last year was our first time and one of the best educational experiences that either my students or I have had. We were the first school to register this year and are really looking forward to the challenge of competing again with other schools around the world.

Chris Betcher, Information Technology teacher at Marist College Penshurst, in Sydney, Australia, whose team went on to win 3rd Prize in Contest 98.

I like this program very much because my students can learn to use the Internet as a tool to find good information by themselves. They get to practice teamwork. … This program also helps my students improve their English, communicate better and learn about other cultures — not from teachers, but directly from virtual friends.

Laor Permsombut, Bodindecha School in Bang Kapi (Bangkok), Thailand

AT&T Virtual Classroom program...gives our 14-year olds exposure to competitions organized on an international level, and encourages student exchange and cooperation that crosses national borders. It also offers great benefits to schools, like technical advice, and video conference opportunities.

Yeo Eng Liang, Head of the IT Department of Bukit Panjang Government High School, Singapore.

AT&T Virtual Classroom fits in perfectly with studies of another country. As one of my students said, "I have learnt more than I ever could from a book."

Greg Wilmot, from 1997 Grand Prize-winning Emerald Primary School, in Victoria, Australia.

I view making a virtual classroom for AT&T like the Olympics – an Olympic Web contest. -- It is an honor to be accepted and actually end up with partners. Now many groups are beginners, but because of all the help and organization of AT&T, they end up learning a great deal and having a website to be proud of in their community.

Ricki Peto, from 1997 Grand Prize-winning Pasco High School, Washington, USA


The following quotes are from an online questionnaire of teachers, answering the question "What was the greatest benefit of the AT&T Virtual Classroom Contest?"

To watch each student become responsible, doing their part and helping each other. ... The joy of watching my students WANT TO LEARN.

Opening the mail box and discovering new ideas each day... Talking with teachers in other countries was also particularly enlightening -- sharing opinions, experience and expertise.

Having the reality of the world we live in hit home... that there really are people over there on the other side of the world, and the only thing that's really keeping us apart is distance. ... I also liked the cross-curricula nature of these projects, that we ended up doing something that encompassed history, geography, science, English, art, music, computing, with almost no real clear boundaries... I liked the fact that this was the type of educational experience that we teachers often espouse to want, but here was a chance to actually do it.

I most enjoyed watching the students use their wonderful imaginations and talents to create the website with undaunting enthusiasm. They did not give up; even with all the technical problems we had. ... [that] was extremely uplifting to me. Their faces lit up like spotlights when they finally got to view their finished product. That made it all worthwhile.

Exchanging information. Seeing three schools in different parts of the world working together, studying the same topic. Seeing students learning communication skills and cooperative work